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Edwards Citicizes Supreme Court Nominee
AP/ABC Channel 7 News ^ | 07/29/05 | Jesse Holland

Posted on 08/06/2005 12:36:34 PM PDT by Embraer2004

Edwards Citicizes Supreme Court Nominee Friday July 29, 2005 12:49pm

Washington (AP) - Former Democratic senator and vice presidential candidate John Edwards harshly criticized Supreme Court nominee John Roberts Friday, calling him "a partisan for conservative causes." Roberts, finishing his second week of visits with senators in search of confirmation votes, was being criticized from the sidelines in a speech that Edwards prepared for the American Constitution Society.

This came a day after Sen. Edward M. Kennedy accused Roberts, 50, of having a questionable commitment to civil rights.

Although the complaints aired Friday were among the toughest yet since Bush picked Roberts for the high court, there still were differences of opinion within the Senate Democratic caucus. And there remained no hint of a filibuster.

In fact, some other Democrats have called Roberts "outstanding" and have said they'd been assured he wouldn't be a conservative activist on the court.

But a review of paperwork that Roberts drafted while he worked in the Reagan administration shows a "very different young lawyer at work, a partisan for conservative causes," said Edwards.

Edwards, a former North Carolina senator, voted to confirm Roberts' earlier nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia when he was a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee two years ago.

"Someone who opposed efforts to remedy discrimination on the basis of sex and race," Edwards said in his prepared remarks. "Someone who opposed measures to protect voting rights ... The question now is, who is the real Judge Roberts?"

The same documents "certainly raise some questions in my mind about his commitment" to civil rights in general, Kennedy told reporters Thursday.

Some of Kennedy's Democratic colleagues are praising Roberts' academic and legal credentials. They expect little negative material to turn up before the start of Senate Judiciary Committee hearings for the 50-year-old federal appeals court judge.

"I was so pleased to meet such an outstanding nominee," said Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. Added Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb.: "I don't see anything that's going to be disturbing" in his record.

Nelson, who is leaning toward approving Roberts' nomination, said Roberts assured him on Thursday that he would not bring an activist philosophy to the court if he is confirmed to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.

"He said he would not be an activist judge," Nelson said.

Roberts turned aside questions from reporters as he continued get-acquainted meetings with senators of both parties. "I don't think it's appropriate for me to answer questions outside of the Judiciary Committee," he said.

Kennedy is likely to put civil rights questions to Roberts at the committee hearings.

The senator was asked whether documents released by the White House showed Roberts was not as committed to civil rights as Kennedy would like. "I didn't reach that conclusion yet. But it does certainly raise some questions in my mind about his commitment," Kennedy said.

In one document, Roberts, then working in the White House, wrote that legislation designed to overturn a different Supreme Court ruling would "radically expand the civil rights laws to areas never before considered covered." He recommended against it.

In another, he wrote that the administration could "go slowly on housing legislation" without fearing political damage.

Democrats are demanding other paperwork from Roberts' time as principal deputy solicitor general during the administration of the first President Bush.

But the White House plans to deny access to those papers, citing the need "to preserve the attorney-client privilege for this administration" and in the future, according to presidential spokesman Scott McClellan.

The White House has released documents from Roberts' time as a special assistant at the Justice Department early in the Reagan administration. Officials have pledged to expedite release of records while Roberts was working in the White House counsel's office from 1983 to 1986.

Democrats are trying to come up with a limited request on the blocked documents. Kennedy said they would request documents "limited and targeted on cases related to the Constitution."

Officials also are in the final stages of negotiating a timetable and a format for Roberts' confirmation hearing. The White House and Senate Republicans are demanding a final confirmation vote before the Supreme Court convenes for its new term on Oct. 3.

Senators seemed to be heading toward starting the hearings on Sept. 6, even though the committee chairman, Sen. Arlen Specter, has indicated he could begin by Aug. 29.

