[Verginius Rufus]

January 22, 1973, was also the day that LBJ died--two days after his term would have ended if he had been re-elected in 1968 (but the stress of office might have caused him to die sooner than he actually did in retirement).

If LBJ had had more SC picks, the pro-abortion vote might have been more lopsided. Earl Warren might have still be on the court instead of Burger (he waited to retire when there was a Republican President).

[scrabblehack]

No he didn’t.
LBJ wanted to promote Abe Fortas, no?
And promote Homer Thornberry to the Fortas seat?
But then scandals came out about Fortas (I don’t recall what they were) and the nomination was withdrawn and Fortas resigned as associate justice as well.
Nixon got to replace Warren and Fortas.

[scrabblehack]

Harry Blackmun was not Nixon’s first choice to fill the Fortas seat. At least two southerners were floated. Democrats called one of them “mediocre.” Roman Hruska (R-Neb.) said that even mediocre Americans deserved representation on the High Court.