Friday, February 14, 2014

They did it again...

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has started their always hilarious political endorsements.  Right out of the gate, they made us laugh.  And they helped us make some choices on WHO we wouldn't be voting for.  That's how most people use the FWST endorsements, if the paper (and city hall) is pushing them, run, the other way.

We'll start with the Tarrant County DA race - "Wilson for DA, but with caution"  Um, what??  Do we want a District Attorney that comes with a warning label?  Some have made the claim that the FWST only wants Wilson as DA so they can stay in business, figuring the drama will sell more papers.

Wilson, staking her reputation as a tough judge in a criminal court where she sees some of Tarrant County’s worst felons, criticizes Shannon’s office as lax. She says she wants to work prosecutors harder and be a stronger voice for crime victims and arresting officers.

That is a mistaken and troubling view of the office.

The district attorney represents the state alone, never the victim or city police. The sole goal must be justice, not revenge or victory.

She has one blemish on her record, and she has not handled it well in this campaign.

In 2008, the State Commission on Judicial Conduct privately admonished Wilson for unfairly revoking a teenage felony defendant’s bond and for jury-room behavior that two jurors considered biased.

Asked in this campaign if she has ever faced judicial discipline for conduct, she sometimes has said no. The questioner did not ask specifically whether she was admonished, she now says.

Then there is District 92 in which a FWST columnist seems to have taken an unhealthy obsession to.  If we didn't know better, we'd think Stickland was running for a seat on the Tarrant Regional Water District.  Just last year the FWST was touting Stickland "Darned if the new guy from Bedford didn't accomplish something of National importance..."  How quickly they forget.

We'll let State Representative Matt Krause share his thoughts on the "news" paper and this race -

I agree with the first three paragraphs of the Star-Telegram's assessment of the battle in House District 92 -

"Andy Cargile is a man in search of a message.

The retired teacher, coach, principal and school board trustee is challenging freshman state representative Jonathan Stickland in the Republican Primary bid for House District 92.

Cargile, 67, has led a disappointing campaign, one lacking in substance but replete with attacks on his opponent’s lack of education."

How the newspaper ended up endorsing the man they just described as disappointing and without a message is confusing.  My guess is that on election day, it will be Jonathan Stickland, who gets the endorsement of the vast majority of voters in District 92.  And that would be a very good thing!

The Star Telegraph endorses common sense.  Therefore, we're voting for George Mackey for DA and Jonathan Stickland for District 92.

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