Discrediting Dee Margo

Republicans like to think that Dee Margo is actually going to be giving Elliot Shapleigh a run for his money in Texas Senate District 29.

However, even Republicans in El Paso are eager to discredit Margo.

Seven years later, when I ran for U.S. Congress in 1994, the so-called “Republican” Dee Margo came calling again. This time, it was to give money to my Democratic opponent, incumbent Congressman Ronald Coleman. Just as the Kingmakers of Telles’ day, Dee Margo was playing both sides of the aisle simply to assert his power and keep “the wrong kind of people” out of office. He frustrated my campaign by delaying endorsements and funding from other business leaders, including a national business PAC which Margo headed locally.

Dee Margo is currently running on the theme: “Unity. Results.” How can this candidate run on “unity” when he worked outside his own party to divide and dismantle it locally? As for “results”? In 1994, I lost with 42.9 percent of the total vote.

As a final note, Dee Margo was appointed Civilian Aide to the Secretary to the Army from 1990 to 1998. In 1995, under Dee Margo’s watch, Fort Bliss lost 4,400 soldiers from the 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment to Fort Carson, Colo.

If division and defeat is what you want your state senator, vote for Dee Margo. On those points, he has a strong, consistent record — one I’ve experienced first hand, from the same side of the aisle.

Interesting. Evidently, even the Republicans in El Paso don’t think much of Dee Margo. Even with all of the Republican huffing and puffing that Margo is going to give Shapleigh hell, this race is on few people’s rader.

Of course, Shapleigh is taking no chances—especially since a loss would lessen the Democratic minority such that the Republicans would be able to basically steamroller anything through the Lege. He’s running a different TV ad every day, as a matter of fact. You can view them here. It’s quite an innovative campaign tactic and one I expect to be adopted by campaigns around the nation in the next cycle.