Watchdog Group Wants Dewhurst to Disclose Wealth
It's no secret Lt. Governor David Dewhurst is worth millions, after his company sold three power plants for about $226 million. But how many millions he's worth today is unclear.
Texans for Public Justice, the campaign finance watchdog group led by Craig McDonald, wants to know what is in Lt. Governor David Dewhurst's trust fund. This comes after the AP wrote a story two weeks ago, focusing on Dewhurst's lack of detail on his personal financial disclosure forms (required of Texas public officials by state law).
TPJ filed the complaint with Travis County attorney David Escamilla, asking the prosecutor to determine whether Dewhurst broke disclosure laws by failing to report assets in the Dewhurst trust.
"One of the most powerful state officials should not be allowed to hide his assets from the public. When you're the Lt. Governor, the public has an absolute right to know how many cattle or other assets you own. It's time for Lt. Governor Dewhurst to drive his cattle out of the shadows and into the sunlight," said McDonald in a statement.
Hats Off to the President
I loved this photo of the Texas delegation at the GOP convention, from NYT photographer Damon Winter (formerly of The Dallas Morning News). I thought some readers might recognize a Texas buddy or to in this photo. Enjoy:
New York Times: Damon Winter
Texas Oppo Researcher "Appalled" by Palin Vetting
Regarding the news swirling around Sarah Palin, I've been staying on the sidelines because I try to keep the items on this blog related to Texas, and the Palin news has largely been covered by the national outlets. You could argue it's been covered too much, even after McCain, Obama and Biden have called for the press to back off.
But Austin-based Democratic opposition researcher Jason Stanford is weighing in on today's debate about what McCain's campaign knew -- and what it didn't know -- about Palin before she was picked as the senator's running mate. Was she properly vetted? He wrote for Campaigns and Elections' blog. An excerpt from Stanford's post:
I am embarrassed, appalled and horrified at the Sarah Palin appointment, but not because I'm a Democrat. I object to the nomination because I'm an opposition researcher.
My firm has been digging up dirt on Republicans such as Sarah Palin since 1997, but a big chunk of what we do is self research for our own clients to determine their vulnerabilities before they face public scrutiny. And that process always starts with me or one of my analysts sitting down with the candidate and asking, "Is there anything I should know?"
So when I read this, and heard that a battalion of Republican opposition researchers and lawyers descended upon Alaska only this week to properly vet Gov. Palin, I realized that we do a better vetting job on a Democrat running a long-shot challenge campaign in a red state legislative race than the McCain campaign did for Gov. Palin.
Your thoughts? Weigh in.
Twitter Update on the Texas Delegation
I'm enjoying the tweets from Slate Magazine's John Dickerson. He seems to be near the Texas delegation at the Republican convention. Here's his latest tweet:
"The perfume from the TX delegation in this hotel is so thick that if someone strikes a match in here we're all going to the moon."
Texas Republicans Raise Relief Funds
An anonymous Republican donor gave $500,000 to the Texas OneStar Foundation, which helps coordinate state disaster response efforts. John Mccain supporters will match the gift to bring the donation to one million dollars, according to the Texas governor's political office.
"We will continue to do whatever is necessary to assist our neighbors in Louisiana and our own residents. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected," said Governor Rick Perry. "We are also thankful for Senator McCain and his strong and experienced leadership in times of crisis."
Want to help those affected by Hurricane Gustav? Visit www.texasresponds.org.
Texas Pols Head Home for Gustav Response
Lots of our Lone Star state officials will be in Texas Monday, instead of Minneapolis-St.Paul for the abbreviated Republican National Convention.
Expect President Bush to tour the state emergency operations center (aka "The Bunker) in Austin late Monday morning. He will be joined by U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, R-Texas.
Thanks to the twittering of the Houston Chronicle's Rick Dunham, I've learned that U.S. Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, will speak to the Texas delegation in St. Paul at 8 a.m. and then possibly return to Texas, too.
Meanwhile, the political writers who have the time are analyzing the political pros and cons for both presidential candidates now that Gustav is looming:
Storm Politics Present Risks and Rewards NYTimes
Gauging Gustav's Political Impact WashPo "The Fix"
Hurricane Gustav: The Silver Lining for Sen. McCain Wall Street Journal Blogs
Hurricane Politics Boston Globe
The Politics of Gustav Huffington Post
