Wednesday, January 19, 2022

Hump Day Wrangle


Texas Republicans' bad week is stretching into a month.


Buc-ee Aplin is a big buddy of Dan Patrick.  The $65 million question is: does any of this matter to the TXGQP primary voter?  I am inclined to say 'no'.


After all, there are things happening that this subset of humanity is very likely applauding.


The largest corporations in Texas and the nation are complicit.

A pair of watchdog groups called out companies and trade groups that continued to financially support the 147 congressional Republicans who voted last year to overturn the 2020 presidential election results even after the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol. [...] General Dynamics ($233,500), and Valero Energy ($207,500) are (among) the top corporate donors to those who objected to the election and their party committees,” the report says.

More:

Irving-based ExxonMobil and San Antonio-based Valero Energy joined other Fortune 500 corporations and trade groups in 2021 in spending $8.1 million to financially back these members. [...] The recipients include House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and nine Texas lawmakers: Reps. Brian Babin, Jodey Arrington, Randy Weber, John Carter, August Pfluger, Beth Van Duyne, Troy Nehls, Ronny Jackson, and Michael Cloud.

More:

Pharmaceutical company Merck signed a pro-voting rights statement that was published as an advertisement in the New York Times on April 14. [...] After signing the ad, Merck donated $1,000 in October to Texas Republican state Senator Lois Kolkhorst, the primary sponsor of one of the state’s two new voter suppression laws and a cosponsor of the other one. [...] JPMorgan Chase also donated to a cosponsor of SB 1, giving $1,000 from its PAC to Sen. Dawn Buckingham in September.

Then there's the rich country folk who aren't all that fascist-freaky but still send Greg Abbott millions of dollars like it was loose change in their pocket.


Unlike Michelle, I see no path to anything for Texas Democrats but "a few small wins in targeted races", which I've been hearing since Boyd Richie was chairman.

Still, the young and the brave soldier on.


Best of luck to those good guys and gals.  I won't be holding my breath that the TexTrib is suddenly going to realize there's more than two political parties, however.


Here's a few more Tweets that point to the challenges we're all facing.


Need to jump that Bloomberg paywall?  Here you go.

In climate developments: what's good for Texas is often bad for the planet.


A few criminal and social justice updates which add to the litany of grim news in this post.


So we should find a laugh where we can.




At Wednesday’s meeting of the Dallas City Council, the people of Dallas were greeted with perhaps the most perplexing public comment yet: a man dressed in blue surgical scrubs, shouting a pro-vaccination song.

Alex Stein, a YouTube comedian, hit the podium and performed a rap to the tune of Eminem’s “The Real Slim Shady,” with lyrics including “vaccinate me in my thong” and “Dr. Fauci, give me that ouchie.” His audience: some two dozen council members in a largely empty and silent conference room.

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