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The first POD comes in 1986. When Ronald Reagan elevates William Rehnquist to Chief Justice, he names Robert Bork to replace him as Associate Justice. After a bitter debate the Republican Senate narrowly approves Bork. The second POD is Reagan's selection of Antonin Scalia to replace Lewis Powell on the Supreme Court in 1987. In 1989, in the case of Johnson vs Texas, Supreme Court majority of Rehnquist, White, Stevens, O Conner and Bork upholds laws that ban the burning of the US flag. In 1990, George HW Bush names David Souter to the Supreme Court. The third POD is that Souter starts voting as a liberal in the 1990-1991 term. The fourth POD is that Thurgood sees the need to preserve the liberal majority and decides not retire. He changes his mind after Bill Clinton is elected. Clinton names African American Appeals Court Judge Harry Edwards to the Court in 1993. Later that same year, he names Ruth Bader Ginsberg to replace Byron White. In 1994, he selects Stephen Breyer to replace Harry Blackmun. In 2000's Boy Scouts vs Dale, Justices Stevens, Souter, Edwards, Ginsberg and Breyer signed the majority opinion that required the Boy Scouts not to discriminate against gays. This decision angered social conservatives and allowed George W. Bush to rally religious conservatives. Higher turnout by the religious right is given credit for Bush's popular vote victory as well as his winning the states of Florida, New Mexico, Oregon, Iowa and Wisconsin. (There is no Bush v Gore. ) In 2005, Bush choose John Roberts to replace Rehnquist and Samuel Alito to replace Sandra Day O Connor. In 2007, the majority of Stevens, Souter, Edwards, Ginsberg and Breyer overturned the ban on partial birth abortion. Justices Stevens, Souter, Edwards, Ginsberg and Breyer ruled in 2008's District of Columbia vs Heller that there is no individual right to own a gun. President Obama replaced David Souter with Sonya Sotomeyer in 2009. That same year, he replaced Harry Edwards with Georgia Chief Justice Leah Ward Sears, one of the most prominent African American lawyers. In 2010, Justices Stevens, Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomeyer and Sears upheld restrictions on political spending by corporations and unions in the Citizens United case. Later that year, Justice Stevens retired and was replaced by Elena Kagan. In 2012 Justice Bork died and was replaced by Jacqueline Nguyen. The court finally looked like America with women in the majority and White, Black, Hispanic and Asian members. In 2014, Justices Ginsberg, Breyer, Sotomeyer, Sears, Kagan and Nguyen signed a majority opinion in the Hobby Lobby Case that required the company to provide birth control coverage for their employees.
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