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Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Former Mississippi governor to stump for Obama in Waco Thursday
Ray Mabus, former governor of Mississippi, will stump in Waco Thursday for Sen. Barack Obama’s presidential bid, campaign staff announced today.
During Mabus’ tenure serving as governor from 1988 to 1992 he implemented “major education reforms,” according to an Obama campaign news release. Prior to being elected Governor, Mabus served as State Auditor from 1983 - 1987.
He won the 1988 gubernatorial race on the slogan “Mississippi will never be last again.” But Mabus lost the governorship in 1992 to a conservative who became the first Republican since Reconstruction to head the state.
Mabus was later appoined by President Bill Clinton to serve as the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia from 1994 to 1996.
He will speak at 12:30 p.m. at the Waco campaign field office, 1818 Columbus Ave. For questions, call the campaign office at 714-2008.
He will also be making stops in College Station, Killeen and Abilene on Thursday.
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Huck and Chuck show comes to Waco
More video: Huckabee rally
Actor and martial arts master Chuck Norris will be on hand when former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee stops in Waco Thursday, a campaign staff member said today.
The presidential candidate’s appearance at the Waco Hilton hotel has been moved back to 3:30 p.m. Huckabee will also spend some time in town filming campaign videos, the spokesman said.
Norris, star of the “Walker, Texas Ranger” television series, has been a fixture on the campaign trail with Huckabee. Norris owns a ranch near Navasota.
Oh yeah, and Huckabee is “Chuck Norris Approved.”
Anderson receives $25,000 from Gov. Rick Perry
Texas Gov. Rick Perry gave Charles “Doc” Anderson a $25,000 contribution, according to a special pre-election “telegram” state campaign finance report filed Wednesday.
The contribution, which originated from Perry’s multimillion dollar political warchest, came a day before Perry hosted a fund-raiser in Austin for Anderson. The invitation for the fund-raiser asked attendees to check the following levels of support for Anderson:
- $5,000 — patron
- $1,000 — sponsor
- $500 — host
- $250 — guest
Anderson’s telegram report also included a $5,000 contribution from Louis Beecherl, a Dallas businessman and prominent giver to conservative candidates, and a $1,000 contribution from TexPAC, the Texas Medical Association’s Political Action Committee.
“I am proud to have the support of a number of our state’s leaders including Republican State Chair Tina Benkiser, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, and Comptroller Susan Combs,” Anderson said in a prepared statement. “I am especially pleased that Governor Rick Perry is strongly supporting my campaign for reelection. While Governor Perry and I may disagree on some things, namely the moratorium on the Trans-Texas Corridor, the Pulverized Coal Plants, and the mandatory HPV vaccine, he knows that I am a strong conservative leader and an independent voice for McLennan County. I am proud that my fellow Texas Aggie and our Republican Governor has contributed to my campaign.”
Anderson is one of three state representatives supportive of House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland, who received contributions from Perry on Tuesday.
Phil King, R-Weatherford, also received $25,000 and El Paso Republican challenger Dee Margo received $10,000, according to campaign finance reports.
Sibley jabs at Anderson on $50k donation from private-school voucher advocate
Jonathan Sibley’s campaign sent out the following press release yesterday, criticizing Charles “Doc” Anderson for accepting a $50,000 campaign contribution from private-school voucher advocate Jim Leininger.
The donation, given two days after the publication of a Tribune-Herald story in which Sibley criticized Anderson’s support of vouchers, was reported on Anderson’s eight-day out campaign finance report filed on Monday. It’s the largest single contribution Anderson has received during the current election.
Here’s the rest of the release:
The last minute contribution is further proof of Doc Anderson’s support for taking taxpayer money from public schools to fund private school vouchers. Jonathan Sibley adamantly opposes vouchers, and is supported by numerous members of the McLennan County education community including local superintendents and teachers. Dr. Mike Moses, the former Texas Commissioner of Education under George Bush, has also endorsed Jonathan.
“Doc Anderson’s support from wealthy voucher advocate Jim Leininger is further proof that a vote for Doc Anderson is a voted AGAINST our public schools and superintendents,” said Sibley. “Doc has been bought and paid for by the voucher special interests, and cannot possibly expect our families to trust him when it comes to providing sound public education for our children.”
The $50,000 from Leininger was the largest contribution on Doc’s report, and the largest he has received in this election. Doc Anderson also received $10,000 from Texans for Jobs & Opportunity Build a Secure Future, a PAC funded by Republican House Speaker Tom Craddick. Craddick has also used this PAC to contribute money to Democrats throughout the state who are facing primary challenges because of their allegiance to Craddick. Last week, Jonathan withdrew his support for Tom Craddick for Speaker, citing his opposition to Craddick’s assertion of ‘Absolute Authority’, and the fact that Republicans have lost 11 seats in the Texas Legislature under Craddick’s leadership. Doc Anderson has publicly defended Tom Craddick.
“As your state representative, I will put the families of McLennan County first, not the special interests and political power grabs like my opponent,” said Sibley.
UPDATED AGAIN: Clinton campaign to host primary countdown party in Waco today
Hillblazers, as the campaign likes to call them, will celebrate the opening of Hillary Clinton’s Waco campaign field office Thursday at 6 p.m.
The office is located in a strip center with a Carpet One store at 401 Lake Air Dive, about a third of a mile north of Waco Drive. It will serve as the nerve center for Clinton supporters in Waco, providing campaign materials and nightly phone banking sessions.
UPDATE 4 p.m. Wednesday: A Clinton campaign spokesman tells me that a mariachi band and a taco truck will be on hand at the “countdown to primary night” party on Thursday. He said the field office has been open since Tuesday. For those with questions or want to get involved in the campaign, call 751-1267.
UPDATE 10 a.m. Thursday: Bernard Rapoport, the Waco insurance magnate and philanthropist, will attend the party.
