An Important Must-Read Message from Captiol Annex...Vince Leibowitz has the floor...

"Dear Rio Grande Valley Democrats:

My friend Hector Gomez, who authors this blog and frequently contributes to my blog, Capitol Annex, asked me to say a word about Barbara Radnofsky, who is in a run-off with perennial candidate Gene Kelly for our party's nomination for United States Senate.

I appreciate that Hector asked me to write this. He may not realize it, but I was honored to have had the privilege of being among the first voters in my part of the state-East Texas-to meet her, get to know her, and hear her speak back in the summer of 2004. And, I was honored by being the first Blogger to break the news to the world back in 2005 that Barbara had ended her exploration and would, in fact, be a candidate for United States Senate.

I am honored tonight to tell you why I support Barbara Ann Radnofsky for United States Senate.

The first time I ever heard Barbara Ann Radnofsky speak, she was standing on a flat-bed trailer in a small town in rural East Texas as the keynote speaker for the opening of the Van Zandt County Democratic Party's headquarter's in 2004. She even took off her heels to make her ascent up to the trailer more swift. As soon as she took the podium, the crowd-myself included-were captivated by this intelligent, outspoken Houston attorney. She spoke passionately about healthcare and education. She touched on issues like foreign policy and veteran's care. The speech had substance more like that of a sitting United States Senator than a political unknown testing the waters and exploring a statewide race.

I could talk to you all day about Barbara Radnofsky's positions on healthcare, foreign policy, veteran's affairs, and national defense. I could tell you about her positions on this or that. But those are things I am going to encourage you to find out about on your own, by visiting her website www.radnofsky.com. Unlike her run-off opponent, perennial candidate Gene Kelly, Barbara Radnofsky has something to say, and she's saying it-all across the state.

What I want to tell you about are things you won't read about on her website, and that you'll only hear from people who have met her, spoken with her, or heard her address an audience of any size-from two to two thousand.

Barbara Radnofsky has a passion for the people of Texas. This was evident to me the first time I heard her speak. You don't spend months exploring a race, traveling from city to city (and all small towns in between) meeting people, shaking hands, and listening to the most basic of human concerns unless you truly care about the people of Texas. And I can tell you: Barbara cares about Texas.

I don't know how many of you have had the opportunity to meet Barbara Radnofsky, so I tell you this: if you meet her, you will be infected with the "disease" that sometimes those of us in politics get that is often jokingly called TB: True Beliverism.

Barbara Radnofsky will make you a true believer: in her, in her passion for the people of Texas, in her campaign, and in her vision.

And from the minute she shakes your hand and starts talking to you about veteran's affairs or education or healthcare, you'll believe.

You'll believe that Texas can be better.

You'll believe that Texas doesn't have to settle for second best when it comes to the care of our veterans in South Texas.

You'll believe that one day, truly no child will be left behind.

You will believe that it is time to take a stand on issues that are important to us.

You'll believe that Barbara Radnofsky is the one who will take a stand for Texans.

This may sound sappy to you or even hokey-perhaps the over-poeticized ramblings of one of those Texas Democrats who still believes in the good works of the New Deal, teh Fair Deal, the Great Society, and in the promise of progressive legislation like the Family and Medical Leave Act or healthcare reform.

But, as one Democrat to another, I feel compelled to tell you that Barbara Radnofsky symbolizes the best that our party has to offer: a strong, tough, intelligent candidate unafraid to tackle the toughest of issues, and go to bat for the people of Texas.

I have been privileged not only to witness Barbara Radnofsky interact with regular people like you and I, but with the media. I was never prouder of a Democratic candidate than I was of Barbara Radnofsky when she visited the Tyler Morning Telegraph in January of last year. Since she was up in my neck of the woods and I formerly worked for that paper, I asked Barbara if she would like for me to go with her and introduce her around, and she did. When she was interviewed for a story that later appeared on that paper's front page, she was marvelous. She cut through the journalistic rhetoric and questioning and got right to the point, telling her beliefs and why she believed as she did.

In that interview, Barbara Radnofsky wasn't talking to a reporter. She was talking to the people. She communicated her message in such a way that, upon reading the printed version, it seemed to seamlessly cross through the "filter" of the reporter and editors and leap off the page and tell the voters: "This is what you'll get from me. These are my positions, this is what I want to do, and I have a vision."

Editorial boards across the state have commented on the uphill battle Barbara faces in November against a popular incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison. I've seen Kay Bailey Hutchison speak several times, and met her in person. There is a world of difference between Barbara Radnofsky and Kay Bailey Hutchison.

There is, in a word-compassion.

There is, in a word-grit.

There is, in a word-intelligence.

There is, in a word-understanding.

Compassion for people who are less fortunate than ourselves. Compassion for veterans. Compassion for all races and cultures.

Grit--the fortitude and determination--enough to make this race and give the people of Texas a choice, a real, live, hand-shaking, door-knocking, speech-giving choice.

An intelligent voice for a new and bright future emboldened by the promise that our country can be great once again.

A true understanding of Texas and its people and that what they need isn't more party-platform rhetoric, but a real problem solver: someone to make us believe again. Barbara Radnofsky is that person.

If you are upset about the state of our nation and our state, disenchanted with the political process, or don't feel that your vote makes a difference, find out where Barbara is going to be speaking next, hop in the car and go see what she has to say. She will make you believe in the greatness of Texas again. She will make you believe in the greatness of our party. She will make you believe that Texans deserve better than the incumbent Senator hiding in her ivory tower or the perennial candidate sitting home in his recliner hoping his famous name pays dividends at the ballot box.

But, Barbara cannot get to Washington-or even on the November ballot-without our help. No candidate can meet every voter in Texas, but if Barbara could, I know she'd win so many over it'd be a landslide come November. But, before we can tackle Kay Bailey Hutchison, we've got to help Barbara win on April 11.

Please vote for Barbara Radnofsky on April 11. Encourage your friends, family, and co-workers to do the same. Tell them it is time to believe agian.

I often wonder, as a blogger, what impact my words have on people who read them. It is my hope tonight that they have in some small way, informed you about Barbara Radnofsky, and why she deserves our votes.

It turns out I am penning this on a historic night. As I was about half-way through this, a news alert flashed across my MSN Messenger telling me that U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay will step down, and cease campaigning for re-election. But I truly believe that isn't the most important "history" that can be made this year.

I believe the most important contribution that we can make to history this year is by making Barbara Radnofsky our party's nominee for United States Senate. And, I believe that with all my heart.

In spite of the numbers, in spite of the polls, in spite of KBH's massive war chest, I believe that, if we as Democrats give the people of this state the opportunity to view Barbara Radnofsky on a larger scale, that they will be impressed. And, I believe that, given a choice between more of the same and Barbara's fresh, bold, new vision for the future, voters will make the right choice.

I still believe. I believe in Texas. I believe in BAR."

-Vince Leibowitz, April 3, 2006