EL DEFENZOR ELECTION DAY ARTICLE: REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION

POLITICS HEATING UP IN SOUTH TEXAS- PRIMARY MARCH 4, 2008:
An Analysis by Homero Villarreal

THE WOES IN THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY:Over the last few weeks it has been increasingly clear that the events of the last few months have affected the political currents in the sea of trouble we know as South Texas politics. The push by Republicans to overrun the Democratic controlled Coastal Bend is not a new political theory. The Defenzor was first to bring out the political genius of Filemon B. Vela, Jr. His Machiavellian style at politics raised the hackles of many in the Democratic party but also caused a paradigm shift in the thinking of those individuals in the Hispanic community who would argue that the Democratic party itself has not been effective. Democrats have voiced their displeasure over the ineffectiveness (some would say deliberate of Alex Garcia as Democratic chair that has created vulnerability to Republican overrun and therefore multiple candidates have placed their name on the ballot to run). Some believe that Vela is acting only for political gain and for power but the intelligence and constant pressure that he has exhibited in the local, state and national level certainly belies the theory that it is “one man acting alone”. Vela is reportedly spending his time split between South Texas and Washington, D.C. As the Defenzor reported it was he that is backing Connie Scott in her race against Abel Herrero. Scott is reportedly a major player in tort reform and her husband has very close ties with U.S. Senator John Cornyn.

MAURICIO CELIS FACTOR: Another development since October of 2007 which has caused an upheaval in the Democratic party is the indictment of Mauricio Celis. As the Defenzor has argued on television shows such as South Texas Crossfire and on Attorney Mark DiCarlo’s show Voices of the Coastal Bend on the Access Channel, we firmly believe that Celis has become a target for the ultraconservative and extreme factions of the Republican party who will stop at nothing to prevent heavy campaign donors from aiding the Democratic party. Regardless of the merit of any civil suits the Defenzor has made the argument that the criminal charges for Celis are entrenched in the purpose of humiliating, dehumanizing and taken the power of one of the most powerful and generous contributors to the Democratic party away. It is a very methodical game plan in that if you target someone like Celis you will also affect those who he gave campaign contributions too. We make no comment on the validity or the right and wrong of the charges leveled against him but we do bring out the fact that politics has much to do with who is prosecuted and who is not in the Coastal Bend by Carlos Valdez.

DISTRICT ATTORNEY OF NUECES COUNTY CARLOS VALDEZ: Defenzor Radio on FM 93.5 at 1pm weekdays has the last few months brought about awareness that many who have been indicted or who have been prosecuted were at the discretion of Carlos Valdez. Valdez is best known for his prosecution of the Yolanda Saldivar who was convicted of killing the Tejano icon Selena in 1995. Valdez has held his post and his political powerbase (along with his “court” at Garibaldi’s restaurant here in Corpus Christi) much in part due to the prosecutions which he has made that some whisper are often politically motivated. One of which was the questionable prosecution and revival of charges of a certain dance instructor a few months ago who stood in the way of one of his crony’s land deal. Valdez has been D.A. well into his second decade and many question why he has been unopposed for so long. Some would argue that is a reign instead of a political seat. Valdez walks a tightrope with the Mauricio Celis case where if he wins he will gain more political power and will vanquish an opponent where there is no love lost in Tony Canales. Many believe that Celis’ choice of attorney’s may affect the state prosecution of the case and his original choice of Rene Rodriguez and Ron Barossa would have made the criminal charges go away with a slap on the wrist. Still others believe that the hardnosed style and trial abilities of Tony Canales will carry the day. The net effect is that Celis has become a political target and political football in an election year where votes and crossover votes from the Democratic and Republican sides of the aisle matter.

