08.14.08

Fairbrother feebly attempts to link Maldonado to Edwards

Posted in Around The State, Commentary, Election 2008, HD-52, Money In Politics, Right Wing Lies, Williamson County at 5:32 am by dembones

Facing an uphill battle in his race for HD-52, Republican nominee Bryan Daniel has initiated an attack against his Democratic opponent, Diana Maldonado, exploiting the John Edwards affair. Edwards’ finance committee chair Fred Baron paid Edwards’ paramour Rielle Hunter’s moving expenses from North Carolina to California. He said it was to help her avoid tabloid reporters chasing the story.

Baron has also supported Annie’s List financially since at least 2006. Annie’s List has endorsed Diana Maldonado and contributed to her campaign. Now we learn that Williamson county Republican party chair Bill Fairbrother is contacting media to pressure the Maldonado campaign to give $25,000 back to Annie’s List.

This is a dangerous line of attack for Daniel who, according to the most recent TEC report, has taken $12,712 from 24 PACs and lobbyists. Daniels’ campaign is fueled by PACs, any number of which harbor tainted money. Once the campaign goes there, it opens up the door to examinations of Republican transgressions. One need not look far. Take the current representative from HD-52, Republican Mike Krusee, for example. He was arrested in April for DWI and has been rumored to have an extra-marital relationship of his own.

The actions of Baron in doing what he could to prevent damaging stories about Edwards from surfacing during the primary were ill-advised, and a certain amount of blowback was inevitable.

Baron is a plaintiff’s attorney who is best known for representing clients claiming toxic and chemical exposure. This makes him an old enemy of giant corporations and the Republican politicians they own. Fairbrother deliberately used the word “toxic” to sound off a dog whistle to Republicans who have long hated him. The irony here is that the money was toxic long before Baron touched it. It became tainted by the asbestos manufacturers and chemical companies that failed to protect their employees or suppressed information about the dangers of their products.

In recent years, Baron has been a leading fund-raiser for the Democratic party. It would be difficult to exaggerate the importance of Baron’s money to all Democrats in Texas. Baron is a dedicated Democrat because of his years fighting for plaintiffs. He knows the harm that big companies, who value profit more than life itself, are doing to you and me.

For the past six weeks, local Republicans have chafed at Maldonado’s fund-raising success. The entire Edwards affair, and Baron’s role in it, have given Republicans an avenue for attack. The question is open for debate whether that “toxic” money got cleaner after Baron touched it. One thing is for sure, it was put to good use by Annie’s List, an organization that has helped elect 8 Democratic women to the state legislature. Their decision to support Maldonado was based on her record on education, her track record on the school board, and her stand on the issues that matter to Democrats and women.

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