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And, yes, I DO take it personally: Justice for DeLay, Texas and Repub majority-style
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Friday, November 04, 2005

Justice for DeLay, Texas and Repub majority-style

when you have a state that operates like this, no wonder there's been a problem...
The task of finding a supposedly apolitical arbiter for DeLay's trial was complicated by the fact that Texas -- like seven other states -- elects its judges in partisan elections. It also allows elected judges to make financial contributions to partisan causes, and it even permits those with business before the courts to subsidize the judges' political campaigns.

ah... it all makes sense now... justice as politics... and, even though the justice that was selected is claimed to be non-partisan (retired san antonio judge pat priest), here's a little bit on the chief justice of the texas supreme court, wallace jefferson, who selected him... it seems that texas gov. rick perry, who appointed jefferson in 2004, and jefferson...
...shared a campaign treasurer in 2002 with Texans for a Republican Majority, the group indicted along with DeLay for allegedly funneling illegal corporate contributions into the House elections that year. Jefferson also was endorsed by the group, and one of its brochures listed him as a VIP guest at one of the group's fundraisers.

i can't wait to hear what molly ivins has to say about it all...

and, as if delay's texas goings-on weren't interesting enough, the house ethics committee decided to swing into action by announcing the hiring of a new chief counsel, william o'reilly, in response to delay's request to investigate allegations that he improperly traveled overseas at the expense of lobbyists... introducing mr. o'reilly...

O'Reilly previously represented the R.J. Reynolds tobacco company in antitrust litigation. R.J. Reynolds is one of DeLay's longtime financial supporters -- having given to both his election campaigns and his legal defense fund -- and recently flew DeLay to Texas on one of its corporate jets for his first court appearance.

i know... it's probably silly of me to even THINK such a thing, but wouldn't it seem that they'd want to avoid even the APPEARANCE of impropriety or conflict of interest...? wouldn't that be somewhat helpful if, for nothing else, than to prevent folks like me from pointing and shaking my head...?

(from the washington post...)

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