Roberts Questioned Value of Women Lawyers
By David Espo
The Associated Press
Friday 19 August 2005
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.
The materials made public completed the disclosure of more than
50,000 pages that cover Roberts' tenure as a lawyer in the White House
counsel's office from 1982-86.
Nearly 2,000 more pages from the same period have been withheld on
national security or privacy grounds.
Also, over the persistent protests of Senate Democrats, the White
House has refused to make available any of the records covering Roberts'
later tenure as principal deputy solicitor general during the
administration of President George H.W. Bush.
The material released Thursday did little or nothing to alter the
image of Roberts as a young lawyer whose views on abortion, affirmative
action, school prayer and more were in harmony with the conservative
president he served.
Democrats say they will question Roberts closely at his hearings. And
despite the apparently long odds against them, civil rights and women's
groups are beginning to mount an attempt to defeat his nomination.
Emily's List drew attention to a recent speech by Sen. Barbara Boxer,
D-Calif., in which Boxer raised the possibility of a filibuster if
Roberts doesn't elaborate on his views on abortion and privacy rights at
his hearings.
http://www.truthout.org/docs_2005/printer_081905Z.shtml
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