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The Big Problem for Rick Perry and the GOP Tea Party

Posted: Aug 16, 2014

I've really heard it all now. The GOP Tea Party thinks it's perfectly fine for their "golden boy" from Texas to abuse his power and use coercion to force an elected official in Texas to resign from office or he would withhold funds.

Rick Perry publicly stated: "I don’t think the citizens of Texas can trust you with $7.5 million dollars, so I am not going to give you $7.5 million dollars of Texans money. You resign, and we will pass the money to the office, but its not going to be given to you for your stewardship."

Where I come from, we call that blackmail.

Facts:

-- Rick Perry has been known to toss back a few himself (see link and you be the judge). If people under the influence of alcohol or drugs deserve to be coerced into resignation or have their funding cut off, then Rick qualifies for that honor himself.

-- "Lehmberg is a Democrat, and if she stepped down, Rick Perry would be the one to appoint a replacement. Moreover, the Travis County DA—as the prosecutor in the state’s capital—has special responsibilities over a variety of statewide legal issues. Foremost among these powers is the DA’s control of the Public Integrity Unit, which investigates the ethical breaches of state politicians, among a number of other charges."

-- "The Public Integrity Unit might be the most important office in state government run by a Democrat. Gov. Perry has been in office for 14 years—every nook and cranny of state government is filled with his appointees. The Public Integrity Unit is the rare piece that he doesn’t control. In 2005, the work of the Public Integrity Unit led to the indictment of former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. So naturally, for years, Republicans in the state have tried to strip that power from the Travis County DA and fold it into Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office. What’s more, the Public Integrity Unit was in the process of conducting an investigation of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. CPRIT received a ton of money from the Legislature to award grants to high-level medical research projects. The problem: a lot of that money was going to people who shouldn’t have gotten it. And some of those folks had close ties to Perry. Just a few months ago, Lehmberg’s office indicted CPRIT’s former director over his allegedly improper disbursement of an $11 million grant. But when Lehmberg got pulled over with the potato juice in her car last spring, the investigation was just underway. When Lehmberg’s DWI went public, Republicans saw a way to get rid of a pesky, entrenched foe. (Though they couched this in terms of their deep, abiding concern for the office’s integrity.) Meanwhile, Democrats who would have happily seen Lehmberg canned if the Travis County Commissioners Court could have appointed her replacement [rather than a Rick Perry appointment] rallied around Lehmberg as if she was the last warrior for righteousness on Earth."

"Couldn’t this whole fight have been really easily avoided if Perry had offered to appoint another Democrat to replace Lehmberg, or ask Travis County to nominate possible successors? Sure. But Perry really wanted his own person there. We even know, according to some media reports, who it would have been: former Republican state Rep. Terry Keel, someone with excellent ties to the state GOP’s political apparatus."

http://www.texasobserver.org/everything-wanted-know-rick-perrys-new-scandal/

The law in Texas is: Texas Penal Code § 36.03:

A person commits an offense if by means of coercion he … influences or attempts to influence a public servant in a specific exercise of his official power or a specific performance of his official duty or influences or attempts to influence a public servant to violate the public servant’s known legal duty ….

Texas Penal Code § 1.07 in turn defines “coercion” to mean,

a threat, however communicated:

(A) to commit an offense;
(B) to inflict bodily injury in the future on the person threatened or another;
(C) to accuse a person of any offense;
(D) to expose a person to hatred, contempt, or ridicule;
(E) to harm the credit or business repute of any person; or
(F) to take or withhold action as a public servant, or to cause a public servant to take or withhold action.

Sorry Pubs, there's a lot more to it than you thought, but then again, you guys are not particularly known for getting the facts correct.

;

He's nothing but a thug! - nm

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I think he's handsome. - NM

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No message. -:)

Well, there are some women who find felons - sm

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attractive, for reasons unknown to me, personally, but wait till you see him in his prison uniform, he'll REALLY rock your world!

By the way, there are lots of thugs who are handsome, but they're STILL thugs!

Keeping $7.5M out of the hands of a drunk democrat is a thug? - Get real.

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Your president's BFF, Axelrod, has been tweeting in support of the "thug." LOL

Your facts are sketchy. Nothing new there. - sm

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Ax tweeted:

‏@davidaxelrod

Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy.

