Staubach throws support to Cornyn
Posted on 10/12/2002 8:09:46 AM PDT by MeekOneGOP
Staubach throws support to Cornyn
Democrats question GOP hopeful's role in pushing fund for AGs
10/12/2002
After standing at Ron Kirk's side for two mayoral contests, Dallas Cowboys legend Roger Staubach threw a fund-raising dinner Friday for fellow Republican John Cornyn.
And earlier in the day, Democrats attacked the GOP nominee for promoting a fund that solicited campaign money for state attorneys general from businesses they might sue.
Mr. Staubach, the quarterback turned real estate investor, said he still considers Mr. Kirk a friend and agrees with some of his political views. But he noted that the mayor's job is nonpartisan, while President Bush needs every vote he can get in the Senate.
"I'm a fan of John as far as his Republican beliefs," he said in the driveway of his North Dallas home as donors arrived for a dinner that added about $90,000 to the Cornyn coffers. "It was hard as far as the personal side. I really like Ron Kirk... [but] it hasn't been hard on the political side."
Mr. Kirk also continues to count Mr. Staubach as a friend, said spokesman Justin Lonon, adding, "Ron enjoyed his support as mayor and would certainly appreciate his support in this race, but Mr. Staubach has his own reasons."
Mr. Cornyn said he welcomes Mr. Staubach's endorsement.
"It's great to have friends," he said, "and politics is a team sport."
Among the guests were GOP Sens. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas and Don Nickles of Oklahoma, who placed a friendly wager of home-state barbecue and ice cream on Saturday's Texas-OU game.
Mr. Staubach and Mr. Kirk serve together on the board of Brinker International, the Dallas-based restaurant company that owns Chili's, Corner Bakery and On the Border. Mr. Staubach lent his fame to the campaign Mr. Kirk led to win voter approval for a new downtown Dallas arena.
He gave Mr. Kirk $2,500 for his re-election campaign in 1999. Four years earlier, when voters sent Mr. Kirk to City Hall, Mr. Staubach was part of the bipartisan business coalition backing him, and he not only offered an endorsement, he penned a glowing op-ed column published in The Dallas Morning News:
"Dallas still has what it takes to be America's city," he wrote, "but we need new leadership to restore our can-do spirit. There is a time when a city must stop the blame game and elect a leader of vision - a mayor with tomorrow in his eyes. This is that moment. Ron Kirk is that mayor."
Demanding disclosure
Earlier Friday in Austin, state Democratic chairwoman Molly Beth Malcolm demanded that Mr. Cornyn disclose which corporations donated to the Republican Attorney Generals Association, a group he co-founded two years ago and which she described as a "secret organization."
The group billed itself as a way for "conservative business and community leaders" to share their views with sympathetic attorneys general.
It opposed multistate lawsuits such as those against tobacco companies and Microsoft. Mr. Cornyn wrote a fund-raising letter in early 2000 seeking $25,000 and offering meetings with Republican attorneys general, but he has repeatedly denied that donations affected public policy.
"The people of Texas deserve to have John Cornyn come clean on who funds RAGA," Ms. Malcolm said.
Cornyn spokesman David Beckwith said the identities of association donors are disclosed "in full compliance with the law" and dismissed the idea that the group is secretive or a "slush fund," as the government watchdog group Texans for Public Justice has described it.
"That's laughable. It's a subcommittee of the Republican National Committee," he said.
Money donated to RAGA is channeled through the Republican National State Election Committee, a fund run by the Republican National Committee.
Its donors are disclosed every month but are mixed in with those who give to other GOP committees, which makes it impossible to know who gave to the association.
Recurring questions
This isn't the first time Democrats have attacked Mr. Cornyn over the association. In April 2001, they questioned whether donations influenced Mr. Cornyn's office to stay out of a lawsuit against lead-based paint makers. One defendant was NL Industries, a company controlled by Dallas financier Harold Simmons, whose firms had given more than $350,000 to the GOP fund of which RAGA is a part.
The Kirk campaign issued attacks mirroring Ms. Malcolm's on Oct. 1, after Mr. Cornyn spoke with law students in Dallas about his support for open government laws.
"RAGA has been an issue that has followed Mr. Cornyn for a couple of years now," Mr. Lonon said. "It certainly raises questions considering he spends considerable time touting his record of open government."
Mr. Kirk had no scheduled public appearances Friday. But Thursday evening, he continued to raise funds for the final push before the election, attending a reception at the North Dallas home of businessman Edward Okpa - about two miles from Mr. Staubach's place - that drew several dozen donors.
"If you like Washington the way it is right now, vote for my opponent, because he's the perfect guy for that system," he said.
E-mail tgillman@dallasnews.com
Please let me know if you want ON or OFF my Texas ping list!. . .don't be shy.
No, you don't HAVE to be a Texan to get on this list!
http://www.nbc5i.com/politics/1707582/detail.html
The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
US Senate"who do you think you would vote for if the election were held today?"
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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| Democrat Ron Kirk | 30% | 33% | 28% | 29% | 33% | 20% |
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| Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 55% | 57% | 51% | 55% | 66% |
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| Undecided | 14% | 12% | 14% | 20% | 12% | 14% |
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State |
Male | Female | White | Hisp | Afri-Amer | |
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| Democrat Ron Kirk | 29% | 26% | 33% | 24% | 43% | 77% |
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| Republican John Cornyn | 56% | 61% | 51% | 63% | 30% | 9% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 12% | 16% | 13% | 26% | 14% |
Kirk is toast.
http://www.nbc5i.com/politics/1707582/detail.html
The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
Nearly half of all likely voters think both campaigns are using "unfair" campaign ads.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 30 through Oct. 6 and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4.1%.
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State |
North Texas | East Texas | South Texas | Central Texas | West Texas | |
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| Democrat Tony Sanchez, Jr. | 29% | 31% | 28% | 32% | 26% | 15% |
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| Republican Rick Perry | 56% | 52% | 59% | 50% | 56% | 70% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 16% | 13% | 18% | 18% | 12% |
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State |
Male | Female | White | Hisp | Afri-Amer | |
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| Democrat Tony Sanchez, Jr. | 29% | 26% | 31% | 24% | 43% | 70% |
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| Republican Rick Perry | 56% | 60% | 51% | 63% | 32% | 12% |
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| Undecided | 15% | 13% | 17% | 12% | 26% | 19% |
I was at the old widget factory aka salt mine yesterday and one of my supervisors asked why people didn't want to work for the money they get, and what should we call people like that ? When I said Democrats, ya could have heard a pin drop in that little room full of pro union types.
Not to worry I have more @ss than they have teeth :o).........Stay Safe !
ROTFLMAO...I gotta hand it to ya...you are one gutsy Texican to say that in the noted comapany.
Indeed, stay safe...
Absolutely. I remember the excitement of some of those games. Truly Hall-of-Fame kinda guy......
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