Frost: 'I'll be back' in 2004 - aide vows to wage a "battle of good vs. evil" against Republicans

The Dallas Morning News ^ | October 26, 2003 | By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

[MeekOneGOP]

Frost: 'I'll be back' in 2004

Campaign begins with defiance despite threat from redistricting

11:29 PM CDT on Saturday, October 25, 2003

By DAVE LEVINTHAL / The Dallas Morning News

Celebrating his 25th year in Congress, U.S. Rep. Martin Frost, D-Arlington, on Saturday night launched what could be the most arduous battle of his political career.

The crowd of more than 500 supporters at Eddie Deen's Ranch in Dallas, who paid $500 each to attend Mr. Frost's first major campaign fund-raiser of the 2004 election, refused to temper their enthusiasm, despite Republican designs on Mr. Frost's seat.

Democrats this month began a federal court battle against a Republican-backed Texas redistricting map that threatens to undercut his Democratic support base in what would become a drastically remapped District 24. They're arguing that the map destroys districts that, like Mr. Frost's, contain a substantial population of racial minorities.

Republican party leaders could not be reached for comment Saturday evening but have previously said the map is fair.

"He's living in a fantasy world," U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, said of Mr. Frost this month. "The map will stand up in court."

Mr. Frost could potentially face Mr. Barton under the revised map.

Staffers frequently hailed him in Texas-sized metaphor, even by political standards.

In likening Democratic U.S. Rep. Martin Frost to Gandalf, the benevolent wizard of Lord of the Rings fame, aide Cinda Crawford on Saturday night vowed to wage a "battle of good vs. evil" against Republicans to help preserve her boss's seat in Congress.

Mr. Frost drew upon another Hollywood image, growling out the famous silver-screen catch phrase of a now-notable Republican politico.

"I'll be back!" Mr. Frost told his supporters in his best Arnold Schwarzenegger impersonation. "This is a beginning, not an end."

Staffers estimated Mr. Frost raised between $200,000 and $300,000 at the event, billed as a celebration of his 25th year in Congress. He promised the cowboy boot- and Western suit-clad crowd that he'll run on a platform of environmental concerns, the economy, job creation and constituent service, no matter the district in which he runs.

Supporters showed uniform defiance, refusing to speculate on the record about what might become of Mr. Frost's political career if the Republican-backed map forces him to run in a district with little history of supporting Democratic candidates.

Likewise, Mr. Frost declined to further speculate on where he'd run if not in his current district, which includes parts of Arlington, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Duncanville, Fort Worth and Grand Prairie. He's already ruled out running against Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, the former mayor of Fort Worth and a popular congresswoman there.

"All I'm saying now is that I will run," he said.

If federal courts uphold the Republican-backed redistricting map, state Rep. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas, said he welcomes Mr. Frost to run in what would become District 32, which includes large swaths of Dallas from Oak Cliff to the Denton County line.

"It's not a question in my mind. I think he'd win it, hands-down," Mr. Alonzo said. "He's a magical leader."

E-mail dlevinthal@dallasnews.com

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Online at: http://www.dallasnews.com/localnews/stories/102603dnmetfrost.aa135.html

[MeekOneGOP]

[MeekOneGOP]

Frosty alert !

[Flyer]

vowed to wage a "battle of good vs. evil"

That's right. . . they are just confused as to which side they are on.

*PING!*

As always, a FReep mail will get you on or off this Houston topics ping list.

[solo gringo]

Looks like a frosty flake to me

[Argh]

A magical leader? Looks like a crabbed little troll to me, and I've probably just insulted all trolls with that remark.... You'd think I'd be used to this sort of thing, having had to see Jean Chretien regularly since the late 60's...

[Ff--150]

FRosty is sure slumming, before going back home to Beverly Hills. Hey, when he comes here, he's Jed Clampett =-)

[FlyLow]

"Supporters showed uniform defiance, refusing to speculate on the record about what might become of Mr. Frost's political career if the Republican-backed map forces him to run in a district with little history of supporting Democratic candidates.

Likewise, Mr. Frost declined to further speculate on where he'd run if not in his current district, which includes parts of Arlington, Cedar Hill, Dallas, Duncanville, Fort Worth and Grand Prairie. He's already ruled out running against Republican U.S. Rep. Kay Granger, the former mayor of Fort Worth and a popular congresswoman there."

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This man is having delusions. Kay Granger will whip him into pancake batter and fry him on the griddle. He is the poster boy for politicians who have stayed too long.

[MeekOneGOP]

The 'RATS are in a constant state of confusion and/or denial as far as I can tell !

Thanks for pinging ! ...

[MeekOneGOP]

hehe ! Yeah, I got a chuckle out of that remark in the article ...

"It's not a question in my mind. I think he'd win it, hands-down," Mr. Alonzo said. "He's a magical leader."

A regular Pied Piper, leading the 'RATS to the edge of the cliff ! ...

[jmaroneps37]

With frostie the taxman on the other side, we know which is the good and which is the evil side for sure.

[Jalapeno]

Yep, he is the spiting image of Gandalf.

[Democratshavenobrains]

What a surprise. All the liberals who had panic attacks when Boykin called Muslum terrorists evil see no problem with it being used on the Republican Party.

[MeekOneGOP]

Gandalf ? Who is that ? ...

[Dog Gone]

Redistricting would have been deemed a success if it had only resulted in Martin Frost and Lloyd Doggett losing their seats. Of course, it accomplished far more than that.

Both claim they're going to run and win, anyway, in a stunning display of self-delusion.

[Tall_Texan]

Let him represent Ardmore or Albuquerque.

[Redbob]

"FRosty is sure slumming, before going back home to Beverly Hills. Hey, when he comes here, he's Jed Clampett =-)"

Same strategy Algore and miscellaneous other congresscritters from Tennessee used for years, secure in the knowledge that folks back home would never learn the truth about them from the Nashville Tennessean.

[Redbob]

Hey Meek!
I just learned last night that Martin Frost is considering running against our very own Dr. Michael Burgess for the 26th district seat:

I hope he does!

Denton County voters will be proud to be the ones to send Martin Frost back to whatever corner of hell he calls home.

[MeekOneGOP]

Great !! Good for Denton and good for ALL Texans ! :O)