AUSTIN -- Marty Akins, the sometime Republican, sometime Democrat
but not-likely-to-be governor, is scrambling more these days than
when he wore the burnt orange.
The former University of Texas Longhorn quarterback and former
Houston lawyer now calls himself a Democrat as he seeks that party's
gubernatorial nomination. But just a few years ago he was
campaigning for and seeking favors from Republican officeholders and
voting regularly in the GOP primary.
Above all, Akins is a political opportunist and Exhibit No. 2 for
proving that the Texas Democratic Party still has a long way to go
to rediscover the top of the state's political heap.
Exhibit No. 1 is all the salivating that some party leaders are
doing over another Democratic gubernatorial wannabe, wealthy Laredo
businessman Tony Sanchez Jr., whose main claim to political fame so
far has been helping to elect Republican George W. Bush to the White
House.
Akins, in fact, is no more a political opportunist than are
Sanchez and the Democratic movers and shakers who are fervently --
although quietly, so as to appear neutral -- hoping that Sanchez can
revive their partisan prospects.
Not too many years ago, Sanchez and Akins would have been laughed
out of a Democratic race for dogcatcher. Now, they demonstrate how
far Texas' once-dominant party has fallen.
Sooner or later, assuming both remain in the running, Sanchez and
Akins may actually get down to the nitty-gritty of distinguishing
between themselves on issues of governance.
So far, though, they and their surrogates have mainly been
engaged in a game of finger-pointing, exchanging accusations over
who has been the poorer Democrat. Although amusing, the exercise is
wearing thin.
Sanchez has some Democratic credentials. He was a member of the
Young Democrats in the 1960s and during that era also worked as an
aide to Democratic Lt. Gov. Ben Barnes.
More recently, however, he -- either personally or through his
businesses -- contributed more than $300,000 to Bush's successful
campaigns for governor and president. During the presidential
campaign, Sanchez was a member in very good standing of Bush's
"Pioneers," which is what the Republican nominee called
his elite group of major fund-raisers.
Sanchez's anticipated gubernatorial race -- he hasn't formally
announced yet -- is largely the brainchild of former state
Comptroller John Sharp, who is once again seeking the Democratic
nomination for lieutenant governor.
Sanchez is attractive to Sharp and party leaders because he is
wealthy enough to largely fund his own campaign, and as a Hispanic
would presumably attract a large bloc of Hispanic voters to the
Democratic ticket.
So desperate are Democratic leaders for a statewide victory --
they haven't had one since 1994 -- they have suddenly become very
forgiving, if only selectively.
Akins, meanwhile, is having more trouble catching on with
Democratic powers-that-be, although he has won the support of some
of the Clinton-Gore crowd and onetime backers of former Land
Commissioner Garry Mauro.
The Clinton, Gore and Mauro faithful apparently are retaliating
against Sanchez for his support of Bush in the presidential race and
in the 1998 gubernatorial campaign, which Mauro, the Democratic
nominee, lost to Bush by a wide margin.
Akins, however, also campaigned for Bush against Mauro in 1998
and for other GOP candidates as well. He also was the Burnet County
chairman in the lieutenant governor's race for Rick Perry, the
Republican governor whose job he now wants.
Moreover, according to a recent article by Houston Chronicle
staffer R.G. Ratcliffe, Akins also unsuccessfully asked Bush for an
appointment to the Texas Railroad Commission in 1998, which further
clouds his motivations.
A spokesman said that Akins now regrets his Republican political
activism.
Maybe. Maybe not.
In an event, though, Akins and Sanchez may be enough to make many
Democratic voters yell, "Help!"
