On the #Judiciary Cmte, which she joined during her 1st #Senate term, #Feinstein became known as an independent-minded vote.

During the #Bush admin, she opposed the noms of #SCOTUS justices #JohnRoberts & #SamuelAlito, several candidates for #FederalBench, & AG #AlbertoGonzales. But sided w/ #Republicans on noms incl’g… #MichaelMukasey —despite his refusal to describe #waterboarding as #torture —& fed appeals court judge #LeslieSouthwick, whose nom was opposed by #CivilRights & #GayRights grps.

By the city’s succession laws, #Feinstein was elevated to mayor, an office she held for 9yrs before losing a bid for California governor in 1990. 2 yrs later, she won election to the #Senate, where she rose to become chairwoman of the #Intelligence Cmte & the top #Democrat on the #Judiciary Cmte. During >3 decades in office, she delivered muscular support as well as withering criticism of the #CIA, helped mold the #FederalBench, & championed an #AssaultWeaponsBan….