Rick Perry’s indictment is bad for Democrats: A Texas perspective

[Nye Bevan]

When I heard that Texas Governor Rick Perry had been indicted, I thought, “This had better be good, or it will backfire on the Democrats.” It turns out it isn’t good and it may well backfire on the Democrats.

A Travis County grand jury has indicted the Texas governor and former and possible future candidate for the Republican presidential nomination for allegedly abusing his power, by threatening to cut off funding for the public integrity unit in the office of a Democratic County District Attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg, following her drunk driving arrest.

The two charges against Perry are serious enough in their penalties. Abuse of official capacity is a first-degree felony punished by five to 99 years in prison. Coercion of a public servant is a third-degree felony punished by 2-10 years in prison.

.......

Rosemary Lehmberg does not make a very good martyr for Democrats to rally around. A jailhouse video shows Lehmberg, following her arrest for driving while intoxicated, kicking the door of her cell and shouting at staffers. Perry’s statement that he would not fund her office “when the person charged with ultimate responsibility of that unit has lost the public’s confidence” is going to be hard to portray as an act of Nixonian tyranny. It is possible to imagine a Democratic governor of Texas taking the same action (though perhaps not the late Ann Richards—she and I got tipsy once after hitting the hootch when we were both early for an event).

http://www.salon.com/2014/08/18/rick_perrys_indictment_is_bad_for_democrats_a_texas_perspective/

Having watched the Rosemary Lehmberg drunk-driving video, I tend to agree with this analysis.

[elehhhhna]

1. he broke the law. whether her dui is an acceptable reason will be determined by a jury.

should we ignore it or prosecute?

[former9thward]

11. Which law did he break specifically?

I read the big triple spaced one and a half page indictment. A first year law could have done a better job.

[elehhhhna]

13. then don't play ignorant

or read it again, for comprehension. Whichever applies.

Good day.

[Motown_Johnny]

2. I hope he gets grilled in court and makes a fool out of himself.

It is entirely possible that this guy will hang himself.


Lehmberg really has very little to do with it. It is about Perry abusing his veto power.

[Politicalboi]

3. That tape was ridiculous

She should have stepped down, but he broke the law too.

[Fred Sanders]

4. It was not drunk driving. She had a bottle of vodka with her in a church parking lot. Never drove.

For that she is hauled off to a jail cell instead of, say, released to someone in the nearby church? What police force watches parking lots of churches?

Rick Perry, facing 99 years, though, gets a summons.....the matter is crystal clear to me, corruption impulse never be exposed, no efforts will be spared to smear and denigrate the law enforcers bravely bringing this to light.

(D)emonize the victim, (R)ehabilitate the accused, the mass media has the science of human behaviour behind its propaganda quest, and the fine work of Goebbels and Ayers to consult.

[former9thward]

12. She plead guilty.

Was she part of the conspiracy? You think she did not know the law -- as you seem to? And no, police do not release drunks to "someone nearby".

[Fred Sanders]

14. I know she pled guilty...police regularly release drunk driving suspects to relatives and friends

after arrest and charge.

Please do not introduce unrelated misinformation into the issue.

Pleading guilty changes nothing of the unnecessary stalking and jailing, pleading guilty occurs somewhat later.

[opulent80]

5. ''When you strike at a king, you must kill him"

Ralph Waldo Emerson.

[4139]

6. 'The Integrity Office had no integrity' ... This is a loser.

[LanternWaste]

7. Who is asking for Lehmberg to be the martyr?

"Rosemary Lehmberg does not make a very good martyr for Democrats to rally around..."

Who is asking for Lehmberg to be the martyr to rally around? No one I'm aware of. We've got Senators Davis and Van de Putte to rally around. We really don;t want anyone else.

Additionally (and more relevantly) from where I sit in north central TX, the questions are simply what did Perry do? Was it legal or not? Much likely the same thing the jurists will be asked, too...

[Loudly]

8. Release Don Siegelman and maybe we'll talk.

In the meantime, Perry is to be referred to as "The Disgraced Governor of Texas Rick Perry."

[WinkyDink]

9. I'll risk the consequences.

[Thinkingabout]

10. Bad for the Democrats, let's see, charges was brought by a special prosecutor,

A Republican, appointed by a judge, who is also Republican. Now before Democrats are kicked around anymore the truth needs to be placed into play. Yes the district attorney is Democrat, she went to trial, served her sentence and has agreed not to run again. Under Texas law it is not legal to withhold funding for the special investigation team which was investigating corruption of Perry's friends. Perry did not like his friends being investigated and wanted it stopped. This is a Republican indictment against a Republican.

[Cha]

15. They miss the fucking point.. not rallying around Rosemary Lehmberg.. Rallying around Rick

Perry getting what he deserves for arrogantly breaking the law.

[cheyanne]

16. Who is another governor who shut down an investigation into political corruption?

Perry is like Cuomo who needed to get rid of the commission that was investigating him. Cuomo didn't have a good cover story for closing down his commission so there is a lot of outcry against him. Cuomo claims that it was his commission and he could close it down.

Perry is trying to use Lemberg's DUI as an excuse to close down the Public Integrity Unit of the D. A.'s office, which was investigating his corruption. And like Cuomo he claims that he is well within his rights to do so.

However, in NY the US Attorney has taken up the cases that the commission had been investigating.

The question in Texas is there another way to keep the investigations going?

The question of the legality of the veto by Perry is not the major issue here. The case against Perry will slowly wend it's way through the court system and the politicians will have plenty of time to cover their tracks.