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Abbott And Davis React To Hidden Video Recording Of Battleground Texas

Courtesy photo
Likely Republican nominee for governor in 2014 Greg Abbott.

After a videotape showing Battleground Texas workers -- who are helping campaign for Democratic candidate for governor Wendy Davis -- mocking Republican candidate for governor Greg Abbott for being disabled, Davis is again finding herself on the defensive.

State Sen. Davis is disavowing those remarks and the campaign workers who made them.

Conservative operative James O’Keefe is known for his heavily-edited hidden video recordings catching progressives like ACORN workers saying embarrassing things.

O’Keefe’s organization brought his hidden camera to the Wendy Davis campaign headquarters and with dramatic music in the background shows Battleground Texas workers saying disrespectful things about Attorney General Abbott being in wheelchair.

Speaking to FOX news Thursday night, Abbott reacted to the video tape.

"Denigrating the disabled is unworthy of Texas," Abbott said. "The reality is Texans look beyond superficial appearances. What Texans really look at is depth of character."

Davis said she renounces those comments.

"Look, I think the language that is used in that video about Greg Abbott is abhorrent," she said. "He has preserved through a great personal challenge to raise a family and have a productive career and for that he deserves out respect."

Davis said if those comments had been made by any of her paid campaign staff they would be gone from her campaign.

David Martin Davies can be reached at dmdavies@tpr.org and on Twitter at @DavidMartinDavi