Conservatives launch TV assault on Earle

[kskiska]

Ads running in Austin liken the Travis County DA to an attack dog

AUSTIN - A national conservative organization today is launching a television commercial in Austin and nationally comparing Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle to an attack dog because of his prosecution of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay.

"A prosecutor with a political agenda can be vicious," the ad says over footage of a snarling dog.

The ad, sponsored by the Free Enterprise Fund of Washington, D.C., reminds viewers that Earle, "a liberal Democrat," once tried to prosecute U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Republican.

The ad says Earle now is going after DeLay of Sugar Land because he is a Republican, too.

"Bad, Ronnie, bad. It's not a crime to be a conservative," the commercial says.

more…
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3394083

[Erika]

1. Earle has an excellent reputation. Much like Fitzgerald

DeLay is toast.

[jackbourassa]

4. New NBC/Wall St. Journal poll on Delay

24% of people think the indictment was politically motivated.
65% think Delay committed a crime.

It's obvious that Delay is desperate and is having his corporate crony's smear Earle. Mentioning his indictments against Republicans but, of course, failing to mention his indictments against Democrats.

Delay is sad and pathetic. Any Republican who follows him is just as sad and pathetic.

[saigon68]

23. DeLay and "ATTACK DOG ROVE" on the Rebound

Look for the SLEEZE BOAT attack campaign to begin.

[SerpentX]

2. We should do the same

only featuring Ken Starr.

[booley]

3. Ok, why are they even bothering?

Undoubtidly I am knieve but... Delay is being indicted by a Jury in a court of law..not in the court of public opinion.

a TV commercial isn't going to help delay any that I can see.

[bunkerbuster1]

5. Because they have no morals.

Among the utterly unprecedented horrors we've witnessed in the name of politics during the post 2000 nightmare of Republican overlordship, now, is an officially-sanctioned poisoning of the jury pool.

It used to be that such playing-to-potential-jurors was something you tried to do through PR, but now they're just paying for it, blatantly, with advertising.

[booley]

7. Ok they have no Morals..But no Common sense either?

For all of thier ammorality, the Rovians are still not so stupid to think this will do a damn thing to save Delay, do they?

so why are they doing it?

[bunkerbuster1]

14. Poisoning the jury pool.

make one wingnut think it's his patriotic duty to lie in order to get on the jury, and then be the holdout who "saves 'Murka."

That's all it takes to keep the Bugman from being someone's prison wife.

[The_Casual_Observer]

9. Perhaps they are trying to spoil the jury pool in Austin

by running these ads, and will have to move it to the bum-fuck no place bushland part of Texas instead.

[bunkerbuster1]

15. yep, and even if they don't have to move...

They'll convince someone(s) that no matter what evidence they hear, it's their patriotic/sacred duty to acquit the Bugman.

This ad campaign is a new low, and we have seen some real lows in the post 2000 Republican overlordship.

[MADem]

25. That could backfire on them, but you make a great point!

He could, if not granted a venue change, end up with a jury pool of people who work two jobs, do not have cable, don't watch TV, and are basically poor folk who might not mind taking down a fatcat.

When your paycheck is a few hundred a week, and this clown is tossing hundreds of thousands here, there and everywhere, it can stick in the old craw!!!!

[Tiggeroshii]

22. Cause they don't wanna give the money back and they have to get rid of it

All that dirty money's about to need to get recovered in a court of law and they can't let that happen. Might as well pour it out on something semi helpful

[dmr]

6. Hope Earle makes a change of venue if this goes to trial

It can be said those ads have a direct effect on any potential jury pool in the Austin/Travis County area.

So, isn't this something like jury tampering?

[napi21]

11. Interesting question. I don't know!

I was thinking the same thing. Ads might influence the jury pool. I dont;t know if it could be considered contaminating the jury pool or not?

If we don't get an answer tonight, post the question again tomorrow when some of out legal eagles are here.

[LostinVA]

27. I think this really skirts the line.....

[shraby]

8. They better watch out tainting the jury pool like that

a change of venue might be warranted, and it might just take it out of DeLay country.

[rainbow4321]

12. Travis County is bluer than blue

Some bumperstickers and shirts we saw in Austin (Travis County) a few weeks ago..and I was only there for 3 days:

"Fuck Bush" (shirt)
"Pro Tree, anti Bush" (sticker)
"Anti-war American" (sign on a bike)
"Bush is a chump ass..." (sticker)

And a shitload of "anti W" car window decals.


Delay and his cronies will want it out of Travis County. Probably trying to get it in a rural/red county.

[Shakespeare]

38. No, they WANT a change of venue. Travis County is blue.

Why Earle is not seeking a TRO against this guys is beyond me, because this is such an obvious attempt to taint the jury pool.

[Vogon_Glory]

43. But They SHOULD Change The Trial Venue

But the Travis County prosecutors SHOULD change a Tom DeLay trial venue from Travis County to somewhere else in the Lone Star state.

Personally, I'd favor someplace with a conservative outlook and pro-prosecution attitude that would make the DeLay defense team shiver--like New Braunfels or Kerrville. Neither place could be considered "liberal," and neither place is particularly favorable towards criminal defendants.

[Shakespeare]

44. You don't know much about Texas, do you?

If they move it to a red county, the chance is overwhelmingly strong that DeLay will walk away from this. What you don't seem to get is that they don't see DeLay as a criminal, period, under any circumstances.

