EoT: Perry’s Untweetable Tweet and Cruz’s Bronx Cheer

A roundup of news, columns and features about the state, from media around the world.

Gov. Rick Perry’s effort to discredit his indictment for abuse of power reached digital proportions when Perry tweeted an image of Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg as “The Most Drunk Democrat in Texas.”

The image, shown in an article by The Los Angeles Times, portrayed Lehmberg’s mug shot superimposed onto Dos Equis’ “Most Interesting Man in the World,” complete with caption, “I don’t always drive drunk at 3X the legal blood alcohol limit … but when I do, I indict Gov. Perry for calling me out about it.”

Perry’s indictment arose from his veto of state funding for a public integrity unit overseen by Lehmberg after she was arrested for drunk driving. Perry has responded to the indictment by pinning responsibility on Lehmberg, though a special prosecutor handled the case.

Perry deleted the tweet.

The normally surefooted U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, stepped in it with his description of a crime-infested Bronx in an Aug. 30 speech in Dallas. Cruz said he was tired of northern politicians lecturing him on immigration and border issues. “Now, I understand that Manhattan is very concerned with their security with the Bronx, but it’s a little bit different on 2,000 miles of the Rio Grande.”

New York officials told Cruz not to mess with the Bronx. Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr., a Democrat, said Cruz was using “tired and wrong stereotypes” to advance his “extreme political agenda” and should “grow up.” City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, Democrat, called the comments “infantile.”