Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie on Mikal Watts

TDP CHAIR BOYD RICHIE ON MIKAL WATTS' WITHDRAWAL FROM SENATE RACE

"The Texas Democratic Party appreciates Mikal Watts' dedication to our state and the value of public service. In the time he campaigned for the U.S. Senate, Mikal made a significant contribution, raising a number of important issues on behalf of the vast majority of Texans who would be better served by a Senator who works for us rather than the special interests. I respect Mikal's commitment to his family and look forward to working with him in the future to make Texas a better place for all our families."

Rick Noriega Comments on Mikal Watts Withdrawal

Dear Eric,

I received a call from Mikal Watts this morning informing me that he has decided to withdraw from the Democratic Primary race for the United States Senate.

As Teddy Roosevelt once said, the credit goes to the man in the arena. And Mikal Watts will always have my utmost respect for standing in the arena and highlighting how John Cornyn has let Texas down, placing political extremists and his financial contributors ahead of the people of Texas.

Of course, this is not the first time Mikal has been in the arena -- he's been a true friend to Democrats in Texas and throughout the nation, and has always had the courage to stand up for his convictions.

Today, Mikal made a very difficult and personal decision to put his family first. That's a reflection of a strong character and a truly grounded leader.

Mikal and I made plans to sit down together in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime, I'll continue the campaign that we started together and fight for the vision for a better Texas that we continue to share.

Sincerely,

Rick Noriega
Democrat for U.S. Senate

Mikal Watts: A Better Democrat Than Joe Lieberman!

Mikal Watts knows what's important. He said in a statement, "For the last five months I have been exploring a race for the United States Senate because I believe that our junior senator, John Cornyn, has let Texas down and is more concerned with his cronies and friends in Washington than with what's best for Texas." And for this, he is truly a good Democrat.

Where Joe Lieberman not only lost the primary, but was so full of himself, he created the "Connecticut for Lieberman" banner to run under to continue his campaign, Mikal Watts sees the true light, that the current administration and our junior senator is wrong, and he is willing to put the people of Texas first. He knows a long primary will only cost dollars that could be used to defeat Cornyn, and is really supporting the entire Democratic ticket in this action. For that, I admire Mr. Watts for the courage and strength to graciously bow out of the race.

Mikal Watts Out of Senate Race in Texas

In a Statement:

"For the last five months I have been exploring a race for the United States Senate because I believe that our junior senator, John Cornyn, has let Texas down and is more concerned with his cronies and friends in Washington than with what's best for Texas.

"After spending the last several months putting everything into this campaign, I have seen the toll this effort has taken on my young children. For these reasons, my wife and I have made the decision that I will not be seeking the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate in 2008. I was brought up to believe that public service is a noble endeavor and I will continue to be involved at some level in the future. However, I realize that my time now should be devoted to serving my children so they may grow up in a healthy environment with both parents at home to meet their needs.

"The reasons for creating my exploratory committee still exist. As I have criss-crossed the state and met and talked with tens of thousands of good Texans, it is evident how much the people of Texas want and need a Senator who will fight every day for their interests and not the special interests. We need to elect a new Senator in Texas and I will personally do everything possible to support the Democratic nominee.

"It is hard to express the gratitude I feel for all the support my family and I have received as we have pursued this effort. I know that our vision for the future of Texas is one that all of our friends and supporters share. It's been one of the greatest blessings of my life for their faith in me, and for all of their hard work over the past months. While the decision not to seek the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate has been a difficult one, I know that it is the right one for my family at this time."

Mikal Watts Not Feeling The Love

Friday night at the Dallas Democratic Part Fish Fry, a man stood up during Watt's speech and announced "he's Anti-Choice" etc and started booing him. I would love to shake that man's hand!!! Mikal was so hurt by this that he canceled a $10,000 speakers table at the Johnson, Rayburn Richards Harris County Democratic Party dinner. I guess Mikal cannot stand the heat. Texas and Texas Women would be better off if Daddy Warbucks dropped out of the race completely.

