Home > Window on Washington > Archives > 2008 > February > 20
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Doggett backs Obama
U.S. Rep. (and superdelegate) Lloyd Doggett announced in Austin today that he’s supporting Barack Obama for president.
“When he stands up, all the world will know that America really has changed, that the disastrous policies of the last eight years have ended,” Doggett said. “That is why today, I am announcing my vote for and endorsement of Barack Obama.”
Doggett’s endorsement could be key in South Texas, an area that he briefly represented in Congress and where he campaigned fiercely in 2004, when the area was new to his district.
Permalink | |
Watson posts a response
Sen. Kirk Watson, in response to all the attention he’s getting today after his infamous appearance on MSNBC last night, has posted a response on his Web site.
This time, he lists some of Barack Obama’s accomplishments and makes light of the fact that he could not remember them while he was being yelled at by Chris Mathews.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Texas
Kirk Watson update
Both the Republican National Committee and the Hillary Clinton campaign have pounced on state Sen. Kirk Watson’s less-than-stellar appearance last night touting Barack Obama. Watson could not name one of Obama’s legislative accomplishments when pressed by host Chris Matthews.
Clinton said in a statement, referring to the showdown between Watson and U.S. Rep. Stephanie Tubbs Jones of Ohio, who stumped for Clinton, “She was on against someone representing my opponent and for the first time, actually, the host, asked the representative of my opponent to name one accomplishment. That is all we’re asking. We’re asking to compare our records.”
The Republican committee, sensing that Obama could well be the Democratic nominee, e-mailed reporters a transcript of Watson’s appearance.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Washington
Austin’s senator scorched on national TV
State Sen. Kirk Watson of Austin would probably like to have this one back.
He went on MSNBC on Tuesday to talk about his presidential candidate of choice, Barack Obama. But host Chris Matthews, perhaps trying to over-compensate for saying a recent Obama speech sent a thrill up his leg, tried to bully Watson into naming one of Obama’s legislative accomplishments.
It’s certainly a fair question, and one that Watson should have handled better. Still, Matthews is a little gratuitous in his tone. The potency of the clip is that it plays into a major argument against Obama — that he hasn’t done enough in government to be president.
Here it is:
Lost in all this is that Kirk Watson (who, like Obama, is a first-term senator) has won widespread acclaim for his own performance in office. Texas Monthly magazine named him the legislative Rookie of the Year. But don’t expect to hear much about that stuff over the next 24 hours, as Kirk Watson could well become a household name.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Texas
Recruiting gays for government jobs
A coalition of groups representing gays, bisexuals and transgendered folks is looking to put more of its own in top government positions.
The Gay & Lesbian Leadership Institute today launched its Presidential Appointments Project, billed as a “nonpartisan effort designed to help grow the pool of openly lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender professionals who would be qualified and ready to accept politically appointed positions in the next U.S. presidential administration.”
Says Chuck Wolfe, the institute’s CEO, “Our goal is to make sure all Americans have an equal voice in their government. … In 1996, we worked closely with the second Clinton administration to identify gays and lesbians who were qualified to serve the president. We stand ready to help whoever is elected this November.”
The organization says it will “identify, recruit and vet” potential applicants for thousands of government jobs.
Step one, according to GLLI, is to “decide if you have what it takes.” Things to consider about government work: “The hours are long and the pace intense.” “There is much public/press scrutiny.” And the FBI is going to check you out.
Step two, “complete the application.”
Groups involved in the effort include the Human Rights Campaign, the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force and Stonewall Democrats.
More information:http://www.glli.org/presidential
Permalink | |
