The White House is receiving a rather cold rebuttal from Chief Justice Roberts over the questionable statement by the president during his State of the Union address.

For the president to defiantly rebuke the Supreme Court during his address is simply unprecedented in American history... and the Chief Justice isn't willing to allow the rebuke to go without rebuttal.

Good for Chief Justice Roberts.

AP article

Roberts: Scene at State of Union `very troubling'

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts said Tuesday the scene at President Obama's State of the Union address was "very troubling" and the annual speech has "degenerated to a political pep rally."

Obama chided the court, with the justices seated before him in their black robes, for its decision on a campaign finance case.

Responding to a University of Alabama law student's question, Roberts said anyone was free to criticize the court, and some have an obligation to do so because of their positions.

"So I have no problems with that," he said. "On the other hand, there is the issue of the setting, the circumstances and the decorum.

"The image of having the members of one branch of government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollering while the court — according the requirements of protocol — has to sit there expressionless, I think is very troubling."

Breaking from tradition, Obama criticized the court's decision that allows corporations and unions to freely spend money to run political ads for or against specific candidates.

"With all due deference to the separation of powers the Supreme Court reversed a century of law to open the floodgates for special interests — including foreign corporations — to spend without limit in our elections," Obama said in January.

Justice Samuel Alito was the only justice to respond at the time, shaking his head and mouthing the words "not true" as Obama continued.

Roberts told the students he wonders whether justices should attend the speeches.....

There is a time and a place for everything... and... the president of the United States of America has no business taking the egregious liberty of personal privilege by attempting to exert executive branch authority over the Supreme Court's decision concerning election funding adjudication.

There is a constitutional purpose for the "balance of powers."

Consider and ponder.

xtnyoda, shalomed

Painting courtesy of Rod Chase, Titled "Justice For All"