Judge Roberts has a combination of substantive expertise and stylistic smoothness ... He's likely to fly through this without anyone laying a fingernail on him.

In the short run, the 'federalism revolution' of the 1990s is undeniably his most significant substantive achievement. But whether these rulings will survive in the long run, or instead be reversed, remains to be seen. It's much more likely that the Rehnquist Court's surprisingly liberal rulings -- on abortion, on gay rights, on gender -- will actually represent the most indelible legacy.

I come away with a very strong impression that Roberts will be a much more classical judicial restraint justice than any of the current justices. He betrays no real policy agenda.

Everything we know about Roberts, needless to say, suggests he has exactly the qualities needed in the chief.

He looked me square in the eye and said that they didn't take place, ... I must take Judge Roberts at his word.

Another issue likely to resurface is the matter of 'a more competitive exchange rate', deciphered as code for the rand to weaken. Moral suasion such as this may be good for export-biased manufacturers, but will hardly be considered good for observers of inflation, or long-term interest rate markets.