Gary Bauer calls Robert Bork "one of America's greatest legal minds who will be missed."

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Dec 19, 2012, 12:34 ET

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Former presidential candidate Gary Bauer issued the following statement this morning on the passing of Robert Bork, a former federal judge and Solicitor General, calling him "one of America's greatest legal minds who will be missed."

Bauer, president of American Values, made the following statement:

"Judge Robert Bork was staunchly committed to the rule of law and a society founded on unchanging principles. He was a firm believer in the U.S. Constitution and that it should mean what our Founders wrote. His faith in the wisdom of our Founding Fathers cost him an appointment to the Supreme Court.

"Sadly, America never enjoyed the full benefit of Robert Bork's commitment to the Constitution. His nomination was defeated after a vicious confirmation battle in which the left made clear its determination to politicize the judiciary. It was a tragic setback for civility in American politics that coined a new phrase -- to Bork a nominee. Judge Bork was a good man who would have been a brilliant Supreme Court justice. He deserved better.

"But his example and his later writings led to a renewed interest in originalism, that the Constitution still means what it says. Judge Bork's legacy can be seen today in justices like Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas, John Roberts and Samuel Alito.

"I will miss his wisdom and leadership. Carol and I are praying for Mary Ellen and the Bork family."

SOURCE American Values