Fifth protester removed from hearings

• Article
• Comments ()
• Click-2-Listen
• Videos

By Tom LoBianco

U.S. Capitol Police removed the fifth person to protest at the confirmation hearing for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

A middle-aged man bellowed from the back of the room that the Republicans should filibuster Judge Sotomayor before police grabbed him and led him out of the room.

"The GOP is done; Republicans will lose the pro-life vote," the protester screamed as police removed him from the back row of the hearing room.

Sen. Patrick J. Leahy, Vermont Democrat and Senate Judiciary Committee chairman, and Sen. Jeff Sessions, Alabama Republican and the ranking GOP member on the committee, both said they would not tolerate disruptions to the hearings.

Four abortion protesters were removed from the hearing yesterday, including Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" whose lawsuit ultimately legalized abortion in 1973.