By Jeffrey Toobin, Doubleday, New York, NY 2012, 325 pages, $28.95
As a sophisticated chronicler of the U.S. Supreme Court, the lawyer-journalist Jeffrey Toobin posits that, over the years, as power has changed hands, conservatives and liberals have regularly accused each other of judicial activism. Since 2006, conservatives have held the edge in the wake of Justice Samuel Alito’s appointment to replace the retiring Sandra Day O’Connor. In his new book, Toobin examines the activism of the current conservative majority, including the epic battle over President Barack Obama’s signature political achievement, the Affordable Care Act. It is a compelling read.
