Newspaper article, Scottsdale Daily Progress, The Kauffman-Henry Collection
O’Connor courts key officials to defuse opposition
WASlllNGTON (AP)-Sandra D. O’Connor, still silent on abortion and other substantive questions, is courting the nation’s political leaders In hopes of defusing any opposition to her Supreme Court nomination. ‘lbe 51-year-old Arizona appeals court judge, whose past stances on abortion and women’s rights have come under fire from conservative groups, was scheduled to meet with several key senators on Capitol Hill this afternoon, after a morning visit with Attorney General William French Smith at the Justice Department.
After their meeting, O’Connor and Smith spoke briefly to reporters. “We’re In planning my schedule for the week,” she said, adding, “It’s a great pleasure to have the opportwrity to meet with so many members of the Senate.” O’Connor was asked about the issue of abortion. She acknowledged that it was a “sensitive area,” but declined further comment. Smith said, “We don’t anticipate there should be any problem at all” with O’Connor’s confirmation. He said controversial issues, such as abortion, will be addressed “in due course.” After meeting reporters, Smith said, O’Connor was to be introduced to senior staff members of the Justice Department. Then, accompanied by the attorney general, she was to begin her courtesy calls on Capitol Hill. “I’ve tried to be candid and will continue to try to be so” in Senate Judiciary Committee hearings that now may be delayed until september, O’Connor said Monday at an airport news conference arranged by White Hous aides. “I
O’Connor Confirmed as first Woman on Supreme Court
The Senate confirmed Sandra D. O’Connor as the first woman U.S. Supreme Court justice yesterday by a vote of 99 to 0. O’Connor will be sworn in Friday as the 102nd justice of the court. At 51, she will be the youngest member of a court now dominated by men in their late 60s and early 70s, a court assembled by six different presidents: Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford and now, Ronald Reagan. I. The historic Senate action came early yesterday evening without real debate. Only one senator, Max Baucus (D-Mont.), did not THE WASHINGTON POST vote. Baucus has been a strong supporter of the nomination but was in Montana when the roll call was taken. The only issue of the day was which senator could sing the highest, longest and moet effusive praises for O’Connor and President Reagan. And thus what began in July as one of the president’s moet controversial decisions ended as one of his least difficult encounters with Congress. Some suspense had remained about whether a few senators might cast negative votes or abstain because of opposition to O’Connor from antiabortion forces. But even that doubt was swept away by O’Connor’s performance in confirmation hearings, lobbying by Reagan and an increasingly evident desire among a few undecided to avoid spoiling the party. “Some colleagues said I’d be laughed out of the Senate if I voted against her,” Sen. Jeremiah Denton (R-Ala.) said in an interview before casting his vote for confirmation. Denton, a staunch antiabortion senator who
Newspaper article, Phoenix Gazette, The Kauffman-Henry Collection
O’Connor Confirmation Seems Sure
WASHINGTON – From her first moment in the congressional spotlight to her final day of testimony, Sandra Day O’Connor quickly disarmed her conservative opposition and set the stage for this week’s Senate vote on her Supreme Court nomination. As a result, Judge O’Connor, chosen by President Reagan to become the first woman on the high court, is likely to be confirmed with barely a ripple of opposition. Admittedly, a strong feeling in Congress that it is time to end 191 years of all-male domination of the high court is giving Judge O’Connor’s nomination an added boost. SUPPORT FOR the nomination also has crossed party lines. ”I have finally found an issue on which I can agree with Sen. (Barry) Goldwater,” said Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., a member of the Judiciary Committee. Goldwater, R-Ariz., is an avid supporter of Judge O’Connor, an Arizona Appeals Court judge. A vote is scheduled Tuesday in the Senate Judiciary Committee with confirmation in the full Senate likely the next day. Congress also was expected this week to receive Reagan’s latest rounds of budget cuts, including a proposal to cut $13 billion from the defense budget. THE SENATE planned to vote on a new attempt to break a liberal-led filibuster against a ban on school busing, while the House was schedrled to consider legislation that would increase milit.ary pay scales. The strongest challenges to Judge O’Connor’s nomination . ca.me almost exclusively from the increasingly powerful organizations – including the
Newspaper mention, The Kauffman-Henry Collection, Washington Star
O’Connor Class Rank Not All that Certain
STANFORD, Calif. (UPI) – Stanford University officials said yester• day -that Sandra D. O’Connor , Presi• dent Reagan ‘s .choice for the Supreme Court, may not have been No. 3 in her law school class after all. When the name of the Arizona judge was first mentioned for the post last week, it was reported she ranked third in the Stanford Law School class of 19S2, the year Justice William Rehnquist ranked first. The school issued a press release dated July 7 that reiterated this information – “a clear error in editorial judgment on our part” because the information was not checked, Stanford News Service Director Robert Beyers said yesterday. Law School Dean Charles Meyers said he has “no notion” of the indi vidual rankings and that O’Connor told him she “never knew what her class standing was.” Beyers said all that is certain is that O’Connor was one of 10 from that class elected to the Order of Coif, which comprises the top 10 per• cent of the class . He said at least three people have claimed to have finished second in that class , and that Rehnquist does not claim first place listing in the bi ography he filed with the Supreme Court.
Letter to the editor, Mesa Tribune, The Kauffman-Henry Collection
O’Connor Cartoon Ludicrous
Editor: Keith Akins’ cartoon of Sandra O’Connor directing redecorating of the Supreme Court chambers is not funny-it’s ludicrous! This woman has spent 30 years turning herself into an excellent, well-respected jurist. Let’s recognize that fact as we would for any high court nominee, and quit dragging out the old 1950’s sitcom cliches. Diana K. Jaquette Mesa
Newspaper article, Prescott Courier, The Kauffman-Henry Collection
O’Connor awaiting approval
WASHINGTON (AP) -Sandra Day O’Connor awaited easy confirmation by the Senate today as the first woman on the Supreme Court. The chairman of the Judiciary Committee predicted the vote would be unanimous. As the Senate opened debate on President Reagan’s first high court nomination , there was praise for Mrs. O’Connor from both liberals and conservatives. Even. Sen. Jesse Helms , R-N.C., an archconserva tive foe of legalized abortions , said he would vote for Mrs. O’Connor. He said he had been personally assured by the president that . Mrs. O’Connor believes the 1973 Supreme Court decision legalizing abortion was wrong . “I will vote for the confirma – tion of Mrs. O’Connor because I have faith in the president of the United States ,” Helms said . And liberal Democrat Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said that , “by • this vote the Senate rejects the would-be tyranny of the New Right and reaffirms the vital principal of the independenc~ of the judiciary .” He has praised Reagan for naming a woman. The Judiciary Committee chairman, Sen. Strom Thurmond , R-S.C., said that despite some lingering opposition over her views on abortion, he expecte d not a single negative vote would be cast. Thurmond said on the Senate floor that Mrs. O’Connor, as a former state legislator and Arizona appeals court judge , believes that “laws are changed by the Congress and not by the federal courts .” Sen. Barry Goldwater , R-Ariz., said those who sought to block Mrs. O’Connor’s nomination be- •Cause of her