Matters of Principle: An Insider's Account of America's Rejection of Robert Bork's Nomination to the Supreme Court (Hardcover)

~ (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Gitenstein, formerly chief counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee, was intimately involved in the effort to defeat Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court. In this engrossing, incisive, fast-moving account, he argues that American lawmakers made a principled, momentous decision in rejecting Bork's judicial philosophy, which holds that rights not explicitly written into the Constitution do not warrant protection by federal laws. In Gitenstein's view, Bork's sponsor, President Reagan, pusillanimously stood on the sidelines, turning over the pro-Bork campaign to Sen. Howard Baker and the Washington Republican establishment. Bork was repackaged as a moderate, he notes, but the press and the public were not deceived. He contends that the Bork battle preserved the legacy of the Warren Court by upholding the right to privacy, the status of fundamental yet unenumerated rights and an expansive notion of liberty. An inspiring and important book.
Copyright 1992 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

The Chief Counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee examines how the rejection of Robert Bork's nomination to the Supreme Court emphatically reaffirmed American's fervent belief in individual rights. 25,000 first printing.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: Simon & Schuster (August 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671674242
• ISBN-13: 978-0671674243
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #187,268 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars detailed and informative, July 9, 2004

By	Andrew Greenberg (Rockaway, NJ) - See all my reviews

This is a long, detailed of Robert Bork's nomination and rejection. The author also informs us about Joseph Biden's presidential campaign, and in the last chapters, overviews subsequent judicial nominations and reflects on the impact of the Bork hearings.
I bought this because I wanted to learn about Bork. Bork's life is briefly covered, but what goes into his jurisprudential ideology is thoroghly covered as the author guides us through the journey to find the "real Bork" that Senators did before the hearings in the summer of 1987.
The title says this is an "insider's account" and it certainly is. Gitenstein writes thoroughly about almost countless meetings and what was said and who was advising what (sometimes this makes the book quite a slow read). So many names are involved throughout the story. It's interesting especially to see names come up that have become more significant (eg, Congressman Richard Cheney, Governor Clinton of Arkansas, etc.).
Gitenstein only briefly and rarely specifically argues his points, but the book is very persuasive because of all we learn from his insider's perspective.
Reading this book, one can see that the hearing of Robert Bork was very fair and the rejection principled despite the legend of being "borked."
I feel that I learned a lot from this book. I learned a heck of a lot about the Bork nomination and a lot about issues of Constitutional law.
The book is very interesting and a very informative look at judicial confirmation.