WASHINGTON - October 31 - Human Rights Campaign President Joe Solmonese made the following statement today as President Bush announced the nomination of Judge Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court.

“President Bush chose to placate the far right instead of appealing to the fair-minded values of the American people. But every American should have a voice in the nomination. As the Senate does its constitutional duty to consider Judge Alito’s record, we must all voice our concerns.

“Alito is the far right’s choice. His record on Congress’s power to protect Americans and a woman’s right to choose give us a level of understanding as to why he was the far right’s choice. Our Constitution does not belong to one narrow ideology. It belongs to all of us.”

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