KBH Staying. Total Shocker.

Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison is expected to remain in her Senate seat through the end of her 2012 term.

 

KBH assured us in 2006 she would serve it out, so I guess this somehow validates those words. But in between, she decided to run for Governor and she was going to resign, but then not resign, but then resign. But then she lost, but was going to resign, but now not resign. So she was for it before she was against it. Or vice versa. Shit, I am totally confused.

 

Just like our ineffective lying liars in our state government, we are keeping on par with a lying liar in the Senate. Good job, Kay. Love the trust.

Texas Blog Roundup

Why not enjoy these posts from the Texas Political Alliance along with the beautiful spring weather?

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees vast differences between Perry, his bud David Dewhurst and Democrat Bill White. Democrats are for a robust public education while Republicans are doing their darnedest to kill it.

This week at Texas Vox, the commissioners at the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) undermine the findings of their own staff in order to follow TCEQ’s mission statement that prioritizes economic development over protecting the environmental health of Texas. Are we surprised?

Are you playing the Barnett Shale economic shell game? Learn the rules at Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS before you play. 

The Texas Cloverleaf commentary on Congressional GOP members behaving like grown ups, if grown ups were 4 years old

Off the Kuff took a look at voting trends in Texas' fastest-growing counties. Hint: They getting bluer.

The week at Left of College Station, Teddy reports on the Coalition for Life possibly being in conflict with itself 501(c) 3 status by appearing connected to the Rob Curnock for Congress campaign.  Left of College Station also takes a first look at the candidates for College Station mayor, and this week will take a first look at the candidates for Bryan mayor.

Libby Shaw updates us on GoodHair and companies reaction to HCR. It is not pretty. Perry and Abbott On Crusade to Block Health Care Benefits for Texans

Neil at Texas Liberal visited a Walgreen's in suburban Chicago in the week just past. While there he took a picture of chocolate praying hands and of a chocolate cross that are on sale for easter. Maybe these items are for people who adhere to the Chocolate God Theory. 

WCNews at Eye On Williamson chronicles the fact that after the Democrats passed a historic health care bill the GOP went Crazy over health care.

Randy Noogie-Booger, the West Texas Congress critter who yelled "Baby killer!" during the debate on healthcare reform last week, was profiled by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

Bay Area Houston writes about When Teabaggers Become Terrorist 

WhosPlayin, like a lot of other progressive bloggers this week, had thoughts on the historic passage of health care insurance reform.

Barbara Ann Radnofsky Challenges Greg Abbott's Absurdity On Healthcare Reform

Barbara Ann Radnofsky , who is running for TX Attorney General, mentioned today that Congress has the power to regulate insurance. In United States v. South-Eastern Underwriters Association, the Supreme Court in 1944 ruled that insurance falls under the US Constitution's Commerce Clause regulated by Congress. Guess what that means? It is constitutional! 

Sorry, GOP. You have officially wasted our time and money with the lawsuit against the feds. TX Attorney General Greg Abbott, Governor Rick 39% Perry, and House Speaker Joe Straus all need to be shown the door in November. They continue to waste taxpayer dollars with grandstanding for political gain, and not the good of Texans. The Texas Tribune points out that Abbott took the reverse position last year in mandating that divorced parents purchase insurance for their children. This is the ultimate in waffling, flip flopping, or whatever other term you can muster. Stop wasting our money and time, GOP. Massachusetts Congressman Edward Markey had it right on Sunday when he said the Republican Party is the "party of nope". Grandstand Oppose and Postpone is what GOP stands for now.

Health Care Comments From Both Side Show GOP FAIL

Thanks to the Dallas County Democratic Party for sharing these quotes today:

 

This is from former Bush speechwriter David Frum: "Conservatives and Republicans today suffered their most crushing legislative defeat since the 1960s....

 

"No illusions please: This bill will not be repealed. Even if Republicans scored a 1994 style landslide in November, how many votes could we muster to re-open the "doughnut hole" and charge seniors more for prescription drugs? How many votes to re-allow insurers to rescind policies when they discover a pre-existing condition? How many votes to banish 25 year olds from their parents' insurance coverage? And even if the votes were there - would President Obama sign such a repeal?

