Still undecided? Separate real Democrats from phony DINOs with this tool

[Czolgosz]

We demand open government and we fight for access to public records. Now is the time to use that public access.

If you remain undecided about a primary race, the Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Finance Reports are a critical tool for evaluating what the different candidates stand for and who they stand with, and this important information is readily searchable and available on-line: <http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/cesearch.html>.

I am always amazed when I see putative "Democrats" supported by some of the worst-of-the-worst Republican Political Action Committees. For example, the ironically named "Texans for Lawsuit Reform" -- the notoriously anti-consumer, pro-insurance-industry Republican PAC -- is the most powerful PAC in Texas. See <http://www.tpj.org/reports/txpacs04/pr.pdf>. Here is what the Center for Democracy & Justice has to say about "Texans for Lawsuit Reform":

FOLLOW THE MONEY
According to the consumer group Texans for Public Justice, as of the 2000 election cycle, Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR), one of two principal “tort reform” lobbying groups in Texas that succeeded under Bush, “received 80 percent of its money from the families of just 24 tycoons.” Kenneth Lay, former Enron chair, was one. A December 2001 report from Texans for Public Justice indicates that Enron contributed $103,250 to TLR. Texans for Public Justice, “Enron’s Blackout Cuts Power Behind Numerous Thrones,” Lobby Watch (December 4, 2001); Texans for Public Justice, Texans for Lawsuit Reform: How the Texas Tort Tycoons Spent Millions in the 2000 Elections (November 2001).
Political action committees, businesses and individuals affiliated with Texans for Lawsuit Reform and the Texas Civil Justice League, the state’s other major “tort reform” lobby group, contributed $4.1 million to Bush’s two gubernatorial campaigns, outspending every other special-interest donor except for those in the “energy and natural resource” category. Texans for Public Justice, The Governor’s Gusher: The Sources of George W. Bush’s $41 Million Texas War Chest (January 2000).

See <http://www.centerjd.org/press/release/020126.htm>; see also Texans for Public Justice ("The jury hedge against corruption serves everyone except those who buy influence. The biggest buyer of political influence in Texas is Texans for Lawsuit Reform.") <http://www.tpj.org/page_view.jsp?pageid=82&pubid=25>. The Austin Chronicle says, "Texans for Lawsuit Reform, $36,000: This tort reform PAC bankrolled many of the same GOP candidates backed by Tom DeLay's Texans for a Republican Majority in the 2002 election." See Austin Chron. Feb. 26, 2006.

In short, when you see a supposed "Democrat" running for office with the support of "Texans for Lawsuit Reform," you can bet that the other primary candidate is the real Democrat. You can search the Texas Ethics Commission Campaign Finance Reports to see which phony DINOs are running for office as Democrats with the support of extremist Republican groups like "Texans for Lawsuit Reform":

Friends Of Roy Blake, Jr.,
Martinez, Armando A.
Friends Of Frank Madla,
Friends Of Frank Madla,
Texans For Elizabeth Jones,
Friends Of Frank Madla,
Friends Of Frank Madla,
Friends Of Roy Blake, Jr.,
Mowery, Anna
Flynn, Dan
Flynn, Dan
Martinez, Mercurio
Isett, Carl H.
Keffer, William R.
Dawson, Glenda L.
Texans For Joe Straus,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Texans For Joe Nixon,
Anderson, Charles
Seaman, Eugene J.
Ellis, Rodney G.
Hamric, Peggy
Estes, Craig
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Shapiro, Florence
Van Arsdale, J. Corbin
Paxton, W. Kenneth
Landtroop, James F.
Delisi, Dianne W.
Ogden, Stephen E.
Wentworth, E. Jeffrey
Callegari, William A.
Lucio, Eduardo A.
Hope, Ruben
King, Phillip S.
Laubenberg, Jodie A.
Hilderbran, Harvey R.
Laubenberg, Jodie A.
Reyna, Elvira
Strama, Thomas Mark
Whitmire, John
Craddick, Tom
Jackson, Jimmy L.
Duncan, Robert L.
Casteel, Carter
Pitts, James R.
Salinas, Laura M.
Orr, Robin D.
Howard, Charles F.
Phillips, Lawrence A.
Brown, Stephen K.
Hill, Fred
Delisi, Dianne W.
Brown, Frederick H.
Jones, Delwin
Moseley, Bailey C.
Texans For Rick Perry,
Hamric, Peggy
King, Phillip S.
Salinas, Laura M.
Harless, Patricia F.
Berman, Leo
Friends Of Ben Bentzin,
Texans For Bob Deuell,
Texans For Don Willett,
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Denny, Mary
Morrison, Geanie W.
West, George E.
Truitt, Vicki
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Berman, Leo
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Salinas, Laura M.
Driver, Joe
Landtroop, James F.
Justice Phil Johnson For Supreme Court,
Texans For Bob Pemberton,
Texans For Medina,
Landtroop, James F.
Texans For Don Willett,
Texans For Rick Perry,
Texans For Rick Perry,
Dawn Estes For Judge,
Bohac, Dwayne A.
The Coalition To Elect Larry Taylor,
Texans For Tommy Williams,
Texans For Bob Deuell,
Brown, Betty J.
Brown, Betty J.
Landtroop, James F.
Landtroop, James F.
Landtroop, James F.
Miller, Sidney C.
Riddle, Deborah A.
Eissler, W. Robert
Friends Of Ben Bentzin,
Friends Of David Puryear,
Justice Phil Johnson For Supreme Court,
David Dewhurst Committee,
Friends Of Kyle Janek,
Wallace Jefferson For Texas Supreme Court,
Hecht, Nathan L.
Texans For Bob Pemberton,
Texans For Alan Waldrop,
Friends Of Ben Bentzin,
Texans For Medina,
Committee To Elect Patrick Rose,
Wong, Martha J.
Lucio, Eduardo A.
Averitt, Kip
Lucio, Eduardo A.
Smith, Richard Wayne

<http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/fsearch.php>

When you see self-professed "Democrats" on this list, you should judge those candidates by the company they keep. Please support the primary opponents of every "Democrat" on this list of shame!

