Barbara Boxer: “I thank Senator Murray because she has a way of putting things quite succinctly and clearly and I appreciate her coming…”

“I thank Senator Murray because she has a way of putting things quite succinctly and clearly and I appreciate her coming to the floor. There is a very interesting editorial today in USA Today, and I want to quote from it. The first part says there is no question that the President has chosen someone with similar views to Judge Rehnquist. This is what they say: But, if the men are similar, the nation is different now from what it was when Rehnquist joined the Court 33 years ago, and that difference raises provocative questions for Roberts as Senate confirmation hearings begin today. This is how they say it has changed since Judge Rehnquist's hearings: In particular, the United States has become a far more tolerant society. In 1972, racial segregation was still being dismantled. Women, like African-Americans, were routinely deprived of equal opportunity. The notion that Americans possess a right to privacy, established by the landmark 1965 Supreme Court case that overturned state laws against birth control, was still taking root. This editorial goes on to ask if Roberts would make it difficult for Congress to extend those gains or even turn back the clock, concluding: His record leaves plenty of room for doubt. Now, this is USA Today. It is not considered a liberal newspaper.…”