The Red State

Madla quits and leave SD19 without representation

Link: MySA.com: Madla to quit state Senate.

I heard this was coming but thought it was only a rumor.

Sen. Frank Madla, who lost the Democratic primary to Rep. Carlos Uresti, said Monday he will leave office May 31.      

The move will leave his District 19 seat vacant until the November general election because Gov. Rick Perry doesn't intend to call an earlier special election, a spokeswoman said.

How dare the Governor not call a special election. Senate District 19 deserves representation no matter what the Governor is planning on doing. It reminds me of how Perry delayed and delayed the calling of a special election when Rep. Joe Moreno died.

Pathetic.

Why would Madla leave the lucrative job of Senator that makes $7,200 a year? He says after 33 years, he finally wants to put his family first. OK, worked for Karen Hughes, so why not him. However, I think the early retirement is for a different reason.

It appears Madla's retirement would top $94,000 annually.

So, instead of finishing the job he was initially elected to do, he will leave SD 19 without a Senator (I am sure he knew what Gov. Goodhair would do) and he will start pocketing his $7,833 a month earlier. If he truly cared about his district, he would have made sure the Governor would have called for a special election immediately.

Nice. What a shining example of statesmanship and leadership. I can't wait for Uresti to take that office. Who says good guys finish last?

Postscript: Pinkdome find one more reason to post that picture

 

Beating a dead horse

I usually don't kick a man while he's down but I figure I post this for the traditional media who were kicked out of Madla's event and got blamed for his loss.

Via MySA.com:

Great New Uresti Ads

Some of you may not believe it but I like positive ads WAY more than negative ads. Tell me why to vote for you not just why to vote against the other guy....

It looks like Carlos Uresti will be releasing a final salvo of ads today and tomorrow.

Here they are in Quicktime (download Quicktime here)

Uresti Ad (English).mov

Uresti Ad (Spanish).mov

If you have any trouble viewing, right click, Save As and double click the saved file.

 

Madla hiding Republican money

Link: Madla's finance report is overdue.

This is definitely related to TLR.

Three days after the filing deadline, state Sen. Frank Madla's latest campaign finance report remained a no-show at the Texas Ethics Commission on Thursday.

It's in the mail, said Madla spokeswoman Toni Barcellona, as challenger state Rep. Carlos Uresti's camp accused the 13-year Senate veteran of trying to hide his campaign's finances.

"Clearly, he did this to make sure it wasn't publicly available," said James Aldrete, a campaign consultant for Uresti.

....

She blamed the delay on a bad Internet connection Monday afternoon that forced the campaign to load finance reports for Madla and his "Friends of Frank Madla" committee onto a computer disk and put it in the mail.

Who blames that the Internet is out? Its like saying I didn't call you because the phone lines were not working? Geez, even Starbucks has an Internet connection. Ever heard of the public library?

In a statement released Thursday morning, Uresti accused Madla of failing to file a report — which Barcellona denied — in order to avoid further scrutiny of his campaign finances. Uresti cited a story in Saturday's San Antonio Express-News that detailed how Madla spent $1.1 million from his campaign funds since mid-2002, including $19,000 at Gabriel's liquor store and $7,000 for bottled water.

....

Texans for Lawsuit Reform, a major tort reform advocate, ploughed about $476,250 worth of in-kind contributions into Madla's campaign between Feb. 5 and Feb. 25.

Since when does a "Democrat" take money from TLR? Madla, who exactly do you represent? Have you even taken a look of who lives in your district?

New ad against Madla/Early voting up in Bexar County

Check out the latest ad against the Republican Go-To-Vote Frank Madla. This is one the most interesting ads I have seen for a primary challenge in a long time

{Yes, he is laughing at the Democratic Party he has locked in his trunk}

See it in Quicktime (.mov clip)(To view, right click and Save).

UPDATE: The Daily Kos is reporting that  early voting is up 28% from 2004 in Bexar county.

Ciro is getting a boost out of a bitterly contended state senate seat that features an incumbent Republican pretending to be a Democrat, Frank Madla, versus a real Democrat, Carlos Uresti. Sound familiar?

Together, between the Uresti and Rodriguez camps Ciro has been able to squeeze out over 1,000 more votes cast in his stronghold than he had at this point in 2004. And remember, Cuellar won the 2004 contest by a mere 58 votes.

Madla's endorsed by TLR ~ Watch your rights disappear

Madla has just received the endorsement of Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR). Yep, the very folks who took away you right to have your day in court has supported Frank "Lock You In My Trunk" Madla. Out of the 39 candidates they endorsed, they only endorsed one "democrat" for State Senate, Madla.

TLR are some bad folks. Texans for Public just has a report (How the Texas Tort Tycoons Spent Millions       in the 2000 Elections) on who is TLR, who they give to and why.

