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Main Forums => Politics => Topic started by: 41magsnub on August 15, 2014, 07:47:11 PM

Title: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: 41magsnub on August 15, 2014, 07:47:11 PM
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas/article/Perry-indicted-on-two-felony-charges-5691872.php?cmpid=bna (http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/politics/texas/article/Perry-indicted-on-two-felony-charges-5691872.php?cmpid=bna)

What is the hive mind?  Politically motivated obviously, but is there something there behind it?
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: wmenorr67 on August 15, 2014, 08:24:52 PM
Can he pardon himself?
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: vaskidmark on August 15, 2014, 09:30:39 PM
Somebody thinks Perry has enough political traction to do something - either by resigning and running for the Senate or throwing his hat in as a contender for candidate for POTUS.

Texas (nor any other State's) politics are clean enough to do this as pure public outrage and upholding the majesty of the law.

Don't think he can pardon himself, but does anybody want to begin guessing what Nixon promised to do to Ford and his extended family if the ink was not dry on the pardon before HMX-1 became airborne?  If it comes to it I'm sure that whoever the Lt. Governor is will receive the same assurances.

stay safe.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: brimic on August 15, 2014, 09:54:21 PM
This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: roo_ster on August 16, 2014, 02:37:27 AM
This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Travis county.   ;/

Eventually, the Travis County DA indicts every successful Texas Republican.  Given the timing, the Dems must think Perry is a greater threat than I do in 2016.

Quote from: http://pjmedia.com/instapundit/193471/
Even many of the Dems on my Twitter feed think this indictment is a reach. But, as with Scott Walker, the Democratic Deep State is trying a spoiling attack aimed at clearing the 2016 field.

But if threatening a veto is indictable, well, how many vetoes has Obama threatened?

Here is the fine civil servant Perry whose budget he threatened to veto if she did not resign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s7y7oJ266qI
"I'm not drunk!"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrxsCH_p1oc



Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: dm1333 on August 16, 2014, 07:50:32 AM
Quote
The grand jury probe was triggered by a complaint filed by Texans for Public Justice, which tracks money in politics, after Perry said he would veto funding in the state budget for the Public Integrity Unit overseen by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg unless she resigned after a drunken-driving arrest.

Perry carried through on the veto when Lehmberg refused.

Rick Perry is an evil man for thinking the DA should be setting an example!  (I can see that there may have been different ways to handle this, but I think this one is purely political)
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Monkeyleg on August 16, 2014, 10:43:52 AM
This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.



Let's go back a few more years in Wisconsin. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala is caught extorting millions of dollars from lobbyists. It's being laundered through the Democrat Party in Kansas, funneled to a Chvala-controlled group in DC, then sent back home to be given to loyal supporters of Chvala in their senate campaigns.

The FBI is looking at Chvala for interstate money laundering. He faces 19 felony counts, including 17 counts of extortion.

In steps loyal Democrat Milwaukee County DA Michael McCann. The grand jury never hears about the extortion. Chvala is charged with using a state employee on state time for campaigning. He gets 9 months of house arrest, meaning he can go to work, he can go shopping, and can have parties at his house. He is barred from being a lobbyist for three years (he's now a well-paid lobbyist to his old buddies).

The left's tactics isn't just to use the DA's and courts to harass and smear Republicans. It's also to use them to let Democrats walk.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Brad Johnson on August 16, 2014, 11:31:24 AM
It's so overtly rediculous that CNN has moved the story to page-two status after less than a day.  Speaks volumes, that.

Edit to add... Looks like they've also disabled comments in the main article.  I take that to mean they know the story will get soundly trounced in the court of public opinion and they don't want to chance the public butt-whuppin.

Brad
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: HankB on August 16, 2014, 01:02:09 PM
Travis county.   ;/

Eventually, the Travis County DA indicts every successful Texas Republican.  
QFT.

The Travis County DA's office went after Tom DeLay (former House Majority Leader) too - it took a couple of grand juries, but they eventually got one to indict him for financial crimes. A Travis County jury convicted him, but the verdict was tossed on appeal. BUT . . . the DA's attack served its purpose, it drove a successful GOP Republican out of office.

