{"id":1206,"date":"2006-06-19T16:21:00","date_gmt":"2006-06-19T22:21:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/?p=1206"},"modified":"2006-06-19T16:21:00","modified_gmt":"2006-06-19T22:21:00","slug":"bell-looks-to-unseat-perry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/bell-looks-to-unseat-perry\/","title":{"rendered":"Bell looks to unseat Perry"},"content":{"rendered":"

From today’s WDL<\/A>:
\nBell looks to unseat Perry<\/p>\n

By JONATHAN BLUNDELL Daily Light staff writer<\/p>\n

Donning a dark sports coat, blue jeans and cowboy boots, Chris Bell looks right at home walking into the Ellis County Democratic Headquarters.
\nHe\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not well known in the county but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hoping that will change in the next four months, in time for the Texas gubernatorial election in November.
\nBell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s facing an uphill battle, in a state where no Democrat has won a statewide election since 1994.
\nHis audience this night is a mixed group of Democratic supporters, filling the pews and chairs in the downtown Waxahachie office space.
\nThe Ellis County Democratic Women and Bell say they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re pleased with the turnout in the predominately Republican County, where many Democrats only whisper their allegiance to the party.
\nThere are only two Democrats currently elected to an Ellis County office and the party is only fielding two other candidates for local races.
\nCandidates for State District 10, Kerry Horn, and Texas Congressional District 6, David Harris, were also present for Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s visit.
\nBell accepted his party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nomination last week for the gubernatorial election after beating Bob Gammage and Rashad Jafer with 63.87 percent of the vote in the March primaries.
\nWith the nomination, Bell assures himself at least nominal support from the straight line ticket voters in the Democratic Party.
\nAnd with three other candidates from outside the two mainline parties, including independents Kinky Friedman and Carole Strayhorn and Libertarian James Werner, Bell doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need a majority of the vote to win.
\nAccording to Texas law, the governorship will go to the candidate with the highest number of votes \u00e2\u20ac\u201c 38 to 42 percent could win the election.
\nIn 2002, Democratic candidate Tony Sanchez received 40 percent of the vote against Perry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s 58 percent.
\nThat may not be too hard to accomplish.
\nRecent polls across the state have placed Bell anywhere from first to third place in the race and during the recent legislative session, Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s fundraising saw an increase on par with Perry.
\nBell reported collecting more than $333,000 from April 17 through May 16.
\nPerry reported raising just more than $375,000 and Strayhorn, the state comptroller, raised around $307,000 during the period.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153This report shows that Chris Bell is consolidating his support in the Democratic Party in a serious way,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d campaign spokesman Jason Stanford said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153People are beginning to realize that he is the only guy who can beat Rick Perry.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBut regardless of polls or fundraising, less than 180 days from Election Day, Bell says he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mind playing the role of underdog and is ready to put an end to Rick Perry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s six-year term as governor.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know this county hasn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t been a Democratic stronghold,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell tells the Democrats gathered from around Ellis County and parts of the Metroplex. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153But it means so much when we see so many people turn out for an event like this on a hot Saturday night in June.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nSince beginning his campaign for governor in 2005, Bell said he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s received a new education about Texas, worthy of a doctorate in Texas.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The character of the people in our state is as strong as ever,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Texans carry a certain spirit in our hearts and people are crying out for a change all across our country and especially in Texas. We find ourselves in just about the bottom of every statistic you can think of. Rick Perry has been an absolute failure as a governor.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBell, a former Houston councilman and one-term U.S. Congressman, found himself on the losing end of the 2003 Republican state redistricting plan.
\nAfter losing his seat, Bell filed a formal ethics complaint against then House Majority Leader Tom DeLay in June 2004.
\nFour months later, the House Ethics Committee responded by unanimously admonishing DeLay on two of Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s charges.
\nThe third charge was left to be considered, pending the criminal investigation in Texas by Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle.
