Three Texas Congressmen Received Money From DeLay Aide Who Pled

AP is reporting that at least three members of the Texas Congressional delegation were recipients of political contributions from former Tom DeLay deputy chief of staff Tony Rudd, who pled guilty to conspiring with convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff earlier today.
Rudy contributed $3,000 to DeLay, $1,000 to Rep. John Carter (R-Round Rock), and $500 to Rep. Michael Burgess (R-Flower Mound). Carter has already “given back” the donation by making an equivelant charitable contribution while AP notes Burgess has plans to do the same.

GOP Runoffs Getting Nasty: Defamation Lawsuit Filed In HD 72

Quorum Report notes that State Rep. Scott Cambpell (R-San Angelo) has been sued for defamation over ads and mailers from his campaign by his opponent in the April 11 runoff, Drew Darby.

The San Angelo Standard-Times has previously reported that Campbell blasted Darby for what he calls lapses as a businessman, husband and father:

In direct-mail fliers to some of the district’s voters and in radio commercials, Campbell’s campaign labels Darby a ”dead-beat” husband, dad, citizen, debtor, employer and businessman. The ads say Darby failed to pay child support, abandoned his first family, cost taxpayers millions in bad business deals and has been sued by employees and banks.The ad also appeared in the Colorado City newspaper without the ”dead-beat” labels.

Darby led the three-way primary with 40 percent of the vote. Campbell, seeking a third term in office with the backing of the governor and Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick of Midland, finished with 33 percent.

More background:

Darby was involved in real estate deals near Dallas in the 1980s in which two of his business associates were later convicted of federal bank fraud charges. Darby was never charged with wrongdoing in the federal investigation that followed, and he has said he lost money in the deals.

Darby was divorced in the mid-1980s. Court documents show he missed one-and-a-half child support payments in 1989.

“A Victim Of Being In Congress While Black”

U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney (D-Georgia), center in the photo at left, is the subject of about 600 news stories on Google News right now for having a little scuffle with Capitol Police and allegedly striking an officer. This came after McKinney tried to enter a House office building, and was evidently not recognized by Capitol Police, who evidently asked her to stop, which she didn’t do. She also wasn’t wearing a lapel pen Congressmen and women are supposed to wear to ID themselves.

McKinney says she is “just a victim of being in Congress while black.”

First of all, this is one of the stupidist stories on the wire today. If you are unable to recognize the members of Congress, you shouldn’t be a Capitol Police Officer. Though McKinney perhaps should have worn her lapel pin, I’m quite sure the Capitol Police could have shown a little more tact in trying to get her attention rather than, as she claims, chasing after her and grabbing her.

A lawyer for Rep. Cynthia McKinney, the Georgia congresswoman who had an altercation with a Capitol Police officer, says she was “just a victim of being in Congress while black.”
Now, McKinney is awaiting word to determine whether or not she’ll be charged with striking the officer. What ought to happen in this case is that everyone should just appologize to all the parties concerned for not doing the right thing (McKinney for failing to wear the ID or stop, and the Capitol Police officer for failing to recognize a sitting Congresswoman and grabbing her) and let that be that.

The country has more important matters at issue right now than this.

Next Friday Will Be Another $500 Friday!

Start saving up your dollars, because next Friday will be another $500 Friday for a Texas candidate!

Save up your dollars, because next Friday will be $500 Friday for Kathi Thomas, who is running for State Senate in SD 25. We’ll post more on Kathi next week leading up to Friday, so stay tuned.

Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson Thinks It’s OK For Indicted Felons To Possess Concealed Weapons

Several others have blogged on the Houston Chronicle’s editorial about Tom DeLay wanting his concealed handgun license back. However, I think the paragraph below is perhaps the most important in the entire piece, as it shows just how much the GOP leadership here in Texas is willing to do to appease their Kingmaker:

Like those erstwhile DeLay allies in Washington, the author of the Texas concealed weapon statute favors changing the law to accommodate DeLay’s wishes. Land Commissioner and former state Sen. Jerry Patterson told the Chronicle’s Eric Hanson that the requirement that persons awaiting trial lose their right to carry guns “is clearly not rational, not called for.” He favors eliminating the provision, arguing that it violates the presumption of innocence defendants deserve and likened the right to carry a concealed firearm to freedom of speech.

