First, I want to let folks know I work for Rick Noriega’s campaign.
Yesterday, BooMan posted about Rick Noriega’s remarks to the Texas Broadcast Association. The netroots have helped us start to take our country back, and I couldn’t agree with BooMan’s post more.
Rick’s comments about the progressive blogosphere are wrong, and he admits this mistake. For folks who missed it, Rick liveblogged on FireDogLake yesterday about his remarks. His statement can be seen below.
I would not be in the race for U.S. Senate in Texas without the netroots. A group of Texas bloggers banded together to form the Draft Noriega movement, and I answered their call in July to run for U.S. Senate. I experienced first-hand the power of the blogosphere and its democratizing effects. There were no smoke-filled rooms filled with power brokers making the decisions – just a group of concerned citizens working together to take back Texas and their country. The amazing thing is this is not an isolated event. From the victories of Ned Lamont, Jim Webb, and Jon Tester to the ongoing fight on important issues like Iraq, net neutrality, the economy, and health care, the progressive netroots have changed the game in politics, and they have changed it for the better.
Yesterday, the San Antonio Express News printed an article discussing the netroots and my campaign. Needless to say, I was disappointed. Disappointed in the article, but more importantly, disappointed in my own quoted statements. I own up to making those statements. I do believe that the politics of Karl Rove, John Cornyn, and right-wing talk radio are based on exploiting wedge issues like flag burning or the political trifecta of “gays, guns, and God.” I do not equate the democratic influence of citizen journalists in the blogosphere fighting for their country with the corporate right-wing noise machine, and I do not believe the progressive blogosphere is participating in this form of wedge politics. I also realize my statements are hurtful to our greater cause to promote progressive politics. I know what it is like to be devalued, whether it’s because of my last name, my skin color, my lack of hair, or any number of things folks have used against me in life. My comments devalued the blogosphere, and I apologize.
As I stated above, the netroots have made a tremendous contribution to today’s politics. Ultimately, I know I will be judged on my actions going forward, and I’m confident you’re going to see a candidate and campaign fighting for our shared values. Our campaign to bring change to Texas took a hit yesterday, and there will undoubtedly be more. I’m going to continue busting my butt out here in Texas to fight for what we all believe in. I hope you’ll stand with me.
As Rick said, he will ultimately be judged by his actions going forward. I think everyone is going to like what they see.
Larry
Noriega traveled to Yearly Kos and then live blogged from there on Daily Kos. He has live blogged on several other occasions? He spent his time in a conference call yesterday with bloggers.
It’s so rare these days for a public figure to accept responsibility for mistakes and to make an apology in public. That’s a character trait we need more of in our leaders.
The Texas bloggoshpere is standing behind Rick Noriega.
and was quoted in the article itself, I’d like to say I believe Rick does understand what a mistake this was.
He’s learned a lot about the netroots and blogs in a very short time-and the real news is that he’s on the cutting edge of this understanding among our Texas politicians. (Yes, we in the Texas netroots have our work cut out for us in that regard.)
I believe he’s committed to working with us.
I’m not in the habit of supporting candidates who spit in my face.
I still support Rick Noriega, and look forward to being able to call him my Senator.
Anyone can apologize. Act with haste, repent at leisure is the old saw. So, WHY did he say it in the first place, and WHY won’t he repeat it in the future? In other words, besides being sorry, what has he done to NOT say such things again?
Rick was given a prepared speech. The speech was focused on holding the MSM accountable and going after R’s and Cornyn for playing “wedge” politics. The speechwriter added the line about the blogosphere in a failed effort to appear “balanced.” Rick takes full responsibility for this. He doesn’t believe it, but he said those words. As Rick posted yesterday, “This was a poor attempt to try to be balanced and draw a contrast. However it came out like comparing apples to wheat…not even the same food group. However I am the candidate and I have to lead by example when we make a screw up… I take full responsibility as your candidate.”
According to Rick, the person who wrote the speech no longer writes his speeches. Rick is also very upfront when he goes around Texas to credit the netroots and their part in his campaign. That hasn’t changed.
See, this is still my problem with the whole Noriega Flap…and it comes not from a “speechwriter” (which is bullshit itself – he’s not the president of the country for frak’s sake), but from the top of the campaign. And the problem still remains. Why the frak does he think he has to “appear balanced”? If you are not ideologically balanced, why do you want to “appear” balanced? If you are not particularly ideological, why would you pretend to us that you are out of one side of your mouth, on the blogs, and then try to walk it back with the RWCM?
I understand this temptation. It is easier to put on your BDU’s and face the enemy sometimes than the Mighty Wurlitzer and all its bullshitting minions; but Rick has to remember that if he can’t take their pressure now, how will he be able to face them head-on when he wins, and they really go on the offensive?
Mr. dks’ campaign was probably doomed last year, but he did not backpedal on issues in our district. He lost votes for his stand on reproductive rights, his stand on school vouchers, his stand on equal rights for all Texans, and his stand on prayer in public schools. Looking around at our local scene the day after election day and seeing that even those who did back-pedal lost, well, that made it clear to Mr. dks that honesty really is the best policy. He got more Dem votes than any other Dem in our county, in an 80% red district. And he told the truth about his positions, straight – unfiltered by “speechwriters” or consultants.
Ciro Rodriguez accepted not only beltway money, but beltway consultants and speechwriters and directions during the run-off last year. And look what we have, now. And we gave him every penny left in our campaign account for that run off, in addition to personal money. Imagine how stupid we feel now.
This is why I am really upset by Rick’s so-called throw-away “mistake”. Mr. dks and I are heading for another disastrous fuck up, for we have agreed to co-host a San Antonio fundraiser for Rick next month. I think Rick needs to get out of the triangulating, “balanced” mind-set, and just look around at the broken government all around us. Just how balanced is the blame for that, huh, Rick? Did the bloggers do most or even any of that? Did the quixotic lefty candidates from 04 and 06 do that? How about the anti-war crowd? Is it their fault the government is broken? Or the homosexuals – how about them? Did they shatter this country into the thousands of pieces we see everywhere? If it’s not them, I guess it’s gotta be them dirty bloggers of the far, far, left you talked about. They gotta be “balanced, I guess. That will put Humpty-Dumpty back together, won’t it?
Truth is not balanced. It is just truth.
The speechwriter put it in the remarks to be “balanced” because he thought the remarks basically just ripped Cornyn and the right. Not saying it was right, just telling you what I was told by the comms team. Not only was that stupid, but completely wrong. As you say, the truth is the truth here.
I don’t believe Rick is a triangulator. He messed up here, and he’s owned up to it. He didn’t try to spin here. He called me and said I screwed up. I pushed him b/c I wouldn’t stand by Rick if he really believed those comments. He doesn’t.
Did he not read the speech before he gave it? And why does he want to be so “balanced”? Cornyn is one of the least popular R’s out there.
Please see my comment above. The desire for balance came from the speechwriter. Again, Rick still said those words. As far as did he read the speech, here’s Rick’s response yesterday:
Well, we all make mistakes and hopefully learn from them.
Good luck!
Thank you! The great thing is the TX netroots are going to show in this campaign what kind of force they are. It’s going to be a beautiful thing.
his explanation is good enough for me.
Anyone can fuck up and then apologize. OK, good.
However, that don’t mean diddly IMHO. What PROCESS change will be added to ensure that the error will not happen again? That’s what we need to know.