Archive: Edith Clement
People for the American Way
People for the American Way expressed concern about Edith Brown Clement on its Web site before today's speculation that she was the president's choice: "Judge Clement has joined troubling dissents from two important decisions by the full Fifth Circuit. In one, Judge Clement maintained that the scope of an important federal criminal law, the Hobbs Act, should be severely limited on 'federalism' grounds. "In the other, Clement voted to allow the unlawful firing of a public school teacher. Judge Clement also wrote the opinion in a 2-1 decision reversing a jury's award of damages for pain and suffering of a mother and daughter killed in a grisly truck accident."...
By Fred Barbash | July 19, 2005; 05:21 PM ET | Comments (1)
Operation Rescue on Clement
Operation Rescue put out the following press release through the Christian Wire Service:"Speculation is racing concerning the probability that President George W. Bush's Supreme Court nominee, to be announced tonight at 9 PM EDT, will be Judge Edith 'Joy' Clement. "'Judge Clement gravely concerns us,' said Operation Rescue President Troy Newman. "'In her statement made during her confirmation process to the District Court in 2001 she said that the Supreme Court "has clearly held that the right to privacy guaranteed by the Constitution includes the right to have an abortion" and that "the law is settled in that regard" referencing the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that decriminalized abortion. "'Based on those statements we must respectfully oppose Edith Clement's confirmation to the Supreme Court, and will do so until such time that Judge Clement can show us that these statements do not reflect her true opinions,' said Newman. "'President Bush...
By Fred Barbash | July 19, 2005; 05:02 PM ET | Comments (2)
On Judge Clement
On the subject of Judge Clement, who may or may not be announced tonight at 9 when the president tells us his choice for the Supreme Court (see previous breaking news post), see this Hadley Arkes article published last week in the National Review Online, which gives some glimpse into conservative uncertainties about Judge Clement."Edith Jones has the sharper definition as a conservative, tagged as pro-life in her perspective, and she is bound to draw the heaviest fire. Joy Clement, in contrast, would be a harder target: Her own specialty was in maritime law; she has not dealt, in her opinions, with the hot-button issues of abortion and gay rights; and she has stirred no controversies in her writings or in her speeches off the bench. She would be the most disarming nominee, and it would be a challenge even for Ralph Neas or Moveon.org to paint her as an...
By Fred Barbash | July 19, 2005; 01:37 PM ET | Comments (2)
