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I think folks need to learn a bit more and think a bit more before going off on Davis like he's the anti-Christ. Judy Smith is a black woman state legislator who endorsed Republican Jay Dickey in a very close race, even though she had been his opponent just two years earlier. Doing so probably ruined her career - at least in the Democratic party. Moreover, she did it on her own, with no promises or pleas from Republicans. She was left with campaign debt, and the traditional Dem sources won't give her a dime now. Davis wants to demonstrate that black Democrats (or any Democrats) who stray from their party's orthodoxy won't be left out in the cold if they fail. It's good, smart, outreach politics.

Doesn't Davis have enough sense to make a payoff for an endorsement with "walking-around" money and keep it off the books?

This doesn't look like a compassionate-conservative outreach. It looks like a payoff, unethical interference in another party's affairs, and damned stupid.

Come November I would not be surprised to find that the $3000 wasted on Smith might well have made a difference in a competitive race, perhaps even Dickey's.

Thanks for the background. Even so, when people donate to the RNC they don't expect their money to go to Democrats, I don't care who he or she happens to be. Hold a separate fundraiser for that purpose or tap into a PAC. I was in Davis' district last November before I was redistricted and I didn't receive one piece of literature from Davis on behalf of our GOP gubernatorial candidate, Mark Earley. Davis is popular in Fairfax County and speaking out for Earley would have helped. When Earley's campaign was breaking their backs to try and salvage a bad situation, Davis was out of the country and to my knowledge, never held one event for Earley. Davis wears more than one hat and it's no secret he ticks off conservatives more often than not.

It's good, smart, outreach politics.

You're right, that may have been Davis's strategy. However, do you think it was right for Davis to say:

"[He is] one of the highest-maintenance candidates I’ve ever had." During his visit, Davis told Dickey "he had better ‘get some money in the bank’ - and fast - if he expected the national party to chip in.” [NY Times, 3/3/02]

I think this should have been a private conversation between Davis and Dickey. Why would he say this to the NYTimes, of all places?

Also, since when does being pro-abortion qualify as being socially conservative? From what I've read online, Judy Smith is still pro-abortion. Do you have information that indicates otherwise? Thanks.