While Supreme Court justices heard their first arguments about President Obama’s health care reform law, tea party activists and pro-reform groups perched on the Court’s west steps, eager to speak to reporters about their views of the high stakes of the next three days.
It’s hard not to note the contrast between 2009 — when conservative protesters dominated public demonstrations about the law — and Monday’s events. Pro-reform groups, including SEIU, the Center for American Progress, Families USA, and Protect Your Care organized scores of protesters, all carrying glossy signs, and set up a filing center for reporters covering the Court challenge. By contrast, there appeared to be more reporters milling about the demonstration than tea partiers.
All of that is likely to change Tuesday when the advocacy group Freedom Works, and tea partiers, are expected to bus in many dozens of reporters. But one conservative organizer admitted to being surprised at Monday’s modest showing.
What does all of this public activity mean? Ideally nothing. Justices are meant to blind themselves from just these sorts of demonstrations. As Chief Justice John Roberts noted in an interview with C-SPAN, “Justices appreciate that it’s not part of their job to be swayed by popular sentiment.”