Rick Perry vs World

13 October 2013

It would make good political theater

Ted Cruz won his battle with some leftist heckers, and while doing so made a pretty interesting offer:

Turning to the media sitting at the back of the ballroom at a Washington hotel, he made what appeared to be an impromptu offer to President Barack Obama.

"If he wants to get 100 of his most rabid political operatives in a room I'll answer their questions on television as long as he likes," he said. "In exchange, all I'd ask, Mr. President, is you take not 100 but 10 of the men and women in this room" and spend half an hour answering their questions.

I'd pay to see that.

Posted by Evan @ 10/13/13 09:25 PM | Comments (0)

10 October 2013

Trey Martinez Fischer is a phony

I think someone had mentioned this to me awhile back, but I had forgotten it. Watchdog.org on Trey Martinez Fischer:

Ferdinand Frank Fischer, III would be a great name for a Mexican monarchist trying to reclaim the crown of Emperor Maximilian, but it’s a lousy name for an ambitious American politician from a Latino district of San Antonio.

That's why Fischer ditched it years ago, trying on a couple of monikers before building a name for himself as Trey Martinez Fischer, politician on the rise.

Before he ran for office, Fischer was reportedly known as Tracy Fischer.

Even better, Fischer breaks the law:

In March 2011, Fischer was all over the news arguing against a voter ID bill that Texas was about to pass. He even gave a deposition in the suit over that law, Texas v. Holder, which the U.S. Supreme Court ultimately decided in Texas’ favor.

His story was that his own mother would be one of those poor people disenfranchised by a requirement to show a driver license when voting.

"My mother doesn't have one," was his exact quote. The media lapped it up, as actual examples of this sort of disenfranchised voter are nearly impossible to find.

During Fischer's deposition in the federal case, a lawyer for the state of Texas confronted Fischer with a current copy of his mother’s driver license. It was valid when Fischer had given his press conference, and it had recently been renewed until 2017. Fischer had lied.

The Dallas Morning News was the only newspaper to accurately report the incident. The Houston Chronicle buried it, and presented it as some sort of misunderstanding.

Still, Fischer was adamant that the law would be a problem, and it may well be for him. If there is anyone genuinely invested in the principle that one shouldn't have to prove his identity, it's Fischer. In the days of slacker ID requirements, he registered to vote as Ferdinand Martinez Fischer, III.

Of course, it's also illegal to run for office using multiple pseudonyms, but that didn't stop "Trey Martinez Fischer."

Posted by Evan @ 10/10/13 09:58 PM | Comments (0)

06 October 2013

Will John Cornyn get a primary challenger?

There is a now a chance that John Cornyn is not a senator in 2015. While Ted Cruz led the fight against ObamaCare, John Cornyn was busy chatting up a Politico reporter. The level of disappointment and anger among opinion leaders in the conservative grassroots is off-the-charts.

I don't mean to suggest that Cornyn is likely to be defeated. Far from it. There isn't an obvious challenger with credibility who could raise enough money. There aren't that many months left before primary day. But for the first time, it is a possibility.

John Cornyn is the consummate insider. Karl Rove picked him to take over Phil Gramm's seat, and then cleared the field of serious challengers. He carried the legislation that no one else wanted to during W's time in office. He headed the NRSC -- not very well, if we're being honest -- and used that as a springboard to leadership.

Cornyn won't be caught by surprise. He's hired FreedomWorks staffers for his campaign. He's sending out "John Cornyn: Conservative" bumper stickers with letters from George Strake. For awhile he was matching Cruz vote-for-vote in ways that were uncharacteristic for him (eg John Kerry's nomination to Foggy Bottom).

If you talk to conservative activists, there is a palpable level of anger over Cornyn's stance on ObamaCare. Even if it is just a tactical difference, Republicans want leaders who will stand and fight ObamaCare on every single field of battle. Cornyn didn't. And many have not forgotten how Cornyn voted for some of the bailouts like TARP.

Who could challenge John Cornyn?

