The Mukasey Paradox

Radley Balko | March 4, 2008

Jonathan Turley meshes Attorney General Michael Mukasey's positions on torture (it isn't illegal if the president's legal advisers say it isn't) and his refusal to entertain contempt charges against Harriet Miers and Josh Bolton (it isn't illegal if the president orders it) to come up with Mukasey's perfect paradox:

Under Mukasey's Paradox, lawyers cannot commit crimes when they act under the orders of a president -- and a president cannot commit a crime when he acts under advice of lawyers.

The predictable result is an unchecked executive. Turley finds the logic "beautiful." I'd probably use some other adjectives.

Thanks to Jonathan Blanks for the tip.