Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Pull out, Kinky.

The overnight news from the Dallas paper has Chris Bell asking Kinky Friedman to get out of the race. Kinky's response is to dig in his bootheels.

Here's my message:

Pull out, Kinky. You know you want to.

You're not having fun any longer. All this running around all over Hell's half-acre, having to talk to reporters who keep asking the same damn questions (like 'why do you say "n----r" all the time'), lousy food and weak coffee and hard hotel beds and shitty pillows and everything else about life on the road that you quit years ago when you stopped making music and started writing cheap detective novels.

It's time to go back to the ranch, to your stray dogs, to the cigar-smell infested bunkhouse you call home, take off that nasty hat, brush your slimy teeth and lay it down.

Texas needs you to quit, Kinky. Now.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

It's no longer about Mark Foley, Part II

The Grand Old Pederast Party has closed ranks around their rotund Speaker, ensuring his continued leadership all the way to January (when he will likely be replaced by Nancy Pelosi anyway).

I noted the first calls for him to step down, but never advocated his doing so myself. My feeling from the outset was: meh, let him stick around if he chooses. Hastert is a much heavier albatross around the necks of the GOP than even Tom DeLay would have been at this point, and as a result becomes the icon of a Congressional scandal entering its second week as a top news story.

See, among the reasons it stays in the news -- besides the MSM's sexual obsession -- is that the history of Foley's child predation has been extended once again; it now goes back as far as 2000. Which means that when the Republicans say 9/11 changed everything... well, they didn't mean "everything."

Here's a talking point:

More protection was given to a sexual predator among their ranks by Republican leaders than to our soldiers in Iraq (body armor), than to our national security (ports, nukes in North Korea), than even to our childrens' health care (millions -- in Texas alone the number is 1.4 million -- abandoned, uninsured).

Pretty sweet if you're one of the elite, that conservative agenda.

The Congressional page-sex scandal, as of this moment, rightfully deserves to be pushed from the headlines. And it needs to be replaced with the threat of a nuclear showdown looming with Kim Jong Il, or the second weakness exposed in our national food supply in a month (this news suggests that the terrorists understand that they could terrorize us with it), or even -- God forbid -- the 32 soldiers killed in the first eight days of October in an increasingly unstable Iraq and Afghanistan.

Yet, perhaps the so-called liberal media still take their cue from the White House in a perverse way. What would Our Dear Leader be most upset about lately?

Disloyalty.

There's a lot of very important things that the Bush administration simply doesn't give a shit about, North Korea being only the latest example of the consequences of electing (sic) a moron President.

And I have to think that a Democratic Congress in 2007 is going to be able to help him focus on a few of the real issues.

(thanks to ThinkProgress, one of the very best places on the Internets, for the leads)

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Blogger scoops traditional media (again)

Rep. John Davis, a Republican representing the Clear Lake area in the Texas Lege for the past eight years, has been revealed to be woefully inept at best -- and criminally negligent at worst -- regarding his expense report filings. One hundred thousand dollars' worth of campaign expenses lack sufficient documentation. That's a violation of Texas election law.

So reports KHOU today.

But Muse is the one who broke this story weeks ago; her painstaking gumshoe investigation revealed the ethical lapses that finally drew the attention of the Texas Ethics Commission and the so-called liberal media.

John Davis is so incompetent that he was declared a piece of "used furniture" by Texas Monthly in 2003.

Though the results of the TEC investigation into Davis' finances will not be made public until after November 7, the voters of District 129 can cast a vote for good government by electing Sherrie Matula to the Texas House.

They deserve it. Hell, we all deserve it.

Sunday Postpourri


That big blonde digging out a kill attempt happens to be my niece. She is the star on the University of Arkansas volleyball team.

Last evening the two candidates competing for the US Senate held a debate at Rice University. My birthday buddy Barbara Radnofsky and Scott Jameson, the Libertarian candidate, talked substance for 90 minutes before an assembly of about fifty voters and a few media. Kay Bailey Torture was too scared to show up, and after watching Barbara tear her into little pieces in absentia, I can understand why. Senator Perjury Technicality alleges she will show for another debate scheduled for October 19, in San Antonio and to be broadcast on all statewide PBS stations. We'll see.

The conglomerate that owns the Los Angeles Times fired its publisher because he refused to cut staff. This is amazing to me, because I spent a decade in corporate newspaper management and never met a single man nearly brave enough to do this. I'll have more to say at a later date.

One of the best restaurants in New Orleans is finally open again. I'm not a candidate for the turtle soup, but most everything else on the menu -- including the jazz brunch; they invented that -- is worth the drive over. Right across the street from Commander's Palace is the Lafayette Cemetery, one of the Crescent City's oldest burial grounds. Lots of interesting history when you take a ghost tour and lots of movies filmed there. Here's a good picture of it.

