Chief Justice Troubled by Obama's Jab During State of the Union Address

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and his fellow justices sat silently when President Obama singled out the high court for criticism in his State of the Union speech. But Roberts said Tuesday he was troubled by the jab at the court's ruling that significantly altered a federal campaign finance law.

"The image of having the members of one branch of the government standing up, literally surrounding the Supreme Court, cheering and hollering, while the court, according to protocol, had to sit there expressionless, I think is very troubling," Roberts told University of Alabama law students, according to The Associated Press. The scene in the House of Representatives felt like a "political pep rally," he said. Roberts' colleague, Samuel A. Alito Jr., shook his head after Obama's remark and appeared to mouth the words "not true." The other justices sat stoically.

The president had complained about a court ruling that permits corporations and labor unions to spend unlimited amounts of money on political advertising that explicitly supports or opposes candidates for federal office -- a practice that had been prohibited.

White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs, reacting to Roberts' displeasure, fired back, "What is troubling is that the decision opened the floodgates for corporations and special interests to pour money into elections, drowning out the voices of average Americans."