Quote:
Originally posted by Penske_Account
He wasn't opposed by women at large but by a small rabid cabal of shreiking harpies who are so far outside the mainstream as to make the American Communist Party look centric. They lied about and distorted his record and should be ashamed. Eventually Roe will be overturned and that will be their just reward.
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At the time, by a 52-42 count Americans agreed with the Court's pro-choice view.
And Bork did himself no favors during his hearings:- In his five days of testimony -- the longest confirmation hearing for any Supreme Court nominee since hearings began in 1939 -- Bork surprised everyone. He modified many of his most controversial views. Whereas in 1971 he had argued that constitutional protection of free speech applied only to that which was political in nature, in 1987 he conceded that First Amendment guarantees applied to news, opinion, literature and more. He had claimed that the "equal protection" clause of the Fourteenth Amendment should apply only to racial and not gender discrimination; during the hearing he stated that equal protection should in fact apply also to women. Bork's approach to the hearing was in keeping with the decision by the White House to avoid an ideological fight and tout the nominee as a moderate. This soft sell did not sit well with Bork's supporters, his detractors, or the undecided senators.
The Reagan administration screwed up the nomination by trying to recast Bork as a moderate, which was laughable and insulting. In contrast, Anthony Kennedy, whose nomination was opposed by NOW, was easily confirmed.
