Posted on 10/31/2008 3:35:27 PM PDT by flattorney
ABSTRACT: Two Houston-area congressmen under political siege likely face opposite fates in the Nov. 4 election, according to a poll conducted for the Houston Chronicle. U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, trailed Republican challenger Pete Olson by 17 percentage points early last week, according to the survey by Zogby International. The poll had a margin of error of plus or minus 5 percentage points. U.S. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, led Democratic challenger Michael Skelly more modestly, by 7 percentage points, with virtually the same margin of error. In both Republican-friendly districts, a key factor appeared to be the Democratic candidates' inability to run strong among independent voters and cut deeply into the ranks of Republican voters.
In the 22nd Congressional District, represented by Lampson after the 2006 resignation of Republican powerhouse Tom DeLay, only 5 percent of Republican voters in the survey had defected to Lampson. Lampson led Olson among independents, 45 percent to 39 percent. But only 16 percent in the poll identified themselves as independent; while 52 percent said Republican and 32 percent said Democrat. Lampson says he votes according to voters' wishes and has made headway for the district by taking a centrist, bipartisan role in the House. Olson, a former Senate aide and Navy pilot, said his conservative outlook matches the district's conservative bent. The district covers southeast Harris County, most of Fort Bend County and parts of Brazoria and Galveston counties. Libertarian John Wieder, whose name was not mentioned in the poll, is also in the race. # STOP #
(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...
This is one of two U.S. Congress races, in this part of the Country., that are top Soros Shadow Party(SSP) initiatives. The other is Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK) who is the #1 SSP defeat initiative. With a $6+ million war chest, and diehard conservative district base, Jim is crusing to an easy victory (currently +16.7), despite a massive SSP negative ad campaign against him again this week. If you dont know Jim, he replaced Tom DeLay as the veteran conservative GOP iron fist on The Hill against the ultra liberals Democrats and the SSP. Like Tom, Jim is a tough political street-fighter. For example, he hates Al Gore and his man-made global warming hoax. FlA
TAB
Democrat Lampsons Strategy: Hold Onto Texas Seat by Going Local
CQPolitics by Claire Leavitt
October 31, 2008
When you ask Nick about our space program, he lights up like a kid on Christmas morning, Rep. Nick Lampson of Texas campaign biography declares. He understands what the [Johnson] space center means to our local economy. Lampson and his fellow House Democrats are hoping his devotion to local issues will help the congressman retain the 22nd District seat he won in 2006 after former House majority leader Tom DeLay resigned in disgrace. But there are certainly no guarantees here: the district gave 64 percent of its vote to George W. Bush in 2004.
Lampson represented Texas 9th district for four consecutive terms before DeLay-orchestrated 2003 gerrymandering led to Lampsons resounding 2004 defeat to Republican Ted Poe . In 2006, Lampson squeaked by with 52 percent of the vote in his new district, the 22nd, against write-in candidate Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (the Republican ballot remained vacant after DeLays resignation).
This time around, Lampson faces Navy veteran Pete Olson, whos running on a strict conservative platform and calling Lampson the biggest spender in Congress.
The race, which CQ Politics rates as No Clear Favorite, is one of the Republicans handful of chances to reclaim seats they lost in the 2006 Democratic sweep. The district is expected to overwhelmingly back John McCain for president, and a victory would validate Lampsons claims that he is not too liberal for his district and that his 2006 win wasnt a DeLay-inspired fluke.
The Olson campaign says: just look at the record. [Lampsons] got a 10-year voting record, [and its] way too liberal, campaign spokeswoman Amy Goldstein declared. Hes tacked more to the right since Pete Olson became the nominee.
CQ rates Lampsons party unity how often a member toes the line of his partys leadership as 77 percent for 2007 and just 56 percent for 2008, compared to an average score of 85 percent during his first eight years in Congress. Lampson spokesman Trevor Kincaid maintains the partisan warfare stoked by DeLay and the former House Republican leadership is responsible for the apparent shift.
Calling Lampson one of the most moderate voices in the House, Kincaid points to Lampsons recent endorsements from the National Rifle Association, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, and the Texas Farm Bureau. I mean, these are fiscally to socially conservative groups, Kincaid said. The VFW rarely endorses members of Congress who do not sit on defense and veterans affairs committees, making its endorsement of Lampson particularly noteworthy.
But Olson is pushing his conservative credentials, saying in his first TV spot that only a congressman with conservative principles can reign in government excess. Hes anti-abortion and pro-traditional marriage. He is, as he announced at the candidates debate, fundamentally against universal health care and supports extending President Bushs tax cuts. He describes himself as a smaller government conservative and says he would have opposed the $700 billion financial bailout package Congress passed in early October.
