July 20, 2005
By Mark Wegner
Congress Daily
President Bush's nomination of John Roberts to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor immediately triggered carefully choreographed strategies that ideological groups have been preparing for months, if not years.
Nearly as soon as word of Bush's choice leaked out, Progress for America President Brian McCabe issued a statement praising Roberts and vowed his group would defend him against attacks from the ideological left.
"A former Rehnquist clerk with a distinguished resume and an impeccable reputation, Judge Roberts is a terrific nominee to the Supreme Court," McCabe said. "Judge Roberts is a man of great character who deserves genuine consideration, not automatic attacks and partisan indignation based on nothing other than the fact he was nominated."
The conservative Committee for Justice also issued a statement strongly praising Roberts' selection.
But People for the American Way President Ralph Neas responded that by choosing Roberts, Bush failed to nominate a consensus choice.
"John Roberts' record raises serious concerns as well as questions about where he stands on crucial legal and constitutional issues," Neas said. "Replacing O'Connor with someone who is not committed to upholding Americans' rights, liberties and legal protections would be a constitutional catastrophe."
In an interview earlier Tuesday, Neas said the liberal group's "earned media" strategy included an initial round of media interviews and e-mail alerts to more than 400,000 of its 750,000 members. Neas convened a 10:30 p.m. meeting with state directors Tuesday night to determine how to proceed.
Among the decisions was whether to launch a paid media campaign, which would require buying airtime and producing an ad.
"We've been sending materials to the Hill all day," Neas added.
Progress for America, which has budgeted $18 million to promote Bush's Supreme Court nominee, was working late Tuesday to make good on its pledge to run a positive television spot about the nominee within 24 to 48 hours of Bush's announcement.
A PFA spokeswoman said the group was buying broadcast air time, even as producers were working Tuesday to put together an ad.
When Bush announced his choice, the group also tapped its list of surrogate speakers, including legal analysts, to promote it. PFA's paid field staff in 21 states was prepared to go to work to promote the nominee, with a focus on key senators.
The states include Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Louisiana, Maine, Nebraska, Ohio and Rhode Island. These are the home states of some of the bipartisan "gang of 14" who might determine whether the nominee faces a filibuster.
The Alliance for Justice, which opposed Bush's lower court choices, began to circulate its research material on the nominee to Senate offices and the media. The group is a coalition of about 70 environmental, civil rights and liberal advocacy groups.
Rather than immediately endorse or announce its opposition to the nominee, the group's plan was to urge the media and senators to force a debate over the nominee's judicial record.
Judicial Confirmation Network Executive Director Gary Marx said his group researched possible nominees and crafted campaigns designed to promote candidates its members could support, but was holding its fire until it could evaluate the choice.
The Network, with a coalition of 10 million, has budgeted $3 million to support a conservative Bush nominee.
Marx noted Bush has previously served up surprises, such as Richard Cheney to be vice president. "He had that look in his eye," Marx said of Bush's public appearances earlier Tuesday.
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