• John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    Judge John Roberts Watch: People for American Way Oppose Roberts

    Ralph Neas, president of People for the American Way, speaks in opposition to the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts at the National Press Club Wednesday, Aug. 24, 2005 in Washington. Neas said that confirming John Roberts would endanger much of the progress made by the nation in civil rights over the past half-century.

    Reuters has U.S. interest groups line up on Roberts nomination.

    A prominent liberal advocacy group declared its opposition on Wednesday to the Supreme Court nomination of John Roberts, while a major pro-business group endorsed him less than two weeks before crucial Senate confirmation hearings.

    The liberal People for the American Way said the confirmation of the conservative Roberts would imperil a half-century of progress on civil rights.

    But the U.S. Chamber of Commerce said Roberts would bring vital experience advocating for the nation’s leading businesses if he is confirmed to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.

    Wow, what a surprise!

    The Lefties and their shrill pro-abortion cronies will line up against Roberts and try to trip him up but the Senate will confirm him easily.

    The Republican National Committee criticized People for the American Way for what RNC spokeswoman Tracey Schmitt said was a “dishonest and disingenuous” report on Roberts. “Ralph Neas and company have been railing against the president’s nominee before one was even nominated,” she said.

    The potentially decisive Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearings for Roberts are scheduled to begin on September 6. Senate Democrats and about 10 Senate Republicans have not announced a position on his nomination, waiting until they hear from Roberts at the hearings.

    Stay tuned…….

    And Michelle Malkin has DIANNE FEINSTEIN: SELF-APPOINTED HUMOR COP.

    Feinstein vexed by Roberts’ humor, views on abortion rights

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  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    Judge John Roberts Watch: Adopt A Box of Documents: Deliberative Privilege and the Confirmation Process

    U.S. Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) (R) meets with Supreme Court nomineee John Roberts in his Capitol Hill office in Washington July 26, 2005. Schumer said, ‘I am disappointed that the administration has so quickly closed the door on providing Judge Roberts’ documents to the Senate Judiciary Committee’.

    Flap previously had Judge John Roberts Watch: Adopt A Box of Documents Update.

    Flap has been assigned Box 3 [JGR/Appointee Clearances – 08/29/1985 – 09/30/1985] – Roberts, John G.: Files SERIES I: Subject File.

    There are 47 pages.

    The first memorandum (and not listed last post) is:

    August 29, 1985

    MEMORANDUM FOR MICHAEL HOROWITZ
    COUNSEL TO THE DIRECTOR
    OFFICE OF MANAGMENT AND BUDGET

    FROM: JOHN G. ROBERTS (S)
    ASSOCIATE COUNSEL TO THE PRESIDENT

    SUBJECT: Your Memorandum of July 19 on Deliberative
    Privilege and the Confirmation Process
    __________________________________

    Fred has asked me to review the above-referenced memorandum you sent to him, the Attorney General and B. Oglesby on July 19. I certainly concur that we should take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that the general opening of files to Hill scrutiny as occurred in the Reynolds confirmation process does not become routine. The Reynolds case was unusual in that the administration had precious little leverage; I would hope that with most nominations we would be in a better position to resist committee demands.

    I do not know if it will do any good to raise the matter in the abstract at this point with Dole and Thurmond; perhaps B. and his colleagues can give us a better sense of that. I suspect that any vague assurances in the abstract from the Hill would be readily swept away by the dynamics of a particular future confirmation dispute, and that the most we can do is to ensure proper sensitivity to the deliberative privilege when the future dispute arises.

    In any event, by 2001 Hill staffers need only go to the Reagan Library to see any internal White House deliberative document they want to see – – at least under the current, untested provisions of the Presidential Records Act. The pernicious effect of that statute will have to be addressed in any effort to revitalize the deliberative privilege.

    In this memorandum John Roberts, as Associate Counsel to President Reagan supports executive deliberative privilege and supports whatever steps to ensure that the general opening of executive files to Congressional scrutiny like in the William Bradford Reynold’s confirmation case does not become routine.

    William Bradford Reynolds headed the justice department’s civil rights division throughout the Reagan administration. In 1985, Reagan nominated him to become associate attorney general, the number three post at Justice, but the Republican-led Senate Judiciary Committee rejected the promotion.

