Posted on 08/03/2010 10:35:44 AM PDT by jazusamo
The federal government's dismissal of voter intimidation charges against the New Black Panther Party has not only stirred debate at the national level and among various media outlets, but created a firestorm within the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, which has announced a separate investigation of the matter.
In a statement, five Republican and independent commission members — describing themselves as "conservative-leaning colleagues" — took issue with comments by Commission Vice Chairman Abigail Thernstrom, also a Republican appointee, who called the New Black Panther Party probe "politically motivated."
"Our fellow member of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, Abigail Thernstrom, has asserted in various media outlets that the commission's investigation into the Justice Department's handling of the New Black Panther Party matter is a politically-motivated attempt to damage President Obama," the five said in the statement.
"Not only is this accusation baseless, it deflects attention from the serious allegations of wrongdoing within the Department of Justice both in connection with the New Black Panther Party case and more broadly," it said.
Mrs. Thernstrom told Politico last month that the commission's investigation "doesn't have anything to do with the Black Panthers; this has to do with their fantasies about how they could use this issue to topple" the Obama administration. She said her fellow conservatives on the commission "had this wild notion they could bring Eric Holder down and really damage the president."
The statement issued Thursday was signed by Republican members Gerald A. Reynolds, assistant general counsel at the Kansas City Power & Light Co., who serves as chairman; Peter N. Kirsanow, a partner at the Cleveland law firm of Benesch, Friedlander, Coplan & Arnoff; and Ashley L. Taylor, a partner at the Richmond law firm of Troutman Sanders LLP; and independent appointees Gail Heriot,...
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
ping
Abigail Thernstrom[1], a conservative political scientist, is a former Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute in New York, a member of the Massachusetts Board of Education, and vice chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. She received her Ph.D. from the Department of Government, Harvard University, in 1975.
A Mitt Romney Massachusetts "Conservative"
Excellent observation, I believe that's exactly what she is.
“Mrs. Thernstrom told Politico last month that the commission’s investigation “doesn’t have anything to do with the Black Panthers; this has to do with their fantasies about how they could use this issue to topple” the Obama administration. She said her fellow conservatives on the commission “had this wild notion they could bring Eric Holder down and really damage the president.”
She makes a good argument for the appointment of a special prosecutor.
I’d love to see a special prosecutor appointed but it’ll never happen while the Dems control Congress. Holder and Obama would be in a world of hurt if it happened, IMO.
I don’t know and it seems nobody else knows why she’s done a flip on this. When this mess started she was critical of the DOJ also.
“I don’t know and it seems nobody else knows why she’s done a flip on this.”
Given the Obama/Holder track record, she might’ve been threatened or promised anything. With this “transparent” presidency, everything’s done in the dark.
As Ann Coulter just said: "With friends like these, who needs Keith Olberman"
Methinks Abigail is off her meds lately.
I might have imagined it, but I have a vague recollection that Thernstrom has backed away from her remarks that the investigation is politically motivated and unimportant in the scheme of things.
Yes, the Black Panther Case Is Small Potatoes - A reply to Andrew McCarthy
Must have been my imagination. Peter Kirsanow response to Thernstrom (July 27 - NRO Corner), with links to her remarks. I don't see much, if any, backing down in there. She seems to be digging in that the underlying incident is no big deal, and DOJ was correct in dropping the convictions it had in hand.
Kudos to the commission members who repudiate Thernstrom’s remarks.
Thanks for the ping.
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