2005

"Women's Lives on the Line!"

Dateline: Washington, D.C. - President George W. Bush nominates John Roberts to Supreme Court. National Organization for Women's website declares: "Bush Picks Anti-Roe Judge... Women's Lives on the Line."

1990

"Ending freedom for women!" "Women will die!"

Dateline: Washington, D.C. - President George H.W. Bush nominates David Souter to Supreme Court. Molly Yard, then-president of NOW declares: "I tremble for this country if you confirm David Souter" because, by considering Justice Souter, "you are really considering ending freedom for women in this country."

NOW also tells United States Senate: if Souter is confirmed, "women will die."

1975

"Blatant insensitivity to discrimination against women!"

Dateline: Washington, D.C. - President Ford nominates John Paul Stevens to Supreme Court. Nan Aron, then-President of Women's Legal Defense Fund, testifies in opposition to Stevens on grounds he's shown "blatant insensitivity to discrimination against women." Further faults him for "predisposition to rule adversely in cases which women bring under the Equal Protection Clause."

1971

"Record of continued hostility to the law!"

Dateline: Washington, D.C. - President Nixon nominates Lewis Powell to Supreme Court. During confirmation hearing, Civil Rights lawyer Henry L. Marsh III testifies that Powell has "record of continued hostility to the law."

Were these charges vindicated by the Justices' decisions on the bench? Of course not. After many years of Justices Souter, Stevens, and Powell, we are happy to report: Women are still free. The rule of law is still respected.

For example: Justices Souter and Stevens have voted in favor of the constitutionality of abortion in virtually every single case ever decided by the Supreme Court, and Justice Powell joined two of the most liberal Justices ever to serve on the Supreme Court-Justices William Brennan and Thurgood Marshall-in some of the very first holdings in this country's history that gender discrimination violated the Constitution's Equal Protection Clause.