VOL.101,NO.38
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
STATE
TICAL SOCIETY
AS 66612
THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF THE UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS
WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER16, 1991
(USPS 650-640)
ADVERTISING:864-4358
NEWS:864-4810
Senate confirms Thomas
Unresolved charges spark heated debate
The Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Clarence Thomas won senate confirmation to the Supreme Court nightlight on a 52-to-48 vote, overcoming explosive accusations of harassment in becoming the second African American justice in history.
Thomas will take his seat as the 106th justice, a staunchly conservative successor to one of the court's last liberals, thanks in part to crucial support from Southern Democrats.
The vote ended one of the angriest, most emotionally charged confirmation.
Thomas said that he wanted to put the ordeal behind him.
Now it's time to heal
"This is more a time for healing, not a time for anger or for animus or animosity," Thomas said, standing outside his house with his wife, Virginii
sue his house with his wife. "I guess I
'guess in so many ways, as I say to
my wife so many times, 'I'd like to
thank America.' Thomas said."
Anita Hill, a University of Oklahoma law professor, had accused Thomas of making unwanted advances and humiliating her with lewd remarks a decade ago when she worked for him at the Education Department andEqual Enforcement. Her surprise charges brought an abrupt叫 to the Senate's plans to vote on Thomas' nomination a week ago.
Even while voting for Thomas, Sen.
Nancy Kassebaum, R-Kan., one of two women in the Senate, said that
Thomas would live under a cloud of suspicion and would never fully escape.
nomas emphatically denied the charges and complained he was the victim of a "high-tech lynching." The nation watched as the accusations were spelled out in explicit detail and nationally televised hearings.
Immediately after the vote, President Bush called to congratulate Thomas. Thomas had watched the televised district at home in Alexandria.Va.
"You're a wonderful inspiration, and you had the overwhelming support of the American people," Bush said, according to press secretary Marin Fitzwater. "You have a lifetime of service to your country ahead. Well done." Barbara Bush also congratulated Thomas.
"What I hope is that none of this will deter others from coming forward. This is an important issue and the dialogue will not stop here," she said.
In Oklahoma, Hill said that she was satisfied that she had been able to tell what she knew to be true. She also said she was pleased that national awareness of sexual harassment had been raised.
A conservative court
Thomas' confirmation strengthens an already solid conservative majority on the court. Liberals now will be outnumbered seven to two. The court is likely to continue moving to the right on issues such as abortion, separation of church and state, and the rights of criminal suspects.
"It's a sad day for civil rights, for the Supreme Court and for the American
people," said Ralph Neas of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a coalition of 180 organizations that opposed Thomas.
with the outcome in doubt until the final hours, Vice President Dan Quayle rushed back from a political trip to Ohio to sit as the presiding officer and cast a tie-breaking vote if necessary. It was not needed.
Help from Democrats
The visitors' galleries were packed but hushed as senators rose, one by one, to cast their votes.
Thomas won confirmation with support from 41 of the Senate's 43 Republicans. Eleven Democrats also supported Thomas. Sens. Sam Nunn, D-Ga.; Wyche Fowler Jr., D-Ga.; Charles Robb, D-Da.; J James Exon Neb. Alan Dixon, D-Neb. Ben Breaux, D-La. J Bennett Johnston, D-La. David Boren, D-Okla; Ernest Hollings, D-S.C.; and Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz.
Sens. James Jeffords, R-Vt. and Bob Packwood, R-Ore.; cast the only Republican votes against Thomas.
it was the closest vote for a successful Supreme Court nominee since 1888 when Lucius Q. C. Lamar was confirmed on a 32-28 vote.
Three Democrats who had supported Thomas before Hill's charges were made public switched sides and voted against him: Harry Reid, D-Nev.; Richard Bryan, D-Nev.; and Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn.
Lieberman A federal appeals court judge in Washington, Thomas was nominated to succeed retired Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American on the high court. Court sources said Thomas likely would be sworn in Monday morning.
Debating to the end
Hill's charges defined the final hours of Senate debate.
"If we make a mistake today, the Supreme Court will be living with it and the nation will be living with it for the next 30 to 40 years," argued Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass. "To give the benefit of the double threat, Thomas is to say that Judge Thomas is important than the Supreme Court."
However, Democrats Exon and Dixon said that Hill failed to conclusively prove her allegations against the mayor in days of Judiciary Committee hearings.
"The person being accused gets the benefit of the doubt," Dixon said. "Judge Thomas is entitled to the presumption of innocence."
Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W Va., said that he had been prepared to vote for Thomas but changed his mind after watching Hill on television.
"In my judgment, the weight of the evidence supports Judge Thomas," said Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., who will fill a hole of Hill during the weekend hearings.
Thomas is the first high court nominee to win Senate confirmation without the endorsement of the Judiciary Committee, which refused on a 7-7 vote to recommend his confirmation.
Republicans continued to assail Hill's credibility.
"I believe Anita Hill." Byrd said. "If there is a cloud of doubt, this is the last chance."
"If we vote against Clarence Thomas,we vote for a process which is clearly wrong."
Sen. John Danforth, R-Mo.
52-48margin is closest ever
"Yes" votes: Democrat 11 Republican 41 No" votes: Democrat 46 Republican 2
"No matter how difficult or painful, this is a time for healing in our country."
-Clarence Thomas after his confirmation
"The nation and the court benefit from having a man of principle who is sensitive to the problems and opportunities facing all Americans." -President Bush on Thomas after his confirmation.
Stenhen Kline/KANSAN
KU opinion divided about approval of Thomas; few people are surprised
Kansan staff writer
By Alexander Bloemhof Kansan staff writer
Opinion at the University of Kansas about the confirmation of Judge Clarence Thomas as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court is as sharply split as the Senate's vote.
