The Anger Blog, Romney's Poor Choice of Constitutional Advisor

Although the U.S. Supreme Court is supposed to be apolitical, most of us have become aware of their more recent influences in the political arena. Some examples are the granting of the presidency to George Bush in 2000 by court ruling and, more recently (2010), the Citizens United ruling. The impact these two decisions have made on our democratic process shows just how powerful and political the Supreme Court has become. The justices are making rulings that will determine who will govern the country.

I think the most important result of the 2012 election will be the ability of the next president to appoint new members to the Supreme Court. These nine people will not only influence our number one concern: the economy, but our freedoms as well. Supreme Court justices are appointed for life, and that means they will have tremendous influence for the rest of our lives.

Now for the scary part: Mitt Romney has chosen 85 year old Robert Bork as chairman of the Justice Advisory Committee. He will be Romney's constitutional advisor. Mr. Bork will have a say in who Mr. Romney, if elected president, will nominate to become a member of the Supreme Court.

Here's a little background on Mr. Bork, for those who are too young to remember him. After Attorney General Elliott Richardson resigned his post, rather than follow President Nixon's 1973 order to fire special prosecutor Archibald Cox (in the infamous Watergate scandal), Bork became acting Attorney General and did carry out the order, firing Cox and assisting in the cover up. His name was brought to the forefront again in 1987 when President Ronald Reagan nominated him for the Supreme Court. However, Mr. Bork's nomination was rejected by the largest margin in history, 58-42. He was even considered too radical by President Reagan's own party.

He has a history of opposing broad protections for free speech as well as the constitutional right to privacy. Mr. Bork was a vocal opponent of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, especially its integration of public accommodations, referring to it as "unsurpassed ugliness." He could wage a one-man war on women if given the chance. A sworn enemy of feminism (after the second female justice was sworn in, he stated that the Supreme Court has become too "feminized"), he was against women being admitted to VMI. He would like to see Roe vs. Wade overturned and believes women shouldn't have the right to contraception and abortion. He has angered women as well as male supporters of women's rights across the country. His most defining moment, however, concerned the Oil, Chemical, and Atomic Workers International Union vs. American Cyanamid Co. case of 1984. Bork ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) does not protect female workers required by management to be sterilized (because of possible birth defects caused by dangerous chemicals in the work place) or lose their jobs. If this opinion does not anger you, nothing will. Bork's rulings have invariably favored the corporations over the rights and protections of the workers.

What type of person do you think Mr. Bork would favor for a seat on the Supreme Court? How could Mitt Romney choose such a controversial figure to help him in making this decision? If this is one of his first appointments, I would hate to see what could be in store for our future if he is elected president.