Panel OKs O’Connor

WASHINGTON (AP) -Sandra Day O’Connor today won overwhehning approval from the Senate Judiciary Committee for her nomination to become the first woman on the Supreme Court. The vote was 17–0, with one member voting present. Sen. Jeremiah Denton, R-Ala., said he could not vote for the nomination without knowing O’Connor’s specific views on abortion. Sixteen senators voted to approve the nomination and then Denton and Sen. John East withheld their votes while they made statements explaining their decisions. East, R-N.C., then voted yes. Denton voted “present.” Denton, who had questioned O’Connor at length about her views on abortion, has said he felt frustrated because he could not determine where O’Connor was “coming from philosophically” on abortion. “I know very little about Judge O’Connor’s opinions on the grave legal issues of the day ,” Denton said in his statement today. Denton said O’Connor is a “fine lady and distinguished jurist” but said he was unable to support her nomination without knowing more about her beli~fs concerning abortion. East said he was similarly troubled but cast his vote for the nomination because he believes O’Connor to be “a conservative woman of conservative instincts .” Although she refused to disclose her specific views on the constitutionality of the 1973 Supreme ‘ Court decision legalizing abortion, East said “I feel down in my heart of hearts” that she would not have supported the ruling. East also said he was supporting the nomina – tion because