Texas Politics

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Jul 16, 2012

Dewhurst hits Cruz in TV ad: ‘He’d fit right in’ in D.C. (UPDATE)

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who has run ads hitting opponent Ted Cruz and President Obama in his two previous ads in the runoff for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate, is back to hitting Cruz again in his third ad.

This time, Dewhurst accuses Cruz of lying about himself and about Dewhurst, and cites a fine that Cruz paid for not filing his personal financial disclosure on time.

Cruz has run an ad in the runoff saying Dewhurst supported a payroll tax, then denied doing so, pointing to the PolitiFact analysis in support of his position.

The tag line for Dewhurst’s new ad: ‘Lawyer Ted Cruz in corrupt Washington. He’d fit right in.

I’ll post a Cruz response when I get one.

UPDATE: Here’s the response from Cruz spokesman James Bernsen:
“This ad is a typical Dewhurst distraction, trying to cover up his own record by attacking Ted. Remember, this is the same man who falsely accused Ted of supporting amnesty in an ad that PolitiFact said was a “pants on fire” lie – at the very same time that he was ordering state employees to cover up his own record of supporting amnesty.”

Among other points, Bernsen said being “counsel of record” on a case is different from arguing it: “Ted didn’t (argue the case), so that’s a lie.” He also pointed again to the PolitiFact article saying that Dewhurst wrongly said he hadn’t supported a payroll tax.

I’ve asked the Dewhurst camp how it’s figuring that half the money supporting Cruz came from Washington.

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Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 16, 2012 at 10:49 am | Permalink | Leave a comment
Categories: Campaign 2012, David Dewhurst, Ted Cruz, US Senate Race
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    • Jul 13, 2012

    What do those U.S. Senate polls mean?

    There’s been a flurry of recent polls in the race for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate: Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s internal poll showed him ahead. Former solicitor general Ted Cruz’s internal poll showed he’s leading Dewhurst. A poll by a group supporting Cruz also showed him leading, as did a Public Policy Polling survey.

    What does it all mean? According to Rice University political scientist Mark Jones, the bottom line is that it’s “a very competitive race, with both Cruz and Dewhurst having a realistic chance of victory.”

    Jones and SMU political scientist Cal Jillson both said internal polls should be viewed cautiously.

    Jones advised “a very healthy dose of skepticism.”

    Jillson, when I asked him about the polls released Thursday showing an advantage for Cruz, said, “Every campaign can produce polls showing they are moving up fast or leading. It is campaign malpractice not to have such polls late in the race. I continue to think that Dewhurst will win the runoff by six or eight points.”

    The PPP poll is the only one that can be considered objective, Jones said, but its results are “slightly biased in Cruz’s favor due to the screening question which limited the survey respondents to only those individuals who say they definitely will vote in the runoff.”

    “Given that Cruz supporters tend to be more enthusiastic and motivated to turn out for their candidate then Dewhurst supporters, the survey is likely excluding a population of potential voters, some of whom will vote in the runoff, who as a group at least slightly favor Dewhurst over Cruz,” Jones said.

    Despite that, he said, the results constitute “great news for Cruz” because the poll shows his candidacy is “extremely viable, something that will both fire up his base as well as garner additional financial backing for his campaign.”

    Some others question the PPP’s use of an automated telephone survey.

     Jones said get-out-the-vote efforts and TV air wars will help revive interest in the race in the runup to the July 31 runoff, predicting turnout of 750,000 to 1 million “with the higher the number, the better the odds of a Dewhurst victory.”

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    Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 13, 2012 at 10:38 am | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: Campaign 2012, David Dewhurst, General, Ted Cruz, US Senate Race
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    Jul 12, 2012

    YCT files open records request on Dewhurst speech removal

    The chairman of the Young Conservatives of Texas has filed an open records request with the Lt. Governor’s office wanting to know why David Dewhurst had his controversial “Mr. South Texas” speech and others removed from his state website.