 

"We followed the most radical voices in the party and the movement, and they led us to abject and irreversible defeat."

 

From the other side, health care supporter and Nobel Prize winner Paul Krugman writes: "... the emotional core of opposition to reform was blatant fear-mongering, unconstrained either by the facts or by any sense of decency.

 

"It wasn't just the death panel smear. It was racial hate-mongering, like a piece in Investor's Business Daily declaring that health reform is "affirmative action on steroids, deciding everything from who becomes a doctor to who gets treatment on the basis of skin color." It was wild claims about abortion funding. ...

 

"And let's be clear: the campaign of fear hasn't been carried out by a radical fringe, unconnected to the Republican establishment. On the contrary, that establishment has been involved and approving all the way. ...

 

"This is, of course, a political victory for President Obama, and a triumph for Nancy Pelosi, the House speaker. But it is also a victory for America's soul. In the end, a vicious, unprincipled fear offensive failed to block reform. This time, fear struck out."

Behaving Like Grown-ups, When Grown-ups Are 4 Year Olds

It was Minority Leader John Boehner who told his GOP brethren that they shall "behave like grown-ups" before the historic health care debate on Sunday night. But it was John Boehner who was one of many Congressmen on the right who forgot what that meant. Boehner rose with a "sad and heavy heart" during his floor speech and went on to yell "hell no" several times throughout his plea against providing Americans with affordable insurance. It got better from there. Our own Lubbock Texas Congressman Randy Neugebauer decided to shout down anti-abortion Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak and call him a baby killer. Nancy Pelosi also stood before the House and stated that "being a woman will no longer be a pre existing condition". That was actually met with jeers from the right.

While such outbursts may seem the norm for parliamentary governments around the world such as Great Britain, it is not the norm on the floor of Congress in the United States. The House and Senate has always maintained a certain amount of decorum while other members spoke, even if they did not agree. But apparently that is out the window. Apparently it is ok to shout "you lie" at the President. And now it is ok to yell "baby killer".

Most people who can't be quiet when they are told are somewhere in the age range of 4 years old. They throw tantrums and cry. They scream with random insensible outbursts. If you don't give them the cookie or Barbie that they want, then they yell even louder. This is exactly what the Republican Congressmen, and the teabaggers outside the chambers who spat on House members and called one a faggot, have become. Tantrum throwing children who can only be tamed either by appeasement with a cookie, or a harsh spanking on the ass. Get ready for some majority rule spanking, GOP. As any bad baby, you deserve it.

Texas Blog Roundup

The Texas Progressive Alliance's weekly blog roundup will reach 32 million more Americans regardless of their pre-existing conditions.

Last week, TXsharon made a video statement at the EPA Public Hearing on the proposed ozone standards.

Who Needs a Proctologist when you have former State Representative Rick Green running for the Texas Supreme Court?

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy looks at the voter turnout in the Bryan and College Station municipal elections and has to ask the question if minority rules? Teddy also unpacks the misleading poll on health care reform that the Chamber of Commerce commissioned to attack Democrats in conservative congressional districts. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants to know why monuments to racism and fear are so important to Republicans. Why not spend taxpayer dollars on something constructive like education or health care?

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the continuation of skyrocketing homeowners insurance rates in Texas Homeowners insurance corporations - increasing our pain, Perry, GOP sit idly by.

Off the Kuff writes about tough times for school districts. Get ready for another school finance lawsuit, because it's coming sooner or later.

The Texas Cloverleaf tells the Dallas Trinity Tollers I told ya so.

Phillip Martin at Burnt Orange Report has covered Rick Perry's "secret" border plan in great detail -- namely, the lies and politics Perry has thrust into a very serious and dangerous situation along the Texas-Mexico border. Be sure to read his post, Rick Perry's Political Grandstanding Misrepresents Definition of "Spillover Violence and follow the links at the bottom of that post to learn much, much more.

WhosPlayin's story last week about a tax-dodging Lewisville City Councilman resulted in a tearful admission at the next council meeting, where news cameras were running. WhosPlayin follows up on the results of that meeting, and analyzes the media coverage and truthfulness of the councilman in his response.

