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Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Rick Perry Indicted for Abuse of Office
This journal has little use for the know-nothing conservatism of Texas Governor Rick Perry. The news that a grand jury had indicted him on charges that he abused the power of his office, however, is not grounds for happiness. The case is simply one of a politician playing hardball. The case against him is flimsy at best, and this journal will be content only when the charges go away.
The Washington Post explained the situation:
At issue is Perry's decision to veto $7.5 million in funding for an anti-corruption unit that is part of the Travis County district attorney's office. Perry wanted Rosemary Lehmberg (D), the district attorney for Travis County, to step down after her April 2013 drunken-driving arrest. She declined, and Perry made good on his threat to withhold the money. A watchdog group filed an ethics complaint that led to Perry's indictment on two felony counts.
Now, when a DA is arrested for drunk driving, a leave of absence to fight the charges is perfectly acceptable. Not only must justice be done, it must be seen to be done. Indeed, there is an argument that such a leave is insufficient and outright resignation is in order. In the event of a not guilty verdict, however, resignation in advance seems inappropriate. It is an interesting debate.
Texans for Public Justice filed the ethics complaint, and its director Craig McDonald offered this muddleheaded explanation for the case, "We have said all along it's not about the veto. We believe he had the right to veto it. It was his decision to veto it. It was about the intimidation before the veto. It was about him using the veto as a coercion tactic to get [Lehmberg] to do something she didn't want to do."
Just what does he think politics is? Politics is not about negotiating everything in good faith. Sometimes, it's about the raw use of power in pursuit of one's ambitions. That's why a lot of people think it's dirty and unethical. However, if one has a way to influence the actions of another in politics, it is perfectly acceptable to use either the carrot or the stick. President Nixon didn't want to resign from office, but the US Senate had the votes and the motivation to convict him in an impeachment trial. The threat of that trial, the shame that wold follow, along with possible criminal charges, prison time and so on, coerced him into resigning. It was politics.
And so, one suspects, is this indictment. Mr. Perry will be out of office in a few months, and the 2016 presidential election beckons. Despite a poor showing in 2012 (he couldn't remember some of his own policies), he remains a plausible candidate in the minds of some GOP strategists. Felony convictions for abuse of power would put paid to any ambitions of further public service. With appeals and continuances, it is easy to envision a situation where Mr. Perry would be campaigning in Iowa and New Hampshire while facing trial in Texas. Embarrassing is a mild word for it.
American politics has taken an unfortunate turn, so unfortunate, that this journal agrees wholeheartedly with Governor Perry when he said, "This is not the way we settle political differences in this country. You don't do it with indictments. We settle our political differences at the ballot box."
Lawsuits and indictments should never become the losers' response to an election result.
© Copyright 2014 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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