Alan Dershowitz says that Ted Cruz was one of his most brilliant students

Blasting News ^ | April 13, 2016 | Mark R. Whittington

[Marcus]

One of the strangest and most intriguing “endorsements” that Sen Ted Cruz has gotten for his run for the president was from his old Harvard Law professor, Alan Dershowitz. Professor Dershowitz proclaimed Cruz to be one of the most brilliant students he ever had while on The Kelly File. That is quite a compliment considering that Dershowitz is a down the line liberal, and Cruz is running as the most conservative candidate for president since Ronald Reagan.

[goodwithagun]

You have more honor in your pinky finger than any of us keyboard warriors. Good luck to you.

[heights]

And Mozart was into ‘Scat’.

[SgtBob]

You needed help...I always help my FRiends...

[dforest]

Aw shucks, thanks.

[AndyJackson]

He may be brilliant but he has no moral compass as he demonstrated in the first two of nine cases he argued before the Sumpreme Court.

His first case, as Solicitor General of Texas Frew v. Hawkins (1996), Cruz argued that Texas was not bound by a consent decree that Texas entered into in federal court in a class action Medicaid case. Cruz tried to argue that state sovereignty barred enforcement against Texas of its own agreement. The court ruled against him 9-0.

In his next case Dretke v. Haley (2004) Cruz argued that despite errors by the state of Texas, Haley should languish in jail for 15 years to make a point for other cases in the state of Taxas. By way of background Haley was convicted of stealing a calculator from a Walmart, a misdemeanor with a maximum prison sentence of 2 years. But Texas invoked the repeat offenders act and he was sentenced 15 years. Some years later an attorney reviewed the record and appealed on the grounds that Texas had misapplied the repeat offenders act. Before the Supreme Court, Cruz argued that the Haley had waived any objection to his sentence by leaving it so long (Really!!) and also argued that he was concerned about the impact of an adverse opinion in the Haley matter on other Texas cases. He cratered on that one too.

The issue is not genius in his arguments, but utter unscrupulousness and lack of judgment in what to pursue and for what reasons. I am not accusing Cruz of being Nifong, but the judgment clouded ambition is certainly there.

[AndyJackson]

I think Cruz would be a great Justice.

See my post #45. I personally question it, and all of that would be fair game in a confirmation hearing.

[yetidog]

Give us a review of the cases he won. And he was in essence a defense attorney for the state, not a saint. What do you think attorneys do for goodness sake?

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

And Karl Marx said that Hillary and Bernie were two of his worst students.

However, he thought that the kid from Hawaii would be one of his best students. And he was right!

[FreeAtlanta]

Just look at Trump. He claims he has a 150 IQ — snicker

[Forty-Niner]

“...I’m done with all of you bastards.”

Bye-bye!

[applpie]

Haha that itself seems brilliant....poop head. Hah. Did the Don say that?

[FreeAtlanta]

I second that.

I didn’t like the language and I really hope both sides can knock off the insults of each other, but I hate the thought of losing you.

I almost did it a few weeks ago. I am afraid that this election is costing us long term members more than any other election.

[goodwithagun]

This FReepathon will be telling. It's mainly the noobs that signed up from April 2015 to now that really get to me. Perhaps they will donate enough to make up for the FReepers who are holding back do to their displeasure with how things are being handled?

[Michael.SF.]

You make some very valid points, and you know more about this than I do, so I am not going to dispute what you have said. I would instead be more interested (If I was judging him) to hear his responses to questions asked on those cases.

Obviously any attorney or solicitor may be torn between doing the best he can for a case he may not agree with (defense attorney's) or supporting something that he has been instructed to fight for.

[FreeAtlanta]

That is a great point. His heart might not have been in it for cases that he didn’t support. I know that isn’t right, but it happens. He was also young. The Trump supporters are so quick to forgive him for all his leftist positions through the years, but will not give an inch to a conservative.

It is almost like how the media treats conservatives.

[Romans Nine]

No no no no, Billy Jeff had a pornographic memory.

[SgtBob]

You need help, also...see post #34...

[KevinB]

Dershowitz also said Cruz's best friend was a black student (from Jamaica I think), the two were 'inseparable' and both were brilliant.

Correct. They were partners on the Harvard championship debate team. Cruz discusses him quite a bit in his book.

[KevinB]

You Trumpsters are the most vile I have seen..

I have to agree. Cruz is my first choice, but I will support Trump if he is the nominee. The Trumpsters have been showing themselves to be no better than the Dems lately.

[Dawgreg]

Probably poured himself into studying around the clock because the chicks wouldn’t give him a second look..