Washington – Within hours of the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist, leaders of some conservative groups began to signal their adamant opposition to the possible selection of Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to replace him.
Most leaders on the right were careful to avoid publicly criticizing Gonzales for fear of angering President Bush. But the conservatives privately expressed determination to communicate their concerns that the attorney general does not share their views on abortion and affirmative action.
Phyllis Schlafly, founder of the Eagle Forum and author of “The Supremacists: The Tyranny of Judges – and How to Stop It,” said a Gonzales nomination would “be a betrayal by the president.”
Schlafly said that at a closed 2002 meeting of the Council on National Policy, Gonzales told attendees that Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision upholding the right to abortion, is the law of the land and that he supports it. Another prominent conservative at the 2002 meeting said Gonzales “was deeply disappointing.”
Liberal advocacy groups were not yet focused on any particular candidate and instead urged Bush to pick a moderate who would not ignite a partisan fight.
With the nation shocked by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina and increasingly polarized by the war in Iraq, they said the country could ill afford a divisive battle over a second Supreme Court nominee.
“It is more important than ever to come up with a consensus candidate everyone can respect,” said Debra Ness, president of the National Partnership for Women and Families.
Most Christian conservative organizations deflected inquiries about Gonzales by saying they expect President Bush to appoint what they consider a “strict constructionist” in the mold of Associate Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
Conservatives had criticized Gonzales in July when he was considered one of the leading candidates to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. At the time, Bush moved quickly to silence the attacks.
One outspoken critic of Gonzales said a Bush aide warned him in July that he was “‘really making the president angry, and he may just go ahead and appoint Gonzales.’ Far be it for me to do something inadvertently.”
Some liberal leaders speculated the president’s low poll ratings coupled with the calamity still unfolding from the hurricane would pull the president toward a compromise candidate.
