There have been two overwhelmingly important votes in the last four and a half years regarding the Constitution, ... One, on Sen. Ashcroft when he was up for attorney general, and today's vote with respect to John Roberts. On both votes, Sen. Feingold voted against the Constitution and against the interests of the American people, and we're especially disappointed in him. |
There is growing evidence that the confirmation would move the court dramatically to the right, and that is information that the senators did not have before the end of July, |
There's no question there will be an acceleration of efforts. |
They will have no standing to criticize President Bush, John Roberts and the court for taking away fundamental rights that the American people thought was theirs forever. |
This is a critically important vote, and it will be something that all progressive organizations will remember forever. |
This is a debate about two completely different judicial philosophies. It's not about a litmus test issue. It's not about one or two issues. It's about literally dozens of issues that are part of a judicial philosophy. |
This is going to be the most important, most controversial Supreme Court confirmation battle since Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. |
This is the first time in 11 years that we've had a Supreme Court vacancy, the longest time since 1823. |
This one so far is in a class by itself. I'm not sure what's going to happen ... In my three decades plus, I've never seen such immediate and widespread disrespect for a president's decision by activists in his own party. It really is quite extraordinary. |
This was a defeat, |
tremendous mistake and a tremendous disappointment. |
Ultraconservatives are so determined to swing the Supreme Court to the right that they pounded their own president's nominee into submission and now demand a nominee with unquestioned far-right credentials. |
using religion to send a signal to the right that she is going to be OK on a number of issues when she gets on the court. |
We are disappointed with those Democrats and moderate Republicans who chose to support Judge Roberts despite his long record of working to undermine rights and legal protections, his evasive answers to the Senate, and the Bush administration's continued refusal to release key documents that would have illuminated his record and approach to the Constitution. |
We are in turmoil now, domestically and internationally. This is a real test of (Bush's) leadership. |