A little fact-checking might be in order - Jim Mattox was a Democrat. The DeLay indictment is well-deserved and long-overdue.

Left by Michael on September 28th, 2005 at 3:34 pm

It seems ridiculous to call him a partisan fanatic when you clearly show him filing suit against both Democrats and Republicans.

Left by Anonymous on September 29th, 2005 at 2:58 am

From what I heard, he filed suit against Democrat opponents to his Democrat political allies. Sounds like a hack to me.

Left by 2 on September 29th, 2005 at 10:02 am

Good lord, you’re a hack. DeLay is a slimeball - worse than even Jim Wright was, and yes, he was a Democrat who deserved to lose his post too.

Left by MD on September 29th, 2005 at 10:16 am

Sorry, but Earle has prosecuted 15 politicians, only three of which were Republicans. “From what you heard” isn’t evidence of Earle’s alleged political hackery. So he’s lost a couple cases, big deal. All lawyers who try cases lose some of them. The weakness of the case against Jim Mattox twenty years ago has nothing to do with the merits of the Delay case. BTW, it wasn’t Earle who indicted Delay. Prosecutors don’t indict. Grand Juries do. The foreman says Earle didn’t pressure for an indictment. Its telling that the Delay supporters can’t substantively defend Delay and are now resorting to cheap shots and unproven allegations against Earle. Delay is the one to be tried here, not Earle.

Left by Pozzo on September 30th, 2005 at 6:39 pm

First, as a Texas resident in good standing, I and my Siamese cat (Siamese, must count as two) have sat as a jury in the trial of Ronnie Earle and find him guilty of all charges and remand him to the custody of the State of Texas pending sentencing.

Second, the above Bozo’s need to keep quiet since they do not understand Texas politics. For most of Earles career, Texas had no Republican Party for all intents and purposes. It was a state in which the battle was Conservative Dems v. Liberal Dums. Ronnie Earle falls into the second category. His investigations of Dems were political vendetti aginst his conservative enemies. He is a political hitman for the Left in Texas.

Long live the Republic!

Left by Will Malven on September 30th, 2005 at 10:30 pm

Did Ronnie Earle stand to lose his district if the Republican redistricting had happened?

Political hack? Perhaps, but I highly doubt it, more like covering his own butt, to protect his power…he doesn’t seem to care who he steps on to get it.

Left by Tag your it on October 1st, 2005 at 7:17 am

My best friend is a retired Det. from the Austin Police Dept. A bible thumping dyed in the Wool Republican, Who worked many cases with Ronnie during his career. Over the years he and I have talked about Ronnie’s Performance as a D.A. Long, Long before Hutchison or Delay. What comes to Light is:
1. Ronnie believes No one is above the Law incuding Himself.
2. He knows he is employed by the citizens of Travis county and vows to keep that trust.
3. He is very tough on Crime when a Crime is committed, he ain’t no bleeding heart and takes no prisoners.
4. He is proactive with groups to seek ways to help people at risk, Before they end up in the court system. Because in the court it is too late and he will make them pay in full measure.

There is no doubt in my mind, Ronnie believes Delay Broke Texas law and must be held accountable.

Is it not Demo. Vs Repub. No way, It is about was a crime committed against the people of Texas. Yes or No.
A Grand Jury says maybe.

The Law Delay is charged with breaking is about 100 years old, many lifetimes before you, me , Delay or Earle was born.

Will Delay go to Jail? Who knows, after all O. J. Simpson is walking the golf courses even as we speak.

Thanks
Born In Austin

Left by Born in Austin on October 2nd, 2005 at 6:06 pm

The claim is that Earle is so partisan that he even goes after conservative Democrats - the only opposition to liberal Democrats in the “dark” days before DeLay “saved” Texas from “librul oppression.” (See thecomments at UrbanGrounds on the subject for a repetition of the “shout down a liberal point”) DeLay’s defenders are trying to have it both ways with this claim, because during the whole redistricting fiasco, the oft-repeated claim made by those supporting the gerrymandering was that

Left by JABbering Stooge on June 7th, 2006 at 6:40 pm

While I don’t dispute the fact that the GOP gerrymandered Texas, I find a strange sense of irony in seeing Democrats cry about that. They gerrymandered Texas for decades yet when the GOP wins control of the State Legislature and they start doing, it suddenly becomes a horrible practice to them. Lets not forget that the redistricting which occurred in 1991, by the Democratic Legistlature, was considered one of the most partisan in history. LBJ engaged in some of the same practices DeLay did yet no one seems to point that out. Again, I love the irony.

As for having it both ways, I’m no fan of Tom DeLay but Ronnie Earle is a partisan hack. He was one of Ann Richard’s errand boys and she was no conservative. The person who pointed out old school Texas being Liberal Dem vs Conservative Dem is correct and Ronnie Earle was/is part of the former.

Left by Tom on November 6th, 2006 at 7:15 pm

Also, lets revisit the fact that ole Ronnie had to go Grand Jury shopping to get his indictment against DeLay. Nah, no partisan tomfoolery going on there.

Left by Tom on November 6th, 2006 at 7:17 pm