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I agree that Hentoff has integrity, but he supported Communist Party USA and Socialist Workers Party fronts (ostensively because they dealt with constitutional rights - Bullshit).

Over the years he had started to shift a little more towards the middle on some issues, to his credit, but his support of the communists, rather than going it alone on certain issues, marred his record.

Sometimes those NYC leftists can have an interesting outlook on things. I once heard a radio interview of radical Communist lawyer William Kunstler on a talk radio show in New York City. By the time it was over I almost could have voted for the guy to be mayor of NYC. His political outlook was far more "libertarian" than "liberal," and his strongest statement was when the host asked him why he pursued a career doing the kind of criminal defense work that he did.

"Because all governments are inherently corrupt, and I've dedicated my life to defending people against the criminals in their own government."

The best part of the interview was when the host asked him this: If he could go back in time to any period in history to defend a notable accused criminal, which person would that be? His answer shocked the heck out of me: "Jesus Christ. Now there was a man who didn't deserve what was done to him. He was a wise, respected religious figure who was railroad by his own people because they didn't like what he was saying to them."

The calls that followed that comment, from irate Jewish listeners in New York City, were pretty unbelievable.