Last week I reported on Texas Republicans embrace of Rush Limbaugh and Newt Gingrich (or at least their money) even as these far-right players made racial attacks on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor. I made reference to Limbaugh's attendance at a fundraiser for Rep. Michael McCaul where he was made an honorary Texan by Gov. Rick Perry.
I know a number of local Democrats were interested in seeing video from that private event which McCaul was hiding the location of until the last minute. Well, Gov. Perry was so kind as to have his staff take video of the event and posted his speech and shoutout of "God Bless Rush Limbaugh" to his campaign's YouTube channel. And McCaul? He's standing by the entire time clapping and grinning at the whole scene. Watch it for yourself.
This isn't a case of guilt by association or proximity (though I can't imagine wanting to be in close proximity to Rush Limbaugh metaphorically or physically). McCaul has yet to repudiate or distance himself from the racially inflamed comments made by Limbaugh and Gingrich which even RNSC chair Sen. John Cornyn has distanced himself from calling them "terrible" and "not the kind of tone that any of us want to set".
And while Limbaugh is still set to headline Cornyn's fundraiser for the RNSC, McCaul is set to benefit from the House Republican committee's fundraiser with Newt Gingrich the same day, next Monday. The DCCC asks the prescient question.
"For five days, Representative Michael McCaul had a simple choice to make: He could strongly denounce Newt Gingrich's shameful rhetoric or stay silent and just take his money," said Ryan Rudominer, National Press Secretary for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. "With five days to go until the fundraising dinner with Gingrich, will Representative Michael McCaul finally speak out against the radical right or continue to remain silent and take their campaign cash?"
This Thursday, at an undisclosed location in Houston, the de facto chair of the Republican Party is headlining a fundraiser for Congressman Mike McCaul (TX-10). That's none other than Rush Liimbaugh of course.
Limbaugh and McCaul share a closer connection which his campaign is working to obscure by not even the location of the fundraiser to people invited to it. Let's walk through that close relationship courtesy of the Lone Star Project.
Limbaugh is employed by Clear Channel Communications, which was founded by McCaul's father-in-law, Lowry Mays. Mays pays Limbaugh a reported $38 million per year and gave him a $100 million signing bonus in 2008. (Source: The Wall Street Journal, July 3, 2008)
And there's good reason that McCaul is known as Congressman Clear Channel as evidenced by how well their management and employees line his campaign coffers.
McCaul's Top Contributors: 1) Clear Channel - $140,450 2) Dell Inc - $52,696
3) Zachry Construction - $45,100
4) AT&T Inc - $37,000
5) Loeffler Group - $33,800
(As of May 26, 2009, Source: OpenSecrets.org)
McCaul has shown that he's perfectly happy to accept the public support of Clear Channel and Rush Limbaugh as well as the money from donors who believe that Limbaugh is the GOP's "One True Chairman". Hiding the location of the fundraiser Dick Cheney style isn't going to do anything to cover up the ties between Limbaugh and McCaul. Their desire to see Barack Obama and American fail are still coming in loud and clear(channel).
Jack McDonald is making more waves in the Washington whisper crowd.
McDonald, who has filed an exploratory committee to take on Republican Mike McCaul, is one of ten non-incumbents with over $100,000 in the bank.
According to CQ Politics, only ten challengers (Republican and Democrats) have raised over $100,000 and only 2 have raised more than Jack McDonald.
Those two include 1 Republican: William Russell, Republican, Pennsylvania's 12th District ($403,000) taking on Democratic Rep. John P. Murtha in a rematch of a 2008 campaign that Murtha won by 16 percentage points. The other is Suzan DelBene, Democrat, Washington's 8th District ($315,000). DelBene, a technology executive, is gearing up to oppose three-term Republican Rep. Dave Reichert.
McDonald barely missed the top spot for Democrats.
Jack McDonald, Democrat, Texas' 10th District ($312,000). McDonald, who also has a background as a technology executive, is waging a campaign against three-term Republican Rep. Michael McCaul that technically is still in the "exploratory" phase. But his first-quarter take makes it highly likely that he will make his bid official.
McDonald's first-quarter report shows that he put in just $1,000 of his own money and raised everything else from individual donors - many of whom gave the $4,800 maximum amount allowed under federal law, of which half can be used for a primary election and half for the general election.
