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Dick Armey is a former Texas Congressman turned lobbyist and FreedomWorks leader who has been called a "master scaremonger" for his lead role in organizing the protests at congressional town halls across the nation. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has seen her plans to stroll into the Governor's office complicated in part because of Gov. Perry's harsh attacks on her "Washington ties" and initial support for bailouts, happily touted Armey's endorsement of her in a campaign email earlier today. What is interesting about the timing of Armey's e-mail from the Hutchison campaign is that in the past week Armey has received absolutely horrible press. And for good reason. - On Meet the Press this past Sunday, Armey compared Medicare to "tyranny."
- Politico reported that Armey was demanding conservative groups pay as much as $10,000 to participate in the so-called "grassroots" Tea Party March in Washington.
- Michael B. Laskoff wrote that Armey's latest antics were the mark of "just a politician, turned lobbyist, who misses the limelight."
- Finally, Armey was forced to leave his firm DLA Piper because of conflicts of interest between his lobbying and the aims of FreedomWorks.
So how did Dick Armey end what has been an absolutely horrible week for his public image? By sending an e-mail promoting Kay Bailey Hutchison's campaign for governor. Only a Republican who was a leader of the congressional town hall protests, probably the biggest example of astroturfing in recent history and politics at its very worst, could send an email entitled "Texas needs results, not politics" without even a hint of irony. Dick Armey is one of the last people qualified to lecture about "results" over "politics" and his coziness to Hutchison, while it may be a help to her among hardcore conservative activists, is further evidence of just how out of touch Senator Hutchison really is with mainstream Texans. |
