Eleanor Clift: 20 years ago this month, George H.W. Bush introduced America to Clarence Thomas

[Amerigo Vespucci]

History
For the right, a gift that keeps on giving
20 years ago this month, President George H.W. Bush introduced America to Clarence Thomas
Eleanor Clift



Most Americans had never heard of Clarence Thomas when President George H.W. Bush nominated him for the Supreme Court 20 years ago this month. Bush, who announced his pick in Kennebunkport, Maine on July 1, 1991, called the thinly credentialed Thomas the "best qualified" person for the seat vacated by retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall, a giant of the law who had argued the landmark Brown v. Board of Education case and was the Court’s first African-American justice.

Thomas had only been a federal judge for a year when Bush tapped him for the Supreme Court, and the gap in stature compared to Marshall, the man he would replace, set the terms for the rancorous fight that followed. Democrats charged the White House with playing racial politics with an unqualified candidate on the assumption that they wouldn’t dare oppose an African-American.

The media covered Thomas as though Bush had plucked the 43-year-old from obscurity, but Washington’s legal community was not surprised by the nomination. "Everyone assumed when Thurgood Marshall resigned, the seat had to be filled by an African-American," said Nan Aron, president of the progressive Alliance for Justice. "When Thomas went up for the DC Circuit, we knew it was a done deal. He was groomed for the seat."

Republicans saw a political opening, thinking they could win over some voters with what Bush viewed as an historic appointment. Thomas’ race mattered, but he was chosen as much for his reliable conservative ideology as the color of his skin. The rallying cry then was "No More Souters," recalled Aron, referring to Justice David Souter, who Bush had appointed to the Court the previous year, and whose voting record was looking very liberal and angering the GOP’s conservative base.

http://www.salon.com/books/history/index.html?story=/politics/war_room/2011/07/10/clift_clarence_thomas

[Long Shadow]

1. He introduced him to a Democratic controlled Senate first.

[Skittles]

2. hey Long Repuke Shadow

you are fooling no one

[Long Shadow]

3. You should not be fooled by the truth; nor should you fear it.

[Skittles]

4. um - LRS?

I live the real world - not some repuke fantasy - please take your ignorant ass to the freerepuke site where ignorance is very much welcome...I live in Texas and seek DU as an oasis of sanity in a piece of SHIT repuke state....please, GET LOST

[Long Shadow]

6. Truth is the recognition of reality.

If, as you say, you "live in the real world," you would not be so indignant with respect to the reality of the Thomas confirmation process. :hi: I'm Mr. Reality.

[formercia]

5. Poppy's biggest prank on the people of the US

Some might call it 'Judicial Terrorism.'

[certainot]

7. one of limbaugh's first major trophies was anita hill

while david brock may have written the swiftboating book on anita hill, it was limbaugh on hundreds of stations lying every day that did the real work, going after her as well as gettting the pressure on dems and thinking republicans (back in those days before RW radio dominated media and politics ther ewere a few republican politicians who gave a shit about the US and the constitution.