Printed remarks passed out at press conference at the Capitol:
November 23, 2009
For Immediate Release
STATEMENT FROM TOM SCHIEFFER
Yesterday, my treasurer, Lyndon Olson, and I met in Houston with Mayor Bill White. I urged Mayor White to consider running for Governor instead of the United States Senate. I told him that I thought our state was facing a crisis of leadership and if we did not have a new governor, Texas would wind up being a third world state.
I also told him that I thought the Democratic Party offered the only chance for real change in Texas and we had to have a candidate that was thoughtful and serious and could draw from a broad range of support. I told him that I thought he could be that candidate and that I was prepared to withdraw form the race in order to make that happen.
So, I am announcing today that I will no longer be a candidate for Governor. I hope my actions will be a catalyst for others to reassess their intentions and to join me in supporting Mayor White for governor. We simply must get behind one candidate that can unite our party and offer a credible alternative to the Republicans next fall. I think Bill White is that candidate, and I hope others will join me in urging him to run.
Before I answer your question I want to thank the folks who went out on a limb to support my candidacy. So many of them have been my friend for thirty and forty years. To them it was always mroe about friendship than politics. But there are countless others that supported my candidacy and said they wanted to help because they thought I could take our state in a different direction. Old friends or new friends, I was deeply touched by your willingness to help, and I thank you.
Finally, I want to thank my family for pitching in. They have always been there for me. I wish that I could have saved them from the pain of this moment, but I love them and appreciate very much their sacrifice on my behalf.
Click
here for my post on my live report from the press conference.
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