We'd be remiss if we didn't at least make mention of this today, even if a bit late. Former Dallas Mayor and 2002 US Senate candidate Ron Kirk was confirmed by a vote of 92-5 in the US Senate to join President Obama's cabinet as US Trade Representative. Both of Texas' Senators voting in favor of confirmation.
GOP Sens. Kit Bond of Missouri, Jim Bunning of Kentucky and Johnny Isakson of Georgia opposed the nomination, as did one Democrat, Robert Byrd of West Virginia, and Vermont independent Bernie Sanders.
So former Dallas mayor Ron Kirk was announced as President Barack Obama's nominee for the last cabinet spot, U.S. Trade Representative, over two months ago. Since then, Barack Obama actually got sworn in, and he has also seen three different nominees for Commerce Secretary. I guess it's not that easy to get a full government in place, huh?
Well, Senator Baucus has finally decided to put Ron Kirk's appointment on the Senate Finance Committee's schedule. He does not expect any hitches for this nomination. We have waited a long time, but it seems we will finally get this Texas man in the cabinet.
As a note, the reason for this delay has probably been due to the fact that, understandably, the office of Trade Representative has been dolled out towards the Finance Committee. But with this stimulus thing and stuff, they've been busy. I still don't think Timothy Geithner has a deputy secretary at his disposal, because that guy has to be confirmed, too.
Just a note to the people running our Senate: with the Finance Committee so ridiculously busy, shouldn't we consider moving some things out of their to-do list if it could be applicable? Ron Kirk has been nominated to a post that carries the title of "Ambassador;" we should have been able to fill this position by filtering it through the Foreign Relations Committee.
But I digress from the actual news. It looks like Ron Kirk might actually start his job soon.
Former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk will be named U.S. Trade Representative at a press conference in Chicago on Friday, the Washington Post reported.
Kirk becomes the first Texan to be named to Obama's cabinet. Kirk had previously been a finalist for the position of Transportation Secretary, which later went to Republican Congressman Ray LaHood.
For weeks, the subject of rumors concerning the post was Congressman Xavier Becerra of California. Becerra turned down the Trade Representative job to stay in the House.
A cabinet level position could set up Kirk, who was was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2002, to return to Texas to eventually wage another campaign for statewide office.
Former Dallas Mayor, and one-time U.S. senate hopeful, Ron Kirk, appears to be on the cusp of being named U.S. International Trade Representative in the new Obama Administration:
High-level Democrats confirmed that Mr. Kirk is a leading contender for U.S. trade representative, and there were reports his nomination would be announced as early as Friday. Reached by phone, Mr. Kirk declined to comment.
Trade representative is considered a Cabinet level post, so should Kirk receive the nod the talk of "no southern representation" in the Obama administration will be more muted then it has been recently. I'm not sure what experience that Kirk brings to this position, but it is a nice career move for the former pro-business Mayor of Dallas.
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram has reported that former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk is a finalist to be named U.S. Secretary of Transportation. Kirk, who was the 2002 Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate, had been mentioned as a possible candidate for another run for the U.S. Senate as recently as today.
"Yes, I am being vetted. I’ve met with the transition team," said Kirk, the first African-American mayor of Dallas. "I’m honored. I got into this interesting relationship with Sen. Obama. I’m honored that my name would even be mentioned."
...
A Texas Democratic source who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the Obama transition team said that Kirk was one of two finalists for the position.
Former Democratic Rep. Martin Frost said: "I have thought from the beginning that he would be a logical pick for the Cabinet. He has urban experience as mayor, and he’s a person of real substance."
"It would be nice to have somebody in the Cabinet from Texas," Frost added.
The other finalist, according to sources, is California's Steve Heminger, executive director of the San Francisco Bay area's Metropolitan Transportation Commission.
During the primary, Kirk was the Texas state chairman of Obama's campaign.
Perhaps a stint in Obama's cabinet will make Kirk an even more formidable candidate to return to Texas and run for the Senate or Governor.
As Martin Frost alluded to, although other names continue to circulate, Kirk may represent the best chance for a Texan to join Obama's cabinet.
Evan Smith of Texas Monthly spots five Texans on the long list of people who have raised at least $50,000 for Obama.
At least five, as I recognized from a quick scroll through the list of names, which have no cities or other information provided: Ron Kirk and Cappy McGarr, both of Dallas, Mikal Watts, of San Antonio, and Kirk Rudy and Alexa Wesner, both of Austin.
Watts, who explored a senate run last year, had supported John Edwards before he dropped out of the race. Wesner was one of the masterminds of the $1 million Paint Texas Blue fundraiser a few weeks ago that will help Texas House candidates.
