WITH MASSO'S ENDORSEMENTS OF SAENZ, WHAT HAPPENS TO CHEEZMEH "CLOUT" AND ITS "LEGION" OF ADHERENTS?

By Juan Montoya
In a clearly logical move that threw his true believers for a loop, former Democratic contender for Cameron County District Attorney Carlos Masso publicly endorsed his opponent Luiz Saenz over Republican contender (I'm not with) Chuck Mattingly.
Welcome to realpolitik in Brownsville. Even some of Saenz supporters who fought in the trenches against he Masso minions (remember Cheezmasso?) were disconcerted.
"I was talking to my wife about the endorsement," said one. "It's kind of strange to be together with someone who we were against for months. She said it was just politics. I understand it, but it still doesn't make it feel right."
Democrats, known to harbor grudges past their shelf life, are notorious for deserting the party in November if their candidate for any particular office doesn't get the party's nomination.
Witness the recent reelection of Carlos Cascos as Cameron County Judge. And before that, it was Tony Garza. Even Solomon Ortiz, the perennial congressman representing Cameron County in the old District 27 congressional district got the boot from traditional Democrats when they were given a chance. Of course, the fact that there was a spoiler Libertarian candidate (Ed Mishou) siphoned off just enough South Texas votes to make his party credible and Blake Farenthold's candidacy viable.
Masso's move – coming on the eve of early voting Monday – is a most logical one.
He is, after all, an attorney who has to work in Cameron County where he figures Saenz has a stranglehold on the position. And despite protests from some of his more rabid supporters (Cheezmeh, etc.) he knows he has to fashion out a modus vivendi with the future DA if he is to represent clients before the state.
Remember the charges of adultery and philandering that the more vicious Masso supporters repeated endlessly against Saenz and the attempts to link all the Democratic candidates for DA with indicted District Attorney Armando Villalobos? Ever wonder why?
Now we find out that Cheezmeh and the Head Cheez (as he calls himself) Erasmo Castro, an Austin resident who fancies himself a Machiavelli of sorts, has a history with Saenz and would have wished he wouldn't get anywhere getting elected. Back in 1991 Saenz prosecuted Castro for felony forgery and got a conviction that resulted in a $1,146 fine being levied on the Cheez. Without going into detail, let's just say that as of October 18, 2012 – more than 20 years after his felony conviction – Castro was still $598.44 in debt to the court.
With Saenz – who was the  target of Castro's Cheezmeh campaign to disparage his reputation – as DA, it would be somewhat unhealthy for Castro to be seen in these here parts, we figure. His appearances locally, by the way, are far and in between and he usually makes his pitch through his Facebook page or thorough proxies like his sister and other true believers who drank the Kool-Aid.
Was he hoping backing Masso and attacking Saenz would render it easier for him to do business in Cameron County since he might be the next DA?
As a convicted felon who doesn't reside in Cameron County, you've got to hand it to him for pure chutzpah in hosting candidate forums and publicly urging his dwindling flock to heed his siren's song. The latest fish who took the bait are Don Clupper and Lindal Gill, candidates for the board of trustees of the Brownsville Independent School District. Is he even eligible to vote legally?
However, it appears that the list of takers on the Kool-Aid line is not as large as he would have liked it. He started out backing Clupper against Butch Barbosa and incumbent trustee Catalina Presas-Garcia for Place 5 and Linda Gill against Jose Hector Chirinos, for Place7.
Now, even though he chastises BUC for endorsing "non-union" candidates, his backing of Gill over Choferes Unidos union bus drivers favorite Chirinos becomes even more incongruent. Even BUC members, who he could count on during Cheezmeh's heyday, have left the fold and are openly supporting Cheezmeh candidates' opponents.
And while he doesn't like Otis Powers in Place 3, he calls his opponent Argelia Miller a "puppet" of Carlos Quintanilla, of Dallas-based Accion America. That is highly doubtful. Knowing Quintanilla, if he was involved inx the race against Powers, we would have seen his intensity in the campaign against Powers by now.
"Otis is for sale," he intones from the heights of Austin. "I'm skeptical of Otis Powers but his opponent is a Carlos Quintanilla puppet....and (we) must choose between two evils."
Instead, Castro urges all his followers to vote for his lone customer Linda Gill, who he promises "will serve our community well. I promise you that with her on the board WE THE COMMUNITY will have access to all the happenings on the board...no more secret behind closed doors meetings....Do we want to remain in the dark? Then let Otis Powers control the board. I am the Cheez, and I approve this message."
If ever there was a condescending full-of-himself creation than the Head Cheez Castro fancies himself to be, then Erasmo is your man. What happened to the vaunted legions (I am legion) that were supposed to rush headlong into the Masso abyss at his mere word?
And while we're at it, why did Castro kowtow to Justice of the Peace incumbent Linda Salazar against Libertarian Marlene Dougherty . What possible interest could he have in that race?
Well, we have learned that none other than Dougherty was the attorney who filed the lawsuit in U.S. Southern District Court against Castro and other family members with her clients charging that Erasmo himself had assured them he was qualified (certified?) to help them fill their immigrations forms with the federal government. More than one plaintiff in the lawsuits found out different after they were dispossessed of their money and their applications denied.
The bandying about of "the community" to impress upon his readers that he represents them in South Texas is deceptive enough, but it has become obvious from the candidates he has supported that there is a base self-interest in his strategy.
If he, in fact, had a "community interest" in mind, why is he aligned with the likes of the Hernandez vote-harvesting machine and all its politiqueros abusing gullible Hispanic elderly and mentally-impaired adult day-care clients? And what does he think like he does of Gill, that he will have the ear of Erin Hernandez Garcia any time he commands it? The path to the Hernandezes door is littered with gullible "power brokers" like Castro who were thrown under the bus at the first sign that Ernie felt his interest threatened. Remember Robert Lopez?
The sheen has worn off this new and improved savior of "our community," it would appear.