As if sea level rise, stronger hurricanes, and more extreme weather events weren't bad enough... not the Golden Cheeked Warbler too! Texas Vox is sad to report this week that birds of a feather feel the heat from climate change.

A little March madness in the form of preparations for his Senate district convention overtook PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, and he lumped in two updates on the campaigns of Bill White and Lakeisha Rogers (completely unrelated, trust him).

LibbyShaw over at TexasKaos, checks in on Representative Rep. Louie Gohmert who, in speaking to a Tea Bagger rally "declared that "demons" - yes, demons - have invaded the capital (and likely the souls of Democrats), forcing lawmakers to mislead the public about the content of the health care bill." Check out the rest of the fun here: TX U.S. House Rep: "Demons have Invaded the Capital".

Special Elections Called For SD-22 and HD-100

After some beers on St Patrick's Day, our Governor decided to call a special election to fill two vacated seats in the Legislature. On May 8th, there will be special elections to fill Senate District 22's seat vacated by Kip Averitt and House District 100's seat vacated by Terri Hodge.

Eric Johnson, the winner of this month's Democratic primary for Hodge's seat in HD-100 with 75% of the vote, has also filed to run in the special election. Johnson is expected not to have any opposition going into the special election, just as the November general election. SD-22 does have some candidates interested as well.

I Told Ya So, Dallas Trinity Tollers

There has been lots of talk around about how wrong the Dallas Morning News and the majority of the 2007 Dallas City Council have been about the Trinity River Project. A certain publication likes to harp on the fact that only Angela Hunt was against the toll road being placed inside a levee, where that could not be further from the truth. Both myself running for Council and Sam Coats running for Mayor in the 2007 municipal races also voiced the same opinion, well before any vote to attempt to stop it. Placing a toll road inside of a system of earthen walls that were designed to prevent a flood catastrophe in downtown and South Dallas is flat out wrong, and has been from the get go. So now that the Army Corps finally decided the current levees aren't even fit to be protecting the city, the project money is being diverted just to fix them. I guess a collapse of the levee in December 2009 sort of prompted some action? In the meantime, NTTA has even gone so far as to say the toll project isn't financially feasible.

 

The DMN said I was on the wrong side of the issue, and I again publicly stated otherwise that April. So here it is, straight from the horse's mouth again almost 3 years later. I told ya so. The city of Dallas should stop pushing this project unless they can guarantee the funding to protect the city from disaster and worry about their precious road later.

Census Inaction In Texas Can Cost Billions

TX State Rep. Mike Villarreal of San Antonio brought up a valid point today in an email. A study of the 2000 Census determined 373,000 Texans were not counted. That resulted in the loss of $1 Billion in federal funding to the state. That's billion with a very large B.

 

Apparently Rep. Villarreal had urged Governor 39% Rick Perry to promote the Census more….last October… and our lame Governor responded by naming a Census ambassador only a week ago. And just as George W. Bush would do by looking down the hall for the cleaning lady, Perry has named Secretary of State Hope Andrade as that bastion of promotion.

 

I find it fitting that National Census Day on April 1 also falls on April Fool's Day. Anyone who doesn't fill out the 10 question survey out is definitely a fool.

Texas Blog Roundup

The Texas Progressive Alliance heads into March Madness with its own bracket of news and links for the week. Happy St Patrick's Day!

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wonders how Republicans can be so violently against having services they desperately need?

Off the Kuff analyzed county returns in the primaries for Governor, Lite Guv, and the Commissioners.

When are you "too gay" for your job? The Texas Cloverleaf finds out.

WhosPlayin broke the story of a Tea-Partying Lewisville City Councilman who has failed to pay his business property taxes for the 28 years he has been in business. On the same weekend, the story came out that the son of the Flower Mound mayor and her public school Bible class promoting husband was busted with marijuana, a BB gun, and stolen property in his car. (But don't worry, he wasn't actually arrested.)

Bay Area Houston says When Capitalism Works we buy from China.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson says it's Time for Democrats to go all in on health care.

This week, McBlogger brings you Tom Pauken, Moron (NSFW).

