Rick Noriega Update

Some of this old news, but I'm playing catch-up:

Stupid Thing To Say: This from the Houston Chronicle by way of BurkaBlog: Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Mikal Watts of San Antonio once tried to pressure a legal opponent into a $60 million personal injury lawsuit settlement by claiming he would have an advantage on appeal because of his firm's heavy campaign financial support to an appellate court's justices, "all of whom are good Democrats." Yeah, that's pretty dumb. But the more interesting thing is Burka's analysis: "Noriega has a great personal story; the question is whether he can raise enough money to get it out to the electorate. Watts has oodles of money, but no compelling personal narrative. The question is whether money or an Hispanic surname is the greater asset in a Democratic primary. Does the name 'Victor Morales' mean anything to you? It meant something to congressmen John Bryant and Jim Chapman, who lost the 1996 Senate primary to the unknown schoolteacher, and the Hispanic vote means more in the Democratic primary today than it did then. ... If Watts wins the primary, his background as a trial lawyer will hurt him, but [John] Cornyn will carry a lot of the baggage that has piled up during Bush's second term. Watts will have enough money to focus the race on Cornyn's record. Noriega has the better shot to beat Cornyn--if he can raise the money.

Tough Time at UT: Things didn't get any better for Watts in his appearance at UT on Wednesday. I think the TCU football team got a better reception than he did. By contrast, Noriega did very well on the 40 Acres last week.

Rick Doesn't Like Bloggers? That's news to me. This is a HUGE non-story. When I met him in Dallas recently, he was very enthusiastic about blogs in general and my blog specifically. Rick's a great guy and he has my vote.

Lest We Forget: Three weeks ago, seven paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne penned an op-ed in the New York Times questioning the effectiveness of the Iraq Surge. On Monday, two of the op-ed's authors, Sgt. Omar Mora and Sgt. Yance T. Gray, died in a vehicle accident in western Baghdad. Noriega wrote yesterday about the loss of Sgt. Mora, who was from Texas City. "It is the right of every citizen to speak their mind, as Omar's brother, Roger told the Houston Chronicle -- a right that belongs to civilian and soldier alike, regardless of rank. Voicing one's opinion, especially from a soldier, is very difficult when 'management' is wrong. Omar, and his fellow soldiers had a better understanding of the cultural matrix in Iraq than what gets reported by the media, he had walked the walk. He spoke from experience when they said 'we operate in a bewildering context of determined enemies and questionable allies, one where the balance of forces on the ground remains entirely unclear.' Sgt. Mora and his soldiers concluded their editorial by making clear 'as committed soldiers, we will see this mission through.' He lived up to his word. Now the challenge lies with the rest of us to listen and bring this mismanaged war to an end." Amen.

Money From Swift Boat Bob Perry: The Startlegram reported that Noriega has taken four contributions totaling $7,000 since January 2006 when Perry's role in the Swift Boat campaign became known. Personally, I wish Rick would give the money back, but I'm willing to wait and hear and explanation.

Rick Noriega in Dallas Yesterday

Rick Noriega isn't officially running for the U.S. Senate, but you'd never know it by watching him yesterday.

He was here in the Fort yesterday afternoon for a lunch at Joe T's where he spoke to a group of 50 over enchiladas, picking up campaign contributions and the endorsements of Tarrant County State Representatives Lon Burnam, Paula Hightower Pierson and Marc Veasey before making his way through the rain to Far North Dallas for event at the home of Lenna Webb and Bob Franklin.

Noriega's had a good week for endorsements. Governor Dolph Briscoe, Lt. Gov. Bill Hobby and State Senator Rodney Ellis gave him their support, as did the Texas State Association of Firefighters. An endorsment from Daily Kos appears to be forthcoming next week.

Why the endorsements? Why are all of these people lining up behind him now?

Because in the reddest of red states, in the heart of maybe the most Republican state in the country, Rick Noriega looks like he can do the unthinkable: run as a Democrat for a statewide office and win. And after listening to him last night, I'm more convinced than ever.

Part of his appeal is his military bearing. The Texas National Guard lieutenant colonel and Afghanistan vet isn't vulnerable to accusation of being "soft" on security. He can talk about running a convoy and setting up checkpoints because he's been there. As he puts it, he knows the difference between an M203 and an M&M.

"I just got back from two weeks of training at Fort Benning, and when you look at these 18- and 19-year-old kids who will do anything their country asks them to do, you realize they deserve better. They need leadership that is willing to be held accountable."

After six years of the dodge and deflect strategy from Republicans, it's kind of refreshing to hear that. But Noriega also knows that the Republicans aren't going to take this lying down.

"Are we as Texans ready to take a step forward? Our state is off track and if we are going to set things right, we must be ready for the campaign of misinformation that John Cornyn and the Republicans are ready to unleash. They'll use this to divide us so they can maintain power. We have to reject that, but it will be a tough fight."

