My goof on Ben Barnes...

In a post last week, I had a major goof, and I am fine admitting that. I got Ben Barnes confused with Bill Burkett, with regard to the Rathergate controversy (link) and who forged the documents that led to Dan Rather's demise. It has been more than 4 years since Rathergate, so my memory was a bit off.

My mistake. I totally whiffed on who Ben Barnes was, so I thought Ben Barnes needed a follow up blog...

Who is Ben Barnes, and how is he connected to both Kay and Democrat Bill White? How is he the likely link between the two that led to White having secret insider information about Kay's resignation plans?

The super partisan liberal Capitol Annex poses that either Kay or Bill White is lying (link). Excerpt follows...

So, who is lying: White or Hutchison? Maybe a little of both? After all, White and Hutchison share the same fundraiser, although White is Herb Buttram’s only client. Maybe the information flowed through a grapevine and not from Hutchison’s mouth?

If you follow that link, it takes you to the even more liberal Down with Tyranny blog (link). Excerpt follows...

Those who follow Texas politics closely however know why KBH would be sharing her secrets with Bill White rather than any of her erstwhile partymates like Lt Governor David Dewhurst or Attorney General Greg Abbott.

Texas is a three party state. Has been since at least 2005 when numerous wealthy players gave up on the Texas Democratic Party as a viable host organism and began heavily funding "moderate" Republicans.

In 2006 a group led by former Lt Governor Ben Barnes heavily backed Republican turned Independent State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn in her run for Governor, leaving Democrat Chris Bell to twist in the wind.

I hate to give credibility to a blog that is so anti Republican so often, but that theory makes total sense to me as someone who has been working on getting conservative legislation through the Texas lege. There are a number of Republicans especially in the Texas House who I would call not moderate but entirely liberal. The Texas Speaker is really controlled by those liberal Republicans and Jim Dunnam. He let them run the show this year.

More from Down with Tyranny...

Barnes has been a big backer of Kay Bailey throughout her career. Even going so far as to clear the field of credible Democrats for Governor in 2010 so all she has to do is win the primary against sitting Governor Rick Perry.

[SNIP]

Now Kay Bailey and Bill White, who share a key fundraiser in Herb Buttram (White is Buttrams only Democratic client) are conspiring to put two Barnes allies at the top of the big marquee races in Texas in 2010. No matter what party wins, Barnes figures to be well represented at the highest levels of Texas politics.

Is that all true? I take some of it with a grain of salt considering the source, but in doing my own research, I also didn't realize that Ben Barnes was so intimately involved with the Allen Stanford (aka Bernie Madoff Junior) ponzi scheme scandal. How is this not really, really big news? Anytime Bob Perry or James Leininger sneezes, it is a scandal. This Ben Barnes guy sounds pretty powerful, and pretty slimy. Not the best company to keep.

Another strange piece to this story is how Bill White is suddenly really tight lipped about the whole thing (link).

The liberal blogs have been on this issue like flies on honey, probably because they are seeing that Kay's resignation opens up the best chance Democrats have had to win a statewide seat OR SEATS in Texas since 1992. I have not seen Democrats this excited about the possibility of picking up a Senate seat in Texas since 2002, when their optimism was misplaced. This year, not so much. Their optimism may be warranted, as the state's demographics are shifting and an open seat with a special election could really help Democrats.

Kay's connection to Bill White is not a good sign.