I haven't watched the video, so I'll ask: did she offer or threaten action available specifically to her position in order to bully the officers, or did she simply pull the "Do you know who I am?" card? IMO, one is "abuse of power", the other is not. As far as removing her from her position, aren't there statutorily enacted mechanisms available by which that can be accomplished (eg, recall)? If she's "lost the public trust", doesn't the public (ie, the electorate) have a process by which to demonstrate that? Perry attempting an end-run around said process is akin to vigilante justice. It's no less his job to force her resignation than it is my job to sentence an alleged criminal. Again, I'm not necessarily saying she was right or should keep her job, and I'm not saying that Perry should do time, but I do think he overstepped his bounds.
First the NY Times, now the Washington Post. For Perry? Who'd have ever thought that possible. They're normally as partisan as the grand jurors were. http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...rrys-indictment-is-bad-for-the-united-states/ There is little question that the indictment is absurd. And after watching the video of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s behavior after her drunken-driving arrest, it’s no wonder that Perry declared a loss of public confidence in her ability to lead the public integrity unit. If you have not watched the video yet, tune in. It’s on its way to being a classic in U.S. politics. But this indictment is bigger than just Texas. Proper prosecution of abusive public officials is a good thing. It reassures the public that the checks and balances in our democracy are working. Concocted, phony and retaliatory prosecutions serve only to reinforce the public’s skepticism about the motives of our country’s political leadership and undermine the public trust. If we needed further erosion of the public faith in our government, this indictment certainly supplies it. Bogus charges against a political foe erode the relevancy of legitimate corruption charges when they are actually needed and warranted. By pursuing Perry’s indictment, the Democrats might actually do Perry some good. But in the meantime, they are contributing to the further disintegration of the ability of our two-party system to create a government that functions.
