TX 22: DeLay Could Cost GOP Their Majority, Campbell Says (Requires Barf Bag)

Congressional Quarterly ^

[AZRepublican]

Tomorrow’s Republican primary in Texas’ 22nd Congressional District will test how much damage has been inflicted on former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay by a series of legal and ethics controversies. And lawyer Tom Campbell has emerged as the strongest of three Republican challengers in the district that includes parts of Houston and its suburbs.

Campbell, who met with CQPolitics.com senior reporter Greg Giroux in Washington on Feb. 8, has some experience in the nation’s capital, as a former counsel to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

He does not claim any major policy differences with the activist conservative agenda DeLay has pressed since he was first elected to Congress in 1984. Campbell argues instead that ethical questions — and the kind of hardball partisan tactics that long made DeLay a powerful force in Washington politics — have now rendered him ineffective. He says it is time to replace him with a new member who is free of that kind of political baggage.

Campbell contends that DeLay’s problems would cause him to lose the general election in the 22nd District, which normally has a solidly Republican lean, in part because Democrats have made him the embodiment of a “culture of corruption” that they accuse the Republican congressional majority of fomenting. Campbell said that, in turn, could contribute to the GOP losing its 12-year control of the House.

Here are excerpts from the interview:

[MassachusettsGOP]

Anyone is better than Ron Paul

[MassachusettsGOP]

Ron Paul never votes with the Republican Party!, he is a RINO! He votes against the Patriot Act, budget cuts, he wants to legalize marijuana, opposed the War in Iraq, and is against the Death Penalty. These all defy Conservative principles, and I'd take any other Republican (with the except of mb people like William Weld and Lincoln Chafee) over Dr. No

[MassachusettsGOP]

My neighborhood is trashed, maybe even permentantly. The most Conservative candidates we get on the ballot here are people like Mitt Romney (not all that conservative).
Can't I dream about voting in a Conservative's Heaven: Texas?

[Jrabbit]

Massachusetts telling us Texans who to vote for????

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!

I don't think so!

I'd vote for DeLay, proudly, if they'd let me!

[MassachusettsGOP]

Well she beats Paul on Iraq, Katrina (though I relieze Paul was just making a political statement, which I see some merit to), the Patriot Act, and she would probably would have voted for the small budget cuts that were passed over the Winter (which he voted against). She seems strong on property rights and taxes, however she has Bush's "compassionate" streak. Paul beats her on spending. We can also assume she would stand with Bush and Congressional Republicans more often than Dr. No, and that she won't be pushing for marijuana legalization anytime soon.

Mr. Paul would certainly appeal to some of the more Libertarian Conservatives, however, in my eyes, I think Mrs. Sinatra would serve me better if I were a voter in the 14th. Of my top 5 issues, she wins WoT, Iraq, Taxes, he wins Spending Control, and they both have no position on Immigration that I am aware of.

[MassachusettsGOP]

Hey you can vote for whoever you want. I'm just putting out for discussion sake who I'd vote for.

I'm just concerned about DeLay's electibility. His district is weaker than it used to be, and weak Moderate-Republicans may urge to bolt from DeLay, and Lampson's smoozing might be enough to pull them over and win by a couple of points.

With Campbell, you'd get the same issue base (granted without the Congressional organizational abilities and proud history of DeLay), and the squishy-Moderate Republicans would have less of a moral heart ache to vote for him. In any case, I'd be voting for the Republican, wheter its DeLay or Campbell, Baig, or Fjetland (well mb not him) in the General Election over that liar Lampson, and the turncoat-physco Stockman.

[cardinal4]

Im just very frustrated. I know there are decent GOPers..

[fortheDeclaration]

The party is turning its back on one of its best ever members. The GOP expects integrity in its public officials. How many times has DeLay been found guilty by the Ethics Committee? 3? 4?

I do not think he was found guilty at all by the ethics Committee.

In fact, the Democrat who brought up the charges was rebuked for doing so.

I believe he was 'warned' by the ethics committee to be more careful on some technical issues.

This race will define Republicans. There is no policy difference between the two candidates. That is not the issue. Will Republicans defend unethical behavior like the Democrats? Or do Republicans really have higher standards?

Well, Delay was strongly endorsed by the GOA for fighting for gun rights and was also endorsed by an anti-abortion group for his fight against abortion.

I doubt Mr. Cambell would be as strong as Delay has been.

[writmeister]

Ron Paul is no RINO in the traditional sense -- meaning he is squishy on social issues.

Ron Paul is a true strict constructionist. If some piece of legislation is not within the specific Constitutional authority for Congress, he will vote against it regardless of whether it seems like a popular idea.

