Larry Tribe’s cheap shot

Larry Tribe has joined the chorus that’s calling on Alex Acosta to resign from his post as Secretary of Labor. Tribe tweeted:

#AlexAcosta should immediately resign as Trump’s Secretary of Labor. A federal court has found him guilty of violating the Victim Rights Act, disgracefully treating #JeffreyEpstein’s child victims as disposable. Sadly, Acosta fits well in Trump’s cabinet but he’s unfit to serve.

The first two sentences are fine. Unfortunately, Tribe couldn’t resist taking a cheap shot at President Trump and his cabinet in the third.

Tribe’s claim that Acosta fits well in Trump’s cabinet is obviously false. Which other cabinet member has been found or credibly accused of violating federal law? Which has sold out victims of sexual abuse, or of any other crime?

Tribe can disagree with the way Mike Pompeo, Steve Mnuchin, Ben Carson, Alex Azar, Elaine Chao, Betsy DeVos, Kirstjen Nielsen, et al are performing their jobs. But it’s churlish to compare these officials — upright and law-abiding as far as we know — with Acosta.

Tribe’s comparison fails in an additional way. All of the cabinet members cited above are, to one degree or another, implementing conservative policies consistent with what Trump campaigned on. Some could be doing so more vigorously, but each is basically in tune with Trump’s center right presidency.

Acosta is not. Trump picked Andy Puzder to be his Labor Secretary after Puzder told Trump he wanted to reverse the policies and practices of the Barack Obama/Tom Perez Labor Department — to “drain the swamp,” as it were. Alex Acosta, selected after Puzder’s nomination ran into severe difficulties, has steadfastly refused to reverse these policies and practices. He does not, in any sense, fit well in Trump’s cabinet.

John has described Larry Tribe, his former professor, as “a sad case” who has gone “badly off the rails.” John is right.

I just hope that Tribe’s opposition to Acosta doesn’t help him keep his job.

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