Of course, conservatives always claim to be against judicial activism.

Many 'hard' scientists regard the term 'social science' as an oxymoron. Science means hypotheses you can test, and prove or disprove. Social science is little more than observation putting on airs.

What could be more absurd than the idea that genuine anti-Christian prejudice is a major force in American politics.

A gaffe is a politician inadvertently telling an inconvenient truth.

One answer is that the towns elected officials thought that the project served a public purpose and that the various subsidies and favors were worth the price. But they may or may not have thought this.

So the danger of conservative judicial activism has been averted for another year. Stay tuned.

It wouldn't be fair to say that conservatives cherish property the way liberals cherish equality. But it would be fair to say that the takings clause is the conservatives recipe for judicial activism just as they say liberals have misused the equal protection clause.