The judge who wrote the Pledge of Allegiance case has put an indefinite stay on enforcing his decision. This is an obvious ploy to save face. On the one hand, if the entire 9th Circuit reviews the case and agrees with the judge's decision, he'll at least have safety in numbers for when the Supreme Court reverses them. On the other hand, if either the full 9th Circuit or Supreme Court affirms the lower district court decision in favor of the government, it will be as if the judge never wrote his stupidity because he put a stay on it.

Even though they've got lifetime appointments, this situation clearly shows how sensitive judges (liberal judges in particular) are about their public image.