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On July 1, 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Judge Robert Bork for Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States, to succeed Lewis F. Powell Jr., who had earlier announced his retirement. At the time of his nomination, Bork was a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, a position to which he had been appointed by President Reagan in 1982.

Bork’s nomination precipitated contentious debate. Opposition to his nomination centered on his perceived willingness to roll back the civil rights rulings of the Warren and Burger courts, and his role in the Saturday Night Massacre during the Watergate scandal. On October 23, 1987, the United States Senate rejected Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court by a roll-call vote of 42–58. This is the most recent Supreme Court nomination to be rejected by vote of the Senate.[1]

Reagan subsequently announced his intention to nominate Douglas H. Ginsburg to succeed Powell, but Ginsburg withdrew from consideration following revelations of his earlier marijuana use. Instead, Reagan nominated Anthony Kennedy, who was viewed as a mainstream conservative Republican. Kennedy was unanimously confirmed in February 1988.[2]

Nomination

United States Supreme Court Associate Justice Lewis F. Powell Jr., was considered a moderate conservative, but referred to as the “swing vote” in close decisions at the time. After he announced his retirement on June 26, 1987,[3] Senate Democrats asked liberal leaders to form a “solid phalanx” to oppose an “ideological extremist” replacement for Powell. Democrats warned Reagan there would be a fight over the nomination if Bork became the nominee.[4]

President Reagan nominated Bork for Powell’s seat on July 1, 1987.[5] Bork had long been interested in the position; President Richard Nixon promised him the next seat on the Supreme Court, following Bork’s compliance in firing Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox during the controversial “Saturday Night Massacre” of October 1973. Nixon was unable to carry out the promise before his resignation on August 9, 1974.[6] When the next Supreme Court vacancy occurred in 1975 due to the retirement of William O. Douglas, civil rights groups expressed deep opposition to Bork being nominated by President Gerald Ford,[7] and Douglas’ seat went to John Paul Stevens.[8] Bork was also a finalist to be nominated in 1986 after Reagan nominated then-Associate Justice William Rehnquist to be Chief Justice of the United States following the retirement of Warren Burger, but Reagan nominated Antonin Scalia for Rehnquist’s associate justice seat. Some journalists and correspondents believed that if Reagan had nominated Bork in 1986, he likely would have been confirmed by the Republican-controlled Senate and joined the Court. However, Senate Democrats may still have fought to defeat Bork in 1986, since Republicans’ Senate majority at the time was very narrow (53–47). This implies that maybe Bork still would have been defeated in 1986, especially given that all six Republicans[a] who voted against Bork’s 1987 nomination were serving in 1986.[9]

Response to the nomination

Within 45 minutes of Bork’s nomination to the Court, Senator Ted Kennedy (D-MA) took to the Senate floor with a strong condemnation of Bork in a nationally televised speech, declaring:

Judiciary Committee review

Confirmation hearings

A heated debate over Bork’s nomination ensued, partly fueled by strong opposition by civil and women’s rights groups concerned with Bork’s perceived willingness to roll back civil rights rulings of the Warren and Burger courts, and his opposition to the federal government’s right to impose standards of voting fairness upon the states.

Bork is one of only four Supreme Court nominees to ever be opposed by the ACLU, along with William Rehnquist, Samuel Alito, and Brett Kavanaugh.[18] Bork was also criticized for being an “advocate of disproportionate powers for the executive branch of Government, almost executive supremacy”, particularly the notion of the President of the United States having unrestrained authority, especially unitary executive theory,[19] as demonstrated by his role in the “Saturday Night Massacre” when he fired the then-United States Special Prosecutor, Archibald Cox during Richard Nixon‘s Watergate scandal to protect Nixon from being investigated in the Watergate scandal. Bork’s firing of Cox was ruled illegal in Nader v. Bork, by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia soon afterwards.