Interestingly, McDonald is 33% of the entire list of Democrats on the list and 66% of those are in the top 3 spots. McDonald is showing he has an ability to raise some serious money and is making a strong case for the Texas 10th to be a targeted race for both Texans and Washington D.C. decision makers.
Update: Something from the Congressional Quarterly article to highlight:
The $315,000 figure includes $209,000 of DelBene's own money, in the form of loans and contributions.
McDonald hasn't done that. He has raised nearly every cent. This makes Jack McDonald the best fundraiser among Democratic challengers and the second best among all challengers.
In January, McCaul said he would "seriously consider" running for Attorney General if the office became vacant. Though current AG Greg Abbott has not annoucned his intentions, he is widely expected to run for either Lt. Governor or U.S. Senator.
After McCaul's presumed Democratic opponent Jack McDonald posted very impressive fundraising numbres, some (including myself) speculated that McDonald's strong reportmight push McCaul towards running for Attorney General.
While he could always change his mind, that doesn't seem to be the case. As Matt reported today, McCaul only has about $62,000 on hand with over $500,000 in debt. However, the business relationships of his father-in-law, Clear Channel founder Lowry Mays, could make it very easy for McCaul to raise a large amount of money in a short time.
Two candidates, former solicitor general Ted Cruz, a Republican, and former U.S. Senate nominee Barbara Radnofsky, a Democrat, have filed papers to run for Attorney General next year.
This is clearly an impressive start and is probably going to make any other Democrats who were considering jumping in this race think twice. Perhaps the report may even inch incumbent Mike McCaul towards a bid for Attorney General.
District 10 encompasses two media markets and is among the most expensive districts in the state. Larry Joe Doherty raised over $1 million last year and still lost by double digits. We are going to need a lot of money (and a great candidate, of course) to have a good shot at winning this district. It is early, but I think McDonald has the potential to provide both.
Congressman Mike McCaul raised only $ 97,795 this reporting period and spent $ 81,515.80 leaving him with just $ 62,431.80 left in the bank. Wait, wait, it gets better. McCaul still has $ 511,252.56 in debt.
Mike McCaul is looking more and more vulnerable every campaign season.
In reference to last Friday's post, I wanted to post the district specific radio ad that the DCCC is running in TX-10 against Mike McCaul. Listen to it below or visit it on the DCCC's blog.
It's interesting to read through the comments on the last post to see people's reactions on a whole host of issues that apparently are unresolved regarding TX-10. Here are a couple of my thoughts on it.
There's a lot of interest in learning and hearing more directly from Democratic candidate Jack McDonald. That's great, and Matt actually sat down with him already and has an interview that he's going to write up and post here on BOR. Along those lines, we're going to explore maybe getting some video from McDonald as well since there is a difference in reading an interview and seeing the candidate talk himself.
In another good sign for TX-10 being on the political radar, the insider publication "The Hill" wrote up a rather lengthy piece on the district. It's worth a read.
I really think it's time to get over any feelings of "the DCCC didn't help last time so why did it take until now for them to pay attention". You're all right, and you can join the grassroots supporters in-district in 95% of all congressional districts around the country that feel the DCCC didn't get involved sooner or with more money. Me? I consider it welcome support after all the hard work that people have done in TX-10 the last few cycles.
Of course, if there are still things that need to be said about TX-10 from last cycle that will benefit us strategically in the race this cycle, the comments as always are open.
Want some surprising but good news? It appears that Jack McDonald might have raised a few eyebrows in DC, enough so, to draw the eye of some DCCC money in the form of radio ads against Rep. Mike McCaul. The ad, which you can listen to below or here, attacks McCaul for voting against the Economic Recovery bill passed by Congress earlier this year.
Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), whose 10th District runs from the Houston suburbs west to include parts of Austin, is the only one of the six targeted members to represent a district won by John McCain in 2008. Both McCaul and McCain won the district by 11 points in November, which begs the question: Is the DCCC really targeting this seat?
Apparently they are, and in no small part because of an already well-funded candidate named Jack McDonald, whose exploratory committee announced yesterday that it had raised more than $300,000 in just five weeks. Should McDonald, a self-described "centrist Democrat" and "successful businessman," officially jump in the race, he'll face a Republican whose winning percentage has dropped significantly as his opponents have spent more money, but who held off a well-funded opponent last year.