    During his confirmation hearings, critics claimed that as head of the Justice Department’s civil rights division, Reynolds had refused to enforce civil rights laws and ignored court rulings with which he disagreed. [14] Republican Senator Arlen Specter accused Reynolds of giving misleading testimony, “disregarding the established law,” and “elevating [his] own legal judgments over the judgments of the courts.” [15]

    William Bradford Reynolds, had been denied promotion to assistant attorney general, partly because Congress had obtained provocative memos Reynolds had signed.

    This memorandum previously released by the Library of Congress was mentioned in this Washington Post piece.

    Stay Tuned for more in Flap’s box of documents.

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  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    Judge John Roberts Watch: Adopt A Box of Documents Update

    Flap previously had Judge John Roberts Watch: Adopt A Box of Documents.

    Hugh Hewitt and the Radio Blogger have a novel task and need volunteers, Adopt a Box of Docs Update.

    If you haven’t already signed up to adopt a box of virtual documents from Judge John Roberts’ White House years (1982-1986) perhaps this morning’s Washington Post story will inspire you to sign up via an e-mail to me at hugh@hughhewitt.com or Duane at generalissimo@hughhewitt.com. (Duane is assigning the virtual boxes over at Radioblogger.com)

    And Hugh Hewitt has an update here.

    Flap has been assigned Box 3 [JGR/Appointee Clearances – 08/29/1985 – 09/30/1985] – Roberts, John G.: Files SERIES I: Subject File.

    There are 47 pages.

    Four memos:

    1. J. Roberts to Richard Hauser, Re: Prospective Appointee, 8/29/1985

    2. Roberts to Dianna Holland, Re: Reappointment of Richard Chavez to the Architectural and transportation barriers compliance board – partial, 9/23/1985

    3. Roberts to Fred Fielding, Re: Appointments to Commission of Fine Arts, 9/27/1985

    4. Catherine Bedell to Jane Dannehauer, Re: PA and PAS candidate withdrawls, 9/30/1985.

    Stay Tuned……

  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    Judge John Roberts Watch: Adopt A Box of Documents

    Hugh Hewitt and the Radio Blogger have a novel task and need volunteers, Adopt a Box of Docs Update.

    If you haven’t already signed up to adopt a box of virtual documents from Judge John Roberts’ White House years (1982-1986) perhaps this morning’s Washington Post story will inspire you to sign up via an e-mail to me at hugh@hughhewitt.com or Duane at generalissimo@hughhewitt.com. (Duane is assigning the virtual boxes over at Radioblogger.com)

    Flap has signed up and is awaiting his assignment. Of course, Flap will blog the contents of the documents, so stay tuned.

    Please help Hugh and Duane.

    You will be glad you did.

  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    John Roberts Watch: NARAL Withdraws Ad

    Flap previously covered the NARAL debacle of an ad, John Roberts Watch: CNN to Air Bloody Abortion Clinic Ad.

    But, now they have withdrawn it. Fox News has NARAL Withdraws Anti-Roberts Ad.

    After a week of protests by conservatives, an abortion-rights group said Thursday night it is withdrawing a television advertisement linking Supreme Court nominee John Roberts to violent anti-abortion activists.

    “We regret that many people have misconstrued our recent advertisement about Mr. Roberts’ record,” said Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

    “Unfortunately, the debate over that advertisement has become a distraction from the serious discussion we hoped to have with the American public,” she said in a letter Thursday to Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who had urged the group to withdraw the ad.

    Specter, himself an abortion-rights supporter as well as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee that will question Roberts next month, earlier Thursday had called the ad “blatantly untrue and unfair.”

    Don’t worry this is a strategic political move by NARAL.

    Unfortunately, we will hear from them again – opposing Judge Roberts.

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  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    John Roberts Watch: CNN to Air Bloody Abortion Clinic Ad

    Drudge has CABLE CONTROVERSY: CNN AGREES TO AIR BLOODY ABORTION AD ON JUDGE ROBERTS.

    CNN has reviewed and agreed to run a controversial ad produced by a pro-abortion group that falsely accuses Supreme Court nominee John Roberts of filing legal papers supporting a convicted clinic bomber!

    The news network has agreed to a $125,000 ad buy from NARAL, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned, for a commercial which depicts a bombed out 1998 Birmingham, AL abortion clinic.

    The Birmingham clinic was bombed seven years after Roberts signed the legal briefing.

    The linking of Roberts to “violent fringe groups” is the sharpest attack against the nominee thus far.

    However, the non-partisan University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Factcheck.org reviewed the NARAL ad and found it to be “false.”