Retweet

Favorite

RETWEETS931

FAVORITES350

6:25 AM - 16 Aug 2014

Points:

(1) Ax is not BO's BFF.

(2) Did you see that "unless" part in Ax's tweet? That "unless" part is going to be the interesting part. Looks like Rick may not be found guilty of the crime due to U.S. Constitutional grounds of it being a dumb law, but the "unless" part of him trying to kill an investigation of his buddies should be the fun part. He publicly threatened and then line item vetoed their funding unless she would resign. She promised NOT to run for reelection but would not resign because if she resigned, he would then name her repacement (his buddy). The governor can’t withhold funding in order to pressure another elected official to resign. The matter of the DA and her DWI is an issue between her and the voters who elected her. Well, he did line item veto their funds as promised, but that investigation of him and his buddies is still ongoing and being funded with OPM.

(3) Sorry, Rick, we know why you didn't run for reelection, and because of this, you will not ever be POTUS and never really had a chance anyway. LOL

If he is found guilty, he might appeal this - sm

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thing to the TPub Supreme Court, and you know what will happen THERE, right?

Probably, maybe. - sm

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You mean the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals? Depends on the evidence that comes out at trial.

Don't change my words. I made it very clear - sm

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which Court I was referring to!

I didn't change your words. - I asked a question.

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Do you understand what a question mark is? That mark at the end of the sentence? It means I am asking a question. There is more than one "TPub Supreme Court."

It may have been clear in your mind what you meant, but I was not sure what you meant. Honestly.

Yes, you did change her words and you must be - thinking of the Kangaroo Court

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this country has turned into under your boy king president.

Oh, good. You don't understand what a question mark is, and - You think you know me. LOL

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You look small minded when you assume you know my intention when you couldn't possibly actually know MY intention.

To the posters who insist a question mark asking a question means you are changing someone's words, let me explain my question.

The poster said: "If he is found guilty, he might appeal this thing to the TPub Supreme Court, and you know what will happen THERE, right?"

So I answered: "Maybe, probably." because I am not sure what "TPub Supreme Court" the poster means. If they mean the SCOTUS, the answer would be "maybe" but I doubt it because this is a Texas criminal issue where the U.S. "TPub Supreme Court" would most probably have no legal jurisdiction to hear unless something under their jurisdiction came out in court, which is unknown until the evidence is heard.

If they mean the Texas "TPub Supreme Court," then the answer would be "no" because The Supreme Court of Texas is the state's highest appellate court for civil and juvenile cases.

If they mean the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which is also heavily TPub, the answer is "probably, maybe" because it is the state's highest appellate court for criminal cases, but it still depends on the evidence that comes out at trial.

I was asking which one they meant, thus the question mark. If you are convinced you know my intent was to change words, then you are simply incorrect.

Have a nice day. :)

Sounds the like the Kangaroo Court to me - sm

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with all this jumping around and then, of course, the sideshows by the boy king! :-)

No. I was referring to the eventuality of SCOTUS. - nm

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Maybe the SCOTUS is planning to - sm

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(s)elect Perry for President, as they have done in the past with another Republican.

Isn't it funny how some posters fail to include the ENTIRE text of someone they are quoting? Everything that came after/before the word "unless" is pretty important. Yet, the entire quote has been omitted/ignored by the TPubs. Oh, well, they probably failed punctuation in school, as well as spelling in many cases that I've personally observed on the homemade signs they carry in protest, looking so proud at their signs. It always makes me chuckle when I see that.

What Perry REALLY wants is to get rid of a DEMOCRAT that was LEGALLY voted to office by the VOTERS of Texas, thus undoing the will of the people.

So you don't care that the DA was convicted of a crime?????? - Truthhurts

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I love it. It's okay for a Democrat to be convicted of a crime but then scream bloody blue murder if they are asked to resign which, due to her conviction, she should have done that without any balking.

She was legally voted to office BEFORE she wound up being convicted of a crime. She'll lucky she didn't serve more time for assault.

