El Paso Politics

Rick Perry's campaign released a video on YouTube that is in Spanish and tells Latino voters that starting today they can early vote. Are the Republicans trying to embarrass themselves to the Latino community? Today is the LAST day for early voting. Some Latinos are working hard to get Raza to be Republicans, but the Governor is not helping their cause!

Today I did a tapping to be aired tomorrow Saturday, October 30 at 10:30 A.M. on Channel 26. As a Conservative, I defended our principles vigorously. On the other hand I am telling the listening audience that I did not vote for either Dee Margo or Moody because neither were conservative and even worse Dee Margo's condescending new found Mexican heritage was the ultimate insult to those of us who are proud Americans and also proud of our Hispanic roots. Please consider the following: 1. In 1985 Dee Margo was very upset because he was not being chosen by Senator Gramm to be the Civilian Aide To The Secretary of the Army (West Texas). He was told at that time that "the Army was looking for "Hispanics who were also veterans". WHY DID DEE MARGO NOT CLAIM HIS ROOTS THEN. In the El Paso Times Interview He Claimed That The Reason he never claimed his Mexican Roots Before was because he did not see a reason to do so before. I contend that in 1995 he had a good reason. Please ...

The logo David K has had his panties in a wad over has started a volley between the two of us in the blogosphere which is actually getting pretty fun for me. David K is freaking out over a representation of the flag that he thinks is backwards. I know what you're thinking, why is he fussing so much over the logo. Well, I'm gonna defend David K. If Tim Besco was your party's nominee, wouldn't you find anything you could about the other guy to try to help? I mean seriously, Besco doesn't give David K much to work with, so of course he has to talk about the logo. What DK doesn't understand is that the logo isn't something brand new, its been that way for 14 years guey. It's been that way for a long time. I know most of the Congressman's staff, they are really really really smart people and mostly pretty young. They aren't stupid or lazy and they do El Paso proud. Deal with it David K, when you are moving forward, that's what the flag looks like ...

Engage, Empower, Educate & Elect! That’s the motto of the Latino National Republican Coalition. From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia I’m a fan of what the El Paso Latino National Republican Coalition is doing. I know, I know I’m a Democrat and not supposed to say nice things about the bad guys. But I think any effort to get Raza more involved in the political process is something we should all be celebrating. And when there are deliberate attempts at trying to discourage La Raza from voting, it’s something we should all, Democrat and Republican alike, be against. When Nevada Senator Harry Reid questioned why any Latino would be a Republican, the LNRC couldn’t wait to send out a press release talking about how evil Senator Reid was doing so. They even called for his resignation because of his comments. And they were right to be critical of the comments of Harry Reid. If you recall I was also critical of the sentiments of Reid, though I didn’t, and don’t think he needed to resign...

David K is pissed that I pointed out that he's wrong about how the representation of the US flag used in Congressman Reyes' campaign logo. He's now fabricating some kind of advertising rules. Hate to break it to my colleague but ad agencies don't set out rules for the proper use and display of the American flag. I've served under that flag. I've saluted that flag, I've raised it at reveille, retired it at retreat, folded that flag and handed the flag from the casket of a veteran to a surviving family member, so I have to admit I'm a little sensitive about what people say things about it that are wrong. The image is a representation of a flag, its not actually Old Glory Herself. We never took cues from ad agencies when I wore the uniform and to the best of my knowledge, neither does congress. David K was wrong and now he's trying to come up with a way to prove himself right. Sorry David, you walked into it this time.

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia I wasn't going to write about this because it seemed silly. But because I'm a vet, I feel a bit obligated to set my buddy David K straight on the American flag. David K made a critique of the Congressman's signs on the freeway. Here's what his piece says: "Have you seen Congressman Reyes' billboard on I-10 near downtown? The flag in the advertisement is backwards... It's the result of a smug Congressman and a lazy staff that are 100 percent sure they'll win as long as his names is on the ballot. They are so smug, they don't even proof their advertisements for disturbingly bad errors like a backward flag. I'm glad the chairman of the intel committee has such an eye for detail." This post is an example of a guy who isn't fully aware of the rules relating to the display of our country's flag but challenges the intellect and patriotism of the Congressman and his staff. I might add, the Congres...

