Three Democratic Chairmen Get Money From Speaker’s PAC
Three House Democrats who have chaired Committees under Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) have received contributions from one of his PACs. Via the DMN:
The Democrats, all House committee chairmen who supported Mr. Craddick for speaker in the past, are Kevin Bailey of Houston, Kino Flores of Palmview and Aaron Pena of Edinburg. All are being challenged in the March 4 Democratic primary.
A campaign finance report filed by the Texas Jobs & Opportunity Build a Secure Future Inc. PAC indicated that the three Democrats received $50,000 each on Jan. 11 to help finance their primary campaigns.
The $150,000 in donations represented nearly half of the $332,500 that the PAC raised in January, with Mr. Craddick putting up $250,000 of that amount through his Midland-based Tom Craddick Campaign Fund. Three other contributors, including Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, each donated $25,000 to the PAC.
The campaigns of the three Democrats are seen as crucial to Mr. Craddick, who is hoping to secure a fourth two-year term as speaker of the 150-member House next year. The House currently has 79 Republicans and 71 Democrats. At least 76 votes are necessary for a member to be elected speaker.
For the most part, it was expected–at least as far as Flores and Bailey go, but I’m surprised Pena received anything from Craddick’s PAC. I would have expected Dawnna Dukes to have received money.
Of course, as soon as this story broke on QR, I started getting e-mails from readers, hecklers, and even a couple of blogger colleagues chiding me over my support of Pena in House District 40 against Eddie Saenz. The key question they all asked was, “are you still supporting him?” (I endorsed Rep. Pena on this blog some months ago.) And, to be quite honest, the answer is, “yes,” and it’s not something I have to think twice about, although I get no small amount of Hell for doing so–especially since there isn’t a single other Craddick D in a contested race whose re-election I support. In fact, I was nearly tempted to simply let this story pass by, simply because I didn’t want to have to spend my time justifying my position.
Do I like the fact that Pena received money from Craddick? No, it wouldn’t be my choice of funding a campaign, by any stretch of the imagination. But, in spite of the “Craddick D” label, I have tremendous respect for Rep. Pena. (I can sense the “how can you be a progressive and say that?!?” attacks coming.)
In the Rio Grande Valley, political machines run the show. It’s a fact of life. You can believe it or not believe it; you can say it is a racist statement to make (as did folks when I mentioned this in context with Mikal Watts’ race for U.S. Senate). They are no good for Texas politics. Rep. Pena has always–without question–stood up to the political machines in the Valley. He’s not a machine candidate. And, to do that in the Rio Grande Valley takes a lot of guts.
Plus, you can’t say that Pena’s not likely acting in the best interest of his district, which I think is a major consideration in that race, especially given that–even if he wrote in George McGovern for Speaker–it isn’t something that would satisfy the political machines. You simply cannot say the same about other Craddick D’s. Bailey, Dukes, et al–they are in solid liberal districts and their votes simply aren’t in step with the reality of their districts.
Plus, progressive groups, like labor, in Pena’s own district, support him–not his opponent. It’s one thing for a progressive in Austin or Dallas that may or may not understand the reality of Valley politics to ask, “how can progressives support a Craddick D,” but it is entirely another matter to be a progressive who understands the reality of Valley politics to go out on a limb and say, “I’ll support you even though I may disagree with you, because by and large, you do right by your district.”
And, as I’ve said before, “Craddick D” or not, Pena has championed progressive issues–the shield law and voter verified paper trails among others. Do I agree with every vote he’s made? No, and probably some of the groups that endorse him do not either. That’s politics. But, looking at the alternative, I wonder: if Eddie Saenz–a total tool of the machines–was elected, what would he do? Chances are he’d be in lock-step with whatever the machines want which, by and large, has nothing to do with progressive ideals. Seanz is, as Paul Burka noted, a “Chamber of Commerce type,” and that doesn’t cut the mustard, either.
I’ll also put this in another context. Save his vote for Speaker, Pena is not as conservative as some “WD40s” in East Texas. In fact, I think, overall voting record examined, he’s to the left of moderate–excluding the Speaker vote. We don’t give much hell to the WD40s because we know they are in tough districts they couldn’t win without voting against our caucus on certain issues. Yet, we as progressives are ready to give total hell to people in the Valley who are in similar situations. It doesn’t make sense, but, often times, some things in politics simply passeth complete understanding.
Is it odd to oppose every “Craddick D” but one? Sure. But, I’m not a rubber-stamp Progressive, either. I’m willing, when justified, to make an exception and go outside the box. Such an exception isn’t, in my mind, justified in districts of Dukes, Bailey, et al. But, it is here. Like it, don’t like it–agree with it, or disagree with it–it’s fine with me, just do so respectfully. It doesn’t make me not a progressive, anymore than people who don’t go out looking for opponents for Chet Edwards or WD40s aren’t automatically “not progressive.” I can read a voting record as well as the next individual, but I can also read between the lines. And, I understand the difference between real politics and fantasy politics. In fantasy politics, every Democrat would be a clone of our most liberal members. In reality, that not only won’t happen–but cannot happen–without alienating the conservative wing of our party, a net loss of seats, etc. Just as in Congress, just as in life, there are conservative Democrats and Liberal/Progressive.
I’m a liberal, I’m a progressive. But that doesn’t mean I don’t recognize that at least some of those Democrats who aren’t liberal progressives do have a place in our party and in the House and that some–like other Craddick Ds who do not belong in the House, have for whatever reason, ignored their districts and taken the path not because they felt it was necessary or justified or would be of greatest benefit to their constituents or for whatever other justifiable reason, but merely because it was the path of least resistance.
Popularity: 21% [?]
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(On Feb 6th, 2008 at 5:36 pm)