If this defense succeeds, it ought to be open season on REDACTED.

The man who murdered Dr. Tiller confesses.

He says, in essence, that he's going to use the old "he needed killin'" defense.

And what really gets me is, I've got Frost/Nixon on in the other room, where I'm doing a shirt inventory for Dallas Webcomics Expo on Saturday. And the Ford pardon was mentioned.

So now my mind is wondering: what happens when, one of these days, someone murders an abortion doctor and uses this defense in a state where, for instance, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann or Tom Tancredo is governor?

"Sam Suchandso, convicted for the murder of Dr. Nopreg, is hereby granted a full pardon for his crimes, on the grounds that Sam has suffered enough from his noble and well-intentioned error in judgment."

Yes, it's something so stupid not even Dubya would have ever considered it in a million years... but there are some wing nuts coming out now that, quite frankly, scare the living shit out of me. I could definitely see Bachmann saying it, or Joe Wilson, or Steve King of Iowa.

And the day it happens, no doctor's life- abortionist or not- will be safe in that state.

Let's hope this defense gets what it should have got so many times in our past- laughed out of court.

If this defense succeeds, it ought to be open season on REDACTED.

The man who murdered Dr. Tiller confesses.

He says, in essence, that he's going to use the old "he needed killin'" defense.

And what really gets me is, I've got Frost/Nixon on in the other room, where I'm doing a shirt inventory for Dallas Webcomics Expo on Saturday. And the Ford pardon was mentioned.

So now my mind is wondering: what happens when, one of these days, someone murders an abortion doctor and uses this defense in a state where, for instance, Sarah Palin, Michele Bachmann or Tom Tancredo is governor?

"Sam Suchandso, convicted for the murder of Dr. Nopreg, is hereby granted a full pardon for his crimes, on the grounds that Sam has suffered enough from his noble and well-intentioned error in judgment."

Yes, it's something so stupid not even Dubya would have ever considered it in a million years... but there are some wing nuts coming out now that, quite frankly, scare the living shit out of me. I could definitely see Bachmann saying it, or Joe Wilson, or Steve King of Iowa.

And the day it happens, no doctor's life- abortionist or not- will be safe in that state.

Let's hope this defense gets what it should have got so many times in our past- laughed out of court.