By BJ Austin, KERA News
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/kera/local-kera-934502.mp3
Dallas, TX – Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert is bumping up his "partisan" profile. Wednesday night, at the Majestic Theatre downtown, the Mayor introduced Republican Sarah Palin. KERA's BJ Austin reports.
Mayor Leppert's brief introduction of the former Alaskan Governor and Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin was greeted with enthusiastic applause. Palin's appearance was a fundraiser for an anti-abortion organization. She also took aim at Washington and big-government.
Palin: Dallas I know you get it. And I appreciate it so much, your passion, your patriotism, standing up for all the right things. Thanks for clinging to your God and your guns and your Constitution. Thank you, Dallas.
Mayor Leppert downplays the politics of sharing the stage with Palin, and points to the evening's cause.
Leppert: I think the effort that money is being raised for is a good one. I think that's an important issue, and I support the fundraising efforts.
But SMU political scientist Cal Jillson says Mayor Leppert is boosting his Republican Party profile because he has his eye on higher political office.
Jillson: He's thinking about running for the United States Senate and he's going to do that as a Republican. So, he's getting his partisan juices flowing. Otherwise he would not be demeaning himself by ducking into the Governor's race as he did to endorse Governor Perry, and he certainly wouldn't be standing next to Sarah Palin.
Jillson says political proximity to Palin is a double-edge sword: some people really like her, others really don't. Mayor Leppert says welcoming VIP's to Dallas is part of his job. However, Leppert broke with the nonpartisan tradition of the Mayor's office to endorse Republican Rick Perry for Governor. The Mayor says that was about economic recovery.
Leppert: If you do not have a strong economy, then you can't hope to have a successful city in the future. The Governor has been very aggressive in going out and building our economy, and I thought that was exactly the right thing to do.
The Mayor's office had said a decision on Leppert's political future could come this month. But the Mayor hints it will be a while longer - maybe March when the filing period for city office begins.
Leppert: I enjoy being Mayor very much. We have made some terrific progress. In the next several months I'll have to make a decision. I understand that. And I will evaluate the opportunities and obstacles at that time.
While the Mayor isn't saying much about his political future, a re-election bid or a Senate race, SMU's Cal Jillson says his continued appearances at high profile Republican events speak volumes.