FRIENDS OF JOHN AND ELENA:

Roberts told someone who told Ruth Marcus, or something like that. My initial reaction was, what about Justice Kavanaugh? Roberts and Kavanaugh vote like two peas in a moderate pod. Yet, apparently, Robert does not consider his fellow Chevy Chaser a friend. Ouch.

Now, we have a column from Josh Gerstein at Politico about Justice Kagan. Her friends are also talking to the press. . . .

In June 2020, Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Kagan were at the top of the world. In virtually every case, Roberts and Kagan were able to reach some compromise to get to five. Really, every compromise went to the left. The dirty secret is that “compromise” always serves the left. Show me a single “compromise” decision that advances conservative jurisprudence. But whatever, Roberts thought he was in charge. I jokingly referred to Kagan as the real Chief Justice.

What a difference two years makes. With Justice Ginsburg’s passing, the Chief’s fifth vote is no longer needed. And Justice Kagan is done trying to build bridges. No wonder she is “not happy.” Kagan joined the Court with the goal of tempering the rightward lurch. Remember Laurence Tribe’s infamous letter to President Obama, which said that Kagan, rather than Sotomayor, would be able to build bridges to Justice Kennedy? But now she can only stand by and watch. All those years of carefully discussing stare decisis went out the window in Dobbs.

This happens when you think you’re more important than you are. But bear in mind that these “friends” may not really be friends, if they even exist.