No, Tony, NO!

This really pisses me off:

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell suffered a political blow Wednesday as the party’s 2002 nominee, Tony Sanchez, announced he is supporting independent Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn for governor.

Meanwhile, independent candidate Kinky Friedman unveiled new radio commercials with country music icon Willie Nelson urging voters to sign the petition to get Friedman on the ballot.

Tony Sanchez, I’m dissappointed in you. I guess you forgot when Ann Richards stood with you and took your hand and supported you, in spite of the fact that you supported her Republican opponent in 1994:

After his speech, in a symbolic moment for a party that has splintered in recent years, Sanchez joined hands on stage with the party’s other statewide nominees, including Senate candidate Ron Kirk, lieutenant governor candidate John Sharp, attorney general candidate Kirk Watson and others.

Also joining hands with Sanchez was former Gov. Ann Richards. In 1994, Sanchez backed Republican George W. Bush in his successful attempt to oust Richards.

Now, what are you doing? You’re going back to the same camp of people that accused you of being a drug lord, laundering money, and all of that. Was Carole Strayhorn supporting you for governor then? Not hardly, Tony. She was backing Rick Perry.

This is how you repay those of us in the trenches of the Party who defended you, your record, the fact that you didn’t even vote in several elections? This is how you repay the 1.8 million Democrats who supported you in 2002? This is a betrayal. This is a tragedy.

I remember, the Sunday before the 2002 election, when Tony Sanchez and Kirk Watson came to Tyler and spoke there. I met Tony Sanchez, heard him speak, the whole nine yards. But, contrary to the impression he left on the several hundred people that gathered at that church on a rainy Sunday afternoon, I guess he really wasn’t the real deal. Too bad for Tony, too bad for Texas.

[By The Way: It was pretty difficult to find that photo of Perry and Strayhorn together via Google (even searching with "Rylander". There is a more recent one from 2005, but I like this one, because it actually looks like Perry and Strayhorn are in some mid-priced convention hotel and that he's about to put the moves on her. I tried like hell to find a Richards/Sanchez photo, but I came up short. If you've got one, email me at Vince_Leibowitz-at-cox.net.]

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