Posted on 12/11/2006 8:09:48 AM PST by SwinneySwitch
In a hot, crowded gymnasium Sunday, former President Clinton sought to wind up supporters of Democrat Ciro Rodriguez enough to unseat Rep. Henry Bonilla and strengthen the Democratic Party's hold on Congress. Rodriguez's campaign stop at Palo Alto College came less than two days before the runoff in Congressional District 23 between the former congressman and the Republican incumbent.
"You couldn't have a clearer choice. You couldn't have a better candidate," Clinton told a throng of cheering supporters. "And you've got just about 48 hours to bring it home."
Democrats picked up 29 congressional seats this year, Clinton noted, but they also lost 10 races by slim margins.
"You have to decide whether this House seat is going to be with the 29 or the 10," Clinton said.
"On Nov. 7, voters across the country voted for change," Rodriguez said. "This Tuesday, voters across this district are going to vote one more time for change."
Clinton, meanwhile, laced his nearly 20-minute stump speech with shots at congressional Republican leadership and Bonilla. At one point, he highlighted the seven-term congressman's votes against increasing the minimum wage.
Later, Bonilla spokesman Phil Ricks defended his boss' minimum-wage votes.
"All of the small-business owners ... tell him that if they had to pay a higher minimum wage, they would have to lay off workers in order to do that," he said. "Funny that they didn't mention that during the rally."
Bonilla spent Sunday afternoon campaigning in Hondo with Republican Sen. John Cornyn. Ricks said President Bush's nephew George P. Bush, a Dallas attorney, would make an appearance today at Bonilla's campaign headquarters at 1:30 p.m.
Bonilla emerged from the Nov. 7 seven-way special election just shy of the majority he needed to avoid a runoff. Rodriguez followed with 20 percent.
Ricks said Clinton's San Antonio stop would only help fire up Bonilla's base because of Clinton administration policies and the Monica Lewinsky scandal.
"This is someone who committed a despicable act in the Oval Office, lied about it and then got impeached," Ricks said. "And now he's campaigning side-by-side with Ciro Rodriguez."
On Friday, after learning of Clinton's plan to stop in San Antonio, Ricks said the former president was out of touch with District 23 voters.
Clinton mocked that contention at Sunday's rally, saying his administration had overseen high job growth, expansion of the middle-class and reduction in poverty.
"America is about empowerment," he said. "This election will be determined by whether people understand that."
The race is expected go to the candidate who can best fire up his base of supporters to get to the polls Tuesday — a theme Clinton and several other speakers hammered on Sunday.
"We need more people to be there on Tuesday than ever before, or we will lose," said U.S. Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, a San Antonio Democrat.
Former Mayor Henry Cisneros, who served as secretary of housing and urban development under Clinton, called last month's election results "a political earthquake." He urged the crowd to keep the Democratic momentum going.
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gjefferson@express-news.net
Palo Alto Ping!
Did you see BJ on television appealing to the friends of illegal immigrants vote? I was thinking, what are illegals voting now in San Antonio?
I may not want to know the answer to that last question.
He'still trooling for young girl.
With the "success" of X 42 showing up at campaigning for various RAT candidates, Rodriguez may have lost this race.
Vote for the illegal invasion. Vote Rodriguez.
I expect Bonilla is favored to win.
I own six World Car Kias.
Can any informed person tell us if Bonilla is likely to pull this one out -- and why or why not? So far, this thread is long on trivia and short on information.
TX-23 Final SurveyUSA Poll (Bonilla-51%; Rodriguez-47%)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1752063/posts
Not very reassuring.
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