A Personal Reminiscence of Bob Bullock

A Personal Reminiscence of Bob Bullock Claudia DeLaughter Stravato (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution [End Page 138] He's been called a character, a maverick, a liberal, a conservative, an incredibly charitable man, a cruel man, a man's man, a woman's man, a hard ass, a crack shot, a compassionate man, a softie, a difficult man, a drunk, a visionary, a crude man, a politically incorrect man, the most politically savvy man Texas ever produced, and a man who believed in fundamental fairness. He was all these things and more, and everyone knew not to mess with him. Thank you for inviting me to speak at your President's Dinner here in El Paso. I'm from Amarillo, the windiest city anywhere, according to Wikipedia. I am honored to speak before this august organization, established in 1897—before Amarillo was chartered as a city in 1914! The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) is critical to Texas history because of its critically acclaimed Texas publications, like the Texas Almanac and the Handbook of Texas, which gather, maintain, and preserve information and legends that make Texas extraordinary. I had the great privilege of working for Bob Bullock for twenty-five years, serving as a regional field manager, deputy comptroller, coordinator of his campaign for lieutenant governor, transition coordinator to the office of lieutenant governor when he won, and his chief of staff when he took office. Your outgoing president, Lance Lolley, also had the privilege of working for Bullock, as he was called by everyone, when he was a student, and he never forgot it. He asked me to "tell it like it was" about Bullock. I can't do that, but I can certainly tell you more than you knew before. [End Page 139] When Lance worked for Bullock, he was a "must hire," who, as he says, "fetched" a lot of cigarettes and Crown Royal whisky for Bullock. I too, was a "must hire." Being a "must hire" meant you knew someone who was in good stead with Bullock. As you may or may not know, Texas does not have a civil service system, so elected officials and state officials can hire anyone they wish. Bullock hired friends, friends of friends, and children of friends. I was hired because my husband was a friend of Bullock's speechwriter. At the time I was hired by Bullock, I was president of the Amarillo Republican Women's Club. A few days after I started working at the comptroller's office in Amarillo, I received a call from Bullock himself. He said, "I hired you because Glen [Castlebury] asked me to, but if I catch you making a single call on my phones for Republicans, I'll fire your ass!" He knew everything about everyone who worked for him, and he used it. Thank God I had a master's degree in government and had a lot of experience running nonprofits. He defined his philosophy about hiring "friends" this way: "Why would I hire someone who simply made a passing grade on a test, but who might turn out not be loyal to me and my goals?" I hire friends because they will always be loyal to me, and they will work hard to pay me back!" He was right. We all worked our hearts out for him. "I always believed in dancing with the folks that brung you," he said. He did us a favor and we were, and are, incredibly loyal to him and his legacy. To this day, we have a group called "BBxers." We have a monthly newsletter, stay in contact with one another, and continue to tell famous "Bullock stories." The BBxers discussed whether or not I should speak to you about him. While the majority thought I should, several thought I would be disloyal talking about personal things he had said. I'm here tonight to talk about this incredibly complex man who probably did more to move Texas out of the past and into the future than any other Texas politician. Bullock simply modernized Texas government! Even before he took office in 1974, Bullock began recruiting the best and the...