Houston Democrats

In 2004, Hutchison made a comment about the Texas governor race to former Democratic Governor Ann Richards.

The following is from a March 2004 Dallas Morning News article:

Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and former Democratic Gov. Ann Richards don't agree on much. But they both feel like it's time to return to Texas and get a dog. For Ms. Hutchison, a longtime senator who has recently adopted two children, returning home could mean taking on Republican Gov. Rick Perry in 2006. On Friday she told more than 200 women gathered at the Women's Museum for a conversation between her and Ms. Richards that she was considering a 2006 campaign for governor. The comments were yet another indication that she is aiming for the governor's mansion.

Even though Kay Bailey Hutchison is not an official candidate and the party primaries are still a year away, things are already beginning to get riled up in Austin. There is significant talk about a potential Hutchison run for the Governor's seat in 2006, and that is scaring some Republican power brokers who have recommended she concentrate on her 2006 Senate re-election campaign.

Hutchison responds saying that she is receiving encouragement from numerous Republicans and that no one has told her they like Perry's performance as governor. Hutchison says the opposition is fueled by Perry's political team. Although a run is not official, Hutchison has her fundraisers fast at work in Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio. Despite the fact Hutchison has not committed to a run for governor, a recently enacted federal law would permit her to shift funds from a Senate campaign to a governor's race.

Feeling the political intimidation of a Hutchison campaign, Rick Perry is making an early move to shore up his support. Having previously denied any connection to a 46 second video clip of Senator Hutchison and Senator Clinton, the Perry campaign took responsibility for it this week.

In the clip Clinton tells a group that she is "delighted that Kay is my partner on so many important fronts." The video shows the senators posing together, smiling, and embracing each other twice. The footage came from a March 3 event at the Sewall-Belmont House and Museum, dedicated to women’s history, on Capitol Hill in which Hutchison and Clinton had back-to-back speaking engagements.

Luis Saenz, Perry’s campaign director confirmed making the video after a statement made by Laura Nisbet of the museum in which she said that the two men taping the event identified themselves as working for Perry. Saenz acknowledged that the Perry campaign paid $2,000 to Upgrade Video, a Washington firm to tape the event at the museum (Source). Originally he said he had no idea where the clip originated and that the Perry campaign had no role in its distribution.

Chris Paulitz, Hutchison’s spokesman, states employees of Perry are using state Republican leaders to spread the video and "take silly political shots. Sen. Hutchison is doing her hob and, at this critical time, the governor should be doing his (Source)."

Terry Sullivan, who represents Hutchison's Senate re-election campaign in Austin, says, "I’m embarrassed they got caught in a lie. I’m a little bit more embarrassed that the governor has nothing better to do than stalk the senator halfway across the country, then be dishonest about it (Source)."

Saenz has also said, "potential opponents trashing my governor are not going to get a free ride (Source)."

However, Senator Hutchison is still standing ready for a fight. She launched back at Perry with a 1993 letter he wrote to then first lady Hillary Clinton in which he called her health care reform efforts "commendable (Source)."

Sullivan declared, "It’s a double standard. It’s the ultimate in hypocrisy (Source)."

In response, Saenz says there is no comparison between the 1993 letter written by Perry and Hutchison accepting praise in person from "a rather liberal New York senator (Source)."

Perry's letter falls far short of actually being an endorsement of Clinton's health care proposal. But it was written at a time when some commentators already were describing her plan of government-sponsored HMOs and health care cooperatives as "socialism."

Perry was state agriculture commissioner at the time, a position he had won in 1990 after switching from the Democratic to the Republican Party.

"I think your efforts in trying to reform the nation's health care system are most commendable," Perry wrote.

Perry asked Clinton to take special notice of the health care needs of farmers, ranchers and people in rural areas as she tried to overhaul national health care.

However, Hutchison has been taking heat from State Senator Bob Duell (R-Greenville) for comments made to him by Hutchison advisor Dave Beckwith at a presidential gala in January.

Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, said Hutchison adviser Dave Beckwith told him at a presidential inaugural gala in January that Hutchison would run for governor. He said Beckwith also said Deuell's support of Perry might land the first-term state senator a GOP foe as he seeks re-election next spring.

Deuell privately replayed his recollection of the encounter to other Senate Republicans shortly after returning from Washington. But he hadn't publicly characterized the exchange until a reporter inquired Wednesday.

During "the Best Little Ball in Texas," he said, Beckwith "went into a diatribe about 'Perry's not a leader and she is.' "
"I just said, 'You know, I like her, but don't think she wins the primary.'

"And he said 'It'll be an expanded primary,' and he said, 'You're up this time, aren't you?' And said 'You're planning to have an opponent,' kind of snidely, and then walked away. . . . I took that as a veiled threat," Deuell said.

Beckwith said he said "nothing like that" in a brief hallway conversation, adding: "It was extremely loud that night. ZZ Top was playing. . . . Maybe ZZ Top told him that."

Asked if he said Hutchison was running for governor, Beckwith laughed and said: "How could I say that? She hasn't made a decision."
Beckwith suggested that Perry's campaign was behind the comments.
Saenz, saying Deuell speaks for himself, called the described threat of an opponent for Deuell unless he backs Hutchison "shameful."
After a reporter called Beckwith for comment Wednesday, Beckwith telephoned Deuell.

"He said he was just having polite party conversation. . . . That's not how he meant his comments to be taken," the senator said. "He was not polite that night. He was upset."(Source)

In another sidelight, Sullivan confirmed that Chad Wilbanks, a Hutchison campaign staff member, called into a Fort Worth radio station earlier this month describing himself as "Charlie of Flower Mound." The staff member said that Hutchison is gubernatorial timber. According to Sullivan, the call was not part of a campaign strategy.

On the Democratic side it appears that Chris Bell is running for governor. Jim Turner, a Democrat who like Bell, lost his seat as a result of the Republican redistricting is considering a run. Kinky Friedman, the writer and country singer, has announced his candidacy as an independent.

This election is off to a fighting start. Hopefully the "grenade" will sufficiently fracture the GOP to make it possible for a Democratic candidate to take the governorship. We're long overdue for a Democratic at the top.

Welcome to the "best little brawl in Texas."