Friday, November 21, 2008

R.I.P. Jim Mattox, 1943-2008

James Albon "Jim" Mattox held many jobs in politics over the years dating all the way back to his election to the Texas House in 1972 as one of the "Dirty Thirty." But most folks remember him as Texas' last, honest-to-God liberal Attorney General, a post in which he served from 1982-1990. Mattox passed away yesterday at age 65. Ron DeLord of the Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas rightly told the Statesman that Mattox and Ann Richards, who died in 2006, are "probably the last of that last generation of Yellow Dog Democrats and people that were just bigger than life."

See Mattox's career recalled at Capitol Annex, the Dallas News, and the Houston Chronicle.

2 comments:

Wax Poetic said...

Mr. Maddox looked great at the DNC Convention in Denver. Therefore I was shocked to read the news in the paper this morning.

In a room full of Dems who were not elected by a statewide vote, he stood out.

Anonymous said...

Five days before his death on November 19, Jim Mattox testified to the TDP Advisory Committee on the Convention/Caucus. He patiently waited more than two hours for his turn to speak. When his turn finally came, he strongly criticized the Texas Two-Step as an “unfair” system that was an an embarrassment to the Texas Democratic Party.

Watch the video of what may have turned out to have been his last public appearance.