Rick Perry vs World

30 January 2006

Democratic primary coverage

Bud Kennedy's column in the FWST mocks the Democrats running for governor:

The Democratic candidates for governor will campaign tonight at a chili supper in Hurst.

This seems haywire in so many ways.

First, who knew the Democrats had a candidate for governor? Much less two?

All we hear about is the latest globetrotting jaunt of Gov. Rick "Proud of Texas" Perry. Or the latest wisecracks by his independent challengers, who I think are really the same person dressing up as One Kinky Grandma.

It gets worse from there.

Meanwhile, Gromer Jeffers takes the "Dirty Thirty" narrative and writes about Bob Gammage, Ben Grant, and Fred Head's respective bids for the Democratic nomination for governor, lieutenant governor, and comptroller.

Appalled by corruption, a mixed group of reform-minded Texans rises up and, against all odds, defeats the powers that be.

It's a story line from the 1970s, but some of the players are hoping for a repeat more than three decades later.

Several former Democratic state House members who were part of the anti-corruption group called the "Dirty 30" are running for statewide office. Former Texas Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage, a candidate for governor, tops the Dirty 30 ticket. Joining him are former District Judge Ben Z. Grant, who is running for lieutenant governor, and Fred Head, who is running for comptroller.

Republicans say the group's portrayal of widespread wrongdoing is absurd, and they note that a 1970s revival shows how Democrats are bereft of strong candidates. But the Democratic crusaders have brought new attention to a group of legislators whose exploits had nearly faded from the political scene.

"They threw a speaker of the House out before, and half the House and half the Senate out before, when the Dirty 30 focused the light of day on what was going on," Mr. Gammage said. "If I can help focus attention on what's going on in Austin today, that's my mission."

...

"If everybody who ever heard of the Dirty 30 voted for Bob Gammage, Chris Bell would still be the winner of the Democratic primary," said Jason Stanford, a spokesman for Mr. Bell. "It's hard to base a campaign on a history lesson."

And Ms. Farenthold, the group's den mother, is backing Mr. Bell over Mr. Gammage. Mr. Moreno, though, supports his former colleague.

"Just as the Dirty 30 bonded long ago, we need to rally behind Bob Gammage," he said. "We were needed then, and we're needed now."

Posted by Evan @ 01/30/06 11:57 AM | Comments (0)

28 January 2006

Bob Gammage and Chris Bell on the trail

Robert Garret writes on the Democratic primary in the Dallas Morning News:

They might be fighting for the right to come in third – or even fourth – in the race for Texas governor, but that doesn't mean Chris Bell and Bob Gammage are going through the motions.

Rather, they're scrambling to convince voters that the race can be won by a Democrat – if not by the other guy.

They take similar positions on school finance, taxes and social issues. But that's where the similarities end.

Mr. Bell, a former congressman, pitches himself as the "candidate of the future" who has plans to lower school dropout rates and make college more affordable.

Mr. Gammage says he's "a messenger" about a state government that's in bed again with big political donors.

Mr. Bell is almost professorial in his approach, reading from handwritten notes on school-binder paper at the Alamo last week. (He has two sons in grade school.) In five minutes, he was through.

He believes he'll win because Democrats appreciate his courage for jumping into the race last February.

"I was the only one out there carrying the message about the need to continue the fight, not to give up just because 2004 wasn't a banner year for Democrats," he said.

Mr. Gammage is a dynamic speaker who says he felt compelled to run after recognizing there was no Democrat in the race with a "fire in the belly and energy in their blood."

...

Mr. Gammage's decision last month to run upset Mr. Bell, who had been cruising to the nomination after several big-name Democrats declined to run.

But even as Mr. Bell says the competition will probably improve his name recognition and sharpen his game, he's trained unrelenting fire on Mr. Gammage in recent days.

He says that when Mr. Gammage served a term as a Houston-area congressman in 1977-78, he cast votes against raising the minimum wage and letting Medicaid cover the costs of abortions for rape and incest victims.

"He was very much out of synch with what I consider to be Democratic values," Mr. Bell said.

Mr. Gammage responded that he cast "a lot of good votes" while in Congress, though he regrets some.

"Are you going to grade my whole political life on two years I spent in Washington?" Mr. Gammage asked. He touts his 23 years in public life, including two years as a state senator and 13 as a judge.

Mr. Gammage acknowledges having to play catch-up. He's been out of politics for more than a decade, and he got a late start. But, he says, Mr. Bell has made little headway.

This primary fascinates me; I only wish Alvarado were still in the race. How important will it be for Bell to have spent more than a year campaigning? Will Bell and Gammage end up trying to out-liberal each other? Given the dynamics of the general election, it would seem to make sense right now for them to do so.

Posted by Evan @ 01/28/06 10:43 AM | Comments (0)

27 January 2006

Rudy Giuliani endorses Rick Pery

Shannon -- AP:

Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has endorsed Texas Gov. Rick Perry for re-election, calling him a "strong and determined leader" and urging Republicans to contribute money to Perry's campaign.

Giuliani's comments are contained in a national mailer to potential Republican contributors in Texas and other states. The mass mailing was paid for by the Perry campaign, which would not disclose the cost.

Giuliani, who shepherded his city through the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and is a potential Republican presidential contender, praised Perry in the campaign literature for his response to hurricanes that hit Louisiana and Texas last fall.

"A few months ago, in the aftermath of the terrible tragedies caused by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, our nation watched the state of Texas and its leader, Gov. Rick Perry, step up to support those in need," Giuliani's letter states.

Hmm. Remember how Mayor Giuliani was in San Antonio not too long ago?