I can't help but wonder how long will it take before Dallas' own Merrie Spaeth finds a way to swift boat Noriega and tell us he wasn't even in Afghanistan?

But Noriega was there. And he's also served with the Guard along the border, and was tapped by Houston Mayor Bill White to manage the care for 30,000 Katrina evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center. That, combined with his background as a legislator allows him to speak knowledgeably on defense, security and immigration issues. If that's what you want, he can do the wonk thing.

But he also has the one-liners down, too. When someone asked the inevitable Larry Craig question, he knocked it over the fence -- "Republicans give gays and lesbians a bad name."

Of course, that wasn't the only bit of Republican hypocrisy that he skewered. He got plenty of shots in at the junior senator from the State of Texas. "John Cornyn voted twice to build a wall along the border. When he's speaking in East Texas, he tells them he voted for it. When he speaks in the Valley, he says he voted against. But he's changed his position on lots of issues since this little chihuahua started nipping at his heels."

And that is part of what makes Rick Noriega such a formidable candidate -- he's an experienced legislator with a significant military background who also happens to be Hispanic. And because he's so strong with issues that Republicans have traditionally owned, he can talk about education, healthcare and social issues without appearing to be "soft" on anything. As he puts it, "Compassion isn't a weakness." Amen, brother.

So who is Rick Noriega? He's the guy Republicans have worried about for years. And he's the guy Democrats have been waiting for. He's a winner.

Help Rick Noriega Today
Today, grassroots activists across Texas are launching a petition to put Rick on the March 2008 Democratic Primary Ballot. The election code gives candidates the option of obtaining signatures or paying $5,000 to qualify a candidate for the ballot. Many candidates opt to just pay the fee because it's the "easy" way to go.

Not Rick. He's building a grassroots campaign, and here's our chance to show the strength of the Noriega grassroots. Texas requires a candidate to obtain 5,000 signatures. Rick wants 25,000 signatures. You can help him get there by signing a petition. Download one here or drop me a line and I'll sign you up.

Also, take time to tell someone about Rick. And, if you are able, send him a few dollars. A small investment in time and money today could mean a Democratic senator from Texas in 2008.

Rick Noriega in Fort Worth and Dallas

Rick Noriega, who I'm sincerely hoping will run for the U.S. Senate, will be in the area today.

This morning, he'll be in Fort Worth as Tarrant County State Representatives Lon Burnam, Paula Hightower Pierson and Marc Veasey host a fundraising lunch event to support his U.S. Senate Exploratory effort. The lunch will be held at Joe T Garcia's on 2201 North Commerce. It starts at 11:30 a.m.

"I am honored to have the support of my friends and colleagues from Tarrant County," Noriega said. "Representatives Burnam, Pierson and Veasey and I have stood side by side in the trenches fighting for common-sense solutions to help Texas families. They are outstanding public servants and advocates for their communities. I am grateful for their invitation to come to Fort Worth, and I look forward to discussing my campaign for change in the U.S. Senate."

He'll be in Dallas tonight for an event at the home of Lenna Webb and Bob Franklin at 17201 Hidden Glen Drive in the 75248. The event is scheduled from 6-8. If you would like to attend, contact Rick Cofer at (512) 771-6266 or rick@rickcofer.com. Campaign contributions will be accepted and appreciated. Please come out and meet the next Senator from the State of Texas.

If you are wondering "Who is this Rick Noriega?" watch the video above.

Republicans for Rick Noriega

Republicans for Rick Noriega? It's not that far-fatched reports the Half Empty blog.

Houston business leader Massey Villarreal announced that he is forming a “Republicans for Rick Noriega” committee to support Rick Noriega’s campaign for US Senate from Texas. This is a guy who was the national Hispanic vice-chairman of the Bush/Cheney for President Campaign and deputy vice-chairman of the Republican National Convention in 2000. He is supporting Mitt Romney for president, and voted for Kay Bailey Hutchison for Senate.

“I have told Senator [John] Cornyn I am disappointed because what his words are, and what his actions on the Senate floor are, are two different things,” Villarreal said.

“It’s disappointing he voted for those [immigration bill] amendments. Those amendments were mean-spirited in nature. I believe he is appealing to the base and I’m sorry, the base will have to come out strong to re-elect him because the Latino community won’t be there for him.”

Politics, Unusual

You know, I had just about written off the Lone Star State as a lost cause. Any state that would give Slick Rick Perry such a long term at the helm would not seem to be taking full advantage of everything that representative democracy has to offer. However, we have a few glimmers of hope lately:

Senate District 10: There's blood in the water, at least according to The Lone Star Project. The ethically-challenged Kim Brimer, who pioneered the sleazy practice of using special interest campaign contributions to make mortgage payments disguised as "rent" on a second home kept in the name of a spouse. Brimer used the scheme to funnel over $200,000 to his wife to pay for a second home in Austin. Enter Wendy Davis. Sure, she's well liked in downtown Fort Worth, but how will a Democrat play in the red collar suburbs of Colleyville, Grapevine, and Euless? Reports that she donated to George W. Bush in 1999 as well as Kay Granger may make her a little more acceptable. But will that make her less likeable to Democrats? Will Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairman Art Brender decide to run? Who knows? But PinkDome has isolated one huge factor in her favor: she's much hotter than Brimer.