You can't deny that she was convicted of a crime and you can't deny that she spent time in jail. Do you realize how this can affect her job? There could be major appeals if she represents the state in criminal cases. Lots of leeway for appealing any convictions she could garner by any criminals, including murderers. Just picture this (since it would be used against her by criminals): She is a criminal prosecuting criminals.

I think some people need to learn the difference between political officials and criminal law.

BTW, read TX law, Sec.87.012 & 87.013. Read it slow so you can understand it.

Hopefully, the people of TX will be honest enough to want to start a recall petition.

Excellent, EXCELLENT post!! - sm

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I, for one, never thought beyond the current situation to envision a future criminal case and how the prosecution team could totally blow even the most obvious case just based on the fact that the defense could use her drunken history against the entire prosecution team. Good call!

There's more to it than that. Your version of the "truth" is missing a lot. - sm

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What that DA did was really, really bad. There's just no excuse whatsoever for that at all. The event in question occurred on April 12, 2013 (first offense). By one week later on April 19, the DA had apologized, plead guilty, and immediately began serving her sentence.

Here's the tricky part for Rick Perry: His indictment is about his actions, not hers. He wanted her out of office for political reasons. He line item vetoed an appropriation by the state legislature to fund the Travis County Public Integrity Unit of the DA's office. Perry said he vetoed the funding for the anti-corruption unit because the drunk driving charges proved that Lehmberg was unfit for office—while others viewed the governor’s actions as an attempt to stymie and defund an investigation of many of Perry’s closest political associates.

Perry, through intermediaries, said he would not veto the funds if Lehmberg resigned. She said she would not seek relection, but she would not resign because her resigning would allow Perry to appoint her successor. After the veto was already made, Perry then offered to RESTORE the funding if Lehmberg would resign from office. That's using taxpayers' money that was already approved by taxpayers' representatives to get an elected official to leave office. It doesn't matter if she deserved it or not, it's not legal to blackmail her resignation for funding or gut her office. It's not an office of one. His veto gutted the Public Integrity Unit from an office of 45 to around 15. His actions affected a lot of people besides the DA. "Sources close to the investigation say that the Travis County grand jury, which indicted Perry, heard testimony from at least four of Perry’s senior aides. They allegedly described to the grand jury Perry’s strategy to remove Lehmberg. Two other people testified in detail about how they had served as intermediaries in an effort to convince Lehmberg to leave."

For those interested, here's the actual indictment:
https://lintvkxan.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/rick-perry-indictment.pdf

BTW, I read the Local Government Code, Title 3, Subtitle B, Chapter 87 sections you cited. Not sure what your point is. Regardless of the speed with which a person reads those sections, they describe county officers subject to removal by a district judge. Rick Perry is not a district judge with the authority to remove anyone from office.

As I said, his trial will focus on his actions, not hers, and his attempts to remove her from office through coercion and replace her with someone else of his choosing is the issue here, not whether or not she deserved punishment or whether or not her office deserved to be denied the taxpayers' funding because she wouldn't take his offer and resign after the veto.

The facts will play out in court. If he's innocent, may he walk free and enjoy a happy retirement. I don't think this will change his chances in a presidential run at all. IMO, Perry wasn't going to be the Republican nominee anyway.

Yep! We know where it got us electing a GOP drunk president. He blew surplus - on a warNM

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x

Comments like that make me afraid for the - Republic, of which I don't

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think we have much of anymore unless the word banana comes before it.

Did you mean to post under me? Bush was also arrested for driving - under the influence

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and had a long history of alcoholism. No surprise he made such poor decisions as he did when he was president and sent our country in an economic downward spiral, not to mention invading a country without cause, killing American soldiers. All of his actions continue to snowball in this country (VA overload) and in others (mess in Iraq--if not for George...), and will for a long time to come. He was a drunk. Brain cells not able to be regenerated.

I don't know what Bush has to do with whatever you are referring to as a Banana Republic (sounds echoes from the machine Reps let lead them around by the nose), but anything would be better than the destruction America sustained at the hands of our alcoholic president.

But that's okay with Reps. Every unethical behavior by Reps is condoned by Reps including cheating on wives, threatening to throw reporters off balconies, soliciting sex in bathrooms, closing bridges for political payback (not to mention all the other Christie skeletons), misuse of campaign funds, etc. etc. All this by the party who casts judgment freely, so perfect ethically and all comfy in their glass house, the walls of which continue to crack.

