In the last couple weeks, it has been astonishing to watch Democrats once again abandoning a core principle — in this case the protection of the free press — to excuse another abuse of the Obama Administration. The new talking point for defenders of the Obama Administration is that it is really not that bad to seize the records of journalists or label a journalist a potential criminal co-conspirator so long as they are not actually prosecuted. None however are quite so adamant as Georgetown Professor and MSNBC Political Analyst Michael Eric Dyson who called Eric Holder our “law giver” and “the Moses of our time.” In this case, of course, Moses came down from the mountain and endorsed the killing of any citizen deemed a national security threat, allowed warrantless surveillance, blocked public interest challenges to abuses of power, and attacked the free press. While some of us believe Holder should be fired, Dyson apparently believes Holder should be be beatified.
Here is Dyson holding forth on the miracle that is Holder:
MICHAEL ERIC DYSON, MSNBC POLITICAL ANALYST: I think the attorney general should step down too – off of that plateau where he resides in high principle and whip some head. But he shouldn’t give up his office. What he should understand is he’s the chief law giver of the United States of America so to speak. He’s the Moses of our time, and at least for this administration.
So, yes, some people want to put him outside of the ark of the legal community. That’s just ridiculous. He is the bully, he is in one sense the whipping boy for so much of the frustration of the right-wing. As Joy Reid has brilliantly indicated, their inability to reconcile themselves to the fact they lost the election means that they will be perennially pursuing a person like an Eric Holder. In sense, they perceive him to be the most vulnerable. They attack him. But I think what he has to do is continue to hold fast. I think the president has given strong indication that he will support Mr. Holder, and, therefore, together they should go forward.
And here’s the real problem. The real problem is it’s not against the law to leak classified information. That’s what we need to get into our sights here. That what we need to do is shore up the law. Not figure out how to scandalize the name of Eric Holder or President Obama. Let’s deal with the undergirding legal principles that are not present, and as a result of that figure out a way to get beyond this morass. Otherwise we’re going to repeat this in the next administration and the administration after that as well.
Dyson captures particularly the cult of personality surrounding this president. Not even the protection of the free press is enough to break faith with this president. By the way, last time I check, leaking classified information was a crime so we can move beyond the view that “The real problem is it’s not against the law to leak classified information.” Moreover, in our tripartite system, Holder is not a law giver of any kind. He is supposed to be enforcing the laws given by others — specifically the legislative branch — and of course protecting the Constitution.
As I mentioned in my surprising disagreement with CNN’s Jeff Tobin last night on the Situation Room, no one denies that such leaks can be crimes. It is how they are investigated. There was no excuse for this fishing expedition into the records of journalists. Also, Bashir joins Dyson in mocking the concerns of journalists that the Administration searched these records since the targets were not prosecuted. He laughed with Dyson at the fact that Rosen was described as a potential criminal co-conspirator. It is perfectly other worldly. The free press rests on guarantees of confidentiality. The administration attacked that guarantee and in so doing created a chilling effect on the work of all reporters.
As for Moses, I shudder to think who Dyson considers to be the Messiah that Holder is foretelling . . . but I can guess.
May 31, 2013
Dealing With National Security Leaks: Obama’s “Plumbers”: Part One in a Two-Part Series of Columns
by John Dean
http://verdict.justia.com/2013/05/31/dealing-with-national-security-leaks-obamas-plumbers
Excerpt:
When Nixon resigned, the over-the-top pursuit of national security leaks ended, removing a chill on national security and foreign-affairs reporting in Washington. This did not result in a new flood of leaks. To the contrary, after Nixon, the number of national- security leaks seemed to be fewer and far between. In fact, until President Ronald Reagan arrived in the Oval Office, no president was inclined to go after leakers or journalists, and President Clinton pardoned a journalist/leaker that Reagan had successfully prosecuted. Clinton also vetoed the attempt by Congress to pass an American equivalent to the Official Secrets Act. But the Bush/Cheney Administration, and now, the Obama/Biden Administration, recruited their own teams of plumbers to go after leakers and journalists. Bush/Cheney took a very Nixonian approach. President Obama, while clearly and wisely eschewing the Nixonian style, has been far more aggressive than all his predecessors in prosecuting leakers. This has been troubling to those of us who want more, rather than less, government transparency. I believe I understand why this has happened, and I will explain both what has happened and why in Part II of this series of columns, which will appear here on Justia’s Verdict on June 14.
