Today, the unalloyed, wedge issue-driven, throbbing heart of the Grand Ol' Party will cast their ballots so that the candidates can stop chest-thumping about who's the real conservative and start running against Obama because, let's face it, this is Texas and they don't really have any one else to attack.
But as voters in the 4th Congressional District (Rep. Ralph Hall's seat since basically the founding of this great nation) head to the polls, Super PAC Campaign for Primary Accountability has already given them some food for thought -- like, nearly $170,000-worth.
Last time we checked in, this bipartisan cash organ of Houston construction tycoon Leo Linbeck III had spent a measly 10 grand on an Internet video.. So much for coming in and fracturing the ossified political establishment of America. Turns out, Linbeck tapped into that nearly $3 million war chest the day we blogged about the pittance. And kept tapping it. In the last two weeks, CPA spent $160,000 on radio and TV spots, mailers and email blasts painting Congress' eldest statesman as an earmarkin', debt-ceiling raisin' fake conservative.
These days, 16 terms in Congress puts a target on your back. Hall isn't the shoe-in he's been for the last three decades, with a legit challenge from telecommunications exec Steve Clark and, though less legit, a guy who drives race cars. With Linbeck's big guns behind Clark, this could be the end of the line for the octogenarian, who recently celebrated a birthday that we hope included a scotch fountain.
Linbeck and his buddies (mostly an oilman from Midland and the founder of TD Ameritrade) are definitely anti-incumbent, but they've played as advertised, spreading their barbs over both sides of the aisle. They spent nearly double the dough opposing Republicans than Democrats, and a smidge more supporting Democrats.
