The US Supreme Court, the Constitution and American Politics

Before the end of this month, the US Supreme Court will decide whether President Obama's major achievement -- healthcare reform -- violates the Constitution. (We'll leave issues like states' rights and the Commerce Clause until the decision comes down.) Since the Court decided the presidential election of 2000, more and more Americans think it's made up of political animals. We look at the justices themselves, their concerns about the law and their legacies and the court's role in American politics. Will conservatives and liberals divide four-to-four and leave it up to Anthony Kennedy? Will Chief Justice John Roberts allow Kennedy to be "The Decider?" Whatever its ruling might be, has "the third branch of government" ever been truly separate from politics?