The old I-10 bridge over the Trinity River -- between Houston and Beaumont -- is finally going to be replaced.

If you have ever sold a used car to another person and conspired to report the selling price as lower than reality when you recorded the title change at the courthouse... well, you can't get away with that any more. The state estimates that they will collect an additional $35 million dollars from eliminating the "liar's affidavit", and the county tax assessor-collectors estimate that many will be pissed off about it. Way to go again, Rick Perry and the Republican Texas Lege. At least they haven't raised your taxes, right?

TIME declares that the Republican Revolution is over. Stu Rothenberg says "a true blowout is now possible".

And don't miss the Moral High Ground Mudslide edition of this week's Sunday Funnies.

Friday, October 06, 2006

Bell beat 'em like a pinata


In my humble opinion. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it; you can read the comments at Burnt Orange or the Chron's Texas Politics or the Bell blog or Coyote Mercury, or Vince's analysis or Hal's take or Muse's musings.

There's enough play-by-play to suit anyone at those links so I'll summarize my favorite moments:

-- Bell opening with "I'm glad to be here with my three Republican opponents";

-- Grandma not knowing the recently-elected president of Mexico's name;

-- any of Kinky's disjointed ramblings, but particularly when he turned to Bell and asked, "What do you think the heroes of the Alamo would think of (our cowardly governor refusing to debate more than once)?";

-- the relentless pummeling given the incumbent from three angles, so badly was he hurt that he actually ducked out on the post-debate media Q &A.

Chris Bell was poised, confident, and articulate. He never got cut off for time, and he answered the question he was asked and didn't just spout some talking point. It was such a strong performance in comparison to his inept three stagemates that he likely sent himself to the Governor's Mansion tonight.

Quorum Report quotes moneybags trial lawyer John O'Quinn as saying Bell will not only get his financial help but also that of his fellow Democratic rainmakers:

Houston Attorney John O'Quinn, prominently featured tonight in Chris Bell's post-debate appearance, said he would do whatever it takes to raise Bell's profile in the race. Pressed by Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News in a post-debate press gaggle, O'Quinn said he was ready to put at least a million dollars into the Bell campaign, if not more.

"Chris Bell will not lose because of a lack of resources," O'Quinn said.


Thirty-three days to go, and we'll have a new Governor in Austin.

Update: Somervell County Salon got video of several parts of the debate, but this is the best part. And KHOU has the debate in full (until October 10, according to the debate rules).

Update II (10/7): C-Span will rebroadcast today at 12:59 pm and 10:00 pm (note that the times posted at the C-Span site are Eastern; I changed them for this posting to Central).

Thursday, October 05, 2006

Gubernatorial Debate tomorrow, Senatorial on Saturday

From the Bell campaign ...

The 2006 Texas Gubernatorial Debate will be held on Friday, October 6 from 7:00 to 8:00 pm. The debate will be broadcast live on the following stations:

DFW: WFAA (Channel 8)
Houston: KHOU (Channel 11)
San Antonio: KENS (Channel 5)
Austin: KVUE (Channel 24 broadcast, Channel 3 Time Warner Cable)
The debate will also be carried on Texas Cable News (TXCN) and will be webcast live on the Dallas Morning News website.


The Bell campaign has organized debate watching parties in Houston and Dallas for Friday evening:

Houston
Little Woodrow’s
4235 Bellaire Blvd
Call 713-524-0009 for more info

Dallas
Hamby's Bar and Grill
1510 Pacific Avenue
Call 713-524-0009 for more info

We also have info to share on these other parties being sponsored by friends of the campaign:

Austin
Texas AFL-CIO Headquarters
1106 Lavaca
Call (512) 477-6195 for more info

Denton
Hannah's Off The Square
111 Mulberry Street
Email jberthume@gmail.com for more info

Edinburg
Home of Aaron Pena III
1905 Ariel Lane
Email aaronpenaiii@hotmail.com for more info

San Antonio
Home of Josephine Ramon
3939 Portsmouth
Email ramonassociates@aol.com for more info

Tyler
Smith County Democratic HQ
401 E. Front St.
Email party@smithdems.org for more info

The Texas Democratic Party is also sponsoring debate watch parties in the following cities across the state. If you are interested in attending one of these events, call Jennifer Dean of the TDP at 512-478-9800. Events are scheduled for Bandera, Bullard, Cedar Hill, College Station, Edna, Graham, Hempstead, Huntsville, Hutto, Lancaster, Laredo, Leander, Mabank, Richmond, and Waco.

