WASHINGTON, July 21 (UPI) -- A conservative group scheduled its first commercials in support of U.S. Supreme Court nominee John Roberts, but liberal groups are still discussing strategy.
Progress for America, a conservative advocate that supports President Bush's nomination of Roberts to succeed Sandra Day O'Connor on the court, told The Washington Times it accumulated an $18 million war chest for the effort. It has placed commercials on cable news networks and weekend political talk shows to get that message out.
Liberal groups, however, are determining if they want to expend resources opposing Roberts joining the court. They said they could put together a large coalition of like-thinking groups if they decide to try to fight the appointment.
Ralph Neas, president of liberal People for the American Way, told the Times: "What we're going to do more than anything else is share our point of view for what's at stake. If John Roberts does share the judicial philosophy of (Justice Clarence) Thomas and (Justice Antonin) Scalia and not the judicial philosophy of Sandra Day O'Connor, dozens of (Supreme Court) precedents are at stake."
