Corny Hearts Watt$

I have a theory that I’d like to unfold for you here. I think that of the two Democratic candidates for US Senator from Texas, the two who have filed papers with the FEC, the junior Republican Senator from Texas, John “Corny” Cornyn would much prefer to run against Mikal Watt$ in November.

The idea started gelling as I watched Karl Rove go on three, count ‘em three Sunday news programs and turn questions about who among the Democrats will be the nominee into a deluxe version of Hillary bashing. He wouldn’t say “Boo” about 2nd in the polls Barack Obama. And it dawned on me why he was doing this: Rove, and nearly every Republican I have talked to about this, very much wants the Democratic nominee to be Hillary Clinton, because he thinks she among the field of 8 candidates, is beatable.

Likewise, Corny thinks that Watt$ is beatable.

The Republican hand that will be played if Watt$ is the nominee is the rich-liberal-trial-lawyer-who-drives-up-insurance-rates hand. Republicans just love that play. They’d rather deflect from the issues and go on personal attacks and assaults on personal integrity.

Mainly because on the issues, Republicans are universally holding the short straw.

But don’t just take my word for it. Republican Party of Texas state chair Tina Benkiser just sent out a letter to the party faithful (I didn’t get one) that was excerpted on the Chron Blog.

Benkiser writes:

"When it comes to trial lawyers, what you don't know will hurt you. Take, for instance, Democrat trial lawyer Mikal Watts, who's recently announced his Campaign to defeat our great friend, United States Senator John Cornyn."

"Mikal Watts may be unfamiliar to you now -- but as a liberal trial lawyer who has already spent more than $4 million of his personal fortune on his campaign -- his record proves he's not afraid to go into attack mode, and do or spend whatever it takes to win."

"Consider this:"

"Watts sued one of the world's largest automakers for millions of dollars, claiming that its product had caused serious injuries to occupants of the vehicle." "But when the facts of the case came to light -- Watts' clients had been driving from California to Texas, taking drugs all along the way -- Watts had to move for a mistrial! (source: http://www.overlawyered.com/)"

"I'm sure you'll agree the last thing Texas and America needs is another liberal trial lawyer -- armed with flimsy facts and skilled in telling half-truths -- in the U.S. Senate."

See what I mean? This is going to be the play and the Republicans are so enthralled with it that they came out months and months before the primary to give Mikal Watt$ lots and lots of press. Didn’t see Rick Noriega mentioned once, did you?

Corny will never mention Rick Noriega, mark my words. He will promote the candidacy of Mikal Watt$ because he has all the right negatives that are super big red buttons that Republicans push to get you to vote for their candidate.

In the months running up to the primary, you are going to see two groups of people putting Mikal Watt$’ name in front of the voters, the Watts Campaign Committee and the Cornyn Campaign Committee.

Cornyn is toast in a run against Rick Noriega. While a progressive Democrat, Rick Noriega has wide bipartisan appeal. I mentioned here that a Republican Hispanics for Noriega group has formed. Even Bob “Swift Boat” Perry is taken with Rick’s many fine qualities despite the fact that they probably disagree on many issues. Cornyn can’t attack Rick in the same terms as he can Watt$. It’s almost sad. His campaign will have to come up with out-and-out falsehoods and truth-stretching on Rick that will make them look very bad in today’s climate.

Want to tell the Repulicans that we Democrats are perfectly able to decide for ourselves who we want to run in our senatorial primary? Go and get your wallet and take out that credit card and drop a few bucks in Rick Noriega’s ActBlue website. They’re trying to get those numbers up to 20 large in two days. As I type this they have a goal to raise just under $8000 on that site in the next two days. You go be one of those that gets this done.

Yawn . . .Kay Bailey Hutchison MAY Run for Texas Guv

Yep, it’s a fact. Or not. Actually, according to Hutchison, who was recently interviewed last week by Peggy Fikac of the Houston Chronicle, the senior senator from Texas has absolutely no idea what she wants to do next.

Because she has spent quite a few years in public office, Hutchison thinks that she has not done as well financially as she could have, and, get this, is thinking about taking a job in “the private sector”.

When I hear about federal legislators taking jobs in the private sector, I see the word “Lobbyist” in my mind’s eye. But that is history because now, as I understand it, according to recently passed Senate ethics rules a former Senator will have to wait two years after leaving office before taking a job as a lobbyist. A congressman needs only wait one year.

So I guess that’s out. Let’s see, what other high dollar job opportunity could Hutchison try for? She has a law degree so there’s lawyering. But at 64 while she has a law degree, she has no actual experience being a lawyer, and not a lot of time to build up that experience that a high dollar lawyer needs. Outside of adding the name of a former senator to the list of law partners, Kay would be hard-pressed to add value to the firm.

So I’m kind of puzzled where she would find a place in the private sector.

But then there’s governor. Kay polls at about the 65% level across Texas. Nearly double the performance of Perry’s dismal 39%. Being a gubernatorial candidate is doable, I think. Doable, except by 2010 the demographic shift that has begun here in Red Texas will have run to completion and a Democrat will win the next gubernatorial election.

Nope, I agree with political scientist Larry Sabato and Royal Masset, a GOP consultant who, together, said this about Kay Bailey Hutchison’s political future:

“Say it's Hillary and Obama. I doubt the Republicans would want to put forward two white males.

“She's probably the most credible female we have in the nation.”

They have valid points. In putting up a mixed gender ticket Democrats are announcing to the world that they don’t anticipate the negativism of the past. Republicans will have to answer to their womenfolk. From what I have been hearing Republican women are attracted to a Hillary Clinton presidency.

So what does Kay Bailey Hutchison have to say about this possibility

“No. Nooooo. I do not want to be on the ticket for vice president ... I'm not interested in it. I don't want to be asked. There was a time when I thought maybe I would be interested in running for president but not now. I could never run for president with two 6-year-olds. I don't like the toughness and meanness of Washington. I'd rather do something different.”

Besides, Kay, a Republican in the White House in 2009 is not going to happen either.

So let’s see, Vice President and Governor are out, taking a high dollar job as a lawyer? Out. Lobbyist? Not until 2014. This doesn’t leave much to our former cheerleader senator from Texas. There’s hand modeling, but at 64 the hands probably have seen their better days.

Actually I have the perfect job for Kay. Want chips and a drink with that?

TEA’s School Ratings Have Come Out

Well actually they have been out for a couple of weeks but I haven’t had much time or inclination to look at them. I look every year to discover how many Texas high schools achieve the much desired “Exemplary” rating. As we gear up for a new school year, it’s time to take a look at what happened last year.

Last year, as I recall an astounding 13 total high school campuses achieved that rating. This was a huge drop from the previous year. That is because the Texas Education Agency decided to change the rules up. Schools are rated by test scores and drop out rates, but on top of that, they are rated on the percentage who pass within certain demographic groups: African-American, Hispanic, Economically Disadvantaged, a couple of others. If a school has 50 students within any of these groups, the group is treated as a sub-population, and if high numbers of students within the sub-population fail to master TAKS tests, the school’s rating is lowered. This new provision caused many schools across Texas to lose their Exemplary rating.

This year, the number of schools in Texas that achieved the Exemplary rating doubled over last year. By my count, 26. This is no doubt due to the fact that the TEA is not basing their ratings on high school drop out ratings this year.

Why, one would ask?

Well, like the sub-populations change, the TEA will be redefining what constitutes a high school drop out, and maybe they didn’t want to alarm the schools with another sudden definition change that can radically affect their ratings like last time. So they’re giving schools a year off so they can prepare for the changes that are in the air.