From Burges Candidate Forum The "Wanna Get Away" moment of this years campaign was brought to us courtesy of Rene Nunez, the Democratic nominee for the State Board of Education. Nunez was at the Democratic Rally in the Valley this weekend and when he had the opportunity to speak, he urged everyone in the audience to press 5 of the ballot. Pressing 5 means voting straight ticket...Republican! He was immediately hissed and whistled at and realized the gaffe. He meant to say press 6 for straight ticket Democrat. Poor guy felt really bad. He immediatley corrected himself and explained to the audience that in other parts of his district, which covers more areas than just the El Paso metro area, pressing 5 is voting straight ticket Democrat.

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia As you no doubt know, I’ve been paying very close attention to the race between Dee Margo and State Representative Joe Moody. I’m not naïve enough to believe that I am really going to change the mind of too many people, but I nonetheless continue to try. From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia This is going to be a pretty long piece, so bear with me but the short of it is that a great deal of Margo’s campaign rhetoric is very hypocritical and I have serious questions about Margo loaning his campaign money. Like I said, stick around this is going to take awhile. It appears from campaign finance reports that Dee Margo has dumped in a large amount of cash in to his campaign. There is nothing new about a candidate loaning their campaign money, but I do find it interesting that he’s charging himself interest. It looks like Margo spent about $100,000 of his own money to try to defeat Senator Eliot Shapleigh. On September 27th, 2006 he lent his campai...

Maybe next time the Republicans will put a candidate up for Congress that is worth the effort and money because they clearly wrote it off this time. Nonetheless, I still think this year's sacrificial lamb is worth an examination. During the campaign, GOP congressional candidate Tim Besco has repeatedly refered to his experience as a nurse. Interestingly he's failed to disclose any information regarding his previous employment history. This omission is surprising considering how much he relies on his nursing experience to make his case to voters. Beaco has made repeated references to his experience as a nurse during public forums and debates. His website also proudly highlights his nursing experience: "Now, as a civilian registered Nurse, it's his job to care for and listen to his patients. Tim has been in nursing for 10 years. He has held the hands of the dying, given mothers their new born babies for the the first time, and has loved every minute of it." Loved e...

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia It bothers people in the party when I calls it likes I sees it, but this is one of those times that it needs to be done. I can’t stand when some people advocate for straight ticket voting but don’t actually work for the team. In other words, they want to benefit from straight-ticket voting but don’t want to work for it. So I thought I’d do a little report card of the candidates in terms of who’s being a team player and who’s not. It’s not personal, so if you are named in this piece and are pissed about it, too bad, get over it. My measurement isn’t the quality of the candidates or their policies or their track record or if I personally like or dislike them. I’m talking about campaigning only. A+ Congressman Reyes’ Campaign – They’ve put a lot of money in to the Democratic pot. They are in no danger of losing their race yet they are working hard doing the grassroots effort. The Congressman has been to most, if not all, Democratic Party rallies th...

There is an opportunity to get a different voice and get rid of an entrenched career politician. I'm talking about Republican County Commissioner Dan Haggerty. He's known as Dr. No. From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia While the guy is very popular in the Democratic Party, let's not forget the other side of happy-go-lucky, back-slappin', wise-cracker. The other side of that equation is the fact that Haggerty has said some very biggoted statements over the years and no one has ever called him on his shit. The videos below show just a small taste of Commissioner Haggerty. Aside from some of the things he's said, let's not forget laptop gate and some of the policy suggestions he's advocated for. Haggerty recently advocated for the elimination of sheriff's patrols in the county. Haggerty was one of the commissioners who hired the former medical examiner that was so controversial. Sources in the Mexican American Bar Association indicate that Haggerty comp...

Bobby Ortiz, the last viable Republican candidate, and elder statesman of Latino Republicans in El Paso speaks about Dee Margo's new-found heritage.

I'm watching the debate between the two candidates in the District 78 race. Having run debates myself, there is a reason we don't allow people to call-in with questions. The crazies call in and don't know the facts. But if you are going to let people call in to live television, at least have one someone screen the calls! Big G, who is a regular caller to talk radio called in and asked an off the wall question that made no sense. Then the next call was clearly a plant. That being said, I thought Maria Garcia did a good job stepping in to run a debate that would've normally been hosted by Darren Hunt. Keeping candidates to a strict time limit isn't easy, let me tell ya.

