the interest groups had already staked out their positions and were spending all their time trying to manipulate the process that they spoke of with words of such concern and reverence. A Contest About Power The scalding contest was not only about race and sex, and women and men. It was about power, and who knows how to use it more effectively. The answer so far is, still, the Republicans. "The Democratic chair and the Democratic side of the aisle fell over on their fannies, "said Harriett Woods, the head of the National Women's Political Caucus who was once a Democratic candidate who ran against Senator John C. Danforth of Missouri, Judge Thomas's main backer. "The White House and the Republican side knew what to do with the hearing. " While the vote on Tuesday is expected to be close, there was a strong sense among Professor Hill's backers that Judge Thomas came out of the hearings