ORTIZ, JR., HERRERO AND GARCIA: THE THREE AMIGOS: All three state representatives have pulled opponents and both Ortiz and Herrero have been mobilizing for attacks. The Defenzor has heard concerns by Hispanic voters who claim to have saved Juan Garcia in his struggle to achieve victory over Gene Seamen of not “working in our interests and not being seen around”. It is whispered that he may be considered for a federal cabinet position if his good friend and law schoolmate Barack Obama wins the presidential election and this may or may not have distracted Mr. Garcia. One thing is clear, in Todd Hunter, the former representative of district 32, there is no easy win. Hunter is reaching out to both sides of the aisle and has been seen in the company of ultraliberal John Kelley at reportedly highbrow establishments such as the Town Club here in Corpus Christi. Such alliances could pull liberal and socialist leaning voters over to Hunter but that is unlikely and may lead to confusion in the Democratic party and resentment for Kelley openly associating with Republicans such as Hunter over Juan Garcia.

GREENWELL: In the judge races the sole Republican District Judge Tom Greenwell is in a political minefield. Greenwell is embroiled in the Celis case and though he withdrew himself twice for presiding over the case and it was he who allowed the search and seizure as Tony Canales called it. Greenwell held that the warrant was valid despite Canales’ arguments that it was a “fishing expedition” by the Attorney General and Carlos Valdez. As readers will recall Greenwell was elected over Marty Huerta and rode the tide of Proposition 12 by the doctors to reform medical malpractice lawsuits and has been on the bench for nearly 6 years. Other district judges are facing or shall face more Republican candidates like Greenwell according to Republican sources.

THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS RACE NUECES COUNTY PRECINCT ONE: JOE BENAVIDES VS PEGGY BANALES: Things are heating up and this is the race to watch. In a surprising announcement the Caller Times endorsed Joe Benavides over Peggy Banales for Precinct 1 County Commissioner in Nueces County. Banales has been attacked for giving herself a 12.5 percent raise while the county employees received marginal raises. It is also rumored she voted to give her husband Manuel Banales an additional office at the taxpayers expense in excess of $140,000.00 which has enraged many. It is also reported that she backed moves for huge and profitable enterprises in Robstown, Texas over her own Precinct on the west side of Corpus Christi and in northwest Corpus Christi. It is rumored that although Councilman Bill Kelley did not run against her this time and (in 2004 he lost by less than 150 votes against her) he supports Joe Benavides. Joe Benavides a retired marine and presently a teacher with at-risk kids at the Adult Learning Center seeks to unseat her and basks in the Caller Times favor. Benavides has pushed for transparent government and vows to refuse a raise for 8 years and in a powerful and symbolic gesture has vowed to remove the screws and bolts from the door of the Commissioner’s office to maintain an open door policy. Benavides ran in 2004 and finished 4th in the race that won the election for Peggy Banales. Reportedly on the blogs such Real South Texas Politics, Banales supporters including the Rendons and former one term County Judge Terry Shamsie are reportedly getting worried about Benavides and may launch an all out negative attack on retired marine Joe Benavides. Rumors are not confirmed that Solomon Ortiz Jr and Sr. supporters such as the Rendons are openly supporting Banales although Joe Benavides helped the Congressman since 2000 on all of his campaigns. This support may be another mistake in the Solomonista camp as was done in the support of Pete Alvarez in the Sherriff’s race which led to embarrassment for Rendon and the Ortiz clan when Alvarez turned Republican. Solomon Ortiz, Jr. is reportedly being groomed for congressman and the only threat to his inheriting the throne is Juan Garcia who may have higher aspirations. Meanwhile, it is known that “Solly” has a war chest of hundreds of thousands of dollars and more coming if the Republican opponent in November 2008 gains traction. Clips of Joe Benavides are on youtube.com and have interviews of him also sharing that both of his sons are or have been deployed to Iraq and that he is a disabled Veteran which may bring the military vote his way as well as those he see Peggy Banales as selling them out to Robstown.

