Gov. Perry Needs His Hide Tanned

Fire scientist knocks Perry

Dogged by three weeks of news coverage questioning his decision to shake up the Texas Forensic Science Commission, Gov. Rick Perry appeared intent Wednesday on recasting the story to make it about Cameron Todd Willingham, the Corsicana man executed in 2004 for killing his children in a house fire, and not about the expert reports that have found major flaws in the arson investigation that was the basis for the case against Willingham.

But late Wednesday, the fire scientist who was set to address the forensic commission before Perry shook it up offered some severe criticism of Perry’s handling of the case. Craig Beyler, a nationally recognized expert, said in an interview with CNN that Perry was trying to protect his political hide. He also said the newly appointed members of the forensic commission should resign, and he called Perry’s actions “unethical.”

“(Perry) should have recused himself from any appointments to that commission because now it gives the appearance he’s using his political clout to protect himself against any incrimination by the commissioner,” Beyler told CNN.

See the full story from Anderson Cooper, which includes an interview with Willingham’s stepmother, below. Interestingly, Cooper asked the stepmother whether Willingham beat his wife. Yes he did, the stepmother said, but she pointed out that the wife also beat him.



Perry’s comments Wednesday to the Texas press corps — a dramatic change in tone from just a couple of weeks ago —Â followed a speech he gave to the Texas Association of Realtors Government Affairs Conference, where he was warmly received.

After he highlighted Willingham’s death-bed tirade against his wife and said Willingham tried to beat her into having an abortion, Peggy Fikac said to Perry, “It sounds like you’re saying he should be executed because he was a bad man.”

Perry responded, “No, I’m saying, look how many courts looked at this? There were nine federal courts that looked at this case. It was before the Supreme Court of the United States four times. Now surely Peggy you’re not saying that the supreme court of the united states fouled up four times.”

Perry took a somewhat combative tone, saying reporters were being distracted by sideshows. The implication seemed to be that Beyler’s review, which was sought by the Forensic Science Commission, was a sideshow.

Listen to the full audio of Perry’s gaggle below. It’s a little loud in there and so the quality isn’t as good as you’d find on, say, a First Reading podcast. But it works.