Perry had no business vetoing those funds. It was not his place. It was his false sense of Republican Entitlement. That always gets reps in trouble.

Lehmberg was just arrested for drunk driving. Are you - going to hold her to the same

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critique as Bush?

No, she's not being held to the same - sm

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critique as Bush, not even close!

Bush's daddy got him out of the drunk driving charge. I don't think he did a MINUTE in jail.

Excellent, EXCELLENT post! Thank you. - nm

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:-)

VA Overload started right after the Viet Nam war - Truthhurts

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I know you don't want to believe it but when they decided Agent Orange was an illness veterans got when exposed to it and then it just snowballed from there. Congress and the various President saw it but did nothing to alleviate the problem.

The downward spiral you speak of by Bush started with during the loosening of the housing bubble which, if you knew history, would know Bush warned about it in 2003 and tried to control the subprime mortgages since then, then again in 2005, but it really got worse when the Democrats took full control of Congress.

Don't you remember Barney Frank's famous words regarding Fannie, Freddie, and the Fed. Reserve? Probably not because he's a Democrat and Democrats do nothing wrong, nothing scandalous, no adultery, no misuse of funds, no buying votes, no voter fraud, etc.

BTW, Christie did no wrong. Of course, you didn't you hear that either because it wouldn't fit with your idea of the Republican party.

If you would like, I can give you a list of Democrats who are just as scandalous, if not more, than Republicans. I do believe I have a list saved somewhere. (FYI, I didn't just do it because they're Dems, I did it because if they were up for election and I might have voted for them, I'd want to know their full background.) Just let me know.

I'll raise you, how about the marijuana smoking, cocaine - sniffing, friends with the

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Weather Underground who encouraged kids to kill their parents, dare I say Marxist (as nobody under 40 it seems realizes what that really means) we have as president today.

RIP America.

Former Bill Ayers student.... - Texas redhead

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sc-U2Ho4taE

Particularly after 3:25

Scary to think this is who/what is running the - country now. XX

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XX

Obama is on vacay (priorities you know), so - I'm not sure who is at the

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helm. Jarrett perhaps.

This country needs an enema. - nm

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xx

Bush did the "cocaine sniffing," too! - nm

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:-)

On an ILLEGAL war based on lies! - sm

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Perry reminds me of Chris Christie with his arrogance.

Bill Clinton thought the same thing as Bush about - WMDs. I agree with the other

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poster who said something about constructive dialogue here.

I might add that Congress voted for it, and one voted for it before he was against it.

Bush fed Congress AND the entire world a - sm

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bunch of LIES! I bought it, too, until I realized what he had done!

On the heels of 9/11, while people's heartbreak was still at its peak, Bush LIED to everyone, including CONGRESS!

Wrong! ALL the countries went by the Intel reports - Truthhurts

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of their different countries. Look it up.

The lies were on the side of Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran, etc.

Answer these questions seriously and #5 is the most important:
1. If there were no WMDs, how did Saddam kill his own people?
2. If there were no WMDs, how come they found some, not many, but some later?
3. If there were no WMDs, why were there trucks pulling up to the underground bunker storage areas, being loaded, and moving out?
4. If there were no WMDs, where did Syria get the WMDs? They didn't have any prior to Iraq moving their WMDs out.

5. Can you give serious answers? Or would you and others rather listen to and just repeat the lies?

That's why women voted for Bill Clinton. - NM

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x

That's NOT why I voted for Clinton. - sm

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He could be butt ugly, but if he had a HEART for ALL Americans, he would be the most "handsome" man" I'd ever seen, and I would vote for him -- for his HEART.

Even though I'm a woman, I never knew that some women ONLY vote for a male candidate for President who is "handsome."

Overall, you're making women look stupid. Thank God, most women vote for a PERSON (male or female) based on the ISSUES, not physical appearance. Thank God there are more of THOSE intelligent kind of women than there are whose only basis for voting is physical LOOKS!

