Roberts Refuses to Answer Questions

It was a "dog-and-pony" show at the confirmation hearings for John Roberts. Question after question was deflected or just not answered. It was most unnerving to see a man, who by all accounts is extremely intelligent, not share his basic beliefs on civil rights, women's reproductive rights, etc. While he says he will not bring his personal beliefs into a case, this is hard to believe coming from a slick lawyer who has spent his whole career working for Reagan, Kenneth Starr and now, Bush. Ummm, I think I could have saved everyone a lot of time and money by making the crazy assumption that we can basically kiss Roe vs. Wade good-bye with Roberts as Chief Justice.

Planned Parenthood feels the same way. Read the following responses by Roberts that were posted on their website this morning:

SPECTER: "Well, do you see any erosion of precedent as to Roe?"

ROBERTS: "Well, again, I think I should stay away from discussions of particular issues that are likely to come before the court again. And in the area of abortion, there are cases on the courts docket, of course. It is an issue that does come before the court."

BIDEN: "[At her confirmation hearing] ... I asked ...Justice Ginsburg the question of whether or not it would be a ball or a strike if in fact a state passed a law, a state passed a law prohibiting abortion...
"And she said... 'Abortion prohibition by a state controls women and denies them full autonomy and full equality with men. It would be unconstitutional.'
"What is your view, according to the Ginsburg rule?"

ROBERTS: "Well, that is in an area where I think I should not respond ..."

FEINSTEIN: "Do you then believe that this implied right of privacy applies to the beginning of life and the end of life?"

ROBERTS: "... the exact scope of it, with respect to the beginning of life and the end of life, those are issues that are coming before the court in both respects, and I don't think that I should go further to elaborate upon whether or not it applies in those particular situations."

Roberts consistently declined to clarify his position, and we now firmly believe that his confirmation will jeopardize women's health and rights.

He must be opposed.~Planned Parenthood