The problem with Brian Thompson's campaign ads is in the details, says Nelson Linder, the man who filed the complaint.
The documents show the ad was purchased by a third party on behalf of the Brian Thompson campaign. In the commercials, the ads say they are "paid for by the Brian Thompson campaign" rather than paid for by the third party. This amounts to an in-kind campaign contribution, which we will see if Thompson lists on his campaign finance reports.
But Linder's problem with Thompson is broader.
"Brian Thompson has so little scrutiny," Linder said of his motives to file a complaint. "I wanted to force the media to look at him. It's a witch hunt out there to find negative stuff about Dukes."
Was it untrue, then, that Dukes misreported $90,000 in campaign spending (which we reported, and was a source of an ethics complaint)?
"I think she clearly misreported her campaign filings," he said. "But we should weigh her record overall."
The ethics complaint against HD 46 challenger Brian Thompson accuses his campaign of failing to disclose its commercials are "political advertisements" and who paid for them. But here's a screen grab of the last shot of the ads:
In his email, the complainant, Dukes supporter Nelson Linder, says he filed the complaint to "bring more scrutiny to tactics being employed [by the Thompson campaign] and not reported" by the press. Not sure what kind of tactics are being alluded to here, it seems clear that the commercials specify they are political advertisements and who paid for them.
Now both candidates in the HD 46 primary have complaints against them at the Texas Ethics Commission.
East Austin resident Nelson Linder has filed a complaint against HD 46 challenger Brian Thompson for an infraction similar to DA candidate Rick Reed's complaint about Rosemary Lehmberg's signs. The complaint says Thompson's latest television ads do not clearly say they are political ads and who paid for them.
Colin Strother is a campaign consultant for State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, who's in a primary race against newcomer Brian Thompson in her East Austin district. After I saw that Dukes advertised for canvassers, it was clear that there would be an on-the-ground campaign for the district.
So I emailed Strother, asking how many volunteers signed up as a result of the ad. Strother responded and then some, and he never indicated at any point that he wanted to go off the record. Below is what he had to say in its entirety. Previously, I have summed up his comments or used a direct quote that he designated as a usable quote, but his full response speaks more honestly.
From: elisehu@yahoo.com
To: colinstrother@XXXXX.com
Subject: craigslist ad
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 21:34:57 -0600
Colin,
I just saw a screengrab of this craigslist ad for Dukes volunteers.
Do you have a number on how many volunteers responded to the ad and have joined the campaign?
Thanks,
Elise
----- Original Message -----
From: colin strother
To: Elise Hu
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 10:03 PM
Subject: RE: craigslist ad
are you serious?
From: elisehu@yahoo.com
To: colinstrother@XXXX.com
Subject: Re: craigslist ad
Date: Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:24:07 -0600
Yes. I'm covering the campaign and asking a question, political campaigns are open to questions and she's a public official. If you choose not to answer that's absolutely fine, I'm just asking.
Thanks,
Elise
----- Original Message -----
From: colin strother
To: Elise Hu
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2008 10:38 PM
Subject: RE: craigslist ad
Wow, defensive much? It sounded like a joke. It sounded like you were poking fun at people trying to make an issue out of us hiring campaign workers. I was just asking if you really wanted an answer.
If you want to follow the lead of Capitol Annex and BOR on every story, go ahead. If you call that "covering the campaign", so be it.
You're not the only one allowed to ask questions, Elise. Your poor attitude whenever I have questions are a major problem. I'm well aware that I can or cannot respond to questions...I'm not sure YOU understand that.
All I asked in this situation was if you were serious. You need to calm down a little bit.
Response to your inquiry for the record:
"We're activitely recruiting paid canvassers on college campuses, community organizations, Democratic groups, and craigslist.
From my experience, craigslist is a great place to recruit field folks. I know of several local groups that use it to great success.
We've been inundated with offers to volunteer. We've hired and trained sufficient paid canvassers to execute both our field and GOTV plans. I'm not at liberty to disclose the numbers of staff, be they paid or volunteer."
you're welcome.
c.
p.s. Dawnna will get re-elected on March 4th. Both of us are going to be around here for a long time. We'd both like to have a productive and friendly relationship with you moving forward. Let's each not lose our heads during this next 37 days.
Here's a sure sign of a contested primary. An ad on CraigsList for campaign canvassers.
