Instapundit’s Glenn Reynolds is calling for President Obama to resign for ‘brownshirted enforcers’ type officers bringing in anti-Islam “Innocence of Muslims” filmmaker Nakoula Basseley Nakoula for questioning, saying his free speech rights have been violated. Reynolds, who is a lawyer, is making hay out of nothing. Nothing like doling out a big plate of scariness. Why? You see, the federal authorities have a right to bring Nakoula in for questioning because he is currently on probation for bank fraud. I wonder, did it ever cross Glenn Reynolds’ mind the authorities might want to find out where he got the money to bankroll the project? Oh, no. It’s just easier and makes for better news to blame Obama and keep the ‘dictator’ thingy going, as well as keeping the belief held by many wingnuts that he’s secretly a Muslim. SMH. If Nakoula is being questioned in the context of violating his probation, how is Obama being a bully?
By sending — literally — brownshirted enforcers to engage in — literally — a midnight knock at the door of a man for the non-crime of embarrassing the President of the United States and his administration, President Obama violated that oath. You can try to pretty this up (It’s just about possible probation violations! Sure.), or make excuses or draw distinctions, but that’s what’s happened. It is a betrayal of his duties as President, and a disgrace. Source: Instapundit
If Nakoula violated the terms of his probation, then he should be sent back to prison. It’s just that simple. This has nothing to do with the mayhem the film sparked. Pajama Media is grovelling for a reason to smear President Obama, just like the typical right wing spin machines — Twitchy, Michelle Malkin, Powerline, Newsbusters Weasel Zippers and Breitbart. Nakoula Basseley Nakoula is obligated under the law to speak with his probation officer and federal authorities. That fact was conveniently ignored by Glenn Reynolds, who should be ashamed of himself for making such an assertion, since he’s an attorney. If I were his client or a student in one of his classes, I would be questioning his judgment to apply the law and not put politics first.
Let me underscore the fact that Nakoula Basseley Nakoula pleaded no contest to bank fraud charges in 2010 and was banned from using computers or the Internet or using false identities as part of his sentence, according to the LA Times. So, what of the alias, Sam Bacile? How did he get the money to pay the crew, actors and actresses for the movie? This just plays into the narrative that the right wing will do anything to put an idiot in the White House at all costs, oblivious to facts and the truth.
Glenn Reynolds’ screed has left me wondering how in the world someone who should be knowledgeable about the law could come up with such a weak argument calling for President Obama’s resignation? Hey, Glenn, why not call for Mitt Romney to drop out of the race, since he has enraged so many conservatives with his vagueness and inability to thrash Obama in the polls, given the weak economy and continued joblessness? Wait, how could I forget, the Republican leadership in Congress were hellbent on making Obama a one-term president and blocked him every step of the way.
CORRECTION NOTE: An earlier version of this post mistakenly quoted Glenn Reynolds as using the phrase “Nazi paramilitary-type.” This error has now been corrected. We regret the error.
This was cross-posted from The Hinterland Gazette.