Bob Bork

            In 1987 after the moderate Lewis Powell retired, President Reagan sought to replace him with a much more conservative justice. Which makes sense due to the fact that Reagan was a conservative and wanted someone with his same philosophy in the court. His choice was Robert Bork. From the announcement of the nomination, there was much skepticism and concern that surrounded Bork. During the Senate hearings Bork was torn apart. One of the most vocal critics of Bork was liberal Ted Kennedy. Kennedy accused Bork as being someone who would “force women into back-alley abortion, make blacks sit in segregated churches, and allow rogue police to make midnight raids on houses.” Kennedy didn’t stop there either. He also called out Reagan saying, “He [Reagan] should not be able to reach out from the muck of Irangate, reach into the muck of Watergate and impose his reactionary vision of the Constitution on the Supreme Court and the next generation of Americans.” In response Bork told Kennedy none of what he said was the truth and that it was ridiculous to say such things. Although what Kennedy said probably wasn’t true it was enough to convince the Senate and the American people that Bork shouldn’t be a Supreme Court justice. In the end the Senate rejected Bork’s nomination and Bork got Borked.


Source: www.nytimes.com/.../the-bork-hearings-bork-s-testimony-ends-with-panel- still-deeply-split.html



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