[Mb-civic] What the Federalist Society Stands For - Washington Post

[William Swiggard]

<>What the Federalist Society Stands For
Group Is Haven for Conservative Thought

By Michael A. Fletcher
Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, July 29, 2005; Page A21

After President Bush tapped John G. Roberts Jr. for the Supreme Court, 
the nominee was widely reported to be a member of the Federalist Society 
-- an assertion that White House officials vigorously disputed.

When it was later disclosed that Roberts was once listed as serving on 
the steering committee of the group's Washington chapter, Bush aides 
continued to insist that Roberts has no recollection of ever being a 
full-fledged member of the conservative legal group.

The eagerness of the White House to distance Roberts from the Federalist 
Society baffled many conservatives. They believe the reaction fed a 
false perception that membership in the organization -- an important 
pillar of the conservative legal movement -- was something nefarious 
that would damage Roberts's chances of confirmation.

<>"Are you now or have you ever been a member of the Federalist 
Society?" asked Roger Pilon, a vice president at the libertarian Cato 
Institute, mocking the suspicion that swirls around the group. "The 
Republicans and the White House in particular should take this issue on 
head-on. What are we talking about here? The Communist Party? The Ku 
Klux Klan? This is an organization of conservative and libertarian law 
students, lawyers and legal scholars."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/28/AR2005072801779.html?nav=hcmodule 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: http://www.islandlists.com/pipermail/mb-civic/attachments/20050729/556cecc5/attachment.htm