An “F” for Attorney General Holder: he don’t need to read no steenking Arizona law
Just when you think your expectations are already low enough, and nothing can further surprise you about the Obama administration and its appointees, something happens that proves you wrong.
Case in point: Attorney General Holder’s statement that—although he’s already opined on the possible unconstitutionality of the Arizona illegal immigration law, said it might usurp federal powers, and has called its passage “unfortunate”—he has not yet read it.
Let’s see: the Arizona law was signed on April 23, 2010, and was controversial—and legally controversial—from the start. Attorney General Holder’s “unfortunate” statement occurred on April 27, four days later, plenty of time to have read the law. And now the law is three weeks old, more than plenty of time.
Here is the law (plus some slightly amended language). It is neither especially long nor complex, as statutes go. The fact that Holder has not read it yet is unconscionable, bizarre, negligent, outrageous—especially since he has long been voicing an opinion on it in his official capacity as Attorney General. He seems to also be unaware that there would be anything odd or wrong about this time lag.
I noted during the recent Harvard Law School racial email incident that Dean Martha Minow had violated one of the most basic tenets any law school student learns at the outset of his/her career, from the very first day of class: to properly state the facts of the case. I wrote that, if I’d been a professor at Harvard Law and Minow was my student, I’d have given her an “F” for her response. And now I must say the same thing for Attorney General Holder, who has come to class woefully unprepared by not reading the statute that has been his assignment for the last three weeks.
But of course Holder is no student, and he has no excuse. The dog did not eat his homework. What did?
[NOTE: In an unrelated but equally incompetently handled matter, there’s also this from Holder.]
Holder is the outcome of outcome based education where “student centered” teachable moments construct a vibrant and dynamic reality.
No, Holder’s legal acumen is not the issue because this is not about the law, this is about politics.
For this administration everything is about politics, viewed first and last through the ideological prism of what advances and what obstructs achievement of the agenda.
Those are the *facts* of the case.
It’s quite likely that one of Holder’s assistants actually read the law and reported to Holder that it was merely a repetition of the federal law that enabled the state of Arizona to effectively enforce the federal law, at the state level.
So Holder knows the truth of the matter, he’s a politically oriented team member and an ideologue, as far as he’s concerned laws are only of value when they support the agenda.
He’s fully on board with Obama’s tactics and strategy as his recent Senate testimony demonstrated when he studiously avoided using the term ‘radical Islam’.
He’s a key player in the group assisting Obama in the goal of fundamentally transforming America into Amerika.
He is and will continue to use his office in pursuit of that goal and will continue to block, obstruct and ignore any and all laws that do not advance ‘the agenda’.
Do any of these people ever do their homework before they open their mouths or vote on legislation. I can imagine the campaign ads now:
Obama tells kids to work hard, do their homework and stay in school. Why doesn’t he hold himself and his cabinet to the same standard? Inquiring minds want to know.
How can Obama blame people for not reading their adjustable rate mortgage agreement? His team doesn’t even read legislation.
Pelosi said they would have to pass the HCR in order to know what was in it. Can’t these people read?
Has anyone considered that Atty Gen Holder is just plain stupid? I took maybe fifteen minutes to read – and do some considering – this law as the “Here is the law” link.
Now that wasn’t hard, eh?
Like Master, Like Servant…as Neo pointed out.
Yes, the AZ law is probably unconstitutional. This is supported by the long running (often litigated) NYC stop and frisk program often and as recent as yesterday featured in the New York Times. Seems stopping and frisking as well as archiving information on those innocent but stopped is a-okay as long as it is Liberal NYC doing it.
Also, case in point is the Feb 2010 opinion from the First Circuit that an Rhode Island officer acted appropriately when during a traffic stop, he came to reasonably suspect the van occupants were not lawfully in the country, contact ICE to verify and then transported the individuals to the nearest ICE facility. It might just be me but this sounds like an officer during a legitimate stop, detention, or arrest, developed reasonable suspicion of a person being illegally in the country, contacting the appropriate federal authorities and turning said individuals over to federal authorities. It must be the accent of the officer that makes it alright.
Look if Eric Holder wants to talk out his a–, he can be a pseudonymous commenter on one or many of the blogs like the rest of us. But the Attorney General of the United States should take measure to not talk out his a– to the press. I makes people wonder about the quality of leadership in this administration.
