[JURIST] The NAACP [advocacy website; JURIST news archive] announced its opposition [press release, PDF] to the US Supreme Court nomination of Judge Samuel Alito [JURIST news archive] in a news conference Thursday, citing his conservative record as a threat to civil rights. The Black Leadership Forum [advocacy website] and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund [advocacy website] joined NAACP leaders in opposition at the news conference. Though the NAACP and other major civil rights groups also opposed the nomination of John Roberts [JURIST news archive] as Chief Justice earlier this year, Alito is said to pose a greater threat to the civil rights groups because he stands to replace Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, the oft-cited swing vote in civil rights issues. NAACP President Bruce Gordon stated that Alito is "diametrically opposed to all that the NAACP has worked for [and] is intent on promoting his personal ideals and beliefs." Earlier this week, the AFL-CIO announced their opposition [press release] to the nomination, while the National Association of Manufacturers, the nation's largest industrial trade association, announced their support [press release]. Reuters has more.

ALSO ON JURIST  Op-ed: Why Feminists and Liberals Have Nothing to Fear from Alito | Op-ed: Better Luck This Time: Why Alito Is Hard to Beat