Hypocrisy

Every election year the Republicans dust off Roe v. Wade and beat Democrats over the head with it, calling us “baby killers” (or worse). Although I’ve written on this subject before, because we’re in another election campaign, I think it’s worthwhile to revisit it. My purpose here isn’t to take either a “pro-life” or a “pro-choice” position; rather it’s to call attention to yet another example of Republican hypocrisy.

WHO gave us Roe v. Wade? From 1970 continuously to the present day, Justices appointed by REPUBLICAN Presidents have constituted a majority of the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1973, the year in which Roe v. Wade was decided, the Court consisted of SIX Justices appointed by REPUBLICAN Presidents (Warren E. Burger, William J. Brennan, Potter Stewart, Harry A. Blackmun, Lewis F. Powell Jr. and William H. Rehnquist) and three Justices appointed by Democratic Presidents (William O. Douglas, Byron R. White and Thurgood Marshall).

The majority decision in Roe v. Wade was written by Justice Blackmun, an appointee of REPUBLICAN President Nixon. He was joined in his decision by FOUR other REPUBLICAN appointees: Chief Justice Burger (who also filed his own concurring opinion), an appointee of President Nixon; Justice Stewart (who also filed his own concurring opinion), an appointee of President Eisenhower; Justice Brennan, an appointee of President Eisenhower; and Justice Powell, an appointee of President Nixon.

To summarize, of the six REPUBLICAN appointees on the Court, FIVE voted with the majority in Roe v. Wade. Only ONE REPUBLICAN appointee, Justice Rehnquist, an appointee of President Nixon, DISSENTED from the decision and filed his own dissenting opinion.

Of the three Democratic appointees, two joined the majority: Justice Douglas (who also filed his own concurring opinion), an appointee of President Roosevelt; and Justice Marshall, an appointee of President Johnson. One Democratic appointee, Justice White, an appointee of President Kennedy, dissented from the Court’s decision and filed his own dissenting opinion.

So, WHO gave us Roe v. Wade? They were FIVE Justices appointed by REPUBLICAN Presidents (Burger, Brennan, Stewart, Blackmun and Powell) and two Justices appointed by Democratic Presidents (Douglas and Marshall).