Bork to co-chair Romney justice committee
(CNN) - Former acting U.S. Attorney General and conservative judge Robert Bork will co-chair Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's justice advisory committee.
The former Massachusetts governor announced his 63-member committee Tuesday, which includes a number of officials and appointees from the administrations of former Presidents Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush.
Bork is known as a staunch advocate for "originalism," a principle that defends the original intent of the Constitution. Reagan nominated Bork as a Supreme Court Justice in 1987, only to have the nomination fall apart in a contentious confirmation battle after left-leaning groups opposed Bork's conservative judicial philosophies.
The committee also includes as co-chairs Harvard law professor and former ambassador to the Holy See Mary Ann Glendon and former chairman of the Federal Communications Commission Richard Wiley.
"Our democracy depends on a government that respects the Constitution and the rule of law," Romney said in a statement. "Our nation needs a Congress and an Executive branch that are cognizant of the bounds of their powers and a judiciary that will strictly construe the Constitution and refuse to legislate from the bench."
The committee also includes former Secretary of Homeland Security and co-author of the Patriot Act Michael Chertoff, Chancellor of the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware William Allen, and Former Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Thomas Phillips.
The full list of members is below.
- CNN Political Reporter Peter Hamby contributed to this report.
· Alex Acosta
· William Allen
· Alex Azar
· H. Christopher Bartolomucci
· Lizette Benedi Herraiz
· Bradford A. Berenson
· Elliot S. Berke
· Brant Bishop
· Michelle Boardman
· J. Caleb Boggs III
· Robert Bork
· Steven Bradbury
· Lee A. Casey
· Michael Chertoff
· Jeffrey Clark
· Gus Coldebella
· Roderick De Arment
· George Dent
· Michael R. Dimino
· Thomas Dupree
· Charles Eskridge
· Allen Ferrell
· Timothy Flanigan
· Sergio J. Galvis
· Deborah A. Garza
· Tom Gede
· Mary Ann Glendon
· Alan Gura
· Jimmy Gurulé
· Catherine Hanaway
· Jennifer Hardy
· W. Thomas Haynes
· Jay Jorgensen
· Jay Kanzler
· Roy Katzovicz
· Richard Klingler
· Christopher Landau
· Stephen Larson
· Katie Lev
· Wendy Long
· Fred Lowell
· Raymond B. Ludwiszewski
· Maureen Mahoney
· Roman Martinez
· Gary McDowell
· Brent McIntosh
· Grant S. Nelson
· Mark Nielsen
· Howard C. Nielson, Jr.
· Robert O'Brien
· Kevin O'Connor
· John O'Quinn
· Elizabeth Papez
· Matthew Papez
· Nels Peterson
· Thomas Phillips
· Stephen Presser
· David Rivkin, Jr.
· Jeffrey Rosen
· Gene Schaerr
· Jay Stephens
· John Sullivan
· Richard Wiley
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Originalists don't oppose amendments; the philosophy is tenable only because of the amendment process.
Bork failed to win confirmation to the Supreme Court not because of his conservative legal principles. It was because he served as the trigger man during Watergate's "Saturday night massacre."
Nice job – picking from the (trash heap) remnants of the bush admin – tell us, it's their stellar record that convinced you, huh Mitt?
63 Czars already and dis IDIOT hasn't even worn the GOP nomination!
Wonder what FAUX NEWS and Glenn Beck will say about this? Al Gore vs Bush 2000 election...anyone?
Hand to ear...Crickets!!!!
The original intent argument of the Constitution is a fiction, let alone the idea that right-wingnuts have some special insight to "original intent". The meaning of the Constitution was immediately debated in the Federalist Papers by the very people who wrote the Constituion. Additiionally, you only need to read Bork's writings over his entire adult life pre-1987, all of which he tried to claim he had changed (a la Romney, coincidentally enought), at his Supreme Court hearings, to have the have the living hell scared out of you about this guy. Bork was not real big on First Amendment rights to free speech as just one example.
A perfect example of why Romney should never be president – his judgement stinks if he thinks Bork is a good choice!
anyone would look smart next to holder...
Bork demonstrated himself to completely unfit to hold any public office during his confirmation hearings. The man lives in a different world, that has its' own set of rules.
He feels people have a right to own automatic weapons. But, how does that reconcile with the *intent* of the 2nd Amendment, which was written at a time when automatic weapons and interchangeable parts was unknown. The intent of the 2nd Amendment was for everyone to own a musket, not an automatic assault rifle.
Sitting judge on a panel for an active political campaign...lovely...that fits right in with what I would expect of a GOPers' understanding of and respect for the central principle of judicial integrity being that the judicary should insulated from politics.
Rejected re-tread. Maybe this time Romney will get "Borked" and stay out of our politics forever. He was NOT a good Gov., and he outsources everything in sight.
Seriously, a 63 person committee? How can anyone possibly believe something could be accomplished in a 63 person committee? I suppose that's why nothing happens in congress either.
I don't think that Romney has been paying attention. Bork was made into a joke. Originalism isn't a good idea because the founders knew that things would change over time. We needed flexiblilty to change to fit the times because they are a'changing.
"Our democracy depends on a government that respects the Constitution and the rule of law," Romney said in a statement.
How TRUE , and what about equality ?
Why didn't any of Mitts five sons do any military service ?
Willard Romney's choice of Bork tells us all we need to know about his decision making ability. It is, in a word, poor. I can't wait to see the logical gymnastics and "Originalist" like Bork will use to support the judicial position of "corporate personhood" recently enacted by the Supreme Court.