Texas Congressman to File Suit in Recount

[Freddie Stubbs]

By T.A. BADGER, Associated Press Writer


SAN ANTONIO — Challenger Henry Cuellar took a 197-vote lead over U.S. Rep. Ciro Rodriguez in a Democratic primary recount, and the incumbent planned to file a lawsuit over the discovery of uncounted ballots that suddenly turned up in one county.

Cuellar, a Laredo lawyer and businessman, had trailed Rodriguez by 126 votes on primary night in the solidly Democratic district with more than 48,000 votes cast. He asked for the recount last week.

The recount, which started Tuesday, turned up more than 300 uncounted ballots in a ballot box in Zapata County, and Democratic officials said Webb County's recount showed 115 more votes than there were ballots cast.

"It stinks to high heaven, to be honest with you," said John Puder, a top adviser to three-term incumbent Rodriguez.

more: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/politics/wire/sns-ap-texas-congress-recount,1,3633666.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[library_max]

1. Cuellar was George W's Secretary of State in Texas.

He used to be a good state representative and a good candidate against Henry Bonilla. In the last several years, he's been more and more accommodating to Republicans (running against established Democrat Ciro Rodriguez instead of against Bonilla this time, for example), and he's rapidly becoming a DINO. Laredo is all-Democrat (most local elections are decided in the Democratic primary) and there are some nasty factions that have not treated Cuellar well, but IMO that's not enough of an excuse.

[Freddie Stubbs]

2. He ran in different districts due to redistricting

He gave Republican henry Bonilla a pretty competitive race in 2002. After redistricting he lived in Rodriguez's district.

How is running against an incumbent in a primary in a solidly Democratic district 'becoming a DINO?'

[library_max]

3. I'm not able to find any law that says

that you have to be resident in a district to run in it. You have to be resident in the state. After redistricting, about as much of Cuellar's old state representative district is in Bonilla's Congressional district as Rodriguez's. So Cuellar had a choice - try to unseat a Republican incumbent, or try to unseat a Democratic incumbent. He chose the latter.

Some of us around here are still burning mad over redistricting, and it doesn't sit well that Henry (Cuellar) is doing his part to reward the bastards. Couple that with his support for Governor Bush (and endorsing W for President) and I don't think DINO is such a stretch. It isn't an accusation that just rolls casually off my tongue, either, I can tell you.

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. Rodriguez could have ran in another district also

He doesn't own the seat.

How does replacing one Democrat with another Democrat 'reward the bastards?' Back in 2002 Cuellar was deemed to be a good Democrat. The Democratic Party poured hundreds of thousands of dollars in his campaign. Rodriguez even campaigned for him. Was Rodriguez being disengenous is supporting someone who was a DINO?

[Gman]

5. Ciro Rodriguez is MY congressman

Henry Cuellar did give Bonilla a good run for his money. However, Cuellar DOES NOT live in Rodriguez' district. However, residence in a district, believe it or not, is not a prerequisite for candidacy in that district election. (BTW, yes, it is Ciro's district because WE gave it to him.)

As for how much money the party poured into Cuellar's campaign in 2002, I really don't know. But I DO know the DCCC had deemed Bonilla's seat unwinnable since 1996 and the DCCC had made it real clear they were not going to pump any money into that race in 1996, 98 and 00. Having worked against Bonilla in 96 & 98 I know for a fact there was ZERO DCCC money and/or DNC money in Bonilla's race in 96 and 98. I don't know for a fact about 2000 but an unknown ran so I doubt there was any party or DCCC money. When Cuellar ran in 2002, maybe there was some money, I don't know. I do know that Cuellar only lost that race by about 6,000 votes which is WHY Webb County (Laredo) and Zapata County (next door to Webb) were redistricted last year by the illegal actions of the GOP legislature into Ciro's district. This is where the wheels come off.

Cuellar, then decides to backstab Ciro who worked his ass off for Cuellar not even 18 months ago. Cuellar has OBVIOUSLY cut some kind of deal with the RCCC and/or Tom Delay. People from Webb/Zapata counties have no political scruples whatsoever and are as crooked as the day is long in the middle of July in the desert in South Texas.

Make no mistake that outright criminal vote fraud has occurred here. Make no mistake that indictments should be handed down on several people in Webb and Zapata county, starting with the Democratic County chair in Webb County.

