Liberals who celebrated the Supreme Court’s
decision on health care
may be nursing an ugly hangover after the justices dive back into their
work this fall, with a docket likely to be loaded with controversial
cases.
And left-leaning courtwatchers are already worried about the jurist who brought them such relief last week: Chief Justice
John Roberts.
Some liberals contend that Roberts’s surprise crossover
on the health care law has given him a free hand to craft and sign onto
a slew of conservative opinions next year without suffering much of a
public drubbing from Democrats and the press. With one major case,
Roberts may have inoculated himself and the court against charges of
partisanship.
(
Also on POLITICO: Robert's switch: Gasoline on the fire)
The chief will have plenty of chances to make his mark in the next
term. Already, the justices are planning to delve into the politically
charged issue of affirmative action. They may well add hot-button
disputes over
same-sex marriage
rights and voter ID laws. And the court could even take up the
constitutionality of the landmark law Congress passed nearly half a
century ago to guarantee African-Americans equal access to the polls:
the Voting Rights Act.
The looming slate of cases could have far-reaching impact for the
nation. Liberals and President Barack Obama’s administration have strong
reason to expect at least some big disappointments, despite the
jubilation they felt when Roberts joined with the court’ s liberal wing
to uphold Obama’s health care law. Conservatives could be in line for a
series of major wins.
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