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Uh oh, Wendy Davis’ life story not what it seems
Legal Insurrection ^ | January 19, 2014 | William A. Jacobson

Posted on 01/20/2014 12:00:57 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife

Wendy Davis rose to national prominence when she conducted a filibuster to block a Texas bill restricting non-medically necessary abortions after 20-weeks. For that position, which is wildly unpopular, Davis became the next Elizabeth Warren — the Great White Hope in pink sneakers.

Erick Erickson dubbed her “Abortion Barbie,” which led to howls of sexism. But as I explained in Why is “Abortion Barbie” off limits for Wendy Davis?, Barbie and Ken analogies in politics are quite common. Erickson’s remark was directed not at Davis’ gender, but her self-professed ignorance of the Kermit Gosnell House of Abortion Horrors. That someone running on a pro-late term abortion platform didn’t know about the biggest abortion story of the year made her look, well, like a plastic impression.

Like Elizabeth Warren, whose life story does not hold up to scrutiny, Davis appears to have narrative problems, as detailed today by The Dallas Morning News, As Wendy Davis touts life story in race for governor, key facts blurred:

Wendy Davis has made her personal story of struggle and success a centerpiece of her campaign to become the first Democrat elected governor of Texas in almost a quarter-century.

While her state Senate filibuster last year captured national attention, it is her biography — a divorced teenage mother living in a trailer who earned her way to Harvard and political achievement — that her team is using to attract voters and boost fundraising.

The basic elements of the narrative are true, but the full story of Davis’ life is more complicated, as often happens when public figures aim to define themselves. In the shorthand version that has developed, some facts have been blurred.

Davis was 21, not 19, when she was divorced. She lived only a few months in the family mobile home while separated from her husband before moving into an apartment with her daughter.

A single mother working two jobs, she met Jeff Davis, a lawyer 13 years older than her, married him and had a second daughter. He paid for her last two years at Texas Christian University and her time at Harvard Law School, and kept their two daughters while she was in Boston. When they divorced in 2005, he was granted parental custody, and the girls stayed with him. Wendy Davis was directed to pay child support.

In an extensive interview last week, Davis acknowledged some chronological errors and incomplete details in what she and her aides have said about her life.

“My language should be tighter,” she said. “I’m learning about using broader, looser language. I need to be more focused on the detail.”

To summarize the rest of the article, which of course you should read in full, her second husband paid her way through her last two years of college and all of Harvard Law School, he raised their two daughters for whom she didn’t even fight for custody. She left her husband the day after he made her last student loan payment:

When she was accepted to Harvard Law School, Jeff Davis cashed in his 401(k) account and eventually took out a loan to pay for her final year there…. Over time, the Davises’ marriage was strained. In November 2003, Wendy Davis moved out.

Jeff Davis said that was right around the time the final payment on their Harvard Law School loan was due. “It was ironic,” he said. “I made the last payment, and it was the next day she left.”

Not exactly the story her campaign previously told, as the Dallas Morning News pointed out:

“With the help of academic scholarships and student loans, Wendy not only became the first person in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree but graduated first in her class and was accepted to Harvard Law School,” her website says.

Will it matter? A misleading personal narrative didn’t hurt Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts and doesn’t hurt her among progressives because they don’t care any more than they cared about Bill Clinton abusing his power over a young female intern to elicit sexual favors.

But Texas isn’t Massachusetts, and the Texas electorate doesn’t sleep with copies of The Nation and Mother Jones under their pillows.

Here’s how one of her supporters describes her:

A former colleague and political supporter who worked closely with Davis when she was on the council said the body’s work was very time-consuming.

“Wendy is tremendously ambitious,” he said, speaking only on condition of anonymity in order to give what he called an honest assessment. “She’s not going to let family or raising children or anything else get in her way.”

Then there’s this little tidbit dropped by the Dallas Morning News:

In his initial divorce filing, Jeff Davis said the marriage had failed, citing adultery on her part and conflicts that the couple could not overcome. The final court decree makes no mention of infidelity, granting the divorce solely “on the ground of insupportability.”

We have a lot of Texas readers here. How’s that true narrative going to play?

(Featured image source: New York Magazine)


TOPICS: Government; Local News; Politics; Society
KEYWORDS: abortionbarbie; democratliars; jeffdavis; liar; texas; texasgovcandidate; wendydavis
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To: berdie

She’s a Democrat....they are ALL FRAUDS and LIARS!! BUT she’s a TRU believer in their religion, LIBERALISM and ABORTION is their Sacrament. DISGUSTING!


21 posted on 01/20/2014 1:21:19 AM PST by Ann Archy (Abortion......the Human Sacrifice to the god of Convenience.)
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To: All

“My language should be tighter,” she said. “I’m learning about using broader, looser language. I need to be more focused on the detail.”

