Democrats to Women: Maybe Next Time, Girls
The WaPo is reporting that Democrats do not plan to "spend any political capital" to seriously challenge the Roberts nomination:
In one 1985 memo, Roberts concluded that a controversial memorial service for aborted fetuses, organized by a group of California doctors who opposed Roe vs. Wade, was ``an entirely appropriate means of calling attention to the abortion tragedy.''Although the "just shut up and make me a sandwich while I sit over here and clean my gun" crowd are taking swipes at NARAL for (among other things) supporting Republican Lincoln Chaffee, Digby had it right -- NARAL is sending a strategic message to Democrats. If they want to auction off reproductive rights in some push to pitch a "big tent" in the center, don't expect women to just sit in the corner and smile pretty while they do it.
Legal experts on the right and the left cautioned against interpreting Roberts' writing from that era as a certain predictor of how he would vote on abortion cases that might come before him today. Still, the memo is consistent with subtler clues to Roberts' stance on the landmark abortion case that have been emerging since his nomination in July by President Bush.
In 1981, while working at the Justice Department, Roberts had referred to the legal underpinnings of a woman's right to an abortion as the ``so-called `right to privacy.' '' Later, as a deputy solicitor general in President George H.W. Bush's administration, Roberts co-wrote an administration Supreme Court brief arguing that Roe vs. Wade was wrongly decided and should be overturned.
Digby notes:
For the pro-choice advocates, the stakes could not be higher. If Roe vs Wade is overturned, they are looking at spending years -- decades -- fighting tooth and nail in places like Alabama, Missouri, Utah and Mississippi to try to win back for women the rights they have had for the last 30 years.I'd think twice before I ate that sandwich.
posted by Jane Hamsher @ 8/16/2005 01:20:00 PM
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