Is Texas governor Perry helping himself or hurting himself by being so dismissive towards a Grand Jury indictment?

He can scream and argue and point fingers and criticize Obama all he wants, but he has to go to court.

And Perry has a reputation for running a corrupt pay to play state. So he might rue the day he tries to fight corruption charges because a lot more dirt may come to light.

Am sharing an excellent Huff piece on the case I read earlier today that may help to answer your question.

@Pachy – thanks, very interesting article.

Wonder if he will run for president?

The American governors seem to become more and more dismissive of both the electorate and the law. Like they have some mandate from a higher power that compels them.

In fact, they are the slaves of the electorate and enforcers of the law. To dismiss either should be grounds for recall.

@ibstubro, I pray not but fear so. He’s a terrible embarrassment to Texas—as if we needed more of that. :(

Perry is simply saying he didn’t do anything wrong. Seems like a common strategy for politicians, guilty or not. We all know the Grand Jury system pretty lopsided. If you aren’t able to offer a defense, anybody can be indicted.

@Pachy He can’t be an embarrassment to Texas, they have chosen him over and over! He is Texas’ Chosen Representative! The Paradigm Texan!

Perry does not do himself any good by calling attention to what is going on. The best he can do, as just about everyone accused or convicted of a crime does, is to quietly deny that he is guilty. The less publicity the better.

@zenvelo, sadly true, he’s been elected again and again by Reds, the majority here. But my circle comprises Blues, so he’s an embarrassment to us Texans.

If you aren’t able to offer a defense, anybody can be indicted.

Actually you don’t present any defense to a grand jury. You won’t even know about the proceedings. The prosecutor takes cases to the grand jury for permission to indict and prosecute.

After you’re indicted you get the chance to defend yourself in court.

Regarding the question, I don’t see aggressively fighting back hurting Perry. Anybody who would vote for him will think the charges are politically motivated and invalid.

Whether Governor Perry’s actions were appropriate or not, here’s the action that started the whole thing in the first place. If Lehmberg would have simply stepped down from her position it never would have been a problem in the first place. She was so drunk she was endangering the public! http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/letter-from-district-attorney-to-prosecutors-says-/nXMCY/ She knew the position she was taking on as a prosecutor, and that she holds the public’s trust. By driving drunk, not sorta drunk, but DRUNK (and apparently rowdy too), she has betrayed the public trust.

She needs to go. Instead she’s allowed to continue abusing HER position by continuing to work! How upside down is that?

Neither. Regardless of the facts of the case, the Court of Public Opinion has already made up it’s mind. Nothing he says/does will make him look better in the eyes of about half the population while the other half believe that his party affiliation makes him innocent, infallible, and saintly even if he murdered someone on live TV. Our nation is that polarized now.

It’s like a doctor being dismissive of a malpractice hearing.

“I cannot be investigated for malpractice because I’m one of the nations top governors doctors!”

@snowberry So she should have resigned, but Rick Perry didn’t have to when he was strung out on prescription meds so he could stand during the 2011/2012 debates. Pill popping is always more acceptable than drinking.

I didn’t know that about RP. Yes, he should have.

In the Wonderland of Texas, if Rick Perry is up for indictment, the mischief making he is accused of must be substantial indeed. While it is true that a vigorous prosecutor in a bad mood can have a hot dog indicted, the fact that the entire cast of characters in this case is solidly Republican, renders Perry’s defense of political persecution rather curious. The one thing that is certain, is we’re in for some solid entertainment, as the third leg of the
Bachmann, Palin, Perry triangular “brain trust” is provided another lengthy opportunity to thrill us with the witticisms we so enjoy. I’m certainly looking forward to it.

@stanleybmanly Actually, the “political persecution” claim makes sense if the cast of characters is a bunch of traditional Republicans seeking to purge their party of extremist elements, but that has it’s own ramifications.

I’ve also seen first hand, yes, even experienced how a journalist can build his career by taking a piece of information and by ignoring some evidence and interviewing questionable sources, destroy someone’s career and reputation. In the process, national media gets wind of it, and the whole thing takes on a life of its own. Everyone makes money, and it’s a real party for everyone except the person whose life is being destroyed.

Used car salesmen are more reputable than our media. Whenever I read anything sensational like the situation with the governor, or anyone, I ask myself, “How much of this story is true? If there’s money to be made, you can bet it’s been really worked over.

Journalism is no longer about “just the facts”. It’s all about the story.

“One way to keep these 50 million fractured is through disinformation. PunditFact’s recent scorecard on network news concluded that at Fox and Fox News Channel, 60 percent of claims are false. At NBC and MSNBC, 46 percent of claims were deemed false. That’s the “news,” folks!” – Source

@jerv This source?

Anyway, that assumes that anyone can trust PunditFact. :P

Again, whether the governor is abusing his power or not (and I’m not sure if anyone else has posted this), but this video, pictures, and article are what Rosemary is trying to cover up by prosecuting him. She’s a hot mess! Article also includes information about Gov. Perry.

@jerv Notice it’s from the UK: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2727659/Perry-moves-ahead-16-courtship-despite-case.html

@snowberry Haha. The Daily Mail is one of the crappiest news sources around.

@dappled_leaves OK, DON“T read the print. I don’t care. But pictures and video don’t lie.

Beside the point. She’s not ‘covering it up’, if anything this indictment has drawn more attention. She’s also not the prosecutor, Michael McCrum is (a Republican, by the way), appointed by San Antonio Senior Judge Robert C. Richardson, not Rose­mary Lehmberg. The problem is not that she should have stepped down (I’ll agree, she should have), but that he abused his power against a democrat in an office he would get to fill if she resigned (something he would normally not be able to do since it’s an elected office in a heavily blue area of Texas). He also threatened her and her unit with his power, which is the alleged abuse of power, and has been very vocal in criticizing her unit for going after a group he’s affiliated with. Also, Perry has never threatened this kind of action against any republican DA with a DUI charge.

He may well get away from this with no issues at all. As noted, this is purely an indictment with no chance for defense as of yet. But this absolutely not just Rosemany trying to ‘cover anything up’ or democrats going after Perry. The entire crew of judges and lawyers so far against Perry is republican, and Rosemary is not directly involved with the case (which, you have to realize, would be a blatant conflict of interest and never allowed).

@BhacSsylan I see. Ya know, this is why I never went into politics. And the funny thing is, even when you do it right, they’ll screw you, regardless of which side you’re on.

irony. /ˈīrənē,ˈiərnē/ – noun – The expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite, typically for humorous or emphatic effect.

^^ Hahaha I didn’t miss the irony either. But I was trying to accommodate the people who DO read print. (I read the print too, but always wonder how much is true). Anyway, I guess my point was lost.