John Roberts: world's worst umpire

On Monday, John Roberts, Bush's nominee for chief justice of the Supreme Court, told the Senate Judiciary Committee that if confirmed he would serve more as an umpire than a batter or pitcher. Yesterday he couldn't make up his mind whether to call a ball or a strike.

• About Roe v. Wade: "I think I should stay away from discussions of particular issues that are likely to come before the court again."

• About war powers: "I don't want to answer a particular hypothetical."

• About voting rights: "Those cases come up all the time, and I do need to avoid expressing an opinion."

• "I don't think I should express a determinative view...I should not respond...I can't answer that...I do not feel it appropriate for me to comment..."

If this guy were an umpire at a major-league baseball game, either the players or the fans would kill him on the spot.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/13/AR2005091302087_pf.html