Ted Cruz calls Chief Justice John Roberts a 'liberal,' apologizes for backing his nomination

Ted Cruz attacks Chief Justice John Roberts — (Image credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The Republican fight over Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts, who has twice upheld ObamaCare, broke into the open on Wednesday night's CNN debate. Jake Tapper asked Jeb Bush if his brother, former President George W. Bush, had made a mistake when he appointed Roberts to the highest court. Bush responded that Roberts has made some good decisions, but that as president, he would only nominate justices with strong, long conservative track records, unlike Roberts. He responded to criticism of Roberts from Sen. Ted Cruz (Texas) by noting that Cruz backed the Roberts nomination at the time.

Cruz started out by saying that George W. Bush and George H.W. Bush should have picked the more "rock-ribbed conservative" jurists they had at their disposal, not Roberts and David Souter, respectively. When Jeb Bush again noted Cruz's public support for Roberts, Cruz issued a mea culpa: "That was a mistake and I regret that," he said. "I wouldn't have nominated John Roberts and indeed Gov. Bush pointed out why. It wasn't that President Bush wanted to appoint a liberal to the court. It is that it was the easier choice."

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.