It looks like that the main argument against District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg’s resignation is that if she resigns, Gov. Rick Perry will get to appoint a conservative Republican to serve for the remainder of her term. Therefore we should ignore the fact that she was driving drunk, lied about it, threatened the officers and asked for special privileges by ordering officers arresting her to call the sheriff and the chief of police. 

But a Perry appointment might actually motivate Democrats in 2016 to go and vote, because elections have consequences. The consequence of all those Democratic establishment endorsements for Lehmberg over a real progressive (hint: Charlie Baird) is that we may end up with a Perry appointee. However, in the long term, it might be good for Austin politics. It’ll motivate Austin residents to get educated on local issues and on the people running for office, and, I hope, go vote.

—Hooman Hedayati
UT class of ‘09