(WARNING, SUGGESTIVE MATERIAL IN THE VIDEO PORTION) I've been torn about writing this piece but after conferring with some legitimate journalists I've come to the conclusion that it's appropriate to write this piece. I've been sitting on this information for almost 2 weeks. First, let me explain why I had reservations about this piece. In my opinion, Tim Besco, the Republican Party's nominee for congress facing Congressman Sylvestre Reyes, is not a viable candidate. He's gonna lose big so part of me said that its pointless to write the piece because he's such a non-factor. However, after some deep thought on the issue I've decided to post the information because there is a lesson to be learned here. The lesson is that if you are politically connected or have political aspirations, you should make sure you are aware of your internet presence. And you really shouldn't have images that many women might find sexist or offensive. A reader contacted me aft...

Here's an English version for the bilingually impaired.

This has been a really bad oversight on my part and I feel really bad about it. I think I've given you a look at most of the candidates in contested races for the November election and I've neglected to post video of the candidates for County Judge. Here is some footage from the debate at the Border Network for Human Rights. The candidates speak Spanish in this forum, but I will see if I have any English footage of both candidates and post it.

The Republicans, the party that not only invented dirty politics but have perfected it to the point where its actually named after Karl Rove (Rovian tactics), are bitching that the campaign for the Senate seat has turned dirty. From ECA Candidate Forum They are pointing to a recent story that aired on a local news station in which the ex-wife of "Professor" Dan Chavez raised issues relating to his ability to handle money in their marriage and during their divorce. Considering that Dan Chavez repeats the fact that he is a "professor" of economics about as often as he likes to say his opponent is in favor of legalization of marijuana, a news organization would see it as a fair line of questioning. In case you are wondering about the quotation marks around the term professor, its because as I understand the definition, professor means "In most English-speaking nations professor is the title only of a senior academic who holds a departmental chair (especially as he...

This is a press release from Congressman Ciro Rodriguez's campaign. From GOP Grand Opening CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT 23 _ With less than two weeks to go before the November 2 election, Francisco “Quico” Canseco has used more than a quarter million in campaign contributions to repay massive loans he made to his own campaign, according to the Federal Election Commission. Reports show that for the fundraising period ending September 30, Canseco repaid $344,000 of the $597,550 he loaned himself, according to the FEC. The reports show Canseco is carrying $1 million in debt, some of which stems from his second failed bid for Congress in 2008. “For a millionaire who claims to understand the needs of everyday, working Americans, the three-time candidate sure has a lot of money to spend trying to buy a seat in Congress,” said Rodriguez Campaign Manager Cesar Blanco. “Maybe that’s why his campaign accepted over-the-limit contributions from individuals during this same period. He’s running scare...

It was really hard to pick a winner in the debate at Coronado between the candidates for HD 78. But there was one interesting exchange over campaign finance that I thought was pretty interesting. Here is video of part of the exchange: Interstingly Dee Margo says that in the 2008 campaign he raised $582,000 and that his opponent raised $629,000. Moody immediately took issue with Margo's numbers. So I checked out the reports and here is what I was able to tabulate in terms of campaign funds being raised by each of the candidates for the 2008 general election: Dee Margo - $684,108.71 which is actually $102,108.71 more than what he told the audience at Coronado High School. Joe Moody - 635,497.34 which is actually $6,497.34 more than what Margo told the audience at Coronado High School. By my calculations, Margo out-raised Moody by $48,611.37. The discrepency may be "in-kind" contributions, which have a quirky way of being reported, but in either case, I can't figure out ...

A visiting judge is in town to preside over a proceeding relating to Jesse Gustavo Ramirez, the Constable for Precinct 6 out in the Clint area. He was arrested on an aggrivated assault charge in 2009. The judge is hearing the proceeding as we speak at the County Courthouse. Tune in to Canal 26, cable channel 2 at 5 and 10 for more details.

I saw Jay Kleberg, the one-time Republican challenger against Dee Margo in this years Republican primary at the Coronado High School debate. I heard that Rene Diaz, who is now working for Dee Margo, accompanied him to a meeting of La Red to try to clarify remarks Margo had previously made that the group wasn't too happy with. Diaz apparently even offered to translate for any of the members of the organization that were more comfortable in Spanish. La Red is a group of businessmen that would normally be the kind of guys that would back Dee Margo because he's a businessman and they tend to be conservatives. Kleberg has kept a low profile since the election and I think its the first political event that I've seen Kleberg at since the election. If you follow David K's blog you will see some interesting back story here . I talked with Kleberg after the debate to get his feel for how things went at the debate. Kleberg is always very careful about what he says to me (I get a l...

