John Yoo, author of 'torture memo,' speaks at Alaska bar association awards dinner; 20 walk out

[Tinksrival]

Source: The Oregonian

FAIRBANKS – About 20 Alaska attorneys walked out the Annual Bar Association awards dinner before former Bush administration attorney John Yoo spoke Thursday. But at least 140 others stayed to hear a rather tame history lesson on the use of presidential power.

Read more: http://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2011/05/john_yoo_author_of_torture_memo_speaks_at_alaska_bar_association_awards_dinner_20_walk_out.html

[wtmusic]

1. Must suck to be him. nt

[FiveGoodMen]

9. Not as much as it should!

[laylah]

14. +1000 nt

[calimary]

26. No kidding!

[No Elephants]

20. Not in jail, teaching at a prestigious law school, wrote 2 books (so far), getting speaking fees,

even if 20 liberals (whose opinions Yoo probably sneers at anyway) out of 160 attendees walk out in Alaska on one occasion--and on and on.

"Yoo has been a professor of law at the University of California, Berkeley's School of Law (Boalt Hall) since 1993. He has authored two books on presidential power and the war on terrorism, as well as numerous journal and newspaper articles.<5> He has held the Fulbright Distinguished Chair in Law at the University of Trento and has also been a visiting law professor at the Free University of Amsterdam, the University of Chicago, and Chapman University School of Law. Since 2003, Yoo has also worked as a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think tank. He also writes a monthly column, entitled "Closing Arguments", for The Philadelphia Inquirer, and is the author of the book Crisis and Command.<6>"

More: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Yoo

(Edit to add wiki quote)

[sabrina 1]

2. I wonder how they have the nerve to keep appearing in public

I guess the drive for money is so strong in these people they will do anything. Hopefully one day, when this country finds its soul again, we will see these people prosecuted. Maybe years from now, as is happening in Latin American countries, but sometimes justice takes time.

[RKP5637]

4. I certainly wouldn't want to be alone with him. n/t

[louslobbs]

6. I share your hopes sabrina 1

Lou

[tex-wyo-dem]

15. sabrina...I love that what you said...

"when this country finds its soul again"...beautiful, and so true. This country needs to find its soul again...maybe all this OBL stuff will finally turn the page to a better and brighter future.

One hopes.

[No Elephants]

18. Problem is, statutes of limitation come into play.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

19. the complete lack of shame or self-reflection is

astounding.

Condi, Cheney, Bolton, Yoo, they all act the same.

[prairierose]

24. The neo-cons have no shame because they ...

are so convinced that they are the privileged class that should be in control of everything. I question whether they have any soul; they have proved to the world they have no conscience.

[RKP5637]

3. Some in this country have forgotten WWII, Vietnam and the rest of the

horrific torture used for eons. Some humans (if even human) really NEVER seem to learn from past events.

[Ian David]

5. I would have stayed, but stood with my back turned to him. n/t

[trud]

7. I wonder how much they paid him to speak. n/t

[tsuki]

8. Yea for the 20. nt

[freshwest]

16. And boycott the fan club that stayed!

[Richardo]

10. My only wish is that they had waited for him to start before they left.

:applause:

[gristy]

25. My thinking also

As soon as he utters his first word, stand up in unison and walk out.

[Maine-i-acs]

11. I don't think I could have walked out -

- without throwing a dinner roll first.

[24601]

12. So at least 87.5% stayed and listened. n/t

[Downwinder]

13. Probably had to stay for CLE credit. Captive audience.

[No Elephants]

21. Credit for attending an awards dinner?

[Joanie Baloney]

17. They had to

The food hadn't been served yet.

;)

[plumbob]

22. Good for the 20.

I'm sincerely hoping that Yoo and many others will get just what's coming to them. Sooner, rather than later.

Hope springs eternal.

[Patiod]

23. That POS was attributing the OBL kill to info obtained by torture

as well as warrentless wiretapping.

He was on "Tell Me More" on NPR yesterday.

When the host, Michel Martin, said that most sources report that information gained under torture is useless, he claimed the prisoners only cooperated after they had been broken by waterboarding.

Fortunately the show had on someone well-informed to rebut his claims: here and here.

[Vidar]

27. I'm proud of the walkouts. Too bad the percentage wasn't higher, but it's a start.