On radio Monday, Glenn pondered out loud what caused former President George W. Bush to single out Senator Ted Cruz with criticizing remarks. Glenn said he thinks it has to do with one of the cases Ted Cruz argued in front of the Supreme Court, which he won, against Bush.
The case involved an illegal Mexican immigrant, José Medellín, who was convicted of brutally raping and murdering Jennifer Ertman and Elizabeth Peña, two teenagers from Houston, Texas, in June 1993.
Several years after his incarceration, the International Court of Justice called for hearings be held for Medellín, claiming he had been denied his consular rights. It was at this point that then-President Bush involved himself in the case, siding with Mexico and the International Court in 2005.
"It was at this moment that I said, 'There's something wrong here. This guy is not who we think he is,'" Glenn said.
Watch the full segment or read the transcript below.
Below is a rush transcript of this segment, it might contain errors.
GLENN:, in 1998, Mexican national José Medellín had not informed police at the time of his arrest that he was a Mexican citizen, living in Houston, legally. It was finally discovered. As he sat on death row, he realized the Mexican consulate might be able to help him. The consulate and Mexico filed a lawsuit on behalf of this animal. And in 2004, the International Court of Justice, citing a consulate treaty in the US, had signed onto, ordered hearings for Medellín and other illegal aliens on death row. Texas said, "I don't think so. This guy is a monster." Texas insisted that it adhered to the US Constitution, the Texas State Constitution, and the American Texas State justice systems, not the International Courts of Justice.
Mexico and the International Court demanded a stay of execution in the hearings and trials in Medellín's case. Amazingly, inconceivably, in 2005, George W. Bush steps in and sides with Mexico and the International Court and orders that the hearings be held on his behalf.
Frankly, it was at this moment that was my final straw with George W. Bush. It was at this moment that I said, "There's something wrong here. This guy is not who we think he is." This was my final straw.
So Governor Rick Perry and Texas, again, said no to Bush and the International Court. And the case went all the way to the Supreme Court. It became Medellín vs. Texas.
So what does this have to do with the comment of George W. Bush saying, "I just don't like the guy?"
Arguing the case for the state of Texas and against the brutal killer, Mexico, and the International Court, and George W. Bush, was a 37-year-old solicitor general named Ted Cruz. This is one of the nine cases that he argued in front of the Supreme Court. He won. Texas won. Justice won.
The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that only the Congress of the United States had the right to order hearings to be held. In July 2008, the World Court ordered a stay of Medellín's execution. Governor of Texas, then Rick Perry, argued the state of Texas is not bound to World Court rulings. In other words, "Screw you, World Court, we're Texas."
On August 5th, 2008, after Rick Perry rejected last ditch calls from Mexico and Washington, DC, to stay the execution, this monster José Medellín finally paid for his crimes. Having survived 15 years longer than his two innocent teenage victims. In fact, the 15 years between the time he brutally tortured, raped, and killed those girls was a year longer than Jennifer Ertman's entire life.
But along with Rick Perry, it was Ted Cruz who saw that it was justice that was served against the full frontal efforts and attacks of George W. Bush.
So is this possibly one of the reasons why George Bush says, "I just don't like that guy?" Is that a reason?
I don't know. But I do know this: It's one of the reasons I love Ted Cruz
