The Oath
The Obama White House and the Supreme Court
New York : Doubleday, [2012]
Format: Book
Edition: First edition.
Description: viii, 325 pages : color illustrations ; 25 cm
From the prizewinning author of The Nine , a gripping insider's account of the momentous ideological war between the John Roberts Supreme Court and the Obama administration.
From the moment John Roberts, the chief justice of the United States, blundered through the Oath of Office at Barack Obama's inauguration, the relationship between the Supreme Court and the White House has been confrontational. Both men are young, brilliant, charismatic, charming, determined to change the course of the nation--and completely at odds on almost every major constitutional issue. One is radical; one essentially conservative. The surprise is that Obama is the conservative--a believer in incremental change, compromise, and pragmatism over ideology. Roberts--and his allies on the Court--seek to overturn decades of precedent: in short, to undo the ultimate victory FDR achieved in the New Deal.
nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This ideological war will crescendo during the 2011-2012 term, in which several landmark cases are on the Court's docket--most crucially, a challenge to Obama's controversial health-care legislation. With four new justices joining the Court in just five years, including Obama's appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, this is a dramatically--and historically--different Supreme Court, playing for the highest of stakes.
nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;No one is better positioned to chronicle this dramatic tale than Jeffrey Toobin, whose prize-winning bestseller The Nine laid bare the inner workings and conflicts of the Court in meticulous and entertaining detail. As the nation prepares to vote for President in 2012, the future of the Supreme Court will also be on the ballot.
From the moment John Roberts, the chief justice of the United States, blundered through the Oath of Office at Barack Obama's inauguration, the relationship between the Supreme Court and the White House has been confrontational. Both men are young, brilliant, charismatic, charming, determined to change the course of the nation--and completely at odds on almost every major constitutional issue. One is radical; one essentially conservative. The surprise is that Obama is the conservative--a believer in incremental change, compromise, and pragmatism over ideology. Roberts--and his allies on the Court--seek to overturn decades of precedent: in short, to undo the ultimate victory FDR achieved in the New Deal.
nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;This ideological war will crescendo during the 2011-2012 term, in which several landmark cases are on the Court's docket--most crucially, a challenge to Obama's controversial health-care legislation. With four new justices joining the Court in just five years, including Obama's appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, this is a dramatically--and historically--different Supreme Court, playing for the highest of stakes.
nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;No one is better positioned to chronicle this dramatic tale than Jeffrey Toobin, whose prize-winning bestseller The Nine laid bare the inner workings and conflicts of the Court in meticulous and entertaining detail. As the nation prepares to vote for President in 2012, the future of the Supreme Court will also be on the ballot.
Contents:
The politician's path -- "On behalf of the strong in opposition to the weak" -- The era of good feelings -- The legacy of appendix E -- The ballad of Lilly Ledbetter -- The war against precedent -- The hunter -- Lawyers, guns, and money -- The unrequited bipartisanship of Barack Obama -- Wise Latina -- Money talks -- Samuel Alito's question -- The rookie -- The ninety-page swan song of John Paul Stevens -- "With all due deference to separation of powers" -- The retired justices dissent -- Softball politics -- The tea party and the justice's wife -- The Thomas court -- "Democracy is not a game" -- "You should do it." -- Broccoli -- The "effective" argument -- Epilogue: the Roberts court.
Subjects:
Obama, Barack.
Roberts, John G., Jr., 1955-
United States. Supreme Court -- History -- 21st century.
Constitutional history -- United States.
Political questions and judicial power -- United States -- History -- 21st century.
United States -- Politics and government -- 2009-2016.
Obama, Barack.
Roberts, John G., Jr., 1955-
United States. Supreme Court -- History -- 21st century.
Constitutional history -- United States.
Political questions and judicial power -- United States -- History -- 21st century.
United States -- Politics and government -- 2009-2016.
ISBN:
9780385527200
Availability | |||
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Call Number | Location | Shelf Location | Status |
LAW Supreme Ct. Too | Main (Downtown) | Third Level, Nonfiction | In |
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Includes bibliographical references (pages [300]-312) and index.