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Post by Tim Collins on Nov 16, 2009 6:49:26 GMT -7
OK - This may make me run as a Democrat Jaime O. Perez seeks GOP bid for Congress David Burge / El Paso Times Staff Posted: 11/16/2009 12:00:00 AM MST EL PASO -- Jaime O. Perez, chief of staff to County Judge Anthony Cobos, announced that he will run for Congress as a Republican. Perez, 53, will challenge Tim Besco, 42, in the Republican primary for the right to challenge U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas. Perez, a longtime community activist, said he is running to halt deficit spending, secure the nation's borders, release nonviolent offenders from the nation's prisons, freeze nuclear weapon development around the world and eliminate earmark spending. www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_13796680
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Post by webrunner on Nov 16, 2009 7:25:56 GMT -7
OK - This may make me run as a Democrat This may make me vote as one. He's going to run, as a Republican, on a platform of releasing "nonviolent offenders" from jail? Does that mean burglars? Repeat drunk drivers? Taggers? Thieves? Would he let Bernie Madoff out? This election cycle is shaping up to be almost as interesting as the last presidential election.
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Post by matthew on Nov 16, 2009 9:43:02 GMT -7
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Nov 16, 2009 10:18:29 GMT -7
and my reaction to all of this is: Well, this is kinda goofy but what the heck....do you want to resume b*#%ng about Reyes or should I just kick in w/some jokes about whatever proposals may be floating around to erase our collective memory? Sorry kids, Besco still gives me heartburn (which is something Reyes has done enough of) as do the notions, taken separately or together, of either Snil or Web running amok among Dems....as if the party wasn't already colorful enough doggone it! Web, perhaps Perez is feeling nostalgic? No matter...you did tell me that this was gonna be an interesting political season
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Post by matthew on Nov 16, 2009 10:33:17 GMT -7
I think Perez can safely be ignored; I would like to see someone challenge Reyes in the primary.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Nov 16, 2009 10:52:15 GMT -7
I would like to see someone good challenge Reyes in the primary
If by some strange chance, Shapleigh runs against Reyes ( this is a noddy wink to some people who are *quietly* assessing and seeking support) I will actively seek a third party who is willing to forego the usual party politics to do something rather radical:
represent the people honorably.
If that third party fails to materialize, then I will not contribute my vote, my time or my energy toward supporting more of the same
I will not be gentrified, and last time I checked, I owe no special favors to any particular lobbying interests
I. Am. Done.
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Nov 17, 2009 6:12:43 GMT -7
I have been thinking on this some, because Matthew points to something that plagues us, namely short-term memory "issues" when it comes to public servants. There are any number of ways to access a person's record, and their record of public service, and someone with a long political history isn't that hard to source not even around here. Deleting recent blog entries, or even old online "news outlets" doesn't help much, and it's hard to consider this a serious bid for anything other than attention IMHO that being said, all chuckles and clucks aside (yes, I'm guilty) I do not think that muddying the pool is going to help, not that I think Perez is in this to "help"... it is easy to let frustration mount; I don't think we have any serious candidates who can pose a decent threat to Congresscritter Reyes. And we need one who is well-funded and at least relatively honest in public and private (boy, am I naive or what ) among all the names that have been tossed to and fro, you all who want "change" should get busy. As it stands now, Reyes' connections trump, and (outside of Besco), they are a little too "seasoned" for my taste...and I love the spice. With regard to Shaps, I've said my piece, and if he swings over to the gubanatorial race as everyone says he will, I think he'll get his butt kicked there too. The outlyer Repubs (and Web, I say "outlyer" because their names were tossed in early on...) Haggerty and Margo have no shot, although it would be kinda entertaining to get a more definitive (public) idea of just how much lobby support is out there for Haggerty. Given my rather outspoken leanings toward all things heathen and liberal, alas, nobody from the opposition will speak to me, so I have no idea what good options await us from that end At this point, in this race, people like Perez aren't even a blip, Matthew is right. But what I can't fathom is why we are willing to settle for what the emerging picture looks like. And every time I ask, I get incredulous looks, coupled with: "But, we need someone with experience!" Hmm
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rosa
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Post by rosa on Nov 17, 2009 6:39:08 GMT -7
and as an afterthought, Perez strikes me about as much "Republican" as Webrunner strikes me as "liberal"
ahem, *cough*
snort ;D
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Post by Tim Collins on Nov 17, 2009 6:46:28 GMT -7
and as an afterthought, Perez strikes me about as much "Republican" as Webrunner strikes me as "liberal" ahem, *cough* snort ;D It's possible. It is a big tent after all.
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Post by matthew on Nov 17, 2009 9:04:13 GMT -7
If you voted in the Republican primary, you are a Republican. But I bet Perez has mostly voted in the Democratic Party, and even without voting records it won't be too hard for Besco to make it an issue if he decides to go that route.
Given the announced/rumored candidates to date, Reyes can safely ignore whoever wins the Republican primary. But I think the Republicans could offer an actual candidate rather than a sacrificial lamb by selecting a candidate that appeals to tradition and religious devotion and garners support from the business community. The organization is already in place; those against benefits for unmarried partners of city employees collected 5000+ signatures rather quickly and rather quietly. And remember, Bush won the county in 1998.
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Post by webrunner on Nov 17, 2009 21:25:12 GMT -7
and as an afterthought, Perez strikes me about as much "Republican" as Webrunner strikes me as "liberal" ahem, *cough* snort ;D Awe, I think that's about the nicest thing you've ever said to me. Actually, Rosa, I voted in the last Democrat primary (for Hillary, of course) so, as Matthew says, that makes me a Democrat already. Just wait till I make a run to be the new party chair...
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Post by rosa on Nov 20, 2009 4:26:45 GMT -7
If you voted in the Republican primary, you are a Republican. But I bet Perez has mostly voted in the Democratic Party, and even without voting records it won't be too hard for Besco to make it an issue if he decides to go that route. Given the announced/rumored candidates to date, Reyes can safely ignore whoever wins the Republican primary. But I think the Republicans could offer an actual candidate rather than a sacrificial lamb by selecting a candidate that appeals to tradition and religious devotion and garners support from the business community. The organization is already in place; those against benefits for unmarried partners of city employees collected 5000+ signatures rather quickly and rather quietly. And remember, Bush won the county in 1998. I think it could be argued that the Democrats could produce just such a candidate if they'd get off their collective butt and vet one... and just a small point or two Not everyone who signed that petition was a republican . And I have crossed party lines before. This does not make me a republican but it does make me an American who is making the best decision possible out of the choices presented to me we've talked about labels before; one thing that strikes me as kind of amusing: the way parties keep tabs on each other....easy enough to access who voted in what primary, all you have to do is ask both parties want to single out "traitors" who cross party lines, and both do so, especially come primary season
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Post by matthew on Nov 20, 2009 8:40:05 GMT -7
In Texas, voters don't register by party, so for voting purposes their party is the one in whose primary they voted. The voter can self identify anyway they want but they can only vote in one primary. I certainly don't identify with the party stamped on my registration card.
And the Democrats already have such a candidate.
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Post by rosa on Nov 20, 2009 8:59:11 GMT -7
Yep we can only vote in one primary, but this certainly doesn't mean a whole lot sometimes
we part company on what the Democratic incumbent stands for Matthew, if he is your point of reference. If he's not, then you know something the rest of us don't.
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Post by rosa on Nov 20, 2009 9:00:41 GMT -7
appeals to tradition religious devotion garners support from the business community
so far, you could be describing Sarah Palin
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