The Chron wastes no time in making their Senate preference known.
Rep. James Talarico
The contest is set. The storyline, straight out of Hollywood. It’s as if, as President Donald Trump likes to say, the candidates came from central casting.
An avowed lout versus a man who doesn’t just resemble a Sunday school teacher, but who practices politics like the seminarian he is.
Ask Ken Paxton’s own supporters about his infidelities and indictments. Ask about that stolen $1,000 pen. Or how he fired his employees after they reported him to the FBI for corruption, prompting a whistleblower lawsuit that stuck taxpayers with a $6.6 million bill. Oh, and ask about that impeachment that, though it did not end in conviction, was led by members of his own party.
Paxton voters know their guy reeks of moral rot. That he somehow earned millions while in public office. That his office delivered sweetheart deals in cases of child sexual abuse. His supporters know all that because his runoff opponent, Sen. John Cornyn, just spent tens of millions of dollars making sure that they know.
Paxton won anyway. As one man at a Paxton rally told a reporter, “We’ve got bigger fish to fry.”
The fish to be fried aren’t just Democrats but anyone who shows the slightest disloyalty to Trump. Or even a hint of bipartisan pragmatism.
This one’s an easy call. The Houston Chronicle editorial board rejects Paxton’s self-serving depravity and his loyalty to Washington politics at the expense of everyday Texans. And we enthusiastically endorse his Democratic opponent, James Talarico.
The rest of this goes into a lot of detail about Paxton’s corruption, sleaziness, and self-dealing. It’s a gift link, so read the rest and show it to the still-hopefully-redeemable MAGAnut in your life. Check in with the Cornyn supporters you know, see where they are. I like that the Chron got on this right away, because it was so obvious that there was no point in waiting but very much a reason to get this all on the record now. Let’s get on with it as well.