I want to start with something simple: an iPhone app. The Gonzales campaign made KEYE-TV in Austin for the launch of their campaign's iPhone app. While I applaude the technology and think the tool is interesting, I wish the story had pointed out the fact that Maldonado actually has more friends on Facebook and more followers on Twitter than Gonzales does. Sometimes, in the wave of new technology and expanding practices of social media, we lose track of what's important. A new iPhone app is cool; a stronger online social network, like the one Rep. Maldonado has, is much, much more important.
Three other pieces of news on the race:
The race has been and will continue to be among the hottest races to watch this cycle. But this week, Texas Weekly's Hot List -- the only news organization that ranks the competitiveness of State House races on a weekly basis -- downgraded the race from "red" to "orange." The rating change is apparently due to nothing more than what consultants say, which suggests there are some real poll numbers (not just wishful ones) that show Maldonado leading Gonzales in the race.
And then they ate their crow. Well, if they had integrity, that is. News 8 soon posted an update to their story, reporting that a room "has been reserved" for a debate at Southwestern University. As it turns out, Gonzales' campaign manufactured a lie, and when they were called out for it, when to the press with incomplete information to generate a hit story that had to be updated/corrected almost immediately after it aired.
The integrity of the Gonzales campaign remains in serious question, especailly with this...
Republican house district 52 nominee Larry Gonzales has resorted to lying about his opponent in order to get his campaign out of the ditch. In one single press release, Gonzales makes no less than six false or deceptive statements.
Gonzales implies that Maldonado employs a consultant in Virginia. To disprove this statement, simply look at the campaign finance reports. There are no payees or donors from the state of Virginia.
Gonzales claims that Maldonado “has ducked and run from any attempt at a public debate”. Maldonado will appear at the GAHCC forum on Oct. 5, and a second bi-partisan forum is being planned at Southwestern University.
Gonzales claims that Maldonado declined a debate at the Greater Austin Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (GAHCC). This lie falls flat when you check the calendar and find that Maldonado has been booked for the GAHCC’s Oct. 5 forum for several weeks.
Gonzales claims that Maldonado requested questions 7 days in advance of the GAHCC forum. Maldonado campaign spokesperson Mitra Salassel said, “The only request we made was a standard inquiry as to the format of the forum.”
Gonzales claims that Maldonado represents Austin instead of Williamson County. Maldonado’s record of securing funding for critical projects in district 52 speaks for itself. Maldonado secured funding for the Renewable Energy Training Institute of Williamson County, $16 million for the Texas A&M Health Science Center in Round Rock and $350,000 for the Texas State University’s Round Rock Higher Education Center. Maldonado also secured $10 million in funding for the expansion of FM 1460. These projects directly improve the economy and quality of life in Williamson county, and represents a total change in direction from the former Republican representative from that district, Mike Krusee, whose singular focus was on converting agricultural land into toll roads.
Gonzales uses “Texas P2″ to refer to the “Texas Prosperity Project”, a Koch Industries-funded fake-grassroots organization that is part of a nationwide effort, active in 35 states, to undermine President Obama, prevent access to health care, avoid regulation of clean air and stop financial regulation. Gonzales states that Texas Prosperity Project “is comprised of business and industry”, which is true if what you mean by “business and industry” is a sampling of oil and gas companies, banks and insurance companies.
A race we'll keep our eye very closely in the coming weeks...
(Folks have asked what's going on up in Williamson County and Diana Maldonado's race. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
If the name Steve Hotze sounds familiar or makes your stomach turn, it's probably because last year he was responsible for a direct mail program which focused on fear mongering and gay bashing against now Houston mayor Anise Parker.
Now Steve Hotze has a new partner in his war against common sense, GOP candidate for House District 52 Larry Gonzales.
As it was reported on Right Wing Watch on June 15, 2010, Hotze is on a crusade on behalf of the radical right:
"...All aspects of life -- government, science and education -- to adhere to fundamental biblical beliefs. These beliefs include the following:
• A wife may work outside the home only with her husband's consent
• "Biblical spanking" that results in "temporary or superficial bruises or welts" should not be considered a crime
• Medical problems are frequently caused by personal sin
• Treatment of the "physical body" is not a doctor's highest priority
• Doctors have a priestly calling
• Physicians should preach to their patients because salvation is the key to their health
Larry Gonzales claims he's a moderate Republican but his alignment with radical right wing religious extremists seems to indicate otherwise. One can assume based on Gonzales's associations with Hotze that he is planning on running a campaign of hate and fear mongering instead about the real issues affecting the citizens of House District 52.
