| Ed. note: This post has been updated since its original posting. See below. Gov. Rick Perry named Austin political consultant and lobbyist Ray Sullivan as his new Chief of Staff today. Sullivan, who will replace Jay Kimbrough effective July 1, has much more experience in politics than policy. Of course, as the line between the Governor's Office and Rick Perry's re-election campaign continues to practically disappear in anticipation of the Republican primary next March, Sullivan may be a perfect fit. Sullivan was Perry's Deputy Chief of Staff when he first became Governor and has worked on campaigns for George W. Bush, George H.W. Bush, and Kay Bailey Hutchison. He also served as Hutchison's assistan press secretary during her first year in the Senate. Perry's praise of outgoing chief of staff Kimbrough also provides us with what may be the best (unintentional) backhanded compliment of the year, from the Statesman's Postcards from the Lege: “This session’s achievements are a real tribute to the leadership of Jay Kimbrough.”
Update by Phillip: Meanwhile, it appears that Governor Rick Perry vetoed legislation that would have put a hold on the revolving door of lobbyists at the local level. Senate Bill 2468 by Democrat Mario Gallegos and sponsored by Rep. Garnet Coleman in the House was vetoed today, according to a press release from Rep. Coleman: It shouldn't be a surprise that Governor Perry would veto a bill that closed the revolving door of employees on the local level where individuals have rotated in and out of county government and the private sector. These actions send a bad message to Texans when it appears that their government works for the highest bidder instead of its own constituents. [...]
I think the Governor is well aware of these circumstances given the number of employees he has had that have rotated from the public sector, to the private sector and back again. He vetoed this bill on the same day he named a former lobbyist that was a former employee of his to his chief of staff position(1, 2). At least 17 former Perry aides are now registered lobbyists according to a Dallas Morning News report (3). This includes a former state representative that formed a lobby firm, left to be Governor Perry's chief of staff from 2002 - 2004, and then returned to his lobby practice (4). He was followed by another former state representative that had become a lobbyist and returned to serve as legislative director until returning to the private sector.(5)
Sources: 1. Press Release: Gov. Perry Names Sullivan Chief of Staff, http://governor.state.tx.us/news/press-release/12606/
2. Texas Ethics Commission Registration, Ray Sullivan, http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/tedd/lobcon2009d.htm
3. Dallas Morning News, Jan 6, 2009 http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/longterm/stories/010609dnproson1revolve.2c8f642.html
4. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/img/01-09/0104PRO_toomey.pdf
5. http://governor.state.tx.us/news/appointment/5098/
Hiring a lobbyist as Chief of Staff the same day he vetoes legislation to stop the revolving door between lobbyists and the government -- all in a day's work for Rick Perry. |
