Just like a mime, Roberts took the party line during hearings by saying that Roe v. Wade/Doe v. Bolton is "settled law," but he avoided saying how he might rule. Of course nobody can say how he would rule because a particular case would first have to be under consideration by the U.S. Supreme Court.
What is perhaps most unsettling about Roberts' rhetorical hide-and-seek is that he did tell the senators that his "personal views based on faith" would not prevent him from applying precedent.
Some will claim he has to make nuanced statements in order to be confirmed. But I would counter that thinking by asking a simple question: If he can craft language to disguise his real view in front of a Senate committee, where else might he do it? We'll just have to wait and see. But as my mother told me, lying (i.e., the use of deceptive rhetoric) is a very bad habit and awfully hard to break.
