Chris Bell : "Rick Perry is taking ethics lessons from Tom DeLay"

[sonias]

I went to a press conference this afternoon where the Texas Democratic Party announced the slate of statewide Democratic candidates and held a press conference. For once we actually had a room full of media. Imagine that? Soechting pulled out a fundraising letter that Tina Benkiser, TX GOP party chair, is sending to Texas repukes warning them that the Texas Democratic party is stronger and more organized than ever. Charles said he and Tina finally agreed on something.

David Van Os put all corporations on alert that he's coming after them, as the real people's lawyer. No more feeding off the people of Texas. Great speech as always.

BAR and Chris Bell were there as well as, Maria Luisa Alvarado, Bill Moody, J.R. Molina, VaLinda Hathcox, Fred Head, Dale Henry and last but not least Hank Gilbert. I love that Hank Gilbert!

When it came time for the Q&A part Chris Bell tore into Perry for being the sleaze-ball that he is. Telling the media he's behaving like Tom DeLay. Seems like MoFo Perry is taking lessons from dead bugman walking. MoFo is using corporate money to essentially promote his campaign. Bell also took a swipe at the toothless TX Ethics Commission for allowing Colyandro to list a money donation simply with the word "gift".

Here's a link to the Bell blog post

http://www.chrisbell.com/blog/041206_DeLay_ethics_lessons
Today, Chris Bell spoke out against Rick Perry's planned use of corporate money to fund an ad campaign for his tax swap plan. Read more about that here.

After four years of fighting the effects of corporate money in Texas politics, I am greatly disturbed that the Perry campaign is raising unlimited and unreported corporate donations from the very same business he says will benefit from his tax plan. This is exactly what I’m talking about when I say Rick Perry is taking ethics lessons from Tom DeLay.

It is simply wrong to reorganize your campaign under a non-profit charter to avoid disclosure and to raise corporate money. Just because it’s legal doesn’t make it ethical.

And here's our local rag the AAS who actually came to the press conference and then wrote a real story. I'm shocked I tell ya.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/04/13perry.html">AAS 4/13/06 article
Hopefuls decry Perry ad blitz plan
Governor defends proposed campaign backing changes in business and school property taxes
Plans backed by Gov. Rick Perry for TV and radio ads encouraging legislative adoption of a tax package that would cut school taxes by $6 billion drew fire Wednesday from gubernatorial challengers and a lawyer questioning possible corporate donations.
(snip)
Chris Bell, the Democratic gubernatorial nominee, noted the involvement of Carney and Ray Sullivan, a former Perry spokesman, and Mike Baselice, a pollster whose clients include Perry.

"It's shaping up to be basically a reorganization of his campaign as a nonprofit," Bell said.

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the state comptroller trying to reach the November ballot as an independent candidate for governor, said the fundraising strategy appears identical to that taken by a GOP committee in 2002; Texans for a Republican Majority was at the heart of a Travis County grand jury investigation leading to money laundering charges against U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land.

If Perry does not shutter the effort, Strayhorn said, he should make public its corporate donors. Sullivan said there might be disclosure.

Austin lawyer Cris Feldman, who has represented Democrats challenging corporate spending in the 2002 Texas House elections, said Perry's evident closeness to the group puts him and donors at risk of violating penal provisions against people giving gifts to public officials.

"You've got Perry in the middle of this thing," Feldman said. "It looks about as crooked as a barrel of snakes."
(/snip)

Sonia

[ashling]

1. Thanks

Thanks again, Sonia for another great report!

[muse]

2. how fun that you went to the press conference!

The story is in today's Houston Chronicle, also:

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/3790792.html

Truly, the corruption of Tom DeLay is a pox on all Republicans and I'm thrilled that Bell is calling Perry out on this.

[MagickMuffin]

3. Good report

Chris rang the Bell on the ole Hammer. Brought the Hammer down hard. The media are now shouting that the media brought him down:eyes:

What a joke the Media Blaming the Media:rofl:

No, you weakless morons Chris Bell exposed the Hammer's corruption, along with the other corrupt GOP/SOB's.

Sonia, I'm also glad that you were able to attend the press conference and reporting back. You are a treasure.

[bvar22]

4. Love this Texas activist in front of the Gov's Mansion.

[muse]

5. OMG! That does crack me up

That guy looks like he is having a lot of fun.

Soon enough, that will be Chris Bell's residence. :)

[tavalon]

6. Um,

I hate to be a curmudgeon here, but Guvna Goodhair never needed any lessons from Tom Delay. He is just as mafia as Delay is. Just prettier.

[eppur_se_muova]

7. "Dead bugman walking"...how sweet that sounds. nt

[sonias]

8. Yahoo story link

Yahoo story link 4/13
Democrats Use DeLay As Foil to Rally Party
Statewide Democratic candidates, gathering Wednesday for a sort of pep rally at the party's Texas headquarters, mentioned DeLay repeatedly while portraying top Texas Republicans as corrupted by big money donors.

"We're stuck with Tom DeLay, Rick Perry and the rest of the corrupt Republican leadership who's auctioned off the state Capitol to the highest bidder," said Democratic state chairman Charles Soechting. "Their pay-to-play style of politics has put special interests over the best interests of our state."
(snip)
Bell continuously has tried to make ethics an issue in the governor's race.

He has said that big spending by pro voucher San Antonio businessman James Leininger and Houston homebuilder Bob Perry in last month's Republican primaries emphasized the need for an aggregate campaign contribution limit. (/snip)

Go rate that story a 5.

Sonia