Not so long ago, Peggy Noonan was a respected conservative journalist ~ but she has morphed into a GOP/TPer cheerleader, often embarrassing herself with totally unprofessional behavior ... like here ~ ~ Sooz

Flubbing the details on Perry’s indictment
08/25/14 08:28 AM
By Steve Benen

More than a week after Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) was indicted on two felony counts, the Wall Street Journal’s Peggy Noonan shared her concerns about the case on national television yesterday. The exchange was one of my favorites of any Sunday show this year.


Of course, this is less about what “may be,” and more about what is. In this case, the Republican columnist had nine days to get the basic details straight, but Noonan nevertheless raised the specter of “local Democratic overreach” – despite the fact that local Democrats had literally nothing to do with the indictment.

Told that her key complaint was based on a falsehood, Noonan didn’t acknowledge her error, deciding instead to say the indictment “looks crazy” anyway. Wayne Slater joked that the Wall Street Journal pundit “looked confused” by the details she should have known but didn’t.

For the record, Democratic officials in Travis County recused themselves from the case, and the prosecutor in this case, Michael McCrum, worked in the Bush/Quayle administration. What’s more, McCrum, who enjoys a solid reputation as a credible attorney, was appointed to oversee this case by a Republican judge. To see this as “local Democratic overreach” is to simply not understand what happened.

It is, however, this kind of confusion that has created an amazing political environment. The Dallas Morning News reported late last week that Perry is so encouraged by the political reaction to his indictment that his political action committee “is selling T-shirts with his mug shot on the front. On the back is the mug shot of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.”

Remember, in this case, the reference to Perry’s “mug shot” is literal.

Meanwhile, Texans for Public Justice’s Craig McDonald and Andrew Wheat wrote a compelling piece for Politico defending the case on the merits.



http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/flubbing-the-details-perrys-indictment#break

The remaining problem is the "iffy" Texas legal system.

My take-away from this is the hard-to-argue-with fact that Rick Perry is dumb ~ ~ Sooz

Rick Perry, still a little forgetful
08/28/14 08:00 AM
By Steve Benen

It’s been nearly two weeks since Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) was indicted on two felony counts, and at this point, some critics of the indictment are still struggling with the basic details. That includes the governor himself.

Over the weekend, for example, Peggy Noonan told a national television audience the case against Perry is an example of “local Democratic overreach.” Reminded that this doesn’t make sense – local Dems weren’t involved in any way – Noonan said the case “looks crazy” anyway.

A day prior, Perry seemed just as confused. The Houston Chronicle suggested it might be another “oops moment” for the Texas governor.


The “details,” for what it’s worth, are that Perry was indicted on two counts: “abuse of official capacity” and “coercion of a public official.” The governor may think he was charged with bribery, but he was not.

The broader question, however, is why Perry, a likely presidential candidate, seems so confused. I realize the governor isn’t, shall we say, detail-oriented, but he’s facing two felony counts. If convicted, the penalty could include jail time.

Sure, there are going to be legal nuances to the case that can be left to attorneys, but maybe Perry should at least know what he’s been charged with?

Of course, in nearly every political story, there’s a context to keep in mind. Candidates develop a reputation and become known by their strengths and weaknesses – and those perceptions ultimately shape a prism through which events are seen. Chris Christie is a bully; John McCain is a cantankerous hawk; Mitt Romney is an out-of-touch gazillionaire, etc.

But if the general knock on Perry is that he’s a little slow on the uptake, he’ll have to work that much harder to prove he’s sharp enough for the job.

He can start by remembering which criminal charges he’s currently facing.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/rick-perry-still-little-forgetful

I always said black-framed, designer eyeglasses don't help making you any smarter. There was something else I said, but I can't remember right now.

Way I heard it was that black-framed, designer eyeglasses improved your memory.

If a woman is wearing them.....? SILF? That's what I heard from you men when I dissed the Trojan commercials, lol.

Is it possible that "pure as driven snow" Rick Perry is ... corrupt? ~ YOU BETCHA!!! ~ there are some "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

TPM LIVEWIRE
Prosecutor Claims Perry Threatening Grand Jury After Indictment
By Caitlin MacNeal Published November 3, 2014, 5:13 PM EST

The special prosecutor overseeing the charges against Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) claims that the governor has been intimidating the members of the grand jury that indicted him, according to Bloomberg News.

"The defendant’s own words have instilled a concern for all persons who participated in the grand jury investigation," special prosecutor Michael McCrum said in a Monday public filing.

A grand jury indicted Perry on abuse of office charges in August, after which Perry spoke out against the indictment.

"I am confident we will ultimately prevail, that this farce of a prosecution will be revealed for what it is, and that those responsible will be held to account," Perry said following the indictment.

Some have interpreted that statement as intimidation.

"This comment struck many listeners as a threat against the members of the grand jury and all of those associated with the grand jury process," McCrum said in the filing. "The state has a good faith basis to protect witnesses who appeared before the grand jury, who would similarly be in the category of those who would be ‘held accountable’ by the governor."

Perry's lawyer, Tony Buzbee, said that the prosecutor's claim is "just silly on its face."

"None of that’s going on and hasn’t gone on," he told Bloomberg News.

McCrum also claims that Perry is misusing rules to request that the indictment be thrown out. Perry's office claims that McCrum wasn't properly sworn in as a special prosecutor and has tried to use that to get the case tossed.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/perry-threatening-grand-jury-indictment

Do "Perry" and "fooked" mean the same thing?