Translation: “I lied”


22 posted on 01/20/2014 2:37:12 AM PST by Rodney Dangerfield ("Close the Voter ID Loophole! ID & Background checks for all voters!")
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

Most Texans think she’s a bottle blond skank who is milking the libtards around the nation for their campaign cash. She found a dumb sugar daddy to marry her to get her bills paid and gave him her daughters in return. She may have moved out of the trailer, but she’s still trash.


23 posted on 01/20/2014 2:48:03 AM PST by txrefugee
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To: fella

You get it! LOL!


24 posted on 01/20/2014 2:52:10 AM PST by jonrick46 (The opium of Communists: other people's money.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
Well they say everything is bigger in Texas.


25 posted on 01/20/2014 3:01:17 AM PST by McGruff (I stand with Phil.)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

So much for The Little House on the Prairie Story!


26 posted on 01/20/2014 3:38:01 AM PST by Dr. Ursus
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To: Bullish

“Gee, another democrat with a fraudulent back story? A made-up bio seems to be all the rage with democrats these days.”

Democrats are liars the moment they exit the womb. It is genetic. You can’t trust them to tell the truth. Wendy Davis is no different. She was born a liar and I suspect will shuffle off this mortal coil the same way.


27 posted on 01/20/2014 3:55:13 AM PST by LottieDah (If only those who speak so eloquently on behalf of animals would do so on behalf of the unborn.)
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To: Rodney Dangerfield
She's friggin NUTS !

“My language should be tighter,” she said. “I’m learning about using broader, looser language. I need to be more focused on the detail.”

Tighter, but broader and looser ?

Friggin' looney !

28 posted on 01/20/2014 3:55:54 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true .. I have no proof .. but they're true.)
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To: 98ZJ USMC

Men love porn queens in bed


29 posted on 01/20/2014 3:57:22 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true .. I have no proof .. but they're true.)
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To: berdie
She’s a fraud and a liar.

Aren't all democrats, by definition?

30 posted on 01/20/2014 4:14:21 AM PST by from occupied ga (Your government is your most dangerous enemy)
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To: knarf
Tighter, but broader and looser ?

Sexual innuendo, really. Look at that sexy pose in a previous post.

31 posted on 01/20/2014 4:28:16 AM PST by Mamzelle
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To: jonrick46
It's that inviting smile...

Sheesh!


32 posted on 01/20/2014 4:55:34 AM PST by Paine in the Neck (Socialism consumes everything)
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To: txrefugee

As a Dad that got the uncontested custody of the children, in the divorce, has something hidden in the margins that would undermine her narrative as a future puritan candidate..

I haven’t any particular knowledge of anything in her background, but it mentions adultery in the filing documents, that were removed once the custody arrangements were settled.. The court seldom tears the kids away from a mother fighting for her maternal rights, hens teeth come to mind.. Jus sayin


33 posted on 01/20/2014 4:59:36 AM PST by carlo3b (Corrupt politicians make the other ten percent look bad.. Henry Kissinger)
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

What do you expect from a liberal. Regardless of any immorality or lie, that stuff doesn’t matter. The significant mantra is ‘I want what I want and I don’t care how I get it.’ Rules just don’t apply to the liberal.


34 posted on 01/20/2014 5:55:36 AM PST by Dudoight
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To: Cincinatus' Wife
A misleading personal narrative didn’t hurt Elizabeth Warren in Massachusetts and doesn’t hurt her among progressives because they don’t care . . .

I think it's worse than that. I think self-styled progressives eagerly support lies and liars because they worship the Father of Lies.

35 posted on 01/20/2014 6:29:44 AM PST by madprof98
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To: jonrick46

She offered her honor. He honored her offer, and all through the night it was honor and offer.


36 posted on 01/20/2014 6:43:25 AM PST by LachlanMinnesota
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To: Cincinatus' Wife

To answer the question: except among ‘rat true believers, not worth a damn.


37 posted on 01/20/2014 7:16:11 AM PST by jimt (Fear is the darkroom where negatives are developed.)
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To: jonrick46

When I was a freshman in HS it was rare, but not uncommon, for teachers to date and fall in love with students. There were some girls who knew how to use what they had to better their grades. In freshman English we had a real weirdo teacher. One girl failed her first six weeks. At that point she moved to the front roll and flaunted that mini-skirt she always wore. For the next two six weeks periods she got all “A”s. At the end of the semester the teacher left. Nobody was ever told why.

It was always male teachers and female students back then. I now wonder if it didn’t go the other way but we just never heard about it.


38 posted on 01/20/2014 9:33:58 AM PST by VerySadAmerican (".....Barrack, and the horse Mohammed rode in on.")
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Gold-digger future perjurer ping. Thanks Cincinatus’ Wife.


39 posted on 01/20/2014 9:59:47 AM PST by SunkenCiv (;http://www.freerepublic.com/~mestamachine/)
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