Atty. Gen. Edwin Meese Steps Down
Alan Dershowitz has lumped all former Presidents with Ronald Reagan, and has called for future Presidents to be bound by Reagan’s legacy (“Presidents Can’t Afford Crony at Helm of Justice,” Op-Ed Page, July 7). This is not a wise move, considering that Reagan is only comparable with Warren Harding as far as former Presidents go.
Robert Kennedy seemed to have worked out well as an attorney general despite his obvious ties to the President he served under, John F. Kennedy. It is very workable for a President to have a close associate heading the Justice Department, but this associate must run that department and nothing else. In Meese’s case, he has had a huge say in policy totally irrelevant to the Justice Department. What truly is of concern is that the President must have control over the Justice Department, and not vice versa.
STEPHEN J. LUBBEN
West Los Angeles
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