Criminal complaint will be filed in DA's race (Travis)

[sonias]

AAS 4/04/08
Criminal complaint will be filed in DA's race
Campaign quoted anonymous blog by candidate's consultant.

A consultant to Travis County district attorney candidate Rosemary Lehmberg attacked her opponent, Mindy Montford, anonymously on a political Web site. The Lehmberg campaign then recirculated the attacks to voters without identifying the consultant.

Mixing his roles as a political consultant and an anonymous blogger has pushed Kelly Fero, a longtime political fixture in Democratic campaigns, into the limelight just days before Tuesday's runoff for the county's felony prosecutor.

Fero anonymously wrote on his Web site, AustinPoliticalReport.com, that Terry Keel, a former GOP lawmaker and now parliamentarian to House Speaker Tom Craddick, is actively supporting Montford. Keel denies it, saying he has stayed neutral.

Terry Keel is still a right wing wacko, no matter what Kelly Fero did or did not do. Let Fero and Keel duke it out, but the fact of the matter is - Lehmberg is not responsible for what Fero might have done.

I still voted for Lehmberg. And Keel is still a stupid Craddick flunky who I believe is more likely to be corrupt than anyone else mentioned in the story. :P

Sonia

[Melissa G]

1. Voting for Lehmberg!!

For the second time!! :thumbsup: Well said, sonias.

[Stop Cornyn]

2. Kelly Fero and his former protege Nate Wilcox have been playing dirty on the internet for some time.

[sonias]

3. Terry Keel Doth Protest Too Much?

Captiol Annex blog 4/04/08
Terry Keel Doth Protest Too Much?

(snip)
Regardless of what side of the fence you fall upon in the Travis County DA’s race, and regardless of whether you believe that Keel does or doesn’t support Montford, you have to agree that the quote from Hamlet, "The lady doth protest too much," just might apply.

It’s one thing to say, "these rumors are misguided." It’s quite another to threaten a lawsuit over something that you can hear anywhere two or three political insiders are gathered in Austin–and was being talked about long before Austin Political Report published it.

Keep in mind that this is Terry Keel we are talking about. The same Terry Keel who helped Tom Craddick keep control of the Texas House last year. This is the same man who advised Tom Craddick on how he could retain total authority in the House as (we guess) a private citizen or personal counsel and then went on to assume the role of House Parliamentarian and help the speaker carry out the Keel-devised plan.

It doesn’t matter what side you are on, it doesn’t matter who you support, and it doesn’t matter who does or doesn’t own or write the Austin Political Report. But, this is quite a lot of protestation when a simple statement would have sufficed.

Yea! What Vince said! Keel is not someone to be trusted and his reputation is just as questionable as anything he accuses Fero of. :evilgrin:

Sonia

[sonias]

4. The Runoff to Replace Ronnie Earle

The Texas Observer blog
The Runoff to Replace Ronnie Earle

The race has become heated in recent days. Montford, who has a significant money edge, has blanketed Austin airwaves with ads promising a tougher approach to prosecuting criminals than under Earle’s regime (in which Lehmberg has been a long-time second in command).

Lehmberg has responded by portraying Montford as beholden to the corporate lobby and some state legislators — the very people she would have to investigate in office.

In fact, Montford raised some eyebrows in January when she told the Observer she wanted a closer relationship with lawmakers.

"We’ve got to educate the Legislature and the lobby that, ‘Look you’ve got nothing to be afraid of if you’re following the law.’ We’re not on a witch hunt here," she said. "I think you have to be visible and have constant meetings with people who could be before you as a witness or a suspect, and let them know how the unit operates. Then they will trust what you do, and they won’t care what political party you are. It’s going to the Capitol and meeting. You’ve got to be able to be welcomed down there. It obviously wouldn’t be possible to meet with every elected official, but it wouldn’t be bad to have a forum where we explain to them how the process works and ask them what improvements they want to see."

Montford has received significant contributions from corporate interests and major Texas lobbyists (some with Republican ties), according to her campaign finance filings at the county clerk’s office

I'm just saying where there's smoke like this, there is fire.

Sonia