Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
As John himself noted below, yesterday the Ninth Circuit ruled--finally--in his favor. From an editorial in the Wall Street Journal:
How baseless was the persecution of John Yoo by the white-shoe legal elite, which peddled the claims of a terrorist in order to harass the Bush Administration lawyer for his national-security views? So baseless that even the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has thrown the case out.
I'd add, if I may, a personal note.
I've known John since he returned to California from Washington almost ten years ago, and I've found myself marveling at him again and again. Not since the treatment Ed Meese received during the nineteen-eighties has a public official been so relentlessly, viciously and unfairly vilified--if anything, John has been subjected to more vicious treatment than was the former attorney general, and the vilification John has endured has lasted much, much longer. In all the years I've known him, John has never--never--betrayed any resentment or bitterness whatsoever. None. To the contrary. John has always proven a man of inexhaustible good cheer, optimistic, full of good humor, and, despite all he has had to endure, happy.
Congratulations to John, a brilliant lawyer, a superb teacher, an accomplished author--and a cheerful patriot.
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Dec '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Watching from afar, that is to say, Bakersfield, the one thing that strikes me is the grace and good humor with which John Yoo comported himself through this ideal. An attorney myself, I can only imagine the stress that this ordeal has caused, and that he rose above. Congratulations.
Jun '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Apparently, the new legal analysis is that you have to blow any discovered terrorists to smithereens. Progress.
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I'd like to associate myself with every word of Brother Robinson's comments and to add only this: I have scoured John's resume over and over again, convinced that there must have been a three-year window where he dropped out of society and dedicated himself to the study of Stoicism or Zen Buddhism. His equanimity in the face of some of the most despicable calumnies faced by a public figure in the modern era is nothing short of astonishing.
As Peter notes, it's not just that John remains even-tempered. He has an almost superhuman capacity for good cheer. A few weeks ago, when we were together for an event in Santa Monica, we spied from the atrium of the hotel some protesters clad in Guantanamo-style jumpsuits, chained to each other in protest in front of the building. My first reaction was to be defensive of my friend and colleague. John's first reaction was to try and figure out what the funniest photo we could take with the protesters would be. They broke the mold with Professor Yoo.
Congratulations, John.
Jan '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
When you fight the good fight, the fight is fun. John Yoo strikes me as a man who's having a lot of fun.
Nov '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
John Yoo seems to be a living exemplar of the saying "If you're taking flak, you know you're over the target." Like all great aviators he seems to take great joy in the flight no matter how rough it may be.
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Beautifully said, KC. John is fun.
Jul '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I do have to wonder if they would have 'let John off' if Richard Epstein had been the opposition. I jest, Congratulations Mr Yoo. Thank you for fighting the good fight and proving that it can still be won.
Aug '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
And what a nice guy. Having met him on a NR cruise, I was impressed by his ebullience and good cheer combined with an incisive wit and breadth of knowledge.
That said ( immoderately ) , I nominate him for AG come January.
The war against terrorism is far from over.
May '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
John still has the best single line in the history of this whole endeavor. Speaking on Law Talk, John asserted that you could clone Richard Epstein, pack the Supreme Court with them and still get a 5-4 decision.
Edited on May 3, 2012 at 8:32pmMar '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
The good news is that John beat this legal harassment.
Peter, Troy...the bad news is that you got to know John at his most morose. You'll probably need to keep a net handy from here on out.
EJHill: John still has the best single line in the history of this whole endeavor. Speaking on Law Talk, John asserted that you could clone Richard Epstein, pack the Supreme Court with them and still get a 5-4 decision. · 33 minutes ago
Edited 32 minutes ago
How many dissents would there be?
May '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I get to defend John virtually every day, since I have a couple of Facebook friends who continuously post silly statements about torture, to which I respond by telling them to go visit a certain museum in Cambodia.
Apr '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
EJHill: John still has the best single line in the history of this whole endeavor. Speaking on Law Talk, John asserted that you could clone Richard Epstein, pack the Supreme Court with them and still get a 5-4 decision. · 59 minutes ago
Edited 58 minutes ago
If you think Obamacare is long - comprehend the decisions handed down by a court full of Richard "The Living Paragraph" Epsteins. Wouldn't life be grand.
I do so enjoy law talk and the way John and Richard banter back and forth. An added treat is the way John laughs as Richard banters back and forth with himself. Mr. Robinson and company have scored high marks with the podcast.
My hat is off to John and how he has handled the situation and the exemplary way he has conducted himself through it all.
Mar '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Peter Robinson
Not since the treatment Ed Meese received during the nineteen-eighties has a public official been so relentlessly, viciously and unfairly vilified--if anything, John has been subjected to more vicious treatment than was the former attorney general, and the vilification John has endured has lasted much, much longer.
Eh, I dunno about that. They hate John's guts, but greater than their hate for Dubya? Nope. No one has made a movie fantasizing about John's assassination yet.
Mar '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I don't make a habit of watching the Daily Show, but I did make a point of watching John's show years ago. It was pretty nice seeing him methodically dismantle every single argument Stewart attempted to make. Stewart ended up looking like the kid in gym class that, no matter how much he tried, just couldn't climb the rope with the other kids.
Apr '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I wonder what would happen to the left if the RNC hosted a two hour special on T.V. with John Yoo, the Koch Brothers, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and W?
Heads exploding is my guess. The irrational hatred of the above by the left always amuses me.
Edited on May 3, 2012 at 11:15pmNov '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
I'm a John Yoo fan. I love it when the good guys win. And I bet he won't ever gloat. But I just might.
Aug '11
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Congratulations , John Yoo, on this ruling in your favor. It could be that you may be scapegoated over the next few years for this high profile decision. Stay strong, and remember the support that you have nationally. Never forget it!
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
This is great news. Congratulations, John, and thank you, Peter, for bringing this to our attention.
Jun '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
No matter what vitriol you receive from idiots, always remember, John Yoo, we here at Ricochet...well, we love ya' man! What else can I say.
Nov '10
Re: Please Join Me in Congratulating John Yoo
Aloha Johnny: I wonder what would happen to the left if the RNC hosted a two hour special on T.V. with John Yoo, the Koch Brothers, Dick Cheney, Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and W?
Heads exploding is my guess. The irrational hatred of the above by the left always amuses me.
Add in Ed Meese, Robert Bork, and Clarence Thomas.
How is it that they hate such decent people so much?