Karl Rove is "proud" that the Bush administration tortured suspected al-Qaeda terrorists. That -- coupled with the Obama administration's recalcitrance to prosecute Rove, Cheney, Bush, et.al for their admitted war crimes -- has PDiddie at Brains and Eggs a little more pessimistic than usual.

Attention all Breathers! It's URGENT that you attend the EPA Public Hearing on the proposed new ozone standards. The hearing is Tuesday in Arlington and to help get you motivated TXsharon posted a video on Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

Neil at Texas Liberal says that with one-in-three folks in Houston lacking health insurance, Houston Mayor Annise Parker should be speaking up in favor in health care reform. Mayor Parker has already spoken up on the federal issues of the census and EPA air quality standards. So why not speak up on this federal issue that impacts Houston?

Lightseeker at TexasKaos tells us, again, why Rick Perry Must Go. It seems his cronies want the private sector bozos who messed up the validation procedure for Food Stamps, to advise on fixing the system, and they don't understand what all the fuss is about. I mean doesn't every vendor get a no-bid contract?

When Are You "Too Gay" For Anything?

One would think in 2010, that being "too gay" would not be an issue. But apparently it still is.

CNN is reporting that America's only national tour of ice skating stars has decided to leave 3 time national champion, and 6th place finisher in the 2010 Winter Olympics, Johnny Weir off of its tour, deeming him "not family friendly". I fail to see what isn't family friendly about Johnny, other than the fact he is an outspoken guy and very much obviously gay. But Weir has never once stated he is gay and when asked he was quoted once as saying it wasn't "part of his sport and it's private". He is even a Roman Catholic. That is about as family friendly as you can get (no pun intended, kids). He had recently drawn the ire of PETA for wearing fur, but he doesn't exactly go out of his way to cause controversy. The tour claims they just didn't have room for Weir, but I think the Smucker's sponsored event is putting itself into a jam (pun intended, kids).

So are certain people too gay for certain jobs or roles? Can one be too gay for figure skating? Maybe they can even be too gay for politics? Actually, probably not.

Let's use some recent political examples. I for one was a nominee for the TX state house, and am quite clearly openly gay. Maybe I wasn't too gay for some, but when you have a boyfriend and found a Stonewall Democrats chapter, that is pretty gay. Even then, I earned 39% of the vote in a primarily conservative district. Moving on to the even gayer realm, would be someone such as Rep. Barney Frank. The man has been gay since the 80s, has a lisp, and is from Massachusetts. But he is one the highest ranking Democrats in Congress. On the flip side, you have people such as former Rep. Eric Massa, who is a married man, but quite clearly has some gay issues and likes the boys in the Congressional offices. Ditto for former Rep. Mark Foley, who was a self hating homosexual who blamed it on alcoholism. So when exactly do you get  too gay to hold public office? Apparently, you don't unless you clearly go out of your way to act in a rude manner, such as Massa or Foley.

Someone like Johnny Weir has not acted rudely. He is one of our best athletes in the country, if not on the planet as shown by last month's Olympics. Barney Frank is one of our best politicians. But neither one is too gay for what they do in life. And nobody at any job or sport is too gay. Gay people are human beings, and may make mistakes from time to time like anyone else. We are part of everyone's family, and quite friendly. So Smuckers, the ice tour, or anyone else who thinks a gay man shouldn't be part of their event because of who they are needs to reevaluate their own lives and see what it is exactly that is making them such hateful bigots.

Why The Census Is Not A Liberal Conspiracy

On my ride into work this morning, I was listening to my daily radio programming of Jagger in the Morning on 105.3 FM. It's sports radio now, but they will still talk about anything and everything. Today it was the US Census.

 

Apparently there are people out there who believe the Census is an intrusion of privacy and a conspiracy. While it pains me to say this, anyone who believes that is a total and complete moron and should be sent to an island somewhere. The Census is an institution that was created in 1790 to get a count of our population and various other demographics. Simpletons, that means it has been around long before CNN, Barack Obama, labor unions, illegal Mexican immigrants, etc. It is done every 10 years, the last being in 2000 under the bastion of right wing extremism George W. Bush. So it makes my head explode when callers to the station actually had the nerve to state that the Census was a part of the "Liberal agenda to count Mexicans so that redistricting would occur, and Hispanics would vote for Democrats". Nevermind the point that Jagger made, where 56% of Hispanics consider themselves conservatives.

