TX-Gov: Bush Ambassador Tom Schieffer Considering Run… as a Dem

A potentially interesting development:

Having wrapped up his career as an ambassador under President Bush, Fort Worth’s Tom Schieffer is back home and pondering a run for governor – as a Democrat.

“I’ve thought about it for a while,” Schieffer told the Star-Telegram. “I have not made a decision.”

Although Schieffer served in a Republican administration under Bush – with whom he worked as general manager of the Texas Rangers – he says there should be no confusion about his political affiliation. “I am a Democrat,” said Schieffer, who voted for Barack Obama in the primary and general elections.

The right Democrat just might find an opening left by the inevitable all-out slugfest grudge match between Gov. Rick Perry and Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison that will soon be in full bloom. Is Schieffer (brother of CBS broadcaster Bob) that guy? Perhaps.

(h/t)

38 thoughts on “TX-Gov: Bush Ambassador Tom Schieffer Considering Run… as a Dem”

  1. I mean who wouldn’t want to be an ambassador? Even in the Bush Administration a usually cushy position like that isn’t very threatening from a partisan standpoint.  

  2. Anyone else would be better.  Literally anyone else.  Chris Bell isn’t doing anything right now…

    A Texas Monthly article from back when he was in electoral politics:

    Tom Schieffer, 27, Conservative Democrat, Fort Worth. What you get is even less than what you see.

    Arrogant and-what is worse-ambitious. Gained abundant notoriety early in the session as the sponsor of a patently unfair presidential primary bill designed to boost the chances of Senator Lloyd Bentsen. His garbled mishandling of that affair could put him on the Ten Worst by itself, but he wins his spot by conspicuous lack of merit in every field.

    “Actually he is furniture,” said one lobbyist. “His mistake was in trying to be anything else.” Said another: “He sits around and acts like he’s thinking. The worst type of person is someone who’s very ordinary and gets it into his head he’s some sort of big shot.” Said a high-ranking employee of a key state agency: “He’s just not very capable. All he can do is turn red in the face and scream at you.”

    As chairman of the Local and Consent Calendars Committee, he killed uncontroversial but important legislation sponsored by members he didn’t like. Said one person victimized by Schieffer’s maneuverings: “He really had big britches this session. Every time he let a bill out, he acted like he’d done you a big favor.” After a feud with Comptroller Bob Bullock over the fiscal implications of the presidential primary (capped by a letter from Bullock remarking, “I am sorry if you were offended by the cost of your own bill”), he killed two innocuous bills that were vital to the orderly operation of the comptroller’s office.

    The most appalling news of the 64th Legislature may be the fact that Tom Schieffer is soliciting pledges to be Speaker of the House.

    http://www.texasmonthly.com/19…

  3. we need to at least get one top-tier challenger for governor.  Bell got destroyed last time around, and against Hutchison (should she prevail) it would probably be even worse.

  4. Lampson is the guy.  He should have ran against Cornyn, but the Senate race is overfull now, so a run for Guv, hoping Perry wins the primary going hard right, could possibly work.

    A forward looking State Senator may be better, but of established guys, Lampson is the one.

  5. Would be better then say, Kinky Freidmen, but not ideal at all.

    I hope Sharp gets out of the Senate race and runs for governor.  

  6. and I don’t think this guy is it (not even close). Sure the Bushies and their cronies don’t want Perry (and ergo, are backing Hutchison), but in the very unlikely event that Perry prevails as the GOP nominee, he will be easy to beat if Dems pick the right kind of Dem, even one not well known: say an up and coming centrist young and articulate state legislator.

    Texans are hungry for change and even though they are default Republicans, we are all sick and tired of Perry. This could be a golden opportunity for an underdog to advance to one of the most visible (though weakest because the TX legislature really runs the state) Governorships in the country.  

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