Anyone see tonight's Nightline on the Texas death row inmate?

[imenja]

...a man who was wrongly convicted and sat in prison during W's governorship. He was two hours away from execution when he finally was pardoned. Officials kept him drugged on Haldol during his trial so that he couldn't effectively assist with his own defense. The man thought he was taking pain medication for his back; instead he was given unnecessary anti-psychotics without his consent.
After 17 years on death row, they gave him $100 for his trouble.

The death penalty is another issue that the Democrats have abandoned as the country slides further and further to the right.

[NYC]

1. Major reason Cuomo lost reelection as NY governor.

Cuomo was against the death penalty; Pataki was for it. Pataki won.

[Somawas]

4. Opposing the DP

is a mostly losing issue.

[imenja]

6. you're probably right, but it could also be framed as moral values issue

in terms of respect for life. Also, Nightline noted that American support of the death penalty has dropped from 80 to 66% in the last 10 years. It's still a significant majority in favor of it, but the fact that a number of innocent people have been exonerated by DNA testing and other evidence.

[JI7]

2. Kerry opposes the death penalty and removed support for it from

the Democratic Party platform this year.

[imenja]

3. I did not hear him speak about it on the campaign trail

Did you?
I know he opposes it, because I saw it as part of the clip of his senatorial debate with Weld. I heard nothing this year though.

[JI7]

5. he did when asked such as during a primary debate

he didn't make it an issue himself as it would have hurt him since he was already seen as weak on defense , crime etc.

but if he had got into office he would have done something about it.

[Bridget Burke]

7. Just another "fringe left social issue" we must abandon, doncha know?

As a Texan, I fully agree that the death penalty must go. I also believe in sane gun control, gay rights, women's rights, teaching science in science class, separation of church & state and all those other things we're being told we now must abandon.

We've got a bunch of operatives over here who are trying to capitalize on the last election (ignoring any possible electronic intervention) in order to make Democrats more like Republicans. They've got some really good tag teams going but aren't fooling anybody

Guess we're supposed to get with the program & wimp out. I won't...