Thu, 12 Oct 2006 20:31:43 EDT
Perry, Bell campaigns clash after Bell gets big donation
By Kelly Shannon, Associated Press
October 11, 2006
Democrat Chris Bell, trying to keep his governor campaign's new momentum going, battled Republican Gov. Rick Perry's camp Wednesday after the governor's side criticized Bell's rich big donor.
Bell also said he doesn't regret his unsucessful attempt to get independent candidate Kinky Friedman to leave the governor's race.
"I reached out. Suffice it to say, he didn't reach back," Bell said. "We have a shared goal of getting a new governor."
Perry's camp launched an aggressive attack on John O'Quinn, the Houston trial lawyer who gave Bell $1 million this week and pledged to give or raise $4 million more.
Perry campaign spokesman Robert Black released a statement recounting O'Quinn's troubled past — including state Bar disciplinary action for improperly soliciting clients and an arrest for drunken driving. Black called O'Quinn Bell's "billionaire trial lawyer sugar daddy."
"I don't think Mr. Perry could find the moral high ground, much less seize it," Bell said.
O'Quinn pleaded no contest to the driving while intoxicated charge.
Bell must be under the "drug-like influence of one million trial lawyer dollars" to think he could talk Friedman out of the race, Black said.
Bell called Perry's attack "rather pathetic."
"It's sad that he would attack a private citizen in such a personal fashion," Bell said of the criticism of O'Quinn, which included details from O'Quinn's divorce.
Bell, who accepted from O'Quinn the largest single donation from an individual in a Texas governor's race in at least six years, also accused Perry of putting state government up for sale and taking 60 contributions of $100,000 or more.
"I don't think Mr. Perry could find the moral high ground, much less seize it," Bell said.
O'Quinn didn't immediately return a call Wednesday from The Associated Press.
During a speech Wednesday to students at the University of Texas San Antonio, Bell noted his new "incredible contribution" and said O'Quinn wants to see Texas taken in a new, positive direction.
Bell said his campaign is picking up momentum in the race against the other major candidates: Perry, Friedman and independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn.
He said he can finish first without Friedman's help, but it would be easier with it.
"We're going to be in perfect position to close the gap and win this race," Bell said.
Strayhorn issued a statement Wednesday calling it inappropriate for any candidate to urge another to leave the race.
"Everyone has a right to run for office and everyone has a right to vote for the candidate of their choice," she said. "This election is not about the candidate's political future, it is about Texas future."
Bell's contribution from O'Quinn on Monday allowed him to start immediately airing more television ads in competition with Strayhorn and Perry.
But Perry and Strayhorn still had a money advantage.
In state campaign finance filings Tuesday, Perry reported having $9.2 million in cash on hand in late September, and Strayhorn said she had $5 million. Friedman had $827,830 in available cash, while Bell reported $197,718 in its filing. Bell's report didn't include the $1 million he got this week.
