Texas Republicans Are Nearly Bankrupt (And They Don’t Have Any Money, Either)!

by

Robert Leleux

Hello Gang!

I’m a day late and a dollar short on this one.  But it was such an ASTOUNDING story that I felt compelled to comment on it anyway.

Did you all read this article in the Houston Chronicle a couple of weeks ago, saying that the Texas Republican Party is POOR?!

If not, you can find it here.

And after you read it, you might be tempted to think, as I do, that in all likelihood, one of the Seven Seals has been broken.

Here’s an extended quote from the piece:

“Even as Texas Republicans anticipate soul-stirring victories across the state this fall, their party faces the baleful prospect of immediate bankruptcy.

Steve Munisteri, the retired Houston lawyer who was elected chairman at the party’s state convention in Dallas last weekend, knew it was bad. Party finances were a major issue in his campaign to unseat Cathie Adams, the longtime conservative activist who had taken over as party chairwoman just eight months ago. What he didn’t realize, he said, is that he would be working 18-hour days his first week in office — and for the immediate future – just to keep the lights on.

“Although nothing really surprised me, it’s much worse than was portrayed,” he said by phone on Friday.

According to the latest filing with the Federal Election Commission, the party had $264,863 cash on hand and $501,174 in debt. Munisteri said the party actually owed $605,835. The Republican National Committee recently paid a bill worth $134,000, he said; otherwise, the RPT would owe $739,000.

“I have both a big debt, and we’re losing money every month,” he said.”

Munisteri goes on to say, in the nicest possible way, that his predecessor was a nincompoop with antiquated ideas about political fundraising.  And the article implies (or at least this is how I read it) that the Country Club Republicans were alienated by said nincompoop, who was also a hard-line Religious Righter, and they stopped writing checks.

Munisteri has all kinds of fancy ideas about how to raise money.  But Jesus, how hard could it possibly be?  Texas Republicans are like the richest people on earth.  Just go to James Baker’s house for chrissake.  Ask Joanne Herring to give a lunch at the Petroleum Club.  Have Georgette Mosbacher host a La Prairie party, or something.  Honestly, how incompetent would you have to be to go broke running the Texas Republican Party?

And here’s another scary thought.  If the Republicans don’t even have any money, then how totally f***ed are the rest of us?  I mean, what chance on God’s green earth do Greenpeace and Amnesty International have of raising a nickel, if the masters of the universe are passing the hat?

It’s all so terribly disillusioning.  And I’d think it would be doubly disillusioning for a Republican.  Because really, what’s the point of being a Texas Republican if you’re just as poor as everybody else?  More confronting still, if you’re a Texas Republican, and you’re not rich, then what are you?

It’s enough to make one an existentialist, no?

Love Y’all,

Robert

Oh, and I’d like to thank the divine Susan DuQuesnay Bankston, over at www.juanitajean.com, for bringing this piece to my attention in the first place!