Bush Once Again Uses Far-Right Judicial Nominees to Rally Base
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 7, 2008 Pro-choice Americans say “enough is enough” Washington, DC – Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, said President Bush’s attempt to attract public sympathy for his efforts to stack the courts with even more right-wing judicial activists, namely Richard Honaker of Wyoming, would fall flat with the American public.
“It’s perfectly fine for the president to invite his judicial nominees over to the White House for juice and croissants, but that doesn’t mean they should all get lifetime appointments as federal judges,” Keenan said. “The American people will suffer the consequences of their ideological rulings long after Bush leaves office.” Keenan noted Honaker as a specific example of Bush’s ill-advised nominees. Bush nominated him to the U. S. District Court for the District of Wyoming last year; the Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing for Honaker on February 12. While serving in the Wyoming legislature, Honaker put his extremist belief that “abortion kills innocent human beings” into action by twice pushing for legislation that would have placed a near-total ban on abortion services in the state. When his legislative efforts failed, Honaker, undaunted, joined forces with an anti-choice advocacy group to advance the proposal as a ballot initiative – a measure that Wyoming voters overwhelmingly rejected. Since the announcement of Honaker’s nomination, NARAL Pro-Choice America and NARAL Pro-Choice Wyoming have worked to expose his record and warn senators about the dangers posed by this nomination. Several Wyoming- and D.C.-based organizations signed a letter organized by NARAL Pro-Choice Wyoming and NARAL Pro-Choice America in opposition to the Honaker nomination. In addition, NARAL Pro-Choice America activists have sent more than 65,000 emails to the Senate opposing Honaker and now are redoubling their efforts in light of his upcoming hearing. For more information on Richard Honaker, please visit our website: http://www.prochoiceamerica.org/assets/files/Courts-Noms-Honaker.pdf Contact: Ted Miller, 202.973.3032
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