The Women of Texas are a tough breed and deserve respect from political candidates and officials. Here is a sign I saw yesterday in Austin.

When you run for office and say a Texas Woman is smart enough to raise a child but too stupid to make a medical decision you take your chances. While I was not raised in Texas, I respect strong, independent, and smart women. My Mom raised two boys on her own and would not let a man decide her fate. I have met many strong women in Texas through the years and I doubt the women of Texas like the fact that Mikal Watts thinks he knows what is better for them either. A woman's right to chose is not something any politician should be involved in unless it is guaranteeing that right is never taken away. I have a feeling Mikal will be booed a few more times before he either loses the primary of has enough sense to step out of the race.


Don't Mess With Texas


MY BODY! MY CHOICE!

Rick Noriega felt nothing but love this weekend at both events where he was welcomed enthusiastically by people attending both events. Rick got a standing ovation when he went up to the microphone to introduce Mayor White of Houston at Saturday night's event. This did not happen for any of the other people who introduced speakers. Mayor White called Rick the next Senator from Texas.

Rick in his 5 terms in the Texas Legislature has been a champion of Women's Rights. He respects the independent nature of our strong women and is the man we need in Washington. Rick has proven over and over he is the candidate of the people and actually cares about Texans and not just a title. Join Team Noriega and make a donation.




Team Noriega


Noriega Express Yard Sign

Noriega Beats Watts in Contributions

This from the El Paso Times

Although the actual campaign accounts vary by several million dollars (Watts self-contributed $7.5M so far to his campaign), it seems that Noriega has garnered more support in individual contributions than Watts.

Noriega: $508,000
Watts: $443,000

Noriega and Watts Interview

Check it out from our friends over at the BOR:

http://www.burntorangereport.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4201

Mikal Watts... Republican in Democrat's Clothing?

Round 1: Pick the "Democrat":

A) “I personally have the view: I hold the pro-life position with three exceptions: one for rape, one for incest, one for the life of the mother.”

B) "the circumstances when abortion should be allowed are limited to protect the life of the mother, rape or incest."

C) “...come to the conclusion that the exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother are legitimate exceptions”

D) "...is pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest, and to save the life of the mother."

E) "...would not change current law on abortion funding, which prohibits federal funding except in cases of incest, rape, or life endangerment."

F) "banning federal funding of abortions except in cases of rape, incest or when a pregnant woman's life is in jeopardy"

G) "...justifies abortion in cases of rape, incest and to save the life of the mother"

Ok, are you ready? Listen to this sound clip. Guess who this is:

powered by ODEO

You may be surprised to hear that both the sound clip (from Capitol Annex), and selection "A" from above are both from Mikal Watts. Check out a post from last month that we've covered this: Party Like A Rockstar.

Oh, and in case you're curious here are the rest:
B) George Bush
C) John McCain
D) Mitt Romney
E) Rudolph Giuliani
F) Fred Thompson
G) John Cornyn

Round 2: Try Again... Pick the "Democrat"

A) "[about his anti-choice stance] that is a view i hold because my view of when life begins"

B) "I firmly believe that life begins at conception and that the preborn child deserves all the rights and protections afforded an American citizen."

C) "...we believe life begins at conception, and that we ought to do everything in the world possible to protect it until its natural conclusion.

D) ”I do believe that life begins at conception,”

E) "life begins....at conception.”

F) "I believe human life begins at conception."

G) "That's correct. It--I think it's a fundamental belief that life begins when it's--at conception"

Once again, Mikal Watts, "A" stands staunchly on the Red side of the spectrum when it comes to conception. Not only does Mikal Watts stand against a woman's right to her own health and welfare, he justifies it with the republican party standard line.

Here's the answer key to the rest:
B) Duncan Hunter
C) Mike Huckabee
D) John McCain
E) George W. Bush
F) Bill Frist
G) Rick Santorum

From Vince Liebowitz:

The "life begins at conception" soundbite is very popular among Republicans and is specifically designed to send a message to everyone who hears it, notes the TAPPED blog at American Prospect:

"Life begins at conception" is code for the extremist anti-choice position that wants hormonal birth control pills, the morning after pill, and intrauterine devices to be outlawed as abortion-inducing agents, or "abortifacients." All these methods prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg in a woman's uterus. They prevent pregnancy, but not conception.

