Chet Edwards defended himself Monday against criticism from his GOP U.S. House opponent that he was too involved in negotiations about the Big 12 Conference, in which Baylor and Texas A&M universities are member schools.

In a TV interview last week, Bryan Republican Bill Flores said “the last thing you want is a candidate for federal office or an existing federal officeholder getting involved in college athletics.”

Edwards, a Waco Democrat whose district includes both campuses, said he was proud to have called for legislative hearings on the conference’s potential breakup.

In responding to criticism from Bill Flores (right), Chet Edwards said he was proud to have called for legislative hearings.

He said he was happy to have been part of a group of Waco officials and Baylor backers who rallied to keep the Big 12 intact.

“At the request of Baylor and Waco community leaders, Edwards played an active role in trying to prevent the breakup of the Big 12, which could have left Baylor outside of a major conference and caused the area millions of dollars in economic losses,” a news release issued Monday by Edwards’ campaign said.

“I was elected to fight for our district, not sit on my hands during a crucial battle, as Mr. Flores would have,” the release said.

On June 10, Edwards issued a statement urging top state lawmakers to call hearings on the potential demise of the Big 12 in light of reports that member schools, including Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State — but not Baylor — would be offered spots in the Pac-10 Conference.

The next day, a hearing was scheduled in the House, a move applauded by state Reps. Charles “Doc” Anderson and Jim Dunnam, among others.

After a weekend of intense discussions, the Texas Big 12 schools rejected the Pac-10’s overtures, though other factors, including TV revenue and game scheduling, were being actively discussed.

As a result, credit for the league’s staying intact is tricky to assign.

Paraphrasing UT President William Powers Jr., the Austin-American Statesman wrote that the decision “had a lot more to do with the kind of painstaking review involved in a corporate merger than with (legislative) horse trading.”

But another key player, Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott, gave a differing account.

‘Tsunami’ of pressure

Scott told the Associated Press that the realignment deal was soured by “a tsunami of Texas political pressure from Texas A&M and Baylor.”

Flores’ campaign manager, Matt Mackowiak, on Monday took the view that the Big 12 survived not because of Edwards’ actions.

‘Self-promotion’

“There are no limits to Chet Edwards’ self-promotion and grandstanding for trying to take credit on this,” he said.

Edwards supporter and local businessman Jim Hawkins, 74, dismissed Mackowiak’s characterization and said Waco residents were glad to have someone in Baylor’s corner when many were predicting the Big 12’s demise.

“I heard nothing but accolades for (Edwards) being an instrumental part in what was happening and how it got resolved,” said Hawkins, who is a Baylor grad.

“And if we hadn’t gotten it done, I would have hated to see the economic consequences for Waco.”

Baylor political science professor Thomas Myers said, regardless of what led to the Big 12 surviving, Flores blundered by arguing Edwards should have stayed away from negotiations.

“I think that Flores has made a major mistake there,” Myers said. “He’s shown a very limited perspective on what a congressman’s job is and sounds like a novice to me.

“It’s not so much about athletics as it is the economy, and his failure to realize that may have cost him some votes.”

During Flores’ TV interview he questioned where in the U.S. Constitution Edwards got the authority to get involved in the conference negotiations.

Constitutionality

Texas A&M political science professor George C. Edwards III, who is no relation to the Waco congressman, said there is nothing unconstitutional about a member of Congress asking state legislators to hold hearings on the realignment.

“Flores obviously doesn’t have a good grasp of the Constitution,” he said. “A member of Congress can ask for anything they want, and there’s no constitutional implications at all.”

Though Aggie fans and members of the Bryan-College Station community are split over whether A&M should have stayed in the Big 12 or bolted for the Southeast Conference or Pac-10, the professor said he hasn’t heard of any public anger toward the congressman for getting involved.

Edwards wasn’t the only representative who took a role in the discussions. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, said he might call a hearing in the U.S. House on the conference shake-up.

Other criticism

Mackowiak also criticized Edwards for ignoring other priorities like “energy security, the economy, private sector job growth, reducing deficit spending, or — as a member of the Budget Committee — actually passing a budget.”

Edwards’ campaign said that during the week when Big 12 discussions were at their most intense, Edwards kept a busy schedule.

He attended meetings with officials at the Texas Department of Transportation about road projects and Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar about energy and the Gulf of Mexico oil spill.

He also met with Army Secretary John McHugh and family members of those killed during the explosion in the Gulf and attended a budget hearing with Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

mshapiro@wacotrib.com

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