[Vogon_Glory]

45. T'aint So

Actually, the odds are actually stronger that the Hammer would get anviled if the trial was moved to New Braunfels or Kerrville. In both places, New Braunfels in particular, there is still a strong whiff of Germanic pro-law und ordnung in the public mindset, as well as the attitude that if the defendant had done something to annoy the polizei, he is probably guilty. Kerrville juries are reputed to be particularly happy to hand down maximum penalties. If I were a defendant in a criminal prosecution, I would most certainly NOT want my trial moved to New Braunfels or Kerrville or Fredericksburg.

However, as an admittedly partisan bystander, I would enjoy watching DeLay's defense team squirm if Ronnie Earle would move the trial away from "liberal" Austin and a potentially friendly jury pool to someplace in less-friendly territory.

[patricia92243]

10. I'm scared it will work. People believe what's on tv. :(

[rainbow4321]

13. They won't be swayed....

There is a reason that UT/Austin has been eliminated from the list of potential places for chimp's library...it's in Travis County and they sure as hell don't like chimp/repukes.

I don't live down there but from what I have seen during my visits, I cannot see the locals falling for a Delay commercial.

[LynnTheDem]

16. 15 prosecutions; 12 DEMS....and 3 republicans. THREE REPUBLICANS.

WOW WHAT A PARTISAN!!!

Rightwingnuts; stupidest lying MFers on the planet.

[Nickster]

32. Why do you hate 'murica so?

[skipos]

34. link for this info? nt

[LynnTheDem]

36. Lotsa links

Earle has prosecuted 12 Democrats and three Republicans - most of them successfully.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2004/1203/p01s04-usgn.html

Google and type in;

"Earle 15 prosecutions 12 Democrats 3 Republicans"

Lone Star Times » DeLay press release on Travis County indictment
Earle has prosecuted 15 officals, 12 Democrats and 3 Republicans.
http://lonestartimes.com/2005/09/28/delay-statement-on-travis-county-indictment/

The prosecutor in this case has indicted 12 Democrats vs. 3 Republicans...
http://www.newshounds.us/2005/09/28/on_fox_north_carolina_congressman_insults_the_state_of_new_jersey_when_the_discussion_was_about_delays_indictment.php

EARLE HAS PROSECUTED FOUR TIMES AS MANY DEMOCRATS AS REPUBLICANS
http://thinkprogress.org/2005/09/28/truth-ronnie-earle/

[lebkuchen]

17. just like they did to Joe Wilson.

That's why Cheney is having to circle the wagons.

Some people never learn.

[HuffleClaw]

18. a snarling dog ?

that is downright offensive, but just the sort of thing i expect from this crew of criminals. a clear attempt to poison the jury pool.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

19. Sounds stupid. Maybe they'll spend conservative money without much effect.

[NVMojo]

20. the guilty sure hate being caught and losing, don't they?

think about it, did John Kerry come out fighting like this when he got Swift Boated by the same type of fuckers?? These people are power hungry asshats.

[roguevalley]

21. its a crime to be a thief and a liar. let them defend delay and the

others. great for dems when people get it and they do that the pubs are as corrupt as it gets.

[ellisonz]

24. They should move it to the North Pole...

...so Tom Delay can know what a cold day in hell is like before he goes behind bars. Earle should counter with obstruction of justice charges against the funders of this asshat media blitz. The Republicans seem to have forgotten that in legal tango, there are two dancers.

[chat_noir]

26. The Hammer's Prayer

http://www.whitehouse.org/news/2005/passion-of-delay-lg.asp

[No Exit]

28. Is that the ad that gives a phone # and says "call Ronnie Earle"?

I think I'll call the number and say, "THANK YOU, Mr. Earle, you are a patriot who loves his country!"

[Dover]

29. If I were Kay Bailey Hutchinson, I wouldn't want the public reminded

of that little ordeal with Earle. She didn't 'win' because she was innocent.

[tanyev]

30. I've got no problem with a snarling attack dog going after DeLay.

Long overdue.

[The Stranger]

31. Like Kerry said, this is the most vile bunch of criminals I have ever seen

-- the open and notorious corruption, graft, and political assassination is concealed by a perverse facade of religiion (Christofascism perhaps?) that soothes the slumbering masses and beats down those who are awake.

[Canuckistanian]

33. OK, it's time for the chant we heard during Clinton's impeachment

If he's not guilty, then he has nothing to worry about.

[skipos]

35. If he's not guilty, then he has nothing to worry about.

Nice!

[texastoast]

37. You should start a thread on that for the freepers

I just love regurgitating their drivel back to them.

[WHAT]

39. Where did the money come from for the ads?...

That was my first thought.

Really...

[Bridget Burke]

DeLay has many income sources....

And we'll get to learn a lot about them soon.

[VegasWolf]

40. Paid for by, The TeXas Swift Boat Veretans for Truth, Honesty, and

Integrity!

:sarcasm:

[FVZA_Colonel]

41. It truly amazes me that they are able to do this.

I mean, do you really think the D.C. Snipers would have been able to get away with something like this?

[alarimer]

42. They are scum

Plain and simple.

[PatriotGames]

46. But it is a crime to launder money. n/t

[Massacure]

47. Isn't intentionally biasing a jury a crime?

If just one jury member sees those ads.

BAMMM!!!!!!

STICK IT TO THEM TOO EARLE!!!