DIRTY TRICKSTERS TARGET JUDGE ROBERTS: Tried to Filch Briefing Book Used by Judge to Prep for Confirmation Hearings

Operatives for a leftwing group headed by Rabbi David Saperstein engaged in deceptive tactics last Thursday in an effort to obtain a copy of Judge John Roberts’ briefing book – the book that Roberts presumably used to prep for his confirmation hearings this week. This apparent attempt to subvert the confirmation hearings was reported in the right-to-life newsletter Culture and Cosmos, in its September 14 issue. The report reads:

“Last Thursday, David Almasi, director of the black conservative organization Project 21, answered a phone call from a woman who asked for him. Almasi told Culture and Cosmos that although the woman never identified herself she took on a tone of great familiarity and was, according to Almasi, `acting like she was my best friend.’ She asked which organization had the briefing book on Roberts and how she could obtain it. `That automatically made me wary. And I said “Look no one has it. As far as I know no one has done it.” And then for good measure I said “I know People for the American Way have a nice big old report on John Roberts. I don’t know of anyone on our side that has something similar.”

“Following the call, Almasi used the star 69 feature on his phone to find out the call’s origin. It turns out the call came from the offices of the Religious Action Center of Reformed Judaism, a liberal religious lobbying organization. Alexis Rice, the organization’s communications director, was evasive when asked by Culture and Cosmos to comment on the episode. Rice said she was unaware of any such call and suggested that it could have come from someone not associated with the organization because outside organizations hold meetings there. Rice said that the Religious Action Center has not come out for or against the Roberts’ nomination and that perhaps someone from the Center was trying to gather more information on the nominee. Rice did say that if it was someone from the Religious Action Center they should identify themselves.”

The director of the Religious Action Center is Rabbi David Saperstein, an outspoken opponent of U.S. intervention in Iraq. Rabbi Saperstein serves on the Board of Directors for the American Way Foundation, the tax-exempt lobbying arm of the leftwing activist group People for the American Way.

by Richard Poe
September 15, 2005 02:23 PM ET

Cross-posted from MoonbatCentral.com 09.15.05