John Edwards, who many think will be running for President in 2008, has made his position clear on Judge Alito, he opposes his nomination. Edwards is a strong supporter of consumer rights, women's rights, environmental protections and civil rights. It's no wonder Edwards did not support Roberts when he was nominated, and it's not surprising he is not supporting Alito's nomination either. Here's the statement he released on his One America Committee website:
President Bush promised to be a "uniter, not a divider." Apparently that was just talk. Under his watch our nation has become bitterly divided, and now, faced with the opportunity to name a Supreme Court nominee who reflects mainstream America to the Supreme Court, President Bush is making yet another divisive choice, nominating Judge Samuel Alito to the highest court in the land.
Alito is a far-from-moderate judge in the mold of Justice Antonin Scalia. His record is troubling: he has tried to sharply restrict a woman's right to choose and to eliminate protection for unpaid leave under the Family and Medical Leave Act. He has regularly worked to cut back on protections for the victims of discrimination based on race and sex. Just imagine how he might restrict other essential freedoms if he is allowed to sit on the Supreme Court.
My friend, Harry Reid, urged President Bush to nominate a moderate, fair-minded candidate to replace Sandra Day O'Connor and specifically warned that nominating Alito would cause problems. But President Bush did not listen. He chose to please those in his party who seek to sacrifice our rights rather than to do what's right for the country. He's been doing that for five years now, and yesterday's announcement was just more of the same. That's why I am opposing Alito's nomination.