It's not often you hear about the consultants or campaign operatives on the campaign trail, but since "Big Bad John" aired at the Republican convention, two names keep popping up on our radar-Karen Hughes and David Beckwith. Now there our rumors swirling about both Karen Hughes and David Beckwith.
Karen Hughes is a highly prominent Republican consultant and most recognize her from her work with the Governor and President Bush and as former Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas. Hughes is a talented operative with a long track record of working on tough campaigns with other consultants like Karl Rove.
David Beckwith is probably a new name to most people. While he is a former Time reporter and staffer to both Vice President Dan Quale and Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, he is best known for his flubs and firings than his successes.
Back in 2005, Beckwith left Hutchison's camp to go work for Junior Senator John Cornyn, a move that brought a few eyes with it.
Beckwith has been in the public eye frequently, but he has always stayed slightly under the radar. While good at what he does, he does have a tendency to make huge and erroneous errors. Back in 2005, our own Byron LaMasters saw Hutchison's hire of Beckwith as a signal she was gearing up for a run to be Governor in Texas. However, Beckwith's history of yap first, think second has absolutely gotten him in trouble.
In 2003, Kuff highlighted a series of huge blunders and bad quotes from Beckwith when he was working with Lt. Gov David Dewherst.
Senators said a spokesman for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made inappropriate comments in a published report by suggesting the Democrats consider themselves akin to Rosa Parks, whose refusal to yield her seat at the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama contributed to the civil rights movement.
The spokesman, David Beckwith, was quoted by Scripps Howard's Austin bureau today saying of the absent Democrats: "After they got" to New Mexico "thinking they were going to stay a few days and then declare victory or whatever they thought they were going to do, they got captured by the Democratic National Committee blowing smoke up their rears and telling them what great Americans they were. So now they've gone from making a statement to 'doing the right thing.' They think they are Rosa Parks II."
Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston, who is African American, said he was "personally offended" by the comment and contended the comment reflected a history of similar lapses by Beckwith, who once worked for Vice President Dan Quayle.
"He owes the entire state of Texas an apology," Ellis said.
Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin said Beckwith deserves a kick in the rear.
"He's pulled the race card," Barrientos said. "He's dealt himself a very bad hand."
Sen. Royce West of Dallas said he started to give Beckwith "a sheet and a hood" but decided that was too reactive.
Beckwith, informed of the criticism, said today he was simply telling Scripps Howard that the Democratic flight was "not a historic event. I'm sorry if anybody is offended."
This of course, is the same Beckwith that said the 2002 statewide Democratic candidates are "based on a racial quota system" causing then candidate John Cornyn to totally disavow Beckwith and his racist language.
Now, it appears Beckwith is at it again. Rumors circulating within the campaign world are now saying Beckwith has been fired by long time co-worker Karen Hughes on the John Cornyn re-elect campaign.
Beckwith appears to be the genius behind, "Big Bad John" and as Cornyn has already said, "My staff convinced me it was a good idea. Maybe I need a new staff." It appears that is what he is doing. Hughes already has a track record of firing Beckwith, so this isn't the jump it originally appears to be.
Cornyn is at worst having a hard time cracking the 50% approval mark and Texas does look like the Democratic wave could hit it. Firing Beckwith now is less of a story than firing him in September, and it is absolutely clear that Beckwith is more of a liability than an asset. For now it seems like Cornyn is fulfilling his promise to get new staff before the staff completely sinks his re-elect chances.
Update: I actually called the Cornyn campaign today and they stand by the fact Karen Hughes does not work for the campaign. However, nobody is confirming David Beckwith still works for the campaign. Even if Karen Hughes is not a paid member of the campaign, the bigger story still seems to stand. More at noon.
It has been a long tradition to make the preisdent of the AFL-CIO an add-on delegate. Texas has three add-on delegates and the Obama campaign has made it clear they intend to take all three of them, even though in other states they are typically apportioned by the primary results.
Becky Moeller, the Texas AFL-CIO president who, is at risk of not receiving an add-on spot because she personally supported Hillary Clinton in the primary.
Of course, regardless of who its president voted for, the AFL-CIO is a vital part of a winning Democratic coalition. It would be a shame if the Obama campaign refused to honor our friends in labor and make Moeller an add-on delegate.
So not only is the Obama campaign taking more than the standard share of add-on delegates but it is, at this moment, refusing to give the largest labor union a voice in the Texas delegation.
How can you claim to be ready to unite and then refuse to make the president of the AFL-CIO (who will play a huge role in an Obama victory this fall) an add-on delegate?
To the Obama campaign: forget the divisiveness of the last five months and do what's right. Becky Moeller may not have supported Barack Obama in this primary, but she has been supporting Democrats and providing leadership in the labor movement for years.