JIM WELLS COUNTY: The District Attorney and District Judge Races are ones to watch since the national attention on Jim Wells county. The Mayor of Alice has resigned which aids the Mayor Pro Tem, Juan Rodriguez, in perhaps seeking higher office of Justice of the Peace against Lupe Martinez. David Towler contends in the Alice Echo that Terrell the seated district Judge has ruled unfairly against many plaintiff attorneys in this venue but many attorneys have been split on their support other than Gray Scoggins and Bobby Bourlon who are openly supporting David Towler the opponent of the seated judge and have voiced frustration against Judge Terrell and rage against his rulings. Terrell won several years ago and was also former city attorney of Alice as well as District Attorney and is well known in South Texas. A reported “wait and see approach” is being taken in a venue where court decisions in a civil or criminal case often make state and national news. Joe Frank Garza the District Attorney is also facing the democratic opponent in the primary Armando Barrera. Barrera and his brother reportedly are political enemies of both Joe Frank Garza and incumbent Judge Richard Terrell and supported Edie Gonzalez Lemon the present judge of the municipal court against Terrell years ago. These races and the politics in Alice are never boring. Stay tuned on the El Defenzor radio and right here on El Defenzor newspaper.


Mikal Watts: Recently Mikal Watts came out openly that he was on Mauricio Celis side and that what Celis did was legally correct. In an article by the Caller Times in February 2008 Watts reaffirmed that he dropped out of the senatorial race and gave up on his exploratory committee because of family, not because of Celis. Many analysts have voiced opinions that Watts is attempted to minimize exposure to Celis and at the same time insulating himself. He was quoted as saying that very little of his business came from Celis and that he plans to run as soon as his youngest child finishes high school. It remains to be seen how his position will change the Republican party’s stance or the Attorney General’s opinion on Celis. In the balance many think that Celis having Watts on his side is a plus and it underlines that the criminal charges and attacks by Thomas J. Henry are groundless.

Celis vs Henry: Back in October of 2007 it was Henry in an unprecedented attack on Mauricio Celis who stated that “Celis had no law license anywhere in the world” and attacked the CGT law firm Celis was managing as soliciting cases. The Defenzor has since learned that Henry had to water down his commercial and in fact still ran it despite it being deemed unacceptable by the Texas Bar association. From that commercial Henry reported obtained one client: Paloma Steele. The Defenzor has uncovered that Steele in fact may have had a grievance against Henry at one point and that in Celis’ point of view Henry by using a commercial held invalid by the Bar Association of Texas also violated solicitation rules and that any fees Henry may obtain from the Steele case should ironically be disgorged as well! Henry also reportedly had an altercation with attorney Bobby Bourlon in Alice when one of his underling attorneys solicited a case from Bourlon of his own cousin by marriage knowing that Bourlon represented the man! Bourlon was not reached for comment to further elaborate on this development but only shows that some attorneys may argue that if you throw rocks some boulders may come at you if you live in a glasshouse. Defenzor has previously reported also that a direct quote from Henry was that the only thing criminally that Celis ever did wrong was “try to legitimize himself by giving money to politicians and in this case were Democrats.”

THE UPCOMING PRIMARIES shall be very interesting for the local voters who must decide on national elections and on local races that are overshadowed by the Celis case, attorneys and nonattorneys warring on each other and certain factions of the Republican party who are vowing to unseat Democrats at every turn. How will Filemon Vela play his cards? Will he wait until the general election to flex his political muscle or will he do so now and will he remain a purist in the Republican party? Will Carlos Valdez work a deal, try the case or lose against Tony Canales in the Celis case? Will Jim Kaelin, the sheriff suffer serious competition from his Democratic opponents and is it true that he himself tried to make his opponent young Flores back off? And will a retired marine defeat the wife of a powerful judge in the County Commissioner’s race? The Defenzor shall be watching and waiting.

Meanwhile stay tuned to 93.5 FM-Defenzor Radio weekdays at 1pm and see my interview on youtube.com on my opinions the media and the Celis case.

I Remain Your Humble Editor-In-Chief,

Homero Villarreal