Just as politics makes strange bedfellows, campaigns can make bedfellows strange. That’s the latest in the campaign for the 147th District Court, for which attorney Bill Gammon posted this on his campaign web site about his opponent, Cliff Brown.

My opponent in the race is Cliff Brown, another upstanding, honorable Democratic candidate. This judicial race is not a rivalry, nor will it ever become a smear campaign. We are simply two Democrats wishing to serve the Travis County community as judge, each seeking to ensure that justice is served with fairness, equality, dignity and through due process according to the law

It’s an admirable sentiment – but it apparently isn’t shared by one dedicated Gammon supporter – his wife, Beckie Gammon (“I wouldn’t have a campaign, except for her,” Gammon told the NewsDesk). About 10 days out from the March 2 election, Beckie posted a series of comments on her Facebook page excoriating Brown and accusing him of corruption (for pledging financial support to the Travis County Democratic Party joint general campaign, in advance of the the TCDP group endorsement meeting).

Here’s a brief summation of Beckie Gammon’s numerous postings, with quotes as indicated:

Cliff Brown is a “lame ass” who “couldn't hack it” in the DA's office or as a defense attorney; he is “friggin corrupt” [because he pledged support to the joint TCDP fall campaign]; a “bloody NY imposter who was [classed] as a 'doofus' when working for the DA (totally dumb and not liked)”; “not an Austinite and disliked among most attorneys”; “a New York idiot … a friggin imposter from the Bronx … bloody corrupt … this boy …”

More than one reader called NewsDesk’s attention to Beckie’s original postings, which disappeared from her own page a few days later. Then, Sunday night (Feb. 28), she made several similar posts to someone else’s page – getting crossways with Brown supporter and local attorney Adam Loewy in doing so. By Monday morning, Gammon’s postings were again gone, leaving only somewhat mysterious responses from Loewy, e.g.: “Enjoy these final 48 hours before your hubby's invariable defeat. At least you made this race kind of interesting (in a trainwreck sort of way).”

After the second set of postings, NewsDesk asked Bill Gammon if he had any comment. He said, “I like [Brown]; I think he’s a good guy.” He responded later with a lengthy apology, which he also sent to Brown. The gist is that he was in trial all week and didn’t know about his wife’s postings: “I was oblivious.” He continues:

I am glad to know that these offensive remarks have been removed. I totally disavow them in letter and spirit and hope that Cliff Brown, whom I like and admire, will not hold them against me personally. I would be saddened if that were the case, but I actually do not fear that he will for I think that he understands, as I do, that not everything that is said by those who would support us in our efforts to serve others reflects our own feelings, regardless of who says it.

Gammon said he and his wife both wish now she had never made the posted remarks, and that he still hopes to share a drink with Brown after the election. Bill Gammon’s entire letter is posted below.

Letter from Gammon to Chronicle and Cliff Brown

Michael

Thank you for informing me of this. As I told you on the phone, I have been conducting a jury trial since last Monday and have been therefore uninvolved in my own campaign. I certainly was oblivious to what you revealed to me today.

I am glad to know that these offensive remarks have been removed. I totally disavow them in letter and spirit and hope that Cliff Brown, whom I like and admire, will not hold them against me personally. I would be saddened if that were the case, but I actually do not fear that he will for I think that he understands, as I do, that not everything that is said by those who would support us in our efforts to serve others reflects our own feelings, regardless of who says it.

That being said, I am copying Cliff on this email to let him know that I am nonetheless embarrassed by this and sincerely apologize to him. Beckie is more than my close confidant and supporter, she is my wife and best friend. I wish that she would exercise more restraint but I cannot and do not control what she says and does. Still, as Cliff and I have discussed, this kind of hurtful behavior diminishes us all. As one whom we both admire so aptly said:

"In a very real sense all life is inter-related. All men are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever effects one directly, affects all indirectly. I can never be what I ought to be, until you are what you ought to be, and you can never be what you ought to be, until … I am what I ought to be. This is the inter-related structure of reality." Dr. Martin Luther King

Cliff, I wish Beckie had never made those remarks (something she tells me she wishes as well) and I want you to know that I want nothing more than that you and I both continue to grow to become as complete human beings as we possibly can become. As I have told you before, I sincerely honor you and your achievements and do not envy you the success that you have justly earned through your efforts. On the contrary, I revel in your success. It makes us all better people as a result. I am looking forward to enjoying that drink with you after the election and hope that the friendship we have begun on the campaign trail will continue to grow.

Sincerely,

Bill Gammon