[Mb-civic] What Makes Roberts Different - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

What Makes Roberts Different

By Douglas T. Kendall
Sunday, July 24, 2005; Page B07

The nomination of John Roberts raises important questions about the 
future of the Supreme Court. But as a progressive environmentalist, I 
would rather have Roberts and genuine questions than another one of the 
judges on President Bush's short list and a lot of bad answers.

Roberts is a conservative. He has worked for conservative presidents 
and, in doing so, advanced conservative legal positions before the 
Supreme Court. In his short tenure as an appellate judge, he has written 
some troubling judicial opinions, including one in a very important 
Endangered Species Act case that suggests he has an unduly restrictive 
view of congressional power under the all-important commerce clause of 
the Constitution -- the basis for federal protections for the 
environment, workers and civil rights.

<>But there are critical differences between Roberts and the others on 
Bush's short list for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor's seat. Indeed, I 
direct an organization that has vigorously opposed a number of Bush's 
appellate court nominees because of their hostility to environmental 
safeguards. I was prepared to immediately oppose some of the people on 
the short list. Roberts is different.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/23/AR2005072300737.html 

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