The former governor decries “special-interest groups . . . trying to drum up opposition” to Supreme Court pick John G. Roberts.

Saturday, July 23, 2005

BY LIZ ANDERSON
Journal State House Bureau

PROVIDENCE — Former Gov. Lincoln Almond will chair a new Rhode Island-based coalition to champion the confirmation of Judge John G. Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The group’s mission, several members said, is to press the U.S. Senate to give Roberts a fair and timely hearing and an up-or-down vote.

Almond, reached by telephone at his summer home on Cape Cod, said he was recruited by his former director of legislative affairs, Denevan O’Connell, who knew of Almond’s concern that President Bush’s nominee could face a filibuster in the Senate.

“The filibuster has its place, but not with advise and consent,” said Almond, a former U.S. Attorney for Rhode Island.

“I think the president deserves to have a candidate confirmed who is well qualified, and I think a lot of the special-interest groups are out there trying to drum up opposition [to Roberts], and I just don’t think that’s appropriate,” the former governor added.

O’Connell’s government-relations firm — Gildea, O’Connell and Darlington — is being paid to serve as the local contact for Progress for America, a national conservative advocacy group that, according to media reports, expects to spend $18 million promoting Roberts’ candidacy for the high court.

But O’Connell said the new group, Rhode Islanders for Judge Roberts, was not a Progress for America affiliate and would not be receiving financial support from the national group or spending money on a local campaign.

He described the group instead as an “ad hoc” organization put together by a group of people, including former East Providence Senate candidate Lloyd Monroe, who have “overlapping goals” with his client.

Monroe, a Republican and former federal prosecutor, said the group was organized by “a small group of us who decided we wanted to support this nominee.”

“Obviously my involvement arises as a result of talking with other people who are attorneys, and who also have been involved in Republican Party stuff,” he said.

Monroe called Roberts an “exceptionally well-qualified candidate” who “personifies the qualities the American people deserve in a Supreme Court [justice].”

The Rhode Island group, he said, plans to release a list of members soon; Monroe said his hope was to show broad and bipartisan support. He said the steering committee would also include lawyers Eugene Bernardo II, Thomas Wigand and Joseph White, besides himself and Almond.

Bernardo told reporters in an afternoon conference call that he believed the confirmation process should focus on a candidate’s legal intellect, fairness, integrity, temperament, and ability to impartially apply the law.

He said his concern was that Roberts would get caught in “a pernicious rush to demonize whoever the nominee is, for whatever reasons.”

But Almond said that what activities the group would undertake would depend on how Roberts’ candidacy proceeds. Right now, he said, there are indications that the nomination may not face strong Senate opposition.

Meanwhile, another Rhode Island group formed to watch the Supreme Court nomination process — Rhode Islanders for a Fair Judiciary — is warily evaluating the president’s choice.

“We are extremely concerned about the nominee,” said Marti Rosenberg. But she said the group, a coalition of more than 20 advocacy organizations, was still researching Roberts’ background.

“We hope the senators ask the tough questions that really really need to be asked and pursue them until they get the answers,” Rosenberg said.

At least one Rhode Island group in the coalition has formally opposed Roberts’ nomination. The local chapter of the National Organization of Women this week called Roberts “an extremist with no commitment to the basic values of individual and civil rights for which we have fought so hard.”

[Press Release by RINOW July 20, 2005]

Contact: Emily Rochon, 401-965-6081 or Meaghan Lamarre, 401-225-3543
For immediate release.

Last night, President Bush announced the nomination of John G. Roberts to replace Justice Sandra Day O’Connor on the Supreme Court. President Bush began his remarks by commenting that the appointment of a Supreme Court justice is one of the most consequential decisions a President can make. Rhode Island NOW wholeheartedly agrees and that is why we strongly oppose the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts.

As O’Connor’s replacement, Roberts could cast the deciding vote on countless matters of individual rights where O’Connor had been a key vote, often in a 5 to 4 split — issues like abortion and birth control, affirmative action, privacy rights, disability rights, Title IX equal educational opportunity, family and medical leave, health care, environmental protection and dozens of other crucial issues for decades to come. For young women, Roberts’ votes could determine their access to birth control and abortion for their entire reproductive lifetimes.

Among our many concerns, Roberts actively opposes Roe v. Wade and wrote several amicus briefs while a Deputy Solicitor General. He has argued that “Roe was wrongly decided and should be overruled.” He also wrote an amicus brief supporting Operation Rescue, arguing in support of individuals who routinely blocked access to clinics.

