Texas Senator Wendy Davis put herself in the spotlight in January of 2013 after a 13-hour filibuster during a special session.
Since that time she has used her success to run for governor against Texas’ Attorney General Greg Abbott as the embattled Rick Perry decided not to seek re-election. With early voting starting on October 20th in Texas, the ads have come out in full force for both candidates.
Yet, not surprising one of Davis’ ads has drawn the ire of conservatives and the media for her pointing out the hypocrisy of Abbott. Zac Petkansas, Communications Director for Davis stated “what this ad shows is that after rightly seeking justice for himself, Greg Abbott turned around and spent his entire career denying that same kind of justice to other victims.” He explained further that “whether they were victims of brutal rape, whether they were disabled individuals, or whether they were patients who were maimed by a surgeon who was under the influence. These are important questions that Texans have a right to know about.”
While the Abbott campaign stated “Sen. Davis’ ad shows a disturbing lack of judgment from a desperate politician and completely disqualifies her from seeking higher office in Texas.”
Governor Perry tweeted this:
.@GregAbbott_TX campaigns on issues and future of TX while @WendyDavisTexas campaigns on personal attacks and desperation. Choice is clear.
— Rick Perry (@GovernorPerry) October 11, 2014
Here’s also a look at other Twitter reactions to Davis’ ad.
@WendyDavisTexas You’re in good company Wendy: Kanye Scores 106 Points Against Wheelchair Basketball Team http://t.co/DLvXD0TEwd — Angela Bennett-Smith (@conservbabe) October 12, 2014
#WendyDavis hypocrisy-plus: playing the let’s-jab-at-the-disability card. What else from a pro-death mongrel? http://t.co/trJgjuv5CU
— Den Hart (@denhartdesign) October 12, 2014
Watch the ‘Disgusting’ Wendy Davis Ad That’s Being Condemned as a ‘Historic Low’ http://t.co/ixorBe4pvJ @conservativebyt — Michael J. Fell (@MichaelJFell) October 12, 2014
It seems that most of the outrage comes from the fact that in the ad, there’s an empty wheelchair, which means that Davis is actively attacking Abbott for being disabled, yet that isn’t the case. The ad actually shows what measures that Abbott has taken along the way that serves his own self-interest.
Where’s the outrage where Abbott receives a substantial amounts of money from a board of trustee member of Baylor Scott & White during the time that the Attorney General took up three federal cases involving that said health care system?One of the lawsuits stems from Baylor not stopping a cocaine-using surgeon.
What about siding with a vacuum cleaner company over a rape victim? In which Abbott stated the company “had no responsibility.”
So, an empty wheel chair is seen as an attack on Abbott for being disabled by Davis. Absolutely not. Instead it showcases Abbott’s own hypocrisy siding with corporations rather than getting justice for victims, which surprisingly at one point in his life he was on the same boat.