Wyden manipulated by Roberts

Ron Wyden has egg on his face today. He was one of the Democrats who voted for Bush's nominee after he claimed Roberts had made him "hope"he would support Oregon's law. His sorry reliance on rightwing spin demonstrates the weakness of today's "liberals."

Mike Munk

Supreme Court Upholds Oregon Assisted Suicide Law
The Associated Press, Tuesday 17 January 2006

Washington - The Supreme Court, with Chief Justice John Roberts dissenting, upheld Oregon's one-of-a-kind physician-assisted suicide law Tuesday, rejecting a Bush administration attempt to punish doctors who help terminally ill patients die.

Justices, on a 6-3 vote, said the 1997 Oregon law used to end the lives of more than 200 seriously ill people trumped federal authority to regulate doctors.

[Roberts joined the extreme right on the court, Scalia and Thomas, in his dissent]

Wyden confident Roberts would shield suicide law
The Oregon senator, fearing a challenge to doctor-assisted suicide, meets with the Supreme Court nominee
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
JIM BARNETT
WASHINGTON -- Supreme Court nominee John Roberts declared that, in cases dealing with end-of-life care, he would "start with the supposition that one has the right to be left alone," Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said after the two met for an hour Tuesday.

Wyden said Roberts' comments on personal liberties and other issues of constitutional law left him hopeful that, if confirmed by the full Senate, Roberts would rule to protect Oregon's law allowing physician-assisted suicide.

"I think that's what the people of Oregon have said, that this is not something where government should be intruding," Wyden said shortly after the meeting.