Pro-Abortion Leader Wants Justice O’Connor to Stay on Supreme Court 
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
October 28, 2005
Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — Now that Harriet Miers has withdrawn her nomination for the Supreme Court, a leading abortion advocate says she wants retiring pro-abortion Justice Sandra Day O’Connor to stick around awhile longer.
NOW President Kim Gandy says she wants O’Connor to reverse her decision to step down from the court.
Gandy says she doesn’t want President Bush to name a new Supreme Court pick who would provide more assurances to pro-life advocates on a potential case to overturn Roe.
"We need a proven and independent justice on the Supreme Court," Gandy says. "Someone who will not turn back the clock on [abortion]. That person is Justice Sandra Day O’Connor."
"We strongly encourage Justice O’Connor to reconsider her stated intention to retire, and instead remain on the court," Gandy adds.
The NOW president says her group is launching a petition campaign to urge O’Connor to stay on the high court.
O’Connor has agreed to stay on the court until the Senate approves a successor and in a speech to a California women’s group Thursday, according to an Associated Press report, said her tenure now "sounds like it may go on a little longer."
Because the high court is expected to vote on two high profile abortion cases and one on assisted suicide, pro-life advocates want a replacement for O’Connor as soon as possible.
Bradford Berenson, a former Bush administration attorney, told Bloomberg News, "The delay in confirming a successor to Justice O’Connor can certainly alter the outcomes in a few high-profile cases."
If President Bush puts forward a new nominee, as he is expected to do early next week, the Senate could hold hearings in early December and take a vote in January. That would allow the new justice a chance to either take part in new hearings on key cases or read the transcripts and vote in place of O’Connor.