Waiting until September would preserve the full August vacation lawmakers have planned. It also would pressure Democrats to allow a final vote by Sept. 29, the last business day before the court convenes.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blahblahblah; breckgirl; edwards2008; johnroberts; news; scotus
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1 posted on 08/06/2005 12:36:34 PM PDT by Embraer2004
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To: Embraer2004
Attacked by the Breck Girl. Scary!!!
2 posted on 08/06/2005 12:37:55 PM PDT by Toddsterpatriot (If you agree with Marx, the AFL-CIO and E.P.I. please stop calling yourself a conservative!!)
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To: Embraer2004


WTF? Isn't he modeling shampoo now? Edawrds, STFU!


3 posted on 08/06/2005 12:38:26 PM PDT by in hoc signo vinces ("Soylent Green is People!")
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To: Embraer2004

Can of hair spray?


4 posted on 08/06/2005 12:39:09 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Embraer2004
Johnny is jealous of his hair and of the Pro-bono work that Judge Roberts did. Oh poor Johnny, just get over yourself.


5 posted on 08/06/2005 12:39:32 PM PDT by darkwing104 (Let's get dangerous)
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To: Embraer2004
Hey John.. there's a wreck over on Third and Main...
6 posted on 08/06/2005 12:40:13 PM PDT by steveo (Member: Fathers Against Rude Television)
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To: Embraer2004

Interesting that nobody every went after Attorney Edwards pro bono work or even ATTORNEY KERYY's pro-bono works.


7 posted on 08/06/2005 12:40:39 PM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE!)
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To: Embraer2004
John Edwards Viciously Assails Judge Roberts

To help prevent multiple posts, please do not change titles.

8 posted on 08/06/2005 12:41:20 PM PDT by Admin Moderator
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To: Embraer2004

"John Edwards harshly criticized nominee John Roberts Friday, calling him "a partisan for conservative causes."

Assailed?

harshly criticized?

Who writes this copy?

Not only is it probably accurate, anyone would be hard pressed to name anyone inside the beltway who is NOT partisan.


9 posted on 08/06/2005 12:41:27 PM PDT by WhiteGuy (Vote for gridlock - Make the elected personally liable for their wasteful spending)
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To: Toddsterpatriot

Edwards is cute when he throws a hissy-fit. LOL


10 posted on 08/06/2005 12:41:29 PM PDT by GaltMeister (“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.”)
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To: Admin Moderator

Ok.
Thanks for changing the title.


11 posted on 08/06/2005 12:42:12 PM PDT by Embraer2004
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To: Embraer2004
Must see hair spray video
12 posted on 08/06/2005 12:43:15 PM PDT by Indy Pendance
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To: Embraer2004
Well, John MUST be telling the truth...

He's channeling the spirit of Eleanor Roosevelt now, after "consulting" with Hillary on the best method to do so.

13 posted on 08/06/2005 12:44:19 PM PDT by Itzlzha ("The avalanche has already started...it is too late for the pebbles to vote")
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To: Indy Pendance

LMAO!!! That video of the Breck girl is priceless!!


14 posted on 08/06/2005 12:45:13 PM PDT by Embraer2004
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To: Embraer2004
Who?

Wasn't there a failed Senator and VP candidate named Edwards?

15 posted on 08/06/2005 12:45:26 PM PDT by kennedy ("Why would I listen to losers?")
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To: Embraer2004

The left are such a bunch of phony charlatans...what a wimp and spouting the Dem talking points....


16 posted on 08/06/2005 12:50:17 PM PDT by EagleUSA
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To: Embraer2004

Hey silk pony... do not you have some ambulance chasing to do?


17 posted on 08/06/2005 12:51:29 PM PDT by Trajan88 (www.bullittclub.com)
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To: Embraer2004

18 posted on 08/06/2005 12:51:45 PM PDT by maggief (No 'luffs')
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To: longtermmemmory

Was there anything to go after?


19 posted on 08/06/2005 12:51:51 PM PDT by ConorMacNessa (HM/2 USN - 3rd Bn. Fifth Marines RVN 1969)
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To: Embraer2004
They had to dredge up the BRECK GIRL in order to insult a Supreme Court nominee?? Talk about DREDGING BOTTOM! I thought he'd be reminiscing with Algore about his great achievements as a legislator.
20 posted on 08/06/2005 12:53:07 PM PDT by cake_crumb (Leftist Credo: "One Wing to Rule Them all and to the Dark Side Bind Them")
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