As the president of the AFL-CIO and the voice of thousands of working Texans, she deserves to be named an add-on delegate. If the Obama campaign wishes to alienate the AFL-CIO and delay party unity, it will risk hurting our chances for victory in November.
UPDATE 2:20pm: I have been told that Obama's Texas campaign chair Ron Kirk has agreed to work with the Clinton campaign and Becky Moeller to solve the problem. This is great news. It would have been a grave mistake and a signal that the Obama campaign either didn't understand the precedent or didn't care. We'll keep you updated as this story continues to develop as we get closer to the naming of the add-ons.
UPDATE: Becky Moeller has been named an add-on, along with Ron Kirk and Molly Beth Malcolm. In an e-mail, the ALF-CIO thanked BOR for our "coverage of the delegate selection issue involving President Moeller" and said the situation had been "resolved amicably."
I had the opportunity to attend a fundraiser luncheon for Barack Obama this afternoon in downtown Dallas. While I have to admit, he didn't change my mind for 2008, I do have to agree he is a dynamic speaker and can captivate a room. And the room managed to be one of the largest banquet halls in the Adams Mark Hotel, with every seat filled at 1pm on a Monday.
One of Obama's fundraising chair people announced that it was the largest fundraiser held by Obama for America in the state of Texas to date. In terms of dollars, I would probably agree. The minimum donation was $1000, with the Sponsor Level set at $2300, and the Host Committee set at $10,000 raised per host.
We were treated to a nice lunch, a video montage (we need a montage!), and then Senator Obama himself. He was introduced by former Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk. With such notables as Tom Joyner, and Dallas District Attorney Craig Watkins in attendance, Obama spoke of being inspired by the civil rights movement and of his first job in Chicago after graduating from Columbia. Overall, the luncheon kick-off was a success for his campaign.
Rumors are circulating with a possible entry into the race for U.S. Senate. It's not former candidates Barbara Radnofsky or Chris Bell. It is not a currently elected official like Bill White, Pete Gallego or Rick Noriega.
It is Democratic lightning rod and former Lt Gov of Texas and Texas Speaker of the House. Ben Barnes.
Right now Quorum Report is the only news or blog buzzing with this rumor, but where Quorum starts many will soon follow.
A meeting was supposedly held in recent days where supporters pitched Barnes. Dollar amounts for a campaign were discussed. The consensus was that it would take $25 million to do the job and, according to one of our sources, supporters at the meeting committed to $10 million. By himself, Barnes is credited with being able to write a seven-figure check. Besides his own personal wealth, Barnes is one of the national Democrats' leading fund-raisers.
Barnes is an interesting "choice" for the Democratic option for U.S. Senate. His career was originally ended in the early 1970's because of the Sharpstown Scandal.
Barnes was one of eight people who raised half a million dollars, so his pockets are deep. The real question is whether democratic voters in a democratic primary will forgive both Sharpstown and raising $20 million for gubernatorial candidate and former republican and democrat Carole Keeton Strayhorn.
Texas Nate has a recent interview with Lt Gov Barnes. At the time of the interview, it struck me that Barnes, a strict institutionalist, embraced blogs at all.
Philip Martin subtly shows the difference between Barnes idea with the netroots manifesto, "Crashing the Gates".
"Crashing the Gate" - The Bible for progressive bloggers, CTG is an extraordinarily enlightening read, and an interesting one given the events of the November elections. If you ever want to know why bloggers spend so much free time toiling away at their computers, read this book. As a side note, I should mention that the Texas Netroots are raising money to buy every member of the Texas SDEC and TDP a copy of Crashing the Gate. Learn more about that effort here. 4 out of 5, strongly recommended.
"Barn Burning, Barn Building" - A personal memoir and political history, Ben Barnes writes an interesting book on the history of Texas Democrats. Chapters that detail the tragedy of President Kennedy and the rise of President Johnson, not to mention the Sharpstown scandal, are an excellent primer for those who love to learn the history of Texas politics. Though the closing chapters and recommendations are the same advice everyone has offered ad nauseum, the book is an enlightening view of what Texas Democrats once were. 3 out of 5, recommended.
As Philip hints, Barnes is about history and classic strategies. Barnes is known for loving current institutions and running to the center to win traditional voters. This is a nice way of saying he is not known for using new technology, new tactics, or mobilizing new voters.
Regardless of whether Barnes is really in, the Barnes Buzz continues to show how vulnerable Cornyn is. Why would Barnes eye the race if Cornyn couldn't be defeated?
This brings the possible candidate list to John Sharp, Barbara Radnofsky, Nick Lampson, Bill White, Rick Noriega, Pete Gallego, Ron Kirk, and Ben Barnes.
