WEBVTT

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- My dad representing McConnell
in the Citizens United case

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is one of the things
I admire him most for.

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A, because he believed in the
principle and the argument,

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and B, because he never
would support Mitch McConnell

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as a political figure.

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And that's kind of what the
First Amendment's all about.

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It's about being willing to say,

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"People who you don't like
have a right to speak.

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People I don't agree with

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may have a legitimate
legal argument."

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We'd be at cocktail parties,
and he would get attacked

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by what had been
his liberal friends,

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who didn't really
understand the legal issues,

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which was always striking to me,

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was these sort of intellectual,

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some of them law
professor types,

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who would immediately challenge,

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but sometimes more
than challenge,

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almost have a level
of anger at him

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for having taken on the case,

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that I thought was admirable.

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Meaning, he didn't mind
that they were upset.

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He didn't mind that they
were coming after him.

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And one of the things I've
always felt he didn't emphasize

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in the Citizens United case,
was that he did it for free.

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There's always this suggestion,

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"Well, any lawyer will
take a case for money."

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My dad didn't need this case.

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He believed in the case, he
believed in the legal argument

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such that he did it for free.

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So those who would
say, "Well, you know,

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probably made a
bundle off that one."

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No, made nothing.

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And he wouldn't say
that. I had to say that.

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And by the way, when we'd be
at a party and I'd be with him,

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and he'd be explaining
the position, et cetera,

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I would throw in there,

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almost just to to
throw another dart,

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to say, I'd say, "You
know, he did it for free."

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And they're, "Oh,
he did it for free?

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That makes it even worse!"

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But, you know,
people were, I think,

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disproportionately
and inexplicably

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angry about that case.

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They made it as if it
was a political statement

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for him to take the case, as
opposed to a legal argument.

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And I think we need more
people who are willing to say,

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"I believe in the
principle, even if it leads

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to a result that I
don't agree with,

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because the principles

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are what our Constitution
is founded on."

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(majestic music)