The Democratic National Committee released a scathing web ad Thursday arguing Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s indictment is more serious than he or even some Democratic strategists are taking it.
“The truth is that no theatrics from Governor Perry are going to change the facts. It’s been nearly a century since a Texas governor has been indicted, Rick Perry will have his day in court and we look forward to hearing the evidence that led a jury of his peers to indict,” the DNC said in announcing the ad.
Mr. Perry, who was indicted earlier this month on two charges of using the threat of a veto to force a controversial district attorney’s resignation, has treated the indictment as a badge of political honor. When he showed up at the courthouse for processing, he turned the event into a political rally, complete with supporters chanting his name.
Several Democratic strategists have spoken out against the indictment. David Axelrod, a former adviser to President Obama, tweeted, “Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy.”
But the DNC has continued to lampoon Mr. Perry, who is seen as a potential 2016 GOP presidential candidate.
In the tongue-in-cheek ad, the DNC runs a faux commercial it constructed for Mr. Perry, contrasting him with two other Republican governors also currently under criminal investigation, New Jersey’s Chris Christie and Scott Walker of Wisconsin. But neither of those 2016 presidential prospects have been indicted by a grand jury, the ad points out.
• Kellan Howell can be reached at khowell@washingtontimes.com.
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