Court Makes ‘Patient & Steady’ Turn to Right, Kennedy the Decider

The U.S. Supreme Court this term managed to avoid releasing "blockbuster" decisions, but the Washington Post notes that one thing is clear.

The Roberts-led court has made a "patient and steady move to the right" that isn't likely to be detoured by the addition of Judge Sonia Sotomayor.

In an end-of-term roundup of cases, the Post observed that while there were lopsided majorities on high-profile cases, the court is "extremely divided." Nearly a third of its cases were decided 5-4.

The high court is "more divided now than at any point in its modern history—by far," lawyer Thomas C. Goldstein, founder of SCOTUSblog said during a news briefing Tuesday.

The Post also noted the familiar lineups and identified Justice Anthony M. Kennedy as fitting squarely in the role of the decider.