Julie Sullivan/The OregonianFairbanks resident Claire Alix stands outside the Carlson Arena as former deputy Assistant Attorney General John Yoo addressed the Alaska Bar.
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.
The controversial author of the 2002 memos interpreting federal torture statutes focused on the 10 best presidents –leaving the troubling issues of the day for his debate this morning against Oregon Federal Defender Steven T. Wax.
Only when he answered questions about being a Korean immigrant and what it was like to work in the Bush White House ("under great pressure, limited time and lack of information") did the speech veer toward interesting.
Yoo, a tenured law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is debating Wax at the Alaska Bar's annual convention. He spoke at a hockey arena while a few protesters stood outside with signs. He said President Obama's spent too much time on the economy and health care early in his term but that his handling of the Osama Bin Laden killing was in keeping with what the founders intended.
"That was what executive power was originally designed for," he said.
Today, Yoo will debate the Portland lawyer who has battled the government's handling of accused terrorists since 9/11. John Yoo will face Steven T. Wax, the Oregon Federal Public Defender, for three-and-a-half hours of debate, Socratic dialogue and cross examination. They'll debate before the Alaska Bar Association's annual convention. Read The Oregonian's past coverage of that, and later today, watch online for coverage of the debate.
The controversial author of the 2002 memos interpreting federal torture statutes focused on the 10 best presidents –leaving the troubling issues of the day for his debate this morning against Oregon Federal Defender Steven T. Wax.
Only when he answered questions about being a Korean immigrant and what it was like to work in the Bush White House ("under great pressure, limited time and lack of information") did the speech veer toward interesting.
Yoo, a tenured law professor at the University of California, Berkeley, is debating Wax at the Alaska Bar's annual convention. He spoke at a hockey arena while a few protesters stood outside with signs. He said President Obama's spent too much time on the economy and health care early in his term but that his handling of the Osama Bin Laden killing was in keeping with what the founders intended.
"That was what executive power was originally designed for," he said.
Today, Yoo will debate the Portland lawyer who has battled the government's handling of accused terrorists since 9/11. John Yoo will face Steven T. Wax, the Oregon Federal Public Defender, for three-and-a-half hours of debate, Socratic dialogue and cross examination. They'll debate before the Alaska Bar Association's annual convention. Read The Oregonian's past coverage of that, and later today, watch online for coverage of the debate.
