“The debate may have devolved into partisanship but there were underlying conflicting views of risk,” Ropeik said. The disagreement was “how large a role [in assessing risk] should facts have in comparison with values and fears.”

Graham agreed that the debate hung on an intellectual issue, pointing to the number of Democrats—13—who crossed party lines to support his nomination.

But Joan B. Claybrook, the president of Public Citizen, said that she thought the Democrats in question were reluctant to oppose Bush’s nominee and that Republicans felt duty-bound to back Bush.

Durbin explained during his floor speech that he had rarely acted to oppose a President’s nominee.

“I think it is the first time in my senate career…where I have spoken out against a nominee and attempted to lead the effort to stop his confirmation,” Durbin said. “Many members of the Senate will give the President his person, whoever it happens to be,” he said.

Graham said he was relieved to finally be confirmed. “I knew it could take a while, but I was expecting closer to Memorial Day,” he said.

But according to Claybrook, Public Citizen’s scrutiny of Graham will continue.

“Graham was the epitome of science for sale,” Claybrook said. “Now we’re forming a group to watch what regulation Graham is nixing early on, and what type of influence he is exerting behind the scenes,” she said.

—Staff Writer David H. Gellis can be reached at gellis@fas.harvard.edu.