He has become the poster boy for those opposed to capital punishment. Like it or not, the death penalty is an issue for Gov. George W. Bush regardless of whether Graham is executed. Bush's presidential candidacy is the primary reason capital punishment is the focus of international debate. Bush is a presidential candidate. I'm sorry, but that is the reason for this.
Reason seems to be in short supply for death penalty opponents.
On Monday, Jackson compared Bush to Pontius Pilate. An interesting comparison coming from a man of God. Jackson's inane comments aside, the fact Graham has turned his guilt into a political issue is almost as reprehensible as the crime he committed. Many of the studies refuting capital punishment contradict the claims made by death penalty opponents. A Columbia University law professor released a study this past week indicating two-thirds of the nation's death penalty cases, including 52 percent in Texas from 1973 to 1995, were reversed on appeal.