One of the greatest strengths of the American legal system is that everyone gets a defense. That is a right guaranteed by our Constitution and made possible by the many attorneys who defend the poor and indigent, either as public defenders, through charitable legal aid, or through pro bono work.
Unfortunately, that honorable tradition of legal service to the outcasts of society has become political fodder in a recent shameful attack. Liz Cheney is behind a TV ad, set to ominous music, which calls for the release of the names of "the Al Qaeda Seven." Who are they? Terrorists? Leaders of the organization? Spies?
No. They're lawyers who represented alleged terrorist detainees at Guantanamo in their actions in federal court. They're lawyers who won important battles for civil liberties. They're now continuing their public service as employees of the Justice Department. And Liz Cheney initiated a witch hunt for them with a TV ad reminiscent of Senator McCarthy.
Jonathan Adler at Volokh links to a Washington Post op-ed calling these attacks out for what they are: "shameful." I agree. It's shameful when a public figure, the daughter of a former Vice-President, personally attacks lawyers with such a strong record of public service.
America is not a place where we vilify people for the representation they give to people. Everyone deserves a defense. No matter how hard some factions try to ostracize the lawyers who have the sense of civic duty required to defend the most reviled members of society, we must stand strong and defend those American patriots.
UPDATE 3/10: The New York Times editorial page compares Cheney to McCarthy. Jonathan H. Adler talks about other conservatives who are defending the DoJ attorneys in question. Eugene Volokh also defends the DoJ lawyers. The Blog of Legal Times (BLT) reports that former DoJ officials and the ABA are both condemning Cheney's ad. Stewart Baker at Volokh, on the other hand, thinks that it's legitimate to question whether lawyers' pro bono work represents their core values.
UPDATE 3/14: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called Cheney's attacks "shameful." President Bush's Attorney General Michael Mukasey called the ad "shoddy and dangerous."
Unfortunately, that honorable tradition of legal service to the outcasts of society has become political fodder in a recent shameful attack. Liz Cheney is behind a TV ad, set to ominous music, which calls for the release of the names of "the Al Qaeda Seven." Who are they? Terrorists? Leaders of the organization? Spies?
No. They're lawyers who represented alleged terrorist detainees at Guantanamo in their actions in federal court. They're lawyers who won important battles for civil liberties. They're now continuing their public service as employees of the Justice Department. And Liz Cheney initiated a witch hunt for them with a TV ad reminiscent of Senator McCarthy.
Jonathan Adler at Volokh links to a Washington Post op-ed calling these attacks out for what they are: "shameful." I agree. It's shameful when a public figure, the daughter of a former Vice-President, personally attacks lawyers with such a strong record of public service.
America is not a place where we vilify people for the representation they give to people. Everyone deserves a defense. No matter how hard some factions try to ostracize the lawyers who have the sense of civic duty required to defend the most reviled members of society, we must stand strong and defend those American patriots.
UPDATE 3/10: The New York Times editorial page compares Cheney to McCarthy. Jonathan H. Adler talks about other conservatives who are defending the DoJ attorneys in question. Eugene Volokh also defends the DoJ lawyers. The Blog of Legal Times (BLT) reports that former DoJ officials and the ABA are both condemning Cheney's ad. Stewart Baker at Volokh, on the other hand, thinks that it's legitimate to question whether lawyers' pro bono work represents their core values.
UPDATE 3/14: Republican Senator Lindsey Graham called Cheney's attacks "shameful." President Bush's Attorney General Michael Mukasey called the ad "shoddy and dangerous."
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