[sinkspur]

You knew Scalia and Thomas would handle the pressure because of their history of having done so throughout their lives.

I didn't know about Clarence Thomas. His paper trail was thin, George HW Bush hailed him as "the best candidate available," when it was clear he was replacing the black member of the SC, and he lied in his hearings, when he said that he had never discussed Roe v. Wade with anyone.

So, Thomas was an unknown quantity to me, though I did rally to him when Anita Hill entered the picture.

[wmfights]

The point with Justice Thomas was he had been a strong conservative in a liberal world most of his life. He had been ridiculed because of his beliefs, but he maintained them and grew stronger. He was not going to be pressured by "group think" once he had a lifetime appointment and wanted to be accepted and liked by the majority of his peers.