Pro-Life Group Defends Samuel Alito From Colorado Senator’s Attack

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Dec 6, 2005   |   9:00AM   |   WASHINGTON, DC

Pro-Life Group Defends Samuel Alito From Colorado Senator’s Attack Email this article
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by Steven Ertelt
LifeNews.com Editor
December 6, 2005

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) — A leading pro-life organization is running an advertisement challenging comments a Colorado senator made about Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito. Focus on the Family’s political action group is running the ad saying Sen. Ken Salazar, a Democrat, unfairly attacked the high court nominee.

Salazar, who backs abortion, is quoted in the New York Times as saying, "America deserves better than what we got here," about Alito, who has the support of many pro-life groups.

Focus on the Family Action took exception to those words and is running a print ad in Denver and Colorado Springs newspapers responding, "That’s a disrespectful thing to say, isn’t it? We certainly wouldn’t say that about the junior senator from Colorado. But that’s exactly what Sen. Salazar said about Samuel Alito."

"It’s clear that Colorado’s junior senator has failed in his duty of ‘advice and consent’ by dismissing the unparalleled qualifications of Judge Alito," said Tom Minnery, senior vice president of government and public policy for Focus on the Family Action.

"Judge Alito’s record has earned him the highest possible rating from the American Bar Association and two unanimous confirmation votes by the Senate – America could not ask for a better-qualified nominee to the high court," Minnery added.

Salazar and the pro-life group have long feuded and the senator called its tactics "un-Christian" during a debate over whether the Senate should vote to prohibit filibusters on judicial nominees.

Later he called Focus on the Family founder, Dr. James Dobson, and the group "the antichrist of the world." Salazar eventually apologized.

About the ads, spokesman Cody Wertz told the Rocky Mountain News, "Sen. Salazar respects Dr. Dobson but does disagree with him on several issues."

"My first reaction is, it really is a waste of money," Wertz added. "Sen. Salazar is not going to take his cues from a lobbying organization. He’s going to study Judge Alito’s record and respect the nomination process."

To view the ad, visit https://www.focusaction.org/activities/a0000123.cfm. The ads will run in the Rocky Mountain News, the Denver Post and the Colorado Springs Gazette.