Which was the entire point.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: brimic on August 16, 2014, 01:05:49 PM
Let's go back a few more years in Wisconsin. Democrat Senate Majority Leader Chuck Chvala is caught extorting millions of dollars from lobbyists. It's being laundered through the Democrat Party in Kansas, funneled to a Chvala-controlled group in DC, then sent back home to be given to loyal supporters of Chvala in their senate campaigns.

The FBI is looking at Chvala for interstate money laundering. He faces 19 felony counts, including 17 counts of extortion.

In steps loyal Democrat Milwaukee County DA Michael McCann. The grand jury never hears about the extortion. Chvala is charged with using a state employee on state time for campaigning. He gets 9 months of house arrest, meaning he can go to work, he can go shopping, and can have parties at his house. He is barred from being a lobbyist for three years (he's now a well-paid lobbyist to his old buddies).

The left's tactics isn't just to use the DA's and courts to harass and smear Republicans. It's also to use them to let Democrats walk.
I remember that. Chvala was too slimy to make it as a used car salesman. Iirc, a republucan, Jensen, was punished a lot harder around the same time for much more minor campaign finance infractions.

The current DA , Chisolm, is just as corrupt as McCann was, he wouldn't be part if the milwaukee political machine if he weren't
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: BobR on August 16, 2014, 01:10:35 PM
Quote
Perry suggested Lehmberg had lost the public's confidence when he vetoed the money. If she had resigned, Perry would have named her successor until the next election.

Bold is mine.

IMO, this had a lot to do with it. A conservative DA in Travis County, that wouldn't fly at all. :(

bob
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: roo_ster on August 16, 2014, 09:04:47 PM
http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/08/16/travis-county-da-rosemary-lehmbergs-drinking-problem-and-abuse-of-power-by-the-staggering-numbers/

Quote
The indictment of Gov. Rick Perry by a grand jury in Travis County, Texas, is part of a power struggle that originates with a serious crime, albeit not one committed by Gov. Perry.

That crime, as everyone knows by now, is drunk driving, and it was committed by Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg.

When Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, Democrat, was arrested and charged with drunk driving on April 12, 2013, her blood alcohol level measured .23.

That is just shy of three times the legal limit in Texas, which is .08.

According to the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission, Lehmberg must have consumed about 10 alcoholic drinks in one hour to achieve a .23 blood alcohol rating.

District Attorney Lehmberg also had an open bottle of vodka in her car, violating Texas’ longstanding open container law.

Quote
From January 2012 to April 2013 — 15 months — Lehmberg made 59 purchases of alcohol at various Twin Liquors stores, a rate of nearly one purchase a week.

She bought 76 bottles of alcohol. According to the receipts, Lehmberg prefers Ciroc vodka. Lehmberg routinely purchased 1.75 liter bottles of vodka, at a price of nearly $60 each. On occasions, she bought more than one 1.75 liter bottle of Ciroc at a time.

Those 76 bottles add up to 24.7 gallons of alcohol purchased over 15 months. The last purchase in the KEYE-compiled list was on April 2, 2013 — 10 days before her arrest for drunk driving, and the subsequent attempt to abuse her power by trying to intimidate the officers who proces

Quote
Lehmberg refused to resign as Travis County DA, a position that also puts her atop the Public Integrity Unit.

Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Northwoods on August 16, 2014, 11:15:51 PM
That's an average of 7oz of vodka per DAY, just from that chain of stores.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Phantom Warrior on August 16, 2014, 11:31:44 PM
That's an average of 7oz of vodka per DAY, just from that chain of stores.

I'm not defending her DUI or her other actions.  But that's only about five standard drinks per day.  Less than a six pack of beer per day.  To a functioning alcoholic, that's not all that much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_drink
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Northwoods on August 17, 2014, 12:08:26 AM
Do you honestly think that's all she drinks on a typical day?  That doesn't count what bought at other chain stores/grocery stores, drank at bars, drank at a friend's, etc. 
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: roo_ster on August 17, 2014, 01:39:35 AM
I'm not defending her DUI or her other actions.  But that's only about five standard drinks per day.  Less than a six pack of beer per day.  To a functioning alcoholic, that's not all that much.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_drink

She amy not make a good-looking corpse, but the undertaker will find her pre-embalmed.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Fly320s on August 17, 2014, 06:18:07 AM
1. Was the female DA convicted of DUI?

