But since President George W. Bush changed his nomination to that of chief justice after Chief Justice William Rehnquist’s death, Chief Justice Roberts took on the additional responsibilities of being the custodian of the Supreme Court’s prestige and authority. Chief Justice Roberts is under no illusions that the other two branches, which he calls the political branches, will act anything but politically. In taking on the hybrid role of presiding over a trial inside one of the political branches, he has to balance competing instincts. I was a little surprised, but the even-handedness and mild tone of the remarks was characteristic of Chief Justice Roberts. He may have felt the ordinary human impulse to play a role in the proceedings he’s nominally presiding over.

Source: New York Times January 29, 2020 00:22 UTC