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August 19, 2014      4:15 PM

Bearse: The Petty and the Partisan

Against backdrop of Perry indictments, some Republicans turn guns inward and others savor gamemanship

Let’s start with the most serious: the runaway grand jury and the prosecution of politics. The indictment of Governor Rick Perry late Friday has been the talk of the town, in fact the nation (note: the governor remains a client of mine). In the first 72 hours people of all political stripes have rallied to the governor’s side, decrying the criminalization of politics and an indictment based on what experts deem to be a weak case.

The prosecution has created a sort of alternative reality: that the veto itself was not the crime, but instead the alleged warning given ahead of time. So, no case could be made if the governor struck $7.5 million from the Public Integrity Unit out of the blue, but if he tried to give District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg the chance to step down in order to salvage the integrity of the unit, and therefore it’s funding, it is alleged to be a crime.

We don’t resolve our political differences by indictment, but by elections. One can disagree with the governor’s policy decision, but to deem his veto an abuse of power, and pursue charges against him for it, is ironically its own form of abuse of power.

The rest of Eric Bearse's column can be found in today's R&D Department.

By Eric Bearse