The Democratic Primary for U.S. Senate in Texas will very likely boil down to the issue of a woman's right to choose. Clearly, it's a significant difference between the two candidates. Rick Noriega, as a matter of fact, has a 100 percent pro-choice rating for several sessions. (See endnote at bottom of this post). Mikal Watts, on the other hand, is the exact opposite.

Would Watts' beliefs mean that he would be prone to vote against abortion bills? Most likely. Do Watts' beliefs mean he would be likely to vote against confirmation of pro-choice judicial nominees in favor of more conservative, anti-choice judges? Probably.

Texas may not be the most progressive state in America, and most Texans believe abortion is against their moral beliefs. However, a great many Texans also believe it should be a safe, legal alternative for women according to a 2007 Texas Lyceum Poll .

A 2004 Scripps-Howard/Texas Poll showed an even larger number than the Lyceum poll, believe the choice should be left entirely up to the woman :

A 2004 Scripps Howard Texas Poll found that 81% of Texans agree with the statement, "Abortion is a complex issue that is better left in the hands of a woman, her doctor, her family, and her God, rather than in the hands of politicians."

Clearly, if Texas women (and Texas men, for that matter), want to see Roe v. Wade and a woman's right to choose protected, Mikal Watts isn't the right choice. Why replace one anti-choice senator with another?

And how does Rick rank on the issue? He has been rated by NARAL - Pro-Choice Texas with straight 100% ratings.

Mikal Watts Buys Google

No, not really. But imagine my surprise when I was checking out my blog today and I saw an ad for Mikal Watts. Ironic, ya think?

He probably can't actually buy Google, but he's definitely supported it well, being plastered up on every single major blog and website I go to. It seems that he's tacking himself up next to every time Rick Noriega is mentioned anywhere. It's almost creepy.

Here are just a few examples I've rounded up today:
LeftyBlogs (Red background)
Google Search for "Rick Noriega" (White background)
Daily Kos (Orange Writing)
Burnt Orange Report (Orange Background)
MY OWN BLOG! (Bluish background)

For the purposes of humor, I'll leave up the Mikal Watts ads. It costs him money every time you see one!

Mikal Watts: So Rich, He Redefines Rich!

This from a Wall Street Journal piece about Watts and Bayer:

Midway through the trial, Mr. Watts e-mailed Bayer lawyers suggesting they fly to his Texas ranch over a weekend. He provided the coordinates of his airstrip. Bayer's Mr. Lykos says he was dumbfounded, telling Mr. Beck: "I've just changed my definition of rich. It's not just having your own airplane but having your own airport."

For the record, Mikal has two airplanes.

Lawyers Weigh In in Watts' Judge-Buying

Originally posted over at overlawyered, lawyers and the law community are now weighing in about Mikal Watts' judge-buying scandal.

Invoking these comments:

If I ever received a letter like that, invoking either friendship or donations, it would go straight to the disciplinary committee. (Eric @ New York Personal Injury Law Blog)

My first stop would be every newspaper office I could think of. Then the disciplinary committee. (John Burgess)

But with a letter making such threats, to actually leave written eveidence of such things: could you give Mr. Watts a poke from something beyond the (in Texas, completely useless, see previous post) disciplinary comittee? Is there no "judge tampering" equivalent of the jury tampering charge? (Griffin3)

This strikes me as a fairly clear violation of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct. See Rule 8.04(a)(5) (prohibiting lawyers from "stat[ing] or imply[ing] an ability to influence improperly a government agency or official"). Watts's comments concerning his firm's contributions to the justices logically could serve no other purpose than to imply improper influence. (The Curmudgeonly Ex-Clerk)

It's also since been picked up by other law blogs:
Another reason not to popularly elect judges--ever, anywhere. - What About Clients
If you're not reading Overlawyered... - Point of Law

Is This Mikal Watts Photo Racially Insensitive?

