11
The Conservative Revolution
O
ne of the ways in which a kinder and gentler country started
to emerge was the passage, on July 26 , 1990 , of the Americans
with Disabilities Act. This law prohibited discrimination against indi-
viduals with physical or mental disabilities in employment and in the
use of public facilities. Bush also appointed Clarence Thomas, an
African-American, to the Supreme Court. Thomas replaced Thurgood
Marshall, the fi rst African-American to serve on the high court, who
had been appointed by President Johnson in 1967 and retired in 1991. In
televised hearings, Thomas faced questions about his alleged sexual
harassment of Anita Hill, who had worked in his office, his ability, and
his highly conservative views. Nevertheless, the Senate confi rmed his
nomination by a vote of 52 to 48.
The appointment of what seemed like an inferior candidate for the
Supreme Court in order to improve his standing with black and conser-
vative voters, and the grilling of a woman by an all-male committee over
sexual harassment, damaged Bush’s reputation among many Ameri-
cans. Even worse, the economy throughout his administration appeared
to be in a worrisome decline. Unemployment escalated, approaching ten
percent in some states, and the deficit kept getting worse. In an effort
to control the deficit, Bush made one of his most serious mistakes
when he agreed, in 1990 , to a budget deal with the Democrats to raise
$ 134 billion in new taxes over five years. This was a reversal of a prom-
ise he made before his election that he would not raise taxes: “Read my
lips, no new taxes,” he had said. His subsequent action horrifi ed his