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Legal scholar Jeffrey Rosen: Roberts ruled in favor of mandate partly to shore up the legitimacy of the court

One reason the Bush-appointed Chief Justice ruled in favor of Obama's individual mandate was out of concern for the long-term reputation of the Supreme

One reason the Bush-appointed Chief Justice ruled in favor of Obama's individual mandate was out of concern for the long-term reputation of the Supreme Court, argued George Washington University law professor Jeffrey Rosen.

Rosen, who is also the legal affairs editor at The New Republic, told PoliticsNation host Al Sharpton on Thursday that Roberts has always been concerned about the perception that the Supreme Court is a polarized, partisan institution.

"He is responsible for the bipartisan legitimacy of the court as a whole," Rosen said, "and today he really tried to shore that up."