At the time of Bork's nomination there were many Republican senators who were adamantly opposed to having Bork on the court -- mainly because his role in the Watergate affair indicated a lack of principle, an excess of political ambition, or both.
"...there were many Republican senators who were adamantly opposed to having Bork on the court -- mainly because his role in the Watergate affair..." - Alberta's Child
MANY Republican senators? I think not. To the best of my memory, Bork's justification for his actions was not attacked during the confirmation hearings. Those GOP senators who eventually voted against him stated that they did so on grounds of general legal philosophy.
40 Republican senators voted to confirm Judge Bork, and only six voted against confirmation. That doesn't seem to prove that "many Republican senators" were adamantly opposed.
Such a bad rap. Bork was told by the AG (Elliot Richardson)and Deputy AG (William Ruckleshouse) to assume acting AG, not because of ambition, but because Bork was the final political appointee in the Justice Department's chain of succession. Had Bork joined the AG and Dep. AG, the next in line would have been a civil servant, and likely would have created what Richardson and Ruckleshouse dubbed a "constitutional crisis." Source: private conversation with Richardson and Ruckleshouse.