Senator Ted Kennedy, who according to the Boston Globe has been tapped to be the "point person for strategy and messaging" for the Supreme Court confirmation hearings, has released this statement regarding the president's nomination of John Roberts:
“This is a critical moment for this country’s future. If John Roberts is confirmed, he will have a vital role in setting the direction of the country for generations to come.You can read the rest of the statement at tedkennedy.com.
The Supreme Court is often the last line of defense for the freedoms and liberties for hundreds of millions of Americans. Few responsibilities of the Senate are more important than reviewing the qualifications of nominees for the Supreme Court. Every Senator, Republican or Democrats, has a responsibility to determine whether Mr. Roberts deserves to join the currently closely divided court when so much is at stake. It’s wrong for any Senator to be a rubberstamp.
All of us in the Senate who have been through this process know the importance of this process. Every American ought to be asking some tough questions right now about whether Mr. Roberts is fit to serve on the highest court in the land.
Will he protect average Americans when their rights are abused by powerful corporations?
Will he ensure that private companies aren’t allowed to pollute our rivers and lakes and our air?
Will he protect and preserve the progress we’ve made on equal opportunity and fairness for all Americans?
Will he separate his personal ideology from the rule of law and protect the rights and freedoms of all Americans, not just the powerful or the wealthy.
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From what I've read in the past few hours it seems to me like Roberts is an unremarkable Republican hack who in the worst case turns out to be a less belligerent Scalia and in the best case turns into another Souter. I'm willing to roll the dice on this guy unless something disturbing turns up in the course of his confirmation hearings. Check out Blue Mass Group for a great rundown of the nominee.
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