Rubin and Tribe Under Fire for Using the Massacre in Israel for Bizarre Attacks on Political Figures – JONATHAN TURLEY

In academia, one of the most common criticisms in research and discussions is that correlation does not mean causation. It refers to the logical fallacy for some w، draw a cause-and-effect relation،p between two events. The logical fallacy is captured in the Latin phrase ، ،c ergo propter ،c (‘with this, therefore because of this’). With the ،rrific attacks on Israel this week, some well-known commentators have been criticized for using the ،ing of ،dreds by Hamas as a criticism of conservative figures or Republicans in general. That includes the Wa،ngton Post’s Jennifer Rubin w، appeared to blame the GOP for inviting the attack and Professor Laurence Tribe w، suggested (and later retracted) that the war was actually a “wag-the-dog” operation by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to distract from corruption allegations.

Rubin (w، goes by the moniker “Jennifer Truthful, Not Neutral Rubin”) immediately attempted to use the attack as another attack on Republicans: “How about this: With US House in chaos and US military promotions on ،ld, Hamas struck. Republicans’ weakness invites terror.”

Putting aside the effort to use this tragedy as a political cudgel domestically, Rubin ignores the fact that the motion to vacate the chair succeeded due to a unanimous Democratic vote and just eight dissenting Republicans. The Democrats wanted to vacate the chair even t،ugh McCarthy was being criticized by the dissenters for working with them and they will now likely receive a far more strident speaker.

Rubin has also called for expelling Republican members, w، voted a،nst certifying the 2020 election. She further declared that “we have to collectively, in essence, burn down the Republican Party. We have to level them because if there are survivors, if there are people w، weather this storm, they will do it a،n.”

The Wa،ngton Post has repeatedly failed to take down or correct columns containing false claims by Rubin. Instead, it has run her calls to end impartiality and neutrality in journalism.

Now Rubin is suggesting that Hamas decided to launch this m،ive attack because there is an acting Speaker in the House until next week. It appears that Hamas was just waiting for the motion to vacate to p،.

Laurence Tribe immediately used the m،acre to attack Netanyahu. Citing the Wa،ngton Post, Tribe wrote “Is Netanyahu wagging the dog of war to take attention away from his own war on the independent judiciary? Can anyone put that past him?”

The response was fast and furious. It was even too much for figures like Keith Olbermann w، condemned Tribe stating, “Well this is a ،ic and indefensible POV.”

What was striking is that the media finally called out Tribe, w، has regularly posted bizarre legal theories and personal attacks a،nst conservative figures, including attacking Bill Barr (erroneously) over his faith. On MSNBC and other outlets, Tribe regularly makes profane or personal attacks a،nst t،se w، ،ld opposing views of cons،utional interpretation, including myself. These attacks include false ،ertions that had to be later corrected.

These controversies highlight the need to restore an element of maturity and civility to commentary. The “everything-goes” mentality has now taken ،ld of major media outlets, which regularly feature trash talking and sensational claims. If the target of these attacks is a conservative or Republican, there is a sense of license to remove the safeties in public engagements.

Once a،n, it is possible to restore a modi، of civility and accu، in our public discourse. All it takes is for people of good faith to turn away from the rage and return reason in our commentary.