BREAKING: GOP Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) says violence against judges is

[Jon8503]

understandable:
by John in DC - 4/4/2005 07:36:00 PM

UPDATE: The transcript is attached, in context, at the end of this post.

Senator John Cornyn should resign immediately.

At 5PM today on the Senate floor, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) 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. Sources on the Hill went and pulled the transcript of what Cornyn said, and it read:

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."

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.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2005/04/breaking-gop-senator-john-cornyn-r-tx.html

[hippiepunk]

1. Why does John Cornyn hate America?

[DesEtoiles]

2. Call Cornyn's office and demand that he resign

District Office


Washington DC
517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]



State Offices


East Texas
Bank One Building
100 E. Ferguson Street
Suite 1004
Tyler, Texas 75702
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Central Texas
Bank One Building
221 West Sixth Street
Suite 1530
Austin, Texas 78701
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
North Texas
Occidental Tower
5005 LBJ Freeway
Suite 1150
Dallas, Texas 75244
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


Southeast Texas
5300 Memorial Drive
Suite 980
Houston, Texas 77007
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
South Central Texas
600 Navarro
Suite 210
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
Rio Grande Valley
222 East Van Buren
Suite 404
Harlingen, Texas 78550
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


West Texas
3405 22nd Street, Suite 203
Lubbock, Texas 79410
Tel: [phone]
Fax: [phone]


http://cornyn.senate.gov/contact/contact.cfm

[chookie]

15. I second that

This is a "wink wink nudge nudge" giving a green light to home grown terrorists. Outrageous.

Here, we have an extremist on the Right (I would not consider him a traditional Republican) who says he empathizes with people who kill judges because they disagree with their judgements.

[DesEtoiles]

25. there's NO EXECUSE for NOT calling or faxing his office. none.Texan or no

[saltpoint]

21. Norma, thanks for posting this info. I'm not from Texas --

-- but I will happily join other DUers and phone the man's office tomorrow to demand that he apologize and resign.

The judiciary is one of our three branches of government. Isn't it illegal to even JOKE about blowing up airplanes in the security check line? Isn't it illegal to threaten the life of a president or member of Congress? Or not? Certainly it will get you investigated.

Why is it ok for this mean-spirited Senator to do it?

[struggle4progress]

29. No. Call YOUR OWN Senators and demand that he be expelled:

Constitution, Art I Sect 5 Par 2: "Each House may ... with the Concurrence of two thirds, expel a member."

This conduct is inexcusable.

[Nite Owl]

3. This is scarey.

I just picture some fundie Rush Limpballs listener hearing this sitting there shaking their heads in agreement.

[flamingyouth]

4. So, it's ok that Judge Joan Lefkow's mother & husband were killed?

Right in their own home by someone upset with one of her rulings?

This guy needs to resign NOW. :grr:

[Guckert]

27. He was upset at a previous ruling?? this is INSANE and he should

Be REMOVED before any Right wing whackjobs (like the jugglers for Christ in Fl) start their militias.
What about the judge and court reporter that was killed in the courtroom. maybe he was upset about his reading of the Constitution???:puke: I better hear about this on the MSM or i will shit.

[chomskysright]

5. here's a handy letter to fax....these people are just unbelievable

April 4, 2005

Dear Senator: If you want anarchy, why not go to some Third World Country? They can accommodate you there, sir.

RESIGN NOW SENATOR CORNYN


“At 5PM today on the Senate floor, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) 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. Sources on the Hill went and pulled the transcript of what Cornyn said, and it read:

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."

[aquart]

7. It only works if it comes from Texans.

[glitch]

6. By that logic, violence against senators also understandable. Idiot. nt

[bear425]

8. Rep. John Conyers Jr. blogs about it here

http://www.conyersblog.us/archives/00000046.htm

During the protracted coverage and debate of the Schiavo matter, I was struck by the disrespectful and reckless language being used against judges. One by one, my Republican colleagues took the House floor to attack judges as "unconscionable," lacking "human compassion," needing to be held in "contempt," and having "answering to do." I remember thinking that such dehumanizing rhetoric is especially dangerous in these times towards anyone, let alone judges.

-snip-

This apparent effort to rationalize violence against judges is deplorable. On its face, while it contains doubletalk that simultaneously offers a justification for such violence and then claims not to, the fundamental core of the statement seems to be that judges have somehow brought this violence on themselves. This also carries an implicit threat: that if judges do not do what the far right wants them to do (thus becoming the "judicial activists" the far right claims to deplore), the violence may well continue.

more at link

[pacifictiger]

9. on that same note ....

if
"suggesting that the crimes could be attributed to the fact that judges are "unaccountable" to the public."

he's opening up a field day on politicians who dont listen to the public wouldn't you suppose?

