First of two stupid felony indictments against Rick Perry just ejected from court.

Good.

One of two felony indictments against former Texas Gov. Rick Perry was tossed out Friday, giving the Republican presidential candidate a potentially huge legal victory in the face of flagging polling numbers for the 2016 race.

The 3rd Court of Appeals in Austin sided Friday with Perry’s high-powered legal team in ruling that the charge of coercion of a public servant essentially constituted a violation of Perry’s free speech rights.

Now toss the other one. Because a veto threat is not an abuse of power. It is a reminder, and expression, of an executive’s authority.  I’m sorry that this is awkward for Democrats, but then they didn’t have to support a drunken district attorney who made actual threats when they hauled her in on DUI charges.

Rick Perry, shutting Mark Halperin down on Planned Parenthood question.

This is an important technique that every Republican politician and candidate for President should use when asked about Planned Parenthood. Continue reading Rick Perry, shutting Mark Halperin down on Planned Parenthood question.

Rick Perry: stop paying sanctuary cities to defy federal law.

Former Governor Rick Perry of Texas wants to hit ‘sanctuary cities’ where it hurts: smack dab in the middle of their federal funding.

“Today, I am proposing to pull funding for the State Criminal Alien Assistance Program—or SCAAP—from sanctuary cities. States with sanctuary cities will lose a proportionate amount of their SCAAP funding as well. SCAAP funding will also be restricted to jurisdictions that actively participate in immigration law enforcement programs. Cities and counties with sanctuary policies in place will also be prohibited from applying for federal law enforcement or Department of Homeland Security grants. Federal taxpayers shouldn’t be forced to subsidize the irresponsible behavior of these governments. Furthermore, the Justice Department should allow federal immigration officials, either through the executive branch or Congressional action, to have access to prisons and holding facilities in sanctuary cities and counties, so as to verify the immigration status of people in those facilities.”

Continue reading Rick Perry: stop paying sanctuary cities to defy federal law.

Rick Perry wanted to replace Rosemary Lehmberg with… another Austin Democrat.

This should shock nobody.

Gov. Rick Perry personally called a well-known Austin Democrat to discuss her interest in replacing Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg days before the public learned Perry was threatening to withhold state funding from Lehmberg’s office unless she resigned.

Austin defense attorney Mindy Montford, who previously ran as a Democratic candidate for state district judge and district attorney in Travis County, confirmed her conversation with Perry — which took place in early June 2013, to the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV on Sunday.

Continue reading Rick Perry wanted to replace Rosemary Lehmberg with… another Austin Democrat.

Tweet of the Day, Rick Perry Has The BEST Enemies edition.

Which is to say: really, really dumb ones.

As my wife put it: some days you just have to close your eyes and accept that you’re done now. Of course, all of this is generating tons of good footage for campaign ads.  Campaign ads from my side.

…Thanks?

Moe Lane

Rick Perry’s speech today lacked only a certain word* for pure ‘Democrats done messed up’ awesomeness.

Via Patterico comes a marvelous moment from Texas governor Rick Perry:

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

Here’s a free-form translation: They say I used my authority as Governor to line-item-veto a part of the budget to get rid of a horrible, horrible district attorney. Danged straight I did this.  I said I was going to do this, and then I went and did this, and I’m going to sleep like a baby tonight because I did this to a drunk driver who blew a .239 on her BAC and then threatened the cops who arrested her booze-raddled carcass.  I get that this might be all right behavior by Austin voters’ standards, but it’s not for the rest of us, and by ‘us’ I mean America.  And I’d do it again, with a smile.  Because I want to be President, and Travis County Democrats just made it the tiniest bit easier for me to get the job.

Remarkably, I’m not really doing too much free-form translating there.  This was six minutes of political fun: a line in the sand, just the right amount of genuine anger, and absolutely no weaseling at all.  I don’t know if anybody’s told the Democratic party this, but that plays well in Peoria.  Also Des Moines, Boulder, Richmond, Miami, Reno, Concord, Lansing, Cincinatti, and even Madison…

Moe Lane (crosspost)

*Those of you who remember 2012 – and Rick Perry’s doing much better now in terms of responding to hostile questions, huh? – will know the word that I am referring to.

On Rick Perry’s absolutely justified attempts to remove convicted drunk driver Rosemary Lehmberg.

Leon Wolf ably noted the utter ridiculousness of a Travis County DA getting Rick Perry indicted after the latter vetoed funding Texas Public Integrity Unit while it was being run by Rosemary Lehmberg, an out-of-control DA who refused to resign even after being convicted for DUI (.23 BAC).  But let me show you a couple of things that will demonstrate how badly this will end for the Texas Democratic party: Continue reading On Rick Perry’s absolutely justified attempts to remove convicted drunk driver Rosemary Lehmberg.