Pro-Porn Lawyer Has a ‘Confirmation Conversion,’  Says Fidelis’

CHICAGO /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — President Obama has made a major mistake and put America’s families at risk by selecting David Ogden to become Deputy Attorney General, says Fidelis, a pro-family organization. “David Ogden is a hired gun from Playboy and the ACLU. He can’t run from his long record of opposing common sense laws protecting families, women, and children. The United States Senate has a responsibility to the American people to insure that Mr. Ogden’s full record is fully reviewed before any vote on his nomination,” said Brian Burch, President of Fidelis.
“Ogden’s record is nothing short of obscene. He has represented Playboy Enterprises in multiple cases, Penthouse Magazine, the ACLU, and the largest distributor of hard-core pornography videos. He has opposed filters on library computers protecting children from Internet smut, and successfully defended the right of pornographers to produce material with underage children.”
“David Ogden has collected checks from Playboy and Penthouse to fight any attempts to establish filters on federally-funded public libraries. Ogden even sued the federal government in an attempt to publish Braille versions of Playboy magazine — at taxpayer expense, of course,” said Burch.
As a lawyer in private practice, Ogden has argued for an unlimited abortion license, gays in the military, and has urged courts to treat traditional definitions of marriage as a social prejudice.
“A vast majority of Americans support parental notification before a minor’s abortion and protecting kids from Internet pornography in our libraries,” continued Burch. “Yet David Ogden has fought tooth and nail against these common sense laws protecting our children from harm. At a time when America’s families are under increasing assault, Mr. Ogden is a dangerous choice for a position whose responsibilities include the enforcement of our nation’s laws.”
Burch described Ogden’s performance before last week’s Senate Judiciary Committee as “a textbook example of an ambitious nominee saying whatever he needs to say to get the votes for confirmation.”
“Ogden has a very long record of arguing against child pornography laws, for continued racial preferences, and for a virtually unlimited abortion license. He made those arguments on behalf of clients like Playboy, Penthouse, and the ACLU.”
But when pressed by Senators on his views during his confirmation hearing, Ogden sounded like a new man.
– According to Ogden, despite a career of arguing the opposite, he now believes child pornography laws and internet filters are constitutional and extremely important.
– When asked about pro-pornography memos he wrote his former boss, Justice Blackmun, Ogden responded that he regretted the memos and maintained that his vigorous opposition to the Moral Majority and the regulation of pornography was due to immaturity.
– Ogden could not remember whether previous arguments against pornography regulation were made on behalf of paying clients, or whether he made them when working “for the public good” (pro bono publico).
– Ogden disagreed with his previous arguments in favor of importing international law in American cases, saying he now believes foreign law deserves little weight.
– When asked about quotes detailing his view that judges should allow compassion to affect their impartiality, Ogden stated that he believed constitutional principles were fixed and that the law should be the ultimate factor in a judge’s decision-making process.
According to Burch, “Ogden spent his entire life arguing for far left extremist positions. And he expects us to believe he has matured and abandoned those views now that he is before the Senate? What we have here is a nominee who knows that his views and Obama’s views on the law are far out of the mainstream in America, so he is adjusting his rhetoric to get the votes he needs.”
Fidelis remains committed to its previous statement that President Obama made a major mistake and put America’s families at risk by selecting David Ogden to become Deputy Attorney General.
For a full report on David Ogden’s disappointing legal record, visit http://www.fidelis.org/ .
Source: Fidelis; Web Site: http://www.fidelis.org/