- The Washington Times - Friday, January 24, 2014

Texas Democratic gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis — whose campaign has already been tainted by charges she stretched the truth with her biographical sketches — has a new scandal: Her supporters were caught on video mocking her wheelchair-bound political opponent, Republican Greg Abbott.

Mr. Abbott, meanwhile, responded graciously to the insults, telling Fox News that Texans deserved better.

Project Veritas showcased the video that includes cuts of staffers with the pro-President Obama group, Battleground Texas, sitting in a living room and openly mocking Mr. Abbott, the attorney general for the state, for his wheelchair-bound status. Mr. Abbott, who lost his ability to walk when a tree fell on him decades ago, is running against Ms. Davis for governor.

At one point in the video, Ms. Davis is shown visiting the Battleground Teas group to thank them for their assistance — and for being her “secret weapon” in her campaign.

The video then cuts back and forth to a Battleground Texas meeting in a living room that took place several months ago.

Among the statements made by staffers at this living room gathering about Mr. Abbott: “First of all, he’s not good looking, he doesn’t speak very well, he doesn’t have a good personality, and he’s in a wheelchair.” Laughter can then be heard.

The video also shows Lisa Wortham, the deputy voter registrar, saying to the gathering: “I’m really wondering how this is going to work out, since he’s in a wheelchair and the slogans are ’Stand with Wendy.’ “

Ms. Davis responded to the video late Thursday afternoon, WND reported. James O’Keefe, who heads up Project Veritas, tweeted: “Breaking: Wendy Davis responds to video: ’The language used in this video about Greg Abbott is abhorrent.’”

And Mr. Abbott responded, too, telling Megyn Kelly on Fox News later Thursday night that “denigrating the disabled is unworthy of Texas.”

Ms. Davis in recent days has fielded off charges that she purposely stretched the truth with her education claims and housing situation. She claimed her Harvard schooling was financed by student loans and grants but left out the part about the cash contributions from her wealthy husband.

On top of that, she claimed she divorced at 19 and lived in a trailer — but actually, she divorced at 21 and lived only a brief time in a trailer home. Ms. Davis first rose to national fame when she donned pink running shoes and a urinary catheter to try and filibuster a state bill on abortion.

• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.

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