IMO part of the problem was, there was still a strong norm around "you can only block justices for being unqualified". So the Senate couldn't just say "We're blocking Bork because we don't like his philosophy" (and for that matter, because of firing Cox). They had to portray him as personally unfit.
If he was fit to serve on SCOTUS, (as Nixon promised in return for firing Cox) Ford should have nominated him immediately after Nixon's departure....he didn't.
gotta say Tom, some of your followers on the blue skies are spicy 🌶️🔥
Bork’s role in the Saturday Night Massacre broke a **strong** norm. Dems defended the Republic. Being democrats, they did it clumsily and in a way that let partisans like Tom beat them up over it (ask me how I, a life-long dem, know this). www.history.com/this-day-in-...
I am trying to be civil here: you dont get to start the clock at “the dems broke this norm”. That is bad faith reasoning. Dems defended the Republic. They did a shitty job of it. Tom and Jay still have hurt feefees over it. But the GOP is solely responsible for what it had become.
he WAS fucking unfit. firing cox was enough... to screw bork over, professionally speaking. he did that to himself, trying to please tricky dick. & for nordlinger to say nixing bork is how we got bove is patently fucking ridiculous. you got bove cuz mitch mcconnell is an asshole. the end.