Dems unconcerned White skipping Obama visit

[The Northerner]

AUSTIN — President Barack Obama's trip to Texas on Monday aims to do something Democrats are still good at in this conservative state - raising money. But it's not designed to bolster the chances of Democrat Bill White in the governor's race.

The former Houston mayor is making a play for moderate voters in both parties and doesn't plan to appear with the president. And the political team for Obama and the Democratic National Committee doesn't appear too concerned with whether White wants Obama in the state.

The DNC's efforts are "not about one candidate," said Hector Nieto, a Texas spokesman for the party arm Organizing For America.

Despite Republican Gov. Rick Perry's attempts to paint White and Obama as like-minded liberals, White isn't exactly running cheek to cheek with the president. White has criticized Obama's administration on federal spending and says Perry is trying to link him with Obama because "he knows that he can't beat me." Besides, White said, he doesn't need a "seal of approval" from the president.

"Under the First Amendment, I can't prevent anybody from campaigning for me," he told the Associated Press.

Neither the White House nor Democratic Party officials in Texas would discuss whether they tried to coordinate White's and Obama's schedules. White's campaign wouldn't say whether it got a call from Obama's office to coordinate the visit in advance.

But Perry spokesman Mark Miner said White can't disassociate himself from Obama.

"Bill White can run but he can't hide from the fact that he shares the same policy views," Miner said.

Read more: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/7144096.html