Senator Cornyn On Violence Against Judges.

A little while ago I received an email from Sean-Paul Kelley, Editor of The Agonist. Sean-Paul wanted to draw my attention to developing news about our local Senator down here in San Antonio, John Cornyn. It seems he has told the Senate that recent violence against judges may be due to their "unaccountability".

Sean-Paul wrote:

Just about one hour ago on the Senate floor, Senator John Cornyn gave an
astounding account of the recent spate of violence against judges,
suggesting that the crimes could be attributed to the fact that judges
are "unaccountable" to the public.

SENATOR JOHN CORNYN: "I don't know if there is a cause-and-effect
connection but we have seen some recent episodes of courthouse violence
in this country. Certainly nothing new, but we seem to have run through
a spate of courthouse violence recently that's been on the news and I
wonder whether there may be some connection between the perception in
some quarters on some occasions where judges are making political
decisions yet are unaccountable to the public, that it builds up and
builds up and builds up to the point where some people engage in -
engage in violence." [Senate Floor, 4/4/05]

Unfortanately, Sean-Paul neglected to cite a source for this extraordinary quote so as yet I am unable to check it's veracity. Then again, The Agonist has a great reputation for factual blogging and I trust it's editor when he says that is what happened.

So...what to make of this?

First, one has to notice the weasel-worded way Cornyn states what he would dearly like to be true right now as "wondering". He may think that gets him out of the accusation that he is condoning violence against judges - I do not. It is reprehensible and he should be ashamed of the imputation.

Secondly, the assertion he makes is surely false. Violence against judges recently has stemmed from individual grudges against individual judges and has nothing whatsoever to do with any feelings of generalised anger or angst the Senator may be trying to project from his own psyche onto the public at large.

Lastly, it is pure hypocricy. It's amazing how being on the wrong end of the Judicial decisions over Terry Schiavo has changed the Senator's mind. As recently as last November, Cornyn was writing that “The American people want judges and justices on the bench who will dutifully interpret the law — distinguished legal minds and devoted public servants who will help implement, not make, political decisions, and who knows the difference between personal opinion and professional duty.”

In the same article he charged that liberals who verballyattack Judges Scalia and Thomas were the "same kind of people who believe that the Pledge of Allegiance is unconstitutional and that the military should not have the right to sponsor Boy Scout Troops." His words today and the article I have quoted from, entitled 'Injudicious Battles - Is there any stopping the judge madness in the Senate?' may well come back to haunt him and others in the Republican Party who have made such an awful hash of Senate interference in matters judicial. As he says:

"One important lesson learned during this past election year is that the American people want a return to basic American values, and an end to vicious, Michael Moore-style politics. Certainly the last thing Americans want is yet another year of incessant, baseless, and venomous attacks."

Yes, Senator.

UPDATE 5th April The Washington Post has more, and Daily Kos has a round-up of the bigger bloggers thoughts. AmericaBLOG really goes to town on the idiot Senator from San Antonio:

We now have Republican Senators making excuses for terrorists. Explaining why terrorism is understandable. Why terrorists have legitimate concerns. Justifying why the victims of terrorism are really to blame for these heinous crimes. Wonder what Senator Cornyn thinks of rape victims?
This is utterly outrageous. Outrageous. The GOP is now embracing domestic terrorists who are trying to undermine our democracy. And they're doing it so they can take down the judges who "killed" Terri Schiavo, and instead impose some Pat Robertson-like theocracy on our country. This is absolutely utterly beyond contempt. Tell Judge Lefkow in Chicago that her mother and husband are dead because she brought it on herself.

And the ultimate irony is that it is people like John Cornyn who now risk inciting violence against judges by giving aid and comfort to these homicidal maniacs. Cornyn should resign immediately.

That would be fitting but unlikely - the Senator obviously has no shame and no honor.