Say what? But surely the Miami family had an obligation to hand over the boy -- the president, through his minions in the INS, had ordered them to do so. (His ev-ery wish is our command). We Amerikans have been so dumbed-down regarding our most basic rights it has fallen to this million-dollar-mouthpiece from the left side of the political spectrum to instruct us:
"Only a Court Order Can Direct a Citizen. Nobody has an obligation in this country to listen to the executive. The executive, whether it's the president or the INS, has no authority over citizens of this country."
Well I say. That isn't the impression I got from watching Tom and Pete and Gunga Dan, and especially from watching Ricky Kaplan's talking-head hand-puppets at CNN. (Tricky-Ricky, the president of CNN News, sleeps in the Lincoln bedroom during his frequent overnight visits to the White House). What's the point of being commander-in-chief if one cannot command us lowly churls to do one's bidding? Dershowitz elaborates:
"You need a court order to tell a citizen of this country to respond to the INS. And it establishes a terrible precedent for Janet Reno or any other member of the administration to set deadlines, to give orders. Citizens do not have an obligation to obey the executive. They have an obligation to obey court orders."
Why that's in direct contravention of the Divine Right of Kings. What is the world coming to when the president can't even order us around like abject slaves? Er -- if that's what it takes, why didn't the prez (or rather Reno, behind whose skirts he has been hiding) get a court order? Dershowitz explains:
"...the 11th Circuit wanted to decide, and that's exactly why the 11th Circuit ordered him to stay in the United States, and that's exactly why they didn't seek a court order, because they knew they wouldn't get one."
That is a pretty damning declaration coming from one of the president's most ardent defenders during last year's impeachment proceedings. He tells us in effect that the president is acting outside the law, indeed he shows absolute contempt for the law. And nobody lifts a finger to do anything about it.
The order of the 11th Circuit Court referred to above was intended to "retain the status quo" pending the appeal of Elian's case in the courts, says Derschowitz, and the purpose of the raid was to "moot the appeal," substituting lawyers representing Elian's father (i.e. Clinton/Castro) for those representing the Miami family. "And they took the law into their own hands," says Dershowitz, "and that's what's wrong here."***