[RufusEarl]

1. Unethical Republicans

I see it this way. Republicans are having a hard time, they can't seem to get out from under this cloud of corruption. So let's say they're smart, why not get a bunch of DINO"S and run them as Democrats.


That way the repughs lose nothing, they may lose power by name but not ideology. So checking these candidates out to see how they vote on the issues is a very good idea, in other words don't just vote against a repug, vote for a real democrat.

[Baby Snooks]

2. You got it!

"When you see self-professed "Democrats" on this list, you should judge those candidates by the company they keep."

Republican money = Republican votes.

[Czolgosz]

3. Ten anti-consumer-rights "Democrats" from the TLR contribution list:

Armando Martinez,
Frank Madla,
Mercurio Martinez,
Rodney Ellis,
Laura Salinas,
Eduardo Lucio,
Mark Strama,
John Whitmire,
Stephen Brown,
Patrick Rose.

I'd rather have them as anti-consumer-rights "Democrats" than out-of-the-closet Republicans, but I would caution anyone against supporting any of these DINO candidates in a primary race against a real Democrat who actually supports Democratic values. If you support any of these candidates, please ask them to explain their support from radical Republican organizations like TLR.

[NoPasaran]

5. Can you actually cite any "anti-consumer-rights" behavior

For all of these Democrats? Granted, Frank Madla has been a reliable ally of the rethug leadership, but MARK STRAMA a DINO?!?!?

[Czolgosz]

6. Elected in 2004, Strama has been a nonentity. Some feel he broke his

campaign promises. See <http://www.texastollparty.com/looters_centralTexasLooters.php?viewLooter=7>. Others were not happy with his vote to raise his own pension. See <http://www.tpea.org/NewsHeadlines/July05/payRaises.shtml>. Also, crazy right-wing candidate Dan Patrick's Republican group CLOUT congratulates Strama as a "crossover Democrat." <http://www.clouttexas.com/PreviousNewsItem.aspx?NewsID=64>.

But none of that is the point.

My point is that you should look at the Campaign Finance Reports because who supports a candidate gives you some insight into that candidate's character and beliefs. Here is Strama's report: <http://www.ethics.state.tx.us/php/filer.php?acct=00054754coh>. All I'm saying is that Strama has a SHITLOAD of Republican PAC money. Maybe Strama's the next Jim Hightower; I'm not saying otherwise. But all that Republican PAC money makes me wonder.

[NoPasaran]

7. Strama, a freshman Democrat

Strama, a freshman Democrat in the most viciously partisan republican legislature in history... calling him a nonentity is just a wee bit harsh. The fact that the batshit crazy toll party loonies don't like him actually increases my respect for him.

But that really doesn't matter.

Yes, it's interesting to know who is giving to whom. But we're a long ways from being able to afford to condemn any of our people as DINOs simply on the basis of which PACs contribute to them.

[Czolgosz]

8. By "nonentity" I meant he has a voting and legislative record that offers

few clues as to his core ideology.

In the absence of record from which his core beliefs are evident, and when faced with the decision of how to select among various Democrat nominees in the primary, I'm suggesting that a candidate's contributors say something about the candidate.

Also, I'm a pragmatist: If a DINO is the best we can do in any given district, then I'd rather have a DINO than an out-of-the-closet Republican.

Finally, I don't know Strama, but I do know some of those PACs that have given him quite a lot of money, and those PACs don't generally give those funds away on a whim. All I'm saying is that if people are looking for guidance about a candidate's values in the primary process, I suggest that you can get some insight into a candidate by seeing who is supporting that candidate (and by seeing the amounts of that financial support).

As an alternative to campaign-by-rumor, I'm trying to find objective ways to look at candidates. Campaign Finance Reports are objective and informative. That's the point.

[NoPasaran]

9. Well, neither of us live in his district

And he has no primary opponent.

Friends?

[Czolgosz]

10. Absolutely! Strama will represent the people 1000 times better than

whatever creature crawls from under the Republican rock to run against Strama.

My point about the GOP contributers was really for the purpose of selecting better candidates in contested primaries where the more progressive candidate would stand an equal chance of being elected (e.g., the Uresti vs. Madla race), not about casting aspersions upon our candidates in uncontested primaries.

[Czolgosz]

4. Also, DON'T FORGET to check the 2/27 8-days-before-primary report because

some Democrats who are being funded in the Democratic primary by Republican sources put off reporting that tainted blood money until the last opportunity. For example, a local Nueces County judicial candidate has just revealed a late $5,000 contribution by the far-right-right-wing "Texans for Lawsuit Reform" in her 2/27 Texas Ethics Copmmission Campaign Finance Report:

CVR,JCOH,00057436,IND,Hernandez,Angelica,Mrs....Corpus Christi,TX,78410,,Manning,Russell,Mr.,,P.O. Box 2728,Corpus Christi,TX,78403-2728...
RCPT,A(J),5,ENT,Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC,,,,,,Corpus Christi,TX,78701,N,,20060208,5000.00

<http://txprod.ethics.state.tx.us/public/304131noadd.pdp>.