Lawrence Person suggested Louie Gohmert, Mike McCaul and Don Willett to challenge Cornyn. Others have suggested Dewhurst, which is laughable since his record is to the left of Cornyn's. Gohmert and Willett seem unlikely to run.

McCaul has the money -- and voted against TARP -- but opted out of a 2012 run. Conventional wisdom would have said that the 2012 open seat is easier, so I rather doubt that he risks his US House seniority on the race. Here's a couple of names I've heard:

Jonathan Stickland. The freshman Texas House member wasted no time criticizing Cornyn for not fighting ObamaCare. He's from vote-rich DFW, has tea party connections, led conservatives in the last session, and is a great retail politician. He'd find it tough to raise the money, but to make this race you've got to have talent. He appears to have it.

Michael Quinn Sullivan. Who else has the same credibility with the grassroots that he does? He is known for being vocal about standing and fighting for conservative principles -- which is exactly the theme that any Cornyn challenger would have to play with note-for-note perfection. I have heard rumors of a Draft MQS campaign, although I remain skeptical that he would run.

George P Bush. Given that he's taken the extremely risk-averse step of running for land commissioner, it is unlikely that he would run. Still, he could raise the money and potentially run to Cornyn's right. I see zero chance of it happening, but if it did his chances as an early Ted Cruz endorser would be decent.

I've also heard rumors of leaders from various tea parties running. And unlike Erick Erickson's post on RedState, I do not think Rafael Cruz is going to run. Who knows -- maybe Steve Mostyn will decide to bankroll a Debra Medina run?*

We're still a long way from primary and runoff day. Some of the ire against Cornyn for his stance on defunding ObamaCare will dissipate by then. If anyone credible makes the race, they'll have to run a near-perfect campaign. They'll pick up the illegal immigration hardliners that have long been skeptical of Cornyn and people mad about how Cornyn supported TARP, but then they have to show why they'll be better at leading the fight against ObamaCare. That's not easy, but then again: nothing unites conservative, moderate and libertarian Republicans like fighting ObamaCare...and right now Cornyn is on the wrong side of the issue.

* Probably not, of course, because Mostyn stands to profit from passing bills in the legislature that allow him to make windfall profits. Not so much in the US Senate.

Posted by Evan @ 10/06/13 08:53 PM | Comments (1)

03 October 2013

Clearly a slow news day

Isn't it time that Democratic political consultants in Texas got a huge payday from Hollywood and San Fran liberals? #WendyDavisSlogans
— Evan PVW (@PerryVsWorld) October 4, 2013

W Davis hired non-Texans for the band at her campaign kickoff? Yikes #txgov
— Evan PVW (@PerryVsWorld) October 3, 2013

Si nos hiciéramos más como el estado fracasado de California, seríamos grandes. #WendyDavisSlogans
— Evan PVW (@PerryVsWorld) October 3, 2013

I represent the Democratic wing of the (California) Democratic Party #WendyDavisSlogans
— Evan PVW (@PerryVsWorld) October 3, 2013

W Davis realized she was going to lose to @konniburton so she figured she may as well run for #txgov to audition for MSNBC gig
— Evan PVW (@PerryVsWorld) October 4, 2013

Posted by Evan @ 10/03/13 08:31 PM | Comments (0)

22 September 2013

Entourage, as in the HBO show?

Bill and Hillary Clinton:

Though they spoke frequently by phone, Bill and Hillary were rarely in the same country. By chance, their paths crossed in Bogotá, where they had dinner together -- then, owing to their massive entourages, returned to their respective hotels.

Yes, it was their entourages that kept them apart. Surely.

Posted by Evan @ 09/22/13 10:37 PM | Comments (0)

20 September 2013

Everything that is wrong with the federal government in one clause

Roll Call:

But there's one provision tucked into the [continuing resolution to fund the federal government] that may anger constituents back home: Among the various sections of the House-passed CR are 28 words that would pay $174,000 to the widow of the late Sen. Frank R. Lautenberg, D-N.J.