During debate over his nomination, a list of videotapes Bork had rented was leaked to the press, which led to the enactment of the 1988 Video Privacy Protection Act as a response. The leak was inspired by Bork’s opposition to privacy protections beyond those explicitly outlined in the constitution. His video rental history included titles such as A Day at the Races, Ruthless People, and The Man Who Knew Too Much. The list of rentals was gathered and published by writer Michael Dolan, who worked for Washington, D.C.’s, City Paper.[20][21]

To pro-choice legal groups, Bork’s originalist views, and his belief that the Constitution does not protect a “right to privacy” were viewed as a clear signal that, should he become a justice of the Supreme Court, he would vote to completely overrule the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision Roe v. Wade. These groups also claimed that Bork’s marriage to Mary Ellen Pohl, a former Roman Catholic nun and anti-abortion supporter would allow her to influence his decisions on the abortion issue.[b] Accordingly, a large number of left-wing groups mobilized to press for Bork’s rejection, and his confirmation hearings became an intensely partisan battle. Bork was faulted for his bluntness before the committee, including his criticism of the reasoning underlying Roe v. Wade.[22] Simultaneously, however, his supporters expressed frustration that some of Bork’s most controversial and conservative views, including those on the scope of the First Amendment and the Equal Protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, as expressed in his writings and past opinions, had been suddenly moderated for his testimony before the committee.[23]

As Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, Senator Joe Biden presided over Bork’s hearing.[24] Biden stated his opposition to Bork soon after the nomination, reversing an approval in an interview of a hypothetical Bork nomination he had made the previous year and angering conservatives who thought he could not conduct the hearings dispassionately.[25] At the close of the hearings, Biden won praise for conducting the proceedings fairly and with good humor and courage, as his 1988 presidential campaign collapsed in the middle of the hearings.[25][26] Rejecting some of the arguments that other Bork opponents were making,[24] Biden framed his discussion around the belief that the Constitution provides rights to liberty and privacy that extend beyond those explicitly enumerated in the text, and that Bork’s strong originalism was ideologically incompatible with that view.[26]

Committee vote

Roll call votes to report the Bork nomination
Senator Party State Report favor­ably Report unfav­ora­bly
Joe BidenDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.DelawareNayYea
Robert ByrdDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.West VirginiaNayYea
Dennis DeConciniDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ArizonaNayYea
Chuck GrassleyRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IowaYeaNay
Orrin HatchRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.UtahYeaNay
Howell HeflinDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.AlabamaNayYea
Gordon J. HumphreyRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.New HampshireYeaNay
Ted KennedyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MassachusettsNayYea
Patrick LeahyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.VermontNayYea
Howard MetzenbaumDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.OhioNayYea
Paul SimonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.IllinoisNayYea
Alan SimpsonRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.WyomingYeaNay
Arlen SpecterRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.PennsylvaniaNayYea
Strom ThurmondRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.South CarolinaYeaNay

On October 6, the Senate Judiciary Committee held two votes on the Bork nomination. The committee first voted on a motion to send the nomination to the floor with a favorable recommendation, which was defeated 5–9. It next voted on a motion to send the nomination to the floor with an unfavorable recommendation, which passed 9–5. Republican Arlen Specter voted with the Democratic majority on both votes.[27][28]

Following the decisive vote, Bork’s political support in the Senate quickly eroded, making the nomination’s ultimate defeat all but certain, and it was widely expected that he would withdraw his name from further consideration.[23] Nonetheless, on October 9, Bork announced his belief that:

[29]

Full Senate vote

Senator Bob Graham of Florida presiding over the Senate during the vote on Bork’s nomination

On October 23, 1987, the Senate rejected Robert Bork’s nomination to the Supreme Court by a vote of 42–58.[28] Altogether, two Democrats and 40 Republicans voted in favor of confirmation, whereas 52 Democrats and six Republicans voted against.[30][31]

