Cornyn responds to backlash from judicial speech

[maddezmom]

Cornyn responds to backlash from judicial speech
He says it gave Dems a weapon ahead of hearings
By GEBE MARTINEZ
Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle Washington Bureau


WASHINGTON - Sen. John Cornyn admitted Wednesday that he blundered in a speech on the Senate floor suggesting a connection between courthouse violence and political decisions by judges.

"The lesson I learned is that Washington is a very tough political environment and if people can take what you say out of context and use it against you, they will," the first-term Republican said in an interview with the Houston Chronicle.

Cornyn said the speech gave Democrats a weapon to attack him and other Republicans who want to change Senate rules to limit the Democrats' ability to block President Bush's judicial nominees.

~snip~
more:http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/nation/3122277

another repub crybaby :rofl:

[Kber]

1. "It's not my fault!"

It's those librul Dems / media who actually objected to veiled threats against the judiciary. Why do we hate America?

[Pirate Smile]

10. Isn't that the Republican motto?

[JerseygirlCT]

13. Wouldn't you just fall over backwards if you ever

heard one of them actually admit to a mistake? Of their own?

[calimary]

33. Repeat after me: CRYBABY CONSERVATIVES.

It's a GREAT meme. Started by DUer katty, I believe. WELL WORTH REPEATING!

[The Gunslinger]

42. It's Clinton's fault. nt

[Coventina]

2. Another "non-apology" apology.

Gee, I was stupid and wrong, but it sure was evil and unfair for anyone to point that out!

:wtf:

:eyes:

[Scooter24]

3. It must be those crazy staffers again...

[JitterbugPerfume]

4. what ever happened to

admittig you did or said something stupid and sucking it up?

Personal responsibility for what you say and do is a "moral value" too

[The Backlash Cometh]

5. LOL! Is that what he learned in Washington? Maybe he should

talk to the swiftboat liars and they might be happy to give him the handbook on how to neutralize someone by subjecting them to a smear campaign.

[Mist]

48. And he learned from rethugs!

Not much fun when the shoe's on the other foot, eh, Senator?

[0007]

6. Jon Stewart showed cornyn making a fool of himself on the Senate

floor yesterday that was absolutely priceless..not an easy trick to show your ass on the senate floor.

Yes its true, cornyn is as dumb as he looks!

Using the Tom DeLay defense won't work Mr. John jackass cornyn.

Next on the list is Tom Craddick.

[Catfight]

21. Can you post the Jon Stewart clip here? The only way I get to see

it if it's not on comedy central's website, otherwise they block it from work.

[0007]

47. Sorry!

[SalmonChantedEvening]

7. John, the lesson you need to learn is:

Accountability is not just something that happens to other people. Welcome to the season of the Donkey!! :kick:

[frictionlessO]

14. "The Season of the Donkey"!!!!!!!!!!!! Lovely!!!

Must be the season of the donkey alright, GOP eats its own and I wonder what elephants taste like to other elephants.

[meganmonkey]

16. Maybe they'll get Mad Elephant Disease!

:P

on edit: It's pretty clear they already have it!

[frictionlessO]

25. Oh!!! Bravo Bravo!!

That was most excellent... and yes it is quite apparent. Wonder if CDC is on it (I hope not!).
:9 Yummy elephants.

[catmandu57]

39. I heard it tastes like chicken

chick chick ckick CHICKEN bwak.

[frictionlessO]

40. I thought it went more like.....

chick chick chick chicken hawk.

Poor things are just sick sick sick.

Is there a bird flu strain for chicken hawks????

[DoYouEverWonder]

8. No one had to take anything out of context

in context was bad enough.

I guess he'll figure out a way to blame some poor staffer for shoving those words down his throat and making him say those bad things.

[amber dog democrat]

9. Out of context ?

When is it ever permissable to say even hypothetical violence against judges is justifiable? Out of context ?

He torpedoed himself. Moran.

[monobrau]

31. That old chestnut

The 'ol "out of context" excuse works for freeper types because they don't know what it means. Next time you hear a dumbass pull that one out, go ahead and ask them. I have in the past and heard some funny answers.

[Lindacooks]

38. Ask him to put it 'in context'.

What possible context could there be where justifying violence against judges is okay?