So I was reading my homie Sammy C's blog today in which he was referring to Congressman Reyes as a quarterback and made a reference, complete with picture to Bret Favre, complete with picture. Specifically, Sammy writes: "Let's go ahead and use the Congressman's analogy. Do we give Silvestre Reyes a two year extension on his contact and hope he stays healthy or do we let him go and go after a younger quarterback who brings in new and fresh ideas and who we can get another 8-10 years out of. I honestly think it is time for Reyes to hang up his hat and go into full retirement. It is a tough decision for any coach to make and this November you will be the head coach. I just hope you make the right decision in the voters booth. " He also writes, "A quarterback who is getting older, who is way past his prime and who can only go around flaunting his seniority. I think we are seeing that story play out as we speak and it is not pretty." Brett Favre, that aging ...

You'd think a guy my size would really like a vato named after snack food, but given a recent phone call in to Abel's show yesterday, I think I'm done with Nachos for a while. Here's the issue, Nacho called in about the El Pasoans for Traditional Family Values initiative that is on the ballot to attempt to reverse action by city council granting benefits to domestic partners. Domestic partners means a lot of things, like straight couples who co-habitate, possibly have children, or gay couples. Nacho mentioned that people talking about the potential implications of the poorly written initiative weren't being "truthful". I think it's funny that Nacho's talking about truth. First of all, because of how confusing the language is, the proposed ordinance could in fact impact retirees. Either Nacho Padilla hasn't read the ordinance closely enough to understand that, or he's deliberately not being "truthful" with the public. Padillas cent...

From Burges Candidate Forum No, it's not a poll on bars. No, it's not a bar with a stripper pole. Its a poll done with members of the El Paso Bar Association. Antcliff won the original poll done during the time of the primary season that included all the candidates (the two Dems & Antcliff). Antcliff won the first poll and won the most recent head-to-head poll with Marcos Lizarraga. The notification reads in part: The El Paso Bar Association conducted a Bar Poll for the 168th Judicial District Court and the membership voted as follows: Chris Antcliff - 81.3% Marco Lizarraga - 18.7% There was no indication as to which members of the El Paso Bar voted or how many members the local Bar Association has. There is no indication of how the poll was conducted. Marcos Lizarraga, the Democratic Nominee stated, "Thats not the poll thats going to elect the Judge of the 168th. I believe I got as many or more votes than he did in the primary and I had an opponent...it's not an a...

Apparently I am the only one who cares about this, but Tim Besco, the Republican Party's candidate for congress appears to be in no hurry to file a campaign finance report. If you follow this link , this is were you should see a report for Besco, but there is none. By his own admission at the grand opening of the new GOP headquarters in town, Besco has spent at least $10,000 on a billboard and would therefore be required to file a report.

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia In a complaint filed with the Texas Ethics Commission today, Chairman Anchodo alleges that "Margo did not include the full name and address of the payees, and the dates and purposes of political expenditures that in the aggregate exceed $50 to a single payee in the reporting period as required under...Texas Administrative code." The complaint further alleges that "Margo accepted a contribution from a for-profit corporation in violation of Sections 253.003(b) and 253.094(a)." The latter complaint appears to be the violation that carries the most weight because if the Texas Ethics Commission finds he violated that Section of the Code, he could potentially be charged with a 3rd degree felony. "This is not the first time Dee Margo has willfully or accidentally misreported his assets and campaign expenditures..." Anchondo stated in a press release. He went on to say, "This is the third time in as many failed campaig...

From Burges Candidate Forum The UTEP College Republicans have endorsed write-in candidate Tim Collins for Congress in his bid to unseat Congressman Sylvestre Reyes. Tim Collins is also facing the Republican nominee, Tim Besco. The College Republicans have had a pretty public dispute with Besco and his campaign manager over alleged interpersonal disputes between the campaign and key members of the Republican party. This is perhaps the most significant endorsement Collins has received to date. "I appreciate their endorsement. They were very vocal about their criticism of the Republican nominee." Collins said that he was contacted by the UTEP College Republicans and was sent a one-page questionnaire to find out about his positions on various issues before he was awarded the endorsement.

I figure since many proud Republicans are now claiming their Hispanic heritage like Dee Margo and Governor Perry, it got me to thinking. Since they are new to the club, they need a mentor. They need someone who can show them the ropes. Someone who can show them around the valley, maybe introduce them to some of the businessmen at the Bronco, perhaps take them to boxing matches, or explain who are the rudos in lucha libre. I figure the only real authority in terms of Hispanic Republicans that they can turn to is Jaime O. Perez, who is a new to the Republican Party, but has been Raza his whole life. I think Jaime should start out with a little vocabulary lesson for his new Hispanic compas. Spanish words Republicans must know Sodas- My vieja cooks good and sodas her sister. Cheese - Maria likes me pero cheese too fat. Chile - When my wife and I were dating, she was fine, but since we got married chile herself go. Juarez - My vieja slapped me and I said, juarez your problem? Bish! Chicken ...