[30][31]
Senator Party State Vote
Brock AdamsDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.WashingtonNay
William L. ArmstrongRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.ColoradoYea
Max BaucusDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MontanaNay
Lloyd BentsenDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.TexasNay
Joe BidenDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.DelawareNay
Jeff BingamanDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.New MexicoNay
Kit BondRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MissouriYea
David BorenDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.OklahomaYea
Rudy BoschwitzRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MinnesotaYea
Bill BradleyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.New JerseyNay
John BreauxDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.LouisianaNay
Dale BumpersDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ArkansasNay
Quentin BurdickDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.North DakotaNay
Robert ByrdDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.West VirginiaNay
John ChafeeRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.Rhode IslandNay
Lawton ChilesDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.FloridaNay
Thad CochranRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MississippiYea
William CohenRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MaineYea
Kent ConradDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.North DakotaNay
Alan CranstonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.CaliforniaNay
Al D’AmatoRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.New YorkYea
John DanforthRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MissouriYea
Tom DaschleDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.South DakotaNay
Dennis DeConciniDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ArizonaNay
Alan J. DixonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.IllinoisNay
Chris DoddDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ConnecticutNay
Bob DoleRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.KansasYea
Pete DomeniciRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.New MexicoYea
David DurenbergerRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.MinnesotaYea
Daniel J. EvansRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.WashingtonYea
J. James ExonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.NebraskaNay
Wendell FordDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.KentuckyNay
Wyche FowlerDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.GeorgiaNay
Jake GarnRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.UtahYea
John GlennDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.OhioNay
Al GoreDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.TennesseeNay
Bob GrahamDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.FloridaNay
Phil GrammRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.TexasYea
Chuck GrassleyRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IowaYea
Tom HarkinDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.IowaNay
Orrin HatchRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.UtahYea
Mark HatfieldRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.OregonYea
Chic HechtRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.NevadaYea
Howell HeflinDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.AlabamaNay
John HeinzRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.PennsylvaniaYea
Jesse HelmsRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.North CarolinaYea
Ernest HollingsDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.South CarolinaYea
Gordon J. HumphreyRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.New HampshireYea
Daniel InouyeDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.HawaiiNay
J. Bennett JohnstonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.LouisianaNay
David KarnesRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.NebraskaYea
Nancy KassebaumRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.KansasYea
Bob KastenRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.WisconsinYea
Ted KennedyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MassachusettsNay
John KerryDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MassachusettsNay
Frank LautenbergDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.New JerseyNay
Patrick LeahyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.VermontNay
Carl LevinDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MichiganNay
Richard LugarRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IndianaYea
Spark MatsunagaDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.HawaiiNay
John McCainRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.ArizonaYea
James A. McClureRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IdahoYea
Mitch McConnellRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.KentuckyYea
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Howard MetzenbaumDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.OhioNay
Barbara MikulskiDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MarylandNay
George J. MitchellDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MaineNay
Daniel Patrick MoynihanDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.New YorkNay
Frank MurkowskiRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.AlaskaYea
Don NicklesRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.OklahomaYea
Sam NunnDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.GeorgiaNay
Bob PackwoodRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.OregonNay
Claiborne PellDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.Rhode IslandNay
Larry PresslerRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.South DakotaYea
William ProxmireDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.WisconsinNay
David PryorDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ArkansasNay
Dan QuayleRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IndianaYea
Harry ReidDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.NevadaNay
Donald RiegleDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MichiganNay
Jay RockefellerDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.West VirginiaNay
William RothRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.DelawareYea
Warren RudmanRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.New HampshireYea
Terry SanfordDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.North CarolinaNay
Paul SarbanesDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MarylandNay
Jim SasserDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.TennesseeNay
Richard ShelbyDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.AlabamaNay
Paul SimonDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.IllinoisNay
Alan SimpsonRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.WyomingYea
Arlen SpecterRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.PennsylvaniaNay
Robert StaffordRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.VermontNay
John C. StennisDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.MississippiNay
Ted StevensRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.AlaskaYea
Steve SymmsRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.IdahoYea
Strom ThurmondRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.South CarolinaYea
Paul TribleRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.VirginiaYea
Malcolm WallopRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.WyomingYea
John WarnerRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.VirginiaNay
Lowell WeickerRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.ConnecticutNay
Pete WilsonRepublican</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Rep.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Republican”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Rep.CaliforniaYea
Tim WirthDemocrat</span>”}]],”parts”:[{“template”:{“target”:{“wt”:”abbr”,”href”:”./Template:Abbr”},”params”:{“1”:{“wt”:”Dem.”},”2″:{“wt”:”Democrat”}},”i”:0}}]}’>Dem.ColoradoNay

