O’Connor stresses personal views, denies any promises on court votes

Washington-Supreme Court nominee Sandra Day O’Connor told senators yesterday she had not made any promises to President Reagan about how she would vote as a justice. Judge O’Connor expressed strongly conservative views on a wide range of social issues, but she continued to say her personal views were beside the point. The Arizona Judge spent a second five-hour day before the Senate Judiciary Committee, and appeared close to winning over the few remaining skeptics on that panel. Senator Charles Grassley (R, Iowa), who had appeared to be a potential opponent, told her near the end of the session that he was having to struggle to find reasons to vote no when the committee votes on her nomination, probably next Tuesday. He even suggested that he might see her be!ore the committee again, for promotion to the chief justiceship. For now, she has been nominated only to be one of the eight associate justices. Another skeptic, Senator Jeremiah A. Denton (R, Ala.), told her that his review of her personal life had shown her to be “pretty much an ideal woman.” Mr. Denton apparently will be the last senator to question Judge O’Connor. He has a final 15-minute round scheduled before s~e is finished as a witness today. The committee plans to end its hearings by early afternoon. Only one potential challenger, Senator John East (R, N.C.), seemed reluctant to embrace her nomination openly yesterday. He told her of his frustration that she would not discuss the controversial Supreme Court ruling