"Sec. 134. Notwithstanding any other provision of this joint resolution, there is appropriated for payment to Bonnie Englebardt Lautenberg, widow of Frank R. Lautenberg, late a Senator from New Jersey, $174,000."

In 2011, the 50% mark for American household income was $50,000. Lautenberg is super rich: he's probably worth about $100 million dollars. And yet Congress is giving his widow $174,000. For no good reason.

But there's no waste in the federal government. Riiiiight.

Posted by Evan @ 09/20/13 09:54 PM | Comments (0)

19 September 2013

Least insightful news analysis of the year?

This might be one of the most ridiculous ledes I have read in awhile. Hearst:

State Sen. Donna Campbell's campaign released a poll Tuesday that showed her with a strong lead over her primary challenger Mike Novak, but also indicated she has lost 15 percent of voters from the same pool who elected her last year over seven-term incumbent Sen. Jeff Wentworth.

In a primary election between Campbell and Novak, 51 percent said they would vote for Campbell and 11 percent chose Novak, while 38 percent are undecided.
Analysis: Campbell won last year's primary runoff against Wentworth with 66 percent of the vote, indicating she has dropped in support, according to her own poll numbers. The large number of undecided voters, 38 percent, leaves Novak, or any challenger, room to work to usurp votes.

I have no doubt that Campbell's opponent will fundraise well. But Wentworth couldn't beat her even with all the advantages of decades of incumbency. What is Novak going to do -- criticize Donna Campbell for not spending enough? Call himself a conservative and blur the difference?

The poll doesn't show "room to work." It shows a race that is pretty close to over. Perhaps the sample is flawed, but one might note that the pollster has a pretty good record in Texas in recent years.

Posted by Evan @ 09/19/13 11:27 PM | Comments (0)

14 September 2013

Reality is sometimes offensive to journalists?

Imagine if a Republican had just lost an election in Kansas after passing right-wing social legislation. Then a Republican politician in California runs for governor by doubling-down on the issue. You would probably label that California Republican out-of-touch. Stupid. An idiot, even. Definitely not a serious candidate for governor.

Of course, that's exactly what just happened. Two Colorado state senators just lost recall elections in very blue districts that Obama carried by over 20 points against Mitt Romney after they passed gun control legislation.* They were the first legislators to ever be recalled in Colorado, and one of them lost by over 12 points in what were "high-profile special elections."

Strangely, Wendy Davis decided to cement her image as an ideologue liberal by telling a reporter that she would "happily" sign gun control legislation that is similar to what Democrats passed in Colorado. A right-wing blogger labeled her "too stupid to be governor."

And yet for some reason the Dallas Morning News and Christy Hoppe think this is newsworthy.

I look forward to the day when Texas journalists get equally offended by the names that left-wing bloggers call Republican politicians. Off the top of my head, I can think of fascist, ***hole, and bat**** crazy yet I don't recall Hoppe writing a single article in indignation when Democratic politicians retweet those bloggers.

* PPP sat on a poll that showed the Democrats in trouble.

Posted by Evan @ 09/14/13 04:16 PM | Comments (0)

03 September 2013

Outbox

Just want to holler in favor of Outbox for those of you in Austin.

Outbox picks up your snail mail, digitizes it and then lets you do a whole bunch of cool stuff with it. They're only in Austin and San Fran right now, so this is an opportunity to be an early adapter.

Disclaimer: Facebook says the founders and I have mutual friends from all over the country.

Posted by Evan @ 09/03/13 10:21 AM | Comments (0)

02 September 2013

"I'm the Dewhurst of 2014"

It's been a week and a half, but I'm still amused by a Todd Staples email (subject: BREAKING NEWS) that lead with:

Today, Texas Weekly released an "Inside Intelligence" poll reflecting our team taking the lead in the race for Lt. Governor!

Yes, this is the same Insider Intelligence that said Dewhurst was a sure thing from start to finish. 75% of them thought Dewhurst was going to win the runoff, just a few weeks before he went down in a double digit defeat.

Instead of bragging about it, I'd be concerned.

Posted by Evan @ 09/02/13 08:08 AM | Comments (0)

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