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Monday, April 16, 2007
Showdown on TXU, Part II
Note to Rep. Joe Barton: Don’t duel with former Secretary of State James Baker over TXU. If a weekend-long exchange with his policy assistant is a prelude, this is one pro-environment Texan to not pick a fight with.
The background: Last week Barton, R-Ennis, puffed up and challenged Baker to face him on “neutral” Texas territory for a debate on TXU’s proposed sale. Barton opposes the sale; Baker supports it. The blog noted Barton’s challenge, letting it stand on its own, no real need to embellish when a member of Congress makes such a publicity grab.
Baker, not one to back down, sent a response last Friday that did not make it into the blog that day. But he attacked Barton’s pro-energy politics: “Unlike you, I am out of politics and not running for re-election to anything,” Baker wrote. “Therefore I will not expand or enhance your platform.”
He also suggested Barton “consider talking” with someone who believes, “as most Texans and I do, that climate change is an important challenge.”
So, back to the blog. A Baker policy assistant contacted the Statesman Saturday afternoon and strongly advocated that the blog be updated with Baker’s letter.
The letter was already out; it was posted on other Texas media. The blog was not updated.
Sunday afternoon, the blog gets notice that Baker’s office feels they “wasted” their time Saturday, since the blog was not updated.
The blog does try to respond multiple times, but email technological difficulties disable “reply.” Decides to handle it Monday from the office. As said earlier, the letter is already out and well-disseminated.
Monday morning, email Inbox from Baker’s office alerts the blog that it’s been “66 hours” since original blog item was posted.
“I can only surmise that your desire to get the item posted with immediacy — as you explained to me Saturday — surpassed any similar desire for balance. By comparison, reporters with The Dallas Morning News, Bloomberg and Reuters called for a response and ran stories including it. Bloomberg and Reuters had their stories posted before you submitted your blog posting, and thus they could have been a source had you performed a 15-second Google-search.”
“I don’t expect miracles … However, if it would not be a bother, please post a mention of Mr. Baker’s response before the close of the legislative session in Austin.”
One last testy phone call later, and the assistant directs that if blog is going to post his email, it’s only fair to post the blog’s.
In one line, the blog email said:
“When I talked to you on Saturday I did not promise to update the blog item, I thanked you for bringing it to my attention. If I mention the letter again, I will be sure to mention the response. “
Ah, diplomacy. So, since the blog is mentioning the letter again, here is the response:
And here is Barton’s. Download file
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Rudy’s Texans
Some fancy titles announced today for some influential Texans who think ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani should be president of the United States.
T. Boone Pickens, hailed in the Giuliani press release as “legendary oilman and one of American’s best-known entrepreneurs,” was named to Giuliani’s executive committee for the Southwest region. Pickens, the release notes, has contributed more than $5 million to a “wide range of Republican causes.”
Dallasite Tom Hicks was named to the executive committee and as Texas state finance chair for the campaign. Hicks’ Hicks Holdings LLC owns the Texas Rangers (the baseball team, not the legendary law enforcement team), the Dallas Stars hockey team and half of Liverpool FC, an English soccer team.
Hicks’ Texas vice chair will be James H. Lee of Houston, president and founder of JHL Capital Securities, LLC, an institutional broker-dealer in Houston. Lee raised more than $200,000 for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign.
Previously, Giuliani named Houston lawyer Pat Oxford as chairman of the Rudy Giuliani Presidential Exploratory Committee, the entity that soon will morph into the ex-New York mayor’s presidential campaign committee.
Oxford is managing partner of Bracewell & Giuliani (formerly Bracewell & Patterson,) a worldwide law firm based in Houston.
