Rep. Clyburn: I Blew It on Clarence Thomas

James Clyburn now says one of the biggest calls of his career was flat-out wrong. The longtime Democratic congressman from South Carolina told NBC's Meet the Press over the weekend that his robust support of Clarence Thomas's nomination to the Supreme Court in 1991 was a mistake, reports the Guardian. "I had no idea that Clarence Thomas would rebel the way he has against his own background and experiences," said the congressman. "He was raised by his grandfather, and he has shown very little sensitivity to the environment his grandfather grew up down in Pin Point, Georgia."

Clyburn said he incorrectly believed Thomas's civil-rights record at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission signaled a justice who would respect legal precedents like Brown v. Board of Education. During the confirmation hearing, he essentially served as a character witness for Thomas, notes Above the Law. "I have made mistakes in my life, and that's one that I made," said Clyburn. "And I will own up to that mistake." Clyburn's comments came as he endorsed growing calls among Democrats—particularly Kamala Harris—to expand the Supreme Court from nine to 13 justices, calling 13 "a pretty good number." Still, Clyburn said if Democrats retake the House, their first priority should be economic accessibility, not court expansion.