Fifty years ago yesterday, the Little Rock Nine bravely marched into a previously all-white schoolhouse, demanding equality for themselves, and blacks across America. They stood proudly, and showed us that those kids had the power and determination to stand up for what's right, but after five decades, what are the results?

Last week, tens of thousands of supporters rallied around the Jena-6, a group of six black teens that were involved in a fight after another sat under the "white tree" at their high school campus. Nooses were hung from that tree, which led to tensions at the school, erupting in a fight where one white student was injured. The black teens were charged with attempted second-degree murder.

This week, a black-faced lawn ornament that was tied by a noose to a mailbox with a chain around its ankle made news in Toledo, Ohio for being racist. The homeowner claims it had been there for years without causing a disturbance, but Lefty Blogs has a Glass City Jungle post ranked at #1 for the week.

Tomorrow, The "All American Presidential Forum" will air on PBS focusing on minority issues and hosted by black talk show host Tavis Smiley. None of the top republican presidential candidates planned to attend. It seems like republicans want to have black votes, but aren't actually exerting any effort to get them. (TxSharon: We don't have time for your black ass but we'd appreciate your vote)

Locally, although not nearly as serious as The Little Rock Nine, The Jena-6, the black-face lawn ornament or even the republicans opting out of discussions about black issues is Mikal Watts' unveiling of his new website which features a link to his flickr account with the photo below:When there was a brief discussion about the photo last week among the Texas blogosphere, one of the bloggers printed out a screenshot and took it into a meeting he was conducting. By chance, it was made up of 21 black people--all factory workers.

He says:

The response was, "ok," when I just held it up and passed it around (a copy without the caption) and said, "I'm doing a little personal test. Tell me what you think of this picture." Then I told them who it was, as nobody knew.

Then the response was, "oh" and "oh, really?" and one, "interesting." Then I passed around one that showed them the caption, and the response ranged from "what an idiot to call us 'last'," to "yeah, blacks are ALWAYS last to politicians, tell me who that is again because I'm not voting for him."

Black voters often look for it [racism] when it's not [overtly] there. I was astounded by the results of my little "focus group," which ranged in age from about 29 to about 68.

Maybe that's East Texas black people, maybe it's not. Maybe it's factory workers, maybe it's union people...Maybe to the rest of us, we say "huh," but I believe that black voters--the not overly-political, average voters, who might know how/why politics is done, see something different than we do.

I feel like Watts really shows us how carelessly he expresses how he considers us minorities: "Meeting every last voter" - as if we stand out on the periphery of society where we lack wealth and education. Perhaps we're the last voters, because we're less likely to show up, and Mikal is making an "extra effort" to find us where we may lurk and extend us that handshake to pull us back into civilized voting society?

It's like you're showing off that you delved into our picnics and really got to know us. It almost reminds me of Steven Colbert's black friend, or when George Costanza realized he didn't have any black friends, and solicited his exterminator to dinner with him, just to show that he had at least one, except Mikal, this is far less funny.

If it's a serious effort to come out to understand us, it's appreciated. Attend a forum, really listen to what we have to say. Better yet, don't even realize that we're different, because we're really not. We have mothers and fathers that are looking to retire, sons and daughters planning for college. We pay taxes. We're actually a lot like you.

You and your staff might not have intended it to be taken this way, but such a fleeting carelessness, to those of us who may be less fortunate and "different from you", truly shows how you feel about us in your possible future constituency. If that's the case, count me out. I'm voting for Rick - he's one of us.

Just so you know, like my photo of Joe Lieberman doesn't mean he hates handicapped people, I'm sure you're not really a racist. Just be more careful, please?
View the original flickr photo | Learn about Lieberman's parking job

NoriegaBlog Poll: 66% Won't Consider Anti-Choice Candidate

In our not-so-scientific poll of 36 readers of NoriegaBlog, fully 66% (24) of them would not even consider endorsing a candidate that was pro-life. Of the remaining 12 voters, six said it depends on who the candidate was, and the other six didn't care either way. Knowing that Cornyn and Watts staff regularly check this blog, that's not so surprising, but I digress...