Blogger Will found this craigslist ad from an "East Austin state representative"looking for campaign workers. Since there is only one East Austin state representative running a contested primary, it's clear said rep is State Rep Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin.
Advertised job perks:
$8 an hour
Hands-on, grass roots, out-in-the-field work
A great resume booster
The issue made for many a dramatic moment on both the House and Senate floors* during the 2007 session, and now, as expected, voter ID is back. The House Elections Committee, under the direction of State Rep Leo Berman, R-Tyler, will hold a hearing Friday morning to explore legislation to secure the vote and prevent voter fraud, perhaps by requiring more forms of ID to cast a ballot.
Opponents, most of them Democrats, say requiring photo ID at the polls disproportionately affects the poor, the elderly and minorities - the most likely to lack photo identification.
But supporters, most of them Republicans, say such requirements are necessary to prevent voter fraud.
If the [Indiana] law is upheld, voting rights advocates fear it will encourage conservative lawmakers across the country to enact equally restrictive measures.
The US Supreme Court will rule on the constitutionality of such laws by summer, a case sparked by a legal challenge to Indiana's voter ID laws, said to be the most restrictive in the nation. What will be the effect, politically? A GWU prof cites judges who say this will help throw elections in favor of Republicans.
UNRELATED: My previous post features the AP story about Texas being the worst carbon polluter in America. Which individual leaves the largest carbon footprint "in history"? See here.
*My personal favorite-House-floor-moment-not-counting-the-final-three-days would be when State Rep. Jodie Laubenberg flipped out and starting shrieking under questioning from State Rep. Rafael Anchia over an amendment to the CHIP bill.
The latest issue of Austin's altenaweekly, The Austin Chronicle, hits newsstands today. It includes a meaty piece by Richard Whittaker about the HD 46 race between incumbent State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, and newcomer Brian Thompson.
There's a lot to pick out of this piece, it's 1,384 words long. (That's about 13 hundred more words than a regular TV news story, but in my defense, simplifying does take a certain kind of talent, too.)
I recommend reading the piece in its entirety, but for the time-strapped out there, here are some tidbits we find in Whittaker's tome (I kid, I kid):
Who Knows A District?
Thompson has been accused of being a newcomer and Dukes of fleeing to the suburbs. A native of Birmingham, Ala., first-generation college graduate Thompson came to Austin in 2002 to attend the University of Texas School of Law. In 2006, he moved to East Austin. Dukes notes that her family has lived in East Austin since the 1800s, though she now lives in Pflugerville. Referring to Thompson as "the one that's lived in the district 13 months," Dukes dismisses the issue. "I've lived in that district for 44 years and five months. End of subject." As for her move, she said, "The district is the district."
Dukes Called 'Craddick D'; Spokesman Calls It 'Slur':
...Due to the support several of its members showed for Craddick during the unsuccessful challenge by Jim Pitts and later in the session, they have been tagged as Craddick Ds. [Colin] Strother, who is also Dukes' campaign spokesman, called it "comparable to using a slur, whether it be a racial or sexual. It's a lowbrow way."
The latest campaign finance reports are up and it looks like incumbent State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin holds a significant fundraising lead over her opponent, Brian Thompson. She raised $ 73,972.18 between July and December to Thompson's $11,272.98.
But Thompson is quick to point out that Dukes' money comes from a who's who of Republican Speaker Tom Craddick's supporters.
Bob Perry - $1000
The Houston-based homebuilder is the largest political donor in the nation, who gives the bulk of his contributions to Republican candidates. In 2004 he gained notoriety for helping pay for the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth ads against Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry.
Bill Miller -$1,000
Miller is Hillco Partner and a longtime Craddick friend and consultant. Sometimes he's his spokesperson.
John Nau - $1,500
Has given hundreds of thousands to Republican politicians and causes.
See the video story here.
I tried to reach State Rep. Dukes for the story but her consultant, Colin Strother, said she was too tied up with preparations for an upcoming MLK event. That's fair, so we included a statement in the story. Strother, however, sent another statement from Dukes after graphics began working on the first statement:
"I have never allowed a contribution to influence any vote. My district always comes first."
Strother himself added:
"Dawnna is uncommitted in the speaker's race. She has not signed a pledge card for any candidate. Any assumptions or assertions by Brian to the contrary are complete lies."
Your thoughts? I'm particularly interested in hearing from voters who live in the district. More money stats after the jump.