[amber dog democrat]

41. That's beautiful. Made me laugh.

OK Mr Texas Repug Representative...
Then what DID you mean to say ?
Show me where this is just harmeless rhetoric. We're listening.

[Lindacooks]

43. That's what we need to say everytime Repukes use this!

I'm glad I made you laugh, too: :D

I have noticed Repukes using this 'defense' really quite often, and that's the perfect comeback. 'Put it IN context, please.'

[BornLeft]

11. The lesson I learned...

Translation. Dammit people are still watching us and we haven't gained total mind control yet.

[rwork]

12. Yes, like J. Kerry

"I voted for it before I voted against it."The repub's would'nt use that would they and take it out of context?

[0007]

15. *John Cornyn just joined George W. Bush & Tom DeLay

as the newest of the Three Stooges act. More will be forth coming from this trio that will absolutely gas us. What composition is waiting us here at DU from these three performers?

Senator *John Cornyn is replacing Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage as the third member of the Three Stooges.


John Cornyn

Guess who?

[Sydnie]

17. I had a poster on my wall when I was in High School

I just didn't realize that it would become the "republican" way of life. The poster said:

"I know that you believe that you understand what you think I said, but I'm not sure you realize that what you heard is not what I meant." Double speak was prevalent during Nixon's reign. They have now turned a habit into a vice. May they choke on it!

[AlabamaYankee]

18. "I'm sorry if my outrageous remarks offended you"

Next time don't listen, so I can continue to to be offensive and ignorant without being held accountable.

Those mean, nasty Democrats took some drivel out of the context of the rest of the drivel and mad a poor, weak and foolish Republican look, well, poor, weak and foolish. Once again, they can dish it out, but they can't take it.

[wallwriter]

19. Another pandering lunatic Repug

And the Dems are supposed to be completely divorced from reality? Watching these f***heads step on their own dicks is a real pleasure.

[DemBeans]

20. what an utter jerk!

When you read his speech, in its entire context, it's completely offensive.

His words weren't taken out of context at all. What a lame sniveling excuse. Are these Republicans NEVER wrong?

[Catfight]

22. Why don't we let a judge decide his intent? I believe his words are

illegal and threatening toward judges. He should be held accountable for his crusade against judges and violent speech.

[ohtransplant]

23. "It's the Democrats!

How dare they actually repeat what I said! They must be stopped before they expose the truth about the Reich!"

[DesEtoiles]

24. Cornyn is also lying about legal support for his anti-filibuster argument

http://thenexthurrah.typepad.com/the_next_hurrah/2005/04/notes_on_the_nu_1.html


Blogger KargoX contacted and spoke to a professor whose work is referenced by Sen. John Cornyn, and she reportedly states that she has informed Cornyn that he is grossly misrepresenting her - to no avail. His legal reasoning in support of his argument that the filibuster is unconstitutional is, apparently, deliberately flawed.

Please investigate. Please contact Professor Bloch and determine if Cornyn is lying. I think this is urgent, and a very important story for our democracy.

(DailyKos also covered the KargoX story as a part of other Cornyn coverage (scroll down):

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2005/4/4/22362/70789)

http://www.thinkprogress.org/index.php (see this also, scroll down to "Bloch Corners Cornyn")


PLEASE BLITZ THE CHRONICLE WITH THIS. I HAVE SENT THIS INFO TO ABOUT 10 PAPERS AND THUS FAR NO COVERAGE.

[frictionlessO]

27. You're right, that is important in regards to this story.

Maybe you can post this as its own thread in GD or GD-P maybe both?
Ask for a blaster blitz from your fellow DUers, it might sink or it might fly.

Thanks for bringing it to attantion here though!

[gratuitous]

26. "Washington is a very tough political environment"

Gee ya think so, Mr. Cornyn?

I think the reason Texas put this doofus in the Senate is so that they wouldn't have to listen to his unadulterated stupidity at quite such a close range. Even at 3,000 miles away, the dumb makes my head hurt.

[Beetwasher]

28. The lesson I learned is that Washington is a very tough political environm

Umm, what? You're a fucking Senator and you did't know that already? Are you fucking retarded? :eyes:

Yeah, you're words were taken out of context, uh huh, sure they were. What a fucking ignoramous.

[jenn1977]

29. Why do they always say that?! Argh!!!

Taken out of context?! I watched the whole speech on the TV, and nothing was taken out of context.

