Focus on the Family’s political wing is running ads against Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow for voting against John Roberts.
A Focus on the Family Action newspaper ad takes Sen. Debbie Stabenow to task for voting against the recently confirmed Chief Justice John Roberts.
The ad calls on readers to contact the Michigan Democrat to urge her to fairly consider the president's nominee to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor.
"We are disappointed that Sen. Stabenow would vote against John Roberts, who is eminently qualified to succeed William Rehnquist as chief justice of the United States," said Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy for Focus on the Family Action. "Her vote is a slap in the face of the voters of Michigan, who understand that the Constitution is clear on the nomination of judges: The president has the authority to nominate as he chooses and the Senate provides consent on the basis of a nominee's qualifications, not ideology."
Minnery said the president is under no constraint to nominate individuals who will maintain "balance" on the court.
"Partisan politics have no place in the consideration and confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee," he said, "either the nominee is qualified and is confirmed, or he or she is unqualified and the Senate rejects the nomination."
Click here to read the full FOF press release.
Partisan politics?
FOF the family is in fact one of the most partisan political organizations around. Their founder and still leader James Dobson is active in Republican politics and has threatened to organize campaigns against several democratic senators.
Senator Stabenow had solid reasons for voting against the nomination.
“The Constitution grants all Americans the same rights, liberties and freedoms under the law. These are the sacred, bedrock values upon which the United States of America was founded. And we count on the Supreme Court to protect these constitutional rights at all times, whether they are popular or not.
“Unfortunately, Judge Roberts refused to answer most substantive questions about how he would protect our fundamental constitutional rights. Because of his failure to answer questions on the major legal issues of our time in a forthright manner, I feel compelled to base my decision on his writings and opinions.
“When you closely examine these documents, you see a forceful and instinctive opposition toward protecting the fundamental rights of all Americans. In case after case, Judge Roberts argued that the Constitution did not protect workers, voters, women, minorities and the disabled from discrimination. He also argued that the Constitution does not firmly establish the right of privacy for all Americans.
“In all of his memos, writings and briefs, Judge Roberts took the view that the Constitution only protects Americans in the most narrow and technical ways, and does not convey to us fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms. Because of these views, after much deliberation, I have concluded that Judge Roberts is the wrong choice for a lifetime appointment as Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court – where he may well be making decisions on the rights of our children and grandchildren for the next 30 to 40 years.
“Judge Roberts is certainly an intelligent man with a record of public service. However, that alone does not qualify him to lead the entire third branch of our government. I believe that his philosophy undermines our most cherished and fundamental rights, liberties and freedoms as Americans, and for that reason, I will be voting no on his nomination next week.”
Click here to read her full statement and click here to send her a statement thanking the senator for defending the Constitution.