Brian Thompson, the political newbie challenging longtime State Representative Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, has picked up every endorsement from the gazillion Austin Democratic groups which actually made endorsements in a massive-endorsement-bonanza tonight.
Brian Thompson
"Gazillion" overstated it, it's really just the Capital Area Progressive Democrats, Capital Area Asian American Democrats, Texas Environmental Democrats, South Austin Democrats, Southwest Austin Democrats, and Austin Tejano Democrats.
Capital City Young Democrats will endorse at a later date; Austin Tejano Democrats couldn't come to a consensus, so there won't be an endorsement from them in the HD 46 race.
"It was a good night for sure," Thompson said. "I wouldn't have spent the time and effort to go into this unless I didn't think it was important, the opponent wouldn't have shown up if she didn't think it was important."
"These are the real motivators in the community. These are the people who are gonna vote and tell other people to vote, so we feel really good about this, for sure," Thompson added.
(BTW, thank you Brian Thompson for calling me back even though it's 11:45pm.)
More on how the endorsements divided up in other races, like TX-10 and Travis DA, tomorrow.
Rumors began swirling before the end of the legislative session that House Speaker Tom Craddick's right-hand woman/Chief of Staff Nancy Fisher was leaving the office.
It is only now that the move has become official. Here's the press release:
"It has been an honor to work with the Speaker in this capacity for the past five years," Fisher said. "I appreciate the trust he placed in me, and the opportunity to play a small role in bringing historic changes in public policy. While I will greatly miss working for the Speaker, the time has come for me to take some time off and pursue outside opportunities."
Fisher joined Craddick's office in 2003 when he was elected Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives. She initially acted as the legislative director and was then promoted to chief-of-staff in 2005.
"Nancy has done an excellent job as my top advisor," Speaker Craddick said. "Nadine and I wish her all the best in this next chapter of her life, and we are incredibly grateful for her service and commitment to us."
Fisher will be leaving the Speaker's office at the end of February.
I woke up in a fog of misery, barely able to pry myself out of bed after the embarrassing Cowboys loss to the Giants last night. What was up with THAT, Patrick Crayton? Sigh.
Luckily I found this video in my inbox, a tribute to the days gone by, my halcyon days of youth. It's something to take one's mind off of the playoffs. But it's actually an ad by State Rep Juan Garcia's campaign to contrast the young Garcia with his opponent Todd Hunter, who they say represents the crazy eighties.
Did anyone else wonder about the jacket-flung-over-the-shoulder look that Garcia was sporting at the end? I saw Garcia at the Capitol nearly every day of the session and I can't say I ever saw him flinging his jacket over his shoulder. It seemed... unnatural. I also found the zoom-in at the end to be unmotivated.
The office of State Rep Borris Miles, D-Houston, has issued a press release in response to news he's under investigation for brandishing a weapon and making threats at a party he crashed last month. In part:
Representative Borris L. Miles disagrees with the reported accounts of this alleged event. We are unaware of any investigations by the Harris County District Attorney's office. At the request of counsel, there will be no further comments on this matter.
What does "disagrees with" mean? Is "disagreeing with" a report denying that the events detailed actually happened? If the alleged gun-flashing and threat-throwdown and kissing of another man's wife happened at a big party, I would imagine plenty of people at the party could "agree" or "disagree" that it happened. Since Miles is not going to talk about it, I guess we'll have to see what else comes out within the next few days.
Drama, drama drama! State Rep Borris Miles, D-Houston, is under investigation by the Harris County District Attorney's office after someone complained he showed up at a Houston party last month and brandished his gun, threatened some people and kissed another man's wife. Here's the Houston Chronicle:
According to witnesses, Miles entered a St. Regis Hotel ballroom uninvited, confronting guests, displaying a pistol and forcibly kissing another man's wife.
David Harris, who threw the party for his property management company, said he believes Miles, an insurance agent, was angry at him for investing in a rival business.
During their confrontation, Harris said Miles proclaimed himself a "gangster" and "thug," before kissing Harris on both cheeks and then the mouth. Miles then pulled out a gun and placed it in Harris' hand, witnesses said.
"He was acting as if there was some sort of symbolic power struggle, grabbing him by the face," said Nathaniel Rido, who attended the party.
Rido said Miles also kissed his wife, Krysynthia, before leaving, an act that still angers him.
"A public official, acting like that — I was disturbed," he said.