Lampson voted no on the bailout twice, saying the bill forces the average taxpayer to pay for a crisis that they did not create. The Olson campaign charges that Lampson voted for authorizing the Treasury departments credit assistance to mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac when nobody was watching, then flipped for political reasons when it came time to weigh in on the higher-profile rescue. (The Fannie/Freddie provision was part of a larger housing package, and Lampsons vote was to approve the entire bill.)
Despite the bailouts few weeks in the spotlight, a district thats home to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center will always place a premium on NASA. And Lampson is very much aware of that: hes called for increased commitment to human spaceflight and warned of foreign efforts to surpass the U.S.s current prominence in space technology. Hes a member of the House Science Subcommittee on Space and Aeronautics and is slated to become Chairman next year. He touts the 2008 passage of the NASA Authorization Act - and the procurement of its $3 billion increase from President Bushs original fiscal 2009 request as a particularly impressive achievement.
The Olson campaign fires back that Lampsons support for NASA funding increases is a canard, given his vote for the sweeping fiscal 2007 continuing budget resolution, which continued to fund the government at 2006 levels. The National Republican Congressional Committee claims in an ad that Lampson voted for legislation that would cut the NASA budget by $545 million, referring to the continuing resolution, which is what counts, according to the campaign. Lampson does not sit on the House Appropriations committee and did not have a role in crafting the resolution.
Meanwhile, the Democrat-affiliated Lone Star Project PAC has accused Olson of illegally voting in an August 12, 2003 Connecticut special election, while registered in Virginia. Olsons parents live in Connecticut, and their address served as Olsons permanent residence during his Navy service. The Olson campaign claims it can prove the candidate wasnt in Connecticut on the day in question, and explains Olsons vote as a polling-booth error. In any case, campaign spokeswoman Amy Goldstein said, Petes not focused on it, while Lampson spokesman Trevor Kincaid emphasized the Olson camps four different stories about his whereabouts on the day in question. Hes obviously lying about something, Kincaid said.
Further jeopardizing Olsons chances is the NRCCs early October decision to slash its TV-ad budget for the race in half, from approximately $1.5 million to around $600,000. Lampson has maintained a fundraising advantage throughout the race he ended September with approximately $1.2 million in the bank versus $469,000 for Olson and spokesman Trevor Kincaid said the cutback shows the NRCC has realized Olson cant win. Nonetheless, the Olson camp is optimistic. In an election year that predicts big Democratic gains, Olsons a potential star in the increasingly bleak GOP sky.
TAB
Lampson, when he won in 2006 with no opposition on the ballot, was quite obviously a one-term congressman. The one-night stand with that Texas House district is over for him.
I wonder why John Culbertson is running so poorly? His district is overhwelmingly Republican.
Good news with Pete Olsen. If I’m not mistaken, Republicans have an outside chance at defeating Ciro Rodriguez.
How is it that this information was able to slip through the MSM firewall?
At first, I thought maybe you meant to say Henry Cuellar instead of Ciro Rodriguez. I did look it up and realized that it was Rodriguez who deafeated Henry Bonilla 54-46 in 2006. Cuellar had run against Bonilla before the redistricting. I still think this might not be one of the most likely pickups for Repubs. I’d say the best ones besides TX-22 are FL-16 and a handful of PA seats (particularly 10, 11, and 12).
The one-night stand with that Texas House district is over for him.
CD22 looks like it was drawn by someone blindfolded and his instructed telling him to move left,right,forward, backward, etc.
In any case a lot of it is located in Fort Bend County and that county with 299,000 registered voters has turned out at slightly over 45% for early voting with today being the last day. I’d say Lampson will be back in Beaumont hunting something to do come the first of Jan.
sheesh.....
Culbertson is running in the City of Houston - strong sanctuary city. HUGE Hispanic population - many illegal. Also home of Malcolm X. Prayers up for Culbertson. He’s going to have a tough time. Flight of people to Sugar Land, Clear Lake and Pearland from the city will benefit Pete. We also have been working our tails off for him. Lampson has more support from the Beaumont area. People down here DO NOT like Nancy and Lampson is often referred to as one of her lapdogs. The two issues he sided with conservaties on: drill now - he knew Nancy would not allow bill to come up for a vote so that was a safe yes for him - and the bailout - Nancy didn’t need his vote. Had the Pubbie Reps stuck together and voted no in a block, might have put a different take on Lampson’s no vote. DeLay screwed the Pubbies by his timing on his resignation.
I think Culbertson’s opponent is spending like he’s a divorced dad at Christmas. $$$$.
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