Paul: Medina Is a Friend, But That's Not an Endorsement
By OMAR VILLAFRANCA
Updated 7:16 PM CST, Wed, Sep 2, 2009
There seems to be some confusion in the Debra Medina for governor campaign on the definition of "support."
An earlier version of this story reported that Medina's campaign announced Wednesday that Rep. Ron Paul is backing her. The campaign plugged a letter written by Paul in which he calls Medina a "real defender of liberty."
But I just got a call from Jesse Benton, who said he's media director for Paul's congressional reelection campaign and the political director to Paul's political action committee, Liberty PAC.
He said the letter is not an endorsement for Medina's campaign at all. Paul has not endorsed any candidate for governor, Benton said.
"He is friendly with several candidates, remains neutral in this race and is unlikely to officially endorse anyone," Benton said. "The letter he sent out about Debra Medina was not a letter of endorsement, it was merely a note expressing his friendship and admiration for her activism."
But Medina's campaign apparently didn't see the letter that way.
"Thanks to my friend Congressman Ron Paul for his kind letter of support today," said a tweet on Medina's Twitter account that linked to at copy of the letter on her campaign Web site.
Her campaign also sent an e-mail out to reporters touting the "very strong letter of support."
But Benton said Paul's letter was "in no way a letter of support or endorsement."
Medina worked for Paul during his run for the Republican presidential nomination last year, but apparently that's not enough to earn an endorsement.
First Published: Sep 2, 2009 4:37 PM CST
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