Kennedy, Breyer Form Center-Left Alliance

Supreme Court Justices Anthony M. Kennedy and Stephen G. Breyer are the only two Californians on the nation’s high court, and this term they voted together 91 percent of the time. Together, the two justices—one a Democratic appointee, the other a Republican—are the Court’s moderate center, and they are forming a center-left alliance. “[I]n recent years, clerks have noted that Breyer and Kennedy are often seen around the court building talking about cases,” David G. Savage writes for the Los Angeles Times. With the Court looking at operating with just eight justices until a new President is in office, their friendship could have influence over a number of important cases for months to come.