Big news: today Dan Grant filed his paperwork to run for CD 10, the Central Texas congressional district currently held by Michael McCaul. Grant filed with the TDP for the iteration of CD 10 drawn by the San Antonio federal court. That district, which no longer includes uber-conservative Tom Ball Tomball in Harris County, is a pick-up opportunity for Democrats, who need to regain only 25 seats nationwide to retake the House of Representatives.
Grant's campaign released a statement today detailing his experience on foreign policy and national security, and his commitment to give working Texans a real voice in Congress. From the statement (reprinted in full below the jump):
Grant said he felt compelled to explore a run for Congress because the people of Central Texas need a Congressman who understands and who will look out for their best interests.
"Central Texans deserve a real voice in Congress. We deserve a voice that speaks up for our needs above the demands of wealthy special interests and Wall Street mega donors. For years it's been clear that millionaire Michael McCaul, the single richest member of Congress, is unable and unwilling to be that voice," Grant said. "I'll make sure the things that matter in Washington are the things that matter to families here in Texas."
They also put together this great video from an emphatic Grant, touching on the populist themes resonating nationwide:
Grant had previously announced that he was forming an exploratory committee for the previous incarnation of CD-25, which stretched from East Austin to Tarrant County, and had drawn 9 Republican primary candidates, including Michael "Bowtie" Williams. Once the San Antonio court redrew the maps, Grant began looking at CD-10, and decided it was worth contesting again, as he did in the 2008 primary.
Clearly, Grant isn't afraid of an uphill fight, and it's great to see the vigor and energy in him as he prepares to take on McCaul. While no one knows what incarnation of CD-10 Grant will be able to contest -- or when the maps will be set or primaries will be held -- the main question is whether a grassroots, citizen-driven effort to take back this seat can trump McCaul's millions of dollars. Michael McCaul's father-in-law is Lowry Mays, founder of Clear Channel Communications. McCaul is worth at least $287 million, and is currently the richest individual in Congress.
(Allright Team Ted. Good to see things are getting up and running in TX-10. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Barely two weeks from the launch of the campaign and we've hit the ground running! This is an impressive feat given the late withdraw of Jack McDonald. Ted is a man who has served his country and yet in retirement is ready to serve his country again.
The grassroots infrastructure from the 2006 campaign became TrueBlue10, a Texas general PAC, and they've continued to work to win back Congressional District 10 from Mike McCaul. This campaign is a force to be reckoned with, but we still need your help. Signup on the website, follow Ted on Facebook, twitter, but more importantly, take out your wallet. Please make a secure online contribution at:
I disagree with those who think this district is not winnable. Regardless of their opinion those who have announced such publicly do a grave disservice to the voters of this district who deserve a candidate who'll represent them, and not the interests of big business and Wall Street. We have that candidate in Ted Ankrum and are excited that he is running. We will take back Congressional District 10.
In early October, I sent a message in support of health care reform and a public option to my U.S. Representative, Michael McCaul (TX-10). As I know the representative is ideologically disinclined to support Democratic initiatives or a public option, I was surprised to receive a reply:
October 6, 2009
Dear Mr. Lyon:
Thank you for contacting me with your views on HR 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act. I appreciate your opinions that help guide and inform me in Congress.
We've been intermittently publishing the McCaul Retort for almost two and a half years. That's like fifteen years or something, in Interwebz time!
The Doherty campaign sent out the following quote from a McCaul communique:
I wish that I could email you under better circumstances, but today we received shocking news. After receiving numbers from the Travis and Harris County elections offices, we have determined that Democrats are out-voting Republicans 2:1 in both major counties in Congressman McCaul's district. This is based off of voters that have voted with primary history. This is very bad news.
One of my proud feelings about the Texas netroots has been our ability to help money come to our local candidates. Now we have an opportunity once more.
Many of you are familiar with Russ Feingold's Progressive Patriots program. Well, there's now a vote for House Challengers.
And Larry Joe Doherty has a chance to bring 5 grand back to help Texas turn blue.
A politician using his office to exploit Americans' fears about homeland security, radical Islam, and foreign intelligence. Sound familiar? We're not talking about George W. Bush this time, but instead Republican Congressman Michael McCaul. Since early July, McCaul has been misleading Americans about two young Pakistani-American boys who McCaul claimed were being "held in there against their will" at a international madrassa school, which McCaul says has Taliban ties in this FOX interview.
However, as CNN reported Sunday night, the media-hype surrounding McCaul's messianic quest to bring these children home is essentially just that: overblown hype about two children who were in fact not being held against their will and not being trained at a radical Islamic school at all.
Howie Klein has a piece about Larry Joe on Fire Dog Lake. I'm pleased to see Larry Joe reaching out to the grassroots, and tickled blue to see them reciprocate. I think that getting some national attention through the blogosphere will do nothing but help him unseat the incumbent. Please, please, at long last, can we unseat the incumbent?
Opening graf:
"I have no problem in standing up for the constitutional equality of any American regardless of race, color, creed, sexual orientation, or mental condition. We have to stand up for equality in America for everybody." That may not sound earthshaking to you but Larry Joe is running against a reactionary Bush rubber stamp who could never say that in a million years--at least not with a straight face.
You know, I'm a HUGE fan of push polls, especially when Democrats employ them against Republicans. Though I'm not much of a fan when used in a primary, I also realize they are sometimes a necessity. Only problem is, you better not get caught because the damn things backfire painfully. Let's hope they do for Larry Joe Doherty.
Many of us have been subjected in recent days to a telephone push poll paid for by Doherty in which he spreads personal smears about his primary opponent, Austin's own Dan Grant. This sleazy tactic is straight out of Karl Rove's playbook for negative campaigns. It's also sloppy as hell and everyone who knows Dan realizes it's about as far from the truth as one can get. In fact, much of it is the same crap that a certain former member of the SDEC has been spreading all over Austin. We've all heard it and we all know it's not true.
As far as I'm concerned, the push poll disqualifies Larry Joe for serious consideration as our representative in Congress, mostly because a real push poll would have been about real issues. Not, for example, a bunch of patently false information. That ain't the kind of strategy that's going to be beat the Congressman from Clear Channel.
This transgression is just the latest from the Houston lawyer and former TV judge. Earlier this month, Doherty's dalliance with rightwing Congressman Lamar Smith was uncovered in a bizarre fundraiser for Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Larry Joe's own finance chairman, Jim 'Mattress Mac" McIngvale, co-sponsored the fundraiser.
But it doesn't end even there. Last fall, Austin Political Report uncovered a clip from the late Anna Nicole Smith's reality show in which Larry Joe, the host of his own (cancelled) show on Fox, invites the troubled socialite to be a judge. Enough said about his judgment.
Serious times call for serious candidates. Larry Joe Doherty isn't serious.
