Difference between revisions of "Clarence Thomas"

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(Appointment to the United States Supreme Court: reword Byrd)
(Appointment to the United States Supreme Court: reword Byrd for clarity)
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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. 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".   
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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 former [[Ku Klux Klan]] Democratic Senator [[Robert Byrd]] 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.

Revision as of 21:03, June 8, 2007

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The Honorable Clarence Thomas is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Justice Thomas is highly respected for adhering to an interpretation of the U.S. Constitution based on its original text and meaning, which has included limiting federal powers. He has utilized and trained more conservative law clerks than any other Justice. He has an unblemished record of service on the Court since 1991 and has never had to recuse himself from a case due to activity off the bench. He is often compared to Justice Antonin Scalia.

Early life

He was born in Savannah, Georgia on June 23, 1948.

Appointment to the United States Supreme Court

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[1], staff members [2] for a sitting Democratic member of the Judiciary Committee leaked a routine confidential FBI background report to Nina Totenberg of National Public Radio (NPR) [3] 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 former Ku Klux Klan Democratic Senator Robert Byrd 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.

References

  1. Congressional Record -Senate, 102nd Congress, October 7, 1991, Vol 137, Part 18, p. 25706.
  2. The Real Anita Hill, David Brock, Harper Collins, 1993.
  3. The Clarence Thomas Hearings, by William Boot, Columbia Journalism Review, January/February 1992.