House District 52 Candidate Larry Gonzales has been touting his fundraising numbers from the last reporting period. However a closer look at the TEC report reveals that more than half of Larry Gonzales's donations came from one man, Houston home builder Bob Perry.
From Bay Area Houston Blog:
According to records at the Texas Ethics Commission, almost half of the $337,000 raised by Gonzales came from one person, Bob Perry. Of the $1.8 Million Perry has donated in 2010, $150,000 was donated to Gonzales and $90,000 was PAC related money. Only 1/3 of all of Gonzales donations came from individuals.
According to the latest TEC reports, Larry Gonzales raises $104,481 (April - June) from 79 donors and has $21,576.39 cash on hand. Bob & Doylene Perry gave $60,000 or 57.42% of the total amount reported. Also notable is Trevor Rees-Jones, President of Chief Oil and Gas also gave $10,000 or 10% of the total money raised by the Gonzales campaign.
Bob Perry is most notable for being a major contributor to 527 groups like 'Swift Vets and POWs for Truth' which mounted a massive PR campaign against John Kerry questioning his service in Vietnam. Perry Also heavily funded Brian Daniels who ran as the Republican candidate for HD-52 in 2008 and ultimately lost.
With such a large disparity in money raised between home builder Bob Perry and other donors, one might wonder who Larry Gonzales is really going to support in the Texas Legislature.
Meanwhile Democratic Incumbent Candidate Diana Maldonado won the fundraising battle raising $114,584.76 from 247 donors (April - June) and currently has $152,618.44 cash on hand.
Speaker Tom Craddick spokesman James Bernsen is looking to take out the accomplished Diana Maldonado in House District 52.
You may remember this story line.
Tom Craddick's desire to maintain a tyrannical grasp on the House forces him to aide ill prepared candidates across the state. The candidates Craddick recruited who had political lineage or a chance were mired with the Craddick legacy. Candidates like Donna Keel lost and even Mark Shelton couldn't win a holiday special election in Fort Worth.
Perhaps that is why James Bernsen refused to list his ties to Craddick on his announcement. Instead, Bernsen cited the formerly investigated Kay Bailey Hutchison and her predecessor Phil Gramm, who was the main proponent of bank deregulation and put us in our current economic plight (along with George Bush).
Bernsen didn't have to do much working for either of them, just sell their horrid ideas to the public as their spokesperson.
Now, the man with little legislative experience is the same one who has sold bad ideas to good people for over a decade. Now he wants to defeat the TexBlog PAC endorsed Diana Maldonado.
The Austin Chronicle pointed out some more things about Bernsen to chew on.
According to his press release, he served on Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's 2006 campaign staff and as Sen. Phil Gramm's deputy press secretary. What he glosses over is that, in 2008, he was also Craddick's press room. A former writer for conservative web outfit Lone Star Report, presumably that's where he decided that the state's three leading newspaper (including the Austin-American Statesman) were run by politically-correct "gnomes".
My favorite quote in the piece cited by the Austin Chronicle was the one where he compares the editorial boards with a great piece of film.
In truth, the editorial boards sit behind their curtains like the Wizard of Oz, turning dials, creating smoke, and shouting into amplifiers. But when it all comes down to it, they're helpless against the people.
While Bernsen indicates he is wrong on every issue facing Texas, House District 52 is a tough district. Last numbers I saw show HD-52 to be a 50% - 52% Republican district. It would be horrible to go from the moderate, fair minded Diana Maldonado to a man who is against holding banks and corporations accountable, opposed to equal rights and social justice, and whose only notable experience in the Texas House was working for the most tyrannical Speaker in Texas history.
When deciding which candidate is best choice to be your State Representative, we ask that you consider supporting Diana Maldonado.
As a school board member and past president, Diana has worked for our community. She has asked for our vote twice, and we have overwhelmingly returned her to office. She has worked across party lines and built consensus so that our schools are recognized as cost effective and excellent.
Diana Maldonado has a track record of putting your kids and communities first.
Diana stood with the Heart of Round Rock Neighborhood Association and their bid to save a historic and popular ball field and park.
