Mr. Durbin wrote to hundreds of corporate and foundation supporters of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), a nonprofit organization that advances conservative policies in the state legislatures, demanding they tell him where they stand on Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law. “Although ALEC does not maintain a public list of corporate members or donors,” he wrote, “other public documents indicate that your company funded ALEC at some point during the period between ALEC’s adoption of model ‘stand your ground’ legislation in 2005 and the present day. … I am seeking clarification whether organizations that have funded ALEC’s operations in the past currently support ALEC and the model ‘stand your ground’ legislation.”

Actually, he’s not seeking “clarification” at all, but revenge. Mr. Durbin, a Democrat, knows that ALEC focuses on economic and budget issues, and he’s trying to use the controversy over the Trayvon Martin case to intimidate corporate donors into discontinuing their support. He’s still pouting over the verdict of the jury. The spirit of Richard Nixon’s “enemies list” lives.

One senator stood up to the bully. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, a Republican, suggests that the donors to ALEC stand up, too.