Fort Worth City Council Race: Of course, the real reason that the Caravan is excited about Davis taking an early exit from the City Council is the open door for Bernie Scheffler to run again. The Startlegram finally got around to calling Bernie for a Saturday story. Bernie told the S-T: "It came a little earlier than I expected it to," he said. "I think I'm still going to be one of the smaller candidates, campaign-funding-wise. But there will be one familiar name on the ballot, which will give me an advantage, unlike the last time, when I was a political newcomer." Looks like one opponent will be Joel Burns, a member of the city Zoning Commission and chairman of the Fort Worth Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission, announced his candidacy via e-mail Friday. I'd like to encourage all my regular readers to take a minute to visit Bernie's campaign site at I Heart FW and read a little about the man and if you could, send a few dollar his way. He's not a big-money establishment candidate, his money comes from small donations from regular people sending in a few dollars at a time. Help if you can.

Rick Noriega: There was a great post on Job's Anger about another ethically-challenged Republican, John Cornyn, who not only voted against ethics reform, he opposed increasing the funds available for the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Great guy, Cornyn. Why help children when you can help the fat wallets in the insurance industry get fatter. Enter Lt. Col. Rick Noriega. This is the guy I want representing the great state of Texas for me in the U.S. Senate. And as long as I am trying to pry money out of your wallet, send Rick Noriega some, too. He's got an uphill battle against Cornyn in the money department. He needs your help. And we need him.

Kinky in '10? Well The Kinkster hasn't ruled out another tilt at the wildmill in 2010, as a Democrat no less. He's already got my vote. Just tell me where to show up. I can't quit you.

Is There A Blue Texas in the Future?

When I attended the Breakfast With Burnham event last month, Lon said something that I dismissed at the time at partisan-speak. Lon believes that the Democrats have a chance to capture the State House in the next election cycle. I've more or less resigned myself to living in a Red State for the foreseeable future, so I really just wrote off the comment. That is until I read this op-ed in the Wall Street Journal.

Royal Masset, a political consultant and longtime political director for the Republican Party of Texas--who played a key role in organizing the grassroots support that took the GOP from marginality to an overwhelming majority--has been predicting a reversal for years.

"There's a certain inevitability in demographics," he told the WSJ. "We knew that if we could win 40% of the Hispanic vote," as Mr. Bush did in 2004, "we'd control Texas until 2030." But in 2006, the number of Texas Hispanics who voted Republican fell to between 30% and 35% (depending on the poll).

This shift alone spells trouble for Republicans. Many conservatives may not want to hear it, but Mr. Masset puts the blame on talk radio and cable TV reaction to immigration reform. He says an uncompromising attitude toward comprehensive reform and appeals to fear sometimes carry a whiff of racism that alienates Hispanics.

And if the demographic shift continues to gain momentum, there's a real possibility that Democrats could achieve a majority in the Texas House by 2010. In 2003, Tom DeLay helped redraw the state's congressional districts to give Republicans six new seats in Congress. In just a few years, Democrats could turn the tables. Mr. Masset sums it up this way: "This thing with the Latino vote is deadly serious."

Wow. Could this be true, or is this some doom-and-gloom prediction designed to whip up the Republican base? I haven't been able to imagine a Democrat who could win in a run for a statewide office until I saw this guy -- State Rep. Rick Noriega (pictured above). He'll announce today the formation of an exploratory committee leading up to a U.S. Senate campaign.

Noriega, a five-term House member from Houston and a lieutenant colonel in the National Guard, is a 26-year veteran of the U.S. armed forces, who spent most of 2005 running training facilities in Afghanistan as part of the Texas National Guard. Noriega also ran a National Guard border-security operation in Laredo, and Houston Mayor Bill White had him manage the housing of Hurricane Katrina evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

"As Americans, it is our duty to stand up and speak when things have gone off the rails," Noriega, 49, said in an Independence Day posting on several Democratic-leaning Internet blogs. "It is in our very fabric, our soul; it is God's requirement of us as heirs to the legacy of this country, to exercise the right to speak out as our forefathers taught us."

This guy looks like a world-beater, or at least a Cornyn-beater. And it looks like he'll be in town Thursday to help Lon Burnham celebrate his birthday at the Botanic Gardens. I think I'll try to drop by and check that out. For more information on Rick Noriega, check out the Draft Rick Noriega blog.