    Factcheck.org found “in words and images, the ad conveys the idea that Roberts took a legal position excusing bombing of abortion clinics, which is false.”

    The Republican National Committee is preparing to send a letter to television stations asking them to pull the spot, according to sources.

    The RNC’s letter claims: “NARAL’s ad is a deliberate misrepresentation of the facts that has no purpose but to mislead the American people.”

    Michelle Malkin has THE ABORTION CROWD GOES NUTS.

    In Opinion Journal this morning, Manuel Miranda nails loony NARAL for its inexcusable attack ad against SCOTUS nominee John Roberts.

    These people will stop at nothing to smear the most unassailable of conservatives. They wouldn’t know the truth if it drove over them with 18 wheels.

    John Hinderaker at Power Line has more.

    Ed Whalen over at Bench Memos has been tracking Judge Roberts.

    The Washington Post has Press Release: NARAL responds to criticism.

    Here is a copy of a lengthy response by NARAL Pro-Choice America to Factcheck.org’s criticism of its ad:

    You can view the ad here.

    NARAL = YUK!

    Here is a sick snuff cartoon.

    NARAL President Nancy Keenan said her group isn’t saying Roberts condoned the bombing of clinics. She said, however, that Roberts, through his arguments, essentially supported bombers.

    Ken Mehlman, chairman of the Republican National Committee, called NARAL’s claims “false and outrageous.”

    Indeed.

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  • John Roberts,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    New York Times: Robert’s Children Under Investigation

    Pretty Sad but Drudge has NY TIMES INVESTIGATES ADOPTION RECORDS OF SUPREME COURT NOMINEE’S CHILDREN.

    The NEW YORK TIMES is looking into the adoption records of the children of Supreme Court Nominee John G. Roberts, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.

    The TIMES has investigative reporter Glen Justice hot on the case to investigate the status of adoption records of Judge Roberts’ two young children, Josie age 5 and Jack age 4, a top source reveals.

    Judge Roberts and his wife Jane adopted the children when they each were infants.

    Both children were adopted from Latin America.

    A TIMES insider claims the look into the adoption papers are part of the paper’s “standard background check.”

    Roberts’ young son Jack delighted millions of Americans during his father’s Supreme Court nomination announcement ceremony when he wouldn’t stop dancing while the President and his father spoke to a national television audience.

    Previously the WASHINGTON POST Style section had published a story criticizing the outfits Mrs. Roberts had them wear at the announcement ceremony.

    One top Washington official with knowledge of the NEW YORK TIMES action declared: “Trying to pry into the lives of the Roberts’ family like this is despicable. Children’s lives should be off limits. The TIMES is putting politics over fundamental decency.”

    One top Republican official when told of the situation was incredulous. “This can’t possibly be true?”

    Come on!

    This is a new low from the desperate Leftie MSM.

    REactions from the Blogosphere are here, here, here, here here, here and here.

  • John Roberts,  Media,  Media Bias,  Politics,  Supreme Court

    The Federalist Society: Super Secret with Decoder Rings

    The Los Angeles Times falsely portrays The Federalist Society in this piece, High Court Nominee Sides With Restraint.

    In the questionnaire, Roberts took issue with media reports that he was affiliated with the Federalist Society, a somewhat secretive group of conservative lawyers who hold debates and other events designed to promote conservative legal views.

    Roberts was listed in 1997 as a member of the Washington lawyers steering committee of the Federalist Society. However, Roberts denied being a member of the organization and said he had “no recollection of serving on that committee or being a member of the society.” He did acknowledge taking part in some society events, specifically moderating a panel in 1993 and speaking to a luncheon meeting in October 2003.

    What secret society?

    Flap was a member when he was attending law school – twice!

    The Federalist Society’s website is here.

    Click HERE to read statement by Eugene B. Meyer on Judge John G. Roberts. (PDF)

    Click HERE to read Frequently Asked Questions about the Federalist Society.

    Click HERE to read a partial list of Participants in Federalist Society Events.

    Click HERE to read What People are Saying about the Federalist Society.

    Nothing secretive nor sinister here.

    No Decoder rings.

    But, why does the Los Angeles Times portray it as an off-beat or out of the mainstream conservative club?

    Bias anyone!

    Patterico has One Step Short of Freemasonry.

    Michelle Malkin has DOUBLE SUPER SECRET FEDERALIST SOCIETY.

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