Mrs. O’Connor Makes the Scene

The grumbles largely turned to pledges of support last week as Sandra Day O’Connor made her way, judiciously, around Capitol Hill. She apparently assuaged supporters of restrictions on abortions by declaring that she personally opposed the medical procedure.

At the same time, moderate-to-liberals were pleased to hear her declare that, for Justices of the High Court, legal prececents should outweigh personal beliefs. ”I think she’ll be confirmed” as the first woman on the United States Supreme Court, said Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina, Judiciary Committee chairman. ”I expect to support her.”

The Moral Majority might or might not remain in the minority on the nomination. At one point, a spokesman said that the group’s initial opposition to Mrs. O’Connor was a mistake, adding: ”We should have shut up and not said anything.” After apparently concluding that he shouldn’t have said anything again, he later denied that the group was dropping its objections. At weeks’s end, the Rev. Jerry Falwell said he hadn’t made up his mind yet, apparently because conservative Senator Jesse Helms, an ally of the lobbying group, hasn’t made his mind up either.