San Jacinto News-Times - Local News
Stories Added - August 2010
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Two-party system in county strongly divided
San Jacinto News- Times
COLDSPRING – San Jacinto County Democrats are admittedly “puzzled” concerning recent publicized campaign strategy promoted by a state Republican leader during a meeting of the San Jacinto County Republican Club recently. Hardin County resident David Bellow was elected to serve as a member on the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) in June. The 62 members of the SREC act as the governing body of the Republican Party of Texas. Speaking before local Republican Club members last week, Bellow told his fellow Republicans to capitalize on the anger felt against President Obama while they are campaigning to neighbors and friends. During an interview Monday, Bellow said, “This nation is so polarized that Democrats and Republicans have never been so different. It’s very diffi cult for conservative Democrats now with Obama’s platform. If you are a Democrat you are part of Obama’s team. Democrats in Washington have no conservative values. Old Democrats are good people but their party has left them. When they vote Democrat, they are voting the party,” Bellow said. Bellow told the local Republican Club, “We’re kind of all in crazy mode with Obama being elected.” Explaining the statement, Bellow said, “It shocked the nation and especially the Republican Party when Obama was elected. This is a president very, very liberal with opposite beliefs of the Republican Party so it really set us in a crazy mode. This mode has gotten people doing things, trying to win our nation back.” Bellow said he believes there is an attack on the nation and its citizens by those in power at the federal level. Explaining, he said, “Our constitution is under attack by judges. When judges can strike down a constitutional amendment on same-sex marriage in California and Arizona can’t protect its border then we need to look at Obama and take our nation back. We can’t sit back and do nothing.” Discussing Bellow’s Republican strategy in remarks prepared for last Thursday’s Democratic Party meeting in Coldspring, Richard Countiss, unopposed Democratic nominee for San Jacinto County Criminal District Attorney, said he was initially puzzled when learning of the Republican strategy. “President Obama is not running for anything in San Jacinto County or anywhere else. Nor does he have anything to do with the local issues in the local races.” However, Countiss pointed out that there is nothing unusual about the strategy. “One of the oldest political games in the book is distraction. If you are facing a competent and popular opponent, you attack someone else and try to associate your opponent with that person – a classic guilt by association tactic,” Countiss said. “The tactic has two purposes. One is to try to smear your opponent and the other is to defl ect attention from your own defi ciencies,” Countiss said. “What does President Obama have to do with the issues in the races for San Jacinto County Judge, county commissioner and justices of the peace?” Countiss asked. “All politics are 95 percent local. The President of the United States doesn’t set the tax rate in San Jacinto County or oversee the handling of the business of the county; he doesn’t try criminal or civil cases in our courts; he doesn’t maintain our roads or our parks or build our bridges; he doesn’t record our deeds or administer our assistance programs or catch our criminals. Our candidates do these things, they do them every day, and they do them very well. Those are the issues Democrats will be talking about.” Commissioner Mark Nettuno agreed with Countiss’ assessment of the issues. “I defeated my current opponent in our last election because the voters wanted a commissioner with a fresh vision for our county and a fresh voice for all the people, and most importantly, a commissioner that focused on the duties of a commissioner. I have put aside party affi liations in my duties and the voters should also. The fair thing to do is to review what my opponent’s actions and accomplishments were while he was in offi ce and compare those to what I have accomplished.” Fifty-one-year-old San Jacinto County Judge Fritz Faulkner said he has lived here in San Jacinto County his entire life and 26 of those years have been spent practicing law here. “I feel confi dent that the people of San Jacinto County are smart enough to vote for the most qualifi ed person for the job, regardless of whom the President is or how much money the Republican Party sends down here.” Justice of the Peace Greg Magee said, “It somewhat scares me that a political party would suggest to American voters they should disregard candidates’ experience, education and character just to vote against the party of a sitting President. Can you imagine what local government would be like if voters disregarded candidates’ qualifi cations and voted strictly on party affi liations?” Before leaving San Jacinto County Bellow and SREC representative Dianne Caron presented the San Jacinto County Republican Party’s four candidates with state funds for the upcoming November General Election. Coldspring-Oakhurst Consolidated Independent School District Board President and candidate for county judge Fred Taylor received a state check for $2,000; Former Pct. 4 Commissioner Joe Johnson, who is campaigning for his old seat, was given a $1,000 check and Pct. 3 Justice of the Peace candidate Jim Luton and Pct. 4 Justice of the Peace candidate Lou Rogers each received a check for $300.
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