Yesterday Senator Arlen Specter said of John Roberts' answers during his confirmation hearing for Chief Justice of the United States: "They may be misleading, but they are his answers."

An overview of the Supreme Court nomination process as it involves the Senate.

NOW and Other Leading Women's & Civil Rights Organizations Plan Visibility Events, Dawn Vigil, and Rally to Coincide with Roberts Confirmation Hearings

Use this letter as a model to send to Senators.

Talking Points on NOW's Opposition to John G. Roberts for Chief Justice of the United States, September 2005

The National Organization for Women has been outspoken in our opposition to the nomination of an anti-women's rights, anti-civil rights judge, John G. Roberts, to sit on the U.S. Supreme Court. Now that Roberts' attitudes toward women have been revealed, it is an outrage and an insult to the women of this country that George W. Bush has nominated such a jurist to be Chief Justice of the United States.

Since Bush's nomination of John G. Roberts in July, the mainstream media has been falling over itself to paint a rosy picture of the judge as a moderate conservative who will reprise Sandra Day O'Connor's role as the Supreme Court's thoughtful swing vote. Conservative groups have praised him as a fair and judicious pick and, while they have certainly been skeptical, many progressive groups have refrained from coming out against Roberts until there is more information about his positions.

Make no mistake. The passing of Chief Justice William Rehnquist creates a crisis unlike any in my 30-plus years in the women's movement. While we send condolences to Justice Rehnquist's family, this is a crisis for our movement and we must act now.

Young feminist blogs daily on the Roberts confirmation hearings.

Last week the FDA prolonged its dalliance with women's lives by proposing a bogus "60 day comment period" before it could release emergency contraception (EC) to women without restraint. NOW complied with a "sidewalk delivery" of our comments.

NOW activists are mobilizing our members across the country to educate women in their communities about the danger of confirming John Roberts to the U.S. Supreme Court. We highlight a small sampling of NOW's ongoing field campaign.

NOW President Kim Gandy writes in her Below the Belt column, "I'm from Louisiana, as you may know. I lived and worked for 14 years in New Orleans, and spent all of those years as a NOW activist. The flood pictures that have been, well, flooding my TV and newspapers the past few days are almost more than I can bear. Like many of you, I am flooded with emotions - worry, hope, grief, and now, anger."

The National Organization for Women, on behalf of more than 550,000 contributing members, is deeply opposed to the nomination of John G. Roberts to the Supreme Court.

We have waited too long. Peace talks now. Bring them home safely and soon.

Our hearts go out to the millions of people whose lives, homes, jobs and communities have been unalterably damaged by Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.