Miles also said at the party that he would "take down" U.S. Congressman Al Green, former local NAACP leader Howard Jefferson and Ben Hall, the city attorney under Mayor Bob Lanier. Hall is representing Harris.
You might recall Miles made news for another incident involving a gun. In July, Miles shot and wounded a thief who was attempting to steal copper from his home's AC unit. Miles wasn't charged.
For what it's worth, State Representative Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth, is endorsing the three candidates challenging so-called "Craddick D's" in the upcoming March primaries. In Central Texas, Austin attorney Brian Thompson is taking on State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, on her East Austin turf.
Burnam says this is a bold move -- this is one of the few times a sitting House member has publicly come out against people running against other House members.
"Since 2003, the single biggest obstacle to responsible public policy in the state of Texas has been Tom 'absolute power' Craddick," said Burnam. "Unfortunately, some of my colleagues continue to support the Republican Speaker and enable his failed Republican ideology of starving public education, harming the environment, denying children health care, and making a mockery of our ethics laws."
Apparently Burnam intends to back his endorsement with some fundraising. Burnam plans on unveiling details about a new political action committee called "Too Close to Craddick" that he is supporting.
What does Craddick think?
"Voters care a lot more about issues than they do the politics of personal attack," said Craddick press secretary, Alexis DeLee.
So here I was, trying to tune out on this Friday-before-Christmas, when I learn of a minor eruption in the world of Texas politics.
Earlier this week, Texas Monthly executive editor Evan Smith reported on his blog that a Midland City Councilman, Bill Dingus, would file to run in House District 82 against incumbent/House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland. Yikes. This made big news, as it would mean Craddick would have to run two races at once -- the race to keep his house seat, and the race to stay speaker.
“Evan Smith needs to make a choice he can’t be both a political consultant and a magazine editor. Those who report the news are not supposed to make it. If Mr. Smith’s work hasn’t already made his antagonism toward Speaker Craddick clear enough, this revelation leaves no question. The conflict of interest is obvious. He needs to step down.”
Since I did no such thing, I was a bit surprised. I have talked to Dingus, yes, to confirm that he is in fact running, as every reporter worth a damn in Texas has done in the last day or so. But a reporter calling a potential candidate is journalism, not encouragement.
A Statesman Screwup? Or a Case of Blame the Messenger?
Count State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, among the folks who have embraced the interactive features on news websites. It appears Dukes - or someone who says she's Dukes - posted a response to an Austin American-Statesmaneditorial which mentioned she was a supporter of House Speaker Tom Craddick.
A number of Republicans want Craddick out, including some committee leaders he appointed. And some Democrats have put their bets on Craddick, such as Austin’s Dawnna Dukes. Dukes has drawn a Democratic primary opponent who criticizes her support of Craddick.
A "Dawnna Dukes" responded online, accusing the Statesman of shoddy journalism by writing the above about her without talking to her first:
By Dawnna Dukes
December 20, 2007 12:24 AM
I am utterly appalled that the Statesman would attribute a comment to me in an editorial or article for which I was not interviewed. “And some Democrats have put their bets on Craddick, such as Austin’s Dawnna Dukes.” No one at your paper talked to me concerning this issue or this editorial. I would truly appreciate it if the paper would name the person(s) quoted in this article and not attribute their comment to me whom you have not interviewed.
Now her opponent, Austin attorney Brian Thompson, has weighed in, by saying that the Statesman didn't need to check with her, because it was only "stating the obvious" -- Dukes has indeed voted Tom Craddick for speaker in the '03, '05 and '07 sessions:
I don't understand why the incumbent is now blaming the Austin American-Statesman for merely stating a fact. The sky is blue, the grass is green, and Dawnna Dukes has supported the embattled Republican Speaker since 2003.
Thompson called on Dukes to pledge she will "never again" support Craddick in the future. Dukes so far has not said which way she would vote in '09, if re-elected.
Everyone, but everyone, has been offering their opinions on what happened in HD 97 last night, in which Democrat Dan Barrett pulled out a win in a district drawn to be a Republican stronghold. Some say it's a referendum on Craddick, which seems to be the narrative that will drive most Texas House races in the March primary, and perhaps, beyond. Here's a super short clip of State Representative Mark Strama, D-Austin, weighing in on the win this morning.
