Sanchez accuses Perry of corrupting governor's office

HOUSTON - Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tony Sanchez accused incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry Friday of corrupting the state's top office.

"He has stripped (the governor's office) of its dignity and above all else this campaign is about restoring that dignity by replacing him, which we will do in November," Sanchez said, pointing to Perry's acceptance of campaign contributions from companies like Enron Corp. and WorldCom Inc.

Sanchez's attack came in an appearance before the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, where Perry was scheduled to speak later in the day.

Perry's spokesman, Ray Sullivan, responding to Sanchez's comments, called the Laredo businessman "the most ethically challenged gubernatorial candidate in nearly a century."

Sanchez said Perry had violated the public's trust and aimed political attacks at him because he is afraid Sanchez might win in November.

"He is a desperate professional politician who is seeing that career, which he currently has, coming to a very quick end," Sanchez after formal remarks where he promised to improve education, wages and the quality of life in Texas.

"We can do much better but it is going to take independent leadership," Sanchez told the chamber members. "I believe that I am the right person to lead Texas because I bring Texas something different. I know my friends what it is like to be on both sides of a paycheck."

Sullivan said Sanchez is attacking Perry because he doesn't want to talk about his own business career.

The Internal Revenue Service in a crackdown on aggressive tax shelters demanded $4 million last year from the Laredo bank controlled by Sanchez. The bank paid the taxes although it is disputing the IRS claim. In the early 1980s, $25 million in drug cartel money was laundered at a Sanchez-run savings and loan which ultimately failed and required a $161 million federal bailout.

"Gov. Perry has a 17-year record of public service marked by strong leadership, great accomplishment and the highest standards of ethics and integrity," Sullivan said.

The Hispanic group also was to hear Friday from lieutenant governor candidates, Democrat John Sharp and Republican David Dewhurst.

Yes i would say so he started playing the race card from the start.He wanted to debate Dan Morales in spanish and when Dan Morales said he would debate in english he said Morales was not mexican enough.So i think they did debate in spanish.Mr Morales has said he might support Gov.Perry because he has more in common with Gov.Perry than sanchez.Most of my Mexican american buddies say sanchez is not the sharpes knife in the drawer and has nothing in common with them and they will vote for Perry.

It is interesting to note the negative campaign.

Negative campaign tactics are never about getting more votes for the negative campaigner. Their pupose is to reduce the vote for your opponent.

The hope is that Republicans and middle of the roaders who were inclined to vote for Perry will not vote for Perry.

To get Democrats out, a Democratic candidate must do positive things to motivate his core and the center. At the same time he hopes to reduce the other sides attraction to their guy. Sanchez has a huge problem with the middle. He needs them to win and he does not have them.

In a neck to neck race it is often easier to reduce your opponents votes, than it is to get more of your own. Either one will elect a candidate in a close race. But in a race in which a candidate is way behind, he must motivate his base, and more importantly attract a big hunk of the center.

It worth noting that negative campaign tactics do not work exceptionaly well on the center. The center tends to be attracted to a positive pitch, rather than a negative pitch. They react to things that help them and things that hurt them. When a candidte describes his opponent as a dirty rotten crook, the center says, " Uhhh.. And your reason I should not vote for your opponent is...?"

An effective appeal to the center is always based on "Elect my guy and he will do X,Y,And Z for you. Elect my opponent and he will do A,B, and C TO you." When you tell the center your opponent takes money from rich guys, the center person says, "So would I if they would just give it to me."

This is certainly a desperate tactic by someone who is loseing badly. It is like the full court press in Basketball. It is tried only when the team thinks it can not win with regular tactics. If it rattles the other team, the pressing team might win. If it does not rattle the other team, the defeat will be even greater.

Candidates go negative this early, only when all else has failed.

Sanchez is acting like toast. Toast is always a little crusty.

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