Robert Bork Quotes
It is impossible to design a constitution that is so perfect that no one has to be good.
Robert Bork, U. S. Solicitor General, Judge, U. S. Court of Appeals, Washington DC, Speech, C-SPAN American Perspectives, September 6, 2005
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
The English Constitution is not as binding on the English government as is the Amercan Constitution. In the English system, the government in power can override the constitution although the rarely do so out of respect for the system. In America, the Constitution is much more controlling and hence would be seen to count for more. In many third world countries, the ruler can “suspend” the constitution in a national emergency.
In 2012 the Republicans controlled the House but not the Senate or the White House. As the nation grows, the Congressionally voted budgets have implications and the budget ceiling has to be raised to balance the two. That had always been a bipartisan process over the life of the nation. However, the Republicans in the House decided that they would hold the debt ceiling legislation hostage to pressure the Senate and the White House to pass legislation that the majority of the Senate and the President thought was bad for the country. Krugman advised the President and the Senate to resist giving in to this blackmail even if the debt ceiling was hostage to their demands.
There are a number of reasons for punishing someone for violating a law. Confucius argues that when the person will no longer continue to commit the crime, further punishment is uncalled for. However, others would argue that there are other reasons to keep punishing a person including retribution / vengeance, incapacitation (people can’t commit crimes if they are in jail), and prevention (make an example to discourage others).
Robert Heron Bork was an American judge, government official, and legal scholar who served as the Solicitor General of the United States from 1973 to 1977. A professor at Yale Law School by occupation, he later served as a judge on the influential U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit from 1982 to 1988. In 1987, President Ronald Reagan nominated Bork to the U.S. Supreme Court, but the U.S. Senate rejected his nomination.
