Just got this (unsolicited) email from Senator Kennedy re: Roberts

[HockeyMom]

Dear ......,

Now that President Bush has nominated John Roberts, the Senate and the nation face the critical task of understanding what kind of Supreme Court justice he would be - there are many questions that need to be answered.

During the confirmation process, the Senate must find out whether he will be on the side of basic rights and individual liberties or if he will side with powerful special interests.

Mr. Robert's brief public record raises several serious and troubling questions. Senators must ask those questions for the American people--and ensure that we receive honest and complete answers. Our oath of office requires no less.

Over the past two weeks, thousands of concerned Americans have submitted personal stories that emphasize the importance of this process. Each one details a way the Supreme Court affects our lives--and the lives of our children and grandchildren.

We can define the importance of this debate with our own words. Together, we can combine our voices and elevate the debate - to show the real-world impact of decisions made by the highest court in the land. Here are some examples:

Theodore of Georgia:

"I shadowed the first black undergraduate at FLU in 1962-63. Maxwell was admitted in the Fall of 1962 and my job was to see that he survived the year. It was not easy, but he survived. I will never forget it. We must not stop or slow this type of progress."

The battle has been brewing for months. Right wing groups boast a war chest of $20 million and counting. They will turn any confirmation process--no matter who the nominee is--into a political football, ignoring the best interests of the nation in the hopes of imposing their extreme views on our independent judiciary.

They might have the money, but we have the truth. No matter what they spend, they will never match the powerful case that thousands of citizens have already made:

Greta of California:

"I am a teacher for students with severe physical and mental challenges. When I first started teaching in the public schools eight years ago, the district was just beginning to provide wheel chair access to the bathrooms. It was an important moment for these children to have access to the bathrooms … We need a judge that will uphold their fundamental rights."

During the hearings, Roberts was evasive about his views on equal opportunity, desegregation, criminal justice, and the right to privacy. We cannot let this evasion happen again.

It's up to us to make sure the facts are known and that the voices of the American people rise above the partisan fighting and special interest money.

The candor and insight of your stories inspire me. Together we will make a case for the American people. Thank you so much.

Sincerely,




Senator Edward M. Kennedy

P.S. - Everyone has something to say about the importance of the Supreme Court--and every new voice makes a difference. Please ask your friends and family to join us and share their own stories:

http://www.tedkennedy.com/page/m/mdg1shllohi/DiU9hM


-snip-

As I said before, I really like this man.

:applause:

[aquart]

1. He's a statesman. Nice to have one.

[dogday]

2. John Roberts Is A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing

Not only anti pro-choice, but anti-affirmative action and anti-civil rights. He is pro-corporation, so there go the ecology. His wife works for Attorneys who represent over-seas contracts involving Halliburton. Let's not mention the Florida 2000 recount and the sleazy ways he went around the constitution to get what they wanted.

[babylonsister]

3. So this indicates to me the dems are downplaying the

nomination but might give him hell during the questioning. Could this mean a filibuster isn't out of the question?

[July]

7. Given everything else that's going on, why not go for it?

The guy is only 50, and he's been groomed for a year for this. Why should we give Bush a pass? There's at least a small chance that his government's going down over the treason. Reason enough for me to stop him from nominating anyone to the SC.

[babylonsister]

8. I'm inclined to agree, July, and I'm hopeful the Dems are

playing this close to the vest for a reason.

[yy4me]

4. This old timer just keeps rolling along,

We in Mass. are lucky to have Senator Kennedy on our side. In spite of everything that has gone wrong in his life, he keeps on trucking!
I have supported him for years and have yet to find that he is slacking off. Not like some of the other wonders we have in D.C. BTW, other than a select few, who really works in that fair city???

[LissaM]

5. Any room

Any room in Mass. for me?! I was there a couple of weeks ago and was grateful for all the Kerry stickers. :)

[FloridaPat]

6. I remember when the Clarence Thomas hearings were going on.

It was fairly obvious from the testimony that he said lots of dirty things to his underling females. So the senate put the witnesses on trial. And Kennedy was in the lead. The Democrats are like * in one way - they say one thing and do another. The only guts they've shown in 5 years is over court nominations. They are putting up a good fight over SS but they have a lot of people leading the way on that one. Otherwise, they let things go with their aid or without a fight. As in bankruptcy reform, Iraq, medicade reform. I would really like to see an opposition party that fights for the rights of the citizens and not corporations. We'll see how these hearings go.