Bork

So, on the principle that if you can't say anything nice, you're probably better saying nothing at all, I'd intended to pass over the recent passing of Judge Robert Bork in silence. After all, Toobin's obituary  pretty much covers it, I thought:

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/postscript-robert-bork-1927-2012.html

Then last night saw another piece that seemed worthwhile sharing for its perspective of someone who knew Bork:

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/09/robert-borks-tragedy/


So, any time you find yourself thinking about all the damage Justice Scalia has done on the Supreme Court over the course of his long tenure, remind yourself that it cd have been much, much worse. So far as I know, Scalia has never broken the law, never deliberately subverted the Constitution, never acted on the basis that if the president does it, by definition that makes it legal (and then reversed himself when someone from the other party became president).

His passing also reduces to a handful the few remaining Nixon cronies*: Kissinger and Buchanan are the only two I can think of offhand.

--JDR


*whose hundredth birthday this week has once again seen efforts by Nixon apologist to scrub his record.