Senators who opposed current Supreme Court Justices

[Rose Siding]

Interesting that the only 2 who faced significant opposition were members of the Felonious Five. (Al Gore voted against them both) All the "no" voters are recorded here-

John Paul Stevens (nominated by Ford; confirmed by Senate 98-0 on 12/17/75)

Sandra Day O'Connor (nominated by Reagan; confirmed by Senate 99-0 on 9/21/81)

Rehnquist (nominated by Reagan to be chief justice; confirmed by Senate 65-33 on 9/17/86):

Dems -- Baucus (MT), Biden (DE), Bingaman (NM), Bradley (NJ), Burdick (ND), Byrd (WV), Cranston (CA), Dodd (CT), Eagleton (MO), Exon (NE), Glenn (OH), Gore (TN), Harkin (IA), Hart (CO), Inouye (HI), Kennedy (MA), Kerry (MA), Lautenberg (NJ), Leahy (VT), Levin (MI), Matsunaga (HI), Melcher (MT), Metzenbaum (OH), Mitchell (ME), Moynihan (NY), Pell (RI), Riegle (MI), Rockefeller (WV), Sarbanes (MD), Sasser (TN), Simon (IL)

GOP -- Mathias (MD), Weicker (CT)

Antonin Scalia (nominated by Reagan; confirmed by Senate 98-0 on 9/17/86)

Anthony Kennedy (nominated by Reagan; confirmed by Senate 97-0 on 2/3/88)

David Souter (nominated by the first President Bush; confirmed by Senate 90-9 on 10/2/90):

Dems: Adams (WA), Akaka (HI), Bradley (NJ), Burdick (ND), Cranston (CA), Kennedy (MA), Kerry (MA), Lautenberg (NJ), Mikulski (MD).

Clarence Thomas (nominated by the first President Bush; confirmed by Senate 52-48 on 10/15/91):

Dems: Adams (WA), Akaka (HI), Baucus (MT), Bentsen (TX), Biden (DE), Bingaman (NM), Bradley (NJ), Bryan (NV), Bumpers (AR), Burdick (ND), Byrd (WV), Conrad (ND), Cranston (CA), Daschle (SD), Dodd (CT), Ford (KY), Glenn (OH), Gore (TN), Graham (FL), Harkin (IA), Heflin (AL), Inouye (HI), Kennedy (MA), Kerrey (NE), Kerry (MA), Kohl (WI), Lautenberg (NJ), Leahy (VT), Levin (MI), Lieberman (CT), Metzenbaum (OH), Mikulski (MD), Mitchell (ME), Moynihan (NY), Pell (RI), Pryor (AR), Reid (NV), Riegle (MI), Rockefeller (WV), Sanford (NC), Sarbanes (MD), Sasser (TN), Simon (IL), Wellstone (MN), Wirth (CO), Wofford (PA).

GOP: Jeffords (VT), Packwood (OR).

Ruth Bader Ginsburg (nominated by Clinton; confirmed by Senate 96-3 on 8/3/93):

GOP: Helms (NC), Nickles (OK), Smith (NH)

Stephen Breyer (nominated by Clinton; confirmed by Senate 87-9 on 7/29/94):

GOP: Burns (MT), Coats (IN), Coverdell (GA), Helms (NC), Lott (MS), Lugar (IN), Murkowski (AK), Nickles (OK), Smith (NH)

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4775207

via
http://politicalwire.com/archives/2005/07/28/who_snubbed_current_justices.html

This information has Rehnquist and Scalia confirmations on the same day- can that be right? That *might* explain why dems chose to seriously challenge only one.