TPM Editor’s Blog

I Thought She Made a Good Point

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)

A Republican pal says Feinstein didn’t hit Ted Cruz where she should have …

Unfortunately, in the heat of the battle, Dianne Feinstein didn’t make the key rebuttal to Cruz’s lame questions.
NONE of the Bill of Rights’ protections are absolute. NONE of the Bill of Rights’ protections are UNLIMITED. The First Amendment to free speech has all sorts of limits (slander, libel, “fire in a crowded theater”), yet Cruz claims that they are. The Fourth Amendment protection against search and seizure isn’t absolute either. He’s a simpleton. Unfortunately, DiFi got swept up in the emotion of the moment and failed to make this simple, true, and devastating response to Cruz.

Video here.

I should say that I published this not as criticism but because I think the emailer has a good substantive point. In the event of Cruz’s public wise-assery, I think Feinstein probably responded just the right way.

Josh Marshall

Josh Marshall is editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo.com.

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