ACTION ALERT: WE NEED ALL DUers TO CONTACT SPECTER - re: Bill Pryor

Especially those who live in Pennsylvania - and I know there are alot of you!!!!

Rumor has it that Arlen Spector is having doubts about Bush's judicial nominee of Bill Pryor. In committee, Pryor had no problems standing behind both his anti-choice and anti-gay viewpoints, two areas that are opposite of Arlen's ideologies. Specter could be the swing vote to help keep Bill Pryor's right-wing agenda off of our federal courts.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03197/203089.stm

Judge vote puts Specter on the spot

Wednesday, July 16, 2003

By Ann McFeatters, Post-Gazette National Bureau

WASHINGTON -- After a week of weighing the pros and cons of one of President Bush's most controversial judicial nominees to the federal bench, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter said he still hasn't made up his mind how he will vote.

Specter, a moderate Republican facing a contested primary election next year against a staunch conservative, is the Senate Judiciary Committee's swing vote in its consideration of William Pryor, the conservative Alabama attorney general whom Bush has nominated for the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

The seat is a lifetime appointment, and Pryor is being opposed by civil rights organizations, a number of women's rights groups and disability rights organizations -- all of which argue that he is too conservative for mainstream America. Rulings by federal circuit courts often set legal precedents for the nation unless overturned by the Supreme Court.

Specter concedes that he's on the hot seat and has been feeling the pressure.

"It has been a very heavily lobbied subject," he said. "I have had many people on both sides of the issue providing information to me. I've got two big stacks of paper -- some for, some against--and it is a matter that I am studying before coming to a decision." Last week, the committee postponed a vote while Specter was trying to decide what to do.

>>>>>>more<<<<<<

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And more from the Post Gazette:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/03197/202999.stm
Here's how Pryor got his reputation

• Staunch opposition to abortion as immoral and to the U.S. Supreme Court's Roe v. Wade decision allowing it as "the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law" in the United States.
  
• Calls the Supreme Court decision overturning a Texas law against homosexual acts wrong and says it will invite "prostitution, adultery, necrophilia, bestiality, possession of child pornography and even incest and pedophilia."
  
• Supports public display of the Ten Commandments on government property.
  
• Calls the Voting Rights Act provision requiring Justice Department pre-approval for changes in voting procedures or jurisdictions "an affront to federalism and an expensive burden that has far outlived its usefulness."
  
• Was delighted with the Supreme Court's 5-4 decision that made George W. Bush the presidential election winner in 2000, so that the new president would appreciate the importance of the judiciary and not be tempted to appoint more justices with the philosophy of Justice David Souter. The opinions and stances taken by Souter, appointed to the Supreme Court by President Bush's father, have caused him to be a major disappointment for conservatives.
  
• Wants the federal government to step away from environmental, employment, criminal defendant protection and education regulations, saying those issues should be handled by the states.
  
• Successfully argued in Garrett v. Alabama that key remedies in the Americans with Disabilities Act do not apply to state employees because the Constitution protects states from such lawsuits.
  

>>>>>more<<<<<

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Specter says he's a supporter of Gay Rights and yet the Log Cabin Republicans have publically denounced the nomination of Bill Pryor:

http://www.lcrga.com/archive/200306091831.shtml
Log Cabin opposes William Pryor nomination


June 9, 2003

(WASHINGTON) The Log Cabin Republicans announced today that they oppose the nomination of Alabama Attorney General William Pryor to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th circuit. Pryor will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on Wednesday.

"An analysis of Mr. Pryor's work finds compelling evidence that he would be a jurist incapable of fair-minded review of matters of concern to gay and lesbian Americans," said Log Cabin Republican Executive Director Patrick Guerriero.

Of particular concern are Pryor's legal arguments offered in an amicus brief on behalf of the state of Alabama in the Texas sodomy case that is currently before the United States Supreme Court. Pryor forcefully defended the laws that allow for the government to invade the homes of Americans and arrest law-abiding citizens for private and consensual acts of intimacy.

Log Cabin, and its sister organization the Liberty Education Forum, authored an opposing amicus brief that called for an overturn of these laws. "These laws are un-American and strike a blow to the basic right of privacy for American citizens, gays and lesbians in particular," added Guerrieo.

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For you to take action:

Specter, Arlen - (R - PA) Class III
711 HART SENATE OFFICE BUILDING WASHINGTON DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
E-mail: arlen_specter@specter.senate.gov

Pennsylvania Offices
Allentown Office
Tel: 610-434-1444
Fax: 610-434-1844
Erie Office
Tel: 814-453-3010
Fax: 814-455-9925
Harrisburg Office
Tel: 717-782-3951
Fax: 717-782-4920
Philadelphia Office
Tel: 215-597-7200
Fax: 215-597-0406
Pittsburgh Office
Tel: 412-644-3400
Fax: 412-644-4871
Scranton Office
Tel: 570-346-2006
Fax: 570-346-8499
Wilkes-Barre Office
Tel: 570-826-6265
Fax: 570-826-6266


Or use this handy action link from Planned Parenthood:

http://www.ppaction.org/campaign/Tell_Specter_NO_on_Pryor

Dear Mr. Specter,
Tomorrow the Senate Judiciary Committee, which you are a member of, will vote on the nomination of Bill Pryor, who has been nominated for a circuit judgeship. There are many reasons why you should oppose this nomination. For one thing, Mr. Pryor is rabidly pro-life, calling Roe v. Wade "the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law". He also has had few problems with discrimination based on homosexual orientation, and filed an amicus brief opposing the Supreme Court's ruling in Lawrence vs. Texas. For this reason, the Log Cabin Republicans have opposed his nomination. Finally, he appears to believe that the Americans with Disabilities Act has constitutional problems, arguing in Garrett v. Alabama that parts of the ADA do not apply to state employees. These views are reminiscent of Robert Bork, who you rightly opposed. However, these questionable ideological viewpoints, which I believe to be out of the mainstream of judicial thought, are only part of the reason for opposing Mr. Pryor. He has also pleaded with large corporations for campaign cash, which may bias his views on cases if these companies came before the 11th Circuit. The totality of this evidence shows that Bill Pryor is clearly unfit to be a circuit judge. I respectfully request that you vote in the negative on his nomination during tomorrow's Judiciary Committee hearing.
Your constituent,
REAL NAME
ADDRESS
Paoli, PA
19301

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Thanks for the information!

I'll make the call AND send the email, but this is SOOOOOO deja vu for Arlen. Why does he have to weigh which side sent the heaviest amount of paper to him - pro or con. He sat through the hearings & knows the nominee's position. If Specter were the moderate conservative he spins himself to be, this decision would be a no brainer. We're talking about a United States Senator's bedrock values here, and him making a decision based on his knowledge of the law, the court system and his understanding of the United States Constitution.

if he follows his past votes and approves this Bush nominee, who is not only an arch conservative, but a sleasy solicitor of campaign contributions from parties under his jurisdiction as Alabama's attorney general, I don't want to read any more crap on DU about Specter being moderate, or pro choice, or pro civil rights or even having the very low threshhold of personal honesty as a requirement of a nominee.

Specter talks the talk but he doesn't walk the walk.

Save the Constitution & Bill of Rights-Vote no on Pryor


Don;t vote for Pryor.

The Republican party doesn't seem to be the Republican party
anymore. It has been taken over by religious fundamentalists, neo-cons, and total crazies. Some of what they are doing looks quite fascist.

Dont inflict another one of those on this country in a lifetime appointment.

Thank you for your consideration

A. Pallas

Im pretty sure they never read emails..faxes or
calls they cant ignore

:thumbsdown:

unseat him in Pennsylvania