In the name of the Executive, the Legislative, and (eventually) the Judicial: the unholy trinity of a single-party government, part 1

The Wasington Post: Senator Links Violence to 'Political' Decisions (free registration required)

Yeah, yeah, yeah...been away awhile. Well, we're back now so just deal with it. And damn but there's been some shit in the meantime hasn't there? Condi as SoS...Gonzales now as AG...Morton up for Embarrasser to the U.N....Wolfie to head the World Bank....the sad, sick Schiavo circus... But let us turn our attention at this time to the right wing's attack on the judiciary.

Apparently checks and balances are for wimps as the Republican's set their sights on cow-towing the judicial branch like they've done to the media. Both Morning Sedition and The Randi Rhodes Show on Air America Radio touched on the Washington Post story today. At first listen it sounded like they were reading way too much in Senator Cornyn's words but let's look at them:

It causes a lot of people, including me, great distress to see judges use the authority that they have been given to make raw political or ideological decisions...
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. . . . 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.

Now note this: the senator spoke these words (according to the WP account) "in a nearly empty chamber". In other words, he did not just submit the text of his remarks to be added to the record. He wanted to be seen saying them and he wanted them recorded in his voice. He wanted his words in the media. Not just on record for some future campaign but out there right now in the ether of public opinion and ersatz-news.
Okay, so he's a glory seeker. Duh, he's in politics. But the only "recent episodes of courthouse violence" have absolutely nothing to do with "activist" judges. These were acts commited by criminals violently dissatisfied with the outcome of their respective cases. So where is the correlation? Answer: there isn't one. Okay, so...what is he saying? Hmm...there's been violence against judges...judges are making decisions "unaccountable to the public"...this causes resentment that "builds up and builds up"...which results in violence... OH, I get it: Luco Brassi sleeps with the fishes and you activists judges had darned well better watch your back, get it?
Or, it could just be that Senator Cornyn is just fecking idiot. After all in the same speech, he criticized the Supreme's 5/4 decision that said it is unconstitutional to execute someone for a crime commited when that person was a child. Apparently if the jury really wants to execute children and the state law says they can, the feds should just but out of the state's affairs. Interesting take from the party that contorted the federal legislative body into advanced positions of the Kama Sutra in order to block the workings of the state of Florida with regards to Terry Schiavo.
Politicizing the judiciary is an unfathomably dangerous path to go down. But this little roadtrip is being brought to you by the same folks who want to monkey with the Constitution so that those pesky fillabusters (which worked so well for them when they blocked 65 Clinton's judicial nominees) won't stop them from dressing up more puppets in black robes.