Robert Novak reports that NARAL Pro-Choice America hired two operatives to obtain and probe the financial disclosure records of 30 appellate court judges considered potential nominees for the Supreme Court. One of the operatives is a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Reid. Novak notes that "compiling financial profiles of judicial nominees plows new ground." He adds that, while Reid's comment about the confidential FBI file on appeals court nominee Henry Saad shocked Reid's Senate colleagues, "it may well be a taste of much more of the same to come."

The statement of Nancy Keenan, NARAL's president, is also revealing. She told Novak that her organization is concerned about "out of touch theological activists" becoming judges. What does financial information have to do with this? Keenan says the disclosure information might help identify the "character" of judicial nominees. That's an interesting twist -- when caught with her pants down, Keenan reverts to a facially absurd "we're protecting the country from the God-fearing" defense. The left has journeyed very far, fairly fast.

Meanwhile, Stanley Kurtz at NRO remarks: "I thought opponents of the president’s nominees were only concerned about judicial philosophy, not religious belief." Not so, Keenan. And, I believe, not so many of her fellow activists and the Senators they control.

JOHN adds: Remember how the Democrats blasted Senator Frist for suggesting that their opposition to President Bush's nominees had anything to do with religion? "Out of touch theological activists" are, I think, the same people as those who have "deeply held religious beliefs."

Posted by Paul at 10:09 AM  |    |