===========================

Kay Bailey is too afraid to be there, but Barbara Ann Radnofsky and Scott Jameson, the Libertarian candidate, will be present for the first US Senatorial Debate. Please come and participate, as we're told audience questions are permitted, and there's a reception for all candidates ansd supporters afterwards.

Saturday, October 7: US Senatorial Debate, Radnofsky and Jameson
Location: Rice University, 117 Humanities, Houston
Time: 7 pm
Public welcome, reception afterwards for all at the Lovett House

Abbott's Brass Knuckles for Minority Seniors, Kid Gloves for Highland Park

More outstanding work by the Lone Star Project exposing Greg Abbott as the naked partisan hack he is:

Over the past year, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott has relentlessly prosecuted a handful of mostly minority senior citizen Democrats who may have unknowingly violated an obscure and flawed Texas election statute. At the same time, his office delayed the investigation of election mismanagement and ballot tampering in the exclusive Dallas County community of Highland Park.

Highland Park is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the country with over 500 houses valued at over $1 million and is a GOP stronghold, voting overwhelmingly for George Bush in 2004. (Census Bureau, Secretary of State records) Both George W. Bush and Dick Cheney lived in Highland Park prior to the 2000 election. (Houston Chronicle, 12/9/2006 and Dallas Morning News 5/12/2006) Greg Abbott has failed to bring any prosecution in this neighborhood even after receiving clear evidence of illegal election activity by the Dallas Assistant District Attorney.

Meanwhile, the Texarkana neighborhood where an Abbott prosecution target, Willie Ray, lives is a predominately African American area that regularly supports Democratic candidates. There are no $1 million homes in this neighborhood. The median value of a house is $54,400 and the per capita income is less than $14,500. (Census Bureau) Abbott aggressively prosecuted and won a conviction against Willie Ray for the simple act of delivering sealed ballots to the post office at the request of senior voters.


Go read it all.

Six Texans filed suit against Abbott for his harassment, intimidation, and selective enforcement of the law. Abbott's solicitor general Ted Cruz responded with a vicious verbal assault (.pdf) on the plaintiffs.

Previous postings concerning our out-of-control Attorney General are here, here, here, and at Burnt Orange Report.

Abbott can currently be seen on Houston television endorsing the candidacy of Martha "So Very, Very" Wong.

Your choice for Texas Attorney General couldn't be more clear.

Dick Cheney and Jesse Jackson were both here yesterday

Big Time Dick came to raise money for Shellie Magoola-Gimp at a five-hundred-dollar a plate luncheon. Two hundred fools showed up, paid their money and got a sandwich, chips, and a chance to get shot in the face see Cheney.

The Rev. Jackson accompanied the next Governor of Texas to Worthing High School and then the Sunnyside Multi-Service Center to see the seniors there.

Probably nothing more greatly illustrates the difference between the two political parties than these events. Corrupt Republicans gather to raise money while Democrats go out to see people young and old to talk. And listen.

Any questions?

It's no longer about Mark Foley



Though his defenders have used every pathetic excuse they can think of to explain Mark Foley's behavior -- "he's gay", "he's an alcoholic", "the e-mails weren't improper but the IMs were", the deadly Republican virus of the Congressional page scandal continues to spread, and will undoubtedly claim more conservative victims.

Foley's former top aide pushes back the history three years:

A longtime chief of staff to disgraced former representative Mark Foley (R-Fla.) approached House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert's office three years ago, repeatedly imploring senior Republicans to help stop Foley's advances toward teenage male pages, the staff member said yesterday.

The account by Kirk Fordham, who resigned yesterday from his job with another senior lawmaker, pushed back to 2003 or earlier the time when Hastert's staff reportedly became aware of Foley's questionable behavior concerning teenagers working on Capitol Hill.


That makes four people -- the other three are Majority Leader John Boehner, RCCC chair Tom Reynolds, and Page Board chair John Shimkus --that have thrown Dennis under the bus. Hastert chose the mouthpiece of another paragon of Republican virtue, Rush Limbaugh, to say that he won't resign.


The over/under on the Speaker being gone is Friday, October 6, at 5 pm.


The guy who just took Tom DeLay's place smells a political opportunity for himself. I'm thinking he's thinking that if his disgraced party can just hang on to a majority, then he will get to be Speaker. Fat chance in either case.


Reynolds -- he's the man responsible for getting Republicans elected to the House of Representatives -- is already sinking fast. No surprise: among his many errors of judgment and besides whatever role he played in concealing a sexual predator, that he took $100,000 from Foley shortly after the "naughty e-mails" were re-discovered marks him an accomplice to the crime.

