"WASHINGTON, Sept. 22 (UPI) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., announced Thursday she will vote no on the nomination of Judge John Roberts as chief justice of the United States. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 13-5 Thursday in favor of President Bush's nomination of Roberts to replace the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist. All 10 of the Republicans on the 18-member committee voted in favor -- joined by Democrats Patrick Leahy of Vermont and Russell Feingold and Herb Kohl of Wisconsin.
Sens. Joe Biden, D-Del.; Richard Durbin, D-Ill.; Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.; Edward Kennedy, D-Mass.; and Charles Schumer, D-N.Y, all voted no.
In a statement posted on her Web site, Clinton said she would vote no when the nomination comes before the full Senate.
Clinton said she had an obligation to cast her vote for "someone I am convinced will be steadfast in protecting fundamental women's rights, civil rights, privacy rights, and who will respect the appropriate separation of powers among the three branches."
She said Roberts' responses during confirmation hearings left his position on those issues unclear.
"That uncertainly means as a matter of conscience," she said, "I cannot vote to confirm despite Judge Roberts's long history of public service."-from the story tonight.
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