1983 Jan 26: Texas Democrat Mark White had just beaten Republican Governor Bill Clements. During the election run-up, the Texas business money had all gone to Clements, but in the few weeks left after November to the December 11 cut-off date, the business lobby in Texas had lined up [behind White] to: "retire most of a $3 million debt in a matter of weeks."

    White, as state attorney-general from 1978 had sat "on his hands while (lobbyist) Fondren and his friends (incl. Durward Curlee and Gaylord Armstrong) hammered the Legislature into weakening the state's Consumer Protection Act in 1979."

Business lobbyists in good shape because they stuck with White against considerable odds include Gaylord Armstrong whose law partner Shannon Ratliff was White's treasurer; attorney Mark Hanna, whose wife Debbie, traveled with White's wife, Linda Gale; and especially Pike Powers, although he'll be quitting his law firm for the time being to be White's interim executive assistant.