Whatever conservative ethos of restraint there once was has vanished.
More than 80 years ago, the Court decided that it didn’t need to settle whole cases, but could limit its review to specific questions it liked.
Whatever its merits, the methodology could not have existed until modern times.
Adding more justices to the bench might be the only way to stop them.
Former Solicitor General Paul Clement may get the Supreme Court closer to killing what’s left of campaign-finance limits.
Like Barack Obama, the chief justice came into office promising an age of apolitical comity. And like the president, he has seen his dream die.
From lavish vacations to fancy dinners, conservative activists have constructed an elaborate infrastructure to reward ideological loyalty on the high court.
Like Smaug from The Hobbit, the Roberts Court is remote, protective, and prone to sudden displays of fierceness.