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In the wake of the Supreme Court’s decision to protect free speech rights in Citizens United v. FEC, Democrats have been trying to paint this decision as one that will “open the floodgates” of special interest money. Sen. Chuck Schumer went even further, attacking the Supreme Court’s decision as “un-American.” And as CBS News’ chief legal correspondent Jan Crawford notes, President Obama’s attack on the Supreme Court during his State of the Union address was just as ridiculous:

It wasn't enough that Mr. Obama, for the first time in modern history, took a direct shot at the Supreme Court in his State of the Union address, when he slammed the justices for their recent campaign finance reform decision. Six of them looked on -- including the author of the opinion, key swing vote Anthony Kennedy -- while Democrats jumped up to whoop and holler. All that, of course, was too much for Justice Samuel Alito, who shook his head and silently mouthed, "not true." The next day, the White House just couldn't let it rest. It again had to have the last word. It put out a "fact sheet," trying to prove it was Mr. Obama -- not Justice Alito -- who was right.”

Now fast forward, six weeks later. Chief Justice John Roberts made what Crawford called “entirely reasonable remarks” while speaking to law students at the University of Alabama Law School, earlier this week, when asked about Citizens United and the President’s “unprecedented” statements on the Court. But Obama’s press secretary felt the need to go on the attack again:

But once again, the White House has to try to get the last word. Last night, Gibbs struck back at Roberts … Maybe it's because he's an Auburn guy and the Chief Justice was talking to law students at the University of Alabama (or, as we like to say, "the University"), but Gibbs should have let this go … But at some point -- and I'd say that point is now -- the Obama Administration is working against its interests.

While this is just more evidence of how this Administration never left campaign mode, Crawford says there might be a hidden agenda behind these attacks on the Supreme Court:

For the life of me, I just don't get why the White House continues to try to pick a fight with the Supreme Court. I've suggested before that perhaps it's a sign President Obama intends to tap an outsider when John Paul Stevens retires, so he can beat the drum that the Court is out of touch with everyday Americans.

And by “outsider,” Americans know that’s just Obama’s code for “liberal activist.”