WILLIAM H. PRYOR, the Alabama attorney general, is a nominee for a seat on the federal appeals court for Alabama, Georgia, and Florida. Last week, he came to Washington for his confirmation hearing, and opponents of his nomination showed up in force. The Senate vote on Pryor could be close–assuming there is a vote, as there should be. The central question about Pryor is whether he will follow the law even when it conflicts with his personal views or the interests of his party. As it happens, Pryor has strong views on many issues, including Roe vs. Wade, the 1973 decision declaring a constitutional right to abortion. Pryor once described Roe as “the worst abomination in the history of constitutional law.” Asked during the hearing whether he still believed that, Pryor said, “I do.” Asked later whether the quote was accurate, he said it was, adding, “I believe that not only is [Roe] unsupported by the text and structure of the Constitution, but it has led to a morally wrong result . . . the slaughter of millions of innocent unborn children.” Yet more questions about his views of abortion were asked, and Pryor stayed his course, noting that the reason he thinks abortion is morally wrong is that it is “the taking of human life.”

Pryor’s views on abortion and Roe vs. Wade are deeply felt and quite the opposite of those of many Democratic senators. He told the committee that, his personal views notwithstanding, he would adhere, as a circuit judge, to the Supreme Court’s abortion jurisprudence.