Posted on 02/15/2006 4:12:29 PM PST by SolidSupplySide
Utahns are helping finance the campaign of a Texas attorney challenging former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay for his seat in Congress.
Tom Campbell, a graduate of Brigham Young University, swept into Salt Lake City on Monday for a whirlwind fundraiser and meeting with Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr.
Campbell is running as a reformer. He says the future of the Republican Party hinges on his race against the embattled incumbent in Texas' 22nd Congressional District.
DeLay stepped down from his leadership post last year after being charged in Texas with campaign finance violations.
More recently, DeLay has been pilloried because of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who pleaded guilty to defrauding American Indian tribes of millions and is cooperating in an ongoing congressional corruption probe.
Campbell expects the Democratic Party to run against the "culture of corruption" in Washington. And DeLay, Campbell said, will be "Exhibit A."
"This is an issue of national importance. What's at stake is the future of the Republican Party," Campbell said Monday. "Tom DeLay will lose. The question is whether he will lose to me or a liberal Democrat. If we clean up our house, that issue is not going to be available."
Campbell, a 51-year-old Texas attorney, was born in Utah and grew up in Washington, D.C.
He studied law at Baylor University, worked as an attorney in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration under the first President Bush and directed Bob Dole's rapid response team for the 1996 presidential campaign.
Campbell flew to Salt Lake City this week to raise money among the state's Republican faithful - including some of the party's most prominent figures.
Former congressional candidate and Huntsman adviser Tim Bridgewater hosted Campbell during a reception at a downtown law firm, the office of Sen. Orrin Hatch's son, Brent.
Donations for the fete ranged from $250 to $1,000.
Campbell has raised about $130,000 for the race, including $50,000 of his own money.
"The bottom line is: It runs on money," he said.
ping
Like it or not, Campbell may be the way the GOP needs to go in that district to save it from falling into Democratic hands. Delay is in real trouble there, rightly or wrongly. He probably needs to just step down and avoid this primary fight as distasteful as that may seem. Once he's cleared, and I'm certain he will be, perhaps he can come back to fight another day in a different district, perhaps even take out a sitting Democrat in a swing district somewhere just to get even.
I know I'll be attacked for saying what I just did, but I'm interested in preserving this seat for the GOP and taking Delay off the table as a campaign issue both there and nationally.
I won't attack you. I'll keep you in mind as I cast my ballot for Campbell.
Even though the campaign signs in the district are running close to even, I suspect Campbell will be lucky to force this race into a runoff.
"Even though the campaign signs in the district are running close to even, I suspect Campbell will be lucky to force this race into a runoff."
Thanks for not attacking me! When is this primary?
Anyway, I think we just have to face facts here that if Delay remains the candidate after the primary, this seat is likely to get into the hands of the DemonRats come November unless Delay is cleared by then which is unlikely since the idiot judge is going to force this road apple of an indictment into a jury trial. And I simply will not be able to handle the crowing of the Dems. on the morning of November 8th that they managed to knock off Delay. Better we should clean our own house than to get our clocks cleaned by evil people.
BUMP...
Early voting begins in less than a week. Election day is March 7.
Historically, only a few thousand (5,000?) Republicans vote in CD22 during an off year primary.
Historically, only a few thousand (5,000?) Republicans vote in CD22 during an off year primary.
Of course if Delay is turned-out in the primary, the MSM will spin it as "This is a message to the Bush White House that even core Republican voters are mad at the direction the nation is headed and Bush policies" all the while failing to mention they merely traded one conservative for another. I think we can predict that one already.
DeLay has done his duty, and its been good. But its time for him to do a Michelle Kwan and bow out.
During the Clinton administration and under his Sec. of Interior Bruce Babbit, about two billion dollars went missing from the Indian Trust Fund. What happened to that deal, just swept under the rug?
Campbell has no money and will lose big if he ends up in a race with Lampson.
DeLay can still pull it off.
Just curious, but do you still stump on FR for liberal Democrats?
I checked. 28,000 votes in GOP primary of 2002. So I was of by a factor of 5 or 6. Oops!
What are you talking about?
"Campbell has no money and will lose big if he ends up in a race with Lampson."
But keep in mind this is a pretty solid GOP district. And Campbell if he wins the nomination will have plenty of funds come streaming in at that point from the national party and other sources. He's just a little cash strapped now because it's a primary and Delay is sucking in all the campaign cash. So if Campbell wins, he's almost a shoe in to win in November in a pretty solid GOP district.
I will certainly say Campbell has a better chance of holding the seat for the GOP even without much in the way of funds than Delay does even loaded for bear financially. The polls I've seen show Delay is a gonner in November.
Campbell will be lucky to get 30 percent.
In a heavily Republican district? It's Delay who will be lucky to get 30%. Campbell can get money. Delay will never get out from under the taint he's under, however unfairly. Like it or not, the Democrats and their media lapdogs won the round on this one and have destroyed Delay. Stick a fork in him, it's over. We now need to focus on at least saving this seat for the GOP. We can at least salvage that much. If the Dems. succeed not only in destroying Delay but taking this seat because we kept the unpopular incumbent on the ballot for November, then we'll have handed them a double-victory. No way.
I mean in the primary.
I am sorry for anybody I have offended in my previous posts. I am very inmature in what I say. But, I hope my family in the Houston, TX area votes for Tom Campbell so we can hold on to the seat in November 2006.
That may be true, but it also may be enough to force DeLay into a run-off. Imagine the coverage that would get! Then all bets are off.
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