Giantaxe

It's odd because clearly the momentum is away from the death penalty even in Republican states. The federal v state thing just seems a weird distinction for her to make.

Leslie

Quite strange. It struck me at the time, the federal thing, and I filed it away. The whole pro-death penalty stance was jarring. They're about to replay the debate on MSNBC. I may not watch it all tonight but I'll record it because I need another look.

Leslie

That's a legitimate question. How do the Fed kill their prisoners? I assume that it is by lethal injection ... sometimes that doesn't work out just right though.

username.exe

I'm late to the conversation between I almost fell off of my seat the other night when the commentators mentioned Hillary's pro-capital punishment stance.

As much as I really enjoy living here, I still cannot fathom how this is still an acceptable practice. I'm very surprised that Hillary would lean in that direction. I would love to see this being tackled as the next big social issue.

kimilseung

I commend your avoidance of Boilers actual silly point.

Leslie

There are a lot of Democrats that are anti-death penalty but I don't see it as a single-issue decider.

Incidentally, I agree with you completely about the practice.

Leslie

Whoosh . . . .

scrubbedexpat099

Thank you Leslie.

Method of Execution
Under the 1988 federal death penalty law, no method of execution was provided in the statute. President Bush did issue regulations in 1993 authorizing lethal injection as the method of execution. Under the 1994 law, the manner of execution will be that employed by the state in which the federal sentence is handed down. If that state does not allow the death penalty, the judge may choose another state for the carrying out of the execution.

Boomhauer

Hillary is pro capital punishment for the same reason she is a hawk on foreign policy and a darling of Wallstreet: she calculated it will win her votes and establishment support. Hillary comes across as another Blair, totally self serving and unprincipled, only interested in making a name for herself.

zargof

You would never make it in politics.

zargof

I assume the federal distinction is because the feds reserve the death penalty for serious stuff like terrorism, unlike certain states like Texas which will fry you for chewing gum with an open mouth.

Giantaxe

I think it's also she believes that there are more checks and balances in the federal process and you don't get the disgrace of people with minimal and often incompetent legal representation being sentenced to death, as has happened many times in... Texas.

FlaviusAetius

Hmm. They certainly run a tight ship in Texas.

CelticRover

Yes, there is Texas and then there is Harris County Tx.

Don't mess with Texas, where law is hard, mistakes common

Leslie

Yes we all know that Texas is good at killing people who are strapped down and may not have actually done what they are accused of.

I get why Hillary is saying that the federal government should be able to commit murder, I just don't think this is the election where that flies. Name one program the federal government runs well. This is an anti-establishment and anti-big government election.