2010: Empower Texans Says "Nope" to Kleberg

Empower Texans, a group of conservative GOPers led by Michael Quinn Sullivan, posted an ad on YouTube yesterday attacking El Paso Republican primary candidate Jay Kleberg for his 2008 vote for President Barack Obama.

The ad doesn't mention Kleberg's primary opponent, El Paso businessman Dee Margo, but Empower Texans has endorsed Margo in the race. This race is Margo's third try for a seat in the Legislature. He ran for the Senate in 2006 and lost to Democratic state Sen. Eliot Shapleigh. He ran for HD78 in 2008 and lost to Democratic state Rep. Joe Moody. This year, he and Kleberg are fighting for the GOP nomination and a chance to take Moody out in November and return the HD78 to Republican control.

A recent El Paso Times poll showed Margo with a sizeable lead over Kleberg, 50 percent to 30 percent. And, in campaign finance reports filed Monday of this week, Margo reported raising more than twice as much money as Kleberg. Kind of interesting that Empower Texans would launch an attack ad this late in the game with Margo so far up in the polls and with a sizeable war chest.