The head of a Texas anti-death penalty group has accused that state's governor of scuttling an investigation into a possible wrongful execution for political reasons.... "[Texas Governor Rick] Perry saw the writing on the wall," Scott Cobb, president of the Texas Moratorium Network, told CNN. "He moved to cover that up.".... The "writing on the wall" Cobb was referring to was the investigation by the Texas Forensic Science Commission into the execution of Cameron Todd Willingham, who was put to death in 2004 for the 1991 arson deaths of his three daughters. Forensic investigations done since Willingham's conviction have found no evidence of arson. Nonetheless, Perry refused to grant Willingham a stay of execution in 2004, even though credible questions had already been raised about Willingham's guilt.... Gov. Perry ordered the removal of three members of the forensics commission, and instituted a "political ally," as CNN described him, to head the committee. That ally is reported to have ordered the investigation into Willingham's execution delayed indefinitely, saying he "couldn't begin to guess" when the commission would reconvene.
For a man who has been governor of the Great State of Texas for as long as he has been, Rick Perry is displaying a surprising level of political tone deafness when it comes to the Cameron Willingham investigation. Governor Goodhair, who will be facing a severe and very real primary challenge from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, appears to be (rather ham-handedly) playing politics with the investigation. A man who has nothing to hide would simply allow the investigation to head where it will, secure in the knowledge that the truth will set him free. Then again, a man who knew the truth, and still passed on staying Willingham's execution, understands the risks he faces. If the truth comes out, as it inevitably will, Texans will come to understand that Rick Perry allowed an innocent man to be executed so he could maintains his bona fides as a tough on crime, law and order chief executive. In short, Rick Perry is a murderer. How 'bout them famlee valyews, eh?
Here's the problem; IF Rick Perry knew the truth about Willingham's innocence, AND he allowed the execution to continue, he's arguably guilty of murder by omission. He had the power to stay Willingham's execution, and he chose not to. A very likely innocent man was executed to celebrate the blood lust of Texans who still have a deep, fundamental belief in frontier justice. While the death penalty, like any aspect of our judicial system, is hardly a perfect and/or infallible concept, it's not meant to pass as state-sanctioned murder of an innocent man. It's not supposed to be used to prop up the political prospects of a Governor who wouldn't know leadership if it showed up on his doorstep with a pair of kneepads and a tube of AstroGlide. It's supposed to be about justice. Yeah, right....
Enough questions had been raised about Willingham's case that a reasonable argument could have been made for commutation at the very least, if not an outright pardon. Instead, Perry allowed the execution to continue, raising questions not only about his judgement, but also about his humanity. When political considerations and your career prospects take precedent over a man's life, something is horribly, irretrievably wrong...and I find myself wondering if perhaps the wrong man wasn't in prison.
Perry's handling of the investigation certainly sees to be the efforts of a man with much to hide. Appointing a political crony, apparently with instructions to delay, obfuscate, and confuse is something that should set any reasonable person to wondering what in the name of Sam Houston Governor Goodhair is up to. Though he might, as he did, characterize this as "business as usual", that's exactly the problem. This is how Rick Perry takes care of business, and it's time for a change. When you have a Governor engaging in behavior that's arguably prosecutable and without a doubt morally reprehensible, reasonable people need to step up and show him the door. Then again, this is Texas we're talking about hear. Any state that would return Tom DeLay to Congress for more than 20 years has long since lost any claim on "reasonable."
I'm not here to tell you that Kay Bailey Hutchison is a serviceable alternative, because she's not. Then again, if the Democrats offer up their usual sacrificial lamb camouflaged as a candidate, Perry may skate by in 2010. Again. And Texans will once again have exactly the quality of leadership they deserve. What's so surprising is how low their standards are.