So who are the Exemplary schools in Texas? I have a list below. It is very disheartening when you read through the list that the grand majority of these schools are magnet schools that cherry pick their students or whose students are economically disadvantaged but motivated and are volunteers. I may have omitted a school or two based on the fact that the name did not readily identify the school as a high school.

Arlington Classics Academy
Carnegie Vanguard High School
Carroll Senior High School
Cornerstone Academy
Debakey High School For Health Prof
Early College High School
Early College High School
East Early College High School
Falls City High School
Health Careers High School
High Frontier High School
Highland Park High School
Idea College Prep
Lindsay High School
Lovejoy High School
Mission Early College High School
Prairie Valley High School
Richland Collegiate Hs Of Math S
Richland Collegiate Hs Of Math Sc
School For The Talented & Gifted
School Of Health Professions
School Of Science & Engineering
Silva Health Magnet
The Science Academy
Yes College Preparatory - East E
Yes College Preparatory School

Bush’s SMU Presidential Library, An Idea Whose Time Has Come

There has been this wild disconnect about SMU’s pitch to Dubya for him to build his presidential library on their campus. When I first heard about it, it was because of the emergence of a group that was opposed to the library on political and philosophical grounds. As seen last year in Texas Monthly about a story in the Dallas Morning News which carried a a quote from faculty, administrators, and staff of SMU’s Perkins School of Theology:

“We count ourselves among those who would regret to see SMU enshrine attitudes and actions widely deemed as ethically egregious: degradation of habeas corpus, outright denial of global warming, flagrant disregard for international treaties, alienation of long-term U.S. allies, environmental predation, shameful disrespect for gay persons and their rights, a pre-emptive war based on false and misleading premises, and a host of other erosions of respect for the global human community and for this good Earth on which our flourishing depends.”

There was that and the controversial alleged bullying that went on with regard to owners of University Gardens condominiums which were standing on land that SMU needed in order to build the library. This continuing controversy appears to be the origin of the release of secret SMU documents, documents that have been read and analyzed by the Dallas Morning News. Documents that finally reveal why SMU ever thought that having the Bush library on its campus was a grand idea at all, especially in light of the thoughts and opinions of those who work on the campus.

These documents are a behind the scenes glimpse of SMU’s early desire for a Bush library, and how it gathered political and social connections to carry out their plan, including using Dallas oil millionaire Ray Hunt of Hunt Oil Company. Hunt is an SMU alumnus as well as a current sitting board member of the SMU Board of Trustees. It was at a private dinner at the White House in early 2001 that the idea of a presidential library at SMU was broached with Bush.

That SMU is continuing its heavy handed effort to attract the Bush library to its campus is astounding considering the apparent widespread opposition to the library by faculty members and the apparent misuse of eminent domain to acquire the land upon which the University Gardens condominiums are built upon.

In retrospect, however, you have to conclude that SMU is the perfect site for the Bush library. What is more appropriate than to carry out a project in spite of the fact that the people so vociferously oppose it? What better place to build it except upon land stolen from private citizens by heavy-handed bullying tactics? What better place to put it than in an urban setting on a postage stamp sized piece of land (10 acres) instead of Baylor University’s proffered 150 sprawling acres on the banks of the Brazos River?

SMU is a perfect place for George W. Bush’s presidential library. It captures the spirit of the Bush Regime like no other place does.

An Open Letter to Mikal Watts

Dear Mikal,

I just wanted to let you know that today the Fort Bend Democrats held a very successful fundraiser in the form of our annual garage sale. We received thousands of donated items from Democrats across the county and spent the previous 3 days furiously sorting, pricing and putting them on display for today’s sale.

Shoppers at first trickled in with the dawn, but as the morning progressed we were truly deluged with customers, and later a midsummer rain shower. But never fear, we Democrats learn from our past mistakes and this time held our garage sale indoors with the A/C a-roaring and fans a-blowing and a roof protecting the whole thing. So we stayed cool and dry.

As I say, Democrats learn from our past mistakes. Can anyone spell T-O-N-Y S-A-N-C-H-E-Z?

Anyway, as much as we raked it in, and as many customers who showed up to throw their money at us, we still have lots and lots of good stuff to sell. There just weren’t enough hours in the day to sell all the stuff we have, and at great prices, I might add.

So we decided to close it up and advertise for a repeat event next Saturday.

But you know, we are dead tired. We’ve been working for 4 days straight to get this thing put together and accomplished, and now we are faced with another day this next weekend (Saturday, August 25th 8 AM (hopefully, this time) to 3 PM). We’re tired and could use a little help. So here is what I am going to propose. How about getting that checkbook of yours out and writing a check to the Fort Bend Democrats, a check for . . . say . . . 10 large? If you do that then what we will do is take the whole kit and caboodle of highly saleable goods down to the Fort Bend Women’s Center, who maintains a thrift store to help fund their Women’s Shelter. It’s a Win-Win-Win situation. You’d be doing us a favor, you’d be doing the battered and abused women of Fort Bend County a favor, and you’d put a feather in the cap of your campaign. It would be worth some ink in the local press, don’t you think?

I’ll bet it would get more notice than buying roast beef lunches for Democrats in Victoria.

By the way, and as an aside. Strong hint for the future, to save cash: Democrats will gladly accept a tepid hot dog on a white bread bun slathered with mustard and relish. You don’t have to go overboard with them. Democrats think a hot roast beef lunch is more appropriate for a wake.

Another Bush Accomplishment: Back To the Bad Old Days

Remember when The Wall came down? It was 1992 and all of a sudden the Cold War was over. We won without very many shots fired.

Well guess what? While the Bush Regime was sleeping at the switch, Russia decided to reinstitute that grand old tradition of launching nuclear missile armed strategic bomber patrols once more.

The first since the program was closed in 1992.

Said Vladimir Putin of the resumption of these patrols:

“We proceed from the notion that our partners will react with understanding to the resumption of flights of the Russian strategic air forces. Our pilots have sat idle for too long. We have had a strategic air force but practically no flights.”

Why now?

What would cause the Russians to resume patrols by nuclear-armed bombers?

Most would laugh this off as a feeble attempt by a second-class nuclear power’s saber rattling. I have other ideas, however. Iran lies on Russia’s southern border, and the Bush Regime has made no bones about the fact that there is a desire to bomb this nation into subservience. Perhaps this is a message, a not-so-subtle message, that carrying out this Iranian attack would be an incredibly bad idea.

Do ya think?

Vultures Flocking To Pick Over GOP’s Texas CD-22 Seat

Oh Thank you, Jesus! Now we truly have a feast on our hands. State Rep. Robert “Crazy Bob” Talton has just filed papers with the FEC informing the world of his intention to run for US Congress next year.

GOPers were really upset that they lost Tom DeLay’s seat to a Democrat last year, so much so that Karl Rove put Texas CD-22 at the top of his list of districts to target in the 2008 elections.

Oh, that’s right, Karl Who? The guy who shared Jack Abramoff’s assistant, I think.

One has to wonder which of the crowded field will CD-22 Republican stalwarts throw in for.

Will it be Crazy Bob? Here is his congressional campaign website. Of the bunch, I’d say he will be the personal and political favorite of the DeLay base here in CD-22.

Will it be Dean Hrbacek (pronounced Her-BAH-check as I found out yesterday). The guy who has established an exploratory committee, but apparently has spent some money on a telephone push poll.

What about Judge James “Reverend Jim” Squier? This Houston judge, I hear, is a real nutcase. A family court judge who counsels divorcing couples to make up and make nice because Jesus wants it.

