Jon S. Corzine: “I believe that the U.S. Constitution is about protecting the rights of Americans, not about restricting those rights.…”

“I believe that the U.S. Constitution is about protecting the rights of Americans, not about restricting those rights. And that is why I will vote against Judge John Roberts' nomination to be Chief Justice of the United States. Judge Roberts and I appear to hold different views of the role that the Federal Government should play in our country. I believe that Government is here to preserve rights, to protect and support our citizens, and to offer opportunity to those less fortunate. Based on the limited record before us, I am not convinced that John Roberts shares these views. Though he is clearly intelligent, articulate, and accomplished, I am deeply concerned that Judge Roberts' narrow and cramped view of the Constitution will lead inevitably to the restriction of our most scared rights and protections. I fear that Judge Roberts will interpret the Constitution so narrowly that he will reach results that are inconsistent with decades of well-established Supreme Court precedent. From civil liberties to the ability of courts to protect minorities, from voting rights to school desegregation, from privacy to environmental protections, Judge Roberts has consistently adopted positions intended to limit the role of Government in a way that would harm all Americans. I simply cannot vote to confirm a nominee who may vote to roll back decades of progress and protections for our most fundamental rights.…”