short-lived. In 1981, she was selected by President Reagan to replace retiring Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart. Her supporters included Attorney General William French Smith, Chief Justice Warren Burger, Arizona Senator Barry Goldwater, and former Stanford classmate, Justice William Rehnquist. One other factor in her favor was that President Reagan had decided that he wanted to become the first President to appoint a female Supreme Court Justice. The main opposition to her appointment ironically came from some of Reagan's strongest supporters: the conservative and pro-life factions. While a state senator, O'Connor had acquired a reputation as a moderate conservative who generally supported women's rights and who had sometimes supported abortion rights. In fact, in 1970, she had voted to repeal a state law making abortion illegal. Conservative Republicans and pro-life activists declared her nomination a "disaster" and a "betrayal" of their cause.
Arizona Republicans and Democrats alike came to her defense, arguing that she was in no
...