Posted by Evan @ 01/27/06 09:01 PM | Comments (0)

Wes Clark speechifys for Bob Gammage

Kristen Mack has these quotes from Wes Clark's endorsement speech at a rally for Bob Gammage:

"I support Bob Gammage because he's the strongest Democrat in this race and has the most progressive platform for the people of Texas," said Clark, who unsuccessfully sought the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination.

"He is a proven leader who will fight for the needs of all Texans, not the lobbyists, the special interests or the powerful partisan elites. He's grown up with Texas values of independence, integrity and commitment to family and neighbors and he will carry those values into the governor's office. I look forward to helping him in his fight to build a better Texas."

Gammage chaired Clark's '04 campaign in Texas, so it's not too surprising. I'm more interested in how much Gammage raised from the Clark fundraiser. I have an email in to the Gammage campaign to find out.

Posted by Evan @ 01/27/06 03:10 PM | Comments (0)

26 January 2006

Chuck Todd's latest

National political handicapper Chuck Todd column-izes ten statewide races across the nation, five of which look more competitive, and five of which look less competitive.

Five races that appear less competitive now than a year ago:

2. Texas Governor: A year ago, Rick Perry (R) was trailing by double-digits in polls to likely primary challenger, Kay Bailey Hutchison. Now that Perry has no primary opposition, there are two independent challengers more serious than any potential Democratic nominee. Plus, Perry now has a record of accomplishment during Katrina that forever buried the "empty suit" description many a Republican used to whisper about him. Look, we're as fascinated by the two independents (Carole Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman) as the next junkie, but given how things looked for Perry a year ago, there's a lot of light at the end of his re-election tunnel.

It was around this time that Hutchison hired Terry Sullivan and Chad Wilbanks, and every indication was that she'd run.

Folks like Todd go a long way towards shaping the conventional wisdom, which is why I excerpt them here every now and then.

Posted by Evan @ 01/26/06 11:43 AM | Comments (1)

Candidates on national TV

Rick Perry is visiting Texas troops in Iraq.

Gov. Rick Perry, during a surprise visit with Texas troops in Iraq Tuesday, urged Americans to remain patient despite fresh reports of a rebuilding effort mired in problems.

"Obviously, you're not going to rebuild a country overnight, but I think this is going along very well," Perry told Fox News Channel in a televised interview at 10:10 p.m. Baghdad time.

"I think it's going along about as well as it can be considering the lack of infrastructure that was here even before the war started," he added.

The Texas governor was responding to published reports that an upcoming government study will show America's $25 billion reconstruction efforts in Iraq have been complicated by understaffing, infighting, a lack of technical expertise and other problems.

Perry's trip to the Iraqi war zone, along with three other governors invited by the U.S. Department of Defense, was announced at the Texas Capitol by Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

Perry landed in Kuwait on Monday with Republican Gov. Mike Huckabee of Arkansas and Democratic Govs. Dave Freudenthal of Wyoming and Jim Doyle of Wisconsin, he said.

Perry got some face time on MSNBC and Fox News.

Meanwhile, Kinky Friedman was on Jay Leno. Nothing really notable about the show, most of his usual lines. Except at the end he said that Kate Beckinsale -- the headlining guest -- was a candidate for First Lady. Can't blame him for trying, but really, Kinky, she's married.

Posted by Evan @ 01/26/06 12:06 AM | Comments (1)

25 January 2006

Kinky Friedman on Jay Leno tonight

Kinky Friedman will be on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno tonight.

Posted by Evan @ 01/25/06 05:27 PM | Comments (0)

Bell: No school testing

Chris Bell has come out against school testing.

Posted by Evan @ 01/25/06 02:26 PM | Comments (3)

24 January 2006

Bell hits Strayhorn on school vouchers

Shannon -- AP:

Independent candidate for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn now says she's against private school vouchers but in the past took $100,000 in campaign donations from a millionaire voucher advocate, Democrat Chris Bell said Tuesday.

Bell criticized Strayhorn for saying she opposes using taxpayer money to send children to private schools. Her comments last week were aimed at Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who favors a pilot voucher program.

"Texas needs to trust that its leaders will have the courage of their convictions," Bell said. "When she says that vouchers are off the table, well, for how long? And when will they be back?"

Bell is vying for the Democratic nomination for governor against Bob Gammage in the March 7 primary. But Strayhorn's entry as an independent in this year's election means candidates aren't just concentrating on the spring primary but are looking ahead to potential opposition on the November general election ballot.
Bell said he always has opposed private school vouchers. He said Strayhorn - who has collected a large amount of her recent campaign cash from traditional Democratic donors - is trying to erase her past.

Strayhorn's campaign said Tuesday it would have no comment on Bell's criticism.

From 2000 to 2003, she accepted contributions totaling $100,000 from conservative San Antonio businessman James Leininger, a voucher supporter. Late in her 1998 run for state comptroller, Leininger secured a $950,000 loan to Strayhorn's campaign, and in the 1999 legislative session she supported a voucher plan that failed, Bell said.

If you were Bell's campaign, then why not? You need name ID, and don't have the money to easily buy it. Attacking is one way to get your name out there. It's a fair attack, since Strayhorn has supported vouchers in the past, so it shouldn't hurt Bell the way negative campaigning can.

Also, Strayhorn has the potential to undermine Democrats as well. Folks won't give money to Democrats if Strayhorn is outpolling them.

Posted by Evan @ 01/24/06 11:48 PM | Comments (0)

23 January 2006

There's no marketing like self-marketing

I've been writing frequently about the Chronicle's poll and the flaws I see in it over at Tom DeLay vs World.

Posted by Evan @ 01/23/06 12:46 PM | Comments (0)

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