Some e-mail is more entertaining than others.
Linda Chavez-Thompson, the firebrand candidate for Texas Lieutenant Governor who has incumbent David Dewhurst so rattled he can’t debate her, was scheduled to introduce President Obama at an appearance in Austin today.
Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Gov. Linda Chavez-Thompson, on the view screen, addressing the Texas Democratic Convention in June - photo by Ed Darrell
Chavez-Thompson might be expected to shake his hand first, but she said no. Let her explain it:
Friends,
As you may already know, President Obama came to Texas today. And no, I didn’t shake his hand.
I walked up straight to him, stared him in the eye, and greeted him with a warm abrazo (hug). Because that’s the way you greet a fellow laborer.
And yes, I consider Barack Obama a laborer. As I told the crowd while introducing the President at the DNC event:
“He’s taken on the economy. He’s taken on health care. He’s taken on Wall Street. And he doesn’t back down.
What he does do, and Texans respect this, is extend his hand across the aisle in a spirit of bi-partisanship. After all, the challenges Americans and Texas families face don ‘t come with a Party label on them.
But when his offer is not reciprocated, he does what any Texan would do. He does the work himself, because at the end of the day the work still has to get done.
There’s nothing brave about ignoring problems. We had eight years of that. Bravery is going out in the hot sun and doing the hard work it takes to make things grow.
And that’s coming from the daughter of a cotton sharecropper, so I know what I’m talking about.”
For too long Rick Perry and David Dewhurst have been ignoring the problems in Texas. Today Texas has the highest share of minimum wage jobs in the country, and even the Texas Association Business has warned that we will not be able to compete for the higher paying jobs because too many students are walking out of high school without a diploma.
I’m traveling across Texas to hold Rick Perry and David Dewhurst accountable. And believe me, this isn’t about politics — it’s a responsibility we all owe to our children and grandchildren.
I’ve never been afraid to go out into the hot sun and do the hard work it takes, but I need your help. Your contribution of $25, $35, $50, or whatever you can afford will help me spread the word and let Texans know what’s really at stake this election.
As I told the President when I welcomed him to Texas, I wasn’t just speaking for myself, but “for the millions of Texans who voices are too seldom heard.”
Un abrazo a ti también,
Linda Chavez-Thompson
You might do well to send her campaign $5.00, or $500 if you can afford it.
Linda Chavez-Thompson wowed the 2010 Texas Democratic Convention in Corpus Christi - photo by Ed Darrell
Millard Fillmore's Bathtub 