After Quick Rise, New Scrutiny Of Medina's Views
(UPDATE: Medina's reaction to Glenn Beck interview added below)
In the Texas gubernatorial race, Debra Medina has risen quickly from an unknown third wheel in the showdown between Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison to a legitimate contender. One new poll this week found her within four points of Hutchison, and given her trajectory, it was conceivable that she could even sneak past the Texas senator to earn a spot in a likely runoff.
Medina's surge has been attributed in part to a strong performance in the debates -- she was only invited to the second forum because of her showing in the first. She's tapped into the tea party movement that Perry has also actively courted, and also has a strong constituency among the activists who boosted Texas Rep. Ron Paul's presidential run last year.
But now her quick rise has brought increased scrutiny of her views, with an emphasis today on whether Medina is a so-called "truther" who believes the September 11 attacks were an "inside job." Yesterday, the Texas Conservative blog wrote:
Many in the Medina Movement are disciples of this libertarian lunacy faction who came up through the Ron Paul Presidential campaign. Remember 2008, every time there was a debate they would flood the on-line polls to justify their existence even though there was no legitimate chance of Paul winning. At events around the country, they would bully event organizers into submission and use "guerilla tactics" to try and get attention. When many of them were asked why they liked Ron Paul -- they couldn't give an answer other than they agree with him that 9/11 was in inside job....
Debra Medina herself is a disciple of Ron Paul, having worked on his 2008 Campaign, and follows the same libertarian leaning political stances of her mentor. And it is the libertarian/Ron Paul organization that is at work helping Medina and not the conservative grassroots workers in the Republican Party.
Today, Medina was a guest on Glenn Beck's national radio show, and Beck asked her point-blank whether she thought the government was involved with the World Trade Center attacks. Her response:
"I don't have all of the evidence there, Glenn. I'm not in a place -- I have not been out publicly questioning that. I think some very good questions have been raised in that regard. There's some very good arguments and I think the American people have not seen all of the evidence there, so I have not taken a position on that."
Beck said that sounded like a yes to him, but Medina would not say it outright. After the interview concluded, Beck said: "I think I can write her off the list."
Neither Perry's nor Hutchison's campaigns had an immediate response on the subject.
UPDATE: Medina has posted this on her campaign Web site about the reaction to her Beck interview:
I was asked a question on the Glenn Beck show today regarding my thoughts on the so-called 9/11 truth movement. I have never been involved with the 9/11 truth movement, and there is no doubt in my mind that Muslim terrorists flew planes into those buildings on 9/11. I have not seen any evidence nor have I ever believed that our government was involved or directed those individuals in any way. No one can deny that the events on 9/11 were a tragedy for all Americans and especially those families who lost loved ones.The question surprised me because it's not relevant to this race or the issues facing Texans. This campaign has always been about private property rights and state sovereignty. It is focused on the issues facing Texans. It is not a vehicle for the 9-11 truth movement or any other group.
The real underlying question here, though, is whether or not people have the right to question our government. I think the fact that people are even asking questions on this level gets to the incredible distrust career politicians have fostered by so clearly taking their direction from special interests instead of the people, whether it's Rick Perry and his HPV mandate or Kay Hutchison and voting for the bank bailout. It is absolutely the right and duty of a free people to question their government. Texas does not need another politician who tells you what you want to hear, then violates your liberties and steals your property anyway. I fully expect to be questioned and to be held accountable as Governor, and that's the underlying issue here: should people be questioning their government. And the answer is yes, they should be.
UPDATE 2: Here's a statement from Kay Bailey Hutchison, which the campaign says she made at a campaign stop today:
"I know exactly who was responsible for the horrific attacks on September 11th - Al Qaeda terrorists who declared war on America. To suggest otherwise is an affront to the men and women who are sacrificing their lives to root out the terrorists in Afghanistan and around globe. Ever since that tragic day, I have fought tirelessly to ensure that we hunted down the Islamic extremists who target our nation. No one stood closer to President Bush and Vice President Cheney in their efforts to defeat the terrorist threat to our freedom."