Don't Mess With Texas*

The Obama administration took the unusual step Friday of asking the Supreme Court to stop Texas from executing a Mexican citizen convicted of raping and killing a 16-year-old girl.

The administration said the court should delay the planned July 7 execution of Humberto Leal for up to six months to give Congress time to consider legislation that would directly affect Leal's case.

  Olympian

First of all, let me get this out of the way….July 7? Why aren’t we sending this guy up on July 4?

Now, then…Texas should postpone carrying out its law while Congress works on possible Federal interference legislation? Ha! Try that with Connecticut or Rhode Island. Federal laws to Texans are akin to flies in July.

Isn’t it precious that Obama thinks Congress should be afforded the chance to weigh in on a Texas murder case when he isn’t willing to let them have any say on him dropping bombs on Libya?

Legislation pending in the Senate would allow federal courts to review cases of condemned foreign nationals to determine if the lack of consular help made a significant difference in the outcome of their cases.

So this is a common enough occurrence – refusing consular consultation for foreign nationals accused of crimes - that Congress needs to consider a law for it.

The Supreme Court has previously ruled that states can't be forced to comply with the provisions of treaties without some intervening federal legislation.

I didn’t know that. That sounds like a blank check for Texas. A loophole Congress ought to get to right away before Rick Perry finds out he won’t be going to the oval office in 2012.

....but hey, do what you want....you will anyway.

*That is indeed the unofficial Texas motto - but official department of transportation motto - you can see it on signs everywhere if you travel our well-appointed roads. We do indeed take our highways seriously, if not our education.