Much more after the jump...

But before that:

Go vote for Carlos Uresti!

Go contribute to Carlos Uresti's campaign.

Go volunteer for Carlos Uresti's campaign.

Your can also assist our campaign by block-walking to hand out campaign literature and phoning voters to let them know there is a real choice for change in this year's election.

Please call the campaign headquarters at (210) 924-0057 to find out how you can help. You can also stop in and visit our headquarters at 2038 Pleasanton.

 

Richard Morrison Out For Uresti

No doubt that, by now, most of you have read about some of Frank "I lock the Democratic Party In My Trunk!" Malda's extravagant spending, including thousands of dollars for bottled water and the like. And, if you haven't, go here.

At any rate, Democratic heavyweight Richard Morrison (who ran against Tom DeLay in '04 and is also a board member of the Texas League of Conservation Voters) has weighed in on the SD 19 primary and has out a press release supporting Uresti and damning Malda's spending "spree of fine cars, luxury meals and liqour store tabs."

Here are some highlights:

A detailed look at the lavish spending by State Senator Frank Madla's from his campaign account over the past three years shows a $1.7 million spree of fine cars, luxury meals, and liquor store tabs that is out-of-step with the constituents he represents in one of the nation's poorest state senate districts, according to a leading Democrat who ran against disgraced congressman Tom DeLay.

"Mr. Madla's lobby-funded lifestyle has done little to improve the quality of life for families living in his district," said Richard Morrison, a Houston attorney and board member of the Texas League of Conservation Voters.

Morrison said Madla's spending spree is particularly offensive in a district where per capita incomes are just $12,404.

Using campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission, Morrison compared Madla's taste for the good life to the lobby-funded golf trips and other controversies surrounding indicted former U.S. Majority leader Tom DeLay.

"While Mr. Madla's spending is apparently legal, it is an affront to the people he claims to represent," Morrison said. "As he was voting to deny water rights to 75,000 residents in El Paso County, for example, he was spending $6,650 on bottled water for himself."

Morrison said Madla's voting record on environmental issues shows "a flair for the mediocre."

"Mr. Madla crossed the line when he filed and fought for a bill that stripped the residents of El Paso's Water Improvement District of their right to vote," Morrison said.

Click here to view Madla's expenditures.

Early voting starts today!!! San Antonio go vote!

Primary voting is fun. Primary voting is good for you. Primary voting is good for me.

GO VOTE!

Early voting lasts from February 21 to March 3.

You can vote at any of these following locations. If you live just outside of Bexar County, you can vote at these locations.

For whatever its worth, I urge you to vote for Chris Bell~Gov, Carlos Uresti~SD-19, Ciro Rodriguez~CD-28 and Peter Sakai~225th Judicial District. These are all good, honorable men who will make us proud.

UPDATE: The SA Express news has a great article (link fixed) supporting Peter Sakai for 225th Judicial District. I first met Judge Sakai while working for the Human Service Committee when Carlos Uresti helped create the Blue Ribbon Task Force. This group was created to find new solutions to Bexar County's child abuse problems. Take a look at Sakai's track record.

SA Express News Endores Uresti

Link: MySA.com: Editorial: In [Senate] District 19, pick Uresti.

We recommend challenger Carlos Uresti in the Democratic primary. A state representative from Bexar County's District 118 since 1997, Uresti displayed bold leadership. As chairman of the House Human Services Committee, he strived to boost the state's overburdened Child Protective Services. Uresti has earned a promotion.

He spearheaded efforts to oppose House Bill 2292 in 2003. That bill, which eventually passed in the Republican-controlled Legislature, cut funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program and lowered the personal needs allowances for nursing home residents.

Although Madla voted against the final bill, his critical vote to bring the measure to the floor for debate allowed its eventual passage. The district's constituents need a leader in Austin they can rely on when it comes to caring for the state's poor, young and elderly.

Makes perfect sense to me. Gosh, I really don't know what more to say.

I guess I'll just let Madla say it for me: "When I get to the State Capitol, I lock the Democratic Party in my trunk."

Help Carlos beat Madla. Go volunteer and donate.

Uresti's TV Ad

For those of you not in the San Antonio TV market, here is Carlos Uresti's latest TV ad for Senate District 19.

View the ad in .mov or .wmv format.

I’m Carlos Uresti. I fought the Republicans when they cut 180,000 kids off of the Children’s Health Insurance Program.

CHIP isn’t welfare. It is affordable health insurance for our working families and all it took was 11 Senators to stop the Republicans. 10 Democratic Senators took that stand but Frank Madla didn’t.

He voted with the Republicans and 180,000 kids lost their health care.

If Frank Madla does not have the courage to take a stand, it is time he step aside.

Why do I care so about this issue? Why so many posts?