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. So if Cuellar wins, will it be HIS seat beacuse you (district voters) gave

it to him?

The districts were chopped up not to help certain Democrats but to help Republicans. The new maps makes it much harder for Cuellar to defeat Henry Bonilla.

[Gman]

10. Cuellar will not win. He lost already. Fraud is giving him the lead

Yes, the biggest threat to Bonilla was a Democrat from the Laredo area. That's why Laredo was split off and put into Ciro's district.

[Freddie Stubbs]

13. If there was fraud, Rodriguiez should challenge the election in court

[Gman]

6. Cuellar is from Zapata County

and lives in Webb County (Laredo). Laredo is the Mos Eisle of Texas politics. "You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy."

[Freddie Stubbs]

7. So all Democrats in Laredo are 'scum?'

:shrug:

[salin]

9. I am still curious about the claim of endorsing W for pres.

that alone - if true - would be enough to earn a "DINO" tag. Folks supporting him in a past run just means that there is acceptance of a DINO over a republican. That does not necessarily equate to preference of a bush supporting democrat over a non-bush supporting democrat.

If he did support W - was that in 2000, or does that continue. A little more of a pass for a "home-state politician for pres" back in 2000. However after the dirty politics of redistricting ala DeLay, I would think that partisanship and NOT supporting W would be more 'sellable' in 2004. The context of his alleged endorsement for Bush (now or then) seems relevant to the discussion.

[Gman]

11. What's your point? You don't live here

[Freddie Stubbs]

12. My point is that it is not fair to call every Democrat from Laredo 'scum'

[salin]

14. Fair enough... have to wonder, though

how many endorsed bush for president in 2000 (and whether that support is still in place)

http://www.lmtonline.com/news/archive/102900/pagea21.pdf

[Gman]

16. Well, Ok.... maybe

not EVERY Democrat. I'm sure there are one or two that aren't. What you don't know is down in South Texas, it doesn't matter if the candidate is a Democrat or a Republican. Its who pays the coyotes (the people who get people out to vote and tell them who to vote for) the most money. They have no loyalties down there. None whatsoever. And, the coyotes will take your money and tell you all about how they will deliver for you X number of votes for that money, then they'll take the GOP money, which is usually more than you can afford to put on the street and then deliver the votes for the GOP. This is the case in Carrizo Springs, Crystal City, Batesville, to a lesser extent Cotulla and Maverick County but really bad in Laredo and Webb County. But you have to pay them if you want any chance of getting any votes at all.

Get this... the Democratic County chair in Webb County (Laredo) is ALSO a prosecutor in the DA's office that would do the investigation and prosecute any fraud from this election. That's the same County Chair that's swearing on TV they just made a little mistake counting the votes!

And, just to show how corrupt the DA's office is, a few years ago, the DA's father was meeting criminal defense attorneys at a local taco house and taking payments in exchange for either charges not getting filed or the DA not filing charges at all. The FBI filed charges and convicted dad, but DA Joe Rubio was never even indicted! The thing about Rubio is that when you're in a meeting with him, his eyes are constantly darting all around the room. Constantly! He will NEVER look you straight in the eye!

There's also a 13 year old ax murder where 3 people were killed that is just now going to trial. The defendant was a juvenile at the time and I believe he was also the son of the police chief in Laredo. Evidence was lost, destroyed or tampered with the entire time.
http://216.239.57.104/search?q=cache:Iaehiyf3J18J:www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/news/state/7669113.htm+laredo+ax+murder&hl=en&ie=UTF-8.

My point is that this is the way it is all over Laredo, Webb County and South Texas. Its a completely different and strange world down there from anything anywhere else in the country.

So, yeah, I'm sure there's a couple of good Democrats in Laredo. Everybody else is up for the highest bidder or has got to be familia or pariente.

[library_max]

17. I'm sure

you all are referring only to Democratic office-holders and party machine operatives, and not to any Laredoan who happens to be a Democrat, he said, grinning broadly. As one of the only two places in Texas where it's not practically a crime to be a Democrat (Austin is the other one), we in South Texas can be a wee bit sensitive about these broad characterizations.

[MGKrebs]

15. Good thing it's paper ballots.

At least there is something to recount..and/or discover fraud.

Paper ain't perfect, but electrons are exploitable!