Bailes Consultant, Murphy-Nasica, Anti-Conservative Champions

Earnest Bailes, enemy of the people of Texas

As we get closer to the Republican runoff here in Liberty County for the HD 18 Rep. race it is becoming more and more clear that the old guard as well as Austin lobbyists are circling the wagons around Ernest Bailes, doing whatever is necessary for win.

 Liberty Dispatch has taken a slow approach on many fronts to battle this. We have shown the corruption of the local Republican Party Chairman and the players involved. Their aggression range from total disregard for an elected Executive Committee (by you, the people), slanderous website  releases, the breaking of party rules, to even giving Ernest Bailes the very same talking points. The Chairman's wife has used emails sent to party members with this same goal. The Chairman himself has made it clear in meetings his plans were to ruin the Strahan campaign  because of his recent defeat.

Lately, Paul Newton, webmaster for the Liberty County Republican Party, has posted slanderous information about Keith Strahan and even Jonathan Stickland (arguably one of the most Conservatives in the House) through various social media avenues. He's gone so far as to post misleading facts about Mr. Stickland and post them right next to Mr. Strahan's fundraiser in which Rep. Stickland will be speaking. So much for that email we all saw yesterday about, civility, respect, and other garbage Mr. Newton clearly lied about. Actually, the 'facts' Mr. Newton is sharing has come from Rep. Sticklands challenger in this past primary. A challenger that something in common with Mr. Bailes. What Mr. Newton fails to realize is voters clearly rejected Fisher (Stickland's Opponent) and Stickland won without a runoff. Of course Liberty Dispatch knows Strahan is supported by the three highest-ranked Conservative members of the Texas House, Including Representatives Matt Rinnaldi and Tony Tinderholt.

What do these two have in common? Both Bailes and Fisher sought out Craig Murphy's consultant firm to run their campaigns. And if Mr. Strahan is going to be chastised for being part of a Republican grassroots group- what Bailes swims in should turn your stomach!

In Liberty County, many may not know about this firm's twisted past. Murphy's firm's are widely known to be an extension of the arm of Joe Straus that not only runs Republican's In Name Only against good Conservatives, but are known for dirty campaigning at its finest (Murphy  is now known as Murphy-Nasica, instead of Murphy-Turner, so don't let the differences in names confuse you. It's the same beast under a different names. )

Let's review a few issues over the years:

" IF CAMPAIGNS OF TRACI HUTTON & SCOTT FISHER SEEM TO BE USING SIMILAR TACTICS;  THERE IS A REASON!"  San Antonio Express-News.. “Of the 14 candidates who have paid Murphy Turner in 2012, 11 are opposed by conservatives."

Local News Only- "Note the highlighted portion of the filing of Hutton’s campaign against conservative Judge R.H. Wallace. There were only two donations listed, one from an apparent relative and the other from Tarrant County Commissioner Gary Fickes.  When questioned about his endorsement of Hutton, Commissioner Fickes Responded via Email, “…she has worked on every race I’ve been in. She’s put signs up, handed out literature, taken signs down and given me donations. I think everyone knew about her and Mike”.Thanks, Gary.

In addition, Hutton showed a loan to herself of $21,000.  Listed under her expenditures is a total of $20,980.91 paid to Political Consultant  “Murphy Nasica.” 

Now comes the State Representative 92 District Campaign of Scott Fisher vs. incumbent Jonathan Stickland.  A campaign with similar viciousness and suspect claims.

Political Consultant?
“Murphy Nasica” .  This same consultant to Traci Hutton was listed by Scott Fisher with expenditures of $50,842.54!  One interesting donation from the Cash America Multi-Candidate Pac Fund for $500. (Ironically, Former local State Representative Vicki Truitt is now a lobbyist for ACE Cash America, a payday firm that was  levied a $10 million fine for illegally coercing borrowers into taking on more debt).

So who is Murphy Nasica?" 

Murphy's endeavors are well known for being " financed by a number of former Republican politicians who have been defeated or opted not to seek reelection in order to avoid voter scrutiny of their records." - Texas Scorecard. This of course includes Speaker Straus himself, one of the most liberal Republicans in Texas.

Guess who one of those retired Representatives might be? Yes, our very own Rep. John Otto. Texas Scorecard is quoted as saying "Otto is fleeing public office, telling colleagues he was scared of standing before voters and defending a record that has become a sick joke against taxpayers. While 94 percent of Republican primary voters want to strictly limit the growth of government, and the Texas Senate passed a measure doing just that, Otto held a hearing without public testimony so he could gut the measure. Basically, he wanted to let government agencies set their own limits." Otto is backing Bailes, coincidence?

Ernest Bailes is proud of his lobbying efforts in both DC and Austin. Murphy is an anti-conservative consulting firm. Here locally we've seen accusations against Mr. Strahan that are blatantly false. We also have seen the former majority, now the minority voices in the party, of Terri Bivins and Ken Coleman spreading the same lies. Does all of this just seem coincidental? Is it coincidental that in San Jacinto County Ernest Bailes has a 20% of Democratic crossover voters backing him?  His pro-life credentials, well they come from what is widely documented as a shell organization to protect those who just want lip service of protecting the unborn, not those on the front lines like Texas Right To Life.

Yes, Ernest Bailes and those that are pushing under-handed tactics can continue to put out this 'just a good old boy who puts on his boots everyday like you and I' line. But, Ernest Bailes is not like you and I. Ernest Bailes has sought company of lobbyists and a firm who works hard against Conservatives. Ernest Bailes has joined in with the likes of the local party and those that have not only abused their positions of power in the party, but have set out to ruin it before they leave the room and are replaced.  

We here in Liberty County are good, hard working people. We expect leaders that represent the voter above special interests. And, as the old saying goes: "We may talk slow, but we don't think slow". Voters are well aware of the choice they have. A big push for more property taxation, calls for more money to be spent and higher taxes to fund it, more standardized testing that are already crippling our educators  and no advancement in the protection of the unborn if Straus, through Bailes, has his way. Or, the guy we have all know here in Liberty County since his birth. The guy who has given back to us many times in Liberty both politically and through our youth. The guy we have seen at most Republican meetings in the past (When have you see Bailes involved with the party here, before he was running of course). If we want a Representative for US in Austin, only Strahan stands out as the right choice. Of course, if we want to continue the Austin lobby machine and the lack of any attention to rural areas by the Legislature, that candidate is Bailes.

Austin's friend or the grassroots friend. Think.