Then we have Pasadena Mayor John Manlove. Manlove. Can you imagine DeLay’s Blue Hair Patrol matriarchs voting for a guy whose very own surname makes GLBT members smile?

Or how about Pete Olsen? John Cornyn’s former chief of staff? Yep, that’s what I thought. Pete Who?

And finally, what about the campaign fund front runner? Silly Shelley Sekula Dragonc—t Rodriguez Gibbs? What the heck, the woman has 180 large in her campaign coffers and has actually never stopped campaigning for the job that she won for a month before having to give it up to a Democrat.

Six candidates to choose from. Six. What a feast.

Hey, that reminds me of a little show that mother nature put on for me a couple of weeks back in my own neighborhood. There were six of them then, too, as I recall. Half Empty prediction: it’s going to look pretty much like this:

Gretchen Gives to Rick Noriega’s Campaign

I am a mere vessel.

Today Gretchen, a full and faithful member of the Fort Bend Democrats asked how she could contribute to Rick Noriega’s senatorial campaign fund. We were working around a table pricing the goods that we hope to sell this Saturday, see previous posting for time and place, and I gladly took her cash money.

I just took that and turned it into the 279th contribution on the DraftRickNoriega’s ActBlue Account.

You can too.

It’s here.

Or lots of places. One thing you can’t ding the Noriega campaign is a lack of places to donate campaign contributions. They are experts there.

They have to be. They are running against a dollar-charged juggernaut. Mikal Watts, his very undesirable, unwinnable opponent, who is self-funded. Absolutely, he has the money and is attracting all sorts of consultants who want to shove Rick’s candidacy aside. He can’t win, they say, because he hasn’t the funding. Well, I just say, wait awhile Mike. Wait awhile and watch the most amazing grassroots effort that nullifies your millions, Mike.

Dollars don’t win elections, Mike, voters do. Want to buy votes? Run for county commissioner. Don’t waste our time with your roast beef lunches, we can eat. Don’t waste our time with your candidacy. We can see through your disingenuousness. Do you honestly want us to vote so that women have no choice over the disposition of their own bodies? Are you insane?

There is only one solution to a Mikal Watts Democratic senatorial bid and that is a Rick Noriega vote. If you agree, and haven’t given yet, please contribute, as Gretchen has this evening. Please go to the ActBlue site and ACT BLUE.

Let’s get Rick Noriega on the November ballot for US Senator from Texas!

The ONLY candidate who can show John Cornyn the door.

Rick Perry Comes To Sugar Land, Signs Controversial “Religious Freedom” Bill

It was a media circus. Surrounded by young school children, Rick Perry, in the presence of religious rights parents and evangelical neoconservative State Rep Charlie Howard, signed HB 3678, a bill reviewed here earlier this year, that guarantees that school administrators cannot interfere with religious expression of its students.

Of the event, and the bill, Charlie Howard said”

"What it does is create a win-win situation for the schoolchildren, school administrators and the taxpayers of the state of Texas.. Many school districts across the state have been sued by parents after children were prohibited from talking about their faith, saying ‘Merry Christmas’ or handing out religious Valentine's Day cards.”

Actually, what it does is put Texas, again, in the national limelight as the state that will introduce religious doctrine in its public schools. Again, making Texas the laughingstock of the nation.

Way to go, Charlie.

Why choose Clements High School as the venue for this signing? Has the school had any religious rights cases filed against it? No. Is the school known for its religious intolerance? Hardly likely. Is the school within Charlie Howard’s legislative district boundaries? Definitely.

But more to the point, is a public school a viable venue for a political showcase? If so, this should make an interesting precedent. Clements High School Young Democrats, if they exist, need to take note.

A storm is brewing on this issue that will not go away. At FortBendNow, Bob Dunn has revealed the disconnect between what is public law and what is public policy. The Texas Association of School Boards, or TASB, has issued a policy statement on how local school boards should implement the law. That policy, apparently, is at variance with the policy that is written in the bill. However, one needs to ask, as did FBISD Trustee Cynthia Knox last Monday evening, is the legislature empowered to enact policy or to enact laws? Isn’t it the purview of local school boards to formulate and carry out policy and not blindly follow policy enacted in distant Austin? Law is global, but policy should be local. Isn’t that the Texas way?

Much ado over a few bruised egos. Everything in the bill has already been spelled out by Supreme Court decisions. What should have been a 15 minute presentation in every faculty meeting at every campus in Texas has become public law as well as a staring contest between bill sponsors Howard and Wayne Chisum and the school boards across Texas.

Fort Bend Democrats Summer Fundraiser: Gigantic Garage Sale

Do you have a bunch of stuff sitting around that you no longer want or use? Why not turn that into cash to be used when the Fort Bend Democrats come out of the woodwork to support good Democratic candidates next year?

The Fort Bend Democrats 2nd Annual Garage Sale will be held this Saturday, August 18th at the 2006 Combined Campaign Headquarters at 4800 Avenue H, Highway 90A in Rosenberg. The event will last from 9 am until 3 pm.

If you have things that you’d like to donate, do come on in between Wednesday August 15th and Friday August 17th and drop them off between 2:00 pm and 8:00 pm. Someone will be there at the Headquarters to accept your donations, rain or shine.

Or if you have large items that you would like to donate, but can’t fit them in your Honda Civic, give them a call. Call Marsha at 281-701-3007 before Friday and she will send her minions around in a truck to pick up your donations.

All funds they raise will go toward electing Democrats in 2008.

The Fort Bend Democrats – Fighting for YOU.

A Day In Hill Country

Normally I write all my own stuff on this blog, but once in awhile someone goes where I did not go, and writes up a little story. Geri did it for me in the last campaign season. And now I have another guest blogger who wrote an excellent summary of Hillary Clinton’s campaign stop in Houston last Saturday.

Here’s what Sue wrote:

I’ve lived in Fort Bend County long enough to know I shouldn’t be sharing this but…………what the hell, in my youth I visited the edge once or twice………why not now?

So here goes.

Yesterday Karl and I joined some friends on a short trek into the big city (where, thanks to Anthony we had some GREAT Greek food) and were lucky enough, thanks to Karrie, to have tickets to see Hillary (yes THE Hillary) on her Houston stump. We were in a great place, but she moved around a lot so my photos were somewhat blurry. I have attached three that came out okay.

While the pre-show entertainment was somewhat lacking, the room was electric and we joined around 1,000 other people who were, for the most part, responsible for designating Houston, ‘Hill Country’. I actually saw two daring people in the audience wearing Obama t-shirts, but, I’m sure most of the crowd (unlike me) had already decided that the next President of the U.S. will be a woman. A Democrat(ic) woman.

I know, I know. People generally have very strong opinions about her. Here in Fort Bend County, they think she is evil personified, but I have to tell you that she was incredible. She said all the right things. Her timing was on target, as was her sense of humor and her sense of justice. She really moved the crowd.

While I truly believe that Hillary has the best shot at being elected, I am now pumped and ready to hear Obama and Edwards. I’ll keep you posted!

Rick Noriega’s Latest Campaign Ad

It’s just out. Rick Noriega, running for US Senator from Texas, has a new ad that relates what I have called “his story”. It is a story of his public service. A story of a desire to approach issues in a bipartisan manner. It’s a good story and I think it will play well with lots of people across Texas and across party lines. If you like what you hear, spread the word. And if you REALLY like what you hear, help out the campaign at ActBlue with a donation.

