DNC: Roberts still a Federalist Leader despite denials.

[madfloridian]

http://www.democrats.org/a/2005/07/scotus_nominee.php

Part of their post:

"Federalist Society Is A Conservative Legal Network Of 25,000 Members. The Federalist Society is a collection of conservative to libertarian attorneys dedicated to preserving strong states rights positions that works hard to promote its members through ideological networking. The Federalist Society also works to promote its members to the federal judiciary. Founded by a group of conservative law students in 1982 at the University of Chicago and Yale law schools, the Federalist Society was originally supervised by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia and Yale Law School professor Judge Robert Bork. Today, the Federalist Society has grown to include more than 25,000 conservative attorneys, policy experts and political activists, and operates on an annual budget of $3 million. According to the Oregonian, "t the bedrock of the Federalist Society is an unbending belief in limited government and a skeptical approach to regulation." In conservative circles, membership in or association with the society has become a badge of ideological and political reliability. Roberts's membership was routinely reported by news organizations in the context of his work in two GOP administrations and legal assistance to the party during the contested 2000 presidential election in Florida.

Federalist Society Members Are Anti-Choice Activists. The Federalist Society actively targets the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling that legalized abortion. According to NARAL, "Of the twelve lawyers the Society currently designates on its website as 'experts' on abortion/Roe v. Wade, almost all have fought for Roe's overturn; many have actively campaigned outside the courtroom for anti-choice causes, and several have engaged in political efforts against Roe."

Federalist Society Members Called For Abolition of SEC, Overturning Brady Bill, Supported California Anti-Affirmative Action Initiative. Members of the Federalist Society are proponents of many conservative causes, which they frequently advocate in the practice group newsletters. In the Summer, 1998 Corporations, Securities and Antitrust newsletter, an article headlined "The Case for Abolishing the SEC" was featured. An early issue of the Civil Rights practice group newsletter was "almost exclusively devoted to Proposition 209," according to the Institute for Democracy. Past Federalism and Separation of Powers practice group newsletters have discussed invalidation of the Brady Bill. The Fall, 1997 Labor and Employment Law practice group newsletter featured an article entitled "Sex, Lies and Statistics: The Wage Gap."

Federalist Society Members Have Argued Against Affirmative Action, Punitive Damages Awards By Juries. Members of the Federalist Society have argued some of the most conservative positions in law and politics, including: affirmative action programs are unconstitutional discrimination against whites; the Fifth Amendment "takings" provision supports constitutional challenges to a number of laws, from zoning to workers compensation laws; harassment-free workplace laws violate free speech rules; and that punitive damages awards by juries are "a capricious, unpredictable, randomly destructive scheme of punishment." "

[Tommymac]

1. Good find. Thanks!

Recommended.

[warrens]

2. The fact that he lied about it is enough to turn him down

I remember Ann Coulter when asked about it said, oh, it's just a debating society, there are lots of liberals there. Just a flat out guilty lie. They're a pack of thugs dedicated to taking over the judiciary.

[Mike Nelson]

3. Roberts is a scam artist...

Groomed to diminish individual rights.

[jean]

4. they began wearing lapel pin flags long ago - I wonder

if they have other nonverbal clues indicating membership in the hallowed society? Like a small tattoo. So they can always identify true members.

I can't document that the F Society started the pin-wearing, but certainly neocons and repubs of all flavors wore those things early and often. As if it was their flag, their club.

[bullimiami]

5. didnt even deny. said he "couldnt remember"

what couldnt remember something he is still active in.

he is a lying sack of shit. anyone that votes to put him on the scotus is a f-ing a##hole.

[dogday]

7. what we call plausible denial

they use this quite frequently

[dogday]

6. He sat on the committee

he was like high up in this society and now wants to hide that fact. Oh can't ask him that, oh can't give you his work product. You just have to take our word for it.... Not good enough....

[Disturbed]

8. Are the Dems playing subtle on this nominee?

Will they lower the boom when the Hearings start or will they do their "please and appease" act, as usual?

[dogday]

9. Kerry has already started by asking for Robert's

work product from Bush I. They do not want to hand that over... We shall see how the Democrats handle it. They did not like it when they refused to hand over the documents on Bolton either....