Of course the results of this poll could be an unwelcome wake up call to Mikal Watts who recently told Democracy for Texas in a questionnaire, "my position is that I’m opposed to abortion except in cases of rape and incest, and when the life of the mother is at risk," which is almost the exact phrasing of Bush, McCain, Romney, Giuliani, Cornyn and Abbott, among others.

Noriega Expected To Win DFT Poll

Formal results won't be released until Monday (here), but with the trends that have been released, NoriegaBlog is confident in calling this poll for Rick Noriega, who has had a significant lead over Mikal Watts since the polling began. Here are the official tallies (percents only, to avoid ballot stuffing).

Wednesday Noon Update:
Rick Noriega- 78%
Mikal Watts- 22%

Thursday Noon Update:
Rick Noriega- 82%
Mikal Watts- 18%

Friday Noon Update:
Rick Noriega- 74%
Mikal Watts- 26%

Saturday Noon Update:
Rick Noriega- 77%
Mikal Watts- 23%

We'll wait for the official word Monday! Thanks Democracy for Texas!

Watts Supporters Caught Stuffing Ballot Box

That's right. Over 100 Mikal Watts' votes from two IP addresses, one of them verified to be from the San Antonio area, has been stuffing the Democracy For America Senate Endorsement Poll. None of them had physical addresses (respondents are required to live in Texas), or comments to verify they were actual people.

From Karl-Thomas Musselman, DFT Webguru on BOR:

I don't know who you are but you are doing a disservice to your candidate and the integrity of the poll. All of your votes will be thrown out. As the operator of the poll (in my role as DFT's webmaster), I've implemented additional measures on our recently upgraded account to preemptively block this behavior on behalf of either candidate.

The Democracy for Texas steering committee is taking this poll seriously and we have been impressed by the response to date- both in number and in the passion of the canddiates' supporters. We look forward to hearing from more of our members and other legitimate Texas voters.

More from Burnt Orange Report

Noriega or Watts Would Have a Tough Time Against Cornyn

This according to a new Rasmussen poll released by Fox-7 in Austin. The poll used automated calling among 500 likely voters, and found that Noriega would do just slightly better than Watts at this point in the race, but Cornyn is currently favored.

Cornyn 53% Rick Noriega 30%
Cornyn 52% Mikal Watts 28%

So what does this mean? We've still got quite a battle ahead of us! At this stage in the Ned Lamont race, he wasn't a candidate, and came out to beat Lieberman in the primary, so it's not an hopeless battle!

In the mean time, check out Rick's Website for what you can do to help, information to print out and distribute, or how to get signatures to support our candidate!

We Want YOU... To Vote!

In case you thought I was joking the first time around, we SERIOUSLY want you to vote in the Democracy for Texas Poll. DFT wants an accurate gauge of Democrats in Texas. Who would you want as your next Democratic nominee for the US Senate from Texas? You have until Saturday, but why wait?

VOTE NOW!

Will Cornyn Support Troop Time-Off?

Senator Webb describes why it's important to give troops enough time at home in an email from Daily Kos:

"We will be offering an amendment that requires our troops have a 1:1 deployment-to-dwell ratio for active units and members. This is a minimum floor. The Department of Defense's historic policy and current goal is a ratio of 1:2. Currently, Army units are deployed for 15 months with 12 months at home..."

"This Dwell Time Amendment provides a safety net under our troops. However long a servicemember has been deployed, they deserve at least that much time at home. It is a very simple, common sense amendment."

"In July, my amendment received 56 votes. We need just 4 more votes this time to pass this amendment, and I am asking for your help."

Given that John "Corn/Lap-Dog" Cornyn recently staunchly defended Petraeus on CNN, Cornyn not-surprisingly voted in July against giving our troops more time off at home. Both democratic challengers, Rick Noriega and Mikal Watts, support troop withdrawal, with Noriega specifically stating his support of the Webb-Hegel Amendment in a recently released DFT Questionnaire.