As much as it occassionally pains me to admit it, David K is right in a recent piece he wrote Dee Margo's latest plan of being Latino. You can read it here . When even Republicans think Margo's tactic is becoming an embarrassment it says something.

Join'em. That's the old saying and for at least one former candidate from the GOP primary, it holds true. Rene Diaz, who once challenged Dee Margo along with Jay Kleberg for the Republican nomination for House District 78, is now working for JDW Insurance. That is the insurance company that Dee Margo took over from his father-in-law. I attempted to reach Diaz for comment but he did not return my calls or text messages.

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia Eleanor Haggerty, mother of Pat, Dan, & Brian Haggerty, and head of the most well-known Republican family in town endorsed Democrat State Representative Joe Moody. In her endorsement letter , the Republican matriarch closes by saying, "As a loyal, long-time El Paso Republican I rarely endorse any Democrat. But today I recommend Joe Moody for your consideration as the far better candidate for State Representative for District 78." Many Republicans will no-doubt downplay the endorsement of Mrs. Haggerty, but her influence amongst seniors and veteran Republicans is something that shouldn't be underestimated. Moody issued a statement with the endorsement in which he said, "I am very honored to have received the support of lifelong Republican and mother of longtime Representative for District 78 Pat Haggerty - Eleanor Haggerty. Mrs. Haggerty's lifetime of service to her community establishes her as the matriarch of the Repu...

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia Dee Margo's campaign sent out this latest mailer and it hit homes over the last couple of days. Margo is dropping big money for the mailer and on Spanish-language advertising. In the latest mailer featuring a picture of State Rep Joe Moody and former State Rep Norma Chavez, he alleges State Representative Joe Moody is “more liberal than Norma Chavez”. I don't think the Margo campaign means that. Mostly because Norma Chavez isn't that liberal to begin with. First of all, as David K writes in Refuse the Juice , what liberal brings up the sexuality of an opponent? The tactic says a couple of things. First it says that polling done to test the viability of Norma Chavez for the State Senate seat must've been really, really, really bad. The other thing it says is that there must be polling that shows that Margo isn't in front, otherwise he wouldn't be going negative. The point isn't whether Norma's liberal, the point is...

From Burges Candidate Forum Its gone and has been replaced by a car dealership sign. Earlier this year while speaking at the opening of the Republican Party's new headquarters, Besco was asking people for campaign donations to help him keep his sign up and he mentioned that it cost him $10,000. (BTW, if Besco were a legitimate threat to the Reyes campaign, they probably would've mentioned the fact that his billboard didn't appear to comply with election code that states that the disclaimer is easily visible. In my opinion, Besco's sign was the biggest violator of that rule that I can remember. He's had some new campaign signs showing up around town and they are full-color signs. Full color signs cost more that most candidates' three color signs. My GOP sources have told me that Besco has talked about having a poll done and that he indicated to them that it showed the congressman with a low approval rating. Polling for a congressional race runs around $9,000 on t...

From Burges Candidate Forum As I watched the debate between two of the congressional candidates and the press secretary for Congressman Reyes at Burges High School last Saturday, I kept going back to something I constantly find myself thinking about in forums, which candidate looks like the office they are pursuing? The Congressman is the congressman. Tim Collins looked like a congressman. Hell Vince Perez (the congressman's press secretary) even looks like a congressman. But Besco just doesn't strike me as congressional material. I don't know if its shallow grasp of the issues, his constant desire to agree with his opponents, his perpetual awkwardness, or his constant head nodding and repetitive “ya know”, but there is just something about Besco that says he's not ready for a congressional seat. Not that he has the remotest chance in hell of winning. But I guess it was around the time that Besco's attempt at humor went down in an embarrassing silence that somethin...

My question is why? The Republican-backed Texans for Lawsuit Reform funded 90+% of her campaign. #1, what debt does she have left, #2 why would the Democratic Party pay any outstanding debts if she was getting such a large percentage of her money from the Republicans, #3 why should the party pay up if she doesn't participate in Democratic Party functions and isn't helping Democratic candidates in November, and #4, why would Dems fund her after the people who were backing her are now backing Dee Margo? I know these questions aren't going to be popular, but somebody has to question the wisdom of this move.

