Cry Me a Bathtub: Cuomo Says 'Treatment Might Be Harshest Punishment For Yates'

The Andrea Yates jury spent 36 days listening to testimony and argument, trying to get inside the mind of a woman who had drowned her five children. But with just one sentence, ABC's Chris Cuomo accorded us a stunning look inside the mind of a certified MSMer: sympathy first, last and always for the accused.

Commenting on the not-guilty-by-reason-of-insanity verdict, Cuomo had this to say:

"Ironically, treatment might be the harshest punishment for Yates, because she has said the healthier she becomes, the more pain and regret she's able to feel."

So let us get this straight, Chris. Yates had already been convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. She could of course simply have accepted her fate. Instead, her lawyers undertook a strenuous appeal in which they ultimately succeeded in obtaining a new trial. They went through the massive undertaking of the trial itself, obtaining a sentence pursuant to which Yates will be sent to a mental hospital . . . with the possibility of walking free as soon as it is determined she is no longer a threat to society.

But somehow, that sentence is harsher than life in prison? I suppose we should look for Andrea to immediately commence a massive malpractice suit against her lawyers for inflicting this 'harshest punishment' on her. Or could it be that Yates isn't the only one who needs counseling?

Finkelstein lives in the liberal haven of Ithaca, NY, where he hosts the award-winning public-access TV show 'Right Angle.' Contact him at mark@gunhill.net