Conservatives turn on Roberts, Supreme Court after health care ruling

— -- Republicans have a much lower opinion of Chief Justice John Roberts and the Supreme Court in general following the court's June 28 decision that upheld President Obama's health care reform law.

Only 27 percent of Republicans surveyed by Gallup last week said they had a favorable opinion of Roberts, down from 67 percent after he was nominated by President George W. Bush in 2005. Democrats, meanwhile, profess a new affection for the conservative justice, who sided with the four liberal-leaning Supreme Court justices to uphold the health care law as a tax last month. More than half of Democrats approved of Roberts in July, compared to only 35 percent in 2005.

Republicans' approval of the Supreme Court as a whole has dropped by 21 points since September, the Gallup poll found. Democrats' approval of the court jumped 22 points, meanwhile, to 68 percent approval over the same period.