Abortion Advocates Plan Supreme Court Rally After John Roberts Vote 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
September 29, 2005
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Leading abortion advocacy groups wasted little time Thursday in preparing for the next Supreme Court battle following the Senate’s confirmation vote to make John Roberts the next chief justice.
Within minutes of the vote, Planned Parenthood sent emails to its base of supporters urging them to attend a Supreme Court rally focused on President Bush’s next nominee.
"Although we continue to fear a U.S. Supreme Court led by John Roberts will erode our rights, we cannot fail to ready ourselves for the next crucial issue at hand: President Bush’s nominee to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O’Connor," Planned Parenthood interim president Karen Pearl wrote to members.
Planned Parenthood and other pro-abortion groups have planned an October 3rd rally to coincide with the beginning of the high court’s next term.
The "Rally for Roe" is meant to encourage members of the Senate to only vote for a nominee who pledges to uphold the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that ushered in an era of 44 million abortions.
"Justice O’Connor has provided the key fifth vote in many of the Supreme Court’s key decisions," Pearl said about the need for the rally. "The appointment of an extremist justice as her replacement would dramatically tip the balance of the court."
While the Supreme Court backs abortion by a 6-3 margin, even with Roberts’ on it, the court overturned a Nebraska ban on partial-birth abortions by just a 5-4 majority. Should Bush pick a nominee who is pro-life, the court may vote in favor of upholding the national partial-birth abortion ban, expected to have hearings next Spring.
Any new justice would also hear a case from New Hampshire on a parental involvement on abortion law and another case pitting Oregon and the Bush administration against each other on assisted suicide.
Roberts is expected to be sworn in at a White House ceremony today and President Bush could announce his next choice for the Supreme Court as early as this afternoon.
