| Let's go through Todd Hunter's no good, very bad week.
Sunday: Last Sunday's Corpus Christi Caller Times reported on Hunter's millions that he has received in payment for lobbying for insurance and energy companies, and his refusal to release his tax records. The Hunter campaign's latest position is that they won't release tax records because "it might not clear it up."
Monday: Following Gene Seaman's campaign strategy, Todd Hunter is a no-show at a major HD-32 debate at Texas A&M University at Corpus Christi. Local affiliates report that the debate goes on with Representative Garcia and Libertarian Leonard Nelson participating in front of a large crowd and 3 major television stations. (You can see the debate for yourself here.)
Tuesday: Desperate to change the subject, local GOP hack leadership produces and attempts to air a false and inflammatory TV ad about Garcia. Both KRIS (NBC) and KZTV (CBS) affiliates refuse to air the ad.
"We take our obligations as trustees of the public airways very seriously. We had concerns about the accuracy of some of the allegations in the advertisement, and on advice of legal counsel decided not to accept it." Billy Brotherton - General Manager KZTV.
After watching the ad, it's pretty clear why it was rejected.
Wednesday: With the nation in the midst of historic economic turmoil, the Hunter Campaign announces a "Town Hall" meeting ... at a Yacht Club.
Thursday: The mastermind of this strategy? Campaign consultant Steve Ray. Ethics report filings for Jan. 2008 - June 2008 shows that Hunter's campaign manager, Steve Ray, has been paid over $82,000. That is over $13,000 a month. Not sure what that $82,000 has bought the campaign.
Friday: With the Garcia Campaign starting their third week of unanswered saturation TV advertising, Hunter attempts to generate some media coverage ... by splitting a 30 minute segment on an AM radio talk show with the manager from "Mac's Bottomless Pit BBQ."
Saturday: With their TV ad rejected, the local GOP rocket scientists take to the airwaves with a radio ad, accusing Garcia of voting for a measure that would have increased windstorm rates for coastal residents. The Caller-Times publishes an "Ad Fact Check" pointing out that "what the ad doesn't say is that it passed unanimously in the Texas House," and that both candidates support similar measures.
Sunday: The Caller-Times endorses Garcia over Hunter.
Todd Hunter continues to have really bad weeks. The sad part is that most of this has been self-inflicted wounds. But then again, how does a Windstorm Insurance lobbyist explain to the Coastal Bend that he really wants to help them when he has been lobbying against them for 10 years. |
