Conservatives Criticize Obama's Justice Department Picks Over Support For Abortion Rights

Main Category: Abortion
Article Date: 09 Feb 2009 - 2:00 PDT


Christian conservative groups are challenging President Obama's selections for Department of Justice positions, saying that some nominees have "far left" views on abortion rights and other issues, the AP/Google.com reports. Although the Senate on Monday confirmed Obama nominee Eric Holder as attorney general, critics have continued to attack Obama's picks for top Justice Department aides. According to the AP/Google.com, the challenges arose ahead of Thursday's Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing for David Ogden, Obama's selection for deputy attorney general.

Patrick Trueman -- a Justice Department official during former President George W. Bush's first term -- said Ogden has been an "activist in the support of a right to pornography, a right of abortion and the rights of homosexuals." He added that he is concerned that Ogden's "world view reflects President Obama's world view." Advocates from conservative groups the American Family Association and Focus on the Family have expressed similar concerns about Ogden. In addition, some Christian conservatives have criticized the nomination of Indiana University professor Dawn Johnsen for her work related to abortion rights, as well as the nomination of Thomas Perrelli, who represented the husband of Terry Schiavo. Tom Minnery, vice president of Focus on the Family, said the Democratic Party is politicizing the justice department with these nominations. "They take our breath away the more we learn about these people," Minnery said, adding, "This is not a justice department that looks like America."

Michael Greenberger, law professor at the University of Maryland and former colleague of the three nominees, said the conservatives' statements are atypical. According to Greenberger, "Usually, you may have a fight over who the attorney general is, but this is not par for the course, picking off next to the attorney general three of his top appointments." He added that the recent criticism is "harassment and it is an attempt to reverse the election" (Barrett, AP/Google.com, 2/5).

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