Me too, I love his glasses! - NM

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NM

Yeah, too bad, though, that he can't SEE! - nm

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:-)

And that is certainly a good barometer for competency... - NM

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x

I'll keep it short and sweet. - See original posts below.

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LOL

You may want to listen to Justice w/Judge Jeanine - from this date, 8/16.

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Or risk looking foolish and completely losing credibility. Seriously.

Okay, wait. If I don't agree with the Fox News pundit reality show judge, - sm

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I risk looking foolish?

Oh, "judge" Pirro? Say, remember that time she was announcing her candidacy to unseat then Senator Hillary Clinton, and she lost a page of her speech and went dead silent for around a minute and asked somebody in the audience if they had page 10? LOL. She sure hates Hillary Clinton. Perhaps she blames Hillary for her loss of page 10 and her failed 2-month short run for Hillary's senate seat? But I digress.

Okay, I'll bite, why wouldn't I want to listen to a former County District Attorney reality TV show "judge" with an adulterous, mobbed-up ex-con ex-husband convicted of federal tax evasion and conspiracy whom in her own run for Republican New York State Attorney General in 2006 (just after her failed run against Hillary Clinton) revealed she was under federal investigation for illegally bugging her husband's conversations to see if he was cheating on her again?

Seriously? I'll risk it.

I love Judge Jeanine. She does what Republicans are - supposed to do. She's

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elegant, intelligent and smart. Sadly, not too many here follow the top rated cable news channel. She eviscerated Hillary Clinton over Benghazi, arguing that she knew from the beginning and waited to testify so that she could cover all her bases.

As for all the negative stuff about, I'll quote Hillary, "What difference does it make?"

She used to be known as a moderate during her - Texas redhead

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days as a prosecutor, but the Obama Presidency has moved her to the right.

Some people just hate Fox or anyone associated with it. There are even people that one may consider to be smart, my brother and his wife for instance, successful, professional people. They think they know everything about politics, but really know nothing in this country or elsewhere, and they cannot even spoken to about it, as if there is some impenetrable wall there.

That is because Fox "News" does not - tell the truth

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They actually DO have an agenda and that agenda favors Republican, right wing, big business backers. It was started as "Republican TV" for crying out loud.

If we had laws in this country that if you call yourself news you cannot lie (seems absolutely ridiculous that we don't, but there you go, thanks deregulation of everything and corporate ownership of govt) we wouldn't have a good percentage of the population believing ridiculous, hateful, against-their-own-interest lies.

Sorry, I didn't see your post before I posted - sm

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the one below yours.

Oh please - the more the merrier

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Not that they will believe that the news channel that they are slavishly devoted to to the exclusion of all others (because cognitive dissonance and maybe they would have to ask themselves how come Fox ALL THE TIME are different from all the other news programs and fact checking shows that they only tell the truth about 20% of the time).

Your post is great. The impenetrable wall is truth!

The " impenetrable wall" is the TRUTH, and - sm

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"smart" people just can't "penetrate" the wall of Fox's overall absent credibility.

I like her, too. There's something about her that reminds me of - the actress Gene Tierney,

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the actress who dated John Kennedy but voted for Richard Nixon.

And what a splendid example did Nixon turn - out to be! (nm)

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:-)

Ah, Faux justice! I can remember when Judge - sm

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Napolitano had a full head of WHITE hair, and then he dyed it and looks RIDICULOUS!

So does that mean you are for symbolism over - substance? NM

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xxx

There IS no substance to Fox. Napolitano - sm

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is a living, breathing, walking BRUNETTE now, and that does symbolize that overall phoniness of Fox.

You guys are hysterical!! - What about HILLARY'S DYE JOB?

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Are people not supposed to color their hair anymore? This thread has degenerated into complete nonsense, a common occurrence these days when the liberal extremist wingnuts try to take over a thread. Between the hatred and jealousy for EVERYONE right of center and the utter insanity of unimportant factoids, I don't know whether to laugh or cry or just keep praying while clutching my pearls. LOL

An old man on TELEVISION with pure white - sm

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hair one day and then the very next day is a BRUNETTE certainly gets attention.

IMHO, he looked much better with the white hair than the "younger" look he tried to pull off (unsuccessfully), and he's the perfect mascot to symbolize how PHONY Fox News IS -- right down to its roots!