Impact

President Reagan‘s address to the nation from the Oval Office regarding the Bork Supreme Court nomination on October 14, 1987

The following month, President Reagan nominated Judge Anthony Kennedy for the position on the Court (after the name of a second nominee, Douglas H. Ginsburg, was withdrawn).[32] He was subsequently confirmed by the Senate by a 97–0 vote.[33]

The Bork confirmation vote was one of the most controversial votes on a Supreme Court nominee in Senate history.[2] Unhappy with his treatment during the nomination process, Bork resigned his appellate court judgeship the following year.

In 2011, New York Times columnist Joe Nocera claimed that “[t]he Bork fight, in some ways, was the beginning of the end of civil discourse in politics. The anger between Democrats and Republicans, the unwillingness to work together, the profound mistrust – the line from Bork to today’s ugly politics is a straight one.” Nocera cited Democratic activist Ann Lewis, who wrote that if Bork’s nomination “were carried out as an internal Senate debate, we would have deep and thoughtful discussions about the Constitution, and then we would lose.”[34]

Decades later, the failure of Bork’s nomination is seen through a deeply partisan lens:

[35]

“Bork” as a verb

William Safire of The New York Times attributes “possibly” the first use of bork as a verb to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution of August 20, 1987. In fact, the word had appeared a few days earlier, in a newspaper opinion piece dated August 11.[36][original research?] Safire defines “to bork” by reference “to the way Democrats savaged Ronald Reagan’s nominee, the Appeals Court judge Robert H. Bork, the year before”.[37] This definition stems from the history of the fight over Bork’s nomination.[16] In March 2002, the word was added to the Oxford Dictionary under “bork”; its definition extends beyond judicial nominees, stating that people who bork others “usually [do so] with the aim of preventing [a person’s] appointment to public office”.

A notable use of the verb to bork occurred in July 1991 at a conference of the National Organization for Women in New York City. Feminist Florynce Kennedy addressed the conference on the importance of defeating the nomination of Clarence Thomas to the U.S. Supreme Court. She said: “We’re going to bork him. We’re going to kill him politically … This little creep, where did he come from?”[38] Thomas was subsequently confirmed after a contentious confirmation hearing.

Notes

  1. ↑ John Chafee, Bob Packwood, Arlen Specter, Robert Stafford, John Warner, and Lowell Weicker.
  2. ↑ Bork himself became a Catholic in July 2003.

