By Lynn Woolley WBDaily.com
Texas Insider Report: AUSTIN Texas If our elected officials are gaming the system
why bother to vote? That question was the elephant in the room last night at Tenroc Ranch as
incumbent David Dewhurst debated State Senator Dan Patrick for the office of Texas Lieutenant Governor. In fact if Wallace Hall were not still alive his ghost would have been
walking the corridors.
caption id=attachment_3881 align=alignright width=150
David Dewhurst at Salado debate (Photo: Houston Chronicle)/caption
How many people in attendance last night even political junkies know what is going on with Hall and the University of Texas Law School? Ill wager not many. The discomfort on David Dewhursts face when I asked the question was palpable. He didnt want to go there. And he pretty much didnt go there.
This question seemingly out of the blue to many people is the key to good government in Texas and beyond. Members of the State Legislature are almost certainly taking advantage of their power to get family members admitted to the UT Law School who are not qualified. You have not read in this in the major newspapers.
You have read it at
Watchdog Dot Com and on WBDaily.com but otherwise powerful interests seem to be able to keep it out of the news. All we read about is how awful Wallace Hall is and how he might be impeached. You know for exposing corruption.
caption id=attachment_3882 align=alignright width=150
Dan Patrick at Salado debate (Photo: Houston Chronicle)/caption
So as moderator of last nights debate I wanted to pull this out into the open. Lt. Gov. Dewhurst in claiming that he wants to remain neutral" in case this winds up in the Senate did succeed in stopping some follow-ups. I had MUCH more.
But if Dewhurst wouldnt answer there was no point. Score one for Dewhurst but at least I got the question out in front of a number of big city newspapers and TV stations.
To his credit Patrick did not avoid the issue saying Im glad Wallace Hall wont resign. He discovered we have students who were admitted to UT Law with lower LSAT scores that those who were tuned away."
Yes he did and many of them are related to powerful members of the Legislature.
The debate was heavily covered and the Houston Chronicle noted that it was the least contentious of all the debates. Maybe Im wrong but thats what I was going for as moderator. In past debates liberal moderators hoped to get Dewhurst and Patrick to fight which isnt hard to do. I wanted to get them talking. Thats why I held my questions to under ten seconds for the most part and let them have the time.
(Time by the way was of the essence. We started late and Patrick had to leave at 8 p.m. straight up so we had just 45 minutes. Thats not nearly enough to for a full debate but what we had was substantive.)
One question on an index card said this:
Why should I even care to vote? Why bother?"
Another said Political ads have degenerated to the point here I expect to see an ad by candidate A that candidate B pulled Sallys pigtails…"
I could not agree with these sentiments more. Even Mark Davis of KSKY has written about this in his DMN column today saying hes sick and tired of Republicans beating upon each other. But although there was light sniping we had none of this last night.
One of the Chronicle reporters grilled me before the event and I found out why during Dewhursts impromptu news conference that took place outside the meeting hall after the debate. She wanted to know if I was a Tea Party member.
I said no" but I go to some of the meetings. She was intrigued that I had guest-hosted for Patrick on KSEV. Heres where she was going with that: How come a Tea Partier who has had a business relationship with Dan Patrick was tapped to moderate? Unfair! Unfair!
She asked Dewhurst and he shrugged it off. What else could he do? However I assure you that I have not taken sides in this race and my vote will be by secret ballot. The questions were hard but fair and both men got equal time.
I am a staunch conservative but I have disagreements with members of the Tea Party from time to time. But she didnt ask me that. I cant say for sure but Ill bet that was one of the better debates because it had substance. I learned several new things last night and will vote accordingly.
The Wallace Hall question also dovetails into an article on Jeb Hensarling (right) in todays Dallas Morning News. The Dallas Congressman has delivered a blistering speech on cronyism saying
It has long been the norm for certain business interests to use their money influence and connections to seek from government special treatment not available to others."
Yes. Like admission to the UT Law School. This is a defining issue of our times. This is what MADE the Tea Party in the first place. Politicians no longer work for us. They often use their offices to get rich or to rake in huge contributions in return for doing favors for big business. Hensarling is right.
Meanwhile in Kentucky Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell easily dispatched a Tea Party challenger. What are we to make of this? We look for better candidates to represent the Tea Party
and we support McConnell for reelection. McConnells record is mostly conservative.
That is not the question. The question is his long time in office and how connected he is with interests that may not represent the conservative movement. But he is not an Obama Democrat.
Last night was a fascinating evening from Tenroc Ranch in Salado Texas to the State of Kentucky. We saw Tea Party versus Establishment and we conservatives must realize that we all have to work together to defeat the liberal menace.
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David Dewhurst at Salado debate (Photo: Houston Chronicle)/caption
How many people in attendance last night even political junkies know what is going on with Hall and the University of Texas Law School? Ill wager not many. The discomfort on David Dewhursts face when I asked the question was palpable. He didnt want to go there. And he pretty much didnt go there.
This question seemingly out of the blue to many people is the key to good government in Texas and beyond. Members of the State Legislature are almost certainly taking advantage of their power to get family members admitted to the UT Law School who are not qualified. You have not read in this in the major newspapers.
You have read it at Watchdog Dot Com and on WBDaily.com but otherwise powerful interests seem to be able to keep it out of the news. All we read about is how awful Wallace Hall is and how he might be impeached. You know for exposing corruption.
caption id=attachment_3882 align=alignright width=150
Dan Patrick at Salado debate (Photo: Houston Chronicle)/caption
So as moderator of last nights debate I wanted to pull this out into the open. Lt. Gov. Dewhurst in claiming that he wants to remain neutral" in case this winds up in the Senate did succeed in stopping some follow-ups. I had MUCH more.
But if Dewhurst wouldnt answer there was no point. Score one for Dewhurst but at least I got the question out in front of a number of big city newspapers and TV stations.
To his credit Patrick did not avoid the issue saying Im glad Wallace Hall wont resign. He discovered we have students who were admitted to UT Law with lower LSAT scores that those who were tuned away."
Yes he did and many of them are related to powerful members of the Legislature.
The debate was heavily covered and the Houston Chronicle noted that it was the least contentious of all the debates. Maybe Im wrong but thats what I was going for as moderator. In past debates liberal moderators hoped to get Dewhurst and Patrick to fight which isnt hard to do. I wanted to get them talking. Thats why I held my questions to under ten seconds for the most part and let them have the time.
(Time by the way was of the essence. We started late and Patrick had to leave at 8 p.m. straight up so we had just 45 minutes. Thats not nearly enough to for a full debate but what we had was substantive.)
One question on an index card said this:
