Letter from Washington

Reversals of fortune are sudden in Washington, but Robert Bork’s confirmation battle has taken so many twists and turns that even insiders are having a hard time keeping track.

First there was President Reagan’s insistence on clinging to Bork, saying “over my dead body” when asked whether Bork’s nomination would be withdrawn. Next came a cascade of White House leaks suggesting Bork should withdraw, seemingly re-enforced when the President said of the embattled judge, “It’s his decision.”