Posted on 10/23/2003 9:24:44 PM PDT by Theodore R.
Texas Democrats life of the party; From coast to coast, the quorum-busting lawmakers' move inspires others and makes them fund-raiser attractions In Case You Missed It: October 20, 2003
By PETE SLOVER / The Dallas Morning News Monday, October 20, 2003
CAPE ELIZABETH, Maine – It was a cool clear fall night – perfect for baseball – with New England's beloved Boston Red Sox in a televised pennant fight.
But, the tube was shut off at one stately oceanside home, with the conversation focused on the guests of honor and their Mother's Day journey to Ardmore, Okla. – or, in lobsterman patois, "Odd-moore."
"Democrats for too long have not stood up to the arrogance and the lies and the things that [Republicans] have been saying. And it's time we do," said Rep. Jim Dunnam, D-Waco, one of five Texas House members honored at a fund-raiser at the home.
Even before finally losing the fight in Austin, Texas Democrats began barnstorming the nation, converting their status as out-of-state quorum busters into a new role as cheerleaders, poster children and – by their own description – the must-see fund-raising attraction of their party.
"We just felt like we needed to make up a step or two to stand up for principles," said Mr. Dunnam, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, "something that the public has rightly said that the Democrats haven't done a lot of in recent years."
The assembled New Englanders applauded, chuckled and cheered the story of how the Democrats took on the Republicans, leaving the state to delay by five months the numerically inevitable passage of a GOP-backed congressional redistricting plan.
"When we met with the [Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee], they said they would send some of the congressmen in to help," said Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine. "I told them your people attending things is not going to help us. Our people attending things is going to help you. We're the rock stars of the Democratic Party."
Such celebrity doesn't impress Republicans.
"It's all a money thing, isn't it?" said Jim Ellis, executive director of the political action committee of U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land, a primary booster of redistricting. "It shows you the state of the Democrat party, the depths to which they've sunk: Their heroes are people who run away. Their heroes are cowards."
Marketing potential The first organization to catch the marketing potential of the Texas story was MoveOn.org, a Democratic-leaning Internet fund-raiser that quickly garnered more than $1 million with a pitch based on the Texas story.
Texas Democratic lawmakers have been feted at joint fund-raisers for their home-state caucuses and local groups from Portland, Ore., to Portland, Maine, with contacts seeking their appearance in at least 35 states, Mr. Gallego said.
"It's lasting a lot longer than anybody expected," he said. "We never thought we would become a cause, a rallying point for Democrats."
The senators and representatives – with House members making the most appearances – said they've used personal or political funds to pay their own way to the events, sometimes with help from their hosts.
Tour stops The New England trip included stops at a New Hampshire college, a radio interview and two evening fund-raisers. One was a high-dollar event at the coastal home of Maine lawyer Harold Pachios, a former deputy press secretary to President Lyndon Johnson, and the second, a less-expensive gathering at a hotel near the Maine capitol in Augusta.
Maine elected officials and Democratic Party members paid for a close-up look and listen to the five Texans.
There was Mr. Dunnam, hiking his pant leg on request to show ostrich-skin boots personalized with his name and the House seal; Rep. Miguel Wise of Weslaco, stressing that the "L word," liberal, is nothing to be ashamed of; and Rep. Senfronia Thompson of Houston, cracking the crowd up with her account of how the law's search for her during the Ardmore hiatus had them looking inside her office file cabinet.
Rep. Trey Martinez-Fischer of San Antonio, a lead organizer of the out-of-state trips, displayed a stand-up comic's timing; while Rep. Scott Hochberg of Houston, was still polishing and localizing his shtick.
"I think the biggest surprise was not that we thought of a quorum break, but that we could pull it off and get that many members out, because 51 is a lot of worms to herd," Mr. Hochberg said.
Mr. Wise nudged the metaphor away from the ground-dwelling imagery, interjecting, "Texas Democrats ... they're like cats."
Mr. Hochberg took the hint.
"OK. Cats, not worms," he said, before offering a final, regional improvement. "Lobsters. That's a lot of lobsters to put in a cage."
The talk was virulently anti-Republican, a tone that might seem politically reckless in Texas.
"When George W. Bush ran for president he talked about bipartisanship in Texas. And he was telling the truth – it might have been the last time he told the truth – but he was telling the truth when he said that," Mr. Hochberg said. "What he didn't tell you was he no more invented bipartisanship than Al Gore invented the Internet."
The Texans' story resonated with Maine Sen. Lynn Bromley.
"It really was inspiring – it really connected me with, 'Oh, that's right, that's why I'm a Democrat,' " she said.
Ray Sullivan, an Austin-based Republican political consultant, said the Democrats' post-walkout barnstorming – and appearances with such Bush-bashing celebrities as Alec Baldwin – could jump up to bite them, come re-election time.
"It speaks volumes that the runaway Democrats are arguably more popular in Boston or Berkeley than they are in Texas," Mr. Sullivan said.
Mr. Gallego, the Texas House member from Alpine, said he and Mr. Martinez-Fischer have met with former President Bill Clinton and expect Mr. Clinton to headline a fund-raiser for Texas Democrats.
"Would it help if he went to a fund-raiser in Midland? Probably not," he said. "But would it help if he hosted a fund-raiser in New York or Los Angeles benefiting Texas Democrats? Sure."
At one of the Maine events, Mr. Dunnam shared an anecdote that embodied his party's attitude: while losing the legislative redistricting fight, the Democrats won a real political and public relations prize.
He recalled the hard time a teacher gave his 9-year-old son during the Ardmore incident. "She said, 'Do you know where your daddy is?' " Mr. Dunnam recounted, with a pause to set up one of the evening's biggest punch lines. "And he said, 'Yeah, he's on the front page of the paper.'" Search news by keywords: Advanced search >> Search the news archives: 78th Legislature Highlights from the 2003 Legislative Session. Spin Cycle Contains perspectives on current issues and news items. Press Releases Archived Press Releases from the Republican Party of Texas. In Case You Missed It Archived news quotes from various media sources. All news types All available news items. Copyright © 1998 - 2003 Republican Party of Texas Paid for by the Republican Party of Texas
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