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Symms was one of several Republican senators who in 1981 expressed his opposition to the nomination of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], an Arizona [[Moderate Republican]] whom President Reagan nominated for the [[United States Supreme Court]]. The opposition hinged over the issue of O'Connor's  unwillingness to overturn the landmark [[abortion]] opinion, ''[[Roe v. Wade]].''<ref>Jan Crawford Greenburg, ''Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court,'' Penguin Books, 2007. p. 222.</ref> Reagan, however, stubbornly stood with O'Connor, the first woman justice who later affirmed ''Roe'' in the 1992 case, ''Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey,'' much as most conservatives had expected.

Symms was one of several Republican senators who in 1981 expressed his opposition to the nomination of [[Sandra Day O'Connor]], an Arizona [[Moderate Republican]] whom President Reagan nominated for the [[United States Supreme Court]]. The opposition hinged over the issue of O'Connor's  unwillingness to overturn the landmark [[abortion]] opinion, ''[[Roe v. Wade]].''<ref>Jan Crawford Greenburg, ''Supreme Conflict: The Inside Story of the Struggle for Control of the United States Supreme Court,'' Penguin Books, 2007. p. 222.</ref> Reagan, however, stubbornly stood with O'Connor, the first woman justice who later affirmed ''Roe'' in the 1992 case, ''Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey,'' much as most conservatives had expected.

During the 1988 presidential election, Symms falsely alleged that Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Democratic nominee [[Michael Dukakis]] of [[Massachusetts]],  burned a U.S. flag in a 1960s demonstration against the [[Vietnam War]]. Mrs. Dukakis angrily blasted the accusation as "totally false and beneath contempt," and Symms later admitted that he could not substantiate his allegation.<ref name="AP Editors 1988">AP Editors (August 26, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/26/us/story-on-mrs-dukakis-is-denied-by-campaign.html "Story on Mrs. Dukakis Is Denied by Campaign."] ''The New York Times.'' Retrieved December 17, 2021.</ref> Nevertheless, the claim became national news, as media outlets began searching for the photograph Symms said he had "heard" existed.<ref>E. J. Dionne, Jr. (August 29, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/29/us/political-memo-accentuating-the-positive-can-lead-to-nasty-campaign.html "Political Memo; Accentuating the Positive Can Lead to Nasty Campaign."] ''The New York Times.'' Retrieved December 17, 2021.</ref> Dukakis lost the election to [[Vice President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]].

During the 1988 presidential election, Symms falsely alleged that Kitty Dukakis, the wife of Democratic nominee [[Michael Dukakis]] of [[Massachusetts]],  burned a U.S. flag in a 1960s demonstration against the [[Vietnam War]]. Mrs. Dukakis angrily blasted the accusation as "totally false and beneath contempt," and Symms later admitted that he could not substantiate his allegation.<ref name="AP Editors 1988">AP Editors (August 26, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/26/us/story-on-mrs-dukakis-is-denied-by-campaign.html "Story on Mrs. Dukakis Is Denied by Campaign."] ''The New York Times.'' Retrieved December 17, 2021.</ref> Nevertheless, the claim became national news, as media outlets began searching for the photograph Symms said he had "heard" existed.<ref>E. J. Dionne, Jr. (August 29, 1988). [https://www.nytimes.com/1988/08/29/us/political-memo-accentuating-the-positive-can-lead-to-nasty-campaign.html "Political Memo; Accentuating the Positive Can Lead to Nasty Campaign."] ''The New York Times.'' Archived version available [https://archive.md/vvIxT here]. Retrieved December 17, 2021.</ref> Dukakis lost the election to [[Vice President]] [[George Herbert Walker Bush]].

==Later years==

==Later years==