Margo Contributed to Norma Chavez

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 she's unpopular and that's why he's trying to tie Moody to Chavez.

But Margo should be careful with trying to connect Moody to Chavez because Margo himself has some interesting connections to the very person he is trying to tie Moody to.

Let's start with the fact that Chavez was a Craddick “D”. She sold out the rest of the Democratic party in order to get the controversial Republican Tom Craddick to retain his seat as Speaker of the House.

Craddick is a Margo supporter.

But perhaps the most ironic part of Margo's mailer is the fact that according to this campaign finance report, Dee Margo actually provided financial support to Norma Chavez's campaign! If the critique is that Chavez is too liberal and by extension so is Moody, then why would Margo contribute to her campaign?

Campaign finance reports show that Dee Margo contributed $500 to Norma Chavez's campaign on October 1st, 2003, which was right around the time she started dancing with Craddick.

To further underscore the ideological paradox of the Margo mailer, Rick Armendariz, an on-again, off-again Democratic Party political operative is handling Margo's Latino outreach. Armendariz's last gig, with Forma Group, was during the primary race for this election cycle. He worked for Democratic Representative-elect Naomi Gonzalez's campaign.

Armendariz also worked at one point for...you guessed it, Norma Chavez. In fact, the controversial organization of the Camino Real Mexican American Democrats was done under Rick Armendariz's name, though the club has always been known as Norma's club.

Below is a republication of a piece by Don Kirkpatrick from the 2006 Campaign That
References Margo Name Dropping Chavez:

“Deevious – Drop a name, tell a lie”
Perspective and Commentary
by Don Kirkpatrick
October 22, 2006

The stealth Republican candidate for the Texas Senate from El Paso has
employed a new tactic in his effort to unseat incumbent Democratic
Senator Eliot Shapleigh. Dee Margo drops a name, then tells a lie.

When Margo used Hall of Fame Coach Don Haskins’ name in his campaign
materials without the coach’s permission, he lied.

When he spent $500,000 to attack Senator Shapleigh about
Republican-delayed funding for the Texas Tech medical school in El
Paso, he lied. Lt. Governor Dewhurst, a Republican, called him on that
one Saturday. Both of Margo’s lies were front-page stories in the El
Paso Times.

Today, in a joint appearance with Senator Shapleigh on KVIA-TV, Margo
dropped Norma Chavez’ name, saying that Chavez called him about a bill
that she could not pass. He left the impression that Chavez supports
him. That is a lie.

During Representative Chavez’ 2004 campaign against Marty Reyes,
Senator Shapleigh took a strong stand for her. He endorsed Chavez in
that race and Chavez has endorsed him this year. Shapleigh and Chavez
have worked together to pass dozens of bills in the ten years that
they have served together.

Today, Margo talked about HB 3426, Chavez’ bill concerning underage
drinking on the border. That bill was passed by Senator Shapleigh in
the Senate and took effect on September 1, 2005.

Margo uses standard Karl Rove tactics: put forth the Big Lie, then
keep an opponent pinned down responding to the lie..

In today’s TV debate, Shapleigh did respond. He apologized to El Paso
for all of Margo’s negative, untruthful attacks, part of what Senator
Hillary Clinton called the “blizzard of negativity that is the
hallmark of modern Republican campaigns.”

By now, El Paso knows Dee Margo. The latest poll proves that El Paso
voters do not approve of Margo’s “Big Lie” campaign. After spending
nearly $1-million on his race -- considering contributions he has
reported, what Laura Bush raised for him last week, and what
Republican fat cat moneymen Robert J. Perry and James Leininger will
deliver for
last minute attacks -- Margo is still 30 points behind Senator Shapleigh.

El Paso voters do not like attack ads -- or liars. When Dee Margo is
done, he will have spent more money than any candidate in El Paso
history -- for far fewer votes.