Patrick continues transition from insurgent to pol
The Chronicle's Kristen Mack writes that KSEV-700 talker and Texas Senate District 7 candidate Dan Patrick has been sounding a little like those flip-flopping politicians he frequently criticizes on the radio:
Patrick has made an issue of his opponents' campaign finance sources, but apparently has decided that if he can't beat them in that arena, he'd better join them.
At the first candidate forum, held by the Cy-Fair Republican Women in October, Patrick declared candidates should adhere to a $1,000 cap on donations from any one source. He questioned why candidates were holding fundraisers in Dallas, getting contributions from as far away as New York and taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from lobbyists. Although he didn't mention him by name, Patrick was referring to [Joe] Nixon.
Nixon bragged about raising more than $215,000 in one night in October, an enviable fundraising feat that drew the ire of Patrick. "The only people who should have influence is you," Patrick said to the residents of the district gathered in the packed Prime Time Steak House. "Money should only come from people in the district."Some of Nixon's did come from elsewhere, according to a list of contributors Nixon distributed.
Two weeks later, Patrick sent invitations for his first fundraiser, including to people who live outside the district. He was asking for contributions from $1,000 to $5,000. The event was held Wednesday at the home of Patrick's fellow KSEV (700 AM) on-air personality, Ed Hendee.
Patrick wouldn't say how much he raised, but acknowledged that he received some checks of more than $1,000.
"I am going to play under the rules in play. Otherwise it would be an uneven race," Patrick said. "If an individual wants to give me a $3,000 check, I will gladly accept it. But I'm not going to be funded by special interests or bought by lobbyists."
There you have it.
Mack further reports that Patrick will be on the air until filing for office, at which point he will leave the station rather than being forced to give his opponents equal time. Patrick says that every on-air reference to his candidacy will be logged on his campaign finance reports, which will surely keep opposition-research staffers busy.
There's no word in the article as to who will temporarily be hosting Patrick's afternoon show. Will it be Chris Begala, whose ability to reference "the biased liberal mainstream media" a dozen times an hour probably gives him a leg up? Will it be Orlando Sanchez, who doesn't always seem interested in talking about breaking political events? Or will it be producer and Lone Star Times guru David Benzion, who sometimes comes across as too brainy for the audience? I guess we'll know in a few weeks.
PREVIOUSLY: Patrick makes quick transition from insurgent to politician.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 11/14/05 12:57 PM | Print |
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