There are few hard and fast rules in life, but there is one which so far has been as reliable as A2 + B2 = C2, which is:
In any situation or event if the name Eric Holder pops up you are going to find some discreditable element.
I have absolutely no legal training, so my synopsis of the cornerstone of Administration policy is necessarily a lay interpretation but I believe it amounts to “white (including Zionist) bad, non-white good”. Therefore familiarization with any law, conflict or anything else that takes place between any two people(s) of any different color has already been decided, reading the law is unnecessary.
Did I leave anything out?
On a different note I understand the Messiah is using his straw man argument against the oil companies; that is, he is not taking any more of their nonsense about how someone else is responsible for oil spill. He went to Harvard to learn how to be two-bit demagogue. The contempt coming from the Gulf Coast is audible.
To any other administration Holder would be an embarrassment, but not to Obama’s. In comparison he makes Obama looks smart. Actually they are both dopes.
It remains to be seen how well Holder will do in front of a hostile Congress, which is looking more and more likely each day.
It is interesting that nothing embarrasses the Dope. He is oblivious to criticism (I don’t think he understands nuance) and above us mere mortals on all levels. Whatever the hype has been about him, I think he really believes it. In this vein, I wonder when he will take a seat at the shore to demonstrate to us how his election caused the seas to stop rising. “We are the ones we have been waiting for,” takes on a more sinister meaning when one considers that he was speaking from the heart (he can’t speak from the head as he’s a dope).
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Has anyone considered that Atty Gen Holder is just plain stupid?
Oh yes.
Holder. Dead pool.
I say no more.
Your stretching here.
In the article he is quoted as saying:
“I’ve just expressed concerns on the basis of what I’ve heard about the law. But I’m not in a position to say at this point, not having read the law, not having had the chance to interact with people are doing the review, exactly what my position is,” Mr. Holder told the House Judiciary Committee.
It goes on to note that he had earlier called the law’s passage “unfortunate,” and questioned whether the law was unconstitutional because it tried to assume powers that may be reserved for the federal government.
There is nothing wrong with taking that position based on what he knew, which he explicitely says is from television. More importantly you say the law is neither long nor complex – which essentially means why read it. And, indeed, why read it when it’s pretty clear and has no hidden meanings.
You too seem to assume he will change his mind when he reads it? Not likely.
“There is nothing wrong with taking that position based on what he knew,”
No, but there is a problem with him not knowing.
It’s his job, for crying out loud.
Nice to know that the Attorney General forms his legal opinions based what he gleans from reading the newspaper. I’m getting a warm fuzzy feeling here. Are you?
Holder’s an affirmative-action hire, just like his boss (read completely incompetent and in over his head). And it shows every time he evades a question from a senator.
But I bet Holder would give himself a big fat grade-inflated A+(to infinity) for the bang-up job he’s done in office.
MDL wrote:
“More importantly you say the law is neither long nor complex – which essentially means why read it. ”
F=ma, not long, nor complex. But my students had better damn well read it, AND understand it. That second requirement is the more rigorous, but it can’t happen without the first being accomplished.
Yeah, he would definitely flunk my class. Or as Bugs Bunny would say, “What a maroon!”
There is nothing wrong with taking that position based on what he knew, which he explicitely says is from television.
Do you have any idea how stupid this sounds?
I find it hard to believe Holder isn’t acutely aware of what is stated in the Arizona law. As Geoffrey Britain mentioined early on in the posts I’m sure Holder has sufficient underlings running around to keep him briefed on the law and what the public temperature towards it is.
It follows the same pattern of disregard for people that Obama has shown in many of his comments, that Pelosi has shown in many of her comments, that Reid has shown…well, the list gets pretty long. It doesn’t follow the pattern they have laid out and thus doesn’t deserve much more than derisive commentary. Manipulation, intimidation, and disinformation appear to be staples of this administration.
It is not believable that the Attorney General did not read the Arizona law. He would have been one of the first to read it, knowing the POTUS would be asking about it. By denying reading, in his mind, he cannot be held to account for an opinion. He is just lying.
It is not believable that the Attorney General did not read the Arizona law.
Unfortunately, it’s all too believable.
Recall Obama’s quacking about the police acting stupidly when he had no information whatever. To posit that Holder is competent but an idealogue ignore his performance to date, e.g., calling Americans cowards, proposing to try KSM in NY, to name two.