Wow! It's a good thing he doesn't have presidential aspirations. - LOL

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I would NEVER vote for a man who dyed his hair. LOL

I'm just pointing out the phoniness of Fox, - sm

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ALL the way around! :-)

Phoniness of Fox because someone colors their hair? - Do you realize how ridiculous that sounds?

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But thank you for the laughs in the midst of all the turmoil happening around the world. We all need a giggle now and then!

I'm so sorry you're unable or unwilling - sm

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to comprehend the point I'm trying to make.

At this point, I'll quit trying, since all you are able to read is "dyed hair" and nothing else that I posted related to it.

Kind of like the way you guys "quote" David Axelrod by taking words out of his TRUE quote to make it fit your TPub agenda.

I quit reading when I see the term - "TPUB" no msg

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no msg

The term "TPUB" does diminish them even more. - sm

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and it makes me not read any further either. I just ignore it from that point on and let it go because I figure they need something to boost themselves at our expense. That's what insecure people do.

Spot on! - NM

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xx

^ Alinsky tactic and deflection. - sm

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The right wing loves their Saul Alinsky tactics.

Deflection is required because discussing the actual political issue can't happen because the facts are irrelevant to them, and name calling people they don't know is their primary line of attack.

Straw man argument. Ignoring someone is not - a technique.nm

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x

What do you have to say about Nancy Pelosi and all her "help?" - LOL

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Hmmm, her hair must be white by now. She's what, 75-ish? Hmmm, has she diminished the democratic party because of all the "work" she has had done? No, I'll answer that. That isn't why the democratic party has been diminished. It's been diminished because of the lies that come out of her mouth and the mouth of the president. Talk about phony, but I'd rather use the word deceitful!

I had no idea she was 74. My respect for her - just skyrocketed-ty for pointing that out

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nm

She looks good for her age. - sm

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Too bad her mind is gone.

Pelosi steers federal money to enrich cronies, husband - and son, taxpayers funds

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to light rail project. Mark Pelosi and Dem cronies make huge profits in Mission Bay real estate investments. Money flows back to Pelosi in the form of political donations. Key actors: Marc Benioff, Salesforce, Tom Steyer, Paul Pelosi Jr, Sr.

We call Joe Biden "plugs Biden", and how about - Pelosi's face job? PHEW! nm

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xx

"Plugs Biden" - I am on the floor!

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ROFLMBO!!!!!!

But I thought you didn't watch "Faux" News, - so how would you know? nm

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x

I accidentally landed on it when I was flipping - sm

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through channels on the TV. And there he was, in all his "brunetteness."

It was the best laugh I'd had all day!

FYI, at one point in time, I DID watch Fox. Then I got smart and no longer do.

I watch to see where the "thoughts" - come from-nm

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nm

Geez, is there ANYONE on this planet you DON'T HATE? - Debi

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I hope you have some sort of joy in your life.

The real story here is the political corruption in - Austin that led to a grand jury

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actually going forward with this. Given the video of the drunk prosecutor it makes it even more stunning.

Lehmberg’s predecessor, Ronnie Earle, indicted then-Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R) for allegedly misusing state resources when she was the state treasurer. The prosecution crumbled on the first day of trial. Earle also brought a case against then-House whip Tom DeLay (R), for violations of Texas campaign finance laws. The conviction was overturned.

See a pattern here?

I doubt if there is going to be any constructive dialogue - here, as long as people

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believe it's OK for someone on an ethics committee who behaved unethically to stay simply because they belong to the same party.

I totally agree. Same could be said for a few - Texas redhead

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other behaviors currently occurring.

Oh? Such as? - nm

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:-)

Yes, I see a pattern here. - sm

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The pattern that I see here is that people keep copying direct quotes word for word from sources without supplying a link to the source.

A link to this quote can be found here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/texas-gov-rick-perry-indicted-for-abuse-of-office-coercion/2014/08/15/d173907c-24d5-11e4-958c-268a320a60ce_story.html

The article further goes on to state:

Quote: "The special prosecutor in the case, Michael McCrum, said the indictment was not a political decision.

