TX-17: Bill Flores Lies, Tries to Backtrack From His Lie for the Second Time in Two Months

by: Phillip Martin, Progress Texas

Mon May 24, 2010 at 05:25 PM CDT

The Dallas Morning News reports that Republican candidate Bill Flores, running against Democrat Chet Edwards in Texas-17, is backtracking on his suggestion that the federal government should not be guaranteeing loans for the construction and expansion of nuclear power plants. From their article, "GOP House candidate Bill Flores backtracks on loans for nuclear power plants":

Nuclear power is a key issue in Edwards' conservative-leaning Central Texas district, home to Comanche Peak nuclear power plant. The plant is being considered for expansion, and most utilities say loan guarantees are essential for building new plants because of the high costs of financing the projects.

The Flores campaign initially called Edwards' claims dishonest and denied ever speaking against the loan guarantees. But after the Edwards' staff released the audio and specifics of Flores' comments at a Waco tea party event in February, Flores aides said he had changed his mind since then.

Edwards' spokeswoman Megan Jacobs said, "Mr. Flores cannot hide from his real position, no matter how hard he tries."

• Flores got recruited to run in the district by the NRCC, and knows little to nothing about the district. ("TX-17: NRCC Candidate Bill Flores Stumbling in the Home Stretch")

• Bill Flores got caught lying about his voting record already. ("TX-17: Republican Bill Flores Caught in Lie")

• Flores made his original statements -- about how the federal government shouldn't be in the business of guaranteeing federal loans -- back in February. As the DMN article mentions, the Chet Edwards campaign has the audio, and released it on YouTube.
  
  
• After Edwards released the audio, Flores switched sides. Flores' campaign manager, the utterly unintelligent Matt MacKowiak, argued the following in the DMN story:
  

  Mackowiak said that after the Waco event, Flores spoke to several power companies that own nuclear facilities and they stressed the need for the loan guarantees
  

  You know why Flores didn't say the right thing the first time? Because Bill Flores an NRCC-recruit who doesn't know a thing about the district.