2. How did her purchases of alcohol become public? Search warrant?
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: roo_ster on August 17, 2014, 07:57:51 AM
1. Was the female DA convicted of DUI?

2. How did her purchases of alcohol become public? Search warrant?

1. Yes.  She lost her law license for a number of months and there was some other bar-assoc/lawyerly sanction.

2. Not sure. 
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Fly320s on August 18, 2014, 09:41:00 AM
1. Yes.  She lost her law license for a number of months and there was some other bar-assoc/lawyerly sanction.

2. Not sure. 

Debarred for a few months?  That's it?  You gotta love lawyers protecting lawyers.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Ben on August 19, 2014, 07:58:59 PM
Perry's mugshot from today. Whatever you think of the guy politically, I think he's gonna stomp his opponents on this one. I think he's actually enjoying the whole thing.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bvb5REvIMAAiQWM.png:large)
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Northwoods on August 19, 2014, 10:24:27 PM
Should've gone in wearing a T-shirt with that DA's booking photo on it.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Ben on August 19, 2014, 10:29:42 PM
Should've gone in wearing a T-shirt with that DA's booking photo on it.

That would have been hilarious!  :rofl:
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Cliffh on August 19, 2014, 11:35:23 PM
Perry's mugshot from today. Whatever you think of the guy politically, I think he's gonna stomp his opponents on this one. I think he's actually enjoying the whole thing.

(https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Bvb5REvIMAAiQWM.png:large)

Some are saying that this will kill any chances of a run at the presidency, having an indictment for a couple of felonies won't be good.

I'm not sure which way it'd go nationally.  Seems as if some would like his position on this and appreciate the ass-whoopin' he puts on the DA.  Others, not so much.   Might end up being a wash.

Personally, I don't see this as much of a problem for his future.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: SADShooter on August 20, 2014, 11:10:21 AM
He's got bigger electability issues, such as his 2012 debate vapor lock.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Tallpine on August 20, 2014, 11:22:40 AM
A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters  =D
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Jamisjockey on August 20, 2014, 12:00:05 PM
A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters  =D

Um.  Wow.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: RevDisk on August 20, 2014, 03:54:14 PM
This is the new tactic of the left- use the full power of a friendly DA's office in conjunction with the press in order to endlessly harass and smear prominent republicans.
In Wi, Scott Walker was investigated for 2 years under a 'john doe' investgation initiated by the milwaukee DA's office. Several republicans in key positions had their offices and homes ransacked with files and computers confiscated.  No charges were ever brought and the cases were eventually ordered shut down by higher courts. The goal was never to find a crime but to use the power of the legal system to make life a living hell for a lot of people.

This amounts to nothing more than political persecution, even more brazen than the IRS scandal.

Funny thing, this happened to my family. Except the Attorney General was Tom Corbett, who is a Republican.


A mug shot might improve his popularity with black voters  =D

Uh...


(https://armedpolitesociety.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.revdisk.org%2Fstorage%2F280.jpg&hash=2a2ddfe5f440aea983fe00d8a2c0b3142cc2ef68)
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: HankB on August 20, 2014, 05:24:30 PM
Today's local paper, the Austin American-Statesman, has an article in which some members of the Grand Jury that indicted Perry insisted that politics wasn't involved in the indictment.

On the other hand, Drudge reports that one of the jurors was a Democratic Partly DELEGATE - who of course didn't let politics into the debate.   :facepalm:

Sure.

http://mediatrackers.org/national/2014/08/20/perry-grand-juror-active-democratic-party-delegate-jury-proceedings
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Brad Johnson on August 20, 2014, 05:30:18 PM
Grand juries are usually paneled for a multi-month stint, meeting regularly to hear new cases.  Can grand jury members be selectively excused in csses like this, or are they required to participate no matter what?

Brad
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Perd Hapley on August 20, 2014, 06:25:59 PM
He's got bigger electability issues, such as his 2012 debate vapor lock.


