Houston City Council member and mayor pro-tem Sue Lovell’s campaign has sent out a political mail piece attacking city council member Jolanda Jones.
Jones, who is seeking her second term, is in a runoff against former State Board of Education Chairman Jack Christie, a staunch conservative who has been endorsed by Dr. Stephen Hotze.
You have likely heard Hotze’s name a lot lately.
He is the mastermind of the political mail piece that was sent to thousands of conservative voters supporting Gene Locke for Mayor and attacking Annise Parker because of her homosexuality.
I’m a little surprised that all of the “progressive democrats and bloggers” who support Parker for mayor, have remained silent on what appears to be a political double standard.
I guess it’s ok to criticize Locke, but not Lovell for aligning with republiclans and appearing cozy with a conservative anti-gay political leader?
First, Lovell (who is openly gay like Parker) is in her own runoff race against Andrew Burks(who is African-American) for a city council at-large seat.
Hotze has endorsed Burks and also criticized Lovell’s gay lifestyle in the mail piece sent to conservative voters.
Second, it’s very unusual for a sitting council member, who is also in a runoff race, to exhaust energy and money fighting against an incumbent colleague who shares most of the same progressive and gay supporters.
So why the beef between two former close friends and colleagues?
Two years ago, Jones recruited someone to challenge Lovell’s position as a Democratic National Committeewoman from Texas.
Jones, who supported Barack Obama, was upset that Lovell was backing Hillary Clinton in the party primary.
Also, Jones’ style on council that has been described as “combative” by city hall staffers and elected officials.
Jones has also been a very vocal critic of the Houston Fire Department following an outcry of racism and sexism made by two female firefighters at Station #54.
Her tactics have angered many including Jeff Caynon, the President of the Houston Professional Firefighters Association.
Canyon has accused Jones of calling him a “house Negro” when he tried to defend the men and women of the fire department.
Who knows what impact the flyer will have on the Jones vs. Christie matchup?
I do know that if both she and Lovell are reelected, and Annise Parker is sitting at the mayor’s seat, city council is going to get a lot more interesting to cover.
No one seems concerned about what appears to be a huge political double standard.
![sue_lovell_jpg[1]](http://2onthebeat.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/sue_lovell_jpg1.jpg?w=426&h=232)
