Also, here are some more short takes by various folks, speaking to various outlets:
"I'm in a district of independent-minded voters who were smart enough and cared enough to vote for change." -Winner Dan Barrett, as reported by the FWST
"I still believe this is a conservative district. We had a very low voter turnout today. I think this is fully a function of voter turnout" --Losing candidate Mark Shelton, to the AP.
"Tonight's outcome in the HD97 special election proves beyond the shadow of a doubt that Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick is a sinking ship for the Republican Party in Texas." --State Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, in a statement
"The unexpected certainly took place. It wasn't about Craddick. It was a special election in the middle of Christmas season." -Austin consultant and HillCo partner Bill Miller, to the AP
All right, the Texas Dems got their chance to gloat, after Dan Barrett pulled out a stunning victory over Republican Mark Shelton in HD 97. Now the Texas GOP takes their turn to rhetorically burst the bubble of celebrating Democrats. Here's Texas GOP Chairman Tina Benkiser:
This is a temporary victory for the most liberal wing of the Texas Democratic Party as the victor will never get to cast a single vote. It will also serve as a rallying cry for the entire Texas Republican community to work together in November to fight these liberal incursions with one positive, conservative voice and vision.
I didn't believe Democrat Dan Barrett's early lead over Republican Mark Shelton in House District 97 would hold. I mean, that Southwest Fort Worth district is still considered Republican, and with the field narrowed down to two, I thought (perhaps naively) that "Craddick vs anti-Craddick" was no longer a factor in the race.
Now, 100% of precincts are back, and the anti-Craddick Democrat ACTUALLY WON. Barrett is likely helped by good turnout for a city council runoff, which was also on the ballot.
You can bet the Texas Democratic Party is gloating. I already recieved this from State Party Chair Boyd Richie:
Dan Barrett won in a district drawn by Republicans to elect a Republican, and his victory is a slap in the face to Speaker Tom Craddick and the failed Republican leadership in this state. Voters have sent a message that they are tired of "business as usual" in Austin and want leaders who will replace the pay-to-play politics of the Republican Party with a state government that works for all Texans.
Of course, Dan Barrett only ran to run again next year (Mowery stepped down before completing her term). But being an incumbent always helps.
Late posting this Tuesday because we've been busy taking some of the questions about Austin State Rep. Dawnna Dukes's improper campaign finance reporting directly to Dukes, who was kind enough to stop by KVUE's capitol office to talk to us.
Recent reports by Texas Weekly and others have pointed out Dukes spent more than $89,000 on 19 different credit cards without attributing the vendors. (The ethics commission requires filers to itemize the purchases on their campaign credit cards.)
Dukes says she, like many other lawmakers, didn't know that the credit card spending needed to be itemized until a clarification letter was sent by the ethics commission last year. She's filling an amended report.
See Dukes on the air tonight at six. Meanwhile, here is the excel spreadsheet of Dukes expenditures since 2000. I've included here two other sheets (use the tabs at the bottom of the screen to jump sheet to sheet), where the expenditures are organized by description and payee.
More voices are chiming in after Attorney General Greg Abbott released his official opinion on House Speaker Tom Craddick's powers.
The following statement was issued by Rep. Geanie Morrison (current chair), Rep. Dan Flynn, Rep. Phil King (current chair), Rep. Jim Murphy (loyal freshman), Rep. Diane Patrick (loyal freshman), Rep. David Swinford (current chair) and Rep. John Zerwas (loyal freshman):
“The attorney general’s opinion is a strong confirmation that the speaker respected the constitution and the rules, and that a speaker’s contest should end, not begin, on the first day of session. During the 140 days legislators are in Austin, the focus must be on addressing the business of the people and not political agendas. While we support a member’s right to inquire about the rules and the democratic process spelled out in the constitution, with this opinion now issued we hope our most vigorous debates will be focused on the matters that most directly impact Texans, such as border security, property rights, education reform and fiscal discipline.”
If Craddick is re-elected to a fourth term as speaker, Patrick, Murphy and Zerwas have certainly proven their loyalty and may very well join the ranks of chairmen. After all, there will be lots of vacancies to fill.
If you've been too busy making the holiday party/holiday shopping rounds to get your normal dose of politics this weekend, here's a quick review... some "one-stop-shopping", if you will:
Abbott Sides with Craddick
After pushing back its release by several hours, the Attorney General eventually came out with his opinion on questions posed by Craddick's challengers after acrimonious final days of the session.
