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Thursday, Sep 15, 2005 7:50 PM UTC

Howard Dean on John Roberts

He's the "wrong man at the wrong time" for America.

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Topics: Howard Dean, Supreme Court, War Room,

The conventional wisdom this week is that Democrats are going to go along with the confirmation of John G. Roberts so that they can fight the president’s next Supreme Court nominee free from charges that they’re reflexively obstructionist. But if that’s the plan, somebody forgot to tell the chairman of the Democratic Party. In an email to supporters today, Howard Dean says that Roberts is the “wrong man at the wrong time for our country.”

Dean says that Roberts “has spent a career using the law to protect corporate interests and roll back the rights that protect us all.” But most of his case against the nominee seems to be built around guilt by association with the Bush administration and the “extremist” Republican leadership.

“In the wake of Hurricane Katrina and the disastrous response, we have seen the consequences of government by ideologues and political cronies,” Dean writes. “We have also seen the stark reality of American life that people like Roberts, [Karl] Rove and [Tom] DeLay either don’t understand or choose to ignore — that inequalities still persist to this day.

“Our rights — and the rights of the most vulnerable in our society — are in danger. They are in danger from those who actively seek to roll them back, and they are in danger from those in positions of leadership who don’t understand how important it is to protect the rights of every American.”

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Gripping photos: The people of the Turkey protests (slideshow)

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  • The protests take on a festive element as police forces move out of the park and square. Wearing a gas mask, this young man dances to traditional Turkish music in front of Taksim Square’s Ataturk Monument.

  • In Gezi Park since March 31st, this protester, originally caught off-guard by the Government’s teargas and water cannons, went out and bought a Russian army mask from WWII, preparing for what was to come.

  • This rambunctious boy seems to be enjoying the chaos. After taking this picture he threw a stone at the already destroyed building in the background.

  • Forming a line, the police face off directly with protesters in Taksim Square. After a while, they retreated and there was a general cheer – a back-and-forth dance that has been common since the beginning of this protest.

  • An elderly woman in Gezi Park reads the news. The tent community occupying the park was violently destroyed on June 16th.

  • Many different groups had set up booths to promote their cause in Taksim Square and Gezi Park. Standing in front of one, this man waves his flag while posing with conviction.

  • Many home-remedies are used to minimize the effects of tear gas. This woman has put a milky solution on her face, removing her mask after the tear gas dissipated. Before sunrise, the police came again for another round of teargasing.

  • People capitalize on the uprising -- selling flags, beer, gas masks, sky lanterns and spray paint to name just a few of the popular items.

  • On Monday morning, June 11, the police execute a strong offensive. Many plain-clothed police officers, like the ones seen here, clash with protesters in the side streets away from the main stand-off in Taksim.

  • The authorities seem to be most aggressive in the night, pushing protesters away from the square and park. After being teargassed this young woman catches her breath with other protesters on Siraselviler Street.

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