Shimkus, the GOP House member from Illinois who heads the organization responsible for managing all the business of congressional pages, doesn't think he's done anything wrong either:

Amid mounting criticism from his own party, U.S. Rep. John Shimkus, R-Collinsville, said he acted properly when confronted last year with a questionable email sent by disgraced former congressman Mark Foley to a former congressional page.

"I don't know of a single thing I would have done differently," Shimkus told The State Journal-Register editorial board during an hour-long Wednesday meeting.


These people have simply been in Washington too long. They have lost the ability -- if they ever had it in the beginning -- to understand the concerns of real people, such as parents who want their children to be able to go to Washington as an intern for a Congressman and be free of unwanted sexual advances.

Shielding a pedophile in order to maintain political power is about as sick, sad, and sorry as it gets. And they will all have to answer for it.

Let's hope the voters in their respective House districts send them a message on November 7.

Tuesday, October 03, 2006

FOX thinks Foley is a Democrat

Three different times, for about twelve to fifteen seconds each, in two different segments during Bill O'Liar this evening.

I'm sure it was just an oversight.

GOP* collapses in morass of scandal

Not an exaggeration:

1. The Congressional page scandal could claim Speaker Hastert, as several conservatives, including the Washington Moonie Times, are clamoring for his resignation. The SCLM has failed to notice -- natch -- how his explanations regarding the affair have evolved.

The Republican insider reaction has ranged from Tony Snow's "they're just naughty e-mails" to "we're gonna lose it all".

2. Bob Woodward's book "State of Denial" asserts that George Tenet told Condi Rice about the al-Qaeda threat on July 10, 2001 -- before the infamous PDB in Crawford. Rice claimed she couldn't recall this meeting; White House records verify that it took place. This warning was never mentioned to the 9/11 Commission; several of its members expressed shock that they were hearing about it for the first time. Well, they weren't hearing it for the first time, according to McClatchy Newspapers' DC bureau. They just forgot to include it in their report.

E&P says Rice should resign.

3. The National Intelligence Estimate memo -- you remember that one; it said that the war in Iraq has increased the threat of terrorist attack -- comes in third in this week's Truth-Be-Told sweepstakes.

4. And completing the superfecta, some guy named Jack Abramoff has been lobbying the White House quite a bit more than anyone ever thought.

I can't say it any clearer than former Republican sycophant Chris Matthews did, last night on Jay Leno:

"If you want Bush to stay in control, vote Republican. If you want to put a leash on the little guy, vote the other way."

*Greedy Old Perverts.

Sunday, October 01, 2006

Weekend Bloggerrhea

Too busy to write at length, but not too busy to point to some other reading you should be doing:

-- Hal and Stace tell about the Johnson-Rayburn dinner last night.

-- BOR has a picture of a billboard blasting Lamar Smith, and points to Republican't.org, where you can design and build your own.

-- Anna got a little Kinky thrust in her face. (It's not as gross as it sounds, though it continues to reveal the alleged gubernatorial candidate as hostile, intolerant, and unhinged.)

-- Senator Kay Bailey Torture spent the weekend in her home state of Virginia, campaigning for George "Macaca" Allen, accusing Democrats of making personal attacks. Really. Texans deserve a better Senator than this.

-- The response from the right regarding the pedophilic episodes of Mark Foley seems to be "Well at least he resigned, unlike Clinton". That's what they're telling their children in church this morning, I'm sure. ThinkProgress has the timeline of the Republican coverup. Easter Lemming outs a few closeted gay Republicans, including Governor MoFo and Lite Gov. Dewhurst. Here's another long list of conservative sexual deviants, including Houston's very own Jon Matthews. And here's a better excuse the GOP is free to use without compensating me: "Really, this is no different from what the Roman Catholic church did."

-- NewsLost: Congress revoked the Wright amendment. Oh, and Bob Woodward has another book out; something about the Bushies and the Iraq war. You can read some excerpts here. Yes, it contains the usual disagreements among Rumsfeld and Cheney and Powell and Rice about how to prosecute the war, and the expected disclosures of all the lies we've been told, and even a little morsel for the gasoline-price-conspiracy theorists (of which I am a recent convert):

In a claim that could fuel conspiracy theories about the recent oil price decline – in an interview to be broadcast on CBS on Sunday – Mr Woodward described a conversation between Prince Bandar bin Sultan and Mr Bush in which the former Saudi ambassador said he could ease oil prices ahead of the elections.

“They could go down very quickly. That’s the Saudi pledge. Certainly over the summer, or as we get closer to the election, they could increase production several million barrels a day,” Mr Woodward said.


-- The Astros' postseason possibility will be known today. (Viewing tip: watch the baseball, because the football will again be excruciating.) Even more uncertain than the Astros' playoff fate is the validity of the steroid charges against Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

-- Finally, some funnies for Sunday.