Will Roberts' work for gays rile up Rs?

This Los Angeles Times story prompts a few questions:

By Richard A. Serrano, Times Staff Writer

WASHINGTON — Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. worked behind the scenes for gay rights activists, and his legal expertise helped them persuade the Supreme Court to issue a landmark 1996 ruling protecting people from discrimination because of their sexual orientation.

Then a lawyer specializing in appellate work, the conservative Roberts helped represent the gay rights activists as part of his law firm's pro bono work. He did not write the legal briefs or argue the case before the high court, but he was instrumental in reviewing filings and preparing oral arguments, according to several lawyers intimately involved in the case.

Gay rights activists at the time described the court's 6-3 ruling as the movement's most important legal victory. The dissenting justices were those to whom Roberts is frequently likened for their conservative ideology: Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.

Will Roberts have to explain himself to the many gay-bashers in the Republican Party as he tries to insure their votes for confirmation?

Will Rick Santorum think Roberts is a closet gay sympatizer?

Will the "I-was-just-representing-my-client" defense work in this case? It seldom works well for liberals.

Will SpongeJohn GardPants and the rest of the Republican yahoos in Wisconsin try to pass a constitutional amendment to prevent Roberts from making any decisions that expand gay rights or treat gays like regular humans?

Finally, will it make him more acceptable to some Ds? I think the answer to that one must be yes.