Houston Has A Redneck In It

No, I swear it’s true. In the City of Houston there is a guy who doesn’t like peace. Probably doesn’t like people who aren’t white. And apparently has a real bee in his bonnet over Zydeco music. Well, maybe not that last one.

The Chron reports this morning that early this morning, about 1 AM according to the folks there, a bullet was fired into a studio window at the local radio station KPFT. According to KPFT, the bullet was fired from a passing car, hit the plexiglass part of the window, pierced the glass portion of the window and then slammed into the control room door on the far side of the room.

Police are looking for the bullet this morning.

No one was hurt, but the bullet passed within 18 inches of a woman’s head.

As a probable motive for the attack, station general manager Duane Bradley offered that “the sometimes-controversial station airs blues, folk and other types of music as well as ‘alternative’ programming about gay and lesbian issues and a program geared toward Texas prison inmates and their families.”

Bradley continued:

"There was actually a Zydeco music show that was on when this happened. Zydeco, if anything, is kind of happy music."

Most probably, the perpetrator had heard something on the show that he didn’t like, and decided to put redneck thoughts to redneck action.

You just know that unless a miracle happens the crime will go unpunished, but it makes me wonder whether, if caught, the criminal would be charged under the Hate Crimes law.

Karl Rove Bails

According to Reuters and the Wall Street Journal, Karl Rove, George Bush’s longtime political strategist, is resigning at the end of this month.

“I just think it's time. There's always something that can keep you here, and as much as I'd like to be here, I've got to do this for the sake of my family.”

Oh.

Now that you put it that way all of this makes complete sense.

Rove, 56, is still married to his second wife, his former employee, Darby Tara Hickson and they have one son, Andrew, 18.

So what do you do after being a political hack all of your adult life, and rise to the absolute zenith of political hackery, political advisor to the president? I guess we’ll find out someday.

Don’t let the door hit you on your way out Carl baby.

On Reinstituting the Draft: “Makes Sense to Consider It”

I teach older high school students here in Texas – 17 to 18 year olds. So when it gets announced in class that so-and-so has a birthday, I ask “Are you 18?” Getting the affirmative reply, I kindly remind them to register for the draft.

You still have to register, you know, for the Selective Service System’s involuntary military service, even though our Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force are all-volunteer.

Why keep it going?

It’s for, you know, just in case.

Just in case our troops are so exhausted from 2 and 3 tours in Iraq that in order to keep up the pressure there for years and years, we need to reinstitute the draft. Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not suggesting this . This guy is. Bush’s War Czar, Lt. General Douglas E. Lute said on the 10th that reinstituting the draft has “’always been an option on the table’ and that it ‘makes sense to certainly consider it.’”

Do I smell a rat?

Is Bush’s top advisor on the wars in the Middle East flying something up the flagpole?

The idea is not a new one. Charlie Rangel suggested this very thing last January. Why? To get people of all political stripes off their collective behinds and stand up to oppose this endless war. No one wants their sons and daughters collected up, trained up and sent over to that meat grinder. Especially if the war is, as we all know now, based on lies. Rangel is adamant. Give the rich a chance to show their patriotism. “For those who say the poor fight better, I say give the rich a chance.”

Besides that, if we reinstitute the draft, we can open up yet a third front in the Middle East. We can go after Iran.

Better yet, we can draft millions of our youth into military service and take out the rest of the world. Why not? No one likes us all that much anymore.

Better yet, let’s keep them all home and Drop the Big One.

If Women Were In Charge

I am going to catch a lot of flack about this, but I swear it was a woman who sent me these photographs. I assure you it is all tongue-in-cheek.

What with Hillary Clinton leading the Democratic pack with an unheard of 48% of the vote in a recent Gallup/US News poll, we of the male species need to now start thinking of a world where males don’t call the shots. I am all in favor of bi-gendership in all of this, but I am sure that there are those whose thoughts, views and opinions have been suppressed for so many years will see this as huge payback time. That being the case in some situations, I give you a series of photos of a possible future . . . if women were in charge.

A bowling alley of the future. Who needs those gutters, anyway? The ball keeps falling into them.

Need a new car? Here’s the only criterion that matters.

A new computer peripheral device that is sorely needed.

Special drivers need special parking places.

Numbers are meaningless when you just want to know how fast is fast.

Handy dandy tool kit.

And here are two for bathroom politics. By the way, at Half Empty House, not only does the seat go back down, but so does the lid, too.

Self explanatory.

And finally, this one. I could never find it either. This fixes a long unsolved mystery.

Justicia, Tierra, y Libertad

My friend Mark pointed to a website that I don’t usually look at. The Late Nite Music Club at “Crooks and Liars”. Why’d he do that? Because last night Rick Noriega “hosted” it. It was such a great story that it bears reposting and repeating for others of us who don’t usually go there.

Basically the purpose of the posting was for Rick to suggest a song that the website would feature that evening. Rick’s choice, after ticking through a few, was Mana’s “Justicia, tierra, y libertad”. “Justice, land and freedom“ to us gringos.

Why this particular one?

“Justicia, Tierra y Libertad” was a song Rick and two other Houston area state reps, Joe E. Moreno and Jessica Farrar, always used to listen to while driving from Houston to Austin during the Tom DeLay redistricting fiasco in the Texas redistricting session.

In the Reps’ own words: “While I was in Afghanistan Joe died in an auto accident. It was like losing a best friend and a brother but I was in a combat zone and couldn’t get back to bury him. This was the song we shared.”

As at Crooks and Liars, the YouTube embed follows Rick’s story.



Now, again, for us gringos, here is a (rather poor) translation of the lyrics. My apologies in advance for butchering up the song with AltaVista’s translation, and my “fixing” it.

Justicia, tierra, y libertad
By Mano

Justice, land and freedom… Justice, land and freedom

You hear my song, óyelo, óyelo

You hear my weeping, óyelo, óyelo

“Brothers and sisters of other races…

of another color and a same heart

"you say and you say and nothing you straighten

for that reason we make the revolution, of love.

Oyeeee!

We are demanding all the respect

respect for the Indian and his dignity

Villa already said it, Zapata said it

Justice, land and freedom… Justice, land and freedom

You hear my song, óyelo, óyelo

You hear my weeping, óyelo, óyelo

You hear my song, óyelo, óyelo

You hear my weeping, óyelo, óyelo

How we would have freedom?

How we would have dignity?

How I would wish it

How I would wish the love…

When will we have democracy?

When will we knock down the bureaucracy

How much would I wish ?

Less madness and more love…

Love, pain, love, my song hears you.

Justice, land and freedom… Justice, land and freedom

Justice, land and freedom

Rick’s away at Fort Benning for Commander training for awhile. If you liked Rick’s choice go drop a few pesos at this ActBlue web page.

Truth and Lies

Watch this YouTube embed of then private citizen Dick Cheney being brutally frank about his participation in the first Gulf War. Everything, and I mean EVERYthing that has occurred in the War in Iraq was predicted by Dick Cheney 13 years ago. He also predicted what will occur when we leave: fragmentation of Iraq. A “quagmire”.

This isn’t an administration that went blindly to war without a clue as to what was going to happen. They knew exactly what would happen.



And then here’s this next one again from earlier this year. I thought it would be good to look at it once again in light of what Cheney said in 1994.



If we don’t have grounds for impeachment now, we never will.

Lawyers For Guantanamo Detainees File Suit: New FISA Law Is Unconstitutional

Well, the good news is that about 50 lawsuits have been filed in federal court against Bush’s new warrantless wiretap law. The problem has been one of standing. Suits that are filed need to prove some actual harm or injury. You have to have standing to file such a lawsuit. Well, now we have at least one. And it’s a good one.

