Epilogue. Prologue -- "I'm not from the South, I'm not a woman, and I'm not mediocre" -- "An abiding passion" -- "I think Abe would be a good chief justice" -- Recruiting the "wizard of ooze" -- "I am doing everything within my power to curb this wild court" -- "We will ... vote against confirming any Supreme Court nominations of the incumbent president" -- Rematch of the Warren wars -- Red Monday -- Rematch with LBJ -- Going the distance with the "president's fixer" -- "Mr. Obscenity" -- "Republicans should adhere to the principles of the party of Lincoln" -- "I ruined his life" -- "Screaming for his scalp" -- "The least considered aspect of presidential power" -- "Douglas is the next one ..." -- "I'm not from the South, I'm not a woman, and I'm not mediocre" -- Epilogue.
Summary:
"1968 was a particularly tumultuous year in American history. The escalating war in Vietnam, the riots during the Democratic Convention, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr.and Robert Kennedy left a scar on the national consciousness. But one great battle that took place during this time is barely recalled. The nomination of Abe Fortas for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court launched an all-out cultural war that would determine the course of major court cases for years to come. Award-winning judicial journalist and Supreme Court reporter Michael Bobelian brings us right into the halls where this fierce battle raged, pitting Lyndon Johnson and the Democratic Party against Richard Nixon and the GOP in a fight that ended in the defamation of Fortas, the first Jew ever nominated for the highest judicial office. Written in vivid detail, the narrative unfolds in a series of dramatic vignettes, from the landmark ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education to the chaos on the floor of the Democratic Convention. Readers are given a behind the scenes look at the camaraderie among the retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren, Lyndon Johnson, and Fortas--and will witness, with them, the rise of Richard Nixon as the fate of the liberal court is decided"-- Provided by publisher. "1968 was a particularly tumultuous year in our country's history. The escalating war in Vietnam, the riots during the Democratic Convention, and the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy left a scar on our national consciousness that has yet to heal. But one great battle that took place during this time is barely recalled. The nomination of Abe Fortas for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court launched an all-out cultural and societal war that would determine the course of major court cases for years to come. Award-winning judicial journalist and Supreme Court reporter for Forbes Magazine Michael Bobelian brings us right into the halls where this fierce battle raged, pitting Lyndon Johnson and the Democratic Party on one side, and Richard Nixon and the GOP on the other. A battle that ended in filibuster, defamation, and disgrace of Fortas, the first Jew to ever be nominated for the highest office in our judicial system. Written in vivid, colorful detail, the narrative unfolds in a series of dramatic vignettes, from the chaos on the floor of the Democratic Convention, to the landmark ruling of Brown vs. Board of Education. We are given a behind the scenes look at the camaraderie among the retiring Chief Justice Earl Warren, Lyndon Johnson and Fortas, and witness, with them, the rise of Richard Nixon as the fate of the liberal court is decided. BATTLE FOR THE MARBLE PALACE is a gripping account of a little known, but crucial, event in our nation's history, as well as a portrait of the man-in-the-middle of it all, whose career was thrown into the balance yet maintained his loyalty throughout weeks of grueling interrogations and accusations"-- Provided by publisher. "'1968: That moment began the politicization of the confirmation process and turned it into the ugly ritual we know too well'. Faced with the pending resignation of Chief Justice Earl Warren, the Supreme Court's longtime liberal kingpin, President Lyndon Johnson named his longtime adviser Abe Fortas to become Warren's successor. What Washington pundits believed would be a routine confirmation instead ignited a fractious war between liberals and conservatives eager to seize control of the judicial body. Michael Bobelian reveals the extent of the unprecedented machinations perpetrated to capture the Court, including LBJ's removal of two justices to make room for his favorites, the Senate's first filibuster against a Court nominee, Strom Thurmond's airing of pornographic movies to showcase Fortas's purported moral turpitude, and Richard Nixon who, in his zeal to win the presidency, stoked the fires of hatred and bigotry to transform the Court into a political weapon."-- Jacket.
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