Holy Tar and Feather! Progress for America 'Congratulates' Extreme Liberal

Groups for Fulfilling All 10 Steps of the Tar and Feather Process on Judge

Alito - Before the Hearings Even Begin!

WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Progress for America (PFA)
"congratulated" extreme liberal groups for completing the Tar and
Feather process on Judge Samuel Alito
(http://www.judgealito.com/tarandfeather).

"With the same liberal extremists in leadership since 1987, the attack
campaigns on President Bush's Supreme Court nominees from groups like
People for the American Way and Alliance for Justice have become
completely predictable," said Christian Myers, executive director of
Progress for America. "They used the same blueprint last year during
the confirmation process of the current Chief Justice John Roberts.
Their coordinated stunts didn't work then and they won't work now
because like Roberts, Alito is supremely qualified to be a U.S.
Supreme Court justice."

Originally introduced by PFA last June, prior to the Roberts
confirmation process, Tar and Feather, Inc.: A Liberal 10-Step Plan
for Judicial Character Assassination, is a memo that extensively
outlines -- step by step -- the effort to unfairly smear Supreme Court
nominees that don't meet extreme liberal qualifications.

Now, back by popular demand, is Tar and Feather -- part deux:

Step 1: Liberal Groups Whip Their Membership Into A Frenzy With
Overblown Rhetoric...

* NOW: "If Alito Is Confirmed By The U.S. Senate, Many Of Our

Fundamental Rights Will Be At Great Risk." (National Organization For

Women, "NOW To Activate Members Nationwide To Oppose Alito For Supreme

Court," Press Release, 10/31/05)

Step 2: Liberal Groups Prepare For "Battle"...

* Battle! Feminist Majority: "Make no mistake about it -- we are in the

battle of our lives to save women's rights." (Feminist Majority Email,

"Save The Court For Women's Lives -- Stop Alito," 12/14/05)

* Launch! "Planned Parenthood is launching a nationwide emergency

campaign to stop this ultraconservative nominee from being approved by

the U.S. Senate." (Planned Parenthood Email, "Emergency Campaign To

Stop Alito," 11/10/05)

Step 3: After A Nominee Is Named, The Left Immediately Announces That
The Nominee's Record "Raises More Questions Than It Answers" ...

* Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY): "What we currently know about Judge Alito

raises serious questions about whether he will be steadfast in

protecting our most fundamental rights." (Sen. Hillary Clinton,

"Statement Of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton On The Nomination Of

Samuel Alito To The Supreme Court," Press Release, 10/31/05)

Step 4: The Left Pleads For A Slower Pace ...

* Liberal Sen. Pat Leahy (D-VT) Saw No Need For A Swift Confirmation

Process. "Senate Democrats pushed on Tuesday for a 2006 date for

hearings on Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, challenging President

Bush's call for confirmation by year's end. 'There's no way you can do

an honest hearing by the end of December, or a fair hearing,' said

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, the senior Democrat on the Senate

Judiciary Committee." (CBS News Website,

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2005/11/01/politics/main999333.shtml,

Accessed 1/4/06)

Step 5: The Left Dismisses A High ABA Rating As A Prerequisite For The
Job, Or Pounces On A Lower Rating ...

* Neas Insisted That "Intellect And Experience Alone Are Not Enough."

"We ... believe that intellect and experience alone are not enough to

earn a lifetime seat on the nation's highest court. And indeed,

throughout our nation's history, Senators have appropriately

considered the legal record and judicial philosophy of nominees to the

Supreme Court, as do the presidents who nominate them. The ABA rating

does not consider ideology or philosophy." (PFAW, Press Release,

1/4/06)

* No dispute about Alito's Qualifications ... "The ABA rating is quite

expected," said Elliot Mincberg, legal director for People for the

American Way. "I don't think anybody here is disputing how well

qualified Judge Alito is. But 'radical' Alito would undermine

decades of progress in individual rights," says Nan Aron, president of

the Alliance for Justice ... (Sean Higgins, "Alito's Mind Sharp, But

Views 'Radical,' Liberal Groups Say," Investor's Business Daily,

1/4/06)

Step 6: The Left Demands A Nominee Pledge Allegiance To A Liberal Ideology ...

