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Making an Impact
The suit, filed against Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott... accuses Abbott of targeting minority voters in his prosecution of the provisions in a "deliberate campaign to suppress the minority vote."...
The group behind the lawsuit is the Lone Star Project
(Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9/22/2006)
The Democrats at the Lone Star Project say U.S. Attorney General Al Gonzales and U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton in San Antonio blew their chance to bring justice to the Texas Youth Commission sexual abuse case.
(Houston Chronicle Blog, 3/15/2007)
David Dewhurst has said most Texans don't have much sympathy "for someone who that can't fill out a two page [health insurance] application every six months".
The Democrat-supported Lone Star Project in Washington reported this week that Dewhurst failed to file necessary forms at least six times in recent years.
(San Antonio Expres News,, 4/12/2007)
The Justice staff memo was obtained by the Lone Star Project ...The story broke the same day the U.S. Supreme Court was considering legal challenges to the plan brought by Democrats and minority groups.
(Houston Chronicle, 12/3/2005)
The Texas chapter of the NAACP, along with the Lone Star Project, have analyzed the amicus brief filed by the Justice Department and have concluded, justifiably, that the Voting Rights section of the Justice Department is now controlled by partisan political appointees.
(Roll Call - Donna Brazile, 2/28/2006)
Using the Lone Star Project as an information clearinghouse for all things DeLay. The organization "particularly became relevant as the unethical activities of Tom DeLay came more to light."
(The Fix – Washington Post,3/6/2006)
What's more, the relevant 73-page memo "has been kept under tight wraps" since then. That memo is now publicly available, here in PDF at the Lone Star Project.
(Hotline, 12/2/2005)
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(202) 547-7610 - Fax
(202)547-8258
April 10, 2006
Contact: Matt Angle
On the web at www.LoneStarProject.net
Lessons from Tom DeLay - How to Rig A Texas
Election
Chapter 1: Avoiding a Special Election and
Hand Picking Your Candidate
Situation
You are a powerful but
controversial incumbent politician who is embroiled in a bribery scandal and
under indictment for money laundering. You must resign your seat to avoid
an embarrassing defeat at the polls and to use your campaign funds to pay legal
fees. However, you want to retain influence in order to hand pick a
successor beholden to you. Follow the simple steps
below. |
Step
1
Remain a candidate until after your party primary has
passed. If necessary, make bold statements declaring that you will win the
race. This will protect your tough guy image and most importantly keeps
campaign contributors on the hook and giving as long as possible.
"I plan to run a very vigorous campaign, and I plan to win it," he
[DeLay] said. (Source: The Associated Press - March 4,
2006).
Step 2
Soon after the primary,
announce that you are not going to run after all. This is tricky.
You need to announce quickly following the primary, so you can protect as much
campaign cash as possible for your legal bills. Don’t announce too soon
though, because you don’t want to trigger a special election on May 13, a
statutory election day in Texas. (Source: Texas Election Code §
41.001) An announcement during the first week of April is just about
right.
Step 3
Exploit a loophole in the Texas election law
that allows you to be replaced on the ballot if you revoke your Texas residence
and agree to move out of state. Be prepared to take some criticism.
Good Lord, are we Texans ever
fortunate that Tom DeLay wasn't at the Alamo. If he had been, when Col. William
B. Travis drew that line in the sand, Tom would have said, "Are you crazy? I'm
moving to Northern Virginia." (Source: John Kelso
– Austin American Statesman Friday, April 07, 2006)
Step 4
Direct the Governor to not use
his authority under the Texas Election Code Section 41.0011 to call an emergency
special election, even if it means voters will be without a Member of Congress
for over four months while key votes on congressional appropriations will be
taken.
(Tip for first-timers: This
step goes smoother if you have a highly partisan, but very weak, Governor whom
you have successfully bullied in the past).
Step 5
Now, pre-empt the Governor and announce that
there will be no special election. It’s important to make your
announcement first. That way everyone knows who’s really in charge.
Ideally, make the announcement in a safe, far right wing venue so you won’t get
any tough questions. It is ok to ignore the widely reported
provision that allows the Governor to call an emergency special election on
non-uniform election days. (Source: Texas Election Code Section
41.0011, The Houston Chronicle April 7, 2006)
RUSH:
But you are going to retire or resign in enough time for there to be a special
election so that --
CONGRESSMAN DeLAY: No, there won't be a special
election. Texas has a law that there's only two dates that you can have a
special election, November and May, and this weekend the deadline for the May
special election will have passed.
RUSH: So it's going to be an open seat
election in November?
CONGRESSMAN DeLAY: Yes.
(Source: Rush Limbaugh
Show, April 5, 2006)
Step 6
Finally, don’t go soft or lose your edge.
Keep your “dirty tricks team” in the district working and scheming. If
your old opponent stages a news conference, send a team in to wreck it.
You’ll need them sharp when your hand picked candidate is ready to go.
"Let's
give Lampson a parting shot that wrecks his press conference," read a mass
e-mail to supporters by DeLay campaign manager Chris Homan. (Source: Fort
Worth Star-Telegram, April 7, 2006) Watch the
Video
Step 7 - Only for use by those
under indictment
A State Legislature can be a useful
tool to threaten a State prosecutor. You bought the legislature, use
it. Here is how it’s done:
Transcript from Fox News Radio’s Tony Snow
Show:
SNOW: Okay, so at this point, you know — are you
willing to let bygones be bygones?
DELAY: Absolutely not. Texas should not allow a district attorney from Travis
County have this kind of power. And they can take his power away from him
because there was the Texas legislature that gave him this power. And I think
that will happen in the next session of the Texas legislature.
SNOW:
Oh, really?
DELAY: Yes. |
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The Lone
Star Project is an activity of the Lone Star Fund.
Contributions or gifts to
the Lone Star Fund are not tax deductible. All contributions are
subject to the prohibitions and limitations of the Federal Election Campaign
Act. Federal Law requires us to use best efforts to collect and report the
name, mailing address, occupation and name of employer of individuals whose
contributions exceed $200 in a calendar year.
Paid for
by The Lone Star Fund, 6 E St, SE, Washington, DC 20003.
Not authorized
by any candidate or candidate’s committee. |
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