The lawsuit filed yesterday in US District Court Judge Vaughn Walker’s court is by the lawyers who are defending Guantanamo Bay detainees. It is in response to a suit filed by government lawyers on Wednesday saying that the new law is now legal ground for the judge to toss out the detainees’ lawsuit. Their lawsuit was filed after learning that the government obtained evidence on the detainees through warrantless wiretapping. Now that it’s the law of the land, the government argues, the detainees’ lawsuit can be tossed.

That gives the detainees standing.

The lawyers will also argue in their lawsuit that the Protect America Act is unconstitutional.

Arguments will be heard next week by a 3 judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.

So we have good news on this finally. I have felt very rotten since learning that my rights were handed over to Bush et al. so the political cartoons that I have been seeing in that regard have not been funny to me. Now I can look at them with new eyes and at least smile.

Here they are.

Greg Abbott: “We need to be prepared for a closer, tighter, tougher battle”

It’s in the Galveston County Daily News, and Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott isn’t talking about the War in Iraq, either (although it’s related). He’s talking about the looming battle for Texas.

Addressing a packed house on Galveston Island, the Galveston Island Pachyderm Club, Abbott revealed his fears of a growing Democratic presence in Texas, particularly in the cities with large populations, citing in particular, Dallas. Last year, in Dallas and Travis County, Democrats swept Republicans out of every single office where there was a race. Abbott cites white flight as the reason, and claims that it will continue to occur, in particular in Houston.

Ticking off more woes for his failing party, Abbott listed the fact that the Hispanic population in Tejas is growing but that this is “a group that has traditionally voted Democratic”.

Then there’s Iraq.

And Bush.

What did he leave out? What about how royally pissed of the Latino community is over Republican rhetoric on illegal immigrants, especially with regard to the word “Amnesty”.

What about the continued migration of blue state Yankees into Texas?

And finally, what about the top of next year’s ballot? No one currently running for the Republican nomination appeals to Bushites. Republicans may have a Get Out The Vote issue next year.

But it’s the end of the article that is particularly appealing. Here we have Greg Abbott addressing a crowd in what he assumes to be a “rock-solid Republican county”, when what he might have wanted to do was find out who were the current Galveston County office holders. Republicans hold only a third of the countywide offices, and only one Republican is on the Galveston County commissioner’s court.

Compared to Fort Bend County – also known as DeLayville – Galveston County is colored purplish blue.

Republicans For Rick Noriega ?

Seriously? That’s what I saw today in the Rio Grande Guardian (hat tip to Stace at Dos Centavos). Today Houston business leader Massey Villarreal announced that he is forming a “Republicans for Rick Noriega” committee to support Rick Noriega’s campaign for US Senate from Texas. This is a guy who was the national Hispanic vice-chairman of the Bush/Cheney for President Campaign and deputy vice-chairman of the Republican National Convention in 2000. He is supporting Mitt Romney for president, and voted for Kay Bailey Hutchison for Senate.

But for US senate, Villarreal is supporting progressive Democrat Rick Noriega over his own party’s incumbent, John Cornyn.

In my perusal of the RGG’s story, I conclude that there are two reasons why Massey Villarreal is supporting Rick, and organizing a support committee from the Dark Side. It all boils down to a single issue, and Rick’s compelling story.

From the man’s own mouth:

“I have told Senator Cornyn I am disappointed because what his words are, and what his actions on the Senate floor are, are two different things,” Villarreal said.

“It’s disappointing he voted for those [immigration bill] amendments. Those amendments were mean-spirited in nature. I believe he is appealing to the base and I’m sorry, the base will have to come out strong to re-elect him because the Latino community won’t be there for him.”

Not so amazingly, just as the immigration issue has divided the Republican Party, the very same issue is uniting the Latino community across party lines. Politics make strange bedfellows, and when a politician becomes so intimately associated with politics and policies that border on (pun intended) racist, that association begets very strange alliances.

Alliances that are welcome, nonetheless.

The other very revealing thing that sheds light on this endorsement is that Villarreal mentions Rick’s “story”. Told time and time again, it still sounds great, and Massey Villarreal put an interesting spin on it in his version:

“’He’s been elected five times to the Texas Legislature. Rick has a high ranking in the National Guard. He has actually served in Afghanistan. He’s still picking sand out of his bellybutton. He has the experience of being on the ground instead of a politician on this side who cannot even find Iraq on a map,’ Villarreal said.”

Picking sand out of his belly button?

This jives very well with the Bob Perry story I mentioned some time ago on this blog. Perry also admires Rick’s inclination toward public service. Bob Perry has called Rick Noriega a “hero”.

Now I feel very certain that the Watts campaign is going to try to spin this in a very ugly way – that Rick Noriega is actually an elephant in donkey’s clothing, or that he’s going to be beholden to Republicans if he is elected. How can I feel so certain? It’s what I would do if the shoe were on the other foot.

No, Watts just needs to realize, as Massey Villarreal has, as more and more Texans are realizing every day, that Noriega is the better man.

Kinky Friedman Finally Gets It Right

Now those 547,674 Texas voters who wasted their votes for Kinky Friedman last year, and gave him enough material to write himself another book can all take solace in the fact that Kinky finally got it right. Quoted in the Austin American-Statesman:

“Had I run as a Democrat last time, I think (Gov.) Rick Perry would already be (out of office as) a lobbyist for a cigar company.”

Exactimundo.

Had Kinky run as a Democrat in the March 2006 primary his clock would have been supremely cleaned and Chris Bell would now be Governor Bell. Not only that, school buses would not be allowed to sit at idle all day in school parking lots and community college employees would have health insurance.

And who knows what else? Maybe we would not have a right wing religious reactionary as chairman of the state school board. Maybe tens of thousands of school children wouldn’t be subjected to saying the words “under God” twice each weekday morning (does anyone besides me think that “one state and indivisible” or “one nation indivisible” makes far more sense?).

Well, he’s got maybe 2 and a half years to think it over, figure out how much he can make writing a book about his second failed attempt to become governor of Texas. Then, if he decides to run again maybe he can hire Kelly Fero as his consultant as Fero seems to be the only person in sight that thinks it’s a grand idea.

What’s Wrong With America?

The YouTube embed below is the best question asked of any of the candidates at last evening’s AFL-CIO presidential forum in Chicago. And now I see that Chicago Tribune news columnist, Eric Zorn, agrees with me. And this question was asked of my guy, John Edwards. Steve Skvara's story is poignant and the man’s voice broke as he told it. “What’s wrong with America and what will you do to change it,” he finally asked.

Edwards’ answer was a little strange: “You’re a perfect example of exactly what is wrong with America.” I know what he meant, but it came out slightly off, which is what happens sometimes when you are talking extemporaneously. In the end, Edwards answered the man’s question quite well, well better than average. Which is a whole lot better than how Joe Biden dismissed a woman’s equally poignant story, garnering the righteous indignation of the crowd at Soldier Field.

Flop Flipping Texas Style

Isn’t it amazing what a looming election does to your politics? Last week my congressman, Nick Lampson, voted away my 4th amendment rights against unreasonable, warrantless search and seizure because he needs to be viewed, in his home district, the former district of Tom DeLay, as conservative.

It’s a new definition of conservative. Giving up a right that has been guaranteed to Americans since 1791.

At about the same time we had Texas Senator John Cornyn alternately voting for the construction of a border wall and then adamantly voicing his opinion against the self same wall. Waffling on the wall, as State Rep. Rick Noriega put it.

