Democracy Now Alito Coverage

Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito begin today in Washington DC. A conservative appeals court judge, Alito is expected to be grilled about his views on abortion, presidential power and civil rights. We host a debate on his nomination.

* Nan Aron, President of Alliance for Justice which is a national association of public interest and civil rights organizations.
* Sean Rushton, Executive Director of the Committee for Justice.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/09/1456212



Conservative Christian Organizations Stage Pro-Alito Rally at Justice Sunday III

On Sunday, conservative organizations staged a rally in Philadelphia called 'Justice Sunday III' in support of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. We speak with the Rev. Timothy McDonald, an African-American pastor who opposed the event because of what he calls Alito's poor record on civil-rights. On Sunday, conservative organizations staged a rally in Philadelphia in support of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. The event, called Justice Sunday III, was held at the Greater Exodus Baptist Church and was broadcast on Christian television and radio stations across the country. The Family Research Council was the main organizer of the event and speakers included Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Reverend Jerry Falwell and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Rick Santorum. Philadelphia is the hometown of Senator Arlen Spector who is the chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and it is where Alito sits on the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals. The website for Justice Sunday III states that the purpose of the event is to "educate people of faith on how the judiciary impacts their lives and to show how activist judges seek to end all mention of God in the public square."

The pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church is Reverend Herbert Lusk. When he offered his church to host the pro-Alito rally, criticism came from other African-American clergy who said that it was an inappropriate venue because of Alito's poor record on civil-rights. In an interview with the New York Times last week, Reverend Lusk said he is accustomed to controversy. He went on to say that President Bush is a friend of his who promised him that he would "appoint people to the justice system that would be attentive to the needs I care about - stopping same-sex marriage, assisted suicide and abortions for minors and supporting prayer and Christmas celebrations in school."

In the 2000 election, Reverend Lusk endorsed Bush from his pulpit in a speech that was broadcast live at the Republican National Convention. Lusk later received a $1 million dollar grant through Bush's Faith Based Initiative program.

A few other African-American clergy have come out in support of Alito as well. This radio ad featured the Reverend Bill Owens, president of the conservative Coalition of African American Pastors. The ad was paid for by the pro-Alito Judicial Confirmation Network and aired last week in Arkansas on Christian and gospel radio stations.

* Rev. Bill Owens, president of the conservative Coalition of African American Pastors.

LISTEN ONLINE (or read transcripts)
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/09/1456217



Fmr. NARAL Head Kate Michelman Recounts Her Own Pre-Roe v Wade Experience Getting an Abortion and Consent From the Husband Who Abandoned Her

Senate hearings begin today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. In 1991, Alito was the lone dissenting federal judge in a case that struck down a Pennsylvania law that required women seeking abortions to notify their spouses. We speak with Kate Michelman, former head of NARAL Pro-Choice America, about her own experience in getting an abortion 1969 - before Roe v. Wade - when she had to seek permission from her husband who had abandoned her. Senate hearings begin today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito -- President Bush's pick to replace Sandra Day O'Connor on the Supreme Court.

For the past 15 years Alito has served on the federal appeals court. During the 1980s he worked as an attorney in the Reagan and Bush administrations.

Bush originally tapped his personal attorney - White House Counsel Harriet Miers -- to replace O'Connor but Miers withdrew her nomination after coming under intense attack from the religious right.

The questioning of Alito is expected to focus largely on his views on abortion, presidential power and civil rights.

In 1991, Alito was the lone dissenting federal judge in the case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which struck down a Pennsylvania law that required women seeking abortions to notify their spouses.

In a 1985 job application to be assistant attorney general in the Justice Department, he admits that he personally believes "that the Constitution does not protect a right to an abortion."

In that same letter he said he agrees that racial and ethnic quotas should not be allowed. According to a review of Alito's judicial record by the People for the American Way, Alito has advocated positions detrimental to civil rights 85 percent of the time in cases where the Third Circuit was divided.

Senators are also expected to question Alito about his views on presidential power - especially in light of President Bush's decision to order the National Security Agency to conduct domestic spy operations without the legally required court warrants.

Alito has written about warrantless wiretapping before. In 1984 - while working in the Reagan administration - he wrote a memo backing the idea of giving President Nixon's former Attorney General, John Mitchell, absolute immunity for warrantless wiretaps conducted in the 1970s.

A new television ad was launched on Friday by IndependentCourt.org, a coalition of national public interest organizations, that focuses on Alito's record on privacy rights.

* Ad criticizing Alito's record on privacy rights.

Alito has also argued for reducing the role of Congress. In the case of United States v. Rybar, he argued Congress exceeded its power in passing a ban on machine guns. While working in the Reagan administration, he once argued Congress went too far when it passed the Truth in Mileage Act which protected consumers from odometer fraud.

Many Supreme Court analysts see the Alito hearings as potentially the most contentious ones in the two decades since the Senate rejected Robert Bork - a Reagan nominee -- on the court. Interestingly, the Washington Post reports today that it has unearthed a little noticed 1988 interview of Alito in which he says Bork was "unjustifiably rejected" by the Senate.

Alito said of Bork "He is a man of unequaled ability, understanding of constitutional history, someone who had thought deeply throughout his entire life about constitutional issues and about the Supreme Court and the role it ought to play in American society."

It remains unclear how far Democats might go in trying to block Alito's confirmation. On Sunday Senators Edward Kennedy and Charles Schumer said they haven't ruled out staging a filibuster.

The hearings are expected to last until at least Wednesday. Today each of 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee are scheduled to give 10-minute opening statements. Direct questioning of Alito might not begin until tomorrow.

* Kate Michelman, she was head of NARAL Pro-Choice America for nearly 20 years. Her new book, "With Liberty and Justice for All: A Life Spent Protecting the Right to Choose" was recently published. She will be testifying at the Alito hearings this week.

LISTEN ONLINE:
http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/01/09/1456207