* NOW's Kim Gandy Demands a Guarantee: "Up to this point, Alito has

offered tepid assurance to senators that he has respect for court

precedents like Roe v. Wade, the 1973 case that legalized abortion,

but he has never offered a guarantee that as a justice he will uphold

the precedent." (National Organization For Women, "Documents Reveal

Alito Is Wrong Choice For Supreme Court," Press Release, 11/14/05)

Step 7: The Left's Research Reveals A Few "Alarming" Findings Or
"Smoking Guns" ...

* PFAW Found Both A "Bombshell Document" ... "A new bombshell document

-- a 1985 letter written by Bush Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito --

confirms what People For The American Way has warned you about ... "

(People For The American Way Email, "Alito's Smoking Gun, Tax Breaks,

Marriage Amendment," 11/16/05)

* ... And A "Smoking Gun/Smoking Cannon!" PFAW's Ralph Neas: "This new

document isn't just a smoking gun. It's a smoking cannon. The American

people should have no doubt that Samuel Alito is poised to change more

than 25 years of reproductive rights for women in America." (People

For The American Way, "New Document: Alito Favored Overturning Roe Vs.

Wade And State-Level Barriers To Reproductive Rights," Press Release,

11/30/05)

Step 8: Previously Released Material Is Re-Released By The Left As
"Research" And Distributed By The Media ...

* In October 2005, People For The American Way Released A "Preliminary"

Report On The Record Of Sam Alito. The "preliminary" report concluded

that "the judicial philosophy of Samuel Alito is far to the right."

(PFAW, "The Record of Samuel Alito: A Preliminary Review," 10/31/05)

* In January 2006, People For The American Way Released A "Special"

Report On The Record Of Sam Alito. Not surprisingly, the "special"

report concluded that "Judge Alito would swing the Court far to the

right." (PFAW, "Special Report: The Record And Legal Philosophy Of

Samuel Alito," 1/4/06)

Step 9: Liberal Hollywood Celebrities Join In ...

* Sharon Stone Led Celebrities In An Anti-Alito Fundraiser For PFAW.

"With a battle over the Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel A.

Alito Jr. just around the corner, a little slice of Hollywood arrived

in the capital Tuesday night to raise money for People for the

American Way, the liberal advocacy group leading the charge against

the judge's confirmation. The star-spangled awards benefit at the

Kennedy Center featured the actresses Sharon Stone, Sharon Gless and

Tyne Daly, as well as a performance by original cast members from the

musical 'Rent.' ... 'I think it's really important that the people

who are going to make decisions for other people have fair, truthful

and compassionate regard for all people, not just some people,' Ms.

Stone said when asked about Judge Alito. Did that mean she supported

People for the American Way's work opposing his nomination? 'That's

why I'm here, sister,' she replied." (Sheryl Gay Stolberg, "Group

Opposed To Nominee Rallies Its Hollywood People," The New York Times,

12/7/05)

AND DRUM ROLL PLEASE ...

Step 10: Official Opposition Is Coordinated And Announced In A
Drip-Drip Fashion ...

* People For The American Way releases report that identifies "the hard-

right ideology" of Alito. (PFAW. Press Release. 1/4/06)

* Feminist Majority Foundation, The National Organization For Women And

The National Congress Of Black Women hold an event in which they voice

opposition to Alito based on the "threat" to women's and civil rights.

(Feminist Majority Foundation. Press Release. 1/4/06)

* Center For American Progress Action Fund holds event in which student

groups voice opposition to Alito. (Center for American Progress Action

Fund. Press Release. Accessed on 1/4/06)

* Alliance For Justice holds event in which they feature opposition and

letter from professors. (PFAW. Press Release. 1/4/06)

To view online, please visit: http://www.judgealito.com/tarandfeather.
SOURCE Progress for America