Why I Respect Eugene Volokh

This is why I have so much respect for Eugene Volokh, head of the Volokh Conspiracy and law professor at UCLA, for posts like this. In explaining why he has posted several items taking people to task for unjustified attacks on the ACLU when he is himself critical of the ACLU, he writes:

Why Do I Keep Blogging About Unsound Criticisms of the ACLU?

Two reasons. First, people and organizations that are wrongly criticized deserve to be defended, even if on balance these are people and organizations with whom one disagrees on many matters. That's especially so if the wrongful criticisms come from people who are at some broad level of generality in one's own political camp. If liberals are wrongly faulted by conservatives, we conservatives should correct those errors. (Don't argue please that liberals don't do the same when the shoe is on the other foot; some do and some don't, and in any case their failings wouldn't excuse our failings.)

Quite right on all counts. It's the same reason why I have, for example, defended Clarence Thomas against some of the more ridiculous accusations against him even while disagreeing with him much of the time. Disagreeing with someone does not justify lying about them, distorting their position or making accusations that aren't well justified. Our first responsibility should always be to the truth, not to political allies or to expediency.

By the way, Volokh also caught the illogic of many of Clayton Cramer's list of examples of ACLU positions he thinks are evil.