Posted on 08/04/2005 9:10:32 AM PDT by gopwinsin04
It was reported today in the LA Times that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts gave substantial behind the scenes assistance, pro bono, to activists who asked the Supreme Court to overturn Colorado's 'Amendment 2' which prohibited municipalities in Colorado from adopting gay friendly ordinances and policies.
The case Romer v. Evans, was the gay movements fist significant victory in the Supreme Court and paved the way for the more recent blockbuster decision of Lawrence v. Texas which outlawed sodomy laws.
What to make of this? Is Roberts a clandestine agent of the dreaded homosexual agenda? More likely, he was just doing his job.
A partner at Roberts firm was working with the plaintiffs in Romer; and the parter asked for Roberts help, (Roberts being the best Supreme Court litigant) and Roberts agreed.
And having agreed, he gave his all, reviewing briefs, preparing lawyers for oral arguement, and generally being 'terrifically helpful.' That is exactly what lawyers are supposed to do.
This is, an excellent illustration of how difficult it is to discern a lawyer's views from his professional activities. I have no idea whether Roberts believed in his heart that the plaintiffs in Romer were right, but I will say this.
It is of course always open to a lawyer to decline to participate in a case because for whatever reason the lawyer cannot in good consicence represent the client's interests in that case.
The fact that Roberts agreed to participate in Romer at least suggests that he is not vicerally, fundamentally opposed to the pro-gay result that the planitffs sought in that case.
And that, to me, suggests that he may not be the ideaologue that the Dobsonites want on the court. (Can you imagine in the plaintiffs in a gay rights case had approached Professor Scalia for his pro-bono assistance?)
(Excerpt) Read more at bluemassgroup.typepad.com ...
A gay landlord SHOULD be able to refuse housing to heteros. Anything else is an indefensible abridgement of the gay's property rights, as in Kelo vs. New London.
If Roberts' name is withdrawn, which Bush will almost certainly refuse to do, he would likely be replaced by an even more conservative nominee who would ultimately be confirmed. That won't help the left.
I can't see Bush withdrawing Roberts' name, and I can't see any Republican senators withholding their support. If anything, this latest disclosure has greased Roberts' nomination by softening opposition among liberal Democrats. Today the left has one more reason to be confident that Roberts will drive left just as Kennedy and Souter did.
If we end up with another Souter, it will be despite repeated clear warnings from a few discerning conservatives.
The last thing I want to mention here is the ludicrous posturing of this work as pro bono work. The gay rights lobby is NOT the penniless widow on the corner facing eviction from her home. The gay rights lobby is powerful and exceptionally well-funded. This work classifies as "pro bono" only because the firm Roberts was with was simpatico with the broader social engineering goals of the left. The decision to provide pro bono assistance in this instance was for reasons of politics, not compassion.
BINGO!
You're buying into an illogical argument. See #42.
"This case has nothing to do with the inflammatory title "Homosexual Agenda"
You are very wrong. This case "established" that there is no rational reason for society to disfavor homosexuality. If Roberts voluntarily elected to assist those arguing the unconstitutionality of the Colorado amendment, we should all be concerned.
Thank you for your post, ModelBreaker.
Just to make sure, are you saying the 3 conservatives on the court dissented in opposition to Roberts?
I wasn't insinuating he would lose his job, but I would hate to work in an office where someone wouldn't help his partners out.
You are so clueless it ain't even funny. (Or maybe you're a proponent of the gay agenda, who knows.) Making sexual orientation a status for protection is a key element in the gay agenda. If some homo wants to only rent to homos, that's his business. Old Mrs. Thompson shouldn't be forced to take on a homo couple or unmarried couple if she doesn't want to.
"Wow, so does this mean that Judge Roberts believes everyone deserves their day in court with adequate representation?
How Federalist of him."
No. It means that Roberts donated his very valuable time to a cause that is repugnant to most of us. I.e. advancing the homosexual agenda at the expense of the Constitution.
Let's say the Dims filibuster, how much pressure will be spent by a split right to push to break it. The way some on FR on talking, they are hoping the Dims will Filibuster.
AntiGuv, would you be able to answer my #48? Was Roberts arguing for the side Justice Kennedy (and the majority of the court) agreed with?
Many thanks in advance.
Exactly.
I would add that if a private owner who happened to be homosexual did not want to rent to normal folks (us heteros), he should be able to do so anyway. It's still his property.
Because that is exactly what it is. Of course those who worship Ann Coulter and those who hate President Bush will be drawn to an LA Slimes story like flies to sh*t since it will give them something else to whine about. Funny how they'll trust the LA Slimes or New York Slimes as gospel.
Well, I certainly don't want the Dems to filibuster the Roberts nomination, but I do think that some of the dismissals of this pro bono work are really stretching credulity. I've seen nothing to suggest that there was anything remotely compulsory about Roberts' alleged participation. The only reasonable conclusion is that he chose to provide his expertise because at the very minimum he had no problem with the challenge (i.e., the gay activist position).
Oop, you already said that, sorry.
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