Boehner’s Lawyer In Obama Lawsuit Quits After Being Criticized By His Lawyer Friends


Well, this flew under the radar. Last week, the attorney who was representing House Republicans in their lawsuit against Pres. Obama pulled out because of political backlash among his colleagues at Baker Hostetler, his law firm and the firm that was hired by House Speaker John Boehner’s people.

Attorney David B. Rivkin Jr. took the case on behalf of the House Republicans in August after they voted to sue the president for being black and thinking he could act all uppity?alleged abuse of ?executive authority. The lawsuit centers around the delay of the employer mandate provision of Obamacare. Yes, that’s right. They’re suing him for delaying Obamacare. You know….the Act they did everything they could to delay, repeal, and, well….anyhow.

Inside sources say that Rivkin withdrew because he was facing ridicule criticism among his peers for taking a politically motivated lawsuit.After taking the case, Baker Hostetler was parodied on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon when the show broadcast a fake commercial showing an ambulance-chasing lawyer trying to think up Obama lawsuits and asking viewers to call a toll-free number. A snippet from the parody, from The New York Times:

?At Baker Hostetler, we specialize in one thing ? suing the president,? the faux infomercial says. ?For instance, have you ever been forced to pass Obamacare, even though you didn’t like it? We can help you waste thousands of dollars in taxpayer money to fight for what you sort of believe in.?

Watch at a little past halfway through:


Even conservative pundits have ridiculed the lawsuit. From The Times:

Erick Erickson, the blogger and pundit, also called it ?political theater? that wasted taxpayer dollars. Mark Levin, the popular radio host and former Reagan administration official, called it a ?foolish move? that made him cringe.

Quite naturally, members of the firm were concerned that their involvement with the case could potentially drive off clients and hurt Hostetler’s credibility, say anonymous sources involved with the case.

Ya think?

photo of obama and boehner on st. patrick's day green ties
Wikipedia

The House Administration Committee Chairwoman Candice Miller (R-Michigan) has signed a new contract with William A. Burck, who is the co-head of the Washington office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan. Mr. Burck has been down this dirty road before. He helped the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform when House Republicans sued Attorney General Eric Holder to produce documents related to Operation Fast and Furious. He also represented Maureen McDonnell, Gov. Bob “Ultrasound” McDonnell’s wife.

Burck will be paid $500 per hour, with a cap at $350,000. A fabulous use of taxpayer dollars, eh?

Right-wing pundits are spinning this as “House Republicans Hire New Lawfirm,” of course. Let’s keep it real, House Republicans — you were dumped. You’re so shady and ridiculous that even ambulance chasers don’t want anything to do with you.

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Tiffany Willis is the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.

I had a successful career actively working with at-risk youth, people struggling with poverty and unemployment, and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. In 2011, I made the decision to pursue my dreams and become a full-time writer. Connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook.