March 16, 1970:
In 1970, Carswell sought a Senate seat in Florida but lost the GOP primary.
As the Senate is in the process of debating the nomination of Judge G. Harrold Carswell as an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court — to fill the seat vacated by Abe Fortas — Nebraska Republican Roman Hruska says in a TV interview, "Even if he [Carswell] were mediocre, there are a lot of mediocre judges and people and lawyers. They are entitled to a little representation, aren't they? We can't have all Brandeises and Frankfurters and Cardozos."
The Senate will reject Carswell's nomination on April 8 by a vote of 51-45, giving President Nixon a second consecutive setback; in 1969, it rejected Nixon's choice of Clement Haynsworth.
Today in Campaign History is a daily feature on Political Junkie.
Comments
Discussions for this story are now closed. Please see the Community FAQ for more information.