The case of the hapless toad

摘要

Ever since the Supreme Court legalised abortion on demand in 1973, Roe v Wade has haunted Republican Supreme Court nominations. The Democrats' determination to defend Roe against its critics has been heightened by widespread suspicions, shared by many liberal as well as conservative legal scholars, that the decision was poorly grounded in the constitution. But this time round, Roe could well be eclipsed by a far more technical issue—the clause of the constitution that allows the federal government to regulate interstate commerce. This is not because the pro-choice forces are silent. Less than an hour after George Bush introduced John Roberts—complete with radiant wife and gambolling children-Nancy Keenan, president of NARAL Pro-Choice America, was on the phone to journalists denouncing Mr Roberts as an "anti-choice nominee", and activists are already on the march on Capitol Hill.