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After Sandra Day O'Conner: High Stakes Battle Over Supreme
Court Gears Up in Washington
Nelson Mandela on G8 Summit: "Overcoming Poverty is
Not a Gesture of Charity, it is an Act of Justice"
Jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier Transferred
to Indiana Prison and Put in Solitary Confinement
After Sandra Day O'Conner: High Stakes Battle Over
Supreme Court Gears Up in Washington
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired from the
bench last Friday. In 1981, O'Conner became the first woman
to serve on the Supreme Court. Her resignation created a vacancy
on the court for the first time in 11 years and set in motion
a high stakes political battle in Washington that could last
for months. We host a debate with the Alliance for Justice
and the conservative Committee for Justice as well as Planned
Parenthood. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor retired from the
bench last Friday and set in motion a high stakes political
battle that could last for months. O'Connor was considered
a crucial swing vote or a "moderate conservative."
Whoever is appointed to replace her could dramatically shift
the court further to the right, especially when it comes to
issues like abortion, affirmative action and civil liberties.
In 1981, O'Connor became the first woman appointed to the
Supreme Court. She has been described as the most powerful
woman in America and resigns at the age of 75. She was appointed
by President Ronald Reagan and expected to toe the conservative
line. She disappointed conservatives in the 1989 case Webster
v Reproductive Health Services. O'Connor was the deciding
vote that upheld a law giving states the right to make specific
abortion decisions, defying the conservative push for further
restrictions on abortions.
The right to legal abortion is supported by six of the current
justices, so it appears secure in the short term. With O'Connor's
departure, it will probably take the resignation of only one
of the court's four remaining moderate-to-liberal members
to overturn Roe v Wade, the landmark 1973 decision that made
abortion legal.
O'Connor's resignation came as a surprise when attention
had been focused on the possible upcoming resignation of the
Chief Justice William Rehnquist. He is 80 years old and suffering
from thyroid cancer. Renquist is expected to resign before
President Bush leaves office.
After President Bush makes his selection, there will be confirmation
hearings, the first in almost 11 years. Bush stated on Friday
that he wants a dignified confirmation process.
- President Bush, Washington DC, July 1, 2005.
That was President Bush speaking in Washington last Friday.
But even though the nomination of a new Supreme Court Justice
is at least a week away, the battle lines are already vividly
drawn. Conservative groups are pressing for Bush to make good
on his campaign promise of appointing someone in the mold
of Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia, the two most conservative
members of the court. They have also vociferously opposed
the selection of the frequently mentioned White House Attorney
General Alberto Gonzales because they question his commitment
to overturn abortion rights.
Democrats are asking for an appointment in the mold of the
more centrist O'Connor. This is a notable contrast from what
many Democrats felt about her in December of 2000 when she
voted with the majority to end the Florida recount and give
the presidency to Bush.
- Nan Aron, President of Alliance
for Justice which is a national association of public
interest and civil rights.
Nelson Mandela on G8 Summit: "Overcoming Poverty
is Not a Gesture of Charity, it is an Act of Justice"
After billions tuned into this weekend's Live 8 concerts
and hundreds of thousands protested in the streets for debt
relief, increased aid, and trade justice, leaders of the world's
richest nations will begin a three-day summit in Gleneagles,
Scotland on Wednesday. We speak with veteran reporter John
Chiahemen, chief Southern Africa correspondent for Reuters
and we go to Scotland to speak with sociology professor David
Miller. [includes rush
transcript]
In the wake of the Live 8 concerts calling on the world's
richest countries to Make Poverty History, the Group of 8
Nations begins its three day summit tomorrow in Gleneagles
Scotland. African poverty and global climate change are at
the top of the agenda, yet it is unclear how much action will
come out of the meetings.
France, Russia and major environmental groups are calling
for British Prime Minister and G8 chair Tony Blair to draw
up a binding agreement on climate change that would set emissions
targets. But President Bush says the United States will reject
any plan that operates on the Kyoto Protocol model in requiring
rich countries to limit fossil fuel emissions. President Bush
also said in an interview aired yesterday on ITV that he is
not going into the meetings with any sense of obligation to
Tony Blair.
- President George Bush, interview on ITV:
"Tony Blair made decisions on what he thought was the
best for the people of Great Britain. I made decisions on
what I thought was best for Americans. I really don't view
our relationship as one of quid pro quo. I view our relationship
is one of strong allies and friends, working together for
the common good."
The Gleneagles summit follows a series of highly publicized
free concerts in the G8 eight countries, as well as South
Africa, that called for action to address poverty in Africa.
The Live 8 concerts organized by rock musicians Bob Geldof
and Bono reached an audience of three billion via television
and webcasts. The Make Poverty History coalition is calling
on the G8 to double aid to Africa, fully cancel external debt,
and deliver trade justice.
- Nelson Mandela, former South African president speaking
at the Johannesburg Live 8 concert on Sunday
"In a few days time, the leaders of the G8 nations
will meet in Scotland. They will face perhaps the most critical
question that our world has had to face. How do we remove
the face of poverty from our world? So much of our common
future will depend on the actions and plans of these leaders.
They have a historical opportunity to open the door to hope
and the possibility of a better future for all. History
and the generations to come will judge our leaders by the
decisions they make in the coming weeks."
Yesterday police in Edinburgh arrested up to one hundred
protesters in demonstrations leading up to the G8 meetings.
Scottish authorities say that among those arrested were "key"
anarchist suspects. A report on Indymedia.org said the police
acted to "trap and taunt a group of peaceable people."
- John Chiahemen, chief Southern Africa correspondent for
Reuters. During his twenty-five years of reporting, he has
covered liberation struggles in South Africa, Zimbabwe,
Angola, Mozambique and Namibia as well as civil wars in
Liberia, Sierra Leone and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
He was in Johannesburg for the Live 8 concert.
- David Miller, professor of Sociology at the University
of Strathclyde in Glasgow. He is the co-editor of the recently
released book "Arguments Against G8."
Jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier Transferred
to Indiana Prison and Put in Solitary Confinement
Jailed Native American Leader Leonard Peltier was transferred
from Leavenworth prison in Kansas to the U.S. Penitentiary
in Terre Haute, Indiana where he was put in solitary confinement.
We speak with his lead attorney, Barry Bachrach. [includes
partial
transcript]
We turn now to the case of jailed Native American Leader
Leonard Peltier. Peltier was convicted for the deaths of two
FBI agents who died during a 1975 shoot-out with the American
Indian Movement known as AIM on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation
in South Dakota. Peltier is serving two life sentences for
the fatal shootings but has always maintained his innocence.
He has been in jail for almost 30 years.
Peltier has been serving time in Leavenworth prison in Kansas.
Last week, his grandson went to visit him and found out that
he had been abruptly transferred and put in the hole, or solitary
confinement, at the U.S. Penitentiary in Terre Haute, Indiana.
- Barry Bachrach, he has been the lead attorney for Leonard
Peltier for the past 3 and 1/2 years. He is a partner at
the law firm Bowditch and Dewey.
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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