v. To attack a political opponent in a particularly vicious, partisan manner.
1997
With similar regret, other Capitol Hill veterans insist there truly were better times of partisan disputation focused on ideas—before "to Bork" was coined as a political attack verb, from the undermining of a Republican Supreme Court nominee.
1993
In Washington, a favorite game is to "bork" an enemy, as in, "We borked that right-wing nut." Conservatives have been plotting their revenge ever since triumphant Democrats made Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork's name a verb in 1987. To right-wingers, the silver lining in George Bush's defeat is the chance to bork one of Bill Clinton's liberal nominees — payback for the way Senate Democrats treated Bork, John Tower and Clarence Thomas.
1987 (earliest)
The senator best throw down his axe as he is "Borking" up the wrong tree. Unless he does, he will get lost in the forest of obscure politicians and will end up just "Biden" his time.
"Stone's Dictionary of Eponymous Neologisms" lists the following:…
Bork vt. — to set back (Reagan's Supreme Court appointment Borks blacks and women).
Unhappily, on the Constitution's 200th anniversary, that document has been Borked by Reagan's appointment.
Bork vt. — to set back (Reagan's Supreme Court appointment Borks blacks and women).
Unhappily, on the Constitution's 200th anniversary, that document has been Borked by Reagan's appointment.