The nation's oldest civil rights group's opposition to the second black ever nominated for the U.S. Supreme Court showed the depth of emotion generated by the selection of Clarence Thomas to replace retiring Justice Thurgood Marshall. In announcing the N.A.A.C.P.'s decision last week, chairman William Gibson praised Thomas' personal success in rising from rural poverty in Georgia to the federal Court of Appeals but criticized his "insensitivity to giving those who may not have any bootstraps the opportunity to pull themselves up as well." Translation: liberal activists view Thomas' skepticism toward affirmative action as a fatal flaw. Within hours, the AFL-...
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