Faceoff Funnies

Disgraceful

In what may be a preview of Wednesday night's Obama-Romney scrum, Paul Sadler (R-Lite) and Ted Cruz (R-Batshit) flung poop at each other more furiously than any cage of angry monkeys ever has. Look what Harvey Kronberg wrote.

HK: IN FEISTY DEBATE, CRUZ IGNORES SADLER CHALLENGE AND CHOOSES NOT TO REPUDIATE BIRTHERS OR PUBLICLY COMMIT TO CORNYN FOR LEADERSHIP 

GOP candidate says Democrat is a liberal, pro-gay marriage, anti-Second Amendment and proud supporter of a Texas personal income tax 

The mission of the two Senate candidate’s in this evening’s Belo debate could not have been more different.

For the underfunded, largely unknown Democrat Paul Sadler the debate was about registering on the Richter scale, marginalizing Ted Cruz as an ideologue and a radical while raising questions that would follow the front runner in the weeks to come.

 For Ted Cruz, the mission was to deliver enough red meat to invigorate the state’s anti-Obama majority that every poll to date suggests is unshakeable in Texas and stay on message enough to keep his activist base engaged.

We have praised the format before – a virtual free for all in which neither one minute sound bites nor never-ending filibusters are tolerated.

The winner of the debate is obviously in the eye of the beholder.

The Texas Tribune was more temperate.

More often, it was Sadler furiously trying to pin down Cruz on a single yes-or-no question such as whether Cruz believed Obama was a Christian or was born in the Untied States. Sadler would repeatedly cut Cruz off mid-sentence if Cruz didn't begin his response with "yes" or "no." Each time, Cruz survived the interrogation without giving Sadler the information that he wanted. (When pressed by reporters afterward, Cruz refused to say his views on Obama’s religion or place of birth and said he was focused on "the issues.")

The exchanges often veered wildly off topic, prompting WFAA news reporter Brad Watson and Dallas Morning News reporter Gromer Jeffers Jr. to push the candidates back on track. Questions on illegal immigration and health care turned into arguments about whether Sadler supports the Second Amendment or whom Cruz planned to back for majority whip in the U.S. Senate. Cruz accused Sadler of “hectoring.” Sadler accused Cruz of “lecturing.”

Here's the final exchange of the hour between the two combatants.

SADLER: I had the responsibility of looking at the tax system of Texas, something you wouldn’t know anything about because you’ve never served in the Legislature, you’ve never had the responsibility of putting together a school finance program to pay for our children’s education, to fund education across this state. I did a review of every single tax available. … That’s our responsibility. You wouldn’t know anything about that. But what you don’t do is do your job as a legislator worried about some troll who will come along 10 years later or 20 years later and try to run a campaign against you.

CRUZ: I’m sorry you believe I’m a troll.

SADLER: When you lie over and over again, there’s nothing else to suggest.

CRUZ: I’m sorry, Mr. Sadler, you believe I’m a troll.

SADLER: I think you lie, Ted.
 
CRUZ: I’m sorry you attack me personally and impugn my character. I do not intend to reciprocate.

This is just pathetic. I have to believe that if the Libertarian  -- John Jay Myers --  and the Green -- David Collins -- had been included, this wouldn't have gotten so far out of hand.

Texas, and Texans, deserve so much better than this.

But Sadler, faced with the most recent polling that shows him outgunned more than 2-1, had to sling mud like it was hash in a greasy spoon. All Cruz had to do was duck.

Yes, I'm afraid this could be a precursor of what we might expect to see from Mitt Romney tomorrow evening, after all the punishment he has taken from his own side, and in the face of his own collapsed numbers (everywhere except good ol' Texas, of course).

I just don't think I can sit through another display like this one, though.

Update: It's worth noting that Charles Kuffner has a very low opinion of the Texas Lyceum poll linked above, and unwinds that here. I still think Sadler's over/under is 42%.

