34 Benjamin Wittes Quotes for You to Enjoy

Benjamin Wittes

American Journalist

Born: Nov 5, 1969

Great Intelligence Justice Law People Power

Related authors: Ambrose Bierce Dave Barry Erma Bombeck Hunter S. Thompson Mignon McLaughlin Walter Cronkite William F. Buckley, Jr. William Lloyd Garrison

Political as well as religious cults can be distinguished from legitimate organizations by their use of doublethink. Though political cults espouse extremist ideologies, not extremist theologies, operationally they are virtually identical to religious cults, and they also go to great lengths to control the vocabularies of their members. Benjamin Wittes

Great Political Control Virtually Extremist Distinguished Though Members Religious Identical Also Well Ideologies Go Cults Legitimate Use Organizations

The only way to tyrantproof the presidency is not to elect tyrants to the presidency. Benjamin Wittes

Presidency Way Tyrants Only Elect

There is no doubt in my mind that Article II limits to a considerable degree the application of the obstruction statutes to the president when he is acting in his capacity as chief law-enforcement officer of the country. Benjamin Wittes

Mind Degree Country Doubt President Considerable No Doubt He Obstruction Limits His Chief Article Officer Capacity Acting Application

The nature of constitutional delegations of power is that they entitle the empowered official to do certain things that other people can't do. Benjamin Wittes

Nature People Power Other Constitutional Empowered Official Certain Certain Things Things

I normally try to ignore presidential tweets. Benjamin Wittes

Try Presidential Normally Ignore Tweets

The idea that the president doesn't interfere in law-enforcement investigative matters is one of our deep normative expectations of the modern presidency. But it is not a matter of law. Legally, if the president of the United States wants to direct the specific conduct of investigations, that is his constitutional prerogative. Benjamin Wittes

Law Matter Matters Presidency President Our States Constitutional Direct Investigations Investigative Idea His Conduct Expectations Legally Modern Wants Interfere Deep United Prerogative Specific United States

The notion of law enforcement as professional, not political, began developing as an aspiration and an ethos even while, in practice, the FBI was the personal fiefdom of J. Edgar Hoover. Benjamin Wittes

Law Political Practice Hoover Law Enforcement Developing Edgar Began Personal While Enforcement Ethos Aspiration Notion Professional Even

For those who support same-sex marriage - and I support it without reservation - the ideal of equality and the belief in the dignity of same-sex relationships necessarily makes the issue seem a great deal like the civil-rights struggles of the past. Benjamin Wittes

Great Dignity Marriage Equality Great Deal Past Reservation Relationships Those Seem Struggles Support Ideal Like Without Deal Makes Issue Same-Sex Same-Sex Marriage Who Belief Necessarily

Conservatives complain that the Supreme Court is too liberal. Liberals complain that it's too conservative. Both charges are inaccurate: in reality the Court is a careful political actor that arguably represents the center of gravity of American politics better than most politicians do. Benjamin Wittes

Politics Reality Conservative Better Political Politicians Too Complain Conservatives Liberal Liberals Charges Both Arguably Most Supreme Supreme Court Court Than American Represents Center Inaccurate American Politics Actor Gravity Careful

The foundations of modern civil-rights law are exceptionally secure. Conservative judges nibble around the edges sometimes, and people still debate the constitutionality of affirmative-action programs. But almost no one seriously argues about the basic meaning or legitimacy of core civil-rights protections. Benjamin Wittes

Liberals have been overselling the threat to reproductive rights for decades. Benjamin Wittes

Rights Liberals Threat Been Decades Reproductive

I generally favor permissive abortion laws. Benjamin Wittes

Abortion Favor Laws Generally Permissive

In the world of President Trump, we really want people who aren't going to lie. We want people who can sit in front of a congressional committee for hours and, however mad they may make us, never give us reason to doubt that they are telling the truth as they see it. Benjamin Wittes

Truth Lie People World Sit Doubt President President Trump Mad Telling Telling The Truth See Give Never Hours Make However Trump Committee Front Going May Want Us Really Congressional Reason Who

I'm an unabashed apologist for strong national-security authority. That's why I might be more alarmed by Trump. Benjamin Wittes

Strong More Trump Authority Might Why

If you believe, as I do, that the scope and range of presidential authority is great, that puts a lot of weight on the civic virtue and decency of the individual who holds the office. Benjamin Wittes

Great You Decency Believe Virtue Presidential Range Civic Individual Weight Puts Scope Lot Office Authority Holds Who

The reason the FISA standard is constitutional is that the government is supposed to use FISA surveillance not for criminal investigations but for counterintelligence probes pursued under the president's authority to conduct foreign policy. Benjamin Wittes

Government President Criminal Constitutional Pursued Investigations Counterintelligence Supposed Policy Foreign Foreign Policy Conduct Surveillance Authority Use Standard Reason

I understand that a lot of people who use phrases like #resistance have found my work valuable. But my job is to look at difficult problems of national security in ways that may be useful to policymakers and the public. Benjamin Wittes

Work People Problems Valuable Job National Difficult Ways Security Phrases Like Look Policymakers Understand Lot National Security May Public Use Useful Who Found Resistance

Eric Holder is a decent man. Benjamin Wittes

Man Eric Decent Decent Man Holder

We should never again have an attorney general capable of saying virtually nothing as the law of major intelligence programs and the integrity of his department's work in overseeing these programs are assailed over a protracted period of time. Benjamin Wittes

Work Saying Time Integrity Intelligence Law Nothing Programs Virtually General Never Over Major Attorney Attorney General Period Protracted His Overseeing Department Again Capable Should

We should stop thinking of Snowden, to the extent that we ever were, as a hero. We should stop thinking of him as a whistleblower. Benjamin Wittes

Hero Thinking Him Were Snowden Stop Should Ever Extent

Good intelligence analysis, after all, is all about discrimination between what's important and what's not. Benjamin Wittes

Good Intelligence Important Analysis About Between Discrimination After

It is possible for great nations to rot from within. Benjamin Wittes

Great Possible Great Nations Within Nations Rot

I have fiercely criticized both the Bush administration's counterterrorism policies and the Obama administration's - and fiercely defended both as well. Benjamin Wittes

Obama Administration Criticized Both Counterterrorism Well Policies Bush Fiercely Defended

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