Today’s award goes to Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) who said, on Sunday:

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.

What is wrong with this statement?  Just about everything.

First of all — what recent spate of violence in the courtroom?  Sure, there was that guy in Atlanta, but one incident does not a "spate" make.

Secondly — the reason that guy went off and started killing people was because he was on trial and was going to be found guilty.  It had nothing — I repeat, nothing — to do with "judicial activism" or anything like that.  And to make that "connection" is laughable political grandstanding in a ridiculous attempt to tie that event to the nomination of more conservative judges.  Is Cornyn that stupid, or does he think the American people are that stupid?

Thirdly, so what are you saying John?  The *cough* spate *cough* of violence in American courtrooms is understandable?  Would you like to see more of it?

UPDATE:  Matt Yglesius probably has it right when he says that this is all about intimidation.  The congressional conservatives are trying to sell you "protection", along the lines of "Gee, that’s a nice federal judiciary you have there.  Be a shame if something happened to it."