Is Roberts a conservative? Yes. Does he oppose Roe v. Wade? Yes. Does this mean that his decisions as a Supreme Court justice would follow suit? Not necessarily. From Robert’s confirmation hearing in 2003:

My practice has not been ideological in any sense. My clients and their positions are liberal and conservative across the board. I have argued in favor of environmental restrictions and against takings claims. I’ve argued in favor of affirmative action. I’’ve argued in favor of prisoners’ rights under the Eighth Amendment. I’ve argued in favor of antitrust enforcement. At the same time, I’ve represented defendants charged with antitrust cases. I’’ve argued cases against affirmative action. And what I’’ve been able to do in each of those cases is set aside any personal views and discharge the professional obligation of an advocate. And I would urge you to look at cases on both sides. Look at the brief, look at the argument where I was arguing the pro environmental position. Take a brief and an argument where I was arguing against environmental enforcement on behalf of a client. See if the professional skills applied, the zealous advocacy is any different in either of those cases. I would respectfully submit that you’’ll find that it was not. Now, that’’s not judging, I understand that, but it is the same skill, setting aside personal views, taking the precedents and applying them either as an advocate or as a judge.

Maybe the critics are right and Roberts will turn out to be a nightmare for progressives. With so little information about him, and so little judicial experience, it will be difficult to counter statements like the one above. Maybe he’s lying and is just itching to run wild on the bench. I don’t believe it, at least not today. The man seems to have the judicial temperment required to weigh a case on its merits, which is about all we can hope for from a nominee coming from this White House.

~The Stuffed Tiger