As millions of Americans turn their attention to holiday travel and celebrations, President Bush has announced he will re-submit a number of extremist nominees for the federal courts of appeals when Congress starts its new session in January. People For the American Way President Ralph G. Neas issued the following statement:

“Instead of working in a holiday spirit of conciliation and compromise, the President has regrettably signaled his renewal of partisan warfare. His plan to re-nominate extremist nominees shows absolutely no recognition that a deeply divided nation deserves bipartisan consultation over these powerful, lifetime appointments to the federal bench. Instead of extending an olive branch, the President chose to brandish a partisan club.”

“This slate of nominees signals again that the President and his team want to pack the federal courts with right-wing ideologues, and roll back decades of progress in social justice. This portends long, hard months of debate over the federal courts, and sends a truly disturbing signal of what we can expect if and when a Supreme Court vacancy occurs.

“If justices like these are appointed, we can say goodbye to a woman’s right to choose. We can watch as our rights to privacy and civil liberties are eroded, and the government’s ability to protect our clean air and clean water vanishes.”