NARAL provides talking points for opponents of John Roberts.
Far-Right Spin on Roberts Ad
On August 8, NARAL Pro-Choice America launched our anti-John Roberts ad, calling attention to Roberts’ record of siding with extreme anti-choice groups that use violence – even a convicted clinic bomber. The right, as expected, has gone ballistic in a scarily disciplined way. Conservatives have settled on four talking points, all of them disingenuous:
Far-Right Spin #1: The case Roberts argued had nothing to do with violence. It was only over the interpretation of a narrow legal point.
TRUTH: Roberts’ legal activism deprived law enforcement of the tool they were using to combat clinic violence. When Roberts intervened in Bray vs. Alexandria Women’s Health Clinic violence was on the rise – in the previous few years, anti-choice radicals were responsible for at least 48 bombings and arsons in 24 states, along with 57 acid attacks, more than 4,000 disruptive acts such as bomb threats, harassing calls and hate mail. Clinics and lawyers around the country were looking for a legal weapon to use against them, and they found it in the Klu Klux Klan Act. Judges across the country agreed applied perfectly, and directed U.S. Marshals to protect health facilities. Radical groups appealed these cases and found an ally in John Roberts. This wasn’t an arcane legal dispute, but a fight over whether or not law enforcement could use their most effective weapon against extremists who use violence.
Far-Right Spin #2: This is just about harmless protest activities, not clinic bombings.
TRUTH: Roberts’ sided with a convicted bomber and other activists who preach violence. The plaintiffs Roberts supported included Michael Bray, who had already served a jail sentence for his role in a string of clinic bombings and Randall Terry, who has given a speech calling for doctors who perform abortions to be “executed.” Even purportedly peaceful clinic protests during this period often turned violent and resulted in serious injuries.
Far-Right Spin #3: Roberts was just a lawyer representing a client.
TRUTH: Roberts was a senior political appointee responsible for shaping legal strategy. By all accounts, Roberts was far more than a government official. He was a senior official described as very close to Solicitor General Kenneth Starr, and appeared to be the Administration’s point person on its strategy around the clinic violence issue. Roberts appeared before the Supreme Court to argue the Bray case, and made media appearances to defend his office’s position.
Far-Right Spin #4: Papers released last week show Roberts opposed clinic violence.
FACT: The legal strategy Roberts crafted speaks much louder than a draft of a letter written for a superior. The document released last week was simply the draft of a letter responding to a suggestion from a Member of Congress. Roberts’ actions in Bray were official legal actions of the United States government.
NARAL says "conservatives" have settled on these four talking points.
Is NARAL familiar with FactCheck.org?
Are they a "far-right" group?
If you believe the mission statement of FactCheck.org, they are not.
We are a nonpartisan, nonprofit, "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics. We monitor the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S. political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews, and news releases. Our goal is to apply the best practices of both journalism and scholarship, and to increase public knowledge and understanding.
The Annenberg Political Fact Check is a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania. The APPC was established by publisher and philanthropist Walter Annenberg in 1994 to create a community of scholars within the University of Pennsylvania that would address public policy issues at the local, state, and federal levels.
The APPC accepts NO funding from business corporations, labor unions, political parties, lobbying organizations or individuals. It is funded primarily by an endowment from the Annenberg Foundation.
NARAL must pretend that their talking points, meant to counter criticism aimed at their ad, are legitimate.
They have to dismiss the fact that stinging criticism is coming from a nonpartisan, nonprofit group whose purpose is to "reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics."
No matter to the fringe Leftist NARAL activists.
Why let the truth get in the way of their pro-abortion, anti-Roberts, anti-Bush agenda?
To dispel another myth: The FOX News Channel is NOT running the ad. It has not taken money to air it.
It is possible that you may see the ad watching FOX, but that is because the local affiliate has accepted money to air NARAL'S lies.
Unlike CNN, the FOX News Channel has NOT been paid to air the ad.
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