In addition to his active opposition to a woman’s right to choose, Judge Roberts has also argued to limit the protections of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the scope of the Endangered Species act, challenged affirmative action programs, and argued against Title IX.

We had high hopes for this nomination: we had hoped for another woman to replace Justice O’Connor and we had hoped for a moderate, centrist nominee who would unite the country in these divided times. However, President Bush has chosen an extremist with no commitment to the basic values of individual and civil rights for which we have fought so hard. With this nomination, President Bush has chosen to pick a fight and we intend to fight back.

The Providence Journal (Rhode Island)

July 6, 2005 Wednesday
All Editions

SECTION: NEWS; Pg. A-11

LENGTH: 378 words

HEADLINE: Supreme Court vacancy spurs on activists

BYLINE: ELIZABETH GUDRAIS, Journal Staff Writer

BODY:

The leader of a rally in Providence says, “It’s critical that we not allow our court to be taken over by right-wing conservatives.”

PROVIDENCE - Four dozen people gathered yesterday in front of the federal building on Kennedy Plaza to tell Rhode Island’s senators that they’ll be watching when the Senate considers the president’s nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy.

“Almost every aspect of our lives is impacted by the decisions that the Supreme Court makes,” the rally’s leader, Karen Malcolm, associate director of Ocean State Action, said into a bullhorn. “It’s critical that we not allow our court to be taken over by right-wing conservatives.”

The demonstrators shouted over the din of honking horns and buses zooming by.

“The Supreme Court is our last line of defense,” said Jennifer Tuttle, program coordinator of the Sierra Club’s Rhode Island chapter, adding that the Bush administration had “the worst environmental record in history.”

“We are the generation born after Roe [v. Wade],” Meaghan Lamarre, president of the National Organization for Women’s Providence chapter, said. “We have never lived in a world where women did not have reproductive choice.”

Her comments gave way to chants of “We won’t go back! We will fight back!”

Frank Ferri, co-chair of Marriage Equality Rhode Island, said his concern over the Supreme Court nomination did not center on the issue of same-sex marriage, but rather on a wider protection of individual freedoms. He called for the Senate to hold out for appointment of a justice who would bring “objectivity and moderation” to the court.

The rally’s organizers have dubbed themselves Rhode Islanders for a Fair Judiciary. The coalition also includes the National Council of Jewish Women, the Urban League of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the National Association of Social Workers-R.I., Rhode Island Parent Information Network, the Poverty Institute at Rhode Island College School of Social Work, Planned Parenthood Rhode Island, 2 to 1: The Coalition to Preserve Choice, Jobs with Justice and the United Service and Allied Workers-R.I.

Senators Jack Reed and Lincoln Chafee “know what they need to do,” state Rep. Joseph S. Almeida, D-Providence, said. “We’re going to put the pressure on.”

LOAD-DATE: July 7, 2005

We are thrilled to announce that the Homicide Prevention Bill, which removes guns from the hands of abusers, has finally passed in the Rhode Island General Assembly and has been signed by Governor Carcieri. Congratulations to the domestic violence community that has worked so hard for so long to get this bill passed.

At 1:30 am Saturday morning, the House decided hold off on voting on the bill that would have allowed the one time death benefits that are currently provided to married spouses of first responders that are killed in the line of duty to be provided to domestic partners of first responders. This bill passed the Senate unanimously TWICE, but has had its issues on the House side.

The bill was held (not voted on) because the hour was late and there were many questions about the bill, both procedural and content-related. I am very disappointed that the house didn’t pass the bill, but it is still alive and kicking. Please let your Representatives know that this bill is important to you. See below for how to contact them.

Many representatives (in no order, and not an exhaustive list– Ajello, Handy, Fox, Constantino, Almedia, Anguilla, Giannini, Rice, Williams) worked hard on this bill. Please take the time to thank them, and thank your senator as well– the Senate is extremely supportive of this bill.

We don’t know what the process or time frame will be from here, but keep your eye on these lists for more info. If you want to be contacted directly when something happens on this bill, because there is often little notice, please email me with your contact information.

You can help by calling your state Representative and asking them to ensure passage THIS YEAR of Senate Bill 1209, which would provide a one-time death benefit to the domestic partners of emergency workers killed while performing job duties. If you don’t know who your Rep. is, you can find them at:
http://www.sec.state.ri.us/elections/findyourofficials/. Since the session is officially over, it is very important that they hear from you about this bill ASAP. There are a few last min pieces of business they need to take care of and we want to make sure this is one of them.

If you would like more specific info, or are interested in more info on how you can help, please email me.

Lauren Nocera (lsnocera@YAHOO.COM)