LAT, Brownstein: Opponents of Roberts Taking Populist Tack [View All]

[DeepModem Mom]

Opponents of Nominee Taking Populist Tack
Critics of John Roberts Jr. for high court justice are talking economics, not abortion rights.

By Ronald Brownstein, Times Staff Writer


WASHINGTON — Critics of John G. Roberts Jr. are turning to populist economic arguments to thwart his nomination to the Supreme Court, echoing one of the themes Al Gore used against George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential campaign.

In their first reactions to Roberts, many of the Democrats and liberal groups resisting his selection by President Bush are trying to portray him as a threat to the economic interests of average families. The strategy — even the language — is similar to Gore's effort to frame the 2000 presidential campaign as a choice between "the people" and "the powerful."

Sen. Edward M. Kennedy (D-Mass.) thundered in his first floor statement on the nomination this week: "Americans deserve to know if nominees will be on the side of justice and individual liberties, or if they will side with powerful special interests."

This use of populist economic arguments appears partly driven by necessity: Roberts' record as an attorney and federal judge is much more extensive on economic than social issues, and thus potentially offers more ammunition for critics.

But the strategy also reflects the decision reached by liberal groups, after years of planning for a Supreme Court vacancy, to spotlight bread-and-butter economic issues as much as more emotional social concerns, such as gay marriage or abortion....


http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-econ23jul23,0,6549320.story?coll=la-home-nation