Chief Justice Roberts takes the oath

That the United States has had 43 presidents and only, as of Thursday, 17 chief justices underscores how judiciously the latter job must be filled. Newly confirmed Chief Justice John Roberts could preside over the Supreme Court for decades. May he do so in accordance with his stated respect for precedent (showing up the 22 Senate Democrats who voted against him presumably because they assumed he was lying). And may the predictions of a fierce partisan battle over the next opening prove wrong.
Posted by Rhonda Holman

10 Comments

  1. Heckler
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 12:50 pm | Permalink

    Rhonda

    If all Supreme Court Justices respected “precedent” we would still be living with seperate facilities for blacks and whites. Would that really be a good thing?

    What precedent are you worried about?

  2. dr
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 5:08 pm | Permalink

    Heckler…. there is a clear process to change the constituion and add protections that did not originally exist.

    A good thing is a system of checks and balances that are respected and change that is approved by the majority of the people…..And you probably wonder why there is so much “division” in the country

  3. Joe Williams
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 5:12 pm | Permalink

    Actually Heckler the Precedent before Plessy v. Ferguson was to equalize the races by the 14th Admendment. But when the Liberals took control of the court, that is when they decided to do the “seperate but equal” doctrine.

    So when the Supreme Court strike that down, they were taken account of the Constitution of the United States and the precedent of the 14th Admendment.

  4. Heckler
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 6:52 pm | Permalink

    Joe

    I take precedent to mean a past decision, an actual amendment to the constitution is a seperate issue as far as I’m concerned.

  5. Joe Williams
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 7:09 pm | Permalink

    What you are talking about is called stare decisis.

  6. Steven E.
    Posted September 29, 2005 at 11:33 pm | Permalink

    Ted Kennedy was overheard asking:”Starey Dices, wasn’t she a dancer down in Providence?”

  7. Joe C
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 7:26 pm | Permalink

    The only “precedent” the democrats care about is Roe vs. Wade. (Even Kennedy & Kerry who claim to be catholics.)If congress amends the constitution or a fetus is proven to have a soul the precedent will stand.

  8. NoJoCo
    Posted September 30, 2005 at 9:28 pm | Permalink

    Joe C, Believe it or not there’s an organization called Catholics for a Free Choice. Google it.

  9. Galahad
    Posted October 1, 2005 at 7:42 pm | Permalink

    May he be a Souter, for the love of God . . .

  10. Jed
    Posted October 2, 2005 at 5:03 pm | Permalink

    Well, the swearing in is done. Now begins the swearing at!