Keeping You Informed

Weird as this may sound, one would probably think that the indictments on the Planned Parenthood undercover videos will probably help Devon Anderson’s reelection. Yes, I said it. Here is what the Chron E-Board said today:

In today’s hyperpartisan political climate, Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson’s straightforward description of the grand jury’s findings in its investigation of charges that Planned Parenthood was selling fetal tissue for profit was a breath of fresh air: “We had to follow the evidence where it led us,” she said, and that evidence exonerated Planned Parenthood. But it didn’t stop there. In a stunning twist, the grand jury handed down indictments against David Daleiden, director of the anti-abortion front organization Center for Medical Progress, and Sandra Merritt, an employee, who created the videos at the heart of the allegations.

Here is what Pulitzer Prize winning columnist Lisa Falkenberg had to say:

It’s my job to criticize politicians, not to praise them. And I certainly have criticized Anderson’s handling of other cases. Not this time.

She deserves praise for doing the right thing under pressure and for giving us a reason to believe in a system that fails too often.

This isn’t the first time Anderson has made a tough choice. Under pressure from the police union to retry Alfred Dewayne Brown in a Houston police officer’s callous murder, Anderson decided last year there wasn’t sufficient evidence, and Brown went free.

Anderson has recently implemented reforms, including expanded diversions for first-time offenders, and spoke out in favor of a controversial idea to allow defense attorneys at probable cause hearings.

We know now that Daleiden is a fake, a phony. And so are politicians who find it politically expedient to pretend he’s not.

Devon Anderson, meanwhile, might just be the real thing.

Now Anderson is getting pressure from the lawyers for the indicted two to “dismiss the charges” and have another grand jury look at it. Here us what Anderson had to say about that:

“We have a long standing policy against grand jury shopping. That means when a grand jury comes back with a decision we don’t like we don’t go and find another one to get the result we want. That violates the integrity of the whole system. The only time we re-present is if new evidence comes to light.”

Now isn’t that what you want the DA to say.

Yeah, I know. It is a long time between now and the November election and a lot of things can happen, plus we still don’t know who will be our Dem nominee for DA, but you have to figure Anderson probably scored some points with a bunch of folks including some Dems and even some Planned Parenthood supporters.

It helps her when dumb stuff like the following is tweeted:

George P. Bush ‏@georgepbush 17h17 hours ago

Charges against the makers of PP videos are upsetting. Shameful that DA’s office didn’t recuse itself w/ PP board member working there.

Oh, well.

Among MLB greats still living, who had the most innings pitched in their career

I didn’t know the following. This is probably a good thing. Here is from a Rebecca Elliott article:

Houston elected officials who become a candidate for another elected office are now automatically required to resign their current seat, uncharted territory for city officeholders who previously had not been subject to the so-called “resign-to-run” provision of the Texas Constitution.

The requirement that has long applied to county officials also covers officeholders in municipalities whose terms are longer than two years. Voters extended the terms of Houston elected officials to four years, from two, last November, triggering the change.

The “resign-to-run” clause pertains to those with more than one year and 30 days left in their terms who announce their candidacy or become a candidate in any general, special or primary election.

The provision does not appear to immediately affect the three City Council members — Dwight Boykins, Jerry Davis and Larry Green — who have expressed interest in running for Harris County commissioner, Precinct 1, because former Commissioner El Franco Lee’s replacement on the November ballot is set to be chosen by Democratic precinct chairs, not voters.

Thanks for the info.  We will see how this works

And do you really think that the funds announced yesterday for the H-Town area is really going to relieve traffic congestion? I don’t.

Phil Niekro of course leads all living former MLBers wsith 5,404 1/3 innings pitched. Cy Young is the all-time leader with 7,356.

Nothing from The Yard today.