Craddick had argued he couldn't be removed by the 150 member body that voted him in; instead, that he was a statewide officer akin to Lt. Gov Dewhurst, who could only be removed by impeachment, which requires 2/3rds of the House AND Senate.
Abbott ultimately sided with Craddick on the question, in a move the DMN's Karen Brooks calls "a blow against insurgent lawmakers who tried to oust the speaker at the end of the legislative session".
Ronnie Earle Era Ending
The Travis County District Attorney announced Friday he would be stepping down at the end of his term, setting up a scramble in Austin for his job and speculation as to whether Earle will run for governor in 2010. AP's Kelley Shannon says it marks "an end to a three-decade reign in which he battled some of the biggest names in Texas politics".
Cornyn Officially In
Sitting US Senator John Cornyn filed his papers for re-election Saturday morning at the state GOP headquarters. The Houston Chronicle's RG Ratcliffe woke up early Saturday to attend the filing event, and files this report.
Ron Paul Rakes It In
On the 234th anniverary of the Boston Tea Party on Sunday, Ron Paul's Austin supporters marched from the Texas capitol to Lady Bird Lake, where they dumped tea into the water (temporarily) as part of a national one-day fundraiser, which wound up taking in $5 million for the Texas Congressman.
Nationally...
Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama won competing newspaper endorsements, Obama snagging The Boston Globe's, and Clinton picking up that of the Des Moines Register. (What do endorsements matter, you may ask. But in the early states of Iowa and New Hampshire, candidates have credited the endorsements for giving them a three to five point bump.)
Both papers agreed on McCain as their candidate of choice in the Republican race. McCain also won the backing of Democrat-turned independent Joe Lieberman, which will be official tomorrow. The Politico says the endorsement "is an effort to draw attention to the McCain campaign, which needs a splash."
What's Ahead...
Tuesday is election day in Tarrant County, where Democrat Dan Barrett and Republican Mark Shelton are facing off in the runoff for the Texas House seat of retired State Rep. Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth. Moritz/Batheja of the Star-Telegram report "early voting has been relatively slow since it opened Monday."
The race has been full of surprises (Shelton wasn't expected to make the runoff), shenanigans (anonymous election day robocalling that criticized the record of leading Republican candidates), and money -- Craddick and his financial supporters coming to the aid of physician Mark Shelton, who has pledged his support to the embattled speaker.
Unrelated... Perhaps Dallas Cowboys fans should ban together and put pressure on Tony Romo to ditch that Jessica Simpson, who I am blaming for the disaster at Texas Stadium on Sunday.
Okay we're clearly not breaking any news here, but just an FYI...
House Speaker Tom Craddick has filed the necessary paperwork to run for his 943rd term as state representative from his Midland district. (Okay, it's actually his 21st term. But I was close.)
Once he wins another term as rep, he's expected to run for speaker again, too.
Some rapid response just landed in my inbox. Diana Maldonado, the Round Rock ISD trustee running for Krusee's seat as a Democrat, is weighing in on his retirement. Here's the bulk of her statement, which popped in my inbox about 24 seconds ago:
Despite widespread rumors of political payback for his steadfast support of toll road privatization plans, Mike Krusee failed to state why he is stepping down, how he will be rewarded, or what backroom meetings took place in the planning of this announcement, just days before official candidate filing opens.
It’s this type of political arrogance that has led people to be justifiably suspicious of the Governor’s toll road plans. Krusee, the lead proponent for the Trans Texas Corridor, has ignored the voters’ demand for information before. He was the only Representative out of 150 members to oppose a moratorium on toll road privatization which would have provided voters time to gain a better understanding of how billions of dollars would be spent, how development rights would be handed over, and how the face of our communities would be changed forever.
The goals he couldn’t reach legislatively, we are left to assume, he will pursue administratively. After all, the same disrespect he showed for voters in the past has been reinforced with his failure to answer questions today.
BTW, I snubbed him earlier b/c I didn't know, but my favorite iPhone addict, Ross Ramsey at Texas Weekly deserves the credit for breaking the retirement news.
Okay, he didn't really say peace out. But The Statesman is reporting that longtime State Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, is expected to announce his retirement from the Texas House. Krusee's also the House Transportation Committee chair.
Most folks around the Capitol expected this, largely because Krusee almost lost his re-election bid in 2006 to a woman whose biggest fundraiser was a spaghetti dinner. And because this spring, Krusee took a decidedly firm stance against House Speaker Tom Craddick, to whom he had long been loyal.
