Predictably (yes, I'm referring to our commenter extraordinaire, Patrick O'Donnell), Liz Cheney's attacks on the DOJ lawyers who formerly represented detainees have generated a large backlash, including from conservative members of the bar, in defense of the role of lawyers. Today, we have a front page NYT story; an op-ed from former Attorney General Michael Mukasey urging people not to condemn either today's DOJ lawyers or the ones who worked there during the Bush administration for representing their clients; a more sharply partisan piece by Marc Thiessen; and a reply from David Luban at Balkinization arguing that his criticism of the torture memo lawyers was legitimate and Cheney's attack is illegitimate. Quote of the day, by John Yoo, regarding the DOJ lawyers, "What's the big whoop?" Yoo suggested that disagreement with the Obama administration's stance on terrorism should be channeled into policy and political opposition.
UPDATE: Follow this link to George Conk's blawg and watch Jon Stewart's interview of Marc Thiessen on this topic:
http://blackstonetoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/jon-stewart-tangles-with-marc-thiessen.html
But the real fun is here: the Jon Stewart extended interview with Marc Thiessen - a defender of the Liz Cheney ad and the related demands by Charles Grassley of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
http://blackstonetoday.blogspot.com/2010/03/jon-stewart-tangles-with-marc-thiessen.html
Posted by: George Conk | March 10, 2010 at 08:11 AM