Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Will The Real John Roberts Please Stand Up?
Supreme Court nominee John Roberts is a mystery to me.
Let me be completely upfront. I don't know what to think of Bush's Supreme Court nominee, John G. Roberts, Jr. I'm doing my best to assemble various information before I make a decision. To that end, I present some of what I've assembled below.
The Washington Post reported Friday that Judge Roberts has previously advocated a national identification card and opposed legal efforts to strengthen women's rights. Both positions could pose a problem for his conservative supporters. Nobody wants to be perceived as anti-woman, and true conservatives get physically sick (or at least they used to) at the mention of nationalized ID.
Also on the woman-hating front, Roberts was opposed to the nomination of the woman he could replace. Roberts has also questioned the very existence of female attorneys. All the while, he was criticizing the man who will preside over his confirmation hearings.
This is the same John Roberts that has denied being a member of the ultra-right Federalist Society. Their directory indicates otherwise.
On the other hand, this is the same John Roberts that helped win a landmark civil rights case, Romer v. Evans.
Meanwhile, the DNC continues its push for more access to his previous legal work. I completely support that effort. Perhaps with that information, we'll have a better idea of how this Supreme-to-be really operates.