Civil rights groups concerned over John Roberts
The Boston Globe reports: Supreme Court nominee John G. Roberts Jr. has a history of working to roll back government affirmative action and voting rights programs enacted to help minorities overcome the effects of past discrimination, leading some civil rights groups to eye him warily.
As an aide in the Reagan administration, Roberts helped develop legal arguments to narrow the scope of the Voting Rights Act and curb court-ordered busing for school desegregation purposes. The Bush administration has released only heavily redacted versions of Roberts's memos from this era, and some civil rights groups are calling for the full versions to be made public.
''We have concerns about Judge John G. Roberts mainly because we have very little information on his judicial philosophy with respect to the important issues of affirmative action, voting rights, and civil rights," Marc Morial, president of the National Urban League, said this week. ''Because the next Supreme Court justice will make decisions affecting the lives of all Americans, it is crucial that they have a strong, positive, and demonstrated commitment to civil rights."
The blacked-out memos show that Roberts drafted op-ed pieces, talking points, and letters to the editor that went out under the name of Attorney General William French Smith to help promote the Reagan administration's efforts to limit the circumstances under which minorities could bring voting-rights claims. -- Civil rights groups cite concerns over Roberts - The Boston Globe - Boston.com - Washington - News