Editorials & Other Articles

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts) Sat Nov 18, 2017, 10:00 AM Nov 2017

Conservative lawyer: We are selling our souls to Trump and destroying America

Paul Rosenzweig is an ex-Ken Starr attorney and Federalist Society member. I deeply disagree with him on politics. But he has written a barnburner of an editorial.

https://lawfareblog.com/trading-soul-conservative-law-wales

All of these characteristics, in turn, run counter to the values that animate the conservative legal movement: limited government; peaceful transitions of power; judges who say what the law is, not what it should be; a free press; prosecutorial independence; equality of opportunity; a color-blind society; and the rule of law. The contrast is so great that I cannot comprehend why President Trump is not more widely condemned. No conservative lawyer (at least no lawyer who thinks that his or her profession is in the least bit a public trust) can, or should, support the erosion of critical public legal institutions that Trump has come to exemplify.

To this my conservative friends (especially the lawyers) have a rejoinder. It is so common that it even has a name: We call it the “But Gorsuch” syndrome.

The argument, of course, is that a good Supreme Court justice is worth all of the policy pain and political embarrassment that come with it. Say what you will, but at least these conservative lawyers (unlike those seeking Obamacare’s repeal or a taxcut) have collected on their wager: Neil Gorsuch has demonstrated that he will be a formidable conservative jurist, of that I have no doubt (and I think the same would be equally true of the others President Trump has suggested he would nominate).

I do not see how any conservative lawyer can, in good conscience, stay the course with this president. If you continue on this course—if you voluntarily choose to support Trump or to join his administration—you too are enabling the destruction of American values. In many ways, you are worse than Trump. For while he is a petulant man-child without any sense of right or wrong, you know that this is wrong. You know that you have sold your soul.

Rosenzweig is highly misguided. What he thinks are conservative judicial principles are really pursuit of power for the wealthy — the Heller decision, the Citizens U decision, are both about giving power to billionaires.

But he’s right that anyone supporting Trump now - for any reason- is selling their soul. Anyone not actively resisting is complicit in the destruction of our democracy and values.

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Conservative lawyer: We are selling our souls to Trump and destroying America (Original Post) sharedvalues Nov 2017 OP

Link to article sharedvalues Nov 2017 #1

You never had souls to sell. You are selling souls short, and repaying with our country's. lastlib Nov 2017 #2

They keep having these moments of reality check time. Yet.... Roland99 Nov 2017 #3

Wrong Tense Podkayne K Nov 2017 #4

True, but old news . . . MrModerate Nov 2017 #5

"Anyone not actively resisting is complicit..." Duppers Nov 2017 #6

the whole country is screwed elmac Nov 2017 #7

Rosenzweig must be from another planet.. Permanut Nov 2017 #8

Conservatives choke on lies. It's Orwellian. sharedvalues Nov 2017 #9

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts)

1. Link to article

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 10:02 AM

Nov 2017

https://lawfareblog.com/trading-soul-conservative-law-…-wales

Above original link gets mangled by DU software.

Here’s a shortened link to the article

http://bit.ly/2zTrUWb

lastlib

(23,248 posts)

2. You never had souls to sell. You are selling souls short, and repaying with our country's.

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 11:47 AM

Nov 2017

Roland99

(53,342 posts)

3. They keep having these moments of reality check time. Yet....

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 11:59 AM

Nov 2017

they still these cretins into office and keep doubling down on dangerous and harmful policies!

Podkayne K

(145 posts)

4. Wrong Tense

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 12:22 PM

Nov 2017

are selling your soul? PEAAALSE! Whatever soul you had was bought and paid for countless years ago.

All you're doing now is leaving IOU's with the Devil!

MrModerate

(9,753 posts)

5. True, but old news . . .

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 12:33 PM

Nov 2017

I see no evidence that Republicans have taken this criticism to heart since the article was published in August.

Duppers

(28,125 posts)

6. "Anyone not actively resisting is complicit..."

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 12:33 PM

Nov 2017

"...in the destruction of our democracy and values."

AMEN. That needs to be on a billboard.

elmac

(4,642 posts)

7. the whole country is screwed

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 12:36 PM

Nov 2017

damage done plus the damage that will continue to be done will send this country down a path of no return. Just having a super fascist supreme court guarantees this. Im afraid, in the end, a very ugly civil war or revolution is in our future. Welcome to the dark ages.

Permanut

(5,613 posts)

8. Rosenzweig must be from another planet..

Reply to sharedvalues (Original post)

Sat Nov 18, 2017, 10:14 PM

Nov 2017

The actual "values that animate the conservative legal movement" are diametrically opposed to those he lists. A "color-blind society"? Really? "Equality of opportunity"? What in hell are these people smoking?

sharedvalues

(6,916 posts)

9. Conservatives choke on lies. It's Orwellian.

Reply to Permanut (Reply #8)

Sun Nov 19, 2017, 05:40 PM

Nov 2017

Ugh. Yes.

Rosenzweig and the rest of the federalist society conveniently forget that Reagan got elected by pandering to racists.

The conservative movement has bad, unpopular ideas, and the only reason conservatives have any power at all is because they lie to people and use hatemongering and fear to get votes.

"States' rights": my ass. "Strict constructionism": Scalia's excuse for pushing pro-billionaire values.

Scalia died on a JUNKET WITH BILLIONAIRES. The whole federalist society is a fraud.

And never forget Scalia dropped this racist line...
"There are those who contend that it does not benefit African Americans to get into the University of Texas where they do not do well, as opposed to having them go to a less-advanced school, a slower-track school, where they do well,” Scalia said. "

"There are those who contend". He was afraid to own his opinions. He knew they were hateful and divisive.

Reply to this discussion