Democrats Must Denounce Perry Indictment

by JASmius

Well, somebody's living in the land of make-belie....

Wait a minute - Lanny Davis?:

Democrats know a lot about criminalizing the political process — and the terrible consequences to our nation and our democracy when it happens....

Davis spends most of his column recounting the particulars of this outrage, and then comes this:

If a Republican prosecutor had obtained this indictment against a sitting Democratic governor, and Republican partisans rushed to imply wrongdoing, much less guilt as a result of an indictment before trial, is there any doubt we Democrats would be publicly outraged?

No.

The double standard cannot be tolerated.

McCarthyism is McCarthyism — accusation and innuendo and "investigations" used as surrogates for facts and truth and due process — whether by the left or the right.

Democratic elected officials, especially Democratic attorneys general and district attorneys across the nation, must call on the Travis County district attorney to withdraw this absurd indictment, and Democratic Party leaders should publicly ask Texas Democrats who have rushed to public judgment of Gov. Perry to withdraw their comments . . . and apologize.

There can be only a single standard when it comes to our belief in the due process clause and the implied presumption of innocence in our Constitution.

The headline might as well have read, "Lanny Davis Switches Parties".  Because he has, you know.  He just doesn't realize it.

Case in point:

Have these Democrats rushing to make public comments any clue that a prosecutor almost always can, as has been said by many lawyers for a long time, "indict a ham sandwich" if they wish? The grand jury hears only a one-sided presentation of evidence by the prosecutors. No rebuttal is allowed. No cross-examination fundamental to due process is allowed.

In fact, an indictment is evidence of nothing. It is literally just an accusation, not even close to proven facts. Yet I read some Texas Democrats calling for Perry to resign — resign!

These cannot be Democrats who care about civil liberties or due process, much less the credibility of our party, which has always denounced those who presume guilt or even suggest wrongdoing after an indictment alone.

That's right, Mr. Davis.  Because your party does not give a rat's patoot about civil liberties or due process for anybody who is not a Democrat or member of any of its crazy-quilt of lazy, indolent, gimmie-gimmie, racist, jihadi-symp constituencies.  Rick Perry is none of those things, AND he attempted to hold a Democrat public official politically accountable for her reprehensible actions.  So [BLEEP] him to the outer darkness, or a century in solitary confinement, whichever comes first.

If you don't recognize your own party anymore, Mr. Davis, rest assured: We do.