The other five Republican Congressman targeted are Mike Castle (Delaware), Ken Calvert (CA-44), Charlie Dent (PA-15), Thaddeus McCotter (MI-11) and Bill Young (FL-10).
McDonald has also been getting some blog mentions outside of our traditional political blog bubble which is always a good sign a year out from any potential primary.
Jack McDonald, the ceo of the Austin-based company Perficient, has raised $308,655 in the five weeks since he announced his exploratory committee, the Statesman reports.
This is clearly an impressive start and is probably going to make any other Democrats who were considering jumping in this race think twice. Perhaps the report may even inch incumbent Mike McCaul towards a bid for Attorney General.
District 10 encompasses two media markets and is among the most expensive districts in the state. Larry Joe Doherty raised over $1 million last year and still lost by double digits. We are going to need a lot of money (and a great candidate, of course) to have a good shot at winning this district. It is early, but I think McDonald has the potential to provide both.
When we have discussed this race in the past, several people (including myself) expressed concern about several Republican contributions in McDonald's past. The controversy centered primarily on contributions to George W. Bush in 2000 and to Ben Bentzin in 2005.
I would guess his contribution history will come up again in the next few months. The contributions to Bush and Bentzin are very dissappointing, but we should also remember that he has given tens of thousands to Democrats and Democratic groups, in Travis County, Texas, and across the nation. 98 percent of his political contributions have been to Democrats.
Putting that aside, it is clear from the early fundraising totals that this will be a race to watch in 2010. Let's hope the DCCC is paying attention, too.
High-tech executive Jack McDonald of Austin has formed an exploratory for the congressional seat currently head by Michael McCaul, the Austin American-Statesman reports.
... an Austin high-tech executive, John T. “Jack” McDonald, confirmed today that he’s started a federal exploratory committee in advance of likely running for McCaul’s seat as a Democrat next year—regardless of whether McCaul, R-Austin, hunts a fourth two-year term.
But the 45-year-old lawyer-business, who’s ceo of Austin-based Perficient, said he and his wife, Carla, have been encouraged by Democrats, independents and Republicans who’d like to see someone with business experience in Congress at a time the national and international economy need attention.
McDonald, who’s been involved in luring companies to Central Texas in roles with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and other civic ventures, said: “I’m in this race because I think we can do better than what we’ve got today. We need people in Washington that understand the way the real world works—-people who have created jobs, who have run a business… I don’t think we have that kind of leadership in Congress today.”
While he wasn’t laying out an entire platform in our conversation, McDonald said he’d focus on setting politicies out of Washington promoting job creation by small businesses. He mentioned Small Business Administration loans, reduced capital gains taxes and steps that would promote capital and venture capital formation.
I had the chance to sit down with Mr. McDonald a few weeks ago and I was very, very impressed. He is a rare candidate: one who has impressive progressive credentials but can also appeal to the Independents and moderate Republicans he will need to win in this district.
McDonald will be able to raise serious money (perhaps even as much as $3 million) and could make this one of the top national pick up opportunities for Democrats. All Texas Democrats should be excited about this race. We have a candidate who will not only make a great congressman but has the talent and resources needed to actually win the race.
Mike McCaul has said he will seek re-election but do not be surprised if he reconsiders and jumps into the race for Attorney General once McDonald's fundraising ability becomes apparent.
Update: Mean Rachel and Rob Ryland bring up several good points in the comments. Though he has contributed a substantial amount of money to Democrats in recent years, McDonald contributed to both of George W. Bush's presidential campaigns.
While the amount of money he has contributed to Democrats greatly outweighs the money he gave to Republicans, it is still an issue his campaign will need to address in the coming months before the Democratic primary.
President Bill Clinton has recorded a robocall for Larry Joe Doherty that will be used on Monday.
In the call, Clinton reminds voters that, "Tuesday is the day. It all comes down to who shows up to vote."
Clinton calls Doherty, the Democratic nominee against Republican Mike McCaul,"a real Democrat who's standing up for health care, education, and fighting to get our economy back on track."
The call, presumably sent to Democratic leaning households, could also provide a slight boost in turnout in the district that could benefit candidates like Donnie Dippel along with all of our statewide candidates.
A robocall from Bill Clinton is further proof that Mike McCaul is in trouble and national Democrats are starting to smell blood in TX-10.
