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Democrats, Republicans cite Supreme Court in presidential race

July 3, 2000
Web posted at: 5:23 p.m. EDT (2123 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- With recent decisions on abortion and gay rights from the Supreme Court resonating with the public, Democrats and Republicans Sunday emphasized the role that the next president will play in shaping the nation's highest court.

"There are a lot of things that would go completely the other way -- that are 5-4 decisions -- if Al Gore becomes president of the United States," said Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah. Hatch, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said decisions from the past few years that have struck down affirmative action or limited the power of the federal government would be in jeopardy under a Gore administration.

"In other words, we'll have quotas instead of equal treatment of all people," Hatch said on NBC's Meet The Press. "The death penalty will go down the drain if Gore gets there."

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Last week, the Supreme Court struck down a Nebraska state law restricting one controversial form of abortion.

Democrats said abortion rights would be threatened by Supreme Court appointments made by Texas Gov. George W. Bush, the presumed Republican nominee for president. Gore supports abortion rights. Both men have talked recently about the power of the president to appoint nominees to the federal bench.

"The right to choose will be safe under his administration," said Mark Fabiani, communications director for the Gore presidential campaign, on Fox News Sunday. "The fact is that the thing that's going to most affect a woman's right to choose is the makeup of the Supreme Court, not who the vice presidential nominee is. And the makeup of the Supreme Court is going to change dramatically under the next president -- whoever that is."

Gore Wednesday predicted that the next president would appoint as many as four justices to the high court.

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