Bob Bork
Others more qualified than I will tell you about his monumental contribution to the law, and there is no doubt he will be remembered for a very long time. My favorite measurement of a man’s significance is the number of enemies he stimulates and the desperate measures to which they resort in order to destroy him. By this measure, Bork was a giant. The vulgar campaign against his nomination to the Supreme Court–spearheaded by Senator Ted Kennedy and embraced by Senator Joseph Biden–was so intense that it produced a new verb “to bork,” to describe the actions of political lynch mobs.
Bob was one of the great public intellectuals, but unlike most deep thinkers he had a fabulous sense of humor, featuring timing so perfect that I once told him that he’d missed his calling. Instead of wasting his time with issues of Constitutional Law, he should have been a stand-up nightclub comedian. He presented the annual AEI award to Justice Thomas one year, and the introduction/presentation was the equal of any Hollywood roast. That sparkling wit stayed with him to the end, even as his body gave way and he was increasingly immobile.
He loved good movies, especially detective films, and happily watched the tv series about Nero Wolfe, based on the great Rex Stout novels. He was delighted when we gave him a copy of “The Usual Suspects,” which he had somehow missed.
Like many great legal thinkers, he had an uncanny ability to get to the heart of complicated moral and philosophical issues, which you can see on display in his books about the degeneration of American culture. They are so unrelentingly gloomy that I once asked him if there wasn’t at least one central ingredient in our culture that he thought worth saving. There was! “Absolutely,” he replied instantly…”the martini.” He knew a lot about martinis, and if you had the time he’d explain its history, its mystery, and its proper handling and shaking. But of course he was often horrified by the “barbaric” additions of unworthy fruits and veggies to his favorite drink. No doubt the worst of his afflictions was the requirement he abandon the martini. Second worst was having to give up the inhalation of burning tobacco leaves.
He took great pride in his service in the Marine Corps. Hardly anybody knows that he was a tanker, but he regaled us with stories about his time curled up inside the armored tin can, as with his skill on the tuba. Yes. If only he’d given Senator Kennedy a few good oompahs…
The good news is that there will be 16 Marines at graveside Saturday, which will please him.
He bore his long illness with a mixture of self-deprecation, anger, and wit, he delighted in good food always, he maintained his fabulous intellect to the end, and we always came away from visits with the knowledge that we had been in the presence of a great American. It would not have been possible for him to bear his burdens as well as he did without his deep faith and his great love, both of which flowed from Mary Ellen, a truly remarkable woman, and the kids. I have a special bond with Ellen, who was working with me while her dad was being tortured by the Senate Judiciary Committee…
Lucky man. And lucky us, to have known him.
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See also Roger Kimball’s tribute.
With his passing … I wonder , If he had been on the court, would America be
a different nation ? Rest in peace Robert Bork , I pray your Torch has been passed
to another worthy patriot ..God bless your family and loved ones .
Robert Bork was a fine legal scholar and we all lost when he was not appointed to the Supreme Court. Senator Ted Kennedy prevented Robert Bork from being appointed to the Supreme Court. Among other things, he screamed that Bork would take us back to when abortions were illegal, would have opposed the Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, whose “penumbras” protected privacy. Kennedy revealed in his denunciation that he himself knew that Roe v. Wade did not follow from the constitution. Of course, Bork on the Court could not have opposed Roe v. Wade since it had already been decided!
(Thank goodness that Senator Kennedy was distracted by a murder in his family so that he could not oppose the appointment of Clarence Thomas to the Court, as he said he would have done.)
” Of course, Bork on the Court could not have opposed Roe v. Wade since it had already been decided!”
Of course what you said isn’t true, the Court can always overturn it’s own precedent.
And too bad Senator Kennedy was not around to block the nomination of Chief Justice John Roberts
Bork’s genius wasn’t legendary. It was mythical.
Yes it was. An actual originalist would have had a history of striking down laws which conflicted with the 10th amendment.
An actual originalist sounds a lot like Justice Clarence Thomas.
Sure wish we would have had Bork instead of Kennedy on the court all these years.
When you take a look at those who did not wind up on the Supreme Court, of any country, because of political correctness – we are dealing with a hefty amount of cultural horsepower.
