It pains us to print anything portraying State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn in a flattering light … unless it involves her current spat with our state’s downright belligerent Republican leadership. In yet another misstep with Web activism, the Rick Perry-supporting Texas Citizens Action Network (see “We’ve Got Reds in Our Webs!” Sept. 26) tried its hand at Web polling to bash the former Austin mayor for not knowing her place.
TxCAN (www.citizenactionnetwork.org) was not the least bit subtle in broadcasting the outcome it hoped to achieve with the poll; its Web site stated: “It’s with real regret that we report about Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn’s campaign-style, negative attack against Governor Perry while appearing before a group of important Houston businessmen on Monday October 13th. But it’s important — so report it we must. She also indirectly criticized conservatives and virtually all of the Texas Legislature for standing up for the principles that elected them to office.”
TxCAN then asked, “Do You Agree with Comptroller Strayhorn’s Inter-Leadership Attacks on Governor Perry?” and gave the choices of “No, Strayhorn Is Out of Line!” or “Yes, Strayhorn Should Keep It Up!” Only one vote per computer was allowed. As of press time on Wednesday, it was pretty apparent that a lot of site visitors were just fine with Strayhorn’s negativity: Out of 501 votes cast, 82% were pro-Strayhorn.
This article appears in November 7 • 2003.