The Senate yesterday postponed
its vote on Clarence Thomas’
Supreme
Court
nomination
for one week to investigate
allegations he sexually harassed
a former aide. Thomas “totally
and unequivocally” denied the
accusation.
The
embattled
nominee
requested
a
delay
to
“clear
my name” as several crucial
Democratic supporters said they
could not vote for him until the
allegations were aired.
Senate Majority Leader George
Mitchell
of
Maine
said
the
allegations should be “publicly
and fairly resolved.”
Anita Hill, a law professor who
says Thomas made repeated lewd
remarks to her when she worked
for him a decade ago, said she
would cooperate with the Senate.
“I intend to go to Washington if it
is requested,” she said.
Thomas appeared to be a sure
bet for confirmation until Hill’s
allegations became public over
the weekend. Since then, several
Thomas opponents have urged
new
committee
hearings
to
investigate Hill’s allegations.
Thomas supporters had initially
fought a delay, but relented when
it became clear there might not be
enough support for confirmation if
the Senate voted yesterday. “I can
count,” said Senate Republican
leader Bob Dole of Kansas.
The decision to delay the vote
capped a dramatic and remarkable
day
which
saw
the
Senate
agonizing not only over how to
proceed with the nomination but
also with the larger issue of its
sensitivity to the issue of sexual
harassment.
Even as they reluctantly agreed
to the delay, Republicans vented
anger that a private committee
report on Hill’s allegations was
leaked to the media. Sen. Hank
Brown
(R-Colo.),
a
Judiciary
Committee
member,
said
he
would demand appointment of a
special prosecutor to investigate
unspecified violations of Senate
rules.
Under the agreement reached
yesterday night, the vote on the
Thomas nomination was delayed
exactly one week, until 6 p.m. EDT
Oct 15.
Mitchell said the delay was
“to give time for further inquiry
into this matter by the Judiciary
Committee.” He did not say what
action the committee would take.
Seven of 13 Democrats who
had announced their support for
Thomas — Alan Dixon of Illinois,
Richard Bryan and Harry Reid
of Nevada, Joseph Lieberman
of Connecticut, J. James Exon
of Nebraska, Wyche Fowler of
Georgia, and Richard Shelby of
Alabama — all called for a delay in
the vote.
If supporters forced a vote, “this
senator would be in a position
to vote against the nomination,”
Bryan said. Exon said he would
either abstain or vote against
Thomas if the vote were held
yesterday.
Danforth proposed that the
Senate Judiciary Committee take
testimony from Thomas and Hill.
Mitchell met privately with
Dole and others as a growing
number
of
senators
urged
postponement.
Sen. Joseph Biden (D-Del.)
chairperson
of
the
Judiciary
Committee, reversing his earlier
position, joined the call.
President Bush, asked in late
afternoon if he was standing by
the nomination, said, “You’re darn
right.”
Thomas remained out of public
view. Danforth released a sworn
affidavit in which the nominee
said, “I totally and unequivocally
deny Anita Hill’s allegations of
misconduct of any kind toward
her, sexual or otherwise.”
“At
all
times
during
the
period she worked with me,
our
relationship
was
strictly
professional,”
Thomas
said. “During that time and
subsequently, the relationship has
been wholly cordial.”
“These allegations are untrue,”
Thomas said in the affidavit he
had signed earlier in the day. “I
am terribly saddened and deeply
offended by these allegations.”
Hill,
flanked
by
three
bodyguards and surrounded by
reporters
and
photographers,
made her way into the University
of
Oklahoma
Law
School
yesterday afternoon, declining to
answer questions.
2A — Wednesday, October 10, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
News
TUESDAY:
By Design
THURSDAY:
Twitter Talk
FRIDAY:
Behind the Story
WEDNESDAY:
This Week in History
MONDAY:
Looking at the Numbers
Last
week,
Democratic
gubernatorial
candidate
Gretchen Whitmer released
her
health
care
proposal
which included a provision to
raise the statewide legal age
for purchasing tobacco from
18 to 21, an issue that has seen
bipartisan support on the
University of Michigan.
Currently, Ann Arbor is just
one of two localities where
the legal tobacco purchasing
age is already 21, along with
Genesee County. While this
policy may be uncommon
within Michigan, it is rapidly
gaining popularity across the
greater United States, and
has already been enacted
in several states, including
California, New Jersey and
Oregon.
Whitmer
explained
her
rationale for supporting the
bill, citing the importance of
public health. She said she
believes it is an issue both
parties can get behind.
“The facts show that this
is an issue that everyone,
regardless of party, should
get serious about,” Whitmer
told The Daily. “The leading
cause of death in adults
under 70 is tobacco, and 95
percent
of
adult
smokers
started smoking before they
turned 21. If we want to keep
Michiganders
healthy
and
lower tobacco-related deaths
in Michigan, we’ve got to
raise the tobacco-purchasing
age.”
The
University
of
Michigan’s
chapter
of
College
Democrats
supported Whitmer’s stance,
according to Public Policy
junior
Cathrine
Kelly,
communications director for
the organization. Kelly echoed
Whitmer’s health concerns
and agreed Michigan needed
t lower smoking rates.
“This
policy
is
already
local law in Ann Arbor and
it helps deter young people
from starting up this deadly
habit,” Kelly said. “We have
high rates of tobacco use in
Michigan and raising the
legal age will help to reduce
that.”
Democrats
are
not
the
only ones in favor of this
policy. LSA sophomore Dylan
Berger,
president
of
the
University’s
chapter
of
College
Republicans,
said
it
would
help
Michigan’s
public health and that he fully
agreed with Whitmer on this
issue.
“I would hope that my
fellow
Republicans
in
The
Central
Student
Government
convened
for
their sixth meeting of the
year
Tuesday
to
discuss
the confirmation of various
member positions, as well as
highlight goals surrounding
Election Day on Nov. 6.
The meeting began with
Speaker
of
the
Assembly
Austin Glass in conjunction
with CSG President Daniel
Greene introducing potential
new members to the assembly.
Twelve
members
were
put in front of the assembly
for a presentation of their
credentials
as
well
as
a
question-and-answer
style
discussion
before
each member voted on the
confirmation
of
the
new
member. All 12 members were
confirmed to the government.
Among
other
topics
of
discussion
included
a
motion
proposed
by
Ben
Gerstein, LSA representative
and
sophomore,
for
CSG
to purchase and distribute
stamps for students to use
for voting related purposes,
such
as
mailing
absentee
ballots. Following discussion
and revisions, the motion
was approved unanimously
by the assembly. According to
Gerstein, the stamps would be
distributed to give increased
voting access to students.
“What we would like to
do is purchase stamps and
envelopes and distribute them
to students so they have the
resources they need to have
no excuse, and to avoid not
sending in a by-mail ballot,”
Gerstein said.
The meeting ended with a
series of resolutions including
acquiring room reservations
on campus to allow students
easier access to poll training
for Election Day, as well as
a resolution to allow for full
financial
transparency
of
CSG spending to students.
These were moved to be
discussed at a later date.
Whitmer proposes raising tobacco
purchasing age to twenty-one
Central Student Government votes
on new members, highlights goals
Current legal age for to purchase is 18, new proposal met with support
CSG to purchase and distribute stamps for absentee ballots, voter registration
ZACK BLUMBERG
Daily Staff Reporter
ATTICUS RAASCH
For the Daily
THIS WEEK IN HISTORY: SENATE DELAYS VOTE ON THOMAS NOMINATION
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See SMOKING, Page 3A