[NYC]

13. That was the first thing that went through my mind.

Here's another DU thread on this:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x3423798

Also, write to Frank Lautenberg, Senator from New Jersey. He wrote that wonderful letter to DeLay. Same subject.

http://lautenberg.senate.gov/webform.html

Edit: Lautenberg won't listen to non-New Jerseyans:


Thank you for contacting me. Due to the volume of e-mails, I can only
respond to constituents with New Jersey mailing addresses. If you need
further assistance, please contact the Senator from your home state.

Thank you

[Kber]

30. You mean the 87% of the public that had its concerns ignored

when Congress butted into a private family affair? Would some kind of action of their part be, well, understantable?

[The Backlash Cometh]

10. Does Cornyn, not realize that in these current times NO ONE is

held accountable for anything? That includes Senators. It wouldn't take a giant leap for twisted minds in this country to reach the conclusion that what applies to judges, according to him, can also be applied to politicans.

[Erika]

11. He is subtlely authorizing violence against judges

I am also going to write my D.C. Senators objecting to these inflammatory words.

[et in Arcadia ego...]

12. Fuck you Cornyn, fuck you.

[newscott]

14. I know Mr. Conryn sir!

Let's just throw out the Constitution and let YOU appoint all the judges. And make sure they consult YOU first before handing down decisions or going to the bathroom.

WTF!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!??!?!?!?

[Ilsa]

16. He was a JUDGE! This SOB was a fracking judge!

He was a state district court judge and a state supreme court judge! I wonder what he would have thought about this four years ago when he was still serving?

[struggle4progress]

26. Then he should pray his enemies are not inspired by his remarks.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

35. and not only that, but

he was the Texas attorney general as well.

[charlie]

17. Texas

*Again*

My homestate. A political finishing school for outer orbit loons.

You know how they used to say, as goes California so goes the rest of the country? That hasn't been true for many years. Texas seems to be the bellwether state now. Jeebus save us.

[saltpoint]

18. I agree, jon8503. The citizens of Texas should --

-- immediately demand his resignation.

Imagine what FOX would do if a Democrat said the same thing?

There'd be blood on the floor.

Cornyn is a throwback to the hellfire circuit preachers who used to roam from place to place whipping crowds of folks into fearful frenzies with lurid tales of eternal punishment.

Not much distance between that strategy and Cornyn's irresponsible remarks.

[coloradodem2005]

19. God. What an ass.

[Nothing Without Hope]

20. And what was the response to this outrageous diatribe?

There should have been loud protests right away. I hope there were and that they continue.

Recommended.

[struggle4progress]

22. Another repulsive Texas wingnut trying to stir up a lynch mob.

[MrTriumph]

23. Using tragedy to score political points

Meddling legislators like Cornyn have no respect for the judiciary.

[grytpype]

24. Let's make a list of the recent attacks on judges.

Let's make a list of the recent attacks on judges.

1. Brian Nicols, 33-year-old accused rapist, killed Superior Court Judge Rowland Barnes and his stenographer.

2. Bart Ross, a barking mad medmal litigant, killed the husband and mother of Joan Lefkow, a federal judge in Chicago.

3. At the time her family was killed, Judge Lefkow was under threat of death from a neo-nazi group headed by Matthew Hale.

Now, is this Cornyn asshole saying these people have acted out of some sense of righteous anger? Because that sure as shit sounds like what he is saying.

He's saying -- he doesn't claim to KNOW this, but he's just SAYING -- that Nicols and Ross and Hale were understandibly fed up with the activist liberal judiciary, that wouldn't take orders from Congress.

And of course they resorted to violence, no doubt because of the intensity of their feelings about this whole out-of-control judiciary thing.

Mother H. Fucker. That guy has got to go. He absolutely must go.

[drm604]

46. How dare these activist liberal judges try someone for rape!

Who do they think they are!

[cyberpj]

28. this legislation will take care of judges - did you even know it's there?

I didn't.

Introducing The Constitution Restoration Act
Say Hello To Taliban America And Goodbye To Godless Judges, Courts And Law


(snip..)

Just in case you've briefly fallen behind on your rightwing mailing lists, you might have missed the March 3rd filing of Senate bill S. 520 and House version is H.R. 1070, AKA the "Constitution Restoration Act" (CRA).

In the worshipful words of the Conservative Caucus, this historic legislation will "RESTORE OUR CONSTITUTION!", mainly by barring ANY federal court or judge from ever again reviewing "any matter to the extent that relief is sought against an entity of Federal, State, or local government, or against an officer or agent of Federal, State, or local government (whether or not acting in official or personal capacity), concerning that entity's, officer's, or agent's acknowledgment of God as the sovereign source of law, liberty, or government."