References

  1. ↑ Fink, Jenni (September 26, 2020). “How Many Nominees Has the Senate Rejected From Serving on the Supreme Court?”. Newsweek. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  2. 1 2 “Powell to leave Supreme Court”. Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. June 26, 1987. p. 1A.
  3. ↑ Fuerbringer, Jonathan (June 30, 1987). “Byrd Says Bork Nomination Would Face Senate Trouble”. New York Times. Retrieved February 14, 2016.
  4. ↑ “Conservative nominated to court”. Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene, Oregon. Washington Post. July 2, 1987. p. 1A.
  5. ↑ Sherman, Mark (February 26, 2013). “Bork: Nixon Offered Next High Court Vacancy in ’73”. Yahoo! News. Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 28, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
  6. ↑ “A Woman To Replace the ‘Irreplaceable’?”. The San Francisco Examiner. November 23, 1975. p. 181 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ↑ Greenhouse, Linda (July 17, 2019). “Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, Who Led Liberal Wing, Dies at 99”. The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved July 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Somin, Ilya (December 20, 2012). “The Volokh Conspiracy”. Retrieved December 20, 2012.
  9. ↑ Reston, James (July 5, 1987). “WASHINGTON; Kennedy And Bork”. The New York Times. Retrieved April 28, 2008.
  10. ↑ Segal, Jeffrey A. (1988). “Amicus Curiae Briefs by the Solicitor General during the Warren and Burger Courts: A Research Note”. The Western Political Quarterly. 41 (1). SAGE Publications: 135–144. doi:10.2307/448461. JSTOR 448461.
  11. ↑ O’Connor, Karen (1983). “The Amicus Curiae Role of the U.S. Solicitor General in Supreme Court Litigation”. Judicature. 66: 256–264. Retrieved August 30, 2019.
  12. ↑ Damon W. Root (September 9, 2008). “Straight Talk Slowdown”. Reason. Retrieved October 26, 2008.
  13. 1 2 Miranda, Manuel (August 24, 2005). “The Original Borking”. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  14. ↑ Chaddock, Gail Russell (July 7, 2005). “Court nominees will trigger rapid response”. Christian Science Monitor. Retrieved August 10, 2007.
  15. ↑ “New Views Emerge of Bork’s Role in Watergate Dismissals”. The New York Times. July 26, 1987.
  16. ↑ “The Bork Tapes Saga”. The American Porch. Archived from the original on October 9, 2007. Retrieved August 17, 2007.
  17. ↑ Peterson, Andrea (April 28, 2014). “How Washington’s last remaining video rental store changed the course of privacy law”. The Washington Post. Retrieved January 8, 2018.
  18. ↑ Manning, Jason. “34. The Bork Nomination”. The Eighties Club. Archived from the original on January 6, 2006. Retrieved May 19, 2010.
  19. 1 2 Almanac of American Politics. 2008. p. 364.
  20. 1 2 Bronner, Ethan (1989). Battle for Justice: How the Bork Nomination Shook America. W. W. Norton. ISBN 0-393-02690-6. pp. 138–139, 214, 305.
  21. 1 2 Greenhouse, Linda (October 8, 1987). “Washington Talk: The Bork Hearings; For Biden: Epoch of Belief, Epoch of Incredulity”. The New York Times.
  22. ↑ “Judiciary Committee Votes On Recent Supreme Court Nominees”. Washington, D.C.: U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  23. 1 2 McMillion, Barry J. (March 8, 2022). “Supreme Court Nominations, 1789 to 2020: Actions by the Senate, the Judiciary Committee, and the President” (PDF). Washington, D.C.: Congressional Research Service. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 19, 2019. Retrieved March 10, 2022.
  24. ↑ “Bork Gives Reasons for Continuing Fight”. The New York Times. Associated Press. October 10, 1987.
  25. 1 2 “Senate’s Roll-Call On the Bork Vote”. The New York Times. Associated Press. October 24, 1987. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  26. 1 2 “Senate Rejects Bork, 58–42: Six Republicans Bolt Party Ranks to Oppose Judge”. Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. October 23, 1987. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  27. ↑ “Reagan, on 3rd Try, Picks Californian for High Court: “Bit Wiser” After Two Defeats”. The Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. November 11, 1987. Retrieved June 3, 2019.
  28. ↑ “Senate confirms Kennedy: Reagan’s 3rd choice for Supreme Court OK’d unanimously”. The Milwaukee Journal. Associated Press. February 3, 1988. Retrieved June 3, 2019 – via Google News.
  29. ↑ Nocera, Joe (October 21, 2011). “The Ugliness Started With Bork”. New York Times.
  30. ↑ Senior, Jennifer (September 22, 2020). “The Ginsburg-Scalia Act Was Not a Farce”. The New York Times. No. 9/22/2020.
  31. ↑ Stone, Chuck (August 11, 1987). “Borking the Constitution”. Index-Journal. Greenwood, South Carolina. p. 4.
  32. ↑ WILLIAM SAFIRE (May 27, 201). “ON LANGUAGE: Judge fights “borking” needed to stop court packing? THE END OF MINORITY”. New York Times. p. SM12. ProQuest 383739671.
  33. ↑ “The Borking Begins”. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 17, 2007.

Further reading