\nAfter ending his first and only congressional term, Bell took the advice of friends and political advisors and threw his hat into the race for governor.
\nIn a moment of irony, Bell noted that the same day DeLay was leaving office, Bell was accepting his party\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s nomination for governor.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I know we can do better,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell tells the crowd. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you give me the bully pulpit and veto pen I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be sure to work my hardest for all Texans.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nThis night, Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s primary focus is Texas\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 education system and the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills test. The state-mandated exit test for high school students has come under sharp criticism since its inception in 2003.
\nThe test takes the place of the former TAAS test and falls under the guidelines and requirements for President George W. Bush\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s \u00e2\u20ac\u0153No Child Left Behind.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153My wife told me not to be serious about running, unless I was serious about fixing public schools,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have two sons going to public schools and if we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to be serious about preparing our youth, we have to teach them to be successful with something more than standardized tests. Are we teaching our students to think on their own, or simply regurgitate answers? People ask me, \u00e2\u20ac\u02dcWell how can we ensure accountability without the test?\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 They\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re called teachers.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nThe 46-year-old candidate was born in Abilene and graduated from Dallas area public schools, before graduating with a journalism degree from the University of Texas.
\nHe tells the crowd that he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s firmly against school vouchers and believes they signify surrender in the efforts to fix public schools.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have a big problem with school vouchers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s throwing our hands up and saying we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fix them. It worries me that more and more people see education as a privilege and not a right. With voucher plans you punish rural areas where there are few or no private schools. It tricks people into thinking everyone will get to go to private schools.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nAfter college, Bell went on to work in radio and television and was named the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153best radio reporter in the state\u00e2\u20ac\u009d by the Texas Associated Press in 1990.
\nHe received a law degree from South Texas College of Law in 1992 and began his own litigation practice before running for the Houston City Council.
\nBell humbly admits he doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have all the answers but hopes to work with both sides of the aisle in Austin.
\nHe also accuses Perry of bringing Washington-style politics to Austin, a city that has historically been centered on bipartisan efforts.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153If there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s anything unforgivable that Perry has done, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the Washington style politics he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s brought to Austin,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a Democratic solution to education and I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s just a Democratic solution to health care. If you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going to lead you have to build bridges and that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what this campaign is about and what my administration will be about.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have some ideas but I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m not going to pretend I have all the answers,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m going to admit, there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s good ideas from people outside the Democratic Party. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t care if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re from Mars if you have a good idea.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIf elected, one of Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s first goals is to start a bipartisan commission to study education and curriculum in the state. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also calling for a $6,000 pay raise across the board for Texas teachers, to bring the state to the national average.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153The good news is that public schools can work if the governor is willing to lead,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m calling for nothing short of a moon shot when it comes to our public education system.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIn order to attract more businesses and more high-tech jobs for the state, Bell insists that the school system must be improved.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We haven\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t had a bipartisan commission since 1984,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell explains. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153All the ideas need to be put on the table. I think businesses are willing to help invest in the school system. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a pie in the sky we can just keep talking about and hope it gets fixed. We cannot keep losing generations of young people. And we can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t fix the problem if we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not willing to address the dropout rates across the state.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBell points to Dallas ISD and says districts across the state have been releasing incorrect dropout numbers for far too long.
\nAccording to the district, the dropout rate is only 5 percent district wide.
\nBell believes that after looking at incoming freshman numbers and graduating senior numbers, the district is more inline with the state average of a 30 to 40 percent dropout rate.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Are we going to try and pretend these students aren\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t dropping out? We need to be honest and accountable. I want to fix these problems.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nAlong with education, Bell is also pushing for more access to health care.
