State Board of Ed.: Why Republicans Take Cover

The League of Women Voters have invited local (to Austin) candidates for all levels of state office to debate the issues. A debate that will be aired from the studios of KLRU on the UT campus.

Judy Jennings

Both Rebecca Bell-Metereau and Judy Jennings, candidates for State Board of Education seats in District 5 and 10, respectively, have accepted their invitation to debate.

Rebecca Bell-Metereau

As they should. All candidates for public office owe their participation in debate to the voters so they can make informed decisions on the issues and the candidates they have before them in the November election. The League of Women Voters, an organization founded in 1920 to allow newly enfranchised American women to make more educated decisions on their newly won responsibility, has always been, to my mind, a group that has always produced impartial political forums for the candidates.

No one, up to now that is, has ever questioned the integrity of this organization.

But now the integrity of the Austin-area LWV has been questioned, no really the word is indicted, by Republican Party of Texas Chairman Steve Munisteri.

From the Austin American-Statesman:

“In Austin, the League of Women Voters should really be called the 'League of Women Democrats,'" Texas Republican Party Chairman Steve Munisteri said, explaining why he advised Ken Mercer and Marsha Farney — Republican candidates for the State Board of Education in Districts 5 and 10, respectively — to skip the debate, which is scheduled to be taped Sept. 28 at KLRU studios at the University of Texas.” 

“Munisteri said the league's leaders have ties to the Democratic Party, and he provided a list showing that all six of the league's elected officers have voted in Democratic primaries in recent years and other leaders have contributed money to Democrats, including the ones in the debate. (In Texas, voters do not register a party affiliation but indicate it when they vote in a party's primary.)”

Now granted the data that Munisteri had was no doubt true, that is all in records that anyone with access to the databases can access. And frankly, it does not surprise me that the Austin-area leaders have Democratic leanings simply because they are interested in hearing both sides and letting both sides show the true differences between them.

It doesn’t surprise me because this year more than anything else it will be up to Republicans to keep voters in the dark over their positions and simply use the smoke and mirrors that have become their trademark to deflect attention away from themselves. Directing attention instead toward that Black, racist Nazi, communist, Kenyan Muslim sleeping in a bed in the White House that only white men should sleep in.

So it makes sense to me that the forum organizers be Democrats. What doesn’t make sense to me is that in being Democrats these people then by definition possess such a low degree of integrity that they will fashion a forum for debate exclusively in order to ambush the Republican debaters.

Munisteri provided ample evidence that they are Democrats, but not one shred of evidence that the debate organizers are artful, deceiving liars.

My guess, therefore, is that he arrived at this rather unearned accusation because he knows that if Republicans were organizing a debate forum like this, that this is exactly what they would do: lay an ambush for the Democrats.

There is no other explanation.

Either that, or Munisteri is simply conjuring up a reason for Republican SBOE candidates not to debate because to do so allows Texans to make informed decisions on Republican candidates, and that, in the end, is the last thing he wants them to do.

For Texas SBOE District 10: Marsha Who?

Today the Texas Democratic Party sent a message to all of us about Judy Jennings’ sometime opponent in her race for a seat on the Texas State Board of Education.

Something to the effect of: Marsha Who?

That is, since July 3rd, when Marsha Farney (oh yeah, Farney) addressed a crowd of Teabaggers and expressed her relief that she was before them and not a bunch of America-bashing Democrats.

To wit:

“I'd rather be here than with those America-bashing Democrats.”

But since then, and the feces storm that ensued, no one has seen neither hide nor big hair of Dr. Farney. The Houston Chronicle admits that they were rebuffed from getting an interview, nor have they received any explanation of her July 3rd remark despite repeated quests via email or phone.

“She has not responded to e-mails or phone calls spread out over the past few days”

Judy Jennings, her opponent in the election was unabashedly taken aback by the whole thing, and asked for her take on the remark offered this:

“‘I guess she believes that anyone who's a Democrat is an America- basher, which maybe means that we don't love our country as much as others do who aren't Democrats,’ Jennings says. ‘I don't know what else it could mean.’”

To which I say, how about this? How about that Marsha Farney is just as rightwing and just as politicized as the board member that she hopes to replace, Cynthia Dunbar. How about that Marsha Farney, upon seeing the recent poll taken across the political spectrum, revealed that Texans oppose the politicizing of Texas educational policies to the tune of 72% opposed, has taken a dive for cover?

How about the fact that Marsha Farney, who proudly displays the banner “100% Pro Life Answers” on the home page of her campaign website, uses the issue of Abortion Rights as a litmus test to attract social conservatives to her cause?

In her most recent statement, Judy Jennings has been on point and on the nose in characterizing Marsha Farney as just another political hack that wants to have her reactionary neoconservative way with the Texas school curriculum.

“‘For weeks I have called on Farney to explain to Texas families whether she would join those already on the SBOE in ignoring the advice of teachers and experts, by continuing to push hyper-partisan ideology on our school children., For weeks she has remained silent. Now that she's proven the extent to which she will pander to a fringe element, she has quickly returned to her 'undisclosed location' and refuses to answer any questions, in hopes that Texans won't notice,’ Jennings said.”

“‘I have been clear from the start. When I am elected to the State Board of Education, I will not inflict ideology on the schoolchildren of Texas. Instead, I will listen to the advice of experts and teachers, and will remain focused on the task at hand - providing our Texas children with a world-class education,’ Jennings said.”

“‘Shamefully, it's now clear that we cannot expect the same from Marsha Farney.’”

I know times are tough. I have had to contend with some unexpected expenditures this summer, too. But it’s worth a $5 or a $10 donation to the Jennings campaign to get her message out to the sprawling District 10 electorate that extends from Houston to Austin.

It’s time to take back our educational system from the political hacks. It’s time to support Judy Jennings in an uphill but winnable battle to retake District 10.