Sharp argues for 'Bubbas' in bid for senate

Attorney Mary Decker speaks with John Sharp, who intends to run for U.S. Senate. She said she is an advocate of the medical co-op option for health care reform. If John Sharp is elected to the U.S. Senate, he made a bold prediction: Democrats won't like him very much and neither will Republicans.

"I'll raise Cain," he promised a small Jacksonville audience last Friday.

Both parties have done things that are dangerous to the economy, he told a group of approximately 35 Democrats. He's worried that mounting debt from bailout programs will leave future generations with a weakened dollar. "Every economist from Ben Bernanke (Federal Reserve Chairman) on down knows we will have a dollar bill worth nothing."

He invoked the wisdom of his Czech grandmother, who advised him as a young boy about money matters.

"If your 'out go' is greater than your income, then your upkeep will be your downfall."

The family axiom is a Czech-mate.

Big insurance companies and banks like AIG, Citibank and Bank of America are not too big to fail, he asserts. Citing the savings and loan collapse of the 1980s, Mr. Sharp said that 745 institutions were allowed to close in the late 1980s and early 90s without a bailout. Their assets were purchased by larger banks - resulting in stronger lending institutions.

"Printing more money, monetizing the debt, borrowing from the Chinese is not the answer," he said. "Are we becoming a second class economy?"

He'd like to turn the hands of the clock backwards and require recipients of TARP bailouts to return $700 billion.

"From the start, this program suffered from too many insider deals and too little transparency," he said as he blasted Texas' two Republican senators, Kay Bailey Hutchison and John Cornyn, for voting in support of TARP.

In an interview with the Cherokeean Herald, Mr. Sharp had some "tough love" advice for the Obama administration on how to deal with health care reform, which is igniting a coast-to-coast tidal wave.

"No, I am not surprised by the backlash," said Mr. Sharp, referring to the rancorous town hall meetings that taxpayers are attending during the August recess for Congress. "For years, the Bubbas were told that we were spending too much on health care. Now they are telling the Bubbas that to solve the problem, we need to spend $1 trillion more.

"The Bubbas are thinking to themselves, 'This doesn't compute.'"

Mr. Sharp, who drove himself to Jacksonville in a Ford pickup, claims "Bubba-roots" in Victoria and a degree from Texas A&M University.

He said that some prescription drugs often cost 30 times more at a local pharmacy than citizens in Canada, Mexico or Europe have to pay.

"This is where the rubber meets the road," he said. "No one is going to believe you're serious (about health care reform) until you say, 'We're not going to pay more for drugs than Canada, Mexico and Europe.'"

Health care reform is stymied by the political campaign contributions that pharmaceutical companies make to members of both parties in Congress - "Their coffers are full," he said.

The former state comptroller suggested that the Obama administration could quickly pass a health care package this fall by reviewing a history lesson from the first round of 86 military base closings in1989.

When the vote came before Congress, it was simply a "yes" or "no" issue. Special interests were denied an opportunity to recraft the controversial legislation because no amendments could be added and none of the bases on the list could be spared by line-item veto.

This "all" or "nothing" vote will work in Washington on health care reform, Mr. Sharp contends.

He calculates he saved $8.5 billion during his nine-year tenure as Texas State Comptroller at a time when Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock suggested that Texas needed a state income tax to balance a deficit budget.

As the architect of annual Performance Reviews on state agencies, the comptroller's office shifted from counting beans to policy advising on agency spending. He also introduced the Lone Star Card, which cut fraud and waste in the federal food stamp program and the Tomorrow Fund, which locks in state college tuition costs for families.

He says he is trying to put a "Sharp" point on his intentions to run for U.S. Senate, even though the current office holder, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, has been coy about her political timeline.

Sen. Hutchison announced on a Dallas radio talk show recently that she will resign her senate seat in October or November in order to run for governor. She will begin an 18-city tour this week which could provide insight into her strategy.

According to Texas election code, Gov. Rick Perry will name a temporary successor to hold office until a special election is called. Two Perry front runners are Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Attorney General Gregg Abbott.

If Sen. Hutchison resigns between now and Sept. 28, a special election would be called Nov. 3 to fill the remainder of her term, which expires 2012.

If she resigns between Sept. 29 - April 2, 2010, a special election would be held May 8, 2010.

Senator wannabees are watching Sen. Hutchison's next move closely to see whether they have a matter of a few weeks to mount a statewide race or six months. Austin insiders are betting on the latter scenario.

The slate of candidates for a special election could be long. Thanks to the 1959 "LBJ Law" which permits candidates to keep current offices while running for another, unsuccessful candidates have a job and a paycheck after the election.

Mr. Sharp's likely opponent on the Democratic ticket includes Houston Mayor Bill White.

The list of Republicans considering a run at Mrs. Hutchison's seat is growing rapidly. Besides Lt. Gov. Dewhurst and Attorney General Abbott, Cherokee County's U.S. Congressman Jeb Hensarling is reportedly measuring his options for the senate seat. In recent months, he has been a frequent Republican party spokesman on FOX news.

Railroad Commission Chairman Michael Williams, state Sen. Florence Shapiro, Congressman Joe Barton and Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones are considering a bid, along with former Secretary of State Roger Williams and Congressman Kay Granger.

Two independents, physician Alma Aguado and engineer Chris Nelson are also possible contenders.

Even though Mrs. Hutchison hasn't officially announced her resignation, Mr. Sharp is actively campaigning as though he's facing a Nov. 3 special election.

And perhaps he is.

"With so many candidates, Independent voters will likely have the final word," he said.

The event was sponsored by attorney John Ament of Jacksonville.

Mr. Sharp received an endorsement Tuesday from state Rep. Jim McReynolds (D-Lufkin).