And now we have Mr. Cornyn coming out in favor of the federal version of the DREAM Act. A Texas state version of this idea that Rick Noriega pushed through a six years ago, makes it possible for the children of undocumented immigrants to attend a Texas institution of higher education and not pay the prohibitive out of state tuition.

According to Noriega’s just issued press release:

“In May of 2001, Rick Noriega passed a state version of the federal legislation with overwhelming bi-partisan support. Signed into law by Governor Rick Perry, the DREAM Act allows Texas high school graduates who lack the proper citizenship papers to pay in-state tuition, if they stay out of trouble and have lived in-state for at least three years — three times longer than the requirement for out-of-state students to gain in-state residency. This pastlegislative session, in a wave of anti-immigrant fervor, several Republicans attempted to repeal the DREAM Act, despite its success in taking young teenagers off the streets”

My, my. John Cornyn is now in favor of making it possible for the children of illegal immigrants receive a college education? Isn’t it amazing what some adverse numbers in the polls will do to your politics?

Next thing you know he’ll be coming out in favor of universal health insurance.

Hott4Hill ?

Ain’t America Great?

New Gallup/USA Today Poll: It’ll Be Clinton vs. Giuliani

According to a poll released today, if voters went to the polls today to vote for President of the United States, they would be presented with a choice between Senator from New York Hillary R. Clinton and former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

The poll was based on telephone interviews of 1,012 adults between August 3rd and 5th.

The top 3 Democratic contenders polled pretty much as they did even six months ago with Clinton at 48% (48% in February), Obama at 26% (23% in February) and Edwards at 12% (14% in February). And the voters were asked, given a choice between Clinton and Obama, who would you vote for in a primary? Voters opted for Clinton by 59% to Obama’s 36%. Voters thought Clinton would do a better job than Obama across the board in security issues.

Republicans opt for Rudy Giuliani by a smaller margin. Guiliani polled at 33% as opposed to 42% in February. That huge drop is probably the result of the unannounced announced candidacy of Fred Thompson whose initial numbers in March stood at 13%, where Giuliani’s numbers dropped to 34% but today polls at 21%. In third place is the floundering candidate John McCain, whose numbers fell from 25% in February to 16% today. If given a choice between two of the top three candidates, Giuliani fares better against McCain (62% to 33%) than he does against Thompson (55% to 38%).

It’s still early though and anything can happen including a Howard Dean-esque meltdown. What I am starting to believe is that there are a significant number of people in this country who will have no choice because neither of the candidates appeals to them. If nothing changes and these two are the contenders next November, I am predicting a huge Republican undervote in the presidential race, and lower Republican turnout figures across the country. After all, the Bushites will be asked to choose between a progressive Democratic woman and a centrist Republican man who likes to dress as a woman from time to time.

Congress Takes A Powder, But Not Before Selling Us Out

First before I begin my rant, I want to point out the heroism of Texas Congressmen Al Green (CD-9), Silvestre Reyes (CD-16), Sheila Jackson-Lee (CD-18), Charles Gonzales (CD-20), Lloyd Doggett (CD-25), Solomon Ortiz (CD-27), Gene Green (CD-29) and Eddie Johnson (TX-30). These people voted not to surrender your 4th amendment rights.

The rest of the Texas delegation to the US Congress did.

Before I begin my rant I want to share with you the righteous anger of a friend of mine. Here is, with his permission, a copy of the email that he sent to Congressman Nick Lampson on the occasion of his vote for passage of S 1927, the so-called “Protect America Act” that Bush signed into law yesterday:

“Nick, This vote is the worst vote cast by a Democrat ever. You put your political gain ahead of preserving and protecting the Constitution. You put our civil liberties in the hands of Albert Gonzales and the CIA. Shame on you. You don't have the courage to tell the voters that the Terrorists have already won by destroying our Bill of Rights. You think you can pander to the far right and figure that we have no other choice than to work for your reelection. Such a strategy shows a lack of any political courage and a cynical political view. I guess one of your DC consultants developed the plan. All I can say is thank God you were not one of our founding fathers- we would not have a Bill of Rights.”

So you see, I’m not the only one that’s hacked off.

So now we have a congress on vacation while we have soldiers in the field in two hostile countries. While our congressmen and senators are kicking back and sipping a mint julep on the verandah, soldiers in Iraq are on patrol, and in harm’s way, with 100 pound packs in 130 degree weather. I was thinking about that this morning as I read Don’s email message again, and thought this: maybe that’s not such a bad thing after all considering what congress just did to us in handing over our 4th amendment rights to Bush, Cheney, Rove, Gonzales and the NSA.

Maybe they should stay home until they get some guts to stand up to the Bush Regime. That’s what we sent them there to do but apparently they’re ascared. Bush has got his bullying sword honed to a fine edge. He and his national security advisor tell congress that we are vulnerable and that they can’t go home until they pass a bill that gives the NSA the power to listen in on any telephone conversation that takes place between a US citizen, in this country, with anyone else who does not live in this country – without a warrant. And if they don’t, THEY will be responsible for the next terrorist attack.

The Bush Regime is very good at shifting the blame. But make no mistake. The blame for any future terrorist attack lies squarely on Bush, Cheney and Rove and no one else. When will Congress get with that simple fact? When will Congress declare themselves immune from being blamed, and get about the business of getting us out of this endless war, restoring our rights and liberties, and then, if there’s time left impeaching Cheney and Bush?

In the meantime someone has to challenge this law. Call a cousin in Canada to give them standing and then file suit challenging the constitutionality of this law, because “fixing it”, as they tried to do with HR 3356 isn’t enough, we have to do away with it completely.

So senators and congressmen, relax and enjoy your vacation. And while you are having that second glass of iced tea, think about these words: “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated”. Think about that and what you just did to us, take some blame, and go back to DC only when you have finally convinced yourselves that we meant what we said last November.

Be not afraid. Fight for truth against the liars. Fight for justice against the corrupt. Fight for patriotism against the traitors.

Fight for us.

Sick of the Presidential Debates? I’m Not Either

Coming off of a weekend of a Democrat panel at the Yearly Kos convention (to be expanded next year to “Netroots Nation Convention”), the Democratic candidates will convene again, same city, Chicago, but hosted this time by the AFL-CIO, and in a different venue. This time it will be held at Soldier Field. This ought to be interesting. First outdoors venue. In Chicago. In August. They forecast a high of 92° F (33° C, 306 K) and a low of 74° F (23° C, 296 K) with about a 65% humidity and thunderstorms possible. Last I looked Soldier Field, while new and revamped, has yet to have a lid.

This should give new meaning to “getting put on the grill”.

Oh, you can hope against hope that we’ll get to see which candidate outputs the most perspiration and start laying down bets, but I am characteristically pessimistic. I suspect that someone in Chicago has some huge chillers that they will use to send cold blasts of dry air at the candidates.

But you can hope.

I can’t get enough of these debates. It’s like getting addicted to a soap opera, or more to the point, to a reality TV show. Not only do you get to watch the debate itself, but then you get to follow the buzz and spin doctoring that goes on up to days later.

And I think the more we see of these people, the more we might learn about them. No, not which 6-point plan they have, but who gets rankled the most. Who is calm in a storm. Ideologically these people are all so close on the issues that it’s not the issues that concern me. It’s which of these people will make a great president, because what we really need right now is greatness in our leaders.

The event is open only to AFL-CIO union members so if you’re in the Chicago area, keep that in mind. Non AFL-CIO union members, and all of you sad sacks that don’t belong to a union, will have to watch it on TV. They suggest organizing “watch parties”. God love ‘em, the union even provides a watch party tool kit to download.

