Dan Patrick, Republican nominee for SD7, is back on the air thanks to the generosity of his general election opponents.
Federal Communications Commission rules require Patrick to give equal airtime to his opponents if he continues his show after filing for office. But the agency doesn’t get involved if opponents sign a waiver.
“They don’t need our approval,” said Rebecca Fisher, an FCC spokeswoman. “It’s a private agreement, the terms of which are handled between those two parties.”
[…]
Patrick was prepared to be off the air until November if need be, he said, although he planned to contact his challengers — Democrat F. Michael Kubosh and Libertarian candidate Mary Ann Bryan — to seek permission to get back on air. Bryan signed the agreement, although she did not win the nomination of the Libertarian Party at last weekend’s county convention.
“They realize it’s a 73 percent Republican district,” Patrick said. “What you are dealing with is two good people who realize there is no sense in keeping me from making a living. I’m the only one during the (primary) campaign who had to give up his job.”
Umm, isn’t Dan Patrick the owner of KSEV?
In 2000, Patrick and former Texas Senator, Mike Richards (also a Houston talk show host), worked out a management / partnership arrangement with Lieberman Broadcasting, whereby Dan and Mike would manage KSEV as ownership partners. Patrick would serve as VP and GM and together they would build their talk and news audience […]
I’m sure his show gets better ratings with him in the host’s chair and all, but isn’t it a wee bit disingenuous to suggest that he’s got no income stream while he’s off the air? I’m just asking.
Kubosh, who was unopposed in the Democratic primary, approached Patrick about how he could help the radio personality get back on air.
“I never ran for Senate to keep Dan Patrick off the air,” Kubosh said, noting that he decided to run last summer, long before Patrick announced his intentions.
I’ve got no quarrel with the arrangement Patrick made with Kubosh and Bryan. If they’re fine with it, then I’m fine with it. I just don’t understand the poor-out-of-work-me schtick that Patrick is giving here.
“The campaigning is over,” [Patrick] said. “I’m just going to go back to being a talk-show host, and that includes talking about issues from Iraq to Austin.”
May I suggest that you show some gratitude to Kubosh and Bryan for letting go back to being a talk show host by inviting them to join you on the air for some of that discussion? I’d call it a public service to foster that kind of open debate.
I’m sure his show gets better ratings with him in the host’s chair and all, but isn’t it a wee bit disingenuous to suggest that he’s got no income stream while he’s off the air?
Sure, but Dan Patrick is prone to exaggeration.
Besides, Millionaire Dan did loan his campaign a hefty sum. Maybe he does need the cash. 🙂
May I suggest that you show some gratitude to Kubosh and Bryan for letting go back to being a talk show host by inviting them to join you on the air for some of that discussion?
Actually, I believe Patrick announced today that he would have Kubosh on the show tomorrow.
And we wonder why we dont win elections?
It is a bit hard to help a candidate if they dont help themselves. What would a damn republican have done?
I don’t have a problem with the agreement. I have a problem with agreeing.
Am I the only person who thinks Michael Kubosh is a complete and total idiot?
If Dan Patrick can take advantage of him so easily, I’d hate to imagine what the Republican senators could do with him.
What a chump! If I lived in SD 7, Kubosh would have just lost my vote.
I don’t have a problem with the agreement. I have a problem with agreeing.
Why?
It’s a Republican district in which Dan Patrick just DESTROYED his Republican competition.
Refusing to sign the agreement would not mean Kubosh would get on the air. It would just mean it would keep Dan Patrick off the air. And it wouldn’t change the outcome of the election.
It would just be a vindictive exercise. Why be that way?
What do I have to do to post on your web site?
What hurts the economy more? $3.00 gasoline or immigration. The Republicans are doing a good job on the national level using immigration to deflect the public from the $3.00 a gallon gasoline and the record oil profits.
From my experience with Kubosh years ago, I wouldn’t vote for him to be in our state legislature. He just struck me as the kind of person that says one thing and does another. I wonder if helping Patrick now is a public relations gesture – why not run and help Patrick after the election? Why now? Just a thought.
Please announce a very important meeting held in Waller Texas at the Waller HS Auditorium, on Thursday, August 24, 2006. The meeting, 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. will feature Carole Keeton Strayhorn and David & Linda Stall, founders of Corridorwatch.org. For more info on the meeting and The Trans Texas Corridor please see website http://www.wallercountycitizens.org This is the most important event up to this date concerning the Corridors that will cut Texas up like a “pie” and take thousands of acres of land and homes for the purpose of moving more goods from Mexico to Canada. My name is Lillian Miller and you can reach me at 979.826.8910.Thank you.