\nAs part of the Carole Strayhorn Reality Tour, Bell said he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s spent the last week trying to set the record straight.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Carole Strayhorn recommended privatizing the Medicaid eligibility processing,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153This resulted in 100,000 new children losing health coverage. That\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s in addition to the 170,000 kids already without insurance. We\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in great need of undoing the contract to privatize Medicaid. We have the highest number of uninsured people in the country and there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no motivation on the federal level to fix that. Believe me, I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve been there. Massachusetts and California are already working on plans and we need to do the same.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nBell also shared his passion for Texas leading in the field of health care and curing diseases.
\nA long time supporter of stem-cell research, Bell said it was time for Texas to get serious about curing disease.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I admit this is a personal issue,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I lost my mom in 1999 after fighting 10 years of Parkinson\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s disease, my wife also just successfully fought breast cancer. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t like campaigning on personal matters, but what kind of son or husband would I be if I didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t stand up and fight so that others didn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to go through this?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nAn active member of Christ Church Cathedral Episcopal Church in Houston, Bell pulled from his religious beliefs to back his political stance on the issue.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Jesus never said to heal the sick only if politics don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t get in the way,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And Jesus never called a pollster before healing the leaper. It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for us to get serious about healing the sick.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s still an uphill battle for Bell but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s pleased with his chances.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I think the name identification is an interesting theme for the media but it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a non-issue in the race for the governor,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said after Saturday night\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s event. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Because by November everyone will know who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s running for governor. I will have raised enough money to get my message out. The Democratic party, as I become better known and I do get my message out, will get behind my candidacy and make it very difficult for Strayhorn to go anywhere except back to the Republican column.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nIf Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s campaign strategy holds true, Strayhorn will likely split the Republican vote and with strong support from the Democrats, Bell will become the first Democratic governor since Ann Richards in 1994.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Given the size of our state there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s really two people in a position to compete for the governor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s race \u00e2\u20ac\u201c the Republican nominee and the Democratic nominee,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153And I think Perry\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s campaign understands that as well. There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a Democratic infrastructure in every part of the state and I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have to go to Ellis County, or the Valley, or the Texas Panhandle or Eastern Dallas to create a new infrastructure, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s already there and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a huge advantage.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nAs for the Democratic Party across Texas, Bell admits the party has been beaten up in recent years and is in a rebuilding stage but he also believes a win for his campaign will make huge steps towards rejuvenating the party.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m excited about what I see as I travel around the state,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s a Saturday night in the heat of June and you have a packed house to come out and hear the gubernatorial candidate. That speaks well. I continue to see that in areas that are not traditionally Democratic strongholds. We think people are looking for a change. One reason this race is very important for Democrats is that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s very hard to rebuild a state party when you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t hold any statewide offices and it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hard to build excitement or raise the money or create the kind of organization you really need. Winning the governor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office would allow us to take giant strides in that direction.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d
\nFor now, Bell\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s campaign must hope the anti-Perry movement is strong enough to push him from a former councilmember and congressman to the state\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s highest leadership position.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153People should be concerned about who becomes governor because of the overall direction of the state,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Bell said. \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If people really sit back and look at where we find ourselves right now, I think they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122d be astonished, like I was, to find that we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re in last place in category after category \u00e2\u20ac\u201c whether it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s the number of uninsured or the dropout rate or the teen pregnancy rate. A lot of that stems from a lack of leadership and not having a governor who\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s looking for common sense solutions for a lot of the problems that we face.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve heard me talk about the vision of Texas that we carry in our hearts \u00e2\u20ac\u201c and we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re a very proud state and I think if people want a brighter day in Texas they know that we need bold vision and new leadership. And that\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s what I would bring to the governor\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s office.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From today’s WDL: Bell looks to unseat Perry By JONATHAN BLUNDELL Daily Light staff writer Donning a dark sports coat, blue jeans and cowboy boots, Chris Bell looks right at home walking into the Ellis County Democratic Headquarters. He\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not well known in the county but he\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hoping that will change in the next four … Continue reading Bell looks to unseat Perry<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pEnSo-js","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1206"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1206\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/casadeblundell.com\/jonathan\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}