    Dewhurst said in the 2007 speech that he supported guest workers programs “for those here illegally”, a comment highlighted by the Ted Cruz campaign after Dewhurst said in debate that he was against guest worker programs unless the border was secured.

    Lauren Thurston, the Lt. Governor’s state spokesperson, said the office asked for the speeches to be archived by the secretary of the Senate  last year, which would have deleted from the website, but that task was never completed. After calls came in regarding Cruz’s use of Dewhurst’s comments the office says it realized the error and asked for the speeches to be archived again.

    YCT’s request asks to see recorded conversations between Dewhurst’s office and the secretary of Senate regarding the archiving request. YCT also wants to see the archived speeches made available to the organization, and the dates and times of the requests to remove the speeches from the website.

    In its press release, YCT says it hopes the records are received in time for Texas votersto see the documents before the July 31 runoff. YCT endorsed Cruz in January.

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    Posted by Andrew Messamore on July 12, 2012 at 2:29 pm | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: David Dewhurst, General, US Senate Race

    Group supporting Cruz releases poll showing him ahead of Dewhurst


    A new poll released by the Citizens United Political Victory Fund – which is backing Ted Cruz in the race for the GOP nod for U.S. Senate – shows him ahead of Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst by 47.5 percent to 38.2 percent, with 14.3 percent undecided.

    Politico reported it this way: “The Republican pollster that signaled Dick Lugar’s demise and Deb Fischer’s late surge is now flagging an upset in the making in the Texas Senate race.” The polling firm is Wenzel Strategies.

    Citizens United released its polling memo and top line numbers. The telephone interview poll of likely GOP runoff voters included 600 respondents and has a 3.98 percentage point margin of error.

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    Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 12, 2012 at 12:57 pm | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: David Dewhurst, Gov. Rick Perry, Ted Cruz, U.S. Senate

    New Texas estimate for health care reform is $11 billion cheaper

    On the heels of Gov. Rick Perry’s declaration that Texas won’t expand Medicaid, Health and Human Services Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs said Thursday fully implementing the health care law would cost about $11 billion less over 10 years than previously estimated.

    Suehs told a Texas House subcommittee that the cost to the state now is estimated to be between $15 billion and $16 billion over 10 years, compared to the previous estimate of $26 billion to $27 billion, if it fully implemented the law – including the health care expansion.

    The state would get an additional $100.1 billion in federal money over that time

    The estimate has been revised downward for a number of reasons, Suehs said, including that the state now is thinking fewer people who are eligible but not enrolled with access the system; there’s a reduced caseload growth trend; and the state believes the caseload increase would be phased in more slowly than initially thought.

    Suehs said he agrees with Perry that Medicaid shouldn’t be expanded because, he said, it has problems that should be fixed first.

    But in an exchange with Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, he acknowledged emphatically that officials aren’t debating whether people get health care, but who will pay for it — the Medicaid program, private insurance with subsidies or local tax dollars.

    He said if he were a county hospital district, he’d be knocking at lawmakers’ door asking them to re-debate the issue and perhaps at least offer a local option.

    Suehs also said Medicaid cost growth is greater than annual state revenue growth — and the difference would be sharper if Medicaid were expanded.

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    Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 12, 2012 at 11:53 am | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: 82nd Legislature, Barack Obama, General, Gov. Rick Perry, Healthcare, Medicaid, Rick Perry
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    Club for Growth launches $1.5 million of anti-Dewhurst ads

    The limited-government Club for Growth said Wednesday it is beginning a $1.5 million television and radio advertising campaign that slams Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in his race with former Texas solicitor general Ted Cruz in their runoff for the GOP nomination for U.S. Senate.

    Here’s the television ad:

    Dewhurst has defended his conservative record, joined by Gov. Rick Perry and most of the Republican members of the U.S. Senate. Among other points, Dewhurst – who presides over the Senate – notes that the Legislature last year approved measures including big cuts in the state budget.

