Sandra Day O'Connor Defends John Roberts From 'Unfortunate' Conservative Attacks

Senator Leahy: “I am concerned about some of the rhetoric about the chief justice. He’s been called everything from a traitor to having betrayed President George W. Bush.”

Justice Day O’Connor: “It’s unfortunate, because I think comments like that demonstrate only too well a lack of understanding that some of our citizens have about the role of the judicial branch. – I think the framers of our federal Constitution did a great job in understanding themselves that the judicial branch needed to be able to make independent decisions and the legitimacy — the lawfulness — of actions at the state and federal lever,”