But Mayer, a constitutional expert, says even though Kavanaugh's record is clearly conservative any decision he might make about overturning Roe v. Wade would have to be weighed against preserving the legitimacy of the Supreme Court.
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"My D.C. colleagues who work with him, who appeared in front of him like him a lot," says Mayer who says that many years ago, Kavanaugh briefly worked with him at former San Francisco law firm Howard Rice.
He remembers that Kavanaugh was very smart.
Mayer says that if confirmed, Kavanaugh will fall left of Justice Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's first Supreme Court appointment. But, he says Kavanaugh will still fit comfortably in a new conservative majority on the Court. "I think it's fair to say that Justice Kavanaugh is certainly no friend of abortion."
As for how he'd vote, Mayer says, "My guess would be that Roe versus Wade will die the death of a thousand cuts rather than an outright overruling, at least at first."
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"Judge Kavanaugh is definitely not acceptable to us," said Gilda Gonzales, president of Planned Parenthood Northern California. Gonzales says Planned Parenthood is working to ensure women's rights are not diminished by reversing Roe v. Wade. "If a vast majority of Americans don't agree with this, this is the moment that their voices need to be heard."
Mayer also says if Kavanaugh is confirmed, there will likely be more judicial activism on the side of anti-environmental law and that Kavanaugh is likely a vote in favor of presidential power.
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