Krusee made a long, emotional speech on the Saturday before Sine Die, railing against the Speaker's handling of the moves to vacate the chair. Some said back then that it sounded like a goodbye speech -- now, it becomes the de facto goodbye.
Rumors are swirling that House Transportation Chair, State Rep Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, will opt out of running for another term. If he doesn't come back, he will join a wave of other members who have already decided not to attend the 81st session festivities:
State Rep. Robby Cook, D-Eagle Lake
State Rep. Dianne White Delisi, R-Temple, Public Health Chair
State Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, Local Ways and Means Chair
State Rep. Robert Puente, D-San Antonio, Natural Resources Chair
State Rep. Mike O'Day, R-Pearland
State Rep. Robert Talton, R-Pasadena, (likely running for US Representative)
State Rep. Rick Noriega, D-Houston, (left to run for US Senate)
State Rep. Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth, Land and Resource Mgmt Chair, already out
I feel like I'm forgetting someone. Am I?
People who are running again even though we they thought they weren't:
State Rep. Buddy West, R-Odessa
State Rep. Paul Moreno, D-El Paso
Looks like the race for District Ninety-Sizzle has narrowed to two. The R in the runoff is Mark Shelton, the Tarrant County pediatrician who raised and spent a lot less cash than fellow R's Craig Goldman and Bob Leonard.
KVUE: Elise Hu
The hog says "Fat? In the budget...? If you only knew!
Shelton's big issues are immigration and cutting the "pork" out of the state budget. In fact, he's the man who sent out a mailer a few weeks ago with a gigantic happy hog on the front of it.
Once you open up the mailer, you can find Dr. Shelton's prescription for the "fat state budget":
"Cut State Spending
Shelton will introduce legislation to limit the growth of the state budget to more than population growth and inflation...
Cut Property Taxes
Shelton will introduce legislation to increase the homestead exemption by 50%.
Cap Real Estate Appraisals
Shelton will introduce legislation to cap home appraisals at 3% per year and encourage real appraisal reform including taxpayer-elected appraisal board members.
Return Surplus to Taxpayers
...As your state representative, Mark Shelton will fighting to return your money to you, not spend it on new government programs."
Other lawmakers will probably tell Shelton all of that is easier said than done, as there's nothing new in his proposals there. Using pigs to make a political point is also not new, but it gets attention. I will never forget South Carolina GOP Governor Mark Sanford bringing live pigs into the House chamber to protest pork in the budget.
A commenter asked if I found any District 97 direct mail that talked about the House Speaker and his leadership, since this will likely be an issue in next year's House races.
Courtesy: Barrett campaign
One of four Dan Barrett mail pieces
To answer his question, the direct mail dump I received didn't include any pieces that made reference to Craddick; all my mail was from Republican candidates, none of whom has ruled out supporting the current speaker. The only candidate in the race who does not support Craddick is the Democrat, and his pieces DEFINITELY refer to the current leadership. Full mailer is here.
The six pawns shown in the image are clearly a reference to the other six candidates in the race. Craddick is referred to as "iron-fisted" and responsible for a "record of scandals and failures" before the bottom of the mailer reads, "Choose Change! Choose Dan Barrett!"
It's Christmas in October. Check out all this direct mail I got from my friend in District Ninety Sizzle (97, Fort Worth). Two major themes emerge from the barrage of mail pieces that are flying into mailboxes -- cracking down on illegal immigration and cutting out all the "pork" in the budget. (One piece actually has a huge hog on the front).
KVUE: Elise Hu
Voters in District 97 get treated to a weekly direct mail blizzard that looks like this
The majority of the mail comes from the candidates with the most money, which is no surprise. So you've got Craig Goldman and Bob Leonard dominating the mailboxes -- Leonard even rushed out a piece featuring the FWST's endorsement just two days after the endorsement ran in the paper.
I'm seeing a lot of pictures of candidate families, a picture of Young Craig Goldman shaking hands with former US Senator Phil Gramm (who he worked for back in the day), and of course, the hog. The hog runs in Republican Mark Shelton's ad, and it has a talk bubble above it that says "Fat? In the budget...? If you only knew!"
I may be an Austin reporter, but I can't help keeping an eye on that Fort Worth state house race -- after all, it IS the only house race happening this year.
