John Cornyn should be expelled from the senate or at least censured

[redstate_democrat]

This may seem hyperbolic, but I feel like he is trying to extort, or at the very least, solicit an illegal agreement from Holder that he will not prosecute people who may have participated in an illegal act.

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said that he would block committee proceedings, scheduled to resume at 2:30 pm on Wednesday, if he did not receive answer from Holder. "I'm not going to allow things to proceed," he said. He added that it was "physically impossible" for Holder to get the answers to him by then, thus assuring a conflict would ensue.

Other GOP members of the committee, said Cornyn, are also concerned about the potential for prosecutions. The intent of the Military Commissions Act, he argued, was to provide immunity from prosecution if agents believed they were acting lawfully.

"Part of my concern, frankly, relates to some of his statements at the hearing in regard to torture and what his intentions are with regard to intelligence personnel who were operating in good faith based upon their understanding of what the law was," said Cornyn.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/01/21/senate-republicans-to-del_n_159740.html

These motherfucking Repukes are getting on my last nerve. They are really trying to sabotage Obama early on. Fuck them all. Democrats should just put the hammer down on all of the dead enders. We can bring in reasonable and moderate Republicans but these Repukes are just unworthy of any respect or deference.

This fucking John Cornyn guy is full of shit. He is illegally trying to get the incoming AG to assure him that he won't prosecute certain criminals. This is obstruction of justice, an illegal solicitation, extortion, all wrapped up in an illegal quid pro quo. He should at the least be censured for this outrageous shit. Senators have the right to hold up a nomination on legal grounds, but this shit here is just outrageous.

[47of74]

1. Do it Cornyn...

Maybe then we'll get lucky and the new AG will be able to charge Cornyn with obstruction of justice.

[redstate_democrat]

3. I am just outdone by this.

A sitting U.S. Senator openly soliciting a preemptive waiver of prosecutions for possible criminals and obstructing any future or current investigations of these possible criminals. He is actually saying out in the open, that he is holding up Holder's confirmation because he doesn't want Holder to actually do his job and prosecute crimes. This statement alone should qualify as obstruction of justice.

[EFerrari]

2. Cornyn is just the messenger. This is what Obama's government will be up against

on the matter of torture.

[redstate_democrat]

5. I knew from the beginning when Specter started in on his crap about the Rich pardon that that excuse

was just a cover for the REAL reason they didn't want him. They want a patsy of their approval in that spot who they KNOW won't prosecute or who is not too intelligent (like a Gonzo type with no experience in the DOJ system) who they can manipulate and threaten.

Every single Democratic senator should come out forcefully against this outrageous move by Cornyn.

[EFerrari]

10. The Republicans will fight hardest over DoJ because that was the seat

of the very worst corruption. It allowed Bush/Cheney to do everything else they did -- spying, torture, election fraud, everything. If we have a Justice Department that sort of works in four years, that will be a big achievement.

[sam sarrha]

14. on everything the ReThuglicans want..!! they still want it all..!! no change

[Solly Mack]

4. "good faith based upon their understanding of what the law was"

spoken like a thug

[redstate_democrat]

6. "good faith" my ass.

Anyone who was in the position to torture someone KNEW the law and KNEW that what they were doing was in fact illegal. Any criminal in the world can say they had a "good faith" belief that what they did was not illegal. As Holder said, "No man is above the law." And someone else said, "Ignorance of the law is no excuse."

[Solly Mack]

7. Yeah...that "good faith" excuse is bovine caca

[McCamy Taylor]

8. Cornyn is owned by KBR. He is covering for KBR's war crimes. They are many.

They were committed to make more money for Dick Cheney. He does not want to see any Halliburton employees or executives prosecuted or sued for torture, rape, slavery or murder---all of which they committed in Iraq.

Holder needs to say that he can make no promises, because more Abu Graibs--cases of individuals who went beyond their duty--may turn up, and he will have to prosecute them. The administration needs to release any Abu Graib photos that were not released and any evidence of torture by KBR that has not been released. That will shut Cornyn up.

