Ocotillo
08-22-2005, 07:21 PM
The Hill (http://thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/081705/out.html)
Cuellar's colleagues want him out
By Josephine Hearn
Several of Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-Texas) Democratic colleagues are not supporting the moderate freshman’s reelection bid, instead opting to back one of his challengers, former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D), a popular former lawmaker who lost to Cuellar last fall by 58 votes.
Democratic Reps. Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Luis Gutierrez (Ill.) and Ted Strickland (Ohio) contributed to Rodriguez’s campaign in the first half of this year, according to Federal Election Commission filings, and at least eight more members attended a fundraiser for Rodriguez held in Washington last month.
Rodriguez and another Hispanic candidate, Richard Raymond, are Cuellar’s two likely challengers in the April 11 primary.
Members rarely contribute against each other, preferring instead to follow the diplomatic policy of supporting incumbents. But in this case, political observers said, the detour from political norms was not unexpected.
Rodriguez was extremely well-liked during his four terms in the House, the last of which was spent as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). Cuellar has had a rocky relationship with some of his colleagues, many of whom have complained about his tendency to side publicly with the administration on such issues as the Real ID Act and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Some members have openly speculated that Cuellar might switch parties.
“If you’re Henry Cuellar, you know exactly what this says. It says, ‘I don’t like you,’” said Matt Angle, who served as chief of staff to former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) and is a supporter of Raymond. “Cuellar has not been able to overcome severe doubt that people have about him.”
Others cited lingering goodwill for Rodriguez and the circumstances of Cuellar’s win, in which a recount unearthed several hundred previously uncounted votes that turned the election.
“This whole conflict boils down to personalities because everyone loves Ciro. If it had been a clean loss, then tough luck. People would have said Ciro didn’t run a good campaign. But it wasn’t a clean win, and there is still the shadow of that,” a Democratic House aide said.
Cuellar, for his part, was unperturbed by his colleagues’ actions. “It’s not a problem. It doesn’t surprise me. [Rodriguez] spent eight years here. I’d be surprised if he didn’t make friends. There are a lot of personal relationships there,” Cuellar said.
Cuellar noted that he had the support of Reps. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and was expecting the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
DCCC spokesman Bill Burton said the party committee had not yet decided whether it would step into the primary battle.
“I think we’re far out from determining whether he’s going to need any help. We support incumbents as a general policy; whether we step in and do anything is determined on a case by case basis,” he said.
Rangel, asked about his support for Rodriguez, attributed his $1,000 contribution to his friendship with the former lawmaker.
“He’s an old and dear friend,” Rangel simply said.
A spokesman for Strickland also cited friendship as the reason for his $2000 donation.
“He donated because they served together on the Veterans Affairs Committee. He considers [Rodriguez] a personal friend and wanted to be supportive of him,” the spokesman said.
Gutierrez was unavailable for comment on his $2,000 donation.
Many of Rodriguez’s former colleagues were on hand for a breakfast fundraiser in Washington in July. CHC members such as Reps. Silvestre Reyes (Texas), Joe Baca (Calif), Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif) and Linda Sanchez (Calif.) made an appearance, as did Texas Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Lloyd Doggett. Several members intended to give to Rodriguez’s legal defense fund rather than his campaign fund.
Rodriguez said he raised $15,000 from the event and $7,000 from another in El Paso. Some of his former colleagues have expressed interest in organizing fundraisers for him, he said, citing the possibility that Gutierrez would arrange an event in Chicago or Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) would put together something in Arizona.
Even with help from members of Congress, Rodriguez faces daunting odds. When Republicans redrew Texas congressional districts in 2003, they eliminated a large part of his traditional power base in San Antonio, a move that allowed Cuellar to mount a surprise challenge and that tends to favor Raymond, who enjoys support from the same area as Cuellar.
Former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) endorsed Raymond in a memo to supporters in June, saying the Laredo-based state representative would be the best candidate to beat Cuellar.
“Richard can compete with Cuellar head-on in his natural political base, never having to concede any voting bloc or geographic area. … In a race with such significant long-term ramifications, we should set our emotions aside and support the candidate with the best chance to win,” Frost said. He went on to criticize Cuellar, comparing him to Texas Democrat-turned-Republican Phil Gramm and noting his “long record of betraying his party.”
Cuellar served as Texas secretary of state under a Republican, endorsed George Bush over Al Gore in 2000 and lobbied publicly and privately for CAFTA, which all but 15 House Democrats opposed.
Will Cuellar have the stones to switch parties and run against either Raymond or Rodriquez. He really is nothing more than a mole for the Republican party so he might as well because he won't win the '06 primary. Thing is, he would do better in the primary than as a Republican. Either way, Cuellar is toast.
