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Roberts to Supreme Court??
This is a discussion on Roberts to Supreme Court?? within the Democrats Only forums, part of the Emphatic Empire category; Bush Wants Roberts in Place by Next Term
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 45 minutes ago
WASHINGTON -
President Bush ...
By DEB RIECHMANN, Associated Press Writer 45 minutes ago
WASHINGTON -
President Bush on Wednesday pressured lawmakers to get Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts in place by the start of the high court's next term as the Senate began a confirmation battle that both sides expect to center on abortion.
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"I urge the Senate to rise to the occasion, provide a fair and civil process and to have Judge Roberts in place before the next court sessions begins on October the third," Bush said during a visit to the port of Baltimore to tout his homeland security efforts.
Before he took a helicopter ride to Maryland, Bush and his nominee had breakfast at the White House. Then Roberts headed to Capitol Hill for meetings with leaders in the Senate, which will decide whether he will replace retiring Justice
Sandra Day O'Connor.
"We will push the process forward," Bush said earlier, appearing with Roberts at his side on steps outside the Oval Office.
Abortion, a polarizing issue for lawmakers, will be the "hot button" issue in the confirmation battle, conceded Fred Thompson, the former senator who will shepherd Roberts through the Senate. But Thompson cautioned lawmakers not to read too much into Roberts' seemingly conflicting legal positions on
Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion.
"Many of the positions he's taken are positions he took as an advocate ... representing a client," said Thompson.
Democrats will demand "straight answers" from Roberts on the abortion issue, Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will holding hearings on the nomination, said Wednesday.
"If he wants to be on the Supreme Court, he has to be more forthcoming .... to convince the American people that a man who could serve on the court for 20 to 30 years really is in the mainstream of American thinking," he said.
Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada praised Roberts's resume and qualifications. But he said these do not "automatically qualify" Roberts for a place on the high court.
Sen. Arlen Specter (news, bio, voting record), R-Pa., chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will hold the hearings, said he was disappointed that some liberal organizations view Roberts as unsuitable over the issue of abortion. He did say, though, that he felt it appropriate to ask Roberts about his previous statement that Roe v. Wade was settled law.
"If he said it's settled law, it would be relevant to confirm the fact that has been said," Specter said.
Bush said that in his meeting with Roberts Wednesday morning at the White House, "we discussed how important it is for Judge Roberts to get a fair hearing, a timely hearing and a hearing that will bring great credit to our nation."
Several hundred women marched Wednesday morning in front of the Supreme Court, which faces the east front of the U.S. Capitol, carrying signs that said, "Save Roe!" and "Our bodies, our lives, our right to decide!"
Democratic concern over Roberts' abortion views stem from two seemingly contradictory positions that Roberts took on Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion.
In a brief that he filed with the Supreme Court while serving as deputy solicitor general in the administration of the first President Bush, Roberts said that Roe v. Wade "was wrongly decided and should be overruled." But he told senators during his 2003 confirmation hearings for his current appellate court post that the decision was "the settled law of the land."
Thompson said the administration expects lawmakers to ask tough questions about Roberts' abortion views. But he also said they should distinguish between Roberts' role as a policy advocate as a one-time deputy solicitor general in a Republican administration and his contrasting role as a jurist.
"It's not a question of whose side he's on," Thompson said. "He's on the side of the litigant that comes into court with the facts and the law on their side. And he will not be prejudging any cases before the committee or anyone else."
In introducing the 50-year-old Roberts to the nation Tuesday night, Bush called him a man with "a good heart" and a jurist who will "strictly apply the Constitution in laws — not legislate from the bench."
Reaction from Republican senators was overwhelmingly supportive. Conservative interest groups were elated. But liberal groups expressed concerns about his views on abortion, religious freedom, environmental protections and the First Amendment.
While he lacks national name recognition, the Harvard-educated Roberts is a Washington insider who has worked over the years at the White House, Justice Department and in private practice.
Roberts was born in Buffalo, N.Y., and raised in Long Beach, Ind., outside Gary. After graduating with honors from Harvard Law School, he clerked for William H. Rehnquist when he was an associate justice on the Supreme Court.
He was nominated to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit in 1992 by the first President Bush and again by the president in 2001. The nominations died in the Senate both times. He was renominated in January 2003 and was confirmed by voice vote. At the time, his nomination to the appellate court attracted support from both sides of the ideological spectrum.
SO, what are we thinking about this guy? I figure I will wait to pass judgement when I can read more about him and figure out where he really stands on the issues.
"I urge the Senate to rise to the occasion, provide a fair and civil process and to have Judge Roberts in place before the next court sessions begins on October the third," Bush said during a visit to the port of Baltimore to tout his homeland security efforts.
Love this . . . totally says to me "As long as you don't throw any fits and do exactly what I want, everything will be fine. And do it before October third."
I don't know. He makes me a little nervous, but he isn't Gonzales, and I like that about him.
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Lou - Mom to Tori (12/28/01)
I remember when . . .
If at first you don't succeed - skydiving isn't for you!!
I want to see what my magazines say next week about him (The Nation and Time in particular). He doesn't seem super-scary so far, but if Bush likes him I can't imagine he would be a superstar in my mind!
I want to see what my magazines say next week about him (The Nation and Time in particular). He doesn't seem super-scary so far, but if Bush likes him I can't imagine he would be a superstar in my mind!
That is my thought too. Although I don't plan on ever using Roe V. Wade . . . I don't want to see it overturned either. I was really hoping for a moderate, but he may be the closest we are going to get. I have heard speculation that he nominated him now to deflect the Rove issue . . . thought that was interesting.
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Lou - Mom to Tori (12/28/01)
I remember when . . .
If at first you don't succeed - skydiving isn't for you!!
I've got a bad feeling about this guy. I don't like how he helped George convince the Supreme Court into giving him the White House in 2000. (And SHAME on O'Conner for that one too. Hope she likes what Bush has done for the country) I don't like how George I slipped him into a nice, comfy non-controvercial spot so he could lay low and keep his mouth shut until the next Supreme job opened up. He must be a carbon copy of Scalalia.
Id he did get in and managed to overturn Roe- do you think there would be a back-lash against the Republicans or is it just wishful thinking?
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--Lisa (37) DS Liam (11/06/03) DH Patrick (42) DDogs Prozac and Zoe (4)
MC 12/25/02
I just don't like that we know very little about him. There are documents about his past work that the White House won't make public and they're pushing to get him in fast. That raises warning flags with me. It's like Bush knows there's stuff about this guy that the majority of people will not like.
The latest polls I've read/heard show over 70% of the American public do not want Roe v. Wade overturned, not that Bush listens to the American public on anything .
The latest polls I've read/heard show over 70% of the American public do not want Roe v. Wade overturned, not that Bush listens to the American public on anything .
no kidding.
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Lou - Mom to Tori (12/28/01)
I remember when . . .
If at first you don't succeed - skydiving isn't for you!!
Roberts to Supreme Court??
Re: Roberts to Supreme Court??
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no kidding.
