It's remarkable that Ken Paxton didn't find his way to the top of either Texas Monthly's Bum Steer Awards or Progress Texas' Worst of 2020, but that just shows you how stiff the competition is.
.@TexasMonthly gives Bum Steer of the Year to the Texas Democratic Party: https://t.co/ZzmBbWPcXh
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) December 16, 2020
The winners were well-deserved.
.@ProgressTexas's Top Ten Best and Worst Texans of 2020 https://t.co/cwmrsIac8g #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 18, 2020
In a state that gave us Beyonce and Whataburger, making a "best of" list is a tall order. Proud to make the cut in @TexasMonthly's best of 2021 list!https://t.co/F3waX9Y1LR
— Lina Hidalgo (@LinaHidalgoTX) December 16, 2020
The late, great Molly Ivins: “The Democrats never miss a chance to miss a chance.”
— Tenilla Sheehan (@tenilla) December 15, 2020
More of TM's selections throughout this post. Here's a salute to Governor COVID, who would rather kill Texans than cower before the "bidness/freedumb" base of the TXGOP.
.@GovAbbott vows no more shutdowns as #COVID19 rages, widespread vaccines are months away https://t.co/jgNnNWdIKP #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 17, 2020
Texas reported nearly 17,000 new #COVID19 cases today, about 6,000 more than the peak in July. pic.twitter.com/gNBZPN7jrs
— Meredith Yeomans (@YeomansNBC5) December 18, 2020
Because this year was such a special one, we reserved a distinguished place among our 2021 Bum Steer (dis)honorees for the not-quite-twenty Texans who spectacularly disgraced themselves during the pandemic.
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 17, 2020
Let's give it up for the COVID Nineteen y'all: https://t.co/IO51x4YQzZ
At Houston hospital, head of #COVID19 unit sees some staff wary of a vaccine https://t.co/Hr1tC1Nxik #HouNews
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 16, 2020
More "do as I say, not as I do" from our elected leaders.
NEW: Despite CDC guidelines to avoid public gatherings, 80+ legislators from both parties scheduled in-person fundraisers in Austin this past month.
— Lauren McGaughy π (@lmcgaughy) December 15, 2020
We scoped out the most popular venues — and got kicked out of a couple — to bring you this story:https://t.co/SonagGBmDm #txlege
"I saw a guy with an oxygen machine. He was carrying around an oxygen machine to *breathe,* but he didn't have a mask on."
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) December 16, 2020
Grooms with COVID, flying bodily fluids, and maskless dance floors: Texas wedding photographers are telling all. https://t.co/e2Opnc3Xcm
There were other late contenders for Bum Steers and Worst Texans. Here's one of the hard-charging finalists on my personal list.
Prosecutors: A former HPD captain faces assault charges after accosting an A/C repairman at gunpoint who he believed was involved in a ballot fraud scheme https://t.co/PDIUA568yz
— St. John Barned-Smith ⚔️ (@stjbs) December 15, 2020
Read the whole Tweet thread. Few stories have the shock capacity of this one.
Aguirre was apparently paid more than $200k from the "Liberty Center for God and Country," to investigate the alleged voter fraud. The vast majority of the money — $211,400 — came the day after the alleged aggravated assault. pic.twitter.com/Y8WlFtrP2d
— St. John Barned-Smith ⚔️ (@stjbs) December 15, 2020
Guess who's behind the Liberty Center for God and Country? It was "Christians Outed for Behaving Less than Godly" week.
Jesus Christ, what’s wrong with you people? So much for separation of church & state. Your gov’t just gave $4.4 million ‘stimulus’ loan to billionaire conman Joel Osteen's Church. https://t.co/7JNZw3NxAY via @houstonchron
— kotawi (@kotawi) December 15, 2020
Then there's Greasy Henry Cuellar, whose bad behavior was noted twice.
Mysterious dark money group that backed @RepCuellar, 'Big Oil's Favorite Democrat', was funded by Big Oil https://t.co/FaglFS7q76 via @sludge
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) December 17, 2020
Cuellar's revenge... https://t.co/Tj37iZZL4m pic.twitter.com/JU6eXZFnSG
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) December 18, 2020
Besides shafting AOC -- a trending topic this week regarding M4A -- who was the beneficiary of slots on Energy and Commerce?
Last weekend, @HoustonDSA protested Rep. Lizzie Fletcher's ties to fossil fuel donors & her failure to #FightForOurLives with a Green New Deal.
— DSA for a Green New Dealπ±πΉ⚡️ (@DSAecosocialism) December 18, 2020
Today Nancy Pelosi rewarded Fletcher & 4 other pro-business "New Democrats" with powerful positions on the Energy & Commerce Committee. https://t.co/hnMgtVyGeP
Those of us who won't be supporting corporate Democrats any more have a long, hard job ahead. And it doesn't involve pushing people like Fletcher to the left.
Despite these Grinches ...
✨π pic.twitter.com/RJheevduya
— El Arroyo (@ElArroyo_ATX) December 13, 2020
... several Texans got in the spirit of the holiday season.
THE SPIRIT OF GIVING: The rapper and entrepreneur was spotted donating toys during and emergency toy drive in Houston. https://t.co/I7uHjMUIkG
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) December 18, 2020
Dallas buys Oak Cliff hotel to serve as COVID-19 quarantine location and housing for homeless people https://t.co/o2iq9R6di9
— Dallas Morning News (@dallasnews) December 17, 2020
UT-Austin establishes Dan Rather Medals for courage in journalism https://t.co/rQeGx77ucr
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) December 18, 2020
I have more of the typical updates on environmental and criminal and social justice news that will wait until Monday's Wrangle. Closing today with these.
I wrote a story about the actor Barry Corbin, who left Lamesa, Texas, & wound up playing the roles of Uncle Bob, General Beringer, Maurice Minnifield, a couple of psychotic patriarchs, 15 sheriffs—and Macbeth. @TexasMonthly https://t.co/sPL3UYnqAF
— Michael Hall (@mikehalltexas) December 17, 2020
“Selena: The Series” has reignited interest in her music.
— Texas Standard (@TexasStandard) December 15, 2020
For more on the next generation of female Tejano artists, we’ll talk to Veronique Medrano.https://t.co/orlOrfBEbV
KEWX, the New Braunfels Radar, has gotten into the Holiday spirit. Each year our electronics staff add red and green lights to the tower around Christmas time.
— NWS Austin/San Antonio (@NWSSanAntonio) December 18, 2020
Bonus content for the astronomy folks - getting Jupiter and Saturn being buddies in the picture!@NWS @NEXRADROC pic.twitter.com/DiwqQkEbHh
THROWBACK: In this 1961 photo, Houstonians line up for their free polio vaccine shots at the Minimax store off Holmes Road. The special clinic, sponsored by the city, was set up at the store because the area was so far from any public health facility. (Jim Morgan/Chronicle file) pic.twitter.com/LehYdv1xuQ
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) December 17, 2020