But until we can get Rick Noriega in office, we're stuck with Corn-Dog antics. Perhaps we can at least get him to see the light. You can fill out an automated form by following this link, or contact Cornyn's office directly at any of the numbers provided on his website.

Mikal Watts and Karl Rove... Twins Separated at Birth?

So I thought about this little comparison when Mikal Watts spouted off at a UT University Democrat after a question. Here's the exchange:

Q: I read in the Houston Chronicle that in a trial you were in, one time you paid off judges to alter the effects of that. Can you -- do you have anything to say about that?

A: Yeah, well, I guess the Karl Rove truck begins. Let me just tell you something. The people that we are going up against will swift boat you all day long, and they will continue to swift boat you, and I can assure you of a couple things. The people that we’re going up against -- you better be ready to win. If you’re going to a knife fight, don’t let the other guy have the big knife. I can assure you that for the last 20 years, I have fought the fights against the large corporations. I have fought the fights for the people who that weren’t flamethrowers -- on behalf of the people of Texas that frankly are lucky that they have a match. And we have got to be ready. Because I don’t care about what they’re gonna make up this time, what they’re gonna make up next time, it’s coming, and we’ve got to be ready to fight back.

Notice that Watts never actually answers the question about paying off judges. But better yet, what do you think Mike meant in his knife analogy? Basically that he has more money? Thanks for letting me know. I wasn't sure after I read you made $40M last year, compared to Rick's $175K over 18 months?

Even an international student at UT had the same takeaway: "You know that thing about having a big knife when you go into a fight? I think what he was saying that he has a lot of money and he can afford to buy judges." (TXsharon @ TKaos)

I guess that is your best talking point, that you have the actual bankrolls that could beat Cornyn - so I offer this: combine your strengths. Rick has the qualifications, experience, and leadership that a Senator needs. Let's combine that with your fundraising prowess, and get Rick elected, no?

Anyways, I thought it was at least somewhat humorous that the "person in politics" I thought looked like Karl Rove was Mikal Watts himself! (see top photos). They could have been brothers! The bottom two photos compare Mike to David Koechner. You might recognize him in the cowboy hat... below (Thanks to Max Cardenas for noticing that):

NEWS ALERT: Watts Has Taken On Large Corporations... And Won!

So 'watt' is there to know about Watts? Apparently he's a trial layer, and has taken on some of the biggest corporations in the world... oh, and he graduated with his undergrad and law degree in four years. We all knew this from his website video, but I wanted to look more into his beliefs, his experience, and just to get more of an understanding of the man. Here's what he shared with Democracy for Texas. (Here's Rick's)

1) Who are you? Why should we like you?
Watts: I have taken on some of the biggest corporations in the world–and I have won.
Noriega: I’m just a father and husband who believes that public service is what you do to make life better for my family and my country.

4) List five things you’ve done that define you as a community leader and/or an agent of change.
Watts: 1. Took on some of the biggest corporations in the world...
Noriega: Improving public education by passing the teacher pay raise over the objection of the House leadership.

7) Tell us something important about yourself that we won’t find on your website.
Watts: Graduating from the University of Texas and the University of Texas Law School in 2 years each reaffirmed what my mother taught me. The values of hard work, commitment and passion can overcome any obstacle. These values are what led me to take on some of the biggest corporations in the world.
Noriega: I’m a good cook. I worked on economic development issues for CenterPoint energy by creating jobs and opening up opportunities for Texas businesses. I earned a grey belt at the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program.

And there you have it. Rick is a father and a husband, worked for education in Texas, and a good cook. He's worked for economic development and creating jobs, and even has a grey belt in martial arts. Mikal Watts? Well he took on some of the biggest corporations in the world....and won, I won't be writing home about it.

PS: Believe it or not, Watts likes to talk about himself...
Word Count from their Democracy for Texas Statements:

Watts:
"I" or "me"-47 times
"us" or "we"-12 times
"Texas"-7 times
"change"-0 times

Noriega:
"I" or "me"-37 times
"us" or "we"-21 times
"Texas"-12 times
"change"-2 times