Posted on 12/20/2003 1:55:27 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
Austin Congressman Lloyd Doggett, one of the Democrats targeted by redistricting pushed by U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, has done more than just say he's running in a new district that reaches from East Austin to the Texas-Mexico border.
Most recently, Doggett not only has lined up the support of several mayors in Hidalgo County, led by McAllen Mayor Leo Montalvo, but Montalvo's also cut Spanish-language radio spots plugging Doggett's candidacy.
Meanwhile, state Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos, D-Austin, was meeting in South Texas with Leticia Hinojosa, a state district judge for several years. Both are considering the race, but from the sounds of harmony coming out of their meeting, it may well be that Barrientos winds up endorsing Hinojosa.
Doggett, some Texans will recall, has campaigned in South Texas before. He was the Democratic nominee for the U.S. Senate in 1984, losing to Republican Phil Gramm in the Ronald Reagan re-election landslide that year.
And in 1988, he won a six-year term on the Texas Supreme Court. He was already campaigning hard in late 1993 for an uncertain re-election bid when the longtime Austin congressman, Jake Pickle, decided to retire. Doggett hesitated about five seconds before jumping into the race, backing down Barrientos, who had succeeded Doggett in the Texas Senate but badly wanted the congressional seat.
Doggett's garnering of endorsements by Hispanic mayors in South Texas may be part of his effort to buffalo at least Barrientos out of the race, and perhaps Hinojosa as well. But Hinojosa sounded unfazed by the endorsements.
In 2004, Barrientos isn't faced with the problem of having his Senate seat up for election at the same time. That was part of his reasoning for staying out of the 1994 race.
Barrientos isn't up for re-election until 2006, and had been hinting strongly that he'd run for Congress this time.
If he did, presumably the fact that he'd still be in the state Senate if he lost would provide some leverage for fund-raising for the congressional run.
That said, Doggett has a couple million campaign bucks in the bank, money he has rat-holed to scare off challengers and to be ready for an emergency like this one. And he's shown in the past that he's not reluctant to spend it if he considers it necessary.
For those who care about that sort of thing, here's an English translation of Mantalvo's radio ad:
"This is Leo Montalvo, mayor of McAllen, asking for your vote and support for Congressman Lloyd Doggett.
"The well-being of our communities — schools, roads and economic development, depends on acquiring funds from Washington. That's why we need Lloyd Doggett. . . .
"Leo Montalvo, your servant, once again asks for your vote and support for Lloyd Doggett. Lloyd Doggett will keep right on fighting for McAllen and South Texas.
"Remember, Lloyd Doggett is with us."
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
How appropriate!
| ACU Ratings for Representative Doggett: | |
| Year 2002 | 4 |
| Year 2001 | 4 |
| Lifetime | 7 |
Lloyd Doggett
"The well-being of our communities — schools, roads and economic development, depends on acquiring funds from Washington. That's why we need Lloyd Doggett. . . ."
Welfare Queens, the entire lot of 'em!
A good white liberal would feel bad about doing that.
But "good" has never been associated with Lloyd Doggett.
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