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In 1991, upon the death of Justice [[Thurgood Marshall]], President [[George H.W. Bush]] nominated Clarence Thomas to fill the newly vacant seat.  Supporters of abortion desperately opposed his nomination.  

In 1991, upon the death of Justice [[Thurgood Marshall]], President [[George H.W. Bush]] nominated Clarence Thomas to fill the newly vacant seat.  Supporters of abortion desperately opposed his nomination.  

In a flagrant violation of the rules of the [[Senate]]<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/rr/law/nominations/thomas/debates.pdf Congressional Record -Senate, 102nd Congress, October 7, 1991], Vol 137, Part 18, p. 25706. </ref>, staff members <ref>[http://www.uiowa.edu/~030116/153/articles/brock01.htm ''The Real Anita Hill''], David Brock, Harper Collins, 1993.</ref> for a sitting [[Democratic]] member of the Judiciary Committee leaked a routine confidential FBI background report to [[Nina Totenberg]] of [[National Public Radio]] (NPR) <ref>[http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/92/1/thomas.asp  The Clarence Thomas Hearings], by William Boot, ''Columbia Journalism Review'', January/February 1992.</ref> which contained a vicious defamatory smear intended to mar Thomas for life.  The accusation was known to be false, and was concocted to publicly intimidate an African-American Republican from accepting an appointment to the nations High Court, and derail his nomination.  None of the allegations could be substantiated. However, the deliberate falsehoods did persuade Democratic Senator [[Robert Byrd]], a former [[Ku Klux Klan]] member, to change his vote from "yes" for confirmation to "no".   

In a flagrant violation of the rules of the [[Senate]]<ref>[http://www.loc.gov/rr/law/nominations/thomas/debates.pdf Congressional Record -Senate, 102nd Congress, October 7, 1991], Vol 137, Part 18, p. 25706. </ref>, staff members <ref>[http://www.uiowa.edu/~030116/153/articles/brock01.htm ''The Real Anita Hill''], David Brock, Harper Collins, 1993.</ref> for a sitting [[Democratic]] member of the Judiciary Committee leaked a routine confidential FBI background report to [[Nina Totenberg]] of [[National Public Radio]] (NPR) <ref>[http://backissues.cjrarchives.org/year/92/1/thomas.asp  The Clarence Thomas Hearings], by William Boot, ''Columbia Journalism Review'', January/February 1992.</ref> which contained a vicious defamatory smear intended to mar Thomas for life.  The accusation was known to be false, and was concocted to publicly intimidate an African-American Republican from accepting an appointment to the nations High Court, and derail his nomination.  None of the allegations could be substantiated. The deliberate falsehoods did however persuade Democratic Senator [[Robert Byrd]], a former [[Ku Klux Klan]] member, to change his vote from "yes" for confirmation to "no".   

Thomas was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 52-48, which was at the time the narrowest confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee in history.

Thomas was confirmed by the Senate with a vote of 52-48, which was at the time the narrowest confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee in history.