Jill Stein Texas Tour updates

You may have already seen my earlier post announcing the trip, and Neil Aquino's post of Sunday's press release. The following will also go out to local and statewide media later today, but because you're special, you get to read it here first. New itinerary items are in bold.

Thursday Oct. 4, 2012 (Houston)

11:00 am   Arrival, Houston Hobby airport

11:30 am   University of Houston (4800 Calhoun Road, 77004), University Center Satellite food court: meet-and-greet with students, faculty, and staff. Media availability.

1:30 pm    University of Houston: classroom discussions

3:00 pm    On air appearance, KPFT 90.1 FM: The New Capital Show with Leo Gold

7:00 pm    Public speaking engagement: Lone Star College -- Kingwood (20000 Kingwood Drive, Kingwood 77339), Student Conference Center. Media availability.
   
Friday, October 5 (Houston)
               
9:00 am    "Toxic Tour" (also here), led by Juan Parras of t.e.j.a.s. Media welcome (but no availability to the candidate, as tour time is limited). Departure location and tour stops to be determined.

11:00 am   Tranquility Park (400 Rusk Street), Houston: press conference with Parras and Benjamin Franklin, who was choked, pepper-sprayed, and tasered as part of the confrontation with police officers at the Tar Sands Blockade (a citizen action organized to halt the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, ongoing in Wood County, Texas). Media availability.

1:00 pm    Texas Southern University (3100 Cleburne Street, 77004), classroom discussion (to be confirmed).
    
7:00 pm    Public speaking engagement, Saint Stephens Episcopal Church (1805 West Alabama Street, 77098), Precor Hall. Media availability.

Saturday, October 6 (San Antonio)

2:00 pm  Public speaking engagement, University of Texas -San Antonio, (specific location TBA), Students United for Socioeconomic Justice. Media availability.

7:00 pm   Fundraising event, Bexar County Green Party (276 Natalen, 78209).

Sunday, October 7 (Houston)

12:00 pm The Last Organic Outpost's Emile Street Community Farm (711 N. Emile St., near Gunter St.). Stein will tour the sustainable urban agricultural facility (background here). Limited media availability.

2:00 pm   Fundraising event: home of Lee and Hardy Loe (1844 Kipling, 77098).

9:00 pm   On air appearance, KPFT 90.1 FM:  Self Determination with Obidike Kamau. Stein will be on for the full hour.

Media may contact the Stein campaign at media@JillStein.org to schedule an interview. There may be more additions/subtractions to Stein's schedule as the campaign stops draw closer. Check back here for the very latest.

The Weekly "Ah, Fall" Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance reminds you that the deadline to register for the election is October 9 as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff has a Q&A with Democratic SCOTX candidate Michelle Petty, who is running against one of the Court's least ethical members.  

BossKitty at TruthHugger wants all Texans to have all the Texas Voting Information they need, so this will stay at the top of the blog's homepage until November 6. Meanwhile, she is disgusted that our Cowardly Congress Kicks The Can Again, and is overjoyed to see more corporate manipulators exposed, in Do You Hear Me Now?

Three Wise Men forecasts the 2012 presidential and Senate elections.

With Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein scheduled to be in Houston and San Antonio from October 4-7, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs found it necessary to once again slay the persistent urban legend that Ralph Nader was responsible for Al Gore's defeat in the 2000 election.

We're facing another legislative session that will be harmful to the majority of Texans unless we act now. That's why WCNews at Eye on Williamson is pointing this out now: Here we go again.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw explains why the GOP is obsessed about voter fraud. Hint: the best way to get away with something is to accuse your opponents of it.

Neil as Texas Liberal noted that you have the right to take pictures of bridges and infrastructure and anything in plain view so long as you are not tresspassing. Neil said that business and government are teaming up to deny the basic freedom to observe and make note of the things that are around us in a so-called open society.  

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme observes that Greg Abbott, likely gubernatorial candidate, goes all Christian Taliban by promoting bible verses in school.