Is Craig Watkins the new John Wiley Price?

I have blogged for years about the embattled and now-indicted Dallas County Commissioner Price, with news of his indictment being my latest comment about him.

Meanwhile, and along with a few blogging friends, I've wondered where the black Democrats are who might run for statewide office. Houston state Sen. Rodney Ellis seems to prefer to work in the state Senate, generally quietly and behind the scenes, while building up outside-the-Lege turf. Ditto for Dallas state Sen. Royce West, who also bears the burden of having gotten his skirts in the same vicinity of Price's over the Dallas Inland Port. (And maybe other things that we don't yet know about.) 

Well, a year or two ago, I first started thinking about Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins. African-American, yet "tough on crime" as a prosecutor. A seeming reformist, with investigating bad cases, in conjunction with the Innocence Project, like this one. And, then, last week, his announcement of a special unit to investigating shootings by cops.

Sounds good, no?

Too good to be true.

His skirts are getting more tarnished all the time, and have taken a major new hit with revelations he, well, he bought off the driver of a vehicle he rear-ended, plus the mechanic that did the repairs. Worse yet, especially from my POV, he used "War on Drugs" asset seizure funds as his payment source. The Al Hill case and other, lesser issues, will further challenge Watkins should he look for higher office.