On Sunday's CNN Newsroom, one segment was described as the title suggests. The segment was on Texas Governor Rick Perry and it was very far from flattering. If you don't know about "Willingham-Gate", here is a good summary brought to you by the progressive-and-Texan Burnt Orange Report.
Beyond the tragedy of a man being wrongly executed for the fire that took his family, the big story is the cover-up. Like many foolish politicians and leaders before him, Governor Rick Perry over-reached and got caught red-handed for it.
He's done for.
The CNN segment is significant for the following reasons;
1: It notes that there was evidence that was ultimately ignored before Willingham's execution that made the case for his innocence.
2: It noted that the commission's report was due out right before the primary-election against Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.
3: It noted that the new head of the commission is a "political ally" to Rick Perry.
In other words, CNN has gotten enough of a whiff. They know the smell. Heck, everyone knows what we're smelling; whiffs of Nixon. What was state news is now national news. Rick Perry was already in for the challenge of his life, but now it's fair to say that Kay Bailey Hutchison is almost definitely going to beat Perry in the primary- assuming he doesn't resign, which has to be a consideration for Governor Good Hair.
As horizontalrule noted last week, the U.S. Senate is likely to lose another GOP incumbent soon(Kay Bailey Hutchison). Get to know Houston Mayor Bill White, who may very well be the next Democratic Senator from Texas.
Update:
While we're on the subject of screwed-Republicans, John Ensign is screwed. Really, really screwed.
Also I forgot to clarify something about the CNN segment regarding the new head of the commission in Texas that they described as Perry's "ally"; he postponed the report "indefinitely".
Finally!
Is there a curse upon all Governors who play footsie with secession? Sanford might say "yes". Pawlenty? He hopes not.
Useful links:
The New Yorker article that really got this ball rolling. Hat tip to Buckeye Battlecry.
Video of last night's CNN segment, which is different from the one I viewed tonight but still very tough. Hat tip to Scarce for linking me up and for pushing us all to sign the petition
to clear Cameron Todd Willingham's name once and for all.