Roberts Scoffed at Promotion for O'Connor

[Judi Lynn]

Roberts Scoffed at Promotion for O'Connor
By HOPE YEN, Associated Press Writer

Friday, August 19, 2005
(08-19) 14:48 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

As a lawyer in the Reagan White House, John Roberts scoffed at the notion of elevating Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor to chief justice as a way to close a political gender gap, calling it a "crass political consideration."

On another topic, Roberts, who was nominated as a justice by President Bush last month, advised the White House to strike language from a description of a housing bill that referred to the "fundamental right to be free from discrimination." He said that "there of course is no such right."

More than 38,000 pages of documents released this week by the National Archives offer new details that portray Roberts as embracing the conservative philosophy of the Reagan administration.
(snip)

In recent weeks, O'Connor — who has been a swing vote on the Supreme Court on issues including Title IX gender discrimination and affirmative action — has praised Roberts' selection as her successor, but has expressed the one regret that he isn't a woman.
(snip/...)

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2005/08/19/national/w144854D37.DTL

[Straight Shooter]

1. Roberts is a misogynist. He has a BIG problem with equality for women.

Something is wrong with that man, no doubt about it.

[Spinzonner]

Not sure about misogynist

Male Supremacist may be more accurate.

[Straight Shooter]

5. Seems like the effect is the same.

I really believe he resents women, which is the basis for his ego-tripping on male supremacy. Or maybe we should say "white male supremacy," considering his attitude towards other races and those less fortunate in life.

[Stand and Fight]

11. White Male Supremacist would be more accurate still. n/t

[VegasWolf]

2. Republican women support him? They must be used to being beaten. nt

[ironman202]

3. it was a crass political consideration

he wasn't scoffing at Sandy he was scoffing at elevating her to try and ameliorate the gender gap. This makes me like him an iota more.

[Beaverhausen]

4. Roberts Questioned Value of Women Lawyers

http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/081905Z.shtml

Washington - Supreme Court nominee John Roberts disparaged state efforts
to combat discrimination against women in Reagan-era documents made public
Thursday, and wondered whether ''encouraging homemakers to become lawyers
contributes to the common good.''
A young White House lawyer at the time, Roberts also criticized a
crime-fighting proposal by Sen. Arlen Specter as ''the epitome of the 'throw money at
the problem''' approach.
Specter, R-Pa., then a first-term senator, is now chairman of the
Judiciary Committee and will preside at Roberts' confirmation hearings, scheduled to
begin Sept. 6.
The documents, released simultaneously in Washington and at the Reagan
Library in California, show Roberts held a robust view of presidential powers
under the Constitution. ''I am institutionally disposed against adopting a
limited reading of a statute conferring power on the president,'' he wrote in 1985.
**************
more at the link

[melody]

17. definite misogynist

>encouraging homemakers to become lawyers
>contributes to the common good

Anyone who holds that kind of view has serious control issues with women, which might as well amount to hatred.

[BattyDem]

6. This guy can't be allowed on the court

He's not simply a conservative, he's a man who has serious issues with women having any sort of power or equality. As a SC Justice, how can he possibly be "fair" when he obviously hates half the population?

On edit: What makes his comments even more outrageous is the fact that they were made in the 1980s! Not the 40s or the 50s or the 60s ... the 80s!!!

[jsamuel]

7. yep

[David Zephyr]

8. This should stop this nomination in its tracks. Now.

Well, here's the message that dear Dianne Feinstein needs to hear now loud and clear along with all the other pro-war, pro-corporation, pro-Republican Democrats in the Senate who have let the people down time and time again the last five years:

THIS MAN IS NOT AN ACCEPTABLE NOMINEE TO THE HIGHEST COURT IN THE LAND.

HE DOES NOT HAVE THE APPROPRIATE DEMEANOR NOR DECENCY TO SERVE.

[journalist3072]

9. No fundamental right to be free from discrimination?

That is very telling.

[progressivebydesign]

10. He's a mean old weenie!

Man.. no WONDER they don't want his papers made public. He's kind of a mean-spirited jerk, isn't he? I pray that women around the country will wake up and fight this nomination.. he is coldhearted and mean.

[Stand and Fight]

12. Does anyone happen to know what this creep's wife does for a living?

Please don't tell me she's a housewife... :eyes:

[Lars39]

13. She's a lawyer.

The irony meter is going to have to be replaced soon.

[Stand and Fight]

15. Eeekkk....

She married this creep? What the heck was she thinking?

[DELUSIONAL]

14. Mrs Roberts is a lawyer -- making loads of money on the

Iraq war.

They have two show case kids that they went out of country to adopt.

They probably have a nanny -- who is probably an illegal.

Mrs. Roberts is a anti-Choice nut case.

[lostnfound]

16. Maybe take up a collection for his wife, so she can leave this..

dipsh** and still take care of those two beautiful (if incorrectly adopted) children.