I'm not even surprised. Again, it's very hard for people to admit error. They will lie, cover evidence, kill the messenger before admitting that they're wrong. The higher the stakes, the harder the heart, and the deader the mind.Gov. Rick Perry has replaced the head of a state commission that is investigating a questionable finding of arson in the case that led to the 2004 execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, just as the commission was due to hold a public hearing examining the case.
The commission had hired a nationally known expert whose review of the Willingham case was released last month. The author, Craig Beyler, called the investigation slipshod and determined that almost all of the evidence presented was based on junk science....
This week, the governor chose not to extend the terms of Austin lawyer Sam Bassett, former chair of the commission, as well as two others on the nine-member Texas Forensic Science Commission. The new commission chair promptly canceled Friday's meeting on the Beyler report...Perry's challenger in the March Republican primary, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, said that the case has not been handled properly.
"Why you wouldn't at least have the hearing that the former member suggested, to find out what the facts are, when a man has been executed and now the facts are in dispute - just like DNA has given more tools to determine the facts," she said. "I am strongly for the death penalty, but always with the absolute assurance that you have the ability to be sure - with the technology that we have - that a person is guilty
« Food. We Need Food. | Main | Open Thread At Noon » Rick Perry Covers His Collusion In Faulty Execution01 Oct 2009 11:00 am
The cover-up for a state-sponsored murder begins:
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Perry's challenger is right, but this line - "I am strongly for the death penalty, but always with the absolute assurance that you have the ability to be sure - with the technology that we have - that a person is guilty" - bothers me. The justice system is not infallible, even with properly applied forensic science; we can only approach that asymptotically, and we are a *long* way off. That's why it would be better not to have the death penalty.
Bingo. And it's a shame,too, because Hutchison might even know that in her heart, but what TX politician could possibly say so? I know that's true of a lot of politicians and a lot of topics, but this is just one issue where I feel like most of these people HAVE to know better. Probably wishful thinking...
This was a topic of conversation over at PZ Myers' blog. The basic point: So long as there is a death penalty administered by humans, innocent humans will be murdered by the state.
Perhaps I'm giving her too much credit, but I don't think Hutchison is actually saying you can be 100% sure. I think she's just saying you should be as sure as you can be "with the technology that we have".
That said, I don't actually find this logic compelling- there's far too much evidence out there demonstrating how horribly unjust the use of the death penalty is. That and a million other reasons make capital punishment one of the worst investments our justice system has made.
And this is the man that republicans are looking at to be president one day. I would say im surprised, but he falls in line exactly with the wackos on the right. Murderous, treasonous thug that he is hell probably used this case (in the backwards world of texas politics) as a reason he should be reelected. I know this blog has gone over this before, but every day it seems more and more true to me that we as people deserve the laws and politicians we get. If you give a monkey a car and let him drive whos responsible when he kills someone, the monkey or you?
What makes him murderous and treasonous? These are extremely strong charges. I myself don't know much about Texas politics or Rick Perry.
Well, I get the murder part - you're referring to Willingham whom the state killed, maybe wrongfully - but, treason?
Maybe because he mentioned the possibility of Texas seceding from the Union? That was Perry, wasn't it?
yeah. he definitely wanted to secede. He didn't in that cute little Texas-is-different-from-every-other-state way though. Lamesauce.
*did it
The treasonouse part is him talking about texas seceding from the union. I know if and when democrats say this they are roundly condemmed but everyone looks at perry like some wacko or worse they give him a pass on a comment like that.
And this is the man that republicans are looking at to be president one day.
I honestly don't think anybody is looking at Rick Perry as possible presidential material. Well, with the probable exception of Rick Perry, that is. He only got 39% of the vote last time, and Texas Democrats are pulling hard for him to win the Republican primary, because he'd be a much easier opponent than Kay Bailey Hutchison, who, for some odd reason, is incredibly popular with everyone except the hard-right GOP base. He's not very well-liked, and once the campaign begins in earnest, I think we'll see that.
On the other hand, people underestimate him at their peril. He's a hard campaigner and he's never lost an election, mostly because he'll fight dirtier than anyone, throwing enough mud and slime to give pause to even the most rabid partisans.
I also meant to add that people are highly unlikely to elect another Texan as president for a reeeaallly long time. Thanks, W.
Yeah, between LBJ and W, Texas has covered the entire spectrum of questionable politics. Nobody can say you guys aren't thorough.
"Kay Bailey Hutchison, who, for some odd reason, is incredibly popular with everyone except the hard-right GOP base"
Hutchison is an old-school intellectual conservative amenable to reason. So obviously she is not in touch with the GOP base in Texas.
In Texas any voter can participate in the Republican primary for any election -- it just makes them ineligible for the Democratic primary that year. So Hutchison has a chance at the nomination if she can get moderates to vote in the Republican primary.
Hmmm. I'm not sure intellectual is a word I ever would have associated with Senator Hutchison, and moderate is a little bit of a stretch, but I'll grant that she's from the non-crazy wing of the party. On second thought, given the state of today's Republican Party, maybe moderate fits, after all.
Like I mentioned in an earlier thread, no politician ever lost an election in Texas by being too much in favor of the death penalty.
I don't think Tim is calling Hutchinson a moderate, but she might be able to get the moderate voters to come to the Republican primary and vote for her. Because she is certainly more appealing than Perry to most any moderate person.
The other thing is that prominent dems in Texas are eyeing the Senate seat she would vacate rather than the governor's office, so the democratic primary will certainly not have the same kind of sizzle.
I'm not sure if we're getting into threadjacking territory here, but I was genuinely concerned that McCain was going to pick her as a running mate. Yes that ticket would have been older, but she had more of a chance to pick off Hillary women than Palin ever did.
I don't agree with her on most things, and her pandering to the far right is annoying. But I'd much rather our national debate occur with someone like her, rather than Perry.
Dan W. Echoed my thoughts.
When McCain announced Palin my reaction was. Who?! after I found out who my thought was what the hell happened to the not obviously insane republican women like Hutchison. My girlfriend took the nomination as an insult.
@Curtis: Kinky Friedman's said he's running as a Democrat this time.
Fair enough on Kinky running. At the same time, I doubt there are many people who are wondering whether to support Kay or Kinky. So the fundamental calculus is the same.
I keep saying: He's the archetypal Pointy-Haired Boss -- astoundingly incompetent at his job, but amazingly good at keeping it...
Why can't Perry make Texas look good for once?
Because then he couldn't win another term.
Ha!
Holy crap. Only marginally related, but still...
Perry cousin killed by sheriff's deputies
Sigh. As a Texan, I wish I could say that this surprised me ...
Media Meltdown: Nonsense, Trial by Fire and the New Yorker
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/04/cameron-todd-willingham-media-meltdown--the-death-penalty.aspx
Cameron Todd Willingham: Some reality needs to be acknowledged
http://homicidesurvivors.com/categories/Cameron%20Todd%20Willingham.aspx
"The Innocent Executed: Deception & Death Penalty Opponents"
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/10/08/the-innocent-executed-deception--death-penalty-opponents--draft.aspx
The 130 (now 139) death row "innocents" scam
http://homicidesurvivors.com/2009/03/04/fact-checking-issues-on-innocence-and-the-death-penalty.aspx