Now Where Do We Know That Name ...

There's a Nixon back in the news, and it's not just because (alleged) presidential hopeful Fred Thompson was leaking Watergate inquiry secrets to Tricky Dicky.

No, former Republican Carthage Sen. Drew Nixon has been indicted by a Panola County grand jury for the serious crime of abuse of office. His offense? Trying to manipulate an election. However, there's no DeLay-style plan for a thousand-year statewide Republican majority here. Nixon was caught trying to rig the ballot for the Panola County Fresh Water Supply District No. 1. While serving as the board's accountant and self-appointed election officer, he came up with the ingenious technique of telling potential challengers to the incumbents that they weren't allowed to file their paperwork. Which, after recent GOP attempts to manipulate the democratic process on a grand scale, seems a little amateur night.

Of course, Austinites may recall Nixon better for his little run in with the law back in 1997. That's when he got busted for trying to get some late-night action off an undercover cop on South Congress and carrying a gun in his car. That got him 60 days in the slammer out of a six-month sentence, but this time he could be looking at a $4,000 fine and up to a year of jail time.