THE CITY

The CCA’s crudely-handled purging of maverick liberal Adlene Harrison from its slate stands as a classic in the annals of unwitting political self-destruction. It is instructive, too, in teaching what happens when amateurs try to play politics.



It all began when old bull John Stemmons boldly proclaimed he would run against Mrs. Harrison if she weren’t booted off the slate and a suitable substitute found. That pronouncement produced variously shudders, chuckles and anger among John Schoellkopf’s younger wing of the CCA. Schoellkopf himself was more than a little peeved: not only was the enormously popular Mrs. Harrison a big vote getter -who could help him in his mayoral race – but he still harbored a certain pride for negotiating her initial nomination to the conservative slate two years ago. As one source close to the action said, “I think John looked on Adlene as a trophy”



Meanwhile, out in North Dallas, former Jim Collins operative John Leedom decided quietly that he would make a run at Harrison’s spot. He called all the Republican precinct chairmen in district 3, as well as ranking Republican leaders, and discovered he probably had enough partisan support in the district to make a good run – with or without CCA endorsement. But one of the Republican power brokers he talked to saw an opening for a nice little coup: why don’t you make your availability known to Stemmons? He’s looking and it sure couldn’t hurt you to have establishment blessing, especially if it’s free of charge.

Leedom called Stemmons, and Stemmons was interested. He made a few calls to some reliable Republicans (read Jim Collins) to check Leedom out. Satisfied with what he heard, he decided he would swing his weight to Leedom for endorsement by the CCA at the upcoming Council of Representatives meeting.

Schoellkopf and Mrs. Harrison got wind of all this manuevering and hit the ceiling. Schoellkopf reportedly grumbled at one point “Someone needs to go stand up to that tired old man.” He made plans to do just that, only a day or so before the Council of Representatives meeting. At the appointed time Schoellkopf had his tete-a-tete with Stemmons and Bob Cullum. According to some sources, the encounter lasted three hours. No one knows for certain just how well Schoellkopf stood up to “that tired old man,” but the end result speaks for itself: Stemmons wasn’t budging. Leedom was in, Mrs. Harrison out.

Now Schoellkopf was in a real bind. He could try to take Stemmons on one-on-one at the Council of Representatives meeting and muster enough votes for Mrs. Harrison. (Stemmons’ edge on the committee was slight, and his people have a tendency not to show up.) But he preferred trying to smooth the situation out prior to the meeting. He called a hurried pow-wow at his home for the morning before the Saturday afternoon Council of Representatives session. Present were Mrs. Harrison, Charles Terrell, Pedro Aguirre and Buzz Crutcher, Schoellkopf’s political right arm.

Schoellkopf’s problem was essentially mathematical: he had five en-dorsable candidates for only four spots. Leedom couldn’t be trucked with in Place 3. Neither could lone Mexican-American incumbent Aguirre in one at-large place. Charles Terrell could be moved from his at-large place to North Dallas District 4, making room for Mrs. Harrison at-large, but that would involve shoving out Republican CCA man Dick Smith. Schoellkopf might not be able to afford that kind of throatcutting: he’d made solid deals with the Republicans on Smith. No, switching candidates around wouldn’t solve the problem. One of the five had to be edged out.

Apparently Schoellkopf hadn’t considered all these options carefully; from a “we need to make tough decisions” opening the meeting quickly degenerated into a “What do you think?” session. Nerves got on edge, and soon enough the meeting had turned into a grammar school recess macho free-for-all, with everyone threatening to run against everyone else. The meeting disbanded with no cogent, workable game plan. Mrs. Harrison soon enough solved that herself by deciding in despair and disgust to blow off CCA endorsement and run independently.

Unsatisfied with that solution, Schoellkopf and Crutcher made a last ditch attempt to retain her on the slate, asking a Republican operative point blank, just prior to the meeting, “Do you think Dick Smith would drop out in Place 4?” Hearing nothing offered in return for such a proposition, the Republican said simply, “No” and walked away.

The Council of Representatives met, endorsing Leedom in Place 3, Terrell at-large, etc. Now things get a little fuzzy. One theory has it that the following Sunday Terrell began having second thoughts about running at all; by that night he decided to drop out, cementing Mrs. Harrison’s earlier thoughts of moving to an at-large spot. The other theory claims that Mrs. Harrison, as soon as she swore off CCA endorsement, began making noises about running at-large – maybe even for mayor – and that scared Terrell off. Whichever, the end result of Schoellkopf & Co.’s indecisiveness that week was a net loss of two vote-getting CCA incumbents: Harrison and Terrell.

A sampling of armchair analysts in town suggests, that had Schoellkopf and Crutcher done their homework a little better, they could have salvaged at least Mrs. Harrison. All they would have had to do is (a) amicably force Terrell off the slate, offering him the presidency of the CCA or some other plum in return. (Whether Schoellkopf was aware of it or not, Terrell had been making private noise for some months that he might not run again.) and (b) leave Leedom alone, move Mrs. Harrison to Terrell’s vacated at-large spot and shove her past the Council of Representatives. (Most think they could have gotten enough votes, or at least had enough of a chance to try.)

As it is, Mrs. Harrison is unopposed as an independent in one at-large slot, popular independent Garry Weber is opposing CCA incumbent Pedro Aguirre in the other at-large council spot, and is an odds-on favorite to win; last but not least, unless John Schoellkopf blitzes the media, finds an issue or two and is all over town between now and April 1, Wes Wise looks good for a third term as mayor. Couple those possible losses with the projected CCA loss of at least three of the eight single member district seats, and the CCA may well wind up without even a majority on this next council.

Schoellkopf seems to be receiving the brunt of the blame, for two sets of reasons: (1) plain old indecisiveness in a political situation requiring a firm game plan and quick action, and (2) making firm deals with Stemmons (on the composition of the Council of Representatives) and the Republicans (for the two North Dallas seats) and at the same time, trying to retain Mrs. Harrison -an untenable proposition at best. As one observer of the bloodletting said, “John may not realize it, but he just gave a lot of people a reason to question seriously all his talk about leadership.”