(RepublicanInformer.com)- Politico, the outlet that started the whole outrage over abortion we are living through today when it published the leaked opinion from Justice Samuel Alito, published a lengthy article this week explaining the ways Chief Justice Roberts could prevent the conservative justices on the Supreme Court from overturning Roe v. Wade.
The article offers up a lot of whistling past the graveyard while trying to reassure its pro-abortion readers that there remains a slim chance Justice Roberts may be able to persuade his conservative colleagues to keep Roe in place.
Politico recaps some of the comments Justice Roberts made during oral arguments in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization hoping to glean some hint as to which side Roberts will choose when the Court finally rules on Dobbs.
The article quotes some who suspect the Roberts Court will uphold the Mississippi 15-week abortion ban while keeping Roe in place, pointing out that the Casey ruling in 1992 simply dropped Roe’s unrestricted abortion and limited abortion to “viability.” These “experts” believe the same kind of compromise might happen with Dobbs.
But, Politico whines, what Chief Justice Roberts may want doesn’t matter since even without Roberts, the conservatives on the Court hold the majority. The mental exercise only comes into play if Roberts can persuade at least one conservative to agree with his more “centrist approach on abortion.”
One “expert” cited, thinks Justice Brett Kavanaugh may be the most likely candidate for this kind of persuasion from the Chief Justice.
Toward the end of the article, Politico happily reminds its readers that it was Chief Justice Roberts that screwed over conservatives in 2012 when he upheld the unconstitutional “Affordable Care Act.” And if Roberts is willing to betray conservatives over that, Politico hopefully writes, then he may be willing to betray conservatives and save Roe v. Wade.
And after raising its readers’ hopes, the Politico article tosses a wet blanket by noting that the attorney who, in 1992 argued for the abortion-rights side in Casey, recently said in a Scotusblog podcast that there was “not a chance in hell” that Chief Justice Roberts will be able to persuade his conservative colleagues to preserve Roe v. Wade.