[fortheDeclaration]

Delay has run an overly aggressive campaign against Campbell. Is Delay attempting to use Campbell's Mormonism against him as a way to sway undecideds?

I have not seen any negative adds against Campbell.

I did not even know he was a Mormon until now.

That would not stop me (a Baptist) from voting for him in the general election if he should win.

[fortheDeclaration]

Ron Paul never votes with the Republican Party!, he is a RINO! He votes against the Patriot Act, budget cuts, he wants to legalize marijuana, opposed the War in Iraq, and is against the Death Penalty. These all defy Conservative principles, and I'd take any other Republican (with the except of mb people like William Weld and Lincoln Chafee) over Dr. No

I doubt that Ron Paul voted against budget cuts (unless something shady was going on).

Ron Paul is a rare individual, someone who is consistent with his own belief's.

He is a strong supporter of gun rights, anti-tax, anti-spending, for a strong border, sound money, pro-life.

He may be wrong about Iraq, but he is consistent about the role of gov't.

[jmaroneps37]

This is good news! It tells me that campbell's internal polls show him behind. If he was ahead he would just keep his mouth shut and try to run out the clock.

[The_Victor]

Ron Paul never votes with the Republican Party!, he is a RINO! He votes against the Patriot Act, budget cuts, he wants to legalize marijuana, opposed the War in Iraq, and is against the Death Penalty.

Ron Paul previously held his office as a libertarian, but he's no RINO.

[TXBSAFH]

I am going out to vote for Campell in a few hours. He is teh best shot we have.

[SolidSupplySide]

I do not think he was found guilty at all by the ethics Committee.

Unbelievable. How can you draw that conclusion? The Ethics Committee explicitly identified each and every rule that DeLay broke. I guess there are a lot of Republicans that will excuse unethical behavior.

There is a cult of personality out there. Democrats at one time would excuse all the behavior of Bill Clinton despite the evidence. Republicans will excuse all the behavior of DeLay despite the evidence. I don't understand the cult of personality. I wish it didn't exist. I had hoped that Republicans would stand for integrity in public office more than they do.

[SolidSupplySide]

Is Delay attempting to use Campbell's Mormonism against him as a way to sway undecideds?

I haven't seen it, but Houston Curmudgeon said that it is going on. It wasn't clear to me whether or not DeLay is formenting the bigotry or if the bigots are just naturally aligned with DeLay. I hope Curmudgeon could clarify this situation.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Please do not put words in my mouth, speculate on what I said, or try to start a rumor. I am and will be very clear on the Mormon comment.

I said the Christian Coalition in this area was a heavy voting group and anti Mormon. I learned this through discussions with them about Governor Mitt Romney and how they would view his candidacy for President. The discussion had NOTHING, ZERO, NADA to do with Mr. Campbell nor Congressman DeLay.

While I have your attention, I will say DeLay is in more trouble than I thought. However counting signs, where Campbell puts 2-3 in a yard and many (illegally) on public right of way means nothing. Further his REPEATED spamming of the school systems email system just pisses me off.

[SolidSupplySide]

Please do not put words in my mouth, speculate on what I said, or try to start a rumor.

. . .

I said the Christian Coalition in this area was a heavy voting group and anti Mormon.

I asked for clarification. I had hoped that you wouldn't turn ugly, too. It appears that your statement is the same as one of the possibilities I presented, that the anti-Mormon bigots have an alignment of interests with DeLay even though DeLay isn't formenting the bigotry.

I will observe that you had previously expressed your disappointment with the anti-Mormon sentiment. I am disappointed with it, too.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

Please note I was addressing you and two others and I seldom find fault with YOUR posts. Unlike some others, you seem very capable of have opinionated, yet civil disagreements.

[RedWhiteBlue]

Well, Delay was strongly endorsed by the GOA for fighting for gun rights and was also endorsed by an anti-abortion group for his fight against abortion.

I received a postcard from the NRA last week. They endorsed DeLay. In their own words:

"Tom DeLay has fought for your firearms freedom in Congress for years, and he will continue to work to ensure your Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage are protected. He played a critical role in quickly bringing S 397, The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, to the House floor and ensuring its ultimate passage and enactment. Tom DeLay has a perfect pro-gun voting record in Congress. He has cosponsored and voted for every pro-gun bill and voted against every anti-gun bill at every opportunity. Accordingly, he has earned an A+ rating by the NRA and you could not be represented in Congress by a stronger supporter of your gun rights and hunting heritage.

By contrast, none of his opponents in this primary election completed and returned the 2006 NRA Federal Candidate Questionnaire, often an indication of indifference -- if not outright hostility -- to our gun rights and sporting tradition."

There you have it. His opponents couldn't even bother to complete and return a questionnaire on their stand on the 2nd Amendment.