End of excerpt
I called Sen Leahy’s office after the 2012 rigged electronic sElection & suggested back then Holder be removed & Obama replace him with Prof Turley.
I don’t wish a curse upon J Turley’s house, but maybe it’s past time for a drift Turley for AG campaign?
darren, id go with that. We need a reset anywho
Oops, typo: Hard core Clinton/Bush’s/Obama supporters should keep in mind….
Hard core Clinton/Bush’s/Obama should keep in mind as WW2 was wrapping up many of those aiding & abetting the Nazi Fascist had their heads shaved & some even had swastikas scared on their foreheads to identify/shame them wherever they went.
I suggest if people find themselves on the wrong side of the line that they immediately move a defendable side of the line.
Sam:
It isn’t that a few politicians need to be kicked out of Washington, ALL politicians need to be kicked out of Washington. America would be better off if we just started over completely and elected a new crew. And a capable and honest one at that.
Sam, Biden is the vp. He will replace Obama if he leaves. Are you hoping for a right wing coup?
This is what happens when the mantra is “{insert political party name nere} über alles”
There is the perception that removing a problematic official will somehow damage the party as a whole in the short term. And thus remains the reluctance to do so.
I am beginning to wonder what the difference is between the tactics of this MSNBC reporter and those of any other propaganda department of some government like North Korea.
hell no. Biden is an idiot and just as bad as Obama. I cant stand Biden because hes white i mean.
being the progressive idiot you are you probably think Hillary will be a great president instead of just another crook. Because progressive idiots are too ignorant and narrow minded to see Hillary is just another cog of the machine. They are too caught up in the woman for president thing to see the truth. You make fun of McCain when he and Hillary are the same poltician. Id laugh at you if it was so freakin sad
nick, Do you think they will be happy with Biden in the white house? 😉
mccain and graham should be kicked out of washington also. I guess that means i hate em because they are white. Thats the same stupid logic from blowheezy and swarthmore idiot
jill, i never said there wasnt racism in the country. But its ignorant to assume one race is more racists than the other. Once you remove race from the picture all i see is 2 liars who should not be inside the white house, white black green who the hell cares, they shouldnt be there.
nick im no more over the line than they were when they belittled and insulted republicans for years with snide comments and jabs while pushing their political correctness agenda. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and those two idiots are laying bricks like no tommorow.
Why is Sen McCain & Sen Graham aiding & abetting Obama suppling Al Qaeda in Syria?
Because they’re all American hating Trash, that’s why!
http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2013/05/our-al-qaeda-terrorists-are-getting-beat-up-by-their-hezbollah-terrorists.html
I’m switching from Maddow to Hayes.
Sam, It works better here if you disagree without the personal attacks. Disagreeing on an issue might result in others agreeing with you. Personal attacks have others disagreeing with you b/c of your tactics regardless of the issue.
What G. Mason said.
Politics is the religion of some.
holder is more like Pharaoh than Moses.
There is racial prejudice in this nation. There are people who despise Obama and Holder because of their race. This is wrong.
The problem arises when people keep supporting repulsive, illegal and unethical actions taken by Holder and Obama because they refuse to see that two truths can coexist. 1. there is racism in the US and 2. The actions of Holder and Obama should be condemned because they are both illegal and unethical.
From both a practical and ethical standpoint, without restoring the rule of law, there is no hope of ending racism. If you are against racism you must also be against those actions which block peoples’ redress of grievances. Many of the victims of Obama’s policies have also been black women and men. Being a member of a class who is oppressed in a society means that one has a right to justice. It does not mean that one can commit injustice and have that injustice either ignored or excused.
Both men should be removed from office for failure to uphold our laws, and worse, tearing down the rule of law.
blouise. I didnt lose anything. Im just done sugar coating posts in response to stupid old progressive windbags like you when you drag your race or political correctness garbage into every issue. You are another blowhard