In other words, the bill ensures that God's divine word (and our infallible leaders' interpretation thereof) will hereafter trump all our pathetic democratic notions about freedom, law and rights -- and our courts can't say a thing. This, of course, will take "In God We Trust" to an entirely new level, because soon He (and His personally anointed political elite) will be all the legal recourse we have left.

(cont'd....)

http://www.zmag.org/content/showarticle.cfm?SectionID=104&ItemID=7569

[Erika]

32. I'm giving the ACLU another donation tonight.

Either the GOP sheeple endorse this, or don't know what's going on. I can't believe any thinking American would not try to stop this onslaught on our judicial system.

[MnFats]

31. a portion of my comments to the Texas senator:

Your comments concerning violence toward judges are utterly outrageous.
You have all but encouraged the lunatics to keep on committing violence against judges.
In Chicago and Atlanta, you have rubbed salt into newly reopened wounds.
Perhaps you'd like to offer a few words of encouragement for the Red Lake Reservation shooter's co-conspirators, too?
Have you no sense of decency? At long last, have you no sense of decency?




OK, so I copped the last lines. But they're terribly useful these days in so many situations....

[prodigal_green]

33. Not accountable to the public?

It's called the appeals process you (Cornyn) traiterous turd! See, you keep appealing stuff up the line and then judges that are chosen and confirmed by elected officials (you and your cronies, Cornyn) make the final decision. That's why you have to appoint really good legal scholars and not idealogues.

[yorgatron]

34. i just emailed Boxer and Feinstein about this,hopefully

they will hold his feet to the fire :mad::grr:

[NYC]

43. I wrote to Schumer, Clinton, and Maloney.

I wrote to Frank Lautenberg because of that letter he had written to Tom DeLay, but he didn't want to hear from people outside New Jersey.

Don't know if Schumer & Clinton will do anything. If Maloney is able to, she is much likelier to.

[Career Prole]

36. How ignorant can one party be?

I loathe individuals within that party, naturally, but the party as a whole is beginning to seem one big despicable animal to me.
:grr: :grr: :grr:

[Robbien]

37. What if he said "Violence against Bush is Understandable"

or "Violence against Republicans is Understandable" or "Violence against the Christian Coalition is Understandable".

Everyone would be screaming for his arrest.

[NYC]

42. The FBI would be interrogating him right now.

But, he's a Republican, and he's condoning violence for a right wing cause.

[area51]

38. Dear Senator Cornhole,

resign, you POS.

[xray s]

39. I said it before

These fascists don't want to put conservatives on the court. They want to destroy the court system all together.

They have villified lawyers. Now they are villifying the judiciary itself.

They want a police state, controlled by the BFEE. Period.

[Shallah Kali]

53. It certainly looks to me they are out to abolish the judiciary

Have to stop those nasty judges because they apply laws that the RW does not like but can't get removed.

[noamnety]

40. In other news

Rape victims were just asking for it.

(underage children, too)

[ginnyinWI]

41. They are out to break the Judiciary.

It's the only branch of government over which they don't have complete control!

[Rose Siding]

44. The GOP is appeasing supremacists and accused rapists

You don't see that kind of candor on the Senate floor everyday.

I wish the Dems in Congress would squawk all OVER about this. Publicity for an offense like that would be good for the coming rumble over judges.

[zulchzulu]

45. Is that impeachable? Perhaps treasonous?

Saying that attacking federal employees or member of the judicial system seems at least worthy of some very heavy legal action.

[tishaLA]

47. "perception in some quarters"?!

WTF. These are the assholes flaming and framing that "perception." They are its genesis and they try to make a living winning elections and stacking courts because of that perception.

In-fucking-credible.

[Shallah Kali]

48. Isn't this the box turtle marriage man? He has found new depths to sink

into. I hope there is some law against inciting violence that he can be charged with now!

[Robbien]

49. The Washington Post has picked up the story

here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A26236-2005Apr4.html

So it is now open season on judges. Wonder if one has to get a hunting license.

[tishaLA]

50. Really milquetoast article

You'd think that the Post could do a better job with a statement that clearly oversteps any number of boundaries.

[Robbien]

55. They edited out the most damaging part of his comment

but at least did highlight that the recent spate of violence against judges didn't have anything at all to do with political matters.

[Bouncy Ball]

51. I have written Cornyn's office

as I am here in Texas. Not that it will even be read. His staffers never even ANSWER any letters or emails. Hutchison's staffers send back form letters about the wrong topic (write her about SS and you get back a letter about Iraq, write her about the deficit and get back a letter about the gay marriage amendment, it's bizarre). But Cornyn's office? Not a peep. They just. Don't. Answer.

