Dershowitz says Yates should have resigned
Alan Dershowitz continues his refusal to toe the Democratic party line, although I’m virtually certain he remains a Democrat:
An attorney general, like any citizen, has the right to disagree with a presidential order, but unless it is clear that the order is unlawful, she has no authority to order the Justice Department to refuse to enforce it. This order is multifaceted and complex. It raises serious constitutional and legal issues that deserved nuanced and calibrated consideration from the nation’s highest law officer.
…A blanket order to refuse to defend any part of the statute is overkill. If she strongly disagreed with the policies underlying the order, she should have resigned in protest, and left it to others within the Justice Department to defend those parts of the order that are legally defensible.
I, too, disagree, with the policy underlying the order, but I don’t immediately assume that any policy with which I disagree is automatically unconstitutional or unlawful.
There used to be more people in the Democratic Party like that. Now Dershowitz must be feeling pretty lonely. Perhaps he should give Joe Lieberman a call.
That piece appeared yesterday, but that’s not the only thing Dershowitz has said recently. There’s also today’s statements from him on SCOTUS pick Gorsuch:
Famed Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz, however, said Democrats and Republicans shouldn’t play politics with the Supreme Court appointment.
“They are too important,” he said during an interview on the FOX Business Network. “This is a very distinguished judge who will serve for many, many, many years.”
Despite the initial pushback from Democratic leaders, Dershowitz said Gorsuch will likely be approved during his Senate confirmation hearing.
“I think he has to be vetted very carefully” Dershowitz added. “Everything I know about him shows that he’s qualified.”
Actually, it may be that Gorsuch is not the hill on which the Democrats will choose to fight, for reasons explained here.
Dershowitz has said that he’ll resign from the Democratic party if Keith Ellison becomes chairman of the DNC.
http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/312243-harvard-law-professor-i-will-leave-democratic-party-if-they
I do like his consistent support for Israel.
The order was nuanced and complex? It certainly seemed straightforward to me. I guess I don’t understand the complexity.
Dershowitz is a semi-reliable Democrat. Unlike some, he does reach his limit of tolerance from time to time.
I don’t see how anyone who cares about the Democrat party could stomach the idea of Ellison at DNC.
Dershowitz is definitely a relic of what was once a mostly reasonable and responsible democrat party. The party today is so far into left field I can’t se them doing anything other than doubling down on their temper tantrum. As the linked article states this is what their base demands.
I doubt democracy will work well when the situation is more complex as it is today.
“There used to be more people in the Democratic Party like that. Now Dershowitz must be feeling pretty lonely. Perhaps he should give Joe Lieberman a call.
Post WWII the two parties were focused on the most important thing in people’s lives – work. The Democrats were the advocates for labor and the Republicans for management.”
This “friendly” rivalry started to fracture with the civil rights movement. Not that this was not an important and necessary step but it led the Democrats down the path of catering to more specialized interests (minorities, environment, LBGT, etc.) to build an electoral coalition.
Trump was all about jobs. His arguments about immigration and trade were presented as being all about jobs. Jobs are still the most important thing to most people. The other issues pale in comparison – indulgences for the well off.
The Democrats, of course, seem to have missed the message entirely. Or perhaps not. Over the last 8 years they have experienced an historic loss of political power. They realize that they are not likely to regain power in the near future. What we see now is internecine war over the remains of the party. Big fish, little pond time.
The compulsion to utter contradictory crap like this:
““I think he has to be vetted very carefully” Dershowitz added. “Everything I know about him shows that he’s qualified.””
shows that Dersh is still infected with the disease.
Let’s see, it 12 days into the Trump presidency and the left is already formulating legal theories why Trump should be impeached.
I really thought this wouldn’t happen for a couple of years. Of course there is no chance of it happening, but imagine a steady drumbeat by the left through the MSM about Trump’s crimes that the Republican congress refuses to address. Imagine that for the next two years.
Would it be enough to turn the house in 2018?
While Trump has been a whirlwind these first two weeks, no one can expect him to continue. In fact, reacting from the criticism of last Friday’s EO they are taking extra care, involving all the relevant departments in the next one, which is prudent.
But we haven’t even started addressing the hard economic issues ahead. Imagine fed policy that dials in a recession– Trump’s infrastructure proposals can probably counteract that, but without any long term benefit.
My wife’s niece, along with every other leftist is going nuts on Facebook opposing Trump. We can expect this to continue, demonstrations/riots in the streets looking for every opportunity for Trump to prove he’s the dictator they’re sure he is.
This is going to be a long 4 years. If he doesn’t deliver on the economic improvement (jobs) he promised those rust-belt democrats will that affect the 2018 election?
Anyone read the Washington Post article about Trump’s phone call with the Australian Prime Minister? I’m thinking this is some pretty sophisticated psy-ops.
And this is only 12 days into his administration!
@ Brian E,
“Would it be enough to turn the house in 2018?”
My Magic 8 Ball says very doubtful. It is far more likely that the GOP will pick up 5 or 6 Senate seats.
The US electorate is ponderous. Over the last 8 elections the Democrats have had their heads handed to them. The Republicans now hold more offices, from dog catcher to President, than at any time since the early 1900s. If history is any guide we are in for 20 years of Republican domination.
I don’t think the Senate Democrats will be allowed to simply pass Gorsuch through without a filibuster. The mob is ruling the party right now.
“The mob is ruling the party right now.”
Yes, but the leadership (by their silence and/or their actual words) is actively encouraging it.
And the media (with the so-called intellectual) elites) both fueling the mob and fanning the flames.
The situation is out and out insane, with violence promoted as “the only moral and ethical choice”.
It’s become a “We didn’t get our way; time to tear down the country” phenomenon.
(Witness yesterday’s riots at UC Berkeley.)
It’s (Peanuts’) Lucy and her football on the national stage.
It’s “Adolescents (and adult adolescents) of the world unite”!!
It’s “SJW is the opiate of the insane”….
And it would appear that the incitement and violence will only get worse—with the media leading the way into Prava-style purgatory.
Once again, one must ask: Where are the adults in the Democratic Party???
For anyone who wants a break from Trump, her is a pretty good summary of what’s going on in Germany.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/martin-schulz-could-present-serious-challenge-to-angela-merkel-in-german-election-a-1132362.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#ref=rss
Schultz may breathe some life into the Social Democrats, but I still think he will need the Left (and the Greens) to take over in the election.
Brian E – 12 days? No – it started much earlier than that, based on my FB feed. Your niece probably has friends who started before the Inauguration bleating about impeachment. I know I’ve been seeing that for awhile.
~
I wonder how the LIV middle is reacting. Sure, the MSM is insane, but Armegeddon hasn’t arrived although the MSM has been screaming that the end is near. At one point, I would hope that the middle would see that the sky isn’t falling.
There used to be more people in the Democratic Party like that.
neo: True.
One theory I have is that the Cold War grounded Americans — and Democrats — into some degree of seriousness. Nothing like the possibility of nuclear annhilation to keep one on one’s toes!
When the USSR collapsed, that grounding evaporated. The Republicans being conservative stayed more or less on course. The Democrats lacked such mooring and floated away with their utopian dreams.
“Up, Up and Away in my beautiful balloon!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5akEgsZSfhg
Today it almost hurts to see five happy, positive, black musicians performing.
“The Republicans being conservative stayed more or less on course. “ – huxley
Perhaps true.
Until 2016.