Former AG Jim Mattox has died

[Fleshdancer]

:(

The link is below, but there aren't any details yet other than he died in his sleep. My deepest condolences to his family and friends.

http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/politics/entries/2008/11/20/jim_mattox_former_ag_dies.html

[jobycom]

1. Ah, Hell. RIP and condolences. One of the last of the old guard.

From the days when Texas was Democratic.

[Melissa G]

2. RIP General Jim.

Condolences to his friends and family.

[sonias]

3. Rest in peace, Jim

Deepest sympathy for his family.

Sonia

[sonias]

4. Mattox to lie in state in Texas House - Monday 11/24

AAS 11/21/08
Mattox to lie in state in Texas House

By W. Gardner Selby | Friday, November 21, 2008, 01:15 PM

UPDATED — Jim Mattox, the former Texas attorney general who died overnight Wednesday, will lie in state in the Texas House chamber from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday, his former spokesman, Kelly Fero, said today.

His funeral service is set for 11 a.m. Tuesday at First Baptist Church at 901 Trinity St. in Austin, to be followed by his burial at the Texas State Cemetery.

Sonia

[Paladin]

5. Sorry To Hear It. He Was A Good Man. (n/t)

[PDittie]

6. Photo slideshow at the Statesman

http://www.statesman.com/ap/mediahub/media/slideshow/index.jsp?tId=134202

[PDittie]

7. Mattox loved yellow dogs

His lab Jack attended yesterday's service:



More from Elise Hu ...

During the service, his friend told a story about how he checked out a lot available at the cemetery a few months ago. He joked, "Let me try it out first" -- before lying down on the grass. He decided it felt right, and that spot is where he will be buried.

And here's a recollection of Mattox's time in the political limelight from Dave McNeely:

Mattox was re-elected (attorney general) in 1986, and almost immediately began running for governor. In 1990, he, (Ann) Richards, and former Gov. Mark White ran in the Democratic primary.

Mattox became the odd forefather of a state lottery, by endorsing it as a way to prevent an income tax -- on advice of campaign consultant James Carville, who had used the tactic for candidates in Georgia and Kentucky. Mattox backed Richards and White into endorsing it too.

White got enough votes to force Mattox and Richards into a runoff. But Mattox’s charges that Richards had used cocaine seemed to backfire. She won the runoff, and went on to nose out Republican Clayton Williams Jr.

After Sen. Bentsen was named secretary of the treasury in 1993, and Gov. Richards was going to appoint Bob Krueger as interim senator, Mattox said he wanted to run in the coming special election. But Richards wanted Krueger to be the only Democrat running in the race.

Mattox was finally persuaded by State Democratic Chairman Bob Slagle and others to stay out. Krueger then lost the special election to then-Treasurer Kay Bailey Hutchison, a Republican.

[sonias]

8. You have to give him credit for having heart

We butted up against him in SD25 this past election cycle at the State Convention. He was a fervent Hillary Clinton supporter, but unfortunately for him the majority of us in SD25 were Obama grassroots and he wasn't going to win. We had organized our SD quite a bit before the convention and we were more than prepared. I think the sad thing for me is remembering that Jim Mattox was one of the faces of the Democratic party when we were in power the last time. That old guard is now passing on. We've lost Ann Richards and Jim Mattox now.

I think Jim Hightower is the last person I can think of from our days at the top who is still actively working the political arena albeit from the media side. Plus Jim has always been a grassroots kind of thinking and he's the one praising the new political Democratic model.

May Jim rest in peace and sit back and watch over our Texas shift back into power.

Sonia