Please email, write, call or fax your own senators. He is inciting violence against the judiciary.

[Maestro]

52. I honestly do not know what to say

How irresponsible can one be to even say such a thing knowing that there are right wing extremists who would kill other law abiding abortion doctors and judges? Ah yes, the Culture of Life repuke style.

[gordianot]

54. I knew these people are stupid but this is just too far.

They are trying to get someone killed and they going accomplish the task Even organized crime (old school) avoided threatening Federal Judges.

I understand Cheney spoke out against DeLay's threats, when is Bush going to put a stop to this? (Sarcasm, I really do not expect an answer.)

sarcasm off GOP=Domestic Terrorism

[Fovea]

56. If a Democratic Senator had said this

they would be on a GulfScream jet to a warm land where they twist your touchy bits off with a vise grip.

[Nothing Without Hope]

57. He not only excuses the anti-judge violence, he advocates removal

of power from the judicial branch of the government to the legislative branch. Here is one of his statements from that speech (which was made to an almost-empty chamber, or the reaction might have been faster):

In his speech, Cornyn criticized the Supreme Court's 5 to 4 decision on March 1 that said it is unconstitutional to execute people who were under 18 when they committed their crimes. "In so holding," Cornyn said, "the U.S. Supreme Court said: We are no longer going to leave this in the hands of jurors. We do not trust jurors. We are no longer going to leave this up to the elected representatives of the people of the respective states."

So in his speech he not only excused the violence against judges, he said that the courts should cede its power to the legislative branch (which has already succumbed to the executive branch). There goes the constitution!

And he's a member of the judiciary committee and a former Texas Supreme Court justice! He knows the Constitution and he wants to destroy it.

NO WONDER HE KNOWS ABOUT ACTIVIST JUDGES - HE IS ONE!!

This has now been reported in the Wash Post:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1368200

[coda]

60. If he trusts jurors so much, then there's no need for caps on jury awards.

[Nothing Without Hope]

61. Good point! And PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD about his LYING!

I have been looking at the materials collected by the Kos blogger who just reported that Cornyn is LYING about the support of ALL THREE legal experts he cites as supporing an anti-filibuster rule. (He is trying to say it is unconstitutional.)

HE IS LYING!!! And they have repeatedly asked him to stop misrepresenting what they say. That may well be FRAUD.

A couple of posts down in this thread I link to the DU thread that reports the Kos blogger's findings. If you can, please pass the word on this. The antifilibuster rule MUST be defeated!!!

[Endangered Specie]

58. You know I think Ive heard this type of thing before...

though I can't quite translate it into German, Im pretty sure it would have been followed by a couple "Heil Deutsches Reich!" chants.

[Nothing Without Hope]

59. BREAKING!!!! Cornyn caught LYING about the legal support for his

filibuster argument:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=180&topic_id=12594#12596
Title: "John Cornyn caught lying about legal support for his filibuster argument"

[FourStarDemocrat]

65. What can the Senate do about C ornyn? He's treasonous

So, what kind of serious action can be taken? Maybe Texans could begin a campaign to recall him from office? (not that this is likely to happen, I realize!)

[prodigal_green]

62. and anybody that said

it is understandable that terrorists would attack the United States, after all, the US is accountable to nobody and there is no other recourse for them lost their job.

He is advocating terrorism and he is breaking the law by threatening violence and/or inciting violence against a federal judge.

[Spider Jerusalem]

63. Cornyn is a fuckwit.

The point of our form of government, which enshrines the rule of LAW, is exactly that judges are NOT to be held accountable to the people. Their only accountability is to the LAW. Cornyn's argument leads quickly to mob rule.

And the only reason the decisions of judges are perceived as "political" is because of the cynical manipulation of politicians, politicising the issues involved.

[Blue_Roses]

64. God, I wish Ron Kirk would have won that seat

John Cornyn is a joke.

[Bridget Burke]

66. Electronic voting began in that election.

Here in Harris County (Houston)--pretty liberal. And up in Austin.

Even a not-insane Conservative I knew voted for Kirk. As a moderate African-American, Kirk had been a successful mayor of Dallas(!)

Lots of folks were surprised when Cornyn won....

[paineinthearse]

67. First DeLay now Cornyn, this is just dessert.

May they both rot in prison.

[VOX]

68. In a nutshell: The right wing has no regard for the law.

They want TOTAL control, and that means taking over the judiciary. They will stop at nothing.

Our country is in serious danger of being completely engulfed by fascism.