Pobrecito Henry
The Hill: Cuellar's colleagues want him out
I say good, let's follow the Schoeting route and take pseudo-Dems out in the primary. Cuellar is personally an asshole and professionally a corporate whore. On issues like CAFTA, bankruptcy, fair tax policy, Social Security, patients rights, etc, he votes with the Rs.
He's a Rick Perry-supporting, school voucher-backing, opportunist who showed his true colors in the 2004 race, when he took advantage of the R re-redistricting plan to run a vicious campaign against someone who helped him raise tons of money in his poorly-run campaign against Bonilla in 2002.
Maybe we had to settle for Republican-lite in a Charlie Stenholm district, but we shouldn't have to take it in a district that's Laredo and some of the poorest parts of San Antonio.
That all said, I'd be supporting Richard Raymond in the primary. I agree with the Frost assessment:
Ciro had a great voting record in the House. We need more people like him in Congress, but he ran a shitty campaign in '04, and lost a seat we didn't need to lose. He refused to acknowledge the changing shape of the district and didn't campaign in Laredo until it was too late -- foolishly counting on the courts to restore his old district. He fired staff who pressed him to campaign more aggressively early on (no one needed to tell Doggett to hoof it down to S. Texas when the plan went through). It was uninspired, and doesn't bode well for this go-around.
Raymond's a good Dem generally, and an experienced, focused campaigner. I hope he kicks Henry's ass. Maybe Henry can run for Nuevo Laredo police commissioner then.
That said -- one disappointment about Raymond is his vote to prohibit gays from adopting. He's on the wrong side of history on that one, and I hope looks back on it as Byrd does his KKK days.
Several of Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-Texas) Democratic colleagues are not supporting the moderate freshman’s reelection bid, instead opting to back one of his challengers, former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D), a popular former lawmaker who lost to Cuellar last fall by 58 votes.
Democratic Reps. Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Luis Gutierrez (Ill.) and Ted Strickland (Ohio) contributed to Rodriguez’s campaign in the first half of this year, according to Federal Election Commission filings, and at least eight more members attended a fundraiser for Rodriguez held in Washington last month.
Rodriguez and another Hispanic candidate, Richard Raymond, are Cuellar’s two likely challengers in the April 11 primary. Members rarely contribute against each other, preferring instead to follow the diplomatic policy of supporting incumbents.
I say good, let's follow the Schoeting route and take pseudo-Dems out in the primary. Cuellar is personally an asshole and professionally a corporate whore. On issues like CAFTA, bankruptcy, fair tax policy, Social Security, patients rights, etc, he votes with the Rs.
He's a Rick Perry-supporting, school voucher-backing, opportunist who showed his true colors in the 2004 race, when he took advantage of the R re-redistricting plan to run a vicious campaign against someone who helped him raise tons of money in his poorly-run campaign against Bonilla in 2002.
Maybe we had to settle for Republican-lite in a Charlie Stenholm district, but we shouldn't have to take it in a district that's Laredo and some of the poorest parts of San Antonio.
That all said, I'd be supporting Richard Raymond in the primary. I agree with the Frost assessment:
"Richard can compete with Cuellar head-on in his natural political base, never having to concede any voting bloc or geographic area. … In a race with such significant long-term ramifications, we should set our emotions aside and support the candidate with the best chance to win," Frost said. He went on to criticize Cuellar, comparing him to Texas Democrat-turned-Republican Phil Gramm and noting his "long record of betraying his party."
Ciro had a great voting record in the House. We need more people like him in Congress, but he ran a shitty campaign in '04, and lost a seat we didn't need to lose. He refused to acknowledge the changing shape of the district and didn't campaign in Laredo until it was too late -- foolishly counting on the courts to restore his old district. He fired staff who pressed him to campaign more aggressively early on (no one needed to tell Doggett to hoof it down to S. Texas when the plan went through). It was uninspired, and doesn't bode well for this go-around.
Raymond's a good Dem generally, and an experienced, focused campaigner. I hope he kicks Henry's ass. Maybe Henry can run for Nuevo Laredo police commissioner then.
That said -- one disappointment about Raymond is his vote to prohibit gays from adopting. He's on the wrong side of history on that one, and I hope looks back on it as Byrd does his KKK days.
posted by bda at 2:16 PM
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