The Senate voted 52-48 yesterday in favor of Thomas. Despite the close vote, few students were surprised by the confirmation.
Anita Hill, professor of law at the University of Oklahoma, had alleged that Thomas sexually harassed her when she was his aide at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission a decade ago.
when the allegations became public, the Senate delayed the confirmation vote to conduct hearings on Hill's allegations during the weekend.
"I'm not really that surprised." Raleigh said. "Honestly, I had some reservations about him based on the original hearings. I just don't think he was one of the best candidates.
Tom Raleigh, Watervliet, N.Y. graduate student, said he had expected a close vote.
"My main reaction to the hearings over the weekend was to the conduit"
and the way
and things came out.
I felt a
revulsion with
the politics of
the committee.
Melissa Rhoades.
Shawnee senior, said the confidant worked not hardened and had not worked properly.
Tom Raleigh
property. Rhodes said that putting Thomas in such a difficult position was not how the system should work.
However, Philip Kissam, professor of law, said it was appropriate that politics played a significant role in the confirmation hearings.
"Our constitutional practices invite, if not require that," he said.
But Kissam said he thought the hearings had made people more aware of sexual harassment.
"I'm hoping that it will be an educational event for Americans as far as sexual harassment goes," Kissam said.
Juanita Taylor, St. Louis sophomore, said the weekend hearings had made her sympathetic toward
Thomas.
"I don't agree with all his views, but what he was going through was wrong," Taylor said. "I'm glad I knew I should be formed in order to clear his name."
Juanita Taylor
P a u l u s
Prabowo, Jakarta, Indonesia, sophomore, agreed.
"I think he deserved to win." Prabowo said. "The case happened 10 years ago, and there is lack of witnesses to say that he committed the sexual harassment."
Mariquil Madlock, Kansas City, Kan, sophomore, said he had mixed feelings about Hill's allegations and Thomas' confirmation.
"from his past record, 'I don't feel he's the best person,' Madlock said. "He does not fully represent African-Americans and other minorities."
Lisa Hicks, Cawker City senior and former head of College Republicans, disagreed
"I think he will prove to be an excellent Supreme Court justice,
Hicks said.
"Like most people after watching Anita Hill's case, we was kind of concerned."
"But when Thomas got on the stand and corroborating
Melissa Rhoades
witnesses appeared, I was even more confirmed."
"The process shows that it needs to be fixed," Levy said. "But there are no easy solutions because it has become so political."
Hichard Levy, professor of law, said the whole process from the nomination of the candidate to the confirmation by the Senate needed to be reformed.
He said he had no personal opinion about Thomas.
"We'll just have to hope that he's the man that his supporters think he is," Levy said, "and not the man that his opponents think he is."
Regents offer ideas to cut spending at state universities
By William Ramsey
state legislators yesterday suggested raising out-of-state tuition and eliminating some schools or programs as possible ways to save money at Board of Regents institutions.
Kansan staff writer
The suggestions were made after legislators questioned whether money-saving steps that Regents schools have taken are enough.
Members of the Legislature's Special Committee on Ways and Means and Appropriations met with Stanley Kopilk, Regents executive director, to discuss improving efficiency in the Regents system.
spending, more than $32 million.
The meeting with Kopik came after the Regents decision to ask the 1992 Legislature for a 9 percent increase in the
Koplik pointed to efforts by the Regents at lowering energy costs and halting growth in the number of degree programs.
At the meeting, Kopik outlined steps that were taken in the past to increase efficiency at Regents universities.
Kopik told the committee that it. addition to cutting energy bills, the Regents had saved about $1 million and his move to limit degree programs.
degree programs.
Del Shankel, KU executive vice chancellor, agreed that the Regents programs had worked.
"The institutions clearly have saved a lot of money." Shankel said.
discontinued in the past three years. The Regents would not add new programs until at least March 1992, he said.
Shankel said KU only had cut two degree programs — personnel administration and a graduate degree in biophysics — in the past 10 or 12 years.
He said that 10 degree programs at the six Regents universities had been
12 years KU's plans to cut costs have been successful and will continue, he said.
"I hope that we are going to be able to convince people that we operate effectively and efficiently with our limited resources," Shankel said. "I think we do."
Koplik said that a large amount of
simply by minimizing degree programs.
"You have to go after an entire school, a college within a university",
State Sen. Gus Bogina, R-Shaween, then told Kolipik that such efforts might be proposed. For example, KU and Kansas State University have civil engineering programs, and Bogina said only one was necessary.
Koplik said.
nursery of KU's department of civil engineering, said he disagreed with Bogina.
"I really can't see how that would save money." he said.
Consolidating the two programs would cost more than maintaining them because new facilities would need to be built, Rofa said.
Rolf said it would be more expensive to consolidate the programs and still serve the same amount of interested students.
save money, be president.
Bogina and State Sen. Paul Fele-
ciano, D-Wichita, also mentioned possible increases in tuition for out-of-state students at Regents institutions.
"Something needs to be done about that," Peleciano said. "I think it has to be looked at, and some hard decisions have to be made."
I thank Kansas education has to be attractive to bring bright students from other states," Fulcher said.
The Associated Press contributed information to this story.
Koplik said the Regents did not disagree and might propose tuition increases in the future.
Darren Pulcher, KU student body president, said yesterday that the Student Advisory Committee suggested to the Regents last month that they limit increases in tuition for out-of state students.
INSIDE
Senators Dole and Kassebaum cast "yes" votes for the confirmation of Clarence Thomas to the Supreme Court.
- Seestoryp.10