Texas Conservative Review

TCR does not offer blanket support of endorsement slates or the way other groups formulate their endorsements. TCR has always strived to be completely transparent in our process to both candidates and voters. We believe that we have a process that is fair, objective and easy to understand. Just to remind Patricia Harless and the pseudo slates - TCR... interviews candidates and endorses them based on our economic and social conservative philosophy, political viability, records of accomplishment and then tells voters why. It's up to the voters, empowered with information, to decide. And yes, relationships do matter, as was the case in the SD 7 race when we endorsed Paul Bettencourt based on a 30-year friendship and the fact that Paul is a conservative policy wonk with a successful record as a leader on issues and public policy initiatives. If you want to know the truth, it is actually the SD 7 race that is at the heart of Harless' new found anti-slate zeal. Last year, when it appeared that Dan Patrick's Senate seat was opening, Patricia's husband Sam Harless became interested in running and began looking for support for his candidacy, including support from TCR. We were upfront with Harless and informed him of the longstanding relationship with Bettencourt, our respect for Paul and what he has done for conservatives and for the value that we place on loyalty. It was only after Harless was turned down did Patricia Harless adopt her current anti-slate position, which is really the motivation, in a microcosm, behind most of the endorsement slate critics, they have no problem with endorsement slates until they are passed over for endorsement. This goes for slate critics Ed Hubbard and Paul Simpson, who both sought, but were denied, endorsements in their races. Simpson and Hubbard have both even supported one well-known publication with numerous payments of tens of thousands of dollars, up to including $5,000 by Simpson as late as 2013. It seems that if you support the slates when you think you have a chance of getting ...Read More