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Lafayette Journal and Courier
July 21, 2005
As the Senate began discussing the nomination Wednesday, some questioned John G. Roberts Jr.'s views and opinions on constitutional law. Bush pressured lawmakers to get Roberts in place by the start of the high court's next term in October. "We don't know how he'll act when he's his own justice, not working for someone else," said William Shaffer, professor and department head of political science at Purdue University. Shaffer warns people not to get caught up in hot-button political issues, such as abortion and same-sex marriages. "We hear a lot about the moral issues but not very much about economic issues, which I think are more far-reaching and will affect more people than abortion." Shaffer noted issues such as corporate negligence or companies reneging on pension plans. "Large corporations are far less worried about same-sex marriage than they are about government regulation, company pension plans, taxation, product liability, damages for corporate negligence, and so on." But some people are concerned about how Roberts' decisions on the Supreme Court might affect the Roe v. Wade decision. "There were no pregnancy resource centers beforeRoe v. Wade," said Sallie Janowiak, director of Matrix Lifeline Pregnancy Center and pro-life advocate, citing one good aspect of the decision in her opinion, although she is not in favor of it. "Roe v. Wade encourages abortion, which I think is a sad commentary on society." Janowiak said that even if the Roe v. Wade decision were overturned, it would probably remain legal in certain states. "It's not a battle we can fight. Our issue is with each woman to talk about the healthy decisions she can make for herself and her baby." Betty Cockrum, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Indiana in Indianapolis and a pro-choice advocate, said she is uncertain whether Roberts will protect existing constitutional rights such as reproductive rights. "I hope the right questions get asked and the truthful answers are given, so we don't find in a couple of years that Roberts was a stealth candidate." Shaffer noted that appointments do not always go the way expected on the Supreme Court, citing Justice David Souter as an example. Former President George H. W. Bush appointed Souter to the Supreme Court in 1990, and Souter was expected to be a conservative judge. "He was a disappointment to social conservatives," Shaffer said. Shaffer also noted that Sandra Day O'Connor was also supposed to vote conservatively. Although many people consider O'Connor to have liberal views, Shaffer said she is not as liberal on less visible issues. Lafayette City Councilmember Steve Meyer, D-at large, saw O'Connor as a fair-minded justice who made middle-of-the-road decisions. "She tailored her decisions on a case-by-case basis," said Meyer. "I think that's the way it should be." Meyer said he will be watching the confirmation process with a lot of interest to find out Roberts' opinions. West Lafayette City Council member Randy Truitt, R-at large, is happy to see an Indiana man being nominated to the bench. While Truitt admitted he does not know much about the man, "he seems a brilliant, thoughtful individual who will uphold the law." The only negative responses that Truitt has heard is that not much is known about Roberts' appellate court responses. But Roberts has been through the confirmation process for his current position on the U.S. Court of Appeals for District of Columbia Circuit. "There's very little potential for filibuster," Truitt said. If the 50-year-old Roberts is confirmed, he has the potential of being on the Supreme Court for several decades. "We don't know how he's going to act over the next 20 years," said Shaffer. "But the president won't have much control over judges anyway."
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