A conservative
group in Virginia said Tuesday it would oppose Supreme
Court nominee John Roberts's confirmation because of his
role in helping to repeal an antigay amendment to
the Colorado constitution. The stance by Public
Advocate of the United States, which describes itself
as a pro-family organization, puts it in opposition to
conservative groups that have endorsed Roberts. A number of
liberal groups oppose President Bush's nominee. "The
move comes as a result of Roberts's support for the
radical homosexual lobby in the 1996 Supreme Court
case Romer v. Evans, which overturned a
pro-family law passed by the citizens of Colorado in an
appalling act of judicial activism," the group said in
a news release. It planned a news conference for
Wednesday in front of the Supreme Court.
The group's
president, Eugene Delgaudio, had said last week that if
"Judge Roberts did provide advice on how to overturn this
pro-family measure overwhelmingly supported by the
people of Colorado, then Public Advocate calls on
President Bush to withdraw his nomination of Judge
Roberts immediately." Messages left for Delgaudio seeking
comment were not immediately returned on Tuesday.
This is not the
first time Delgaudio has gone up against the Bush
administration. He criticized Vice President Dick Cheney
last year after the vice president, when asked about
gay marriage, said, "Freedom means freedom for
everyone." Delgaudio said then, " 'Freedom' is not
embracing perversion."
The Colorado gay
rights case involved Amendment 2, a constitutional
amendment approved by voters in 1992 that would have
prohibited passage of laws, ordinances, or
regulations protecting gays from discrimination by
landlords, employers, or public agencies such as school
districts. Gay rights groups sued, and the measure was
declared unconstitutional in a 6-3 ruling by
the U.S. Supreme Court in 1996. Roberts's role in the
case included helping develop a strategy and firing
tough questions during a mock court session at Jean
Dubofsky, a former Colorado supreme court justice who
argued the case on behalf of the gay rights
plaintiffs.
Other antigay
groups, including the Traditional Values Coalition and
Focus on the Family Action, the political arm of the
Colorado Springs-based conservative Christian
ministry Focus on the Family, are still supporting
Roberts. "We support President Bush and his choice for
the Supreme Court, John Roberts," said the Reverend Lou
Sheldon, founder of the Traditional Values Coalition.
Other groups also
are taking public stands on Roberts's candidacy. NARAL
Pro Choice America plans to start running television ads
opposing Roberts on Wednesday, and other abortion
rights groups, including the National Organization for
Women, the National Abortion Federation, and the
Feminist Majority, all have announced their opposition to
Roberts. The National Association of Manufacturers,
led by Republican John Engler, is expected to announce
an endorsement of Roberts on Wednesday. (AP)
