Administration Quote by Ted Olson
![“It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline to defend a law. I don't know what is going through the [Obama] administration's thought process on 'don't ask, don't tell.' It would be appropriate for them to say…” quote by Ted Olson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8b8/ted-olson-28366_administration_it-happens-every-once-in-awhile-at-the-f_334545.jpg)
“It happens every once in awhile at the federal level when the solicitor general, on behalf of the U.S., will confess error or decline to defend a law. I don't know what is going through the [Obama] administration's thought process on 'don't ask, don't tell.' It would be appropriate for them to say 'the law has been deemed unconstitutional, we are not going to seek further review of that.'”
About This Quote
Source Speech: Congressional testimony, 2009
Officials sometimes admit legal errors instead of defending unconstitutional laws, reflecting strategic choices in governance.
In simple terms: Govt may admit mistakes instead of defending laws.
Key Takeaway
Consider strategic admission of error.
Themes
law
government
strategy
Mood
cautious
analytical
Type
political
legal
When to use this quote
- legal reviews
- policy decisions
- public statements
Key Concepts
constitutional law
political strategy
Questions to Reflect On
- When is admission more beneficial than defense?
- How does this affect public trust?
A Different Perspective
May undermine confidence in legal consistency.
![“Donald Verrilli has argued 37 cases in five years on behalf of the [Barak] Obama administration. Many of them turned out to be truly landmark cases. He is the seventh-longest-serving solicitor general in American history.” quote by Dahlia Lithwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/55c/dahlia-lithwick-17366_administration_donald-verrilli-has-argued-37-cases-in-f_1615533.jpg)
