From a story in the Boston Globe this morning:

Leading liberal groups, looking to engage the public, say they will probably fight the Senate confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Judge John G. Roberts Jr. before hearings begin on Sept. 6 — a campaign that could include statements and television ads portraying him as a conservative with extreme views on abortion, affirmative action, civil rights, and equal rights for women.

Ralph Neas of People for the American Way will lead the charge.

”The evidence is so convincing and so overwhelming,” said Neas, who fought against nominee Robert Bork and Justice Clarence Thomas. ”Without question, [Roberts] was a charter member of the policy team that attempted to dismantle the civil rights regime that had been enforced by Democratic and Republican administrations for decades.”

Other groups will soon follow suit, the Globe reports, including the Leadership Conference for Civil Rights and the Alliance for Justice. One error in the report, however, is the claim that the Alliance had adopted an initial “wait-and-see” approach to the Roberts nomination. As I noted here, Nan Aron was already on record saying that she would oppose, and even urge a filibuster, were Roberts nominated to the Supreme Court. Nonetheless, Aron still pretends that her mind is not made up, telling the Globe:”With an imminent document drop, it behooves us to be reviewing documents and getting a better sense of what his views are before we make the final decision.” Senate Democrats are also now gearing up. Senator Leahy called some of Roberts views “radical,” and Senator Kennedy said some Roberts positions are “beyond the fringe.”