Lt. Governor, Diverse Coalition of New Mexico Organizations Urge US Senators to Consult with the President to Select a Moderate Nominee to Replace Justice O’Connor
New Mexicans for a Fair and Independent Judiciary
P.O. Box 97, Albuquerque NM 87103 PH: 505-243-4443
New Mexicans for a Fair and Independent Judiciary:
Albuquerque Center for Peace and Justice, Albuquerque Rape Crisis Center, Association of Federal State County and Municipal Employees-AFSCME, Homeless Advocacy Coalition, Inc., League of Pissed Off Voters, National Women's Political Caucus-New Mexico, NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico, New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice, NM Alliance for Retiree Americans, NM Federation of Labor Retiree Council, NM PACE-Progressive Alliance for Community Empowerment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Lt. Governor, Diverse Coalition of New Mexico Organizations Urge US Senators to Consult with the President to Select a Moderate Nominee to replace Justice O’Connor
Albuquerque, NM - Lt. Governor Denish, state legislators and New Mexicans for a Fair and Independent Judiciary today urged Senators Domenici and Bingaman to work in a consultative fashion with President Bush to nominate and confirm a moderate Associate Justice to replace Justice O’Connor.
"I think the challenge before President Bush is to put forward a nominee that meets the “O'Connor test”," stated Lt. Governor Diane Denish. “Does he or she reflect the high standards set by Justice O'Connor who protected civil liberties, held our Constitution in high respect and made decisions based on reason versus ideology?" asked Denish.
New Mexicans for a Fair and Independent Judiciary statements:
Alma Rosa Silva Banuelos, New Mexico spokesperson for People for the American Way: “The United States Constitution makes the President and the U.S. Senate partners in the appointment of Supreme Court justices. Because the President can only make nominations with the “advice and consent” of the Senate, Senators and the President share an equal responsibility for determining whether a nominee is qualified and able to serve our country’s best interests”.
Giovanna Rossi, executive director of NARAL Pro-Choice New Mexico: “When it comes to something as important as the Supreme Court, a nomination shouldn’t be made in a partisan way, but by seeking consensus across partisan lines for judges who care more about how the law affects ordinary Americans than they do about ideology”.
Joan Sanford, executive director of the New Mexico Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice: “We pray that the nomination process will be a time for collaboration among people of all faiths, working to confirm a Justice who will serve all of the people. President Bush and the Senate Republican and Democratic leadership should seize this moment to inspire and unify a polarized nation and begin to restore confidence and trust in government.”
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Contact: Giovanna Rossi (505) 620-6030; Carter Bundy (505) 463-8499
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