Diana kept your kids off buses and in your neighborhood schools
Diana introduced international programs to your high school students
Diana stretched an inadequate budget so effectively RR schools are recognized far and wide as excellent
Diana is not looking to just win an election, she is prepared to actually serve all the people that punch the clocks, write the checks, and try and set aside enough to get their kids through college.
While we, as Republicans, will not always see eye-to-eye with Diana Maldonado, we know that her track record of competency and consensus will lead to a stronger Williamson County. She will vote for us, and our families.
I realize that people have strong loyalties to their respective parties, but Diana Maldonado has proved to me she’s on our side.
House Speaker Tom Craddick's disastrous handling of challenges to his leadership has heightened House races across the state, including several in Central Texas. Whether voters know it or not - and certainly most don't - House races on the Nov. 4 ballot are a referendum on Craddick's heavy-handed rule.
The Austin American Statesman sums up this election cycle perfectly. Tom Craddick is a failure in leadership. As November 4 approaches, Texans have a unique opportunity to get rid of the self proclaimed dictator of the Texas House.
With the Statesman's honest assessment on Texas legislative politics, its no surprise they endorsed three qualified Democrats- Donnie Dippel, Diana Maldonado, Patrick Rose.
District 52 Though both candidates are strong, we believe Democrat Diana Maldonado would best represent the district. Maldonado is a former president of the Round Rock school board and was an employee in the state comptroller's office until she was forced to resigned to run for this seat.
Maldonado, 45, has a reputation as a budget hawk who understands accounting. And she can be counted on to be an effective voice for education issues and public schools. She supports the law that grants college admission to the top 10 percent of the graduating class in Texas high schools and wants to reconsider having the Legislature set college tuition rates.
[...]
Maldonado knows the district and has served as an effective leader in her five years on the Round Rock school board. She should be elected in District 52.
District 17
This is another open seat, left vacant when Democrat Robby Cook decided against seeking re-election. Cook won a close victory in 2006, and Republicans are campaigning hard to win the district, which covers Burleson, Lee, Bastrop, Fayette and Colorado counties.
[...]
We believe Dippel would be best for the far-flung, largely rural district.
Dippel, 57, a consultant who worked for the Texas Department of Agriculture for 14 years, opposes voucher programs for schools, selling water to buyers outside the district and the Trans-Texas Corridor. He supports more vocational education and is concerned about health care, particularly in rural areas.
The Statesman also endorsed Patrick Rose in his bid for re-election. The paper summed up Rep. Rose's legislative history.
Rose has voted his district, and his list of accomplishments includes road improvements, funding for Texas State University and support for local schools. In a district of independent-minded voters, Rose has gained their support by voting their interests, not either party's.
Democrat Diana Maldonado was our first endorsed candidate for TexBlog PAC. With that early money and online support followed numerous endorsements. Maldonado, with her public education background, is running a strong, disciplined race in southern Williamson County -- just north of Austin's own Travis County. Just today she was endorsed by the Statesman, too.
The race is an open seat -- Republican Mike Krusee retired this year, after barely hanging on in 2006. A staunch supporter of toll roads and other unpopular Republican measures, Krusee did not build a strong coalition in Williamson County, where a surge in voter registration for Democrats has given Maldonado one of the best chances for Democrats to pick up a seat.
From Eye on Williamson, which is the best place for news on the HD-52 race, we get a round-up of the local press Maldonado is receiving in the Austin media market -- demonstrating her unquestionable strength:
Democrats Diana Maldonado and Donnie Dippel received endorsements in their open races for the Texas House from the Austin American-Statesman. I'm surprised -- pleased, and surprised to see the Statesman give the nod to the two Democrats.
Maldonado, 45, has a reputation as a budget hawk who understands accounting. And she can be counted on to be an effective voice for education issues and public schools. [snip] Maldonado knows the district and has served as an effective leader in her five years on the Round Rock school board. She should be elected in District 52.
Dippel, 57, a consultant who worked for the Texas Department of Agriculture for 14 years, opposes voucher programs for schools, selling water to buyers outside the district and the Trans-Texas Corridor. He supports more vocational education and is concerned about health care, particularly in rural areas.
[Kleinschmidt] is not a sure vote against the disreputable GOP leadership in the House. Dippel wins our endorsement in District 17.
