New York Times defends Rick Perry on abuse of power charges

I highlight the New York Times because their editorial board put out the most backhanded defense of Perry I’ve ever seen. The bottom line, even the Times is skeptical of the charges against Rick Perry which speaks volumes for the validity of the claims. Note the opening paragraph illustrating just how much animosity the Times actually has for Perry, though they still felt obliged to defend him on this matter.

From the New York Times:

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is one of the least thoughtful and most damaging state leaders in America, having done great harm to immigrants, abortion clinics and people without health insurance during his 14 years in office. But bad political judgment is not necessarily a felony, and the indictment handed up against him on Friday — given the facts so far — appears to be the product of an overzealous prosecution.

For more than a year, Mr. Perry has been seeking the resignation of the Travis County district attorney, Rosemary Lehmberg. He had good reason to do so: Ms. Lehmberg was arrested in April 2013 for driving with a blood alcohol level of more than three times the legal limit, and she verbally abused the officers who found her with an open bottle of vodka. She ranted and raved at the local jail, threatening sheriff’s deputies, and she had to be restrained in a chair with a hood over her head. She pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 45 days in jail. In addition to endangering people’s lives, she instantly lost her credibility as a prosecutor of drunken-driving cases.

Whether the charges pan out or not, this will be a sore spot for Perry’s bid in 2016. Many voters hear the word “indictment” and it won’t matter whether he’s found guilty or the charges are dropped. The mere fact that this exists will be reason enough for some people to drop Perry thinking he’s just another corrupt politician.


Nate Ashworth

The Founder and Editor-In-Chief of Election Central. He's been blogging elections and politics for over a decade. He started covering the 2008 Presidential Election which turned into a full-time political blog in 2012 and 2016 that continues today.

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