WASHINGTON - The chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said Sunday he will not ask Supreme Court chief justice nominee John Roberts whether he would vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark decision that legalized abortion.
Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., did say he planned to ask Roberts, the president's pick to succeed the late William H. Rehnquist as chief justice, whether there is a right to privacy in the Constitution.
Roberts' confirmation hearing to be the nation's 17th chief justice will begin Monday afternoon. The first day, however, is expected to be taken up by the opening statements of the committee's 18 senators. Roberts is not expected to speak late that afternoon.
Specter said asking Roberts, now an appeals court judge, whether the high court correctly found a right to privacy in the Constitution when rationalizing its abortion decision would be fair "and I intend to ask it."
But Specter said Roberts is free to refuse to answer questions. "It has been my experience that the hearings are a subtle minute with nominees answering as many questions as they think they have to in order to be confirmed," the chairman said in his opening statement, released in advance.
What questions are proper to ask of Roberts will be a theme throughout many of the Republicans' opening statements, a number of which were released in advance.
They want Democrats to stay away from hot-button questions, saying it would be unfair to ask him to prejudge cases that might come before him as a Supreme Court justice.
Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., who will introduce Roberts along with Sens. Evan Bayh, D-Ind., and John Warner, R-Va., plans to say that politics has overtaken much of the Supreme Court confirmation process.
"It remains, in my view, a fundamental departure from the vision of the courts and their proper role," Lugar plans to say.
But Democrats are pressing for Roberts to fully answer all of their questions. They are upset that the White House refused to release Roberts' paperwork from his time as principal deputy solicitor general in the George H.W. Bush's administration.
Read More
Three Air Jam teams take home the win
October 12, 2012Nineteen teams shimmied, shook and flipped for a sold out John R. Emens Auditorium on Thursday night during the 25th annual Air Jam.
Bill Clinton Speaks at North Central High School
October 12, 2012Former President's Speech Could Have Effect on State Senate Race