 

I fail to see how it is an intrusion of government where they send you a form that asks you 10 questions, such as your ethnicity and race, or how many kids you have. Most people in this country have given far more information to their banks, phone carriers, or employers. These idiot conspiracy theorists should know that the federal government already has them on a list somewhere, so the men in black can show up to their house when they shoot at UFOs, right? So what is the harm in filling out a basic form?

 

All I can say to people who choose not to fill it out, that is your choice. But don't be surprised or bitch and moan when your school district, your city, your department of transportation, etc doesn't get the adequate disbursement of our tax dollars by the feds back to the local community. And if you don't fill it out, I am sending Agent Smith to your door to get those answers out of you!

Texas Blog Roundup

The Texas Progressive Alliance would like to thank the Academy by presenting it with this week's roundup.

TXsharon went undercover this week to Map Methane plumes in the Barnett Shale: "Stealth" measurements contradict Shale Gas industry safe air claims, new technology shows. Big Gas is so BUSTED! And it's all reported on Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS.

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy covers all of the results of the primary elections including the surprising defeat of Don McLeroy in the State Board of Education District 9 Republican primary. Left of College Station also covers the week in headlines, and this week will begin coverage of the local municipal elections.

The Texas Cloverleaf provides a Denton County and Texas primary roundup.

Texas Vox celebrated last week as the student governments of two Texas rivals, UT and A&M, passed "green fees" to support sustainability initiatives on campus.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson takes a first look at the general election race for governor in Texas, White vs. Perry is a toss up.

Neil at Texas Liberal offered up a video of him reading the first ten amendments of the U.S. Constitution in front of the Beer Can House in Houston. This is a house made out of beer cans.

Off the Kuff looks at primary results in the SBOE races.

Bay Area Houston thinks Harris County Democrats are going to get LaRouched in the upcoming Democratic Judicial primaries.

Justin at Asian American Action Fund Blog warns those outside Texas to Stop Being Federal Snobs and begin to concern themselves with the State Board of Education.

WhosPlayin is watching all hell break loose in Flower Mound, as a group circulating a gas drilling permit moratorium petition is blown off by Town Council, and a political organization in the town tried to have the local school district call the police on them if the group used school parking lots for signature gathering.

Over at TexasKaos, libby shaw writes that Senator Cornyn has found himself a hero: Senator Bunning. Yes that Bunning, the one who scores political grandstanding points at the expense of the unemployed. Read the rest here: GOP Senator to the Jobless and Uninsured: Tough S$it. Cornyn defends him.

Texas Blog Roundup

The Texas Progressive Alliance congratulates all the Democrats who won yesterday. Here is your weekly roundup.

From the Barnett Shale, TXsharon announces a new "Watchdog" for drillers and her SOS to EPA about benzene and other dangerous toxins in the Denton Creek Watershed was heard. The EPA has responded! Bluedaze: DRILLING REFORM FOR TEXAS

After the latest prevarication on her date of departure from the Senate, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs opines: "Kay Bailey, won't you please GO HOME?!"

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme shows the Texas Supreme Court flipping the finger to Texans, yet again.

SNOWMAGEDDON may have stricken Austin, Texas -- but don't let that cold, hard evidence convince you that global warming ain't real. Let Citizen Sarah (with a little help from President Obama) break it down for you at Texas Vox.

Bay Area Houston highlights yet more hypocrisy from Rick Perry with his I Came and Took it! teabagging campaign.

At WhosPlayin the recent discussion has centered around equity in the Lewisville ISD. It looks like the district may be taking a big step by considering a tear-down and rebuild of the district's oldest high school after costs for asbestos remediation and fire sprinkler installation in the old building went too high. Construction is not equity, though, and there are still issues to be addressed.

