Sunday, November 15, 2009

Jim Ryan for Governor of Illinois

The Daily Herald reports on the complete turnaround made by gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan on capital punishment.

On Thursday there was a bit of shock in the political world as former state Attorney General Jim Ryan for the first time expressed sorrow for cases he oversaw as a prosecutor that put two innocent men on death row.

In the email from his long time spokesman, Ryan also staked out his new position on the death penalty, stances that in at least one key area contrast those from his previous run for governor in 2002.

Here’s what Ryan said yesterday about the death penalty moratorium still in place more than a decade after then-Gov. George Ryan declared it.

“If I am elected governor, I will not lift the moratorium on capital punishment until we have created a more limited and accurate system of capital punishment.”

What's your opinion? Isn't that the sensible approach? Or is it like Obama saying we'll not commit more troops to Afghanistan until there's a stable government there? What do you think?

Is it possible that the people of Illinois have come to agree with the moratorium imposed almost a decade ago and this announcement by the hopeful governor is nothing more than a political strategy?

What about Texas? When do you think we'll hear something like this coming out of the Lone Star State? I think it'll be a while, what about you?

Based on this, I like Jim Ryan very much, but before deciding to root for him from afar, I wondered how he stands on gun control. After reading this, he's got my vote, so to speak.

What's your opinion? Please leave a comment.

7 comments:

  1. Mikeb: "Based on this, I like Jim Ryan very much, but before deciding to root for him from afar, I wondered how he stands on gun control. After reading this, he's got my vote, so to speak."

    Okay, I looked at the link. What was it that you found admirable? I quote below from the AP news article linked from your link.

    Mikeb, this reflects very poorly upon an Attorney General. Or is opposition by a gunowner advocate such a plus for you that it justifies any means?

    ---

    federal authorities have criticized Ryan's approach and the attorney general's own chief lawyer admitted four of the cases were dropped over fears sellers were improperly lured into illegal actions.

    It's not clear what Ryan expected to accomplish.

    State law prohibits convicting people who are ``incited or induced'' into criminal activity. Police may encourage someone who is ready to commit a crime, but not lie about whether it's legal, said Paul Robinson, a Northwestern University law professor and former federal prosecutor.

    Ryan's lawyers decided not to prosecute.

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  2. Sometimes it takes folks just a little longer to finally see the light.

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  3. You "like him very much" for running an entrapment operation that goes beyond the dubious morality of most entrapment operations, because it was predicated on fooling people who wanted to follow the law into breaking it, by lying to them about what the law was? It doesn't bother you that what Ryan did was clearly illegitimate? You're so in love with anything that harasses gun owners, even if it's purely for political theater, that the end justifies such reprehensible means? You're that much in love with unlimited government power to abuse private citizens?

    Simply pathetic.

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  4. Yes, Zorro, I like him a lot. I like politicians who favor gun control a lot. If they get over-zealous in their policies, like this guy and Mayor Bloomberg are accused of, I take that with a grain of salt. If they were as bad as you say, they'd be in jail.

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  5. "If they were as bad as you say, they'd be in jail."

    My--such faith in government. Nanny statism is almost a religion with you, isn't it? Do you sing songs of praise to your government masters, Mike?

    Well, Mike, if you like the taste of government bootleather that much, then by all means enjoy your licking.

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  6. If they were as bad as you say, they'd be in jail.

    Huh, I wonder if there is an organization out there made up entirely of elected officials who are in favor of gun control. Oh yeah, there is, MAIG.

    I wonder if any of them are in jail or under indictment ...

    But if there are, it couldn't be at a higher rate than the general population, right ... ?

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  7. Mikeb: "I like him a lot. I like politicians who favor gun control a lot. If they get over-zealous in their policies, like this guy and Mayor Bloomberg are accused of, I take that with a grain of salt."

    Secretly, the NRA also likes politicians like this.

    It lets them portray anti-gunowner politicians as extremists who would rather grandstand than actually do anything that really increased public safety.

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