Bob Bork
by DR. MICHAEL LEDEEN December 21, 2012
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.
What I will remember most fondly about Bob is his unique sense of humor, his uncanny ability to get to the heart of complicated moral and philosophical issues, his love of great movies, and his great pride in his service in the Marine Corps.
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.
Lucky man. And lucky us, to have known him.
****
See also Roger Kimball's tribute.
Dr. Michael Ledeen is the Freedom Scholar at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. He is also a contributing editor at National Review Online. Previously, he served as a consultant to the National Security Council, the State Department, and the Defense Department. He has also served as a special adviser to the Secretary of State. He holds a Ph.D. in modern European history and philosophy from the University of Wisconsin, and has taught at Washington University in St. Louis and the University of Rome.
He is author of more than 20 books, the most recent include: Accomplice ot Evil: Iran and the War Against the West; The War Against the Terror Masters; The Iranian Time Bomb; Machiavelli on Modern Leadership: Why Machiavelli's Iron Rules Are As Timely and Important Today As Five Centuries Ago, Tocqueville on American Character: Why Tocqueville's Brilliant Exploration of the American Spirit Is As Vital and Important Today As It Was Nearly Two Hundred Years Ago; and, Freedom Betrayed: How America Led a Global Democratic Revolution, Won the Cold War, and Walked Away.
Dr. Ledeen regularly appears on Fox News, and on a variety of radio talk shows. He has been on PBS's NewsHour and CNN's Larry King Live, among others, and regularly contributes to the Wall Street Journal and to National Review Online. He has a blog on Pajamasmedia.com.
Join FSM and stay informed. Get your daily Security Update delivered each day to your e-mail.
Prediction zing: Who's up for another round of ‘why was Jay Carney late'?
May 22, 2013 01:45 PM
Another day, another tardy appearance by Clown Carney. https://twitter.com/KatiePavlich/status/337254546613088256 https://twitter.com/rheeyongju/status/337256634134974464 https://twitter.com/nilesinvt63/status/337259127707418625 https://twitter.com/MonicaCrowley/status/337254933650878465 Once again, Twitter users have some ideas. https://twitter.com/KudzuCarl/status/337254585032908801 https://twitter.com/MushKat/status/337254773457829891 https://twitter.com/Rhondako/status/337255391463358465 https://twitter.com/mwerner89/status/337257968577961986 https://twitter.com/maxnrgmike/status/337255626663149568 And a prediction: Worth the wait? https://twitter.com/whpresscorps/status/337257734057648130 Zing! Related: Mockery gold: Empty chair becomes empty podium; ‘Where in the world is Jay Carney?' [pics] #ReasonsCarneyIsLate: Why is Clown Carney late for briefing? […]
Harry Reid: If you want to strengthen Social Security, support immigration reform [Vine video]
May 22, 2013 01:33 PM
Coming from the same man who said passing Obamacare would strengthen the health care system but is now agreeing with Max Baucus that it could be a train wreck, it might be wise to remain highly skeptical of Harry’s guarantees. The “immigration reform will strengthen Social Security” argument contains the same short-term-only accounting techniques and […]
#LynchMob: Dem. Rep. Lynch smacks down lying liar Douglas Shulman
May 22, 2013 01:31 PM
And how! Massachusetts Democrat Stephen Lynch pulled no punches this morning in his questioning of former IRS commissioner Douglas Shulman. Shulman twisted and squirmed, but Lynch only tightened his grip: Lynch to Shulman: Did you confer with Miller before testifying. Shulman: To the best of my knowledge I did. Lynch: Lerner? Shulman: No.— Sirius U. […]
Sarah Palin whacks IRS, White House for ‘going rogue in the wrong direction'
May 22, 2013 01:05 PM
Sarah Palin knows something about Going Rogue, and, in a new Facebook post, she isn't buying the excuse that abuses at the IRS were initiated by lower level employees acting on their own: The president would like us to believe that he only learned about the IRS corruption from watching the news. But we recently […]
Rep. Cummings: Let's not turn the IRS hearing into a ‘partisan attack.' Also, BUSH!
May 22, 2013 12:18 PM
On Wednesday morning, Dem Rep. Elijah Cummings urged his colleagues to refrain from partisan attacks during the IRS hearing. "I urge my colleagues to refrain from turning this investigation into a partisan attack" ~Cummings #IRS— Michelle Ray (@GaltsGirl) May 22, 2013 That didn’t last long. And right after Cummings says "don't make this a partisan […]
FSM Archives
blog comments powered by Disqus