First published 2012
Jeffrey Toobin examines the constitutional clash between Chief Justice John Roberts and President Barack Obama that began when Roberts stumbled through the presidential oath of office. The author reveals how these two brilliant leaders represent opposing visions for America's future. Obama emerges as the pragmatic conservative who favors gradual change and compromise. Roberts leads a Supreme Court faction determined to dismantle New Deal precedents that have shaped American law for decades. Their conflict reaches its peak during the 2011-2012 Court term when justices will decide the fate of Obama's health care law. Four new justices have joined the Court in five years, including Obama appointees Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan, creating a transformed institution. Toobin draws on his access to Court insiders to show how constitutional interpretation becomes political warfare. The author argues that the 2012 presidential election will determine not just the next president but the Supreme Court's direction for years to come.
Genres: history, political-science, politics, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, law, american-history
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers
Setting: United States
Period: 21st Century
327 pages · Hardcover · Doubleday