DeLay's "culture of death": Ethically challenged House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, referencing the judges who refused appeals on behalf of life-extending measures for Terri Schiavo, says, "The time will come for the men responsible for this to answer for their behavior." Huh? I heard no such ire about the men responsible for the misguided murder of 18,000 to 100,000 killed in Iraq over WMD intelligence the Bush administration investigators now say was "dead wrong." And what exactly does DeLay mean? Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) sent a letter to DeLay chiding him for the remark:

As you are surely aware, the family of Federal Judge Joan H. Lefkow of Illinois was recently murdered in their home. And at the state level, Judge Rowland W. Barnes and others in his courtroom were gunned down in Georgia.

Our nation’s judges must be concerned for their safety and security when they are asked to make difficult decisions every day. That’s why comments like those you made are not only irresponsible, but downright dangerous. To make matters worse, is it appropriate to make threats directed at specific Federal and state judges?

You should be aware that your comments yesterday may violate a Federal criminal statute, 18 U.S.C. §115 (a)(1)(B). That law states:

“Whoever threatens to assault…. or murder, a United States judge… with intent to retaliate against such… judge…. on account of the performance of official duties, shall be punished [by up to six years in prison]”

Is Lautenberg overreacting? Not according to Think Progress:

Last Thursday, police arrested an Illinois man they said robbed a Florida gun store as part of an attempt to "rescue Terri Schiavo." The next day, FBI officials took into custody a North Carolina man for placing a $250,000 bounty "on the head of Michael Schiavo" and another $50,000 to murder Judge Greer. And police yesterday said they had "logged several bomb threats" to the hospice where Schiavo died and "the circuit and federal courts that refused to order her feeding tube restored."