[Zerex71]

30. Umm, the lesson is that a**holes like him should

keep their ignorant mouths shut and stop espousing violence and the continued martyrdom they constantly act out.

[seejanerun]

32. This is my senator!

Here's what I just wrote to him--do you think he'll read it?

Dear Senator Cornyn,
Having read both your original April 4th statement concerning violence against the judiciary and your April 5th explanation, I still think that the comments made by you, by Tom DeLay, and by Peter King of New York (he wants to control the judiciary by cutting funding for any circuit that doesn't agree with him) are outrageous.

What you and many of your colleagues don't seem to understand is that half of all Americans do not feel represented AT ALL by the current administration. If the courts were to be "accountable" in the same way that elected representatives are, we could kiss the last of our precious rights good-bye. Majorities are good at deciding some things and terrible at deciding others, a concept that might not play to the base but that gets taught on the first day of Democracy 101.

One of the problems with President Bush's style is that he insulates himself from dissent and surrounds himself with yes-men, so he gets a completely distorted view of what the huge number of dissenters have to say. He spews propaganda but fails to listen. He appoints investigating commissions who know what findings are expected before they start. He classifies all sorts of government business so that people (including elected officials) can't make infomed decisions.

Not only should the judiciary remain absolutely independent of the two other branches of government, but the legislature should remain independent of the executive branch. You have not been elected to represent President Bush and Karl Rove. The president has shown himself to be incapable of tolerance and inclusion; he has shown himself to be in thrall to money and religion; and, in my opinion, he has shown that he doesn't believe in democracy. In a democracy, government is transparent, power derives from the people, and everyone has equal access both to their elected officials and to the polls. In a democracy, congressional districts aren't rigged and all votes are counted.

Please rethink your approach to the huge minorities of American citizens (including many of us north Dallas moms) who are thoughtful, hardworking, and deserving of a government that represents them. One way the government can represent America's diverse citizenry is to enact policies that are based on fairness and inclusion and not on favors and ideology. Another way is to support a truly independent judiciary, one free of threats both from violent criminals and from legislators who seek to extend their power far beyond its constitutional bounds.

;(

[Ezlivin]

35. Great letter!

He's "my" senator, too. I've written him on a number of occasions and I always receive a form letter that spews the typical party-line.

Thanks for taking the time to drive home the point that we don't feel represented at all.

[Judi Lynn]

45. Really hope he DOES read it, or have someone read it to him!

It's very, very well done. Direct focus, excellent expression might just scare him...

If he hears any part of it, it will leave a mark.

Welcome to D.U., seejanerun. :hi: :hi: :hi:

[xxqqqzme]

34. I'm having a real big problem

w/ 'out of context'. How can a replay of his spoken words be taken out of context. Every re-play I have heard, on AAR (Franken, Rhodes, Schultz, Malloy), Olberman. etc. was not heavily edited/spiced 2 put words in his mouth. He either said it, (hard to deny), or he didn't.

DC's a tough town huh? Must B hard adjusting when that big toad from the little pond transfers 2 the big lake.

complain, complain, grumble, grumble, whimper, whimper

[Skittles]

36. because he is banking on 99% of his pathetic supporters

believing his lies and never hearing the "context" for themselves

[DearAbby]

37. I did't do it, They made it look bad....I did't mean it

:popcorn:

[Skittles]

44. republicans NEVER accept responsibility

NEVER

[Thor_MN]

46. Another GOP Terrorist

John Cornyn, with his statement, openly and publicly gave aid and comfort to domestic terrorists - he should taken via extraordinary rendition to a country where he can be questioned under duress about his ties to the groups posing threats to the judiciary. At some point, years from now, if he can prove without the aid of a lawyer that he is not a threat, well then he can be cut loose.

Bottom line, he took an oath, probably including the concept of defending the constitution from all enemies, foreign and domestic - and then proceded to break it on the Senate floor. If the Senate will not toss him, he should be recalled by the people he supposed to represent.

[Guaranteed]

49. A half-assed apology is not good enough, John.

A sincere apology is not good enough, in fact.

You need to fully rebuke yourself and tell everyone that what you were advocating is WRONG.

[PaDem]

50. What a clown

that's not at all an apology. Amazing how passive aggressive and indignant some of these guys can be.