John Radsan Quotes (3 Quotes)

In the past, presidents set up buffers to distance themselves from covert action.

John Rizzo is a classic D.O. lawyer. He understands the culture, the intelligence business. He admires the case officers. And they trust him to work out tough issues in the gray with them. He is like a corporate lawyer who knows how to make the deal happen.

The Bush administration did not seek a broad debate on whether commander-in-chief powers can trump international conventions and domestic statutes in our struggle against terrorism. They could have separated the big question from classified details to operations and had an open debate. Instead, an inner circle of lawyers and advisers worked around the dissenters in the administration and one-upped each other with extreme arguments.