[MagickMuffin]

9. Unfortunately because the Senate Democrats didn't offer ANY support to Rick Noriega

(a veteran of the Afghanistan and Iraq WARS) everyone is stuck with Cornyn. The Clintons DID try to get the Senate Democrats to help fund Noriega, but the Senate Democrats decided it wasn't worth it for some strange reason:shrug:

I voted for Noriega. But Noriega was out funded by Cornyn and Cornyn had big money to advertise a lot.

[ColbertWatcher]

11. He has appointed himself martyr.

Do not censor him, keep him around and talking for the comedy.

[davidinalameda]

12. he's playing politics

it's not like the Justice Department has shut down and isn't doing any work

some people need to take a pill

[redstate_democrat]

13. No one is disputing that the DOJ is not still a functional department without a confirmed AG.

:wtf: Politics or not, this extortionist move is unacceptable, regardless.

[Le Taz Hot]

17. A good point that was made last night

by one of the talking heads who reminded me of the careerists in DoJ. Many were political hires put there by the * administration so just changing the head does not necessarily mean there will be a fundamental change in the rank-and-file. Justice may find it necessary to purge a significant number of careerists which, of course, will slow the progress of the massive backlog of cases that need to be tried.

[davidinalameda]

21. one problem with that

those career attorney are probably covered under civil service

having said that-a good employer knows all the tricks to getting rid of employees he doesn't want

well, "good" is relative

[BlueCollar]

15. all Harry R. has to do

is go on TV talkshows and whine "All we want is an up-or down vote..." over and over again.

[MajorChode]

16. Here is what you must understand about John Cornyn

John Cornyn has spent the last 6 years or so more or less laying low. Now Kay Hutchinson (remember the witch that said Scooter shouldn't be convicted on a perjury "technicality" after voting to impeach Clinton?) will soon be quitting the Senate to pursue her race for the governorship of the state. This makes John Cornyn king big shit senior senator from Texas and now he is showing off his new feathers before he has even got them. Reid has had more than one opportunity to put John Cornyn back in his place and he has failed to do so. Not only has this been a bad decision for the country, it is even a worse decision for the Democratic Party in Texas.

[olegramps]

18. It's kind of a shame that caning has gone out of style in the Senate.

[KharmaTrain]

19. He's Head Of The RSCC...More Cheap Pandering

Box Turtle has a tough job...following two extremely inept RSCC chairpeople (Ensign and Viagra Track Dole)...not only couldn't the party recruit many good candidates but ran out of money to fund many of the races. The natives are restless. Just like how many of us here were both angry and frustrated following the '04 elections in having zero power and influence, the repugnicans are just starting to realize this. Cornyn is trying to stir the shit to try to revive a party that still hasn't figured out how badly they've been repudiated the past two elections and are just trying to pander to the 25% dead-enders who remain.

Let's not censure Cornyn...let's just give him a microphone and let him hang himself that way. Let his push his corrupt party further off the political abyss.

There's little Cornyn can do to scuttle Holder's nomination but play these games. The GOOP doesn't have the votes, period. Consider that Goober Graham has already said he would vote for Cornyn (as I am sure will several other "moderates)...this is just grandstanding and a ploy by Cornyn to try to milk some cash from the remaining wingnuts in a vain attempt to keep the RSCC from becoming a joke in the '10 elections. Losing Jebbie was a big hit...the GOOP's bench is lean and there aren't as many fools out there ready to self finance a campaign only to either lose or serve in a minority.

Once again, the GOOP is overplaying both their hands and now their importance.

[Stinky The Clown]

20. Cornyn is head of the Repubican Senatorial Campaign Committee

He's playing to the 22 Percenters. Actually, the top 10% of the 22%. Rich and Right. Imagine a room full of Lynn Cheneys. That's who he's appealing to.

[spanone]

22. President Obama knows these creeps too well. he sat in the senate for two years. I think he'll win

they are bullies..