The news this morning is the retiring rep, Anna Mowery, is publicly backing former State Rep. Bob Leonard in the race for her seat. You could say she's showing her "comittment" to him.
It's a ringing endorsement (emphasis mine):
"I think he's very well-qualified, and he's got a fine family, and he seems to be fairly rational," Mowery said.
ALSO - my eyes and ears in District 97 report Goldman is running away with the non-scientific "people-who-put-out-campaign-signs" vote.
This weekend I got my paws on a bunch of direct mail from the House District 97 race. (Highlight of the weekend.) It's this year's only Texas House race, because it's a special election. (State Rep. Anna Mowery retired before her term ends next fall.) The winner will just have to run all over again next year. (More direct mail!)
Remember the misspelling in Bob Leonard's education ad? Here it is...
Obviously, this was not on purpose. (Leonard blames fancy graphics that don't allow for spell check.) And he still scored the endorsement from his hometown paper. Click here to read.
Oops, did I accidentally misspell "mistake"? I guess there's a "t" where it didn't belong. Glad I only did it in this limited forum, unlike Texas House District 97 candidate Bob Leonard, who's latest mailer has an extra "t" in a piece on education. (Leonard's in a seven-way race in a special election for retired State Rep. Anna Mowery's seat. Six of the seven candidates are Republicans.)
The House Democratic Campaign Committee hosted its low-dollar fundraising event at Scholz's tonight, where some journalists were able to wander in without getting thrown out. (Wayne Slater tried this at the Fred Thompson luncheon a few weeks ago, but was not so successful).
KVUE: Elise Hu
Central Texas lawmakers and friends take stage, Rodriguez takes mic
Musical stylings were provided by The Bad Precedents, the 80th session's favorite party band. Fun and barbecue aside, the event's aim was to help drum up support for Democratic candidates who might be vulnerable next year -- in Central Texas, State Rep. Valinda Bolton and State Rep. Donna Howard are in seats formerly held by Republicans. Local GOPers say (Howard's) HD 48 should be the more competitive one. More photos after the jump.
We ran into freshman State Rep. Allen Vaught, D-Dallas, on Congress Avenue today. He admitted he was in town raising some money, as he could have a tough race for re-election. We wanted to chat more with Vaught, but an aide whisked him away saying, "We've GOT TO go." (Someday I would like the job of whisking people away, it seems kind of fun.)
Meanwhile, the special election for the vacated seat State Rep. Anna Mowery, R-Fort Worth, is now a month away, and it looks like Craig Goldman (whose successful fundraiser we noted last week) has raised himself a nice stash of cash.
Campaign reports now online show Goldman raised $181,000, and reports only spending $17,000, leaving $162,000 in the kitty.
His closest competitor in the dash-for-cash is former state lawmaker Bob Leonard, who reports $113,000 in cash on hand after raising $47,320.
Ohhhh, who are the people in your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
In your neighborhood?
Say, who are the people in your neighborhood?
The people that you meet each day -Bob from Sesame Street
On PBS' Sesame Street, Bob sings this catchy song and it's followed by different muppet neighbors (the postman, the fireman) who walk in and introduce themselves with their own verses of the song. For instance, the news dealer:
Oh the newsdealer is the man you need
If you want to get some stuff to read
If you want a paper or a comic book
My newsstand in the place to look
(Then, back to chorus)
This brings me to the news from H-Chron that term-limited Houston City Councilwoman Carol Alvarado is moving into US Senate Candidate Rick Noriega's neighborhood, presumably because she wants to run for Noriega's open house seat.
In honor of this move, I have created a new verse for "People in your Neighborhood" if a politician moves in.
Oh, a politician is brave it's said
They gotta keep their campaign kitty's fed
If there's a rumor somewhere about
They'll be sure to put it out
Cause politicians are people in your neighborhood
In your neighborhood
They're in your neighborhood
Well, they're the people that you meet
When you're walking down the street
They're the people that you meet each day
I'm told Goldman's brother (a managing director at Public Strategies) hosted a fundraiser for him last night in Austin, and there's another one planned for tonight in Dallas.
Big names showed up -- State Senator Kyle Janek, State Senator Florence Shapiro (who introduced him) and House Speaker Tom Craddick. Goldman has already pledged support to Craddick. While it sounds like Craddick didn't make any formal statements to the group, his showing up says a lot on its own.