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    Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 12, 2012 at 9:40 am | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: Campaign 2012, David Dewhurst, General, Ted Cruz, US Senate Race
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    Jul 11, 2012

    The school-finance silver lining

    It’s tough to go through repeated lawsuits on school finance: Tough on the school districts that sue over problems they haven’t had addressed to their satisfaction in the Legislature. Tough on the state working to defend the system. Tough on observers trying to wrap their brains around the complex system through trials that last weeks and months.

    The silver lining? A succession of trial judges who’ve had a wit about them, from Harley Clark to F. Scott McCown to John Dietz, who presided over the last case and is blessed with it again (when Dietz took up the matter the last time around in 2004, he called it “the worst case on the docket”).

    Dietz, who has set the trial in the current lawsuit to begin in October, said at Wednesday’s hearing that he expects it to last through part of January, when lawmakers will convene in regular session.

    He indicated he’ll rule as soon as he can, while lawmakers are still meeting.

    As the case proceeds, he urged lawyers on each side to remember that the common job they share with him is to build a record and judgment that will hop on the “litigation train” to the Texas Supreme Court — “nine very wise people.”

    At the same time, he acknowledged each has a distinct role.

    Gesturing to lawyers for the state, Dietz said, “They’re going to say, ‘Everything was beautiful, and nobody was hurt.’”

    Turning to lawyers for those challenging the system, he said, “Y’all are going to say, “Carnage.’ ”

    To help him navigate his way between those extremes, Dietz has set aside three days in late August for a pre-trial presentation by experts on the school funding system.

    When Dietz asked lawyers what the goal of the presentation was, one offered that it should be a complete and objective explanation of the system.

    No, said Dietz: “The goal of the presentation is that I obtain an understanding of how the financial structure works.”

    It’s no easy task, he noted: “Who writes this stuff? ‘Golden pennies.’ ‘Copper pennies.’”

    He also warned that during the presentation, “I will have to take attention breaks. I have developed judicial attention deficit disorder…. Even Star Wars gets old after a couple of hours.”

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    Posted by Peggy Fikac on July 11, 2012 at 8:12 pm | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: Education, General, Public Education, School funding
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    Feds sue Texas agencies over gender discrimination

    The United States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the Texas Department of Agriculture and the General Land Office, alleging the pay discrimination of three female employees and violation of the Civil Rights Act.

    The lawsuit states program specialists Monica Bosquez Mota, Tina Lewis, and Dalinda Newby were all paid significantly less than their male counterparts within the disaster recovery division of the now defunct Texas Department of Rural Affairs.

    In 2011, the legislature appropriated all responsibility of the floundering department’s operations to the TDA and GLO.

    “These allegations occurred before the employees were with the Texas General Land Office,” said press spokesman James Suydam.

    Bosquez Mota filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in 2009 when she discovered the pay disparity. She had previously filed internal complaints and spoken to superiors to no avail, the lawsuit says.

    In April 2010, the TDRA sent an internal memo to employees stating salaries “fell significantly short of expected values,” and raised Bosquez Mota’s, Lewis’ and Newby’s salaries—yet the three women still made anywhere from $62,000 to $72,500 a year, whereas men with the same duties were being paid between $79,600 to $95,000.

    The three women were terminated in February 2011 when TDRA’s disaster recovery division was abolished.

    Executive director Charles Stone chose two male program specialists to remain at the department without implementing an application process, the lawsuit says.

    The Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice is calling for the TDA and GLO to award damages to the three women as well as ensure polices are put in place to prohibit gender discrimination.

    “The Texas Office of Attorney General has been working with federal lawyers to resolve this matter on behalf of the former Texas Department of Rural Affairs,” said Texas Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples in an email. ”The U.S. Department of Justice, for obvious political purposes, issued a grossly misleading press release simply to take an unnecessary shot at Texas.”

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    Posted by Mikaela Rodriguez on July 11, 2012 at 6:51 pm | Permalink | Leave a comment
    Categories: Civil Rights, General
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