My suspicion on who did the leak

[Bluesaph]

What if Alito or his staff leaked it themselves to get it out there now in hopes it will die down before the midterms. They have to know how mobilizing this is for the left!

[EndlessWire]

1. Leaking such a monumental decision

does seem like a tactic, ushered in during the age of Trump. But, maybe the tactic is to arouse the ire of the people against the drafted opinion before it becomes final. The quality of the Court has fallen drastically.

[msongs]

2. it will blow up again when the official judgement is announced nt

[jaysunb]

3. And that will probably be as soon as the 1/6 public hearings begin.

[NJCher]

4. I'm not sure they do

Know how mobilizing it is. When I read parts of what alito wrote, I literally gasped at how out of touch he is.

These people live in a bubble.

[jmowreader]

5. Maybe, but not for the reason you listed

If Alito leaked his own decision, he did it to torment the Left.

[RockRaven]

6. If Alito et al leaked it, it was to pressure the other RWNJs on SCOTUS to go along with it because

now that it has seen the light of day, the stark raving mad misogynist theocratic masses will know if it gets watered down. And they will know who to blame.

Having written such a draft, the ONLY reason Alito would need to water it down would be if one of Thomas, Gorsuch, Boofboy, or the Handmaiden refused to go along with it. One of those four would be to blame, and now they're on notice that the public nutters will be told who.

If Alito leaked it (massive IF) it is to coerce/pressure his fellow nuts to get it across the finish line.

Alito DGAF about midterm elections.

[Laura PourMeADrink]

7. Not in my mind. He knows better not matter what. BUT

Bet you a million trump's involved up to his eyeballs. So anything is possible.

[2naSalit]

11. I could see that as in...

"Yeah, see what I did for you rubes by putting these religious zealots in the court?"

I can see it as a campaign ad.

[budkin]

8. It's going to hit doubly hard in June

For anyone that has "forgotten" about it.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. What if it were Roberts who leaked it?

First, he wanted to wrest control of this case as a Hail Mary Pass.

Second, he announced an investigation of "the Leak". What's he going to do? Turn himself in?

Third, there's a chance this draft would become final as a plurality, not a majority opinion. IOW, concurring opinions from the justices who agree with the decision, but not the reasoning.

[Buckeyeblue]

10. I think the Thomases are behind this in some fashion

It let's Ginni reinforce behind the scenes that she can deliver. It also makes it tougher for The 5 justices who signed on to the decision to change their mind. But it mostly let's C&G run a preemptive victory lap.

What's interesting is that this would have been Thomas's decision to write, as the most senior justice, but he punted it to Alito.

If Roberts leaked it, maybe he did so as a warning to congress that they need to act.

Who knows.

[2naSalit]

12. Don't give Roberts' wife a pass...

She's just more covert than Ginny.

I would hope that an investigation into possible perjury in their confirmation hearings would commence for a few new justices.