Politics “did not go into my consideration whatsoever,” he said at a briefing with reporters Friday. “I took into account the fact that we’re talking about the governor of the state. . . . obviously that carries a level of importance. But when it gets down to it, the law is the law.”

See link of special prosecutor speaking about the issue. Michael McCrum is a nonpartisan special prosecutor, so blaming the Democrats for this indictment won't exactly work this time because all the Democratic prosecutors recused themselves in this case. Rick Perry blaming Democrats for his own bad choices will now get to play out in court.

Personally, I think Rick Perry has a right to veto bills as he sees fit, and I don't like at all the behavior of the DA with the alcohol problem (what a mess she is), but I think Rick Perry crossed a line here. He should have quietly made his veto and been perfectly within his right to do so, but he wanted attention and made the poor choice of publicly announcing that if the DA resigned he would fund the office and that if she didn't resign, then he would withhold the funding, and that meets the Texas penal code definition of coercion. Perry publicly stated that he would fund the department if she would resign. Perry would have named her replacement and funded the department if she resigned.

I don't think Rick Perry's chances at being POTUS have been in any way altered, however, he wasn't going to win the nomination, IMO, anyway.

Whatcha mean he wouldn't win the - sm

[ In Reply To ..]
nomination. He went out and got himself some GLASSES!

Oh, well, maybe he can return those glasses to Walmart and get his money back.

Whatcha mean he wouldn't win . . . - eom

[ In Reply To ..]
LOL!

Similar Messages:

Mar 16, 2012
with statement "We don't want Planned Parenthood here." Don't worry. It is not a republican attempt to roll back women's rights. It is just a coincidence Romney said same thing this week. ...

Jun 27, 2013
July 1 to pass abortion restrictions. He can't let the mob rule. :) You go, Rick. Maybe they can learn to practice old fashioned BC methods (where no one gets murdered). ...

Jun 12, 2014
He thinks gay people should just fight the urge to be gay like alcoholics fight the urge to drink. No really, he really thinks that. ...

Jun 12, 2014
http://newswithviews.com/Devvy/kidd640.htm ...

May 09, 2017
A nuclear waste incident with bozos in chief. That's reassuring http://www.hanford.gov/c.cfm/eoc/?page=290 ...

Nov 03, 2011
Jon Stewart hilarious as usual. http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mon-october-31-2011/indecision-2012---ruh-roh-edition ...

Sep 12, 2013
"...fundamental scientific truths are agreed upon by the vast, overwhelming majority of scientists who study those particular fields, because of the vast, overwhelming evidence in those particular fields supporting them. It's important that we teach this to young students, as well as how to understand what constitutes real evidence as opposed to ideological zealotry." "If you live in Texas, however, that necessity is under a real threat." http://www.slate.com/blogs/bad_astronomy/2013/ ...

Jun 15, 2014
a “very, very capable public servant, great secretary of state, first lady,”Sooo... What will his fans think? ...

Jul 02, 2014
Wanna bet King Obama won't have time even though he will be in Texas? ...

Jul 10, 2014
He was all smiles until.... He got sent back to his corner. Oops! ...

Aug 07, 2014
Those glasses are not working for Perry. Below link led me to wonder which RP you were referring to (moved this post as someone thought the subject change was too confusing). Find it interesting the recreation of Rand Paul of late. ...

Jun 07, 2015
That is the truth...and that is also true when the remarks about federal judge says this about Obama administration actions, and that, really don't matter at all. Thought maybe it would mean more since Perry said it....LOL ...

Aug 30, 2011
If anyone wonders why this country is in the political turmoil and economic state that it is in, maybe we need look no further than our own mirrors. Whether it be an informal "debate" or political commentary in the public media, the state of political discourse has been reduced to the playground level. "You're stupid!." "No, you're stupider." "It's Bush's fault." "It's Obama's fault." Are we really no more grown up than that? When w ...

Jun 15, 2013
Note to self: NEVER move to or visit Texas!!! Perry is AWFUL. Rick Perry Vetoes Texas Equal Pay Bill Posted: 06/14/2013 4:43 pm EDT | Updated: 06/14/2013 8:14 pm EDT WASHINGTON -- Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) has vetoed a bill meant to prevent wage discrimination against women. An aide to state Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D), who authored the equal pay bill, HB 950, said Perry's office called on Friday to say he had vetoed it. State Sen. Wendy Davis (D), w ...

