A Texan Comes A-Courtin'

Regarding an October 5 item, "Harriet's Supreme Qualification: Her Firm's Fundraising," in which I made fun of Bush fundraiser Jeff Love (among other Texans), Benton Love III writes from Houston:

Subject: Jeff Love, Evil Republican Puppetmaster

Just wanted you to know my dad (the Jeff in question) and I really enjoyed your article. The “G-string” and “high chair” references were my personal favorites. I would have used “bib” or “pacifier” since he is 6’5”, but otherwise everything in there about the quid pro quo political and judicial maneuvering seems in character.

Of course, I don’t really remember because I was about ten during that [Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom] Phillips campaign, but I remember meeting Nolan Ryan at a fundraiser at our house, so there must have been a lot of cash thrown around somewhere.

Anyway, my Dad is such a nice guy in person that it’s refreshing to read a reminder that he’s a Decepticon behind the scenes.

Great displaced head photo, as well. Reminds me of that “heads on sticks” routine they do on PTI.

Best Regards, seriously,
Benton III

Thanks for writing, Benton III. You're referring in part to my quoting from a Texans for Public Justice profile of your dad, which included this:

[Jeff] Love co-chaired Bush’s Texas state finance committee in 2000. He sits on the board of JP Morgan Chase-Houston.

Which I followed with my own comments:

Now how did Jeff Love come to sit on the board of this particular bank? His Locke Liddell profile points out that he was a star baseball player at Vanderbilt, but it neglects to mention his daddy, who ran giant Texas Commerce Bank, which merged with New York's Chemical Bank in 1987, which in turn got swallowed up by JP Morgan Chase.

No wonder the bank's board got out the high chair for Jeff.

All that bank background is courtesy of the blurb for Daddy Ben [Love]'s autobiography, My Life in Texas Commerce, which features a forward by James Baker — Reagan's chief of staff and Treasury secretary and Bush the Elder's Secretary of State.

Benton III, you and your dad are good sports. Has your family considered not contributing any more campaign cash to Bush?

On second thought, let me borrow that word "decepticon" from you, and I won't bring it up again.