Abu Wabu

Like any good lawyer, Power Line's Scott Johnson already knows the answer to his question, Is Eric Holder a Dope?

Attorney General Eric Holder testified yesterday before the House Judiciary Committee. As you might expect, members took the opportunity to press Holder on his views regarding terrorists' rights. And Holder appears to have given the subject some thought!

...In the news reports, Holder appears unwilling or unable to address the legal distinctions among criminal defendants, prisoners of war and unlawful enemy combatants. Here is one key distinction: Only criminal defendants have a right to trial by jury.

Invoking Charles Manson may make for brilliant argument in a college bull session, but are we supposed to take this seriously from the Attorney General of the United States in the midst of a war against an enemy that does not observe any legal norms? The more Holder talks, the more he sounds like a dope.

John Hinderaker has updated the piece with a colloquy of the hearing, which puts Holder's dimness on the subject in full relief.

The Free Dictionary Thesaurus contains this definition:

2. dope - an ignorant or foolish person
boob, booby, pinhead, dumbbell, dummy
simpleton, simple - a person lacking intelligence or common sense

Bingo.