Cuellar's colleagues want him out
By Josephine Hearn
Several of Rep. Henry Cuellar’s (D-Texas) Democratic colleagues are not supporting the moderate freshman’s reelection bid, instead opting to back one of his challengers, former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D), a popular former lawmaker who lost to Cuellar last fall by 58 votes.
Democratic Reps. Charlie Rangel (N.Y.), Luis Gutierrez (Ill.) and Ted Strickland (Ohio) contributed to Rodriguez’s campaign in the first half of this year, according to Federal Election Commission filings, and at least eight more members attended a fundraiser for Rodriguez held in Washington last month.
Rodriguez and another Hispanic candidate, Richard Raymond, are Cuellar’s two likely challengers in the April 11 primary.
Members rarely contribute against each other, preferring instead to follow the diplomatic policy of supporting incumbents. But in this case, political observers said, the detour from political norms was not unexpected.
Rodriguez was extremely well-liked during his four terms in the House, the last of which was spent as chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC). Cuellar has had a rocky relationship with some of his colleagues, many of whom have complained about his tendency to side publicly with the administration on such issues as the Real ID Act and the Central America Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA). Some members have openly speculated that Cuellar might switch parties.
“If you’re Henry Cuellar, you know exactly what this says. It says, ‘I don’t like you,’” said Matt Angle, who served as chief of staff to former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) and is a supporter of Raymond. “Cuellar has not been able to overcome severe doubt that people have about him.”
Others cited lingering goodwill for Rodriguez and the circumstances of Cuellar’s win, in which a recount unearthed several hundred previously uncounted votes that turned the election.
“This whole conflict boils down to personalities because everyone loves Ciro. If it had been a clean loss, then tough luck. People would have said Ciro didn’t run a good campaign. But it wasn’t a clean win, and there is still the shadow of that,” a Democratic House aide said.
Cuellar, for his part, was unperturbed by his colleagues’ actions. “It’s not a problem. It doesn’t surprise me. [Rodriguez] spent eight years here. I’d be surprised if he didn’t make friends. There are a lot of personal relationships there,” Cuellar said.
Cuellar noted that he had the support of Reps. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.) and was expecting the backing of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC).
DCCC spokesman Bill Burton said the party committee had not yet decided whether it would step into the primary battle.
“I think we’re far out from determining whether he’s going to need any help. We support incumbents as a general policy; whether we step in and do anything is determined on a case by case basis,” he said.
Rangel, asked about his support for Rodriguez, attributed his $1,000 contribution to his friendship with the former lawmaker.
“He’s an old and dear friend,” Rangel simply said.
A spokesman for Strickland also cited friendship as the reason for his $2000 donation.
“He donated because they served together on the Veterans Affairs Committee. He considers [Rodriguez] a personal friend and wanted to be supportive of him,” the spokesman said.
Gutierrez was unavailable for comment on his $2,000 donation.
Many of Rodriguez’s former colleagues were on hand for a breakfast fundraiser in Washington in July. CHC members such as Reps. Silvestre Reyes (Texas), Joe Baca (Calif), Lucille Roybal-Allard (Calif) and Linda Sanchez (Calif.) made an appearance, as did Texas Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Lloyd Doggett. Several members intended to give to Rodriguez’s legal defense fund rather than his campaign fund.
Rodriguez said he raised $15,000 from the event and $7,000 from another in El Paso. Some of his former colleagues have expressed interest in organizing fundraisers for him, he said, citing the possibility that Gutierrez would arrange an event in Chicago or Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Ed Pastor (D-Ariz.) would put together something in Arizona.
Even with help from members of Congress, Rodriguez faces daunting odds. When Republicans redrew Texas congressional districts in 2003, they eliminated a large part of his traditional power base in San Antonio, a move that allowed Cuellar to mount a surprise challenge and that tends to favor Raymond, who enjoys support from the same area as Cuellar.
Former Rep. Martin Frost (D-Texas) endorsed Raymond in a memo to supporters in June, saying the Laredo-based state representative would be the best candidate to beat Cuellar.
“Richard can compete with Cuellar head-on in his natural political base, never having to concede any voting bloc or geographic area. … In a race with such significant long-term ramifications, we should set our emotions aside and support the candidate with the best chance to win,” Frost said. He went on to criticize Cuellar, comparing him to Texas Democrat-turned-Republican Phil Gramm and noting his “long record of betraying his party.”
Cuellar served as Texas secretary of state under a Republican, endorsed George Bush over Al Gore in 2000 and lobbied publicly and privately for CAFTA, which all but 15 House Democrats opposed.
Will Cuellar have the stones to switch parties and run against either Raymond or Rodriquez. He really is nothing more than a mole for the Republican party so he might as well because he won't win the '06 primary. Thing is, he would do better in the primary than as a Republican. Either way, Cuellar is toast.