Travis County has never been far from the news
during the Bush presidency. Chroniclers of itÂ
may have to mark it down as one of the percolating centers
of left-wing stunts. Dan Rather made Travis County famous long
before Ronnie Earle, raising $20,000 for its Democratic Party in
2001. His daughter Robin, a prominent liberal Texas
environmentalist, thought her Dad would be a reliable draw for
Democrats, though Rather claimed later that hisÂ
fabled ear-to-the-ground reporting had simply failed him -- that he
had no idea his daughter was asking him to speak at a Dem
fundraiser. Forgery conduit Bill Burkett hired a lawyer who
was once chairman of the Travis County Democrats. None of
this, of course, influenced Rather's confidence in Burkett
as an unimpeachable source. Ronnie Earle's case against
Delay doesn't exactly look airtight, but then again he could
always hit Kinko's and cobble together some impressive
evidence. Â
topics:
Environment, Law
