PhillyMag Poll: 75% Of Readers Say Obama Is Wrong To Nominate Mumia Lawyer to DOJ

PhillyMag.com has a poll up asking readers if they think Obama was wrong to nominate Debo Adegbile, the former lawyer of cop killer Mumia Abu-Jamal, to head the Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice.

Reporter Victor Fiorillo notes that “a lot of people are not okay with that”, citing Chuck Canterbury, President of the Fraternal Order of Police, who sent Obama a letter castigating him for the nomination. 

“As word of this nomination spreads through the law enforcement community, reactions range from anger to incredulity, Canterbury wrote. “Under this nominee’s leadership, the Legal Defense Fund (LDF) of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People volunteered their services to represent Wesley Cook, better known to the world as Mumia Abu-Jamal-our country’s most notorious cop-killer.”

Canterbury dismissed the idea that Adegbile’s group was somehow doing a noble thing by defending a bad man.
“We are aware of the tried and true shield behind which activists of Adegbile’s ilk are wont to hide-that everyone is entitled to a defense; but surely you would agree that a defense should not be based on falsely disparaging and savaging the good name and reputation of a lifeless police officer, he said.
“Certainly any legal scholar can see the injustice and absence of ethics in this cynical race-baiting approach to our legal system.”

Most legal scholars yes, of course. Members of the Obama administration – nyet. 

This is an administration that persecutes Catholic nuns, but appoints a cop killer’s attorney to a top DOJ civil rights position.

Maureen Faulkner, the widow of the police officer whom the unrepentant Abu-Jamal ruthlessly gunned down, went on Megyn Kelly’s Fox show on Wednesday to express her disgust at the nomination. PA Congressman Mike Fitzpatrick, was on the next night to express his disgust, along with Chuck Canterbury. 

Philly.com reports that “in Adegbile’s corner, there are 75 organizations that have signed on to a letter to the United States Senate, urging the senators to confirm the nomination.”

Those organizations include everyone from the AFL-CIO to the National Center for Transgender Equality to the National Bar Association.

The poll shows 75% of respondents agreeing with the Republicans, the Police Union and Faulkner’s widow.
22% agree with Obama administration, the transgender community, the AFL-CIO, Bar Assoc et. al. that it’s no big deal –  lawyers represent bad people all the time. 
Aaaaand another 3% say Adegbile should be given a medal because Mumia’s totally innocent. 

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