That next fight arrived today, when Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement.
Over the past few months, we've seen Republican extremism reach new heights. Senate Republican Leader Bill Frist sought to rally the right to his side with the so-called "Nuclear Option" while House Republican Leader Tom DeLay threatened judges for making decisions he didn't agree with - even as violence against judges was raising alarm bells across the country. All of this laid the groundwork for the clash that the extremists have had their eyes on all along: the battle for the independence of the Supreme Court.
With the retirement of Justice O'Connor, who was a key vote in favor of Roe v. Wade, there is is much at stake. The radical right wing will no doubt pour millions of dollars into this fight.
Sign our petition urging President Bush to nominate a moderate, consensus candidate that all Americans can support:
http://www.democraticaction.org/peti...susjudge.shtml
The agenda of the radical right wing is to:
# turn back the clock on women's rights
# overturn Roe v. Wade
# eliminate evolution from school textbooks
# intrude into your family's private life and medical decisions
# decrease funding for programs that protect the public and the environment
# benefit big business and special interest groups
President Bush has an opportunity to nominate a mainstream judge that the American people can unite behind. America enjoys the greatest wealth of legal talent in the world, and there are plenty of Republican judges that Democrats could support. But the radical right sees the opportunity to shape the Court for the next generation by installing an ultra-conservative Justice, and few anticipate that President Bush will turn his back on them for the first time now.
Ask President Bush to nominate a consensus candidate who will unite, not divide Americans:
http://www.democraticaction.org/peti...susjudge.shtml
If President Bush rejects our recommendation to nominate a consensus candidate, Democrats must be prepared to mobilize immediately to make sure that Republicans don't politicize the last independent branch of government. There is nothing Republicans will attack more aggressively than a check on their power, and they will relish the opportunity to install an ideologue for a lifetime appointment. This is but one plank in the unflinching power grab that is the Republican agenda.
We will keep up the fight, and we will keep you up to date. Stay tuned, and stay vigilant.
Sincerely,
Nancy Pelosi
House Democratic Leader
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