Reno Speaks Against Bush’s Case for War

President Bush did not make an adequate case for war, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said in a speech at the Harvard Law School (HLS) yesterday.

Reno—a 1963 HLS graduate—was the nation’s first female attorney general, and served in the Clinton Administration from 1993-2001.

She also waged an unsuccessful gubernatorial campaign in her native state of Florida last year.

Reno said that Bush did not sufficiently justify the need to invade Iraq.

“None of it makes much sense if we put it together,” Reno said of Bush’s explanation for the conflict, adding that dissenting voices had a right to be heard, and were not unpatriotic.

“The American people are owed an explanation of why we went to war,” she said.

Reno also criticized the Bush administration for limiting public access to government information.

“I think we should revisit how much we need to classify,” she said.

She added that it was especially critical that closed-off discussions within the government be closely scrutinized.

Reno also spoke about several domestic issues, including the voting process.

She said that the voting system is still flawed—especially in her home state of Florida—where she said that even after the intense scrutiny of the state’s voting procedures following the controversial 2000 presidential elections, she still had difficulty casting her vote during the 2002 contest.

Reno urged the soon-to-be lawyers in the audience to “consider public service,” and to take an active leadership role within their communities.

“Do not take democracy for granted. Democracy is fragile. Do not take your vote for granted,” Reno said, urging her audience to make their voice heard in the public forum. “American strength lies in speaking out and debating in a thoughtful way.”

“We can build America the right way,” she said.

“I’m really excited to hear her speak. There aren’t many women in stations of power, and it is inspiring to hear her,” first-year HLS student Cristine Reynaert said.

The American Constitution Society (ACS), a student group at HLS organized the event.

Clifford Sarkin ’01, a first-year student at HLS, said that ACS likes to invite speakers “who have a progressive viewpoint to bring legal debate back to address social issues.”

“Ms. Reno is a champion of that, and when we approached her about it, she was very accepting,” he said.