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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