Rick Perry's execution review method: What Sharon Keller says goes

If it weren't for Rick Perry's defensive reaction and attempts to stymie a review of the Todd Willingham arson investigation, I doubt the issue would ever have made it into the political arena. The public supports the death penalty and innocence cases won't/don't sway that view. But the governor keeps digging himself a deeper hole, to the point that even ardent death penalty supporters are questioning his behavior. In the New York Times today:

Katherine Cesinger, a spokeswoman for Mr. Perry, said that on the night of the execution, the governor’s general counsel thoroughly briefed him on the report of the arson expert and various appellate court decisions. He denied the reprieve, she said, because the courts “all agreed that the Hurst report was no more than an opinion and did not merit reopening the case.”

This is the first admission that the Governor actually was aware of Hurst's conclusions about arson testimony before Willingham was put to death. But since Hurst's report was filed with a last-minute habeas brief, it wasn't "all" the courts that reviewed it but only one: the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. And they think it's okay to execute someone even if the judge and prosecutor were sleeping together during trial.

So Rick Perry thought it was okay to overlook the possible execution of an innocent man because Sharon Keller said it was alright so there was no need to think about it further. That really boosts your confidence, doesn't it?