The Court Is Our Friend (for now)

Roberts vs. Obama: all smiles for the cameras, but war has been declared. Believe me.

Here's an analysis to take notice of, from Politico. It discusses the administration's desire to go after the high court as the one, and arguably the most powerful branch of the federal government that is not utterly beholden to Obama. I have written about this before, i.e., my conviction that Obama sees Chief Justice Roberts as his mortal foe, a worthy nemesis who, given his lofty position on the Court, coupled with his peerless intellect, stands as the most serious threat to the Obama regime. The president's embarrassing and sophomoric lecturing of the Roberts Court during the State of the Union address, a truly unprecedented move in American history, revealed just how deeply Obama and his cohorts fear Roberts, Scalia et al. and their powers of persuasion over the usually (and recently more reliably) conservative Associate Justice Kennedy. And while not too many analysts are discussing the feasibility of it, I still think it is not at all unlikely that Obama's signature health care law will ultimately find its way to the Supreme Court. Is it even constitutional to begin with? Nothing strikes more terror into the hearts of arch-liberals than the idea of this law being placed on trial, with Roberts acting as judge.
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And here's another Politico piece on the upcoming confirmation battle to replace Justice Stevens:

Republicans are enthusiastic about the prospect of Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens’s departure, not because it signals an end to his liberal jurisprudence but rather for its rich political value.

Many in the party expect the nomination battle to succeed him will be a major asset to GOP House and Senate candidates, serendipitously timed to coincide with the homestretch of the midterm election campaign.

In their view, Supreme Court confirmation hearings will serve to stoke an already fired-up GOP base, particularly if President Barack Obama nominates a liberal jurist, and could potentially put Democratic candidates in conservative-minded states on the defensive.