Home > Programs
> Democracy
Now! > Mon., Jan. 9, 2006
Democracy Now!
ATTN: ALL STATIONS
From: Democracy Now!
Re: Rundown 1-9-06
PRSS Channel: A67.7
Fmr. NARAL Head Kate Michelman on Alito and Her Own Pre-Roe
v Wade Experience Getting an Abortion and Consent From the
Husband Who Abandoned Her
Abortion, Presidential Power and Civil rights: A Debate on
the Nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court
Conservative Christian Organizations Stage Pro-Alito Rally
at Justice Sunday III
Jesse Jackson on Samuel Alito, Domestic Spying and Poverty
in America
Fmr. NARAL Head Kate Michelman on Alito and Her Own
Pre-Roe v Wade Experience Getting an Abortion and Consent
From the Husband Who Abandoned Her
Senate hearings begin today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel
Alito. In 1991, Alito was the lone dissenting federal judge
in a case that struck down a Pennsylvania law that required
women seeking abortions to notify their spouses. We speak
with Kate Michelman, former head of NARAL Pro-Choice America,
about Alito and her own experience in getting an abortion
1969 - before Roe v. Wade - when she had to seek permission
from her husband who had abandoned her. [includes rush
transcript]
Senate hearings begin today for Supreme Court nominee Samuel
Alito -- President Bush's pick to replace Sandra Day O'Connor
on the Supreme Court.
For the past 15 years Alito has served on the federal appeals
court. During the 1980s he worked as an attorney in the Reagan
and Bush administrations.
Bush originally tapped his personal attorney - White House
Counsel Harriet Miers -- to replace O'Connor but Miers withdrew
her nomination after coming under intense attack from the
religious right.
The questioning of Alito is expected to focus largely on
his views on abortion, presidential power and civil rights.
In 1991, Alito was the lone dissenting federal judge in the
case of Planned Parenthood v. Casey, which struck down a Pennsylvania
law that required women seeking abortions to notify their
spouses.
In a 1985 job application to be assistant attorney general
in the Justice Department, he admits that he personally believes
"that the Constitution does not protect a right to an
abortion."
In that same letter he said he agrees that racial and ethnic
quotas should not be allowed. According to a review of Alito's
judicial record by the People for the American Way, Alito
has advocated positions detrimental to civil rights 85 percent
of the time in cases where the Third Circuit was divided.
Senators are also expected to question Alito about his views
on presidential power - especially in light of President Bush's
decision to order the National Security Agency to conduct
domestic spy operations without the legally required court
warrants.
Alito has written about warrantless wiretapping before. In
1984 - while working in the Reagan administration - he wrote
a memo backing the idea of giving President Nixon's former
Attorney General, John Mitchell, absolute immunity for warrantless
wiretaps conducted in the 1970s.
A new television ad was launched on Friday by IndependentCourt.org,
a coalition of national public interest organizations, that
focuses on Alito's record on privacy rights.
- Ad criticizing Alito's record on privacy rights.
Alito has also argued for reducing the role of Congress.
In the case of United States v. Rybar, he argued Congress
exceeded its power in passing a ban on machine guns. While
working in the Reagan administration, he once argued Congress
went too far when it passed the Truth in Mileage Act which
protected consumers from odometer fraud.
Many Supreme Court analysts see the Alito hearings as potentially
the most contentious ones in the two decades since the Senate
rejected Robert Bork - a Reagan nominee -- on the court. Interestingly,
the Washington Post reports today that it has unearthed a
little noticed 1988 interview of Alito in which he says Bork
was "unjustifiably rejected" by the Senate.
Alito said of Bork "He is a man of unequaled ability,
understanding of constitutional history, someone who had thought
deeply throughout his entire life about constitutional issues
and about the Supreme Court and the role it ought to play
in American society."
It remains unclear how far Democats might go in trying to
block Alito's confirmation. On Sunday Senators Edward Kennedy
and Charles Schumer said they haven't ruled out staging a
filibuster.
The hearings are expected to last until at least Wednesday.
