He was nominated for the Supreme Court by a popular President. Despite his experience in the federal judiciary, his nomination stirred controversy and national debate. The nominee's political views, which many considered extreme or objectionable, became a focus of the battle over his confirmation. The media attacked the nominee in what his supporters considered a campaign of distortion. Opponents made political attacks, thinly disguised as questions about the nominee's fitness. Finally, the vote in the Senate broke down largely along partisan lines. Thus the Senate rejected John Rutledge for Chief Justice of the Supreme Court in 1795.

From The Intended Role of the Senate in Supreme Court Appointments, by James E. Gauch © 1989.