Blakemore hosts meeting between Locke Campaign & Morales

Update: Kim Devlin, Senior Advisor to the Locke campaign, wanted to pass along a few notes.  Devlin says that Since Christian Archer joined the campaign in June, there has been no discussion of hiring Blakemore.  In addition, Devlin says Blakemore is not among Locke's group of paid advisors, nor among his cadre of key supporters.

 

Blakemore has always said he doesn't work for Democrats anyway.

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There has been a lot of rumors swirling around what Steven Hotze and his Political Action Committee will or won’t do during the run up to the December 12^th election.  The widespread belief is that Hotze’s PAC, Conservative Republicans of Texas, will pay consultant Allen Blakemore a pretty penny to print mailers attacking Annise Parker’s sexual orientation.  So far, that hasn’t happened.

But a lot of other things are on the record.

Just yesterday, Allen Blakemore hosted a lunch time meeting in his office between Christian Archer and Roy Morales.  Archer is Locke’s campaign manager, and Morales is the Republican who finished with about 20 percent of the vote during the November election.  Blakemore is Hotze’s consultant, but everyone involved says the meeting was not about attack ads.  Rather, the meeting took place because Locke’s campaign wanted Morales’ endorsement.   The topics were focused on financial and tax issues.  This was confirmed by all sides present at the meeting.

According to Locke’s campaign, Morales sent both Parker a letter saying he intended to send a mailing to his voters with Gene and Annise's answers to 5 topics, and they were meeting because of that proposed mailing.  However, Blakemore told me over the phone that he held the meeting in his office because he thought it was a “good idea” and it would be “good for Roy” if he endorsed Locke.

After about an hour, nothing happened.  Morales told me he decided not to endorse anyone right now.  Blakemore told me he thought it was an hour not very well spent.

Earlier this week, Locke said he met with Hotze “because I meet with all Houstonians.” He said he asked Hotze before the November elections for his support, Hotze endorsed someone else, and they haven’t had contact since.

While Locke may not have spoken with Hotze or Blakemore much, it’s clear that Blakemore’s had semi-consistent contact with parts of Locke’s campaign.  Blakemore’s told me that on several occasions.  Blakemore says he’s Republican, and he won’t work for Democrats, even though Locke’s campaign staffers have asked him several times if he’s interested in working with Locke.  Blakemore, though, is offering up free advice here and there.  It’s clear that Blakemore is relishing his role as an uncommitted, unpaid player. 

The day after the November election, he told me during an interview that it’s clear that Republicans will gravitate toward Locke’s business background, and that Parker’s sexual orientation will drive voters away.  This afternoon, Blakemore says he still has not been paid by anyone, including Hotze, in relations to this Mayoral race.  He says Hotze still has not made a decision on whether to jump in the race with his money yet.  In addition, he says no decisions are imminent because both Blakemore and Hotze have family weddings to attend this weekend.

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[John Cobarruvias]

When you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas.