Talking Points memo 11/29/12

Swift Boat Backer Bob Perry Funded Mysterious Super PAC

A mysterious super PAC that dumped close to $1 million into Senate races in Montana and North Dakota just before the election was funded by a Texas homebuilder who underwrote the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth attacks on John Kerry in 2004, according to a filing this week.

Bob Perry, the 80-year-old billionaire who founded Perry Homes, gave $1 million to Freedom Fund North America on Oct. 16, according to a filing the organization made with the Federal Election Commission on Wednesday. The donation came just a day after the organization was formed.


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Freedom Fund North America spent $990,000 on advertisements opposing Democrats Sen. Jon Tester in Montana and Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota as well as an ad in support of Heitkamp’s opponent, Rep. Rick Berg (R). Both Tester and Heitkamp won their races.

AAS 11/20/12

Andrade resigns as Texas secretary of state

AUSTIN, Texas — Secretary of State Hope Andrade announced Tuesday she is stepping down after four years as the chief elections officer in Texas and the first Hispanic woman to hold the office.

Andrade was the fourth-longest serving secretary of state in Texas history. In her resignation letter to Gov. Rick Perry, who appointed he in 2008, she said the "time has come for me to step down" but did not elaborate.

Rich Parsons, spokesman for the secretary of state's office, reiterated that Andrade felt it was time to leave but would not comment further.

"As the first Latina secretary of state, Hope has a permanent place in our state's history books and her personal commitment to making Texas a place of unlimited opportunity will leave a lasting impression on our state's future," Perry said in a statement.

Andrade's last day is Friday.