"SUCIO" LUCIO MIFFED AT CASCOS, BACKS WOOD

By Juan Montoya
A few years ago, when the slicing up of Democrat districts in Texas was being Perrymandered in Austin, Sen. Eddie Lucio and his aides came to address the students at the University of Texas-Texas Southmost College hybrid.
With his trademark set of choppers in full display, Eddie answered questions after his and Paul Cowen's presentation on redistricting.
"Would you not rather run for Congress instead of being in a Legislature where you are outnumbered by Republicans?" he was asked.
"I have a personal relationship with Gov. Perry that I wouldn't have in Washington," the pearly whites glimmered back. "We were both representatives in the Texas House and we're god friends."
Something, obviously, has changed since then.
Ask Cameron County Judge Carlos Cascos.
When Perry came down to Brownsville for the so-called Operation Lone Star where first responders and Texas National Guard personnel provided free health care to anyone who showed up at Juliet Garcia Middle School, his staff called Cascos, a fellow Republican, to be present at the event.
Unbeknownst to Carlos, Lucio also showed up, speech in hand, only to have Perry's staff call Cascos to the microphone to address the audience before Lucio.
Miffed at the apparent snub, Lucio was livid, but that didn't deter him from trying to push himself into every photo opportunity with his "friend" the governor.
Cascos' supporters say that the estrangement between Perry and Lucio extends to May 2003 when Perry named him Governor for a Day in return for a crucial vote on a bill Perry wanted passed. To Perry's surprise, Lucio took the Governor For a Day designation and promptly turned around and voted against Perry's bill.
At the time of the designation, Perry and the Lt. governor were out the state.
"Perry went down to the Legislature and confronted Eddie over his reneging on his word," they said.
From then on, they said, Perry has had no use for the state senator from Cameron County.
It probably didn't help Lucio's standing with Perry that he was named one of the Worst 10 Legislators four years later in 2007.
But the depth of Lucio's wrath was not apparent to local political observers until the arrival of the 90 soldiers from Iraq last Sunday when they were reunited with their families at the Jacob Brown Auditorium. Once again, Cascos was invited by the battalion's command staff to attend. And once again, he was asked to deliver a few words before Lucio.
After his brief remarks welcoming them home, Cascos was stunned to be accosted by Lucio and grabbed roughly by his arm - and by his verbal assault.
"That's the last time you do this to me," Lucio fumed angrily.
Cascos asked him what he was talking about and grabbed his arm in return before officers and non-commissioned officers from the battalion set Lucio straight.
"Lucio looked at him like he was insulted that Carlos grabbed his arm just like he had before," said an observer. "Lucio looked mad like 'Let go of my arm' even though he had just done the same thing."
"We invited the judge here," the event's coordinator told Lucio. "He didn't have anything to do with the program."
Cascos' supporters say that Lucio has made no secret of where he stands on the upcoming county judge's election this November.
"Eddie has sent E-mails to everyone asking them to attend Wood campaign events," said a Cascos supporter. "It's no secret he wants Wood to win very badly. He's getting involved in this one."