Eddie Bernice Johnson: Yet Another Shoe Drops

Letters with her signature ask that scholarship money to be directed to her grandsons.

Which leads me to a question: Would you have more respect for Johnson – or any other politician caught in the act of something hinky – if she had said from the outset: “I’m sorry, this was a mistake, and I take full responsibility for it,” than one who says, “I didn’t know it was wrong, I didn’t know the money went to them,” and then piece of proof after piece of proof emerges to refute that?

Lawrence Wright’s “Al-Qaeda” on HBO Tonight

Woodrow Wilson graduate (and Hall-of-Famer) Wright won the Pulitzer for The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 – which was a fascinating read. He then did a one-man, off-Broadwayshow, My Trip to Al-Qaeda, about the dilemmas he faced in writing the book and trying to stay neutral in interviewing his subjects. Now, adding to the multimedia mix, HBO is airing a documentary based on the play tonight.

Leading Off (9/7/10)

1. City officials are discussing what to do about police chases after the crazy one in August that ended at Love Field. I hope the discussion is how they can make them all that awesome. (But safe, of course — like one in, say, TJ Hooker.)

2. We’re getting a bit of precipitation thanks to Tropical Storm Hermine. Oh, had you already noticed? No disrespect, but if we’re down “Hermine” as a storm name, I think it’s finally time to let me take over. Ask around. I’m awesome.

3. Awesome: “Kids hold bake sale to help neighbor who needs kidney transplant.”