Statement by John Edwards Expressing Concern About Radical Shift Of Supreme Court

Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement expressing deep concern about the radical shift of the Supreme Court this term:

"This Court's rash of far-reaching 5-4 decisions this term—favoring privileged interests over ordinary Americans—shows the damage President Bush's appointments have done to the cause of equal justice in our country. The Supreme Court's hard right turn is another reminder of what is at stake for Democrats in the 2008 election—the rights of women, the rights of workers, basic civil rights and civil liberties are all in jeopardy. The next president will likely appoint at least one justice, and can either help stop this radical shift or lock it in for years to come. "

"The Court's decisions this term have slammed the courthouse doors in the faces of ordinary people; favored big businesses over civil rights; undermined women's rights and protections for the environment; and dramatically restricted Congress' power to keep corporate money out of political campaigns.

"On top of the damage the Court has already done this term, the decision expected tomorrow in the school diversity cases could set back the cause of ensuring that every child has an equal chance to succeed. As someone who grew up in the segregated South, it hurts me to say that more than 50 years after the Brown decision, we still have two school systems—one for people who live in the right neighborhoods and one for everyone else. We used to believe the Constitution required school desegregation, but now this Court is on the verge of making the radical decision that the Constitution prevents elected school boards from voluntarily desegregating schools.

"If a conservative Republican president has the opportunity to replace a mainstream justice with one more right-wing vote, this country would be in a lot of trouble. The Court would shift even more dramatically to the right—on the Voting Rights Act, civil liberties, civil rights—and Roe v. Wade, now hanging by a thread, likely would be overruled. Our country would be a very different place. We can't take that chance."