This is an administrative regulation similar to the one that provides that persons charged (not yet convicted, mind you) with drunk driving have their license suspended. Given that some of the people charged with drunk driving proclaim their innocence, too, why not repeal that as well? There’s probably a better case for repealing that provision given that, if you assert your constitutional right not to give a breath sample, your license is suspended, too.

Oil & Gas Interests Are Pleased With The TTRC’s Proposal

Maybe this is a sign we shouldn’t be too pleased with the TTRC’s proposals: Oil and Gas producers seem very happy about them, via the Midland Reporter Telegram.

When the 92-page document came out, “We got what we asked the committee for,” said Morris Burns, executive vice president of the Permian Basin Petroleum Association. “We asked them, if they instituted a business tax, that we get to deduct the severance tax. We got more than we asked for.”

The commission’s recommendations include allowing oil and gas operators to deduct both severance and ad valorem taxes paid in producing oil and natural gas as well as other costs like geological and geophysical costs, lease costs and any other expenses incurred in producing oil and natural gas.

“We won’t get any sympathy,” he said, “but in all fairness, as John Sharp (chairman of the commission) pointed out, the oil industry pays four to five times as much in taxes as other industries.”

That may well be true, but the oil and gas industry probably has four to five times as much profit as other industries.

Of course, given the makeup of the TTRC, no surprise petrochemical interests got a break. Petro interests on the board incluided:

Truman Arnold of Texarkana. Chairman of the board of Truman Arnold Companies, a privately owned regional petroleum marketing company. Arnold is a National Advisory Council member on the National Petroleum Council. He is also a member of the Society of Independent Gasoline Marketers of America, the Petroleum Marketers Association of America, the Texas Oil Marketers Association and the Arkansas Oil Marketers Association.

A.J. Brune III of Midland. Chief financial officer and executive vice president of Wagner and Brown, Ltd., an independent oil and gas producer where he has worked since 1986.

Hunter Hunt of Dallas. Senior vice president of Hunt Oil Co., where he focuses on the company’s liquefied natural gas efforts and other energy operations, including Hunt Power.

Robert Rowling of Irving. Owner and chairman of TRT Holdings, Inc., a privately owned, diversified holding company that owns the Omni Hotels chain and Tana Exploration Co.

The petrochemical industry was well represented on the board, more so, in fact than IT or any other industry.

Texas Hearts Hillary!

It seems as though Senator Hillary Clinton has been raising some big bucks here in the Lone Star State.

The New York Daily News reports that she breakfasted last week at the Dallas Petroleum Club, had some BBQ in Henry Cisneros stomping grounds, and was recepted in Austin.

Once the FEC reports are out, we’ll be able to have a look-see and determine who’s been giving her money.

CD-01 Independent Candidate Killed In Car Crash

Shortly after sending an email to the Lufkin newspaper announcing his candidacy for U.S. Congress as an independent, Frank Guy Camp, Sr., was killed in a car accident, the Lufkin Daily News reports:

Frank Guy Camp Sr., 49, died in a one-car crash Monday on state Highway 135 between Gladewater and Kilgore. According to Texas Department of Public Safety reports, Camp was driving a 2005 Nissan when he lost control as he attempted to pass another vehicle. His vehicle left the roadway and plunged down an embankment, striking several trees before coming to rest in a creek. DPS Trooper Robert Cameron said conditions were rainy and that Camp was not wearing a seat belt.

Justice of the Peace Talyna Carlson pronounced Camp dead at the scene.

Just a brief note of correction, here to the Lufkin Daily News: Justices of the Peace do not pronounce people dead. They perform inquests to determine why they died. Medical professionals declare someone dead.

More:

Camp had been attempting to acquire 500 signatures in a petition drive to have his name placed on the November general election ballot as an independent candidate for the 1st Congressional District race, which includes Gohmert, the Republican incumbent, as well as a Democratic and a third-party challenger.

Camp’s e-mail to The Lufkin Daily News announcing his candidacy was sent on Monday, a matter of hours before the fatal accident occurred. This arrival time on the e-mail was 3:48 p.m., and the accident occurred later that day.

DeLay’s Ex Deputy Chief of Staff Pleads Guilty

Tony Rudy, Tom DeLay’s former deputy chief of staff, has pled guilty to conspiracy in connection with the Abramoff scandal. More here.

Next Page »