So to see this debate, tune in to your local MSNBC channel on Tuesday, August 7th from 7:00 to 8:30 EDT or 6:00 to 7:30 CDT.

See you there.

John Edwards and Hillary Clinton at Yearly Kos Democratic Presidential Debate

The clip embedded below is from John Edwards’ campaign, uploaded on YouTube. It shows Edwards issuing a challenge to fellow presidential office seekers to refuse to take money from Washington DC lobbyists.



Since he allows that Senator Barack Obama has vowed not to take campaign contributions from Washington lobbyists, this is an out in the open shot across the bow at Hillary Clinton.

She responded to his challenge by saying, first, that in her 35 years of public life she has not been influenced by financial contributions. Here is where she got booed by her lefty audience. I found a CNN clip of just that on YouTube but I swear it has been pulled. That’s OK though, I’m glad I didn’t embed that one if it’s going to be pulled so quickly. If you want to watch the whole exchange on an 8 minute clip go here.

But then she recovered from the boos and came back with a point that I mentioned yesterday, that not all lobbyists are evildoers like Big PHARMA.



She didn’t get a huge ovation but she seemed to have earned their respect on that point.

And on a related, but then again, unrelated matter, here is Keith Olberman’s Worst Person in the World countdown (Dubya only made 1st runner up this time).

So Did You Watch the Debate?

The presidential debate? The one they had in Chicago at Yearly Kos? I did. I was one of the over 2300 viewers on Burnt Orange Report who suffered through the herky jerky webcam and the sound that cut out from time to time.

But beggars can’t be choosers.

Imagine a roomful of bloggers, a roomful of lefy political bloggers with very few grey hairs. Yep, it was pretty raucous. Not something you would see normally. But the thing I liked about it the most was the casual attention paid to the rules of the moderator, rules which were casual themselves. It caused the moderator to comment toward the end that he was losing control of the debate.

It was clear to me that the ones running the debate were in awe of the star power that surrounded them, and unused to the attention of mainstream media and the candidates themselves. Nearly everyone showed. I counted only Joe Biden as missing on the panel.

The candidates were effusive in their praise of bloggers, and more than one made uncomplimentary mention of Bill O’Reilly who has a vendetta against Daily Kos, and Markos himself.

Who won? How the H-E-double hockey sticks do I know? It was a melee. At one point my guy Edwards scored again on leading the conversation vis-à-vis taking money from lobbyists, but you have to hand it to Senator Clinton, she was ready this time. She dished it right back. Some of the lobbyists represent social workers. People who work in big corporations. Bill Richardson, I think, drew the most boos when he revealed some actions that he would take that seemed pretty centrist and conventional. This crowd was unique in that it was lefty and mostly lefty activists so his message didn’t always play well.

Who do I think the bloggers supported? My guy. John Edwards. How do I know this? The candidates were introduced one at a time as they came on the stage. Edwards came on 3rd to last and by my read of the Half Empty Applause-O-Meter, Edwards’ entrance got the loudest ovation.

Or maybe it could have just been my imagination.

Naaahhh.

The Cost of Education: You Get What You Pay For

What is it with these neocon Republicans? Why is it that on the one hand they decry the low performance of students in our schools, but on the other they attack a school bond proposal with box cutters.

Case in point. Fort Bend ISD is arguably one of the fastest growing school districts in Texas if not in the entire nation. Over the past few years master planned communities have sprung up where cotton fields once stood. In Fort Bend County, if you should go down a road that you haven’t been on in awhile you are bound to say at some point in your travel “when did this get built?”

The district estimates that it will need 20 new schools built within the next nine years to accommodate an additional 29,000 new students. With a current enrollment of just over 69,000 students district-wide, this represents a staggering 42% growth rate in under 10 years.

In the immediate future, it needs 7 new schools: 1 high school, 2 middle schools, and four elementary schools. Cost of construction of these is going to run about $280 million, and an additional $170 million will be needed to renovate existing structures. Throw in a few more millions for technology, vehicles and security upgrades, and it comes out to a cool $490 million, which is what the board of trustees is proposing for the November school bond initiative.

To make everything transparent, the board solicited citizen volunteers to serve on a bond steering committee. Some on the steering committee came to meetings armed with box cutters and Sears catalogs. These individuals’ interpretation of their purview was not to make sure that the community’s education interests are served, but instead some on the committee considered their principal goal was to cut costs.

One committee member triumphantly displayed her shopping skills by pointing out that the $3000 water cooler units proposed in bond package were way overblown and showed how she found an “ADA compliant” unit for $500. That victory was short-lived, however, when it was pointed out that the $3000 estimate included installation, wiring and necessary wall restructuring, and that this was an average cost for all schools.

Others in the citizenry at large complain about the “marble floors”, the marble being actually terrazzo, a common floor material found in public buildings everywhere. Terrazzo is cheap, durable and when you fall on it, it doesn’t scrape your skin raw.

Neocons on the steering committee are turning a good thing – public participation in a process to ensure that their children are getting the education that they need – into a bad thing – slashing at a proposal that they assume from the outset is wasteful and bloated.

I get tired of hearing about it. By the standard of dollars spent per student, all things being considered (including construction costs), Texas ranks 41st in the nation. Other standards have the state ranked even lower. By contrast, Vermont, which ranks #1 in the nation in terms of 21 educational factors that include test performance (Texas ranks 24th in the same list) spends over $4300 more per student than does Texas.

The message is clear: you get what you pay for.

So next time you hear someone piss and moan about their high taxes and the costs of servicing school bond issues, and at the same time complain about students’ low test performance numbers, ask them which do they prefer, driving that gas guzzling SUV to work or having their child get into a good university?

Department of Injustice Takes Another Hit

You just have to wonder when it is all going to end, and the answer comes back every time, January 20th 2009. A 3 judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit has found that the FBI violated Congressman William Jefferson’s constitutional rights in their unlawful search and seizure of his congressional office. The AP article has been published in the Chron and can be found here.

Jefferson claims vindication, but no one is saying that he is pure as driven snow because there’s still that 90 large that they found in his refrigerator freezer. The ultimate in frozen assets.

But what we all can say now is that the FBI, in completing this heinous act, was clearly out of bounds. Everyone knew it. The Constitution prohibits the Executive Branch from using its law enforcement powers to interfere with the Legislative Branch. It’s called the Speech and Debate Clause (Article 1 Section 6 Clause 1) which is there to protect the integrity of the legislative process by insuring the independence of individual legislators.

The search was OK, the justices said, but the FBI erred in seizing Jefferson’s congressional documents which could then be examined by the Executive Branch. A clear breach.

But it’s just the times, isn’t it? Everywhere you look in the Bush Regime you see excesses and abuse of power. It’s not just here and there, it’s institutional. Trampling on rights, abuse of power, lying to the people, it’s all part of a culture that has flourished and grown for the past 6 years. I think it has gotten to the point that they really are not aware any more of what is legal and what is illegal, incapable of knowing the difference between right and wrong. And isn’t the latter a common criterion in deciding whether a person is insane?

OK, rant over.

Makeup of the court panel.

Curiously, the court panel consisted of justices who have all served in some capacity in the Injustice Department, and not at any time in the Legislative branch. Chief Judge Douglas H. Ginsburg, one of the judges on the panel, is best remembered as a Reagan nominee to the Supreme Court until they dug up the dirt that Ginsburg smoked Mary Jane while at university and even when he was a professor at Harvard Law. Likewise, Judge Karen Lecraft Henderson was a 1986 Reagan appointee. However, Judge Judith W. Rogers was a Clinton appointee.

