Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Watt$ To Grease the Wheels of SDEC Members This Weekend

That’s going to be his modus operandi. Spreading out the campaign cash that he has self-funded to grease some Texas politicians’ wheels, and this time get them greased at the same time. Mikal Watt$ has decided to throw a big party for SDEC members (and his consultant entourage) by hosting a hospitality room at the Hilton this Saturday evening in Austin. This is a regularly scheduled quarterly meeting of the Texas State Democratic Executive Committee to be held all day at the Hilton in Austin this Saturday.

How did I find out about Watt$’ party? He told me. Or rather, an SDEC member let me listen to the script that Watt$ left on his answering machine. That’s right I said script. I know when someone is reading a script because I have done it thousands of times and know how it sounds. Here’s what he said:

“Hey , Mikal Watts running for the US Senate. Hey, that’s not why I’m callin’ the reason I’m callin’ is I know that the SDEC is gettin’ together in Austin this weekend so I wanted to call yew and tell yew that our campaign is opening up a hospitality suite for yew guys . . . uh . . .we’ll open up at the Hilton there . . . uh . . .some time around seven, so that when everybody gets done with the christening of the new building . . . uh . . . we can all talk about all the good things that are happening there . . .uh . . . with the Democrats in Texas and I can git you up to speed on the campaign. I hope you’ll be there and look forward to seeing ya. Good-bye."
Get that? Free booze, probably some hors d’oeuvres, and . . . well . . . hospitality for a bunch of guys who are in town on their own dime – yep, there’s no money in being an SDEC member.

So the SDEC member and I were wondering who would outnumber whom at this hoedown, SDEC Committee members, or Watt$ fawning consultant entourage.

But here’s the real rub. Several SDEC members were going in together to host a “Meet and Greet” for Rick Noriega at the very same time. Hospitality rooms are pricey and they (remember, SDEC members are not paid to do this) decided to just take over the Hilton bar and have everyone come on down, buy some drinks and talk to the best, but not the richest, candidate for US Senate from Texas, Lt. Col and State Rep Rick Noriega.

I suspect that the Watt$ campaign caught wind of this long-planned event and decided to one-up these SDEC members in the best way he knows how, spending campaign cash and buying SDEC supporters.

So here’s what I say the SDEC members should do: go on up to Watt$ suite and meet the guy. Heck, on the phone he sounds like a nice enough guy – maybe the accent is a little forced – but there you go. Go and have a couple of drinks on Watt$ dime and take that second drink downstairs to the Hilton’s main bar where you can finish it, meet Rick, and mix with a true people-powered campaign.

Now if you think that Watt$ is pulling an underhanded ploy in creating this time conflict, why not say so with cash. Rick Noriega needs your monetary support so he can show Texas that the richest candidate for US Senate is not necessarily the best one. Go to ActBlue. Bring money.

1 comment:

Hal said...

Again, please, let me remind the Watt$ trolls, especially those who profess a sympathy with the Noriega campaign; I won't use my bandwidth to transmit your messages. I respect Mikal Watts as a devoted Democratic campaign contributor. He is absolutely tops on my list of the people we need to turn Texas blue.

He is NOT, however, the best person that we Democrats can put up against politically weak John Cornyn. I don't like Mikal's tactics of smothering opposition with money unless it is the correct opposition.

Mikal Watts doesn't have the correct story. Rick Noriega does. Mikal Watts will be toast in a head to head with Cornyn no matter how much he has to spend. In a Noriega vs. Cornyn contest I see greatness vs. mediocrity.

Who do you choose?