====== FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE ======

America First Party
1630 A 30th Street #111
Boulder, Colorado 80301
http://www.AmericaFirstParty.org

Thursday, July 21, 2005

Property Rights: Bush Breaks Promise to Nominate a Thomas or Scalia

Boulder, CO - After an initial review of his record, the America First Party has deep concerns regarding the nomination of Judge John G. Roberts, Jr. to the US Supreme Court. Judge Roberts' record on property rights contradicts the President's repeated campaign promise to nominate judges in the mold of Justices Scalia and Thomas.

National Chairman Dan Charles said, "During the campaign, President Bush promised the American people that he would nominate a constitutionalist Supreme Court Justice in the mold of Justices Scalia or Thomas. Many conservatives held their noses and voted for the President only because they believed that promise. When he nominated Judge Roberts to replace retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, President Bush broke that promise."

Mr. Charles continued, "One area where Judge Roberts' disregard for the Constitution and the Bill of Rights is evident is the protection of property rights. Judge Roberts has repeatedly defended expanded state authority over private property and court ordered confiscation of income and property. This is not a man in the mold of Justices Scalia or Thomas."

National Secretary John Pittman Hey explained, "Three years ago, Roberts argued In Livestock Marketing Association v. USDA that the government could compel ranchers to pay for co-op advertising of beef products, even when the advertisements were against the interests of the specialized beef they were trying to sell."

Mr. Hey continued, "In Tahoe-Sierra Preservation Council v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, Roberts again sided with the government and the liberal Ninth Circuit in 2002 in arguing that the government could bar landowners from developing their property without any compensation at all. As in the recent Kelo eminent domain case, the Supreme Court stripped the landowners of their Fifth Amendment Rights, with Rehnquist, Scalia and Thomas dissenting."

National Committeeman Martin McClellan of Florida, an elected member of the Port St. John Planning Board added, "President Bush promised us a Scalia or Thomas. Instead, he has nominated a man who helped big government trample the rights of property owners. Forcing businesses to advertise competing products is wrong. Telling land owners you have not stolen their land because they can still pay taxes on it is wrong."

Mr. Charles concluded, "Judge Roberts has proven himself unfit to hold the position of Associate Justice. Unfortunately, that's the best the country can expect from a President who will not keep his word."

The America First Party was founded in April 2002 and is focused on electing principled citizen statesmen who will preserve and protect our people and our sovereignty, promote economic growth and independence, encourage the traditional values of faith, family, and responsibility, ensure equality before the law in protecting those rights granted by the Creator, and clean up our corrupted political system. In 2004, the AFP elected two-thirds of its candidates to public office.

Contacts:
Dan Charles, National Chairman, 1-866-SOS-USA1, ext. 4
Romelle Winters, Press Secretary, 1-866-SOS-USA1, ext. 2

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