I'm being a team player here, so I am not going to mention names...yet. But you know who you are. Stop the bickering. Stop the infighting. Stop the hoarding of volunteers and pettiness. It's stupid and most of all its unproductive. You have a job to do in November and thats to elect Democrats. Cut the bullshit because you are pissing off some hard working people and you can't win them back once they get fed up. Be team players. Pass out everyone's literature. Share resources. Think about the team and remember what is at stake. Understand you are not an island and you or your candidate is not the priority, the Party is. Joe Moody needs our help and you people need to stop the stupid turf wars. That's what turns people away. Get your asses in gear and your shit together. I figure if I write this piece the people who it applies to will get the message and act accordingly. The ones it doesn't apply to can continue to do the hard work they are doing. Its not personal...

The College Republicans, an organization that has been recognized as one of the most active chapters in the state did not endorse the Republican candidate for Congress. Generally the Republicans do a pretty good job of not having public disputes, which is more than I can say for my own party. However, the recent rift has an interesting root. Many party activists have expressed disappointment with the candidate that the party has put up to run against Reyes and others have expressed anger over Besco's campaign manager, Oscar Gonzalez. Several Republican Party activists have told me that Gonzalez has been confrontational with people within the party and has burned more bridges than he's built for his candidate. Specifically they site a particular incident in which Besco allegedly berated the Mary Homesley, wife of the Republican Party Chairman, Tom Homesley. "After seeing that situation, there was no way we could endorse Besco in good conscience. We support Republicans and t...

Here is video of the debate for the Congressional seat during Saturday's forum. Before you ask, the Congressman was not in attendance because he was speaking at the funeral of his mentor.

Here are the State Senate Candidates for District 29 debating at the Burges High School forum.

Linda Chavez-Thompson stopped by the forum hosted by City Rep Emma Acosta at Burges High School.

This is footage from Saturday's debate at Burges High School. State Rep Marisa Marquez is speaking on behalf of the Bill White Campaign.

Video will follow... Which candidate insulted the audience they were in front of? Stay tuned to find out!

I wrote a piece a while back in which I mentioned that some party volunteers and activists were critical of some of the campaigns for not pulling their weight and thinking they were going to coast to victory. I still think that's a valid criticism. But I also think its equally valid that the party leadership share in some of the critique on that issue. The party bosses are supposed to be the ones lighting a fire under the campaigns that haven't really gotten their collective campaign asses in gear. Under previous party leadership, there were campaign walks organized and quarterbacked by the party leadership. There are walks and volunteers are working, but its coming directly from the campaigns in tight races. While thats all well and good, the point is, the party bosses should be pushing the mega walks, phone banking, etc. This is an effort that is supposed to come from the top down, not from the bottom up. Afterall, the party bosses' job is to get Democrats elected. Luckil...

From The Lion Star Blog by Jaime Abeytia I've written about the fact that its a little weird that the big money people behind Rep-Elect Naomi Gonzalez, namely the Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) have been rumored to be getting ready to drop some cash on Republican Dee Margo's campaign. It's weird because he's taking on Democratic State Representative Joe Moody. Turns out that the TLR isn't the only connection between Gonzalez and Dee Margo. They have another common denominator...a well-known political operative, Rick Armendarez. Armendarez did some work for the Gonzalez campaign in her successful bid to unseat State Rep Norma Chavez. Looks like Armendariz is handling the Latino outreach for the Dee Margo campaign. I guess I should mention the weird case of El Paso style three degress of separation here. Dee Margo is now running a social networking ad that tries to tie Joe Moody to the unpopular Norma Chavez. Ironically, Armendariz used to be a close political associ...

Republican candidate for Justice of the Peace on the eastside was a no-show at a campaign forum in her own backyard yesterday. Heavy favorite, Democrat Barbara Perez was in attendance and stressed several important issues specifically dealing with truancy. Perez appears to be campaigning rigorously despite the fact that she is a heavy favorite. Perez will benefit by her name recognition and straight ticket voting and could easily choose to coast to victory if she wanted to, but Perez doesn't appear to want to leave anything to chance. The former talk radio personality has been at most Democratic Party functions and has stressed the importance of all the Democrats campaigning rigorously during this election because turnout is so important. Valenzuela formerly worked for Democratic Justice of the Peace, Fred Chavez, who may be a little ticked off at the party because he lost a couple of elections ago to Monica Teran, who's father is reported to be a subject of the public corrupti...