Mar 07, 2014
nm ...

Sep 08, 2011
Rick Perry went up into Ron Paul's face, grabbed his arm, and pointed his finger in his face. Would love to know what was said. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/sep/8/perry-vs-paul-texas-sized-war/ ...

Aug 15, 2014
It couldn't have happened to a more deserving guy. AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Gov. Rick Perry has been indicted for abuse of power after carrying out a threat to veto funding for state public corruption prosecutors. The Republican governor's accused of abusing his official powers by publicly promising to veto $7.5 million for the state public integrity unit at the Travis County District Attorney's office. He was indicted by an Austin grand jury Friday on felony counts of ...

Aug 15, 2011
Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it. Those who do not remember their past are condemned to repeat their mistakes. Sunday, August 14, 2011 Hot Dogs on a stick by digby First the Codpiece: And now "Crotch": I first met Rick Perry in 1985. He was a Democratic freshman state rep, straight off the ranch in Haskell, Texas. He wore his jeans so tight, and, umm, adjusted himself so often that my fellow young legislative aides and I used to call him Crotch. I g ...

Apr 10, 2012
Feeling a bit nostalgic for the good ol' days of the Clown Car Show. ...

Feb 20, 2012
views on what he personally feels about when a baby is born, contraception, etc. Ya know, I get it folks, you hate the guy. It's so blatantly obvious with all the posts below. Post after post after post about his viewpoints on contraception, birth control, etc. Calling him names, etc. Do you all even realize how childish/immature you all sound. Yeah, yeah, flame away, the truth hurts. There is more to the election than how he feels about contracept ...

Jul 03, 2012
that would have required photo ID for first voter registration or to obtain an absentee ballot. Current ID law allows voters to sign an affidavit to vote a regular ballot if they cannot produce a photo ID. He didn't stop there. He also vetoed proposals requiring voters to affirm their U.S. citizenship before receiving ballots, and restrictions on voter registration drives mandating groups to undergo training by the secretary of state or local clerks. In another recen ...

Sep 17, 2012
Republicans will never have the smart people on their side. LOL http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/rick-santorum-tells-audience-smart-people-side-article-1.1161335 ...

Jul 12, 2012
Romney is going to blow this thing for sure. ...

May 27, 2015
xx ...

Oct 15, 2014
link ...

Aug 02, 2015
http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/texas-attorney-general-indicted-on-felony-charges-sources-say/ar-BBljQAB ...

Dec 10, 2011
By John Aravosis (DC) on 12/08/2011 10:14:00 AM Here's the God-fearing anti-gay video that Rick Perry released yesterday. God, you see, if upset that the President is letting gays serve openly in the military. God is okay with gays serving in the closet, but not open. He's a detail man, that God. ETA: They're also having a field day out there over the jacket Perry wore in his ad. From Andrew Sullivan's blog Oh and does that jacket in the ad look familiar? It&# ...

Apr 17, 2011
I hope with everything I have in me that the Tea Party does not represent the Republican Party. This is what the Tea Party stands for. They are full of vitriole and hatred. This is not what the Republican party stands for. See comments by Republican Party of Orange County Chairman Scott Baugh, "It's just highly inappropriate, it's a despicable message, it drips with racism and I think she should step down from the committee," said Baugh. "Davenport, a tea party activist, represents t ...

Jul 08, 2014
The King decided he would agree to meet with Rick Perry after all - but only on the tarmac when his plane landed. I believe RP said something along the lines of go to hell. The King promised a more substantial meeting. ...

Jun 21, 2010
Texas Can’t Afford To Buy New Far-Right Textbooks, But Rick Perry Still Resists Federal Aid For the past year, far-right members of the Texas Board of Education have been overhauling the state’s textbook standards. The changes include “pushing for inclusion of more…Confederate glorification,” re-naming the Atlantic slave trade the “Atlantic Triangle Trade,” prioritizing “a suggestion that the anti-communist witch-hunt by Senator Joseph McC ...