The death of influential former judge Robert Bork marks the conclusion of a career in conservative advocacy, on and off the bench, and the closing of an era in American politics.

"Why?" I asked. "Well," he said, "our group would be forever grateful if you could fill us in on the details of what they discuss." Flustered, I replied, "You mean you want me to spy for you?" "Well, in a word", he broke into a smile, "Yes."

While he declined to offer an assessment of Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, or compare his performance to his own as minority leader from 1987-95, Dole criticized the "use and overuse" of the filibuster.

To look at this 80-year-old grandmotherly woman, it is difficult to imagine that she spent 32 years in prison for attempting to assassinate President ...

What is striking is how often the media gets it wrong when measuring up new presidents. Journalists should approach judging a president's first 100 days with some humility.