How many Democrats were in the Senate when Thomas was confirmed?

[kentuck]

When Clarence Thomas was confirmed by the Senate to sit on the Supreme Court, he won by the closest vote ever, 52 - 48. Eleven Democrats voted for him. That means he would have gotten 41 votes without the Democrats. Did the Republicans have less Senators at that time than the Democrats do at present. I do not recall if or how many Repubs voted against Thomas? But the issue is not whether the Democrats win back the Senate but what are they willing to fight for if they do win back the Senate. Last time we had a majority, a lot of good it did us...

[dsc]

1. It was 56 to 44 in favor of Democrats

though Bush was at close to 90% popularity. Dems split 45 to 11 while Repubicans split 3 to 41.

[Selatius]

2. Thomas was confirmed before both the House and Senate turned Repub

It indicates how much dischord and disunity existed in the Democratic Party by the late 1980s and early 1990s, and I'm sure there was more than enough vote buying and bribery going around. It was only a matter of time before the Republicans defeated them by casting themselves as the reformers and a breath of fresh air in a stale room.

[GoldenOldie]

4. I well remember Biden's ass kissing support of Thomas

He is just doing a replay for Alito. He doesn't agree with......but he will vote for. How do you vote for something you don't agree with?

[teryang]

5. I watched every day, it was a disgrace

Biden is a corporate whore.

[Selatius]

6. Well, Maryland is home to credit card companies

They no-doubt were fairly big spenders on his election campaigns.

[teryang]

8. Biden represents Delaware, the corporate HQ of mulitinational...

...corporations. This state is notorious for favoring opaque corporate regulation. That is why the multinationals go there.

[Selatius]

9. Oops, sorry for nixing the wrong state n/t

[tsuki]

7. I did also, until 2 in the morning. Got to see the blow up when they

attacked one of the witnesses from Texas. Biden did not impress me then, he sure as H*** does not impress me now.

[TahitiNut]

12. Biden voted AGAINST Thomas.

:shrug:

[never_get_over_it]

3. I seem to remember that 5 Dems voted for Thomas

and on of them was Charles Robb my Senator at the time and I swear to God to this date I think the repunks had something on him - because there was NO REASON FOR HIM TO VOTE YES for Thomas.

on edit:

"The Senate voted to confirm Thomas on October 15, 1991, by a vote of 52 to 48, the closest confirmation vote in this century's history."

http://www.supremecourthistory.org/myweb/justice/thomas.htm

[TahitiNut]

11. Eleven. (see below)

[dsc]

15. They did

he was an adulterous coke head.

[never_get_over_it]

17. No it was something other than that

we knew he was an adulterous coke head - well I'm not sure he was a coke head - no I actually think it was something other than that that could have led to criminal charges but not exactly sure what it was....

[TahitiNut]

10. Here's the roll call vote ...

http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=102&session=1&vote=00220

Eleven "Democrats" voted 'Yea' - eleven corrupt zell-outs!
Bob Packwood (R-Or) was the ONLY Repukelicker who voted 'Nay' - the ONLY one!

Yeas - 52
Bond (R-MO)
Boren (D-OK)
Breaux (D-LA)
Brown (R-CO)
Burns (R-MT)
Chafee (R-RI)
Coats (R-IN)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cohen (R-ME)
Craig (R-ID)
D'Amato (R-NY)
Danforth (R-MO)
DeConcini (D-AZ)
Dixon (D-IL)
Dole (R-KS)
Domenici (R-NM)
Durenberger (R-MN)
Exon (D-NE)
Fowler (D-GA)
Garn (R-UT)
Gorton (R-WA)
Gramm (R-TX)
Grassley (R-IA)
Hatch (R-UT)
Hatfield (R-OR)
Helms (R-NC)
Hollings (D-SC)
Johnston (D-LA)
Kassebaum (R-KS)
Kasten (R-WI)
Lott (R-MS)
Lugar (R-IN)
Mack (R-FL)
McCain (R-AZ)
McConnell (R-KY)
Murkowski (R-AK)
Nickles (R-OK)
Nunn (D-GA)
Pressler (R-SD)
Robb (D-VA)
Roth (R-DE)
Rudman (R-NH)
Seymour (R-CA)
Shelby (D-AL)
Simpson (R-WY)
Smith (R-NH)
Specter (R-PA)
Stevens (R-AK)
Symms (R-ID)
Thurmond (R-SC)
Wallop (R-WY)
Warner (R-VA)


Here's a trivia question: How many of these Quisling "Democrats" are still in the Senate?

[kentuck]

13. And the only one left is Shelby of Alabama....

and he's now a Republican...

[TahitiNut]

16. It'd be interesting to compare the 'survival rates' of those eleven to the

... other Democrats. I'm betting the 9% survival rate of those eleven is far, far lower. The fact of the matter is that, even in 'red' states, a Quisling doesn't gain support.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. Dupe n/t

[Hippo_Tron]

24. I did the research

Boren (D-OK), Breaux (D-LA), Exon (D-NE), Hollings (D-SC), Johnston (D-LA), and Nunn (D-GA) all retired.

Robb (D-VA) and Fowler (D-GA) were both defeated by Republicans.

DeConcini (D-AZ) retired but would probably have been defeated due to a scandal.

Dixon (D-IL) was unseated in the democratic primary by Carol Moseley Braun largely because of his vote for Thomas.

Shelby (D-AL) became a Republican.

[never_get_over_it]

14. Thanks!

OK I could look it up but my guess is Shelby only....

[depakid]

18. Gee, almost every one a Southerner

Who'd have thought?

[TahitiNut]

21. I'd call 'em "bible-belt-bigots" ... panderers to the privileged.

Clarence Thomas is a "house n____" and the poster boy for "knowing your place" in the Plantation Culture of the American Banana Republic.

[Hippo_Tron]

19. It was a different era and a different court

We already have 3 neocons on the court (Scalia, Thomas, and Roberts) and one conservative who comes to his sense on occasion (Kennedy). Back then the balance was not as right wing as it was today.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Did the Thomas hearings last a lot longer

or is that just my imagination?

I seem to remember them dragging on for weeks.

[Snivi Yllom]

22. Thomas was far more controversial and is less qualified than Alito

and he was confirmed

times have changed