Simplest explanation, consonant with my nom de net: he’s an idiot. That hypothesis neatly explains all of the data. Why else would he let himself look so stupid? Did he not anticipate Poe’s question, and come in with a canned obfuscatory answer?
Maybe he was working out the liability issues of Guam’s capsizing.
Hey, the Democrats were elected to pass laws and enforce them. No one said anything about _reading_ them.
Pile of puke from the media:
AP – Declaring himself as angry as the rest of the nation, President Barack Obama assailed oil drillers and his own administration Friday as he ordered extra scrutiny of drilling permits to head off any repeat of the sickening oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
“Manipulation, intimidation, and disinformation appear to be staples of this administration.” (Qoute from SteddieH)
SteddieH, you can replace “appear to be” with “are.”
Nice try, Buraq, but the rest of the nation is angry with you and the Dems, not with BP.
Just thought I’d clear that up.
Occam: I don’t know if you are a fan of Ken Kesey. I’ve seen his bus at the Eugene, Oregon County Fair that he and his merry pranksters toured in. It looks like a heap.
However, I loved both the book and movie, “One flew over the Cuckoo’s nest,” and there is a scene where McMurphy is being interviewed by the mental hospital psychiatrist who notes McMurphy has had five fights. “Five fights, huh” “Yes.” “Well Rocky Marciano has had 34 fights and he’s a millionaire.” “That’s true.” “That is true.”
What you said . . . That is true.
But Holder doesn’t need to read any laws, he just has to “feel” them. Isn’t that what his party is all about – how they “feel” from what he’s heard. No need to waste time when you’ve already made up your mind.
Holder hits rock bottom and starts digging. I’m starting to believe that he is both a political animal (we already knew that) and a blithering idiot. And, like his boss, completely without shame.
“But Holder doesn’t need to read any laws, he just has to “feel” them. Isn’t that what his party is all about – how they “feel” from what he’s heard. No need to waste time when you’ve already made up your mind.”
That’s exactly my take, too, Teresa. It’s like you were reading my mind when you wrote that. For Democrats, and especially Democrats like Holder, the legal niceties of the letter of the law are nearly meaningless. What you feel about a particular issue is of paramount importance, and trumps everythings else. It’s a waste of time to deal with the actual law (why bother to read it?) once you’ve made your feelings about the law the priority.
It’s just like the health care law. Most Democrats felt no particular compulsion (or compunction) to actually read the thing they were passing on the rest of us. They didn’t care whether it was good law or bad law or even self-contradictory. The only thing that was important was the feeling it gave them of doing good. They voted for the feeling.
I believe Holder’s admission reflects the rather bizzare notion in democrat circles that any opposing positions to progressivism must be only discredited and never examined. Because actual examination (like reading a law) gives it credence and power. Theres an almost voodoo like superstitious mumbo jumbo feel to what progressivism is morphing into.
OT but wonderful: Gov. Chris Christie schools a moistly liberal reporter-person.
http://www.thefoxnation.com/gov-chris-christie/2010/05/13/must-watch-gov-christie-destroys-thin-skinned-reporter
What a refreshing thing to see.
OB, my 10 bucks still says Holder is still AG on Jan 1, 2011. In fact, I’m feeling pretty confident about it. His supporters see all his deficiencies as virtues, and he is in complete alignment with the Big Chief.
This crowd needs no information, they already know everything. Remember, this is the clown that called us cowards for not ever talking about race. Meanwhile we, out here in flyover country, have been talking among ourselves about race, and just about everything else. We are the ones that have not needed a “beer summit” to drink a beer or so with our friends and coworkers, often of a different color or national origin. Heck, it was in the ’60s when I not only ate and drank with “minorities” but slept in the same fighting hole with them. Then in the ’70s I shared meals with fellow deputies and started drinking, sometimes too much, after shift change.
Not only is this crowd stupid but they are forty years behind the times, or more. Too bad none of them was smart enough to enlist when they got out of high school and serve a hitch or two, and then go to college. They might have learned something. Except that Murtha and Teddy Kennedy didn’t. I guess that unlike beauty, which is only skin deep, stupid goes down to the bone.
If he really thinks it is unconstitutional, he has a duty to the Constitution to get it read.
And he’s supposed to tell television reporters what the law is–not vice versa.