Column: Confirm John Roberts
Confirm John Roberts
Rep. Boozman's Column for the Week of September 5, 2005
Washington, Sep 5 - When President George W. Bush nominated Judge John Roberts to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court, he picked a man with a remarkable resume. A magna cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School, Judge Roberts has clerked for the Supreme Court and argued a variety of cases before the Court. He has served in the Attorney General's office and as second-in-command at the Office of the Solicitor General. In 2003, he was unanimously confirmed to a seat on the D.C. Circuit Court.
As Congress reconvenes this week, Judge Roberts's nomination is at the top of the Senate's to-do-list. They are expected to be holding hearings on the nomination this week and it is my hope, and that of most Americans, that they move quickly to confirm him. In fact, many leading Democrats - including those in the Senate - have already said that Judge Roberts is one of the few nominees that wouldn't "spark a filibuster." They have used words and phrases like "honest, legally skilled;" "outstanding legal credentials;" and "a good reputation for integrity."
With this kind of praise from the opposition party, it would appear that Judge Roberts's nomination would fly through the Senate. However, that may not be the case. Certain far-left, extremely liberal special interest groups have mounted intense campaigns to keep Judge Roberts from getting confirmed. A quick glance at past statements and actions of these groups show how far out of the mainstream they are.
One of the first liberal interest groups to attack Judge Roberts was People for the American Way (PFAW), lead by an icon of the Hollywood-left Norman Lear. PFAW attacked the nomination before it was even announced and continues their misleading assault on Judge Roberts's character and record as we get closer to the hearings. One of PFAW's largest contributors is billionaire George Soros who once said removing George W. Bush from office was the "central focus" of his life. PFAW has been joined by Alliance for Justice (AFJ) and Moveon.org, a group that made a name for itself by hosting ads on it's website that compared President Bush to Hitler.
These groups want a Supreme Court Justice who will legislate from the bench. When AFJ President Nan Aron said on National Public Radio (NPR), "Republicans now control the House, Senate and the White House There is obviously no way we're going to get any new rights created by Congress. So now we have to look to the courts to create new rights that we won't be able to get from the legislature."
This kind of judicial activism is not what the majority of Americans want from the Supreme Court. We are looking for a justice that is impartial, has sound legal judgment and high integrity. We want a justice who rules based on existing laws and facts, rather than making new laws and basing decisions on personal opinion. John Roberts will be this kind of justice, which is why groups who seek to legislate from the bench are running smear campaigns against him. I urge you to call your senators and tell them to confirm John Roberts.
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