The Oath

September 24, 2012
Toobin, a staff writer for The New Yorker, adds to his works of political analysis (including 2008's The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court) with this thorough exploration of the relationship between the Supreme Court and the Obama administration. After discussing the repercussions of Chief Justice John Roberts botching the oath at the 2009 presidential inauguration, Toobin sets the stage by reviewing Roberts' professional background, as well as Obama's views on the Constitution and the "precocious political skills" that enabled him to rise to the top. Toobin profiles new, current, and former justices, providing glimpses into their personal and professional lives while highlighting their individual personalities and talents, demonstrating what each justice brings to the Court, and how these factors affect their interactions. With great attention to detail, he also expounds on the outcomes and implications of many recent cases, including Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, and the recent ruling on the Affordable Care Act. Though Toobin's exhaustively researched study is marred by a haphazard structure and weak conclusion, it is nevertheless as readable, and informative, as his magazine pieces, and will greatly interest those involved in politics.

September 1, 2012
A skillful probing of the often-discordant relationship between the president and the Supreme Court. Having previously examined the intricate machinations of the Supreme Court, CNN and New Yorker legal analyst Toobin (The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court, 2008) again turns his scrupulous eye to the Court's current and future impact on the Obama administration. The author lays the groundwork for his examination by citing Chief Justice John Roberts' awkward 2009 fumbling of the presidential oath of office (later re-administered, to Obama's annoyance) and proceeds to retrace Court history and the persistent political distance separating the presidential seat and the justices. Setting a congenial yet authoritative tone, Toobin notes that Obama and Roberts also share similarities as academic overachievers who attended Harvard Law School and officiated the student-produced Harvard Law Review. Their differences, writes the author, are rooted in the application of the Constitution: Obama believes in traditional values and stability, while Roberts is eager for the Supreme Court to usher in new changes and an evolving understanding of the Constitution's core signification. Toobin deftly tracks Roberts' political history and examines issues that best tested the Court's decisiveness--e.g., abortion, gun control, radical protests and health care. A consummate profiler, Toobin nimbly features key Supreme Court justices Sonia Sotomayor, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Anthony Kennedy, Samuel Alito, Elena Kagan and "intellectual pathbreaker" Clarence Thomas. Culled primarily from interviews with unnamed justices and their respective law clerks, Toobin offers a well-balanced, literate and interpretative survey of the multifaceted intercourse between the conservative Supreme Court and our liberal president. Shrewd and elucidating.

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April 1, 2012

Having laid bare the workings of the Supreme Court in his prize-winning The Nine, Toobin returns to assess how the Court--and, specifically, Chief Justice John Roberts--stack up against President Obama. From the moment that Roberts blew administering the Oath of Office at Obama's inauguration, he and the administration have been ideologically at odds. Toobin argues that the two men are both charismatic and ambitious, though Obama's actually the conservative one; he aims for step-by-step change, building on the past, while Roberts wants to unstitch everything accomplished by the New Deal. Essential reading as we gear up for the election.

Copyright 2012 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from September 15, 2012
From the awkward swearing-in of President Obama by Chief Justice Roberts to Obama's caustic reaction to the Citizens United ruling to Roberts' support of Obama's health-care law, the tumultuous relationship between the administration and the Supreme Court has been increasingly evident. Both Harvard-educated lawyers, Obama and Roberts are known for their charm and intelligence, but their very different political perspectives have promised friction from the beginning, particularly as changes in the composition of the court resonate with the changes in national politics. Legal analyst Toobin offers a vivid inside look at the personalities and politics behind the fractious relationship. Roberts' honeymoon lasted 12 months before the fault lines in the court cracked along ideological lines, with conservatives disappointed in his attempts at equanimity and liberals distrustful of his behind-the-scenes maneuverings. Toobin details the politics behind decisions about what cases even get heard as well as the procedural strategies that affect the final rulings. Among the highlights: Ginsburg's scathing dissent on a ruling against a claim of pay disparity, in which she urged congressional action; Souter's caustic dissent in Citizens United that questioned Roberts' integrity; and Scalia's bitter disappointment in Roberts' decision on the health-care law. A revealing look at the ideological battle between the White House and the Supreme Court. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The best-selling author of The Nine (2007) revisits the Supreme Court in a timely book that is sure to draw plenty of interest during the election season.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)