Today each of 18 members of the Senate Judiciary Committee
are scheduled to give 10-minute opening statements. Direct
questioning of Alito might not begin until tomorrow.
- Kate Michelman, she was head of NARAL
Pro-Choice America for nearly 20 years. Her new book,
"With Liberty and Justice for All: A Life Spent Protecting
the Right to Choose" was recently published. She will
be testifying at the Alito hearings this week.
Abortion, Presidential Power and Civil rights: A
Debate on the Nomination of Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court
Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Samuel
Alito begin today in Washington DC. A conservative appeals
court judge, Alito is expected to be grilled about his views
on abortion, presidential power and civil rights. We host
a debate on his nomination. [includes rush
transcript]
- Nan Aron, President of Alliance
for Justice which is a national association of public
interest and civil rights organizations.
Conservative Christian Organizations Stage Pro-Alito
Rally at Justice Sunday III
On Sunday, conservative organizations staged a rally in
Philadelphia called 'Justice Sunday III' in support of Supreme
Court nominee Samuel Alito. We speak with the Rev. Timothy
McDonald, an African-American pastor who opposed the event
because of what he calls Alito's poor record on civil-rights.
[includes rush
transcript]
On Sunday, conservative organizations staged a rally in Philadelphia
in support of Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. The event,
called Justice Sunday III, was held at the Greater Exodus
Baptist Church and was broadcast on Christian television and
radio stations across the country. The Family Research Council
was the main organizer of the event and speakers included
Focus on the Family founder James Dobson, Reverend Jerry Falwell
and Pennsylvania Republican Senator Rick Santorum. Philadelphia
is the hometown of Senator Arlen Spector who is the chairman
of the Senate Judiciary Committee and it is where Alito sits
on the 3rd U.S Circuit Court of Appeals. The website for Justice
Sunday III states that the purpose of the event is to "educate
people of faith on how the judiciary impacts their lives and
to show how activist judges seek to end all mention of God
in the public square."
The pastor of the Greater Exodus Baptist Church is Reverend
Herbert Lusk. When he offered his church to host the pro-Alito
rally, criticism came from other African-American clergy who
said that it was an inappropriate venue because of Alito's
poor record on civil-rights. In an interview with the New
York Times last week, Reverend Lusk said he is accustomed
to controversy. He went on to say that President Bush is a
friend of his who promised him that he would "appoint
people to the justice system that would be attentive to the
needs I care about - stopping same-sex marriage, assisted
suicide and abortions for minors and supporting prayer and
Christmas celebrations in school."
In the 2000 election, Reverend Lusk endorsed Bush from his
pulpit in a speech that was broadcast live at the Republican
National Convention. Lusk later received a $1 million dollar
grant through Bush's Faith Based Initiative program.
A few other African-American clergy have come out in support
of Alito as well. This radio ad featured the Reverend Bill
Owens, president of the conservative Coalition of African
American Pastors. The ad was paid for by the pro-Alito Judicial
Confirmation Network and aired last week in Arkansas on Christian
and gospel radio stations.
Jesse Jackson on Samuel Alito, Domestic Spying and
Poverty in America
Sunday marked the start of the Rainbow/Push coalition's
economic summit in New York City. We speak with the group's
founder, the Reverend Jesse Jackson, about Supreme Court nominee
Samuel Alito, the government response to Hurricane Katrina,
Ariel Sharon and more. [includes rush
transcript]
Sunday marked the start of the Rainbow/Push coalition's economic
summit in New York City. The four-day summit, called the Wall
Street Project, has brought together African-American business
executives, politicians, ministers, labor and civil rights
leaders from around the country. Each day a different issue
will be addressed including, increasing minority access to
capital, minority participation in pension plans and building
the church as a community development organization.
The opening day of the summit was focused on the Hurricane
Katrina disaster. The theme was “Rebuilding After Katrina:
The Right to Relocation, Reconstruction and Return. We caught
up with the founder and president of the Rainbow Push Coalition,
Reverend Jesse Jackson. He talked to us about a few topics
including his thoughts on Supreme Court nominee, Samuel Alito.
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.
|
Listen
to the show
Help
whole
show
