The U.S. Supreme Court is generally thought of as a serene haven. For Abe Fortas, that view has been obscured by some ominous clouds. When Lyndon Johnson nominated his old friend and adviser to the high court in 1965, witnesses turned the Senate confirmation hearing into a denunciation of Fortas. The Justice later distinguished himself in three court sessions, only to face more virulent—and effective—opposition last year when Johnson selected him to succeed Earl Warren as Chief Justice. Partly because of conservative disgruntlement with Fortas' liberal record and partly because of...
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