Tom DeLay Endorses Further Craziness
Cute li'l Mike Allen reports that Tom DeLay, despite threats to run, may step aside and announce a write-in campaign for his successor. Some Texas GOPers don't like the idea. Allen tells the story of the last time the Texas GOP tried it:
In 1976, Donald Yarbrough, an unknown with a mess of legal woes said he was called to run "by God" for a seat on the state Supreme Court. Yarbrough won the Democratic primary on the strength of sharing the same last name with several notable Texas Democrats. Republicans thought they saw an opening and launched a statewide write-in campaign for their own candidate who also boasted a famous last name - Houston, as is Sam Houston. Masset said the GOP bombarded voters with free pencils and copies of sample write-in ballots. But Yarbrough won with over 90% of the vote. Later, Justice Yarbrough was indicted for perjury by DeLay's nemesis, prosecutor Ronnie Earle, then fled to Grenada and was discovered there attending medical school when the U.S. invaded the Caribbean island nation.
This story, inexplicably, is used as an argumentagainstwrite-in campaigns. It is clearly no such thing. The Wonkette Write-in campaign beginsnow: Vote Yarbrough.
Exclusive: DeLay Leans Toward Standing Aside, Endorsing Write-In [Time]