I thank Judge Bork for his life, and what might have been.
Judge Bork was an honorable man who was viciously attacked by the corrupt Kennedy machine. The Kennedys are the true American experts on character assassination and vitriol. Bork however will always be seen as the better and more noble man than Ted Kennedy, a man of no ethical or moral principle. His intellect and probity will always be a beacon to what a decent America looks like. Requiescat in pace.
Bork’s middle name should have been Jerimiah because that is exactly who he proved to be.
And the Great America is so lucky to have you and others of this great sort, Dr. Michael Ledeen, when today She lacks to “the brave and noble men”, and has became awash with cowards and defeatists those who do not want to continue the fight for their nation’s safety, rights and security…those who do not want to continue the fight for saving their freedoms and great values…those who do not want extent the help hand to the nations that are suffer the worst kinds of persecution and violence under an evil small group of tyrants and Islamic radicals. The Great United States of America in her great history, has always extended a helping hand to other nations that have suffered.
May his soul rest in peace. My deepest sympathy to you and to his family. God bless you, Michael. We are really lucky to have you as great advocate of freedom and human rights.
“Those who deny freedom to others deserve it not for themselves.”
- Abraham Lincoln
Sweet.
Robert Bork followed Nixon’s orders to fire Archibald Cox during the Saturday Night Massacre. He put Politics above Principle. He was complicit in thwarting Justice. Robert Bork wasn’t good enough for the Supreme Court.
Just a hunch that “Je me souviens” might be a Quebecer, seeing as this is the motto of “la belle province.” Sadly, his/her opinion is all too typical of the Leftard piffle that comes out of Quebec.
I’m with the other posters. Robert Bork was a fine man and a fine judge and, sadly, proved the adage that no good deed goes unpunished, especially when there’s a Kennedy around to do the flogging.
Actually I’m from New Hampshire. I remember that he stood in the way of Justice when he followed Nixon’s orders to fire the men who were trying to uncover Watergate. He had the chance to do the right thing and he chose to do the wrong thing.
I guess I could have called myself “Ich erinnere mich” but it doesn’t sound as good.
You could have called yourself “Yappa-Chappaquiddick” If Robert Bork did not deserve to be in the Supreme Court because of an alleged moral lapse then Teddy and Bobby should have continued in Papa Joe’s “truck cleaning” business.
Quebec and New Hampshire are neighbours; perhaps you’ve seen those Je Me Souviens license plates too much.
You might like, JMS, to “remember” and comment on what’s been going on vis a vis the Benghazi scandal, wherein four Americans died because of the Administration’s inaction and its later coverup of its ineptitude. No one died because of Watergate. Je me souviens that a number of Nixon’s aids went to jail.
Four Americans, including an Ambassador, died in Benghazigate and the ramifications of Obama’s foreign “policy” (sic) in the Middle East is proving to be disastrous, not only for the region but for America’s credibility and security. As for Oblahblah’s aids and Secretary of State, their stories don’t match and one conveniently faints, hits her head resulting in a concussion, and gets a doctor’s letter precluding her being questioned on Capitol Hill about her role in Benghazigate.
It’s interesting how selectively nous nous souvenons, n’est-ce pas?
Those who actually remember this period in American history understand that Bork fired Cox to avoid a Constitutional crisis. Bork had considered resigning himself, but was encouraged not to do so by the departing Richardson and Ruckelshaus, who also encouraged him to fire Cox so that the process could play out. Far from “standing in the way of justice,” Bork’s firing of Cox allowed the legal and judicial process to move forward in an orderly way. Jaworski was then hired to take up Cox’s portfolio. He did. And we know the rest.
Great points. Additionally, we should realize for many on the Left Watergate was their “War”. To listen to them reminisce about the affair is akin to listening to your grandpa’s stories about his time in WWI. But, unlike Belleau Wood, or Anzio, or Khe Shan, Watergate was a ridiculous chapter in our history.
One of President Reagan’s biggest mistakes was not nominating Bork in 1981; instead, he went with Sandra Day O’Conner – the safe choice. Big mistake.