All three agreed that the FBI overstepped its purview and needed to let Congressman Jefferson filter which documents pertained to business of the legislature.

While not exonerating Jefferson, as Jefferson had hoped, the court’s opinion goes a long way toward restoring the government we had before the Bush Regime took over. I doubt we will ever see this happen again.

But then, I could be wrong.

Rick Noriega’s Extensive Interview on Valley Newsline

I was looking to see if anyone had put Texas State Rep. Rick Noriega’s 1 minute campaign ad on YouTube yet (it’s there) but in so doing, ran across an interview that Rick sat through this past week in the Rio Grande Valley. It’s a monster in terms of YouTube standards, running 22 and a half minutes long.

The interviewer was a local radio and TV newscaster, a guy named Ron Whitlock. I found it interesting that he had Rick sit through 2 long pieces done when John Cornyn was in the Valley recently, one on his announcement that he was submitting companion legislation in the Senate to fund the construction of a VA hospital in South Texas, the other a short hallway interview with the junior senator.

Then he started grilling Rick on his reaction to what Cornyn’s answers were, particularly on the border wall. Apparently when Cornyn is in South Texas he’s against the wall, and when he is in East Texas (or DC) he’s for it. “Waffling on the wall” Rick calls it.

The overall impression I got was that Whitlock is a Republican, and that he was trying to turn up the heat under Rick. This was most obvious in his reaction to Rick’s answer to his question about whether he will vote along party lines or not. Rick’s answer was that he would vote “for Texas”. “That’s your answer,” Whitlock said, “For Texas.”

Anyway I embedded the clip below. Before you click on it, get comfortable. Go get a beer, maybe some chips, and put your feet up.

Watts Running Scared Attempting to Recruit a Decoy

A little bird told me that this is a confirmed rumor: Mikal Watt$ is trying to drum up another Hispanic opponent to run against him in the March primary for US Senator from Texas.

Why another opponent? Why recruit opposition? Obviously this is a cynical attempt to split the Hispanic vote. And obviously, Watt$ is terrified that a people-powered progressive candidate like Rick Noriega will bowl him over in the primary. So to marginalize Noriega, Watts needs to marginalize an important voting bloc in Texas.

Now I ask you, is this the kind of guy Texas needs? The kind of guy who is trying to divide a huge voting bloc in Texas so that white people can elect their candidate?

The concern that I have is that we have a cynical, disingenuous opportunist trying to buy a seat in the Senate. That’s bad at a time when Democrats are in resurgence.

Are you tired of all these cynical machinations? Well I certainly am. I just made another contribution to Rick Noriega’s ActBlue online campaign contribution website. If you feel the same way, then exercise your righteous wrath and click on over to ActBlue. We’ve still got a way to go until we reach our 800 donors in a quarter goal. If you haven’t contributed yet, why not make this the occasion.

If you have, thank you, and how about another?

Rick Noriega Liveblogs From Yearly Kos on Daily Kos

Did that make sense at all?

Yearly Kos is a convention of bloggers and blogger groupies. This year it is being held in Chicago. The Noriega Exploration Committee is very plugged in to the blogosphere, and reserved an entire day in the life of their exploration effort to be there. Markos, likes Rick Noriega’s story and definitely sees how his race for the Democratic nomination is very much a people powered grassroots effort, in bold contrast to the self-funded Mikal Watts camp which seems to be run by a “consultantocracy”.

Daily Kos is the national blog that Rick entered his liveblog. Go look. Then come back here and drop a dead president in the ActBlue online contribution web page. Click on the Join Team Noriega on the left side of this page.

New Orleans, It Was Nice Knowin’ Ya

Say goodbye to the Big Easy. The 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, which ironically is physically located in New Orleans, just sided with the insurance industry in overturning a case, Vanderbrook et al. v. Unitrin Preferred Insurance Company et al.

The 5th Circuit Court overturned a ruling by U.S. District Judge Stanwood Duval Jr., who last November sided with policyholders who argued that language in the policies that excluded water damage from their insurance policies was ambiguous.

The plaintiffs argued that while the word “flood” was an ambiguous term in that it is generally meant to include rise in water due to rain, tide or overflowing of a levee. This was not the case in the events that came in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Water invaded the homes and businesses of 80% of New Orleans because of breaches in man-made levees. Breaches caused by human error, not an act of God.

The Appeals Court, however, sided with the insurers, who can all sigh a collective $1 billion sigh of relief. This decision is most certainly going to weigh in on those who were thinking of rebuilding in the flooded areas. There is no money coming from the insurance companies, and there is, in all likelihood, a grand chance that no money will ever come in the future should New Orleans face another hurricane.

Whatever you think about this decision, whether the plaintiffs had a case or not, this decision is going to have a huge impact on development of coastal areas along the Gulf Coast and Eastern Seaboard.

And quite an impact on whether New Orleans will be able to survive as a viable city.

SCHIP Passes House 225-204

Now I swear to all the gods that I fully intended to write something on SCHIP today because I knew it was up for a vote. But I have been a buys, busy blogger these past couple of days and now I find that Nick Lampson’s press staff have done all the work for me today. So like yesterday I am pasting his press release below. Why reinvent the wheel? I have added links as appropriate.

LAMPSON: WE MUST NOT DENY HEALTH CARE FOR MILLIONS OF CHILDREN AND ELDERLY

WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congressman Nick Lampson (D-Stafford) today voted for landmark legislation to provide America's seniors and children with timely and affordable access to quality medical care. H.R. 3162, the Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act of 2007 ("CHAMP" Act), passed in the House by 225 to 204. This legislation provides critical protections to seniors receiving Medicare benefits, reauthorizes the State Children's Health Insurance Program ("SCHIP") which expires on September 30, and halts cuts to physician reimbursement that would reduce access to health care for millions of Americans. Six million children, including 585,500 in Texas, have health care benefits under the SCHIP program, which helps the children of working families that either cannot afford insurance or have jobs that lack health benefits. The CHAMP Act will now provide health coverage to an estimated five million additional children who are currently uninsured but eligible for SCHIP, including 998,000 in Texas.

Congressman Lampson stated, "I am proud to have voted for the CHAMP Act. This is a vote of conscience, a victory for our nation's families, their children and our seniors. Additionally, this legislation also saves taxpayers from picking up the tab for indigent care at emergency rooms - the most expensive way to care for a child's health. It costs less than $3.50 a day, about the cost of a Starbucks coffee, to cover a child through SCHIP."

The bill protects Medicare from privatization and promotes fiscal responsibility by phasing out, over four years, overpayments to private insurance companies, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. Private insurance companies are paid on average 12 percent more than traditional Medicare - and overpayments to certain plans exceed 50 percent. The CHAMP Act ensures that seniors and people with disabilities can continue to see doctors of their choice by stopping a 10 percent payment cut to doctors in January 2008, and a 5 percent cut in January 2009. Additionally, the bill includes a $3 billion rural package that sustains rural health care, and extends for two years important add-on payments for hospitals, doctors, and other rural providers who care for Medicare beneficiaries. The CHAMP Act will reduce long-term health costs by focusing on preventive check-ups, tests, screenings, and vaccines to reduce long-term health complications and costs.

CHAMP Act Highlights:

-Provides health care to 11 million children - 5 million who currently lack health insurance and 6 million who are currently covered by SCHIP.

- Extends solvency of Medicare Trust Fund and protects seniors from premium increases.

- Ensures patient access to doctors of their choice.

- Encourages seniors to seek preventive services.

- Ensures seniors' access to rural health care.

###