Who is John G. Roberts?
Judge John G. Roberts has built his career advancing the far-right agendas of the Reagan and Bush Administrations. He has worked to overturn abortion rights, blur the separation between church and state, undermine affirmative action, and advance a narrow right-wing interpretation of the Constitution.
Roberts is a member of two prominent, right-wing legal organizations that advance a reactionary legal philosophy: the pro-corporate, anti-affirmative action, and anti-union Federalist Society; and the National Legal Center For The Public Interest, a legal research group funded by General Motors, Ford, Texaco, Exxon-Mobile, and Gulf, as well as right wing millionaire Richard Mellon Scaife.
Women's Rights
Immediately after President Bush announced his selection of Roberts, Operation Rescue, an organization founded to terrorize women, obstruct reproductive freedom, and shut down health clinics, issued a press release saying, "Operation Rescue supports this selection. Roberts has shown strong conservative credentials with indications that he will not uphold Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that decriminalized abortion."
The anti-choice homophobe Gary Bauer promptly issued a statement hailing Roberts as "a refreshing nominee who possesses an outstanding record of judicial accomplishment as well as a commitment to judicial restraint long missing from so many activist courts."
Roberts' record makes it clear why he has gathered such enthusiasm from far-right religious fundamentalists.
As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts filed an amicus curiae brief in the National Organization of Women's (NOW) case against Operation Rescue - in support of Operation Rescue, and in support of individuals who illegally blocked access to clinics.
As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the Supreme Court that "we continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled. The Court's conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion...finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution."
As a Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts co-wrote a Supreme Court brief in Rust v. Sullivan, which argued that the government could prohibit doctors in federally funded family planning programs from discussing abortions with their patients.
Workers Rights
Roberts was lead counsel for Toyota in Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Ky, Inc. v. Williams. This case involved a woman who was fired after she asked Toyota for accommodations to do her job after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The court ruled that while this condition impaired her ability to work, it did not impair her ability to perform major life activities.
The Geneva Conventions
Roberts was part of the three-judge panel that last week upheld President Bush's military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, supporting the Bush Administrations assertion that the Geneva Conventions and other international law did not apply to detainees held there. Neal K. Katyal, a lead lawyer for one of the plaintiffs in this case and a Georgetown University law professor, called the decision "contrary to 200 years of constitutional law."
Civil Rights
After a Supreme Court decision effectively nullified certain sections of the Voting Rights Act, Roberts was involved in the Reagan administration's effort to prevent Congress from overturning the Supreme Court's action.
Roberts also filed an amicus brief in Adarand v. Mineta in Oct. 2001, supporting a challenge to federal affirmative action programs.
The Environment
As a member of the Solicitor General's office, Mr. Roberts was the lead counsel for the United States in the Supreme Court case Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation, in which the government argued that private citizens could not sue the federal government for violations of environmental regulations.
In his private practice, Roberts has also represented numerous large corporate interests opposing environmental controls. He submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the National Mining Association in the recent case Bragg v. West Virginia Coal Association.
Church & State
While working with the Solicitor General's office, Roberts co-wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the Bush administration, in which he argued that public high schools can include religious ceremonies in their graduation programs.
Technorati Tags: Politics John G. Roberts
Judge John G. Roberts has built his career advancing the far-right agendas of the Reagan and Bush Administrations. He has worked to overturn abortion rights, blur the separation between church and state, undermine affirmative action, and advance a narrow right-wing interpretation of the Constitution.
Roberts is a member of two prominent, right-wing legal organizations that advance a reactionary legal philosophy: the pro-corporate, anti-affirmative action, and anti-union Federalist Society; and the National Legal Center For The Public Interest, a legal research group funded by General Motors, Ford, Texaco, Exxon-Mobile, and Gulf, as well as right wing millionaire Richard Mellon Scaife.
Women's Rights
Immediately after President Bush announced his selection of Roberts, Operation Rescue, an organization founded to terrorize women, obstruct reproductive freedom, and shut down health clinics, issued a press release saying, "Operation Rescue supports this selection. Roberts has shown strong conservative credentials with indications that he will not uphold Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that decriminalized abortion."
The anti-choice homophobe Gary Bauer promptly issued a statement hailing Roberts as "a refreshing nominee who possesses an outstanding record of judicial accomplishment as well as a commitment to judicial restraint long missing from so many activist courts."
Roberts' record makes it clear why he has gathered such enthusiasm from far-right religious fundamentalists.
As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts filed an amicus curiae brief in the National Organization of Women's (NOW) case against Operation Rescue - in support of Operation Rescue, and in support of individuals who illegally blocked access to clinics.
As Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts argued in a brief before the Supreme Court that "we continue to believe that Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled. The Court's conclusion in Roe that there is a fundamental right to an abortion...finds no support in the text, structure, or history of the Constitution."
As a Deputy Solicitor General, Roberts co-wrote a Supreme Court brief in Rust v. Sullivan, which argued that the government could prohibit doctors in federally funded family planning programs from discussing abortions with their patients.
Workers Rights
Roberts was lead counsel for Toyota in Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Ky, Inc. v. Williams. This case involved a woman who was fired after she asked Toyota for accommodations to do her job after being diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome. The court ruled that while this condition impaired her ability to work, it did not impair her ability to perform major life activities.
The Geneva Conventions
Roberts was part of the three-judge panel that last week upheld President Bush's military tribunals at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, supporting the Bush Administrations assertion that the Geneva Conventions and other international law did not apply to detainees held there. Neal K. Katyal, a lead lawyer for one of the plaintiffs in this case and a Georgetown University law professor, called the decision "contrary to 200 years of constitutional law."
Civil Rights
After a Supreme Court decision effectively nullified certain sections of the Voting Rights Act, Roberts was involved in the Reagan administration's effort to prevent Congress from overturning the Supreme Court's action.
Roberts also filed an amicus brief in Adarand v. Mineta in Oct. 2001, supporting a challenge to federal affirmative action programs.
The Environment
As a member of the Solicitor General's office, Mr. Roberts was the lead counsel for the United States in the Supreme Court case Lujan v. National Wildlife Federation, in which the government argued that private citizens could not sue the federal government for violations of environmental regulations.
In his private practice, Roberts has also represented numerous large corporate interests opposing environmental controls. He submitted an amicus brief on behalf of the National Mining Association in the recent case Bragg v. West Virginia Coal Association.
Church & State
While working with the Solicitor General's office, Roberts co-wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the Bush administration, in which he argued that public high schools can include religious ceremonies in their graduation programs.
Technorati Tags: Politics John G. Roberts
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