Life or death issue

IF Pat Brosnan had researched his thinly veiled allegation (Irish Examiner, Dec 19) that George W Bush was directly responsible for 152 Texas death row executions during his tenure as state governor, he might have uncovered a fact that would have inconvenienced his entire argument.

The Texas governorship has no power to commute a death sentence. The governor may only grant a one-time, 30-day stay of execution. Only the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles can commute a death sentence in that state.

I don’t believe that a columnist should be relieved of an obligation to fact.