Over at McBlogger, Mayor McSleaze takes a look at the Republican HD 47 primary fight and finds it almost as entertaining as an old-fashioned pie fight.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison changes her story again about when she might leave the Senate. Off the Kuff has lost count of how many times this has happened.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson has a round up of the campaign cash and who's giving in Williamson County, Bob Perry looms large in Williamson County GOP House races.

The Texas Cloverleaf looks at the early voting turnout in Denton County and the GOP surge.

This week on Left of College Station, Teddy makes the case for Brazos County Democrats to vote in the Republican primary, and releases the Left of College Station Democratic primary candidate endorsements. Left of College Station also covers the debate in the Texas A&M Student Senate over the anti-discrimination policy.

Pollchecker , over at TexasKaos calls out McCain on using Texas Health care as an example of "success". And he wonders why he is not president?

Neil at Texas Liberal offered up his 2010 Democratic Primary slate. Neil also noted that Texas Liberal passed one million page views. Thanks to everybody who has read the blog.

TX Primary Recap

Another primary is in the books, and no big surprises on the Democratic side. Bill White won the Governor's nomination overwhelmingly. Linda Chavez-Thompson was a slight surprise in winning the Lt. Governor's nomination without having to go to a runoff. Hank Gilbert finally shut up, we hope, Kinky Friedman in the Agriculture Commissioner nomination spot. Hector Uribe pulled out a close one over Bill Burton in Land Commissioner. The rest of our nominees were unopposed, so of course they won with flying colors.

 

On the GOP side, things were a little crazy in some areas. Rick Perry managed to pull off a win without a runoff, with just over 51% of the vote. I am disappointed in the teabaggers on this one. In the State Board of Education realm, incumbents Don McLeroy and Geraldine "Tincy" Miller came up losers. At least Miller lost to a teacher, so maybe there will actually be an educator on the board. Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Victor Carrillo also came up short in his primary. He blames his loss on his Hispanic surname. I blame it on the fact he is an ineffective douchebag who lined his pockets with the oil and gas industries campaign contributions. Although that may put too much faith in the common sense of GOP voters.

 

Back home in Denton County, my prediction of record GOP turnout came to pass. 42,186 voters turned out for the Republicans surpassing their previous record in 2008. Democrats did not come close to the 2008 turnout, however the turnout vs. the last midterm election was higher. 4,678 Democrats came out for 2010 as opposed to 1,791 in 2006. Republicans admittedly had a more exciting ballot in the county, with the Governor's race pushing turnout, as well as local judge races.

 

The GOP also has a statewide runoff set for next month for the Supreme Court Justice Place 3 seat. Locally, Denton County will see a runoff for Justice of the Peace Precinct 4, Probate Court and County Court at Law #1.

 

Denton County Democratic candidates Neil Durrance, Paul Gomez, Stephen Stephens, and Bill Burnett were all unopposed in the primary and go on to November. For the first time, 2 precinct chair seats had contested races. Incumbents Ramona Thompson of Lewisville and Catherine Bell of Denton were both victorious.

 

Detailed results can be found at the TX Secretary of State website and the Denton County Elections website.

Farouk Is On Fire...Or Down In Flames As It Were

Farouk Shami's campaign was on fire this morning. But by the end of Tuesday, his campaign went down in flames. With 71% of the precincts reporting, Bill White is our Democratic nominee for TX Governor, earning over 77% of the vote. Shami is a distant second with 11.6%. The Shami campaign conceded about an hour ago and released this statement:

"I want to thank each and every person who has given their time, energy and votes to my campaign for Governor of Texas.  Although this wasn't the outcome we'd hoped for, do not get discouraged.  

A defeat is only a defeat if you let it stop you.  I will not let today's results stop me.  Although I will not be our nominee for Governor, I will continue to fight for those I have met on the campaign trail.  I will continue to fight to bring jobs to Texas.  I will continue to fight for equality in our education system.  I will continue to support candidates who fight for all Texans.

I ask for each of you to join me.  Do not give up hope.  Continue to support the cause.  Eventually, we will overcome all obstacles and accomplish our goal, real change for Texas.

Thank you again for your support.  It means the world to me, more than I can ever express in words."

Let's hope he is true to his word and hopes he also supports our nominee.