I think the indictment is bigger news. Between this and the National Guard/border issue, the 2012 debate won't define him like it did a year ago.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: zxcvbob on August 20, 2014, 09:47:17 PM
It's a good-looking mug shot.  I'm not sure I've ever seen a good mug shot before.

Of course he can pardon himself iff he is still in office after he is convicted.  (that's why a criminal indictment instead impeachment is kind of weird)  His political career would still be over after a conviction.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: RoadKingLarry on August 20, 2014, 10:10:02 PM
Always remember, the facts of the matter are irrelevant, it's the seriousness of the allegations that are what is important.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Fly320s on August 21, 2014, 01:04:17 PM
How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Brad Johnson on August 21, 2014, 01:16:21 PM
How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.

Indictments are sometimes disturbingly easy to secure.  The GJ is deciding if there is sufficient evidence to recommend assessment by trial.  Nothing has to be "proven" and presentation is everything.  Flimsy evidence can be made to look concrete, or a DA with impressive oratory skills can sway the jury's decision with force of will alone.  A simple straight majority vote is all it takes.

Maybe Chris will weigh in and shed more light on it.

Brad
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: KD5NRH on August 21, 2014, 02:10:03 PM
Indictments are sometimes disturbingly easy to secure.  The GJ is deciding if there is sufficient evidence to recommend assessment by trial.  Nothing has to be "proven" and presentation is everything.  Flimsy evidence can be made to look concrete, or a DA with impressive oratory skills can sway the jury's decision with force of will alone.  A simple straight majority vote is all it takes.

More importantly, there's no defense there to call them out on full-on BS.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Perd Hapley on August 22, 2014, 12:07:28 AM

 :rofl:

https://twitter.com/BenjySarlin/status/501853362498052096/photo/1
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: RevDisk on August 22, 2014, 08:52:44 AM
How hard is it to get a Grand Jury Indictment?  I thought it was pretty easy.

Your question is backwards. It's virtually unheard of for a grand jury not to indict someone. The joke is any prosecutor with a room temperature IQ could get a grand jury to indict a ham sandwich. It's funny, but it's also nearly true.

You have to be outlandishly and ridiculously popular, sympathetic or innocent to avoid indictment from any grand jury. Or have the prosecutor take a dive or be uncharacteristically incompetent, obviously.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: HankB on August 22, 2014, 09:19:40 AM
Rick Perry made a comment that "This farce of a prosecution will be revealed for what it is, and those responsible will be held accountable."

A judge in Travis County didn't like that comment, and said she would "protect" Grand Jury members against "threats" like that . . . which might be "criminal"

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/judge-suggests-rick-perry-may-have-threatened-gran/ng64t/#cmComments

This judge - the only Republican in history elected to a state district judgeship in Travis County - switched to the Democratic Party some years back.

No politics here, of course.

Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: MechAg94 on August 22, 2014, 11:59:16 AM
Figures the judge would try to redirect that comment on the jurors when he dang well knew it wasn't.  They know there is nothing else to say as this is blatantly political.  I heard someone mention that a lot of lefties aren't touching it knowing there is very little substance.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: Waitone on August 24, 2014, 09:41:17 PM
I seem to remember the same play being run a few years back on Tom Delay.  Was that Travis County also?
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: MechAg94 on August 24, 2014, 10:33:34 PM
I seem to remember the same play being run a few years back on Tom Delay.  Was that Travis County also?
Same county.  Different Democrat prosecutor I think.  He was found guilty, but the verdict was thrown out on appeal.  I think the law he was accused of breaking wasn't in effect when he did what he did. 

Not a big fan of Tom Delay, but the prosecution was a farce also.  The only positive I can say about Delay is he is the only DC guy in a leadership position I heard go on record saying he would not let the AWB be extended.  Everyone else at the time was at least making weaselly words about extending it even though they wouldn't.  Aside from that, he presided over the House that spent too much money and tried that Big Tent BS that eventually allowed Dems to get the House back.
Title: Re: Rick Perry indicted on 2 felony counts
Post by: KD5NRH on August 25, 2014, 09:42:15 AM
Same county.  Different Democrat prosecutor I think.

IIRC, it was the one that groomed this one for the job.