Tom DeLay has pretty solid support among Republicans in the 22nd District. His most serious challenger, Tom Campbell runs well-behind the Congressman. Not only that, he is not really known by party activists, for he has not been involved in local Republican affairs.

U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, forced onto the political defensive by ethical and legal charges, went on the offensive Tuesday, claiming one of his Republican primary opponents has overstated his GOP credentials.

DeLay's campaign said challenger Tom Campbell, a lawyer, has not been active in local party politics and has not voted regularly in Republican primaries.

"Every day he proves he's nothing more than an outsider who isn't concerned with conservative issues or fighting for the priorities of Texas taxpayers," DeLay campaign manager Chris Homan said of Campbell.

Campbell's campaign countered that no pure GOP insider would dare challenge the powerful DeLay, even if he has been weakened by a Travis County indictment relating to campaign finance and a federal investigation into his relationship with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"The fact is that Tom Campbell is like you and me. He is not a career politician like Tom DeLay. He is a citizen politician," said Michael Stanley, Campbell's campaign chairman. "Tom Campbell calls on Tom DeLay to get beyond the negative, immaterial distractions and get back to the real issues that are important to the people of the district."

And that, my friends, is really the problem. Folks in CD22 don’t know who Tom Campbell is, and really do not have a reason to support him. We are being asked to buy a pig-in-a-poke when he appeals to us for support. Whatever good qualities he may have are overshadowed by the disturbing vacuum in his Republican record. It is, ultimately, why I endorsed Tom Delay in my capacity as precinct chair – we know who and what we are getting with him, and we have a sound Republican record on which to judge him.

Now you may notice that I am not attacking Tom Campbell. He appears to be a good and honorable man. It is my hope that this race leads him to greater involvement in local GOP affairs, so that he is in a position to run in the future, should Tom DeLay either retire or be forced to resign as a result of the Ronnie Earle witch hunt. Campbell certainly stands out as a better alternative than Democrat Nick Lampson, and is likely superior to independent challenger Steve Stockman. Now is not his time – but the future may be.

Posted by: Greg at 11:52 AM | No Comments | Add Comment
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