O’Connor: Senator presses for clear views on abortion

WASHINGTON (AP) – Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O’Connor said today she thinks teen-age girls should consult with their parents before seeking abortions, but refused to endorse mandatory parental consent. “It is my personal view that I would want the child to consult the parents,” Mrs. O’Connor raid as she completed her part in the confirmation hearings. Asked by reporters as she left the hearing room for her assessment of the proceedings and her confirmation chances, Mrs. O’Connor replied, “I hope OK.” Her comment on parental consent came during a tense and prolonged questionand-answer session with conservative Sen. Jeremiah Denton, R-Ala., who previously had pressed Mrs. O’Connor for her personal and legal views on abortion. Denton was cut short by Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Strom Thurmond, R-S.C., when Denton tried to quiz Mrs. O’Connor about what President Reagan knew about her abortion views before selecting her as the first woman on the nation’s highest court. “The subject we are considering here is her fitness for the position for which the president selected her,” Thurmond told Denton. How she was selected, he said, “is his business, not ours.” Denton originally was allotted 15 minutes to pose his questions, but was given an additional 45 minutes by Thurmond. However, saying he felt frustrated because he could not determine “where you’re coming from philosophically” on abortion, Denton said, “I feel quite frustrated that these matters have not been fully developed.