Bell has been promising to push for finance limits for campaigns if he is elected. He wants to limit donations to $5,000 from each individual for a campaign and a $100,000 total for any election cycle.

Perry's campaign has accused Bell of flip-flopping to take the O'Quinn money.

Bell told the Houston Chronicle editorial board he cannot maintain that limit in a race against Perry, who is collecting millions of dollars more than the other candidates.

"I wish it wasn't that way in the state of Texas, that it didn't cost such an obscene amount of money," Bell said. "But given what's transpired on the other side, the fact that Perry has had over 60 people donate $100,000 or more, we can do this really guilt-free."

Bell said O'Quinn is not looking for special favors from state government.

"There's nothing that state government can do for John, nor is he asking for anything but good government," Bell said.

Not largest donor

O'Quinn is not the largest donor in the race.

The political committee and four principals of the Dallas tax consulting firm Ryan & Co. have donated more than $2 million to Strayhorn's political fund between January 2003 and Sept. 28. The company represents business clients in tax disputes with Strayhorn's state agency.

Strayhorn also has $511,000 from Beaumont trial lawyer Walter Umphrey.

O'Quinn, Williams and Umphrey were part of a legal team that shared in a $3.3 billion legal fee for settling the state's lawsuit against the tobacco industry.
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4250413.html