Gov. White, meet Mayor White. Bill, you know Mark ...?

Two Whites want to trade jobs:

Former Texas Gov. Mark W. White is considering whether to run for mayor of Houston in 2009.

"It's a prospect," he said in telephone interview today.

The Democratic businessman, who grew up in Houston and served as governor from 1983 to 1987, added, "I have talked to a number of people (about running) and have been very pleased by their response."

Mayor Bill White, no relation to the former governor, cannot seek re-election because of term limits. The election 15 months from now will produce his successor.

Councilman and architect Peter Brown already has announced his candidacy for mayor. Lawyer and former Kemah Mayor Bill King is considered a likely candidate for the Houston job. Controller Annise Parker is expected to run for mayor, too.

Since King -- former Giuliani and now McCain supporter -- was the featured speaker at a Meyerland Democrats meeting last night, and since Brown -- previously known as both a staunch and progressive Democrat -- was spotted at last week's Karl Rove fundraiser, it sure would be nice if Houston had somebody running for mayor who knew which side of the street he was supposed to be working.

That is no slam against you either, Annise.

Person Bill King

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Biden? Portman? No, Maddow

I don't really care now whom the presidential candidataes pick; Rachel Maddow is getting her own show on MSNBC, right after Keith Olbermann:

Just in time for the closing rush of the presidential election, MSNBC is shaking up its prime-time programming lineup, removing the long-time host –- and one-time general manager of the network — Dan Abrams from his 9 p.m. program and replacing him with Rachel Maddow, who has emerged as a favored political commentator for the all-news cable channel.

The moves, which were confirmed by MSNBC executives Tuesday, are expected to be finalized by Wednesday, with Mr. Abrams’s last program on Thursday. After MSNBC’s extensive coverage of the two political conventions during the next two weeks, Ms. Maddow will begin her program on Sept. 8.

MSNBC is highlighting the date, 9/8/08, connecting it to the start of the Olympics on 8/8/08, as a way to signal what the network’s president, Phil Griffin, said “will be the final leg of the political race this year.” He added, “We're making that Rachel’s debut.”

Hallelujah. This is hands down the best news of the week.

Sunday Funnies ("grandson of a millworker" edition)

EV 8/17: under 270

Give CO and NV to McCain this week. Obama is now under the victory threshold for the first time since this projection began here. He was clipping along at 300 EV or better just a few weeks ago.

We will likely see a vice-president pick this week, which may -- or may not -- stop the slippage. I would still like to see it be Dodd or Biden; Biden and Kaine appear to be the front-runners. The bad news? Chet Edwards is still being seriously mentioned. It may be good for a few downballot Texans but it would be a net negative for the nation (and the Texas Congressional delegation, where Edwards would likely be replaced by a genuine Republican).

<p><strong>><a href='http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/interactives/campaign08/electoral-college/'>Electoral College Prediction Map</a></strong> - Predict the winner of the general election. Use the map to experiment with winning combinations of states. Save your prediction and send it to friends.</p>

George Bush's drunken Asian vacation

While Georgians died by the thousands, mind you:



One worth seeing enlarged:


Condi's summer vacation couldn't be interrupted either.

What can Christians do to accelerate global warming so Jesus comes back quicker?

In honor of The Lord's intervention in the trial of Victoria Osteen, as well as Rick Warren's Faith Forum last night (for which true believers paid between $500 and $2000 to attend) ...

As True Bible believing Christians™, we have a much better understanding about the fate of this planet than any Biologist, Environmentalist, or so-called scientist because we have a personal relationship with the Fellow who created this whole place to begin with! Friends, as True Christians™ then, being familiar with the Holy Bible gives you more authority than anyone who holds a post-graduate degree! That's something to be proud of - don't wince about it! And don't let people call you crazy! God's Holy Scriptures give the poorest farmer's servant in our congregation the power to win an argument with a Bio-Chemist, or a Nuclear Physicist -- without even knowing a lick about what them folks studied in their fancy secular universities! What these ignorant unsaved, over-educated folks don't understand is that they can gather all the data, all the research and present all the facts they care to collect about any subject under the sun - but when you hold it next to child-like faith in the Almighty God, the most learned Evolutionist or Environmentalist, will widen their blind eyes in awe, and cower in fear at the truth of God's Word! Praise Jesus! For the simple truth, we need only look to our old children's Sunday School song, "He's Got the Whole World in His Hands!" Oh, GLORY!

Full sermon available at Landover Baptist.

Sunday Funnies (some funnier than others)

Harris County candidates forum on criminal justice and behavioral health

Now this looks like something rife with explosive opportunity. I'll be attending (and blogging):

WHEN SYSTEMS COLLIDE:

HARRIS COUNTY BEHAVIORAL HEALTH AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEMS

One Voice and The Network of Behavioral Health Providers invite you to a Candidates' Forum at which candidates for key Harris County offices will offer their views on how the office for which they are running and the county can have an impact to ensure that the adult criminal justice system is not the community behavioral health treatment system "safety net".

It is a well known fact that nation-wide the failure to provide adequate community behavioral health services impacts a community's criminal justice system. In Harris County , much attention and effort have been paid to providing county inmates needed behavioral health treatment.

But should the Harris County Jail be the largest mental health facility in the state of Texas ?

DATE: Tuesday, August 26, 2008

RECEPTION: 5:00 - 6:00 pm

CANDIDATES' FORUM: 6:00 - 8:00 pm

LOCATION: United Way of Greater Houston

50 Waugh Drive

Houston, Texas 77007

CONFIRMED PARTICIPANTS:

(listed alphabetically under office)

CANDIDATES FOR HARRIS COUNTY JUDGE

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett

Mr. David Mincberg

CANDIDATES FOR HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY

Mr. C.O. "Brad" Bradford

Ms. Pat Lykos

CANDIDATES FOR HARRIS COUNTY SHERIFF

City of Houston Council Member Adrian Garcia

Harris County Sheriff Tommy Thomas (Not Confirmed)

Please RSVP by Wednesday, August 20th to:

onevoice@ghcf.org or 713.333.2215

Perhaps some citizen will try to arrest Rove while he's in town today

They have tried to do so before, after all.

Here is the itinerary for today's Fugitive Fundraiser Tour. He's raising money for Terrified Texas House Republicans.

What is the nature of Karl Rove's security detail when he attends these things? Is it more than the local police? Contracted bodyguards? Blackwater?

Who's paying for it? He's not a government employee any longer, after all. Why are local police and taxpayer funds used to pay for the protection of a man who is in comtempt of Congress, among his many other crimes?

Disavow yourself of the notion that any Texas Republican wouldn't sell his daughter into white slavery just for the opportunity to stand next to Herr General Rove. The local right-wing freaks live for this shit.

Do you think they run people through metal detectors at the downtown Aquarium?

Isaac Hayes 1943 - 2008

With his lascivious bass-baritone and flamboyant wardrobe, Hayes developed a musical persona that was an embodiment of the hyper-masculine, street-savvy characters of the so-called blaxploitation films of the era. In his theme song to Gordon Parks’s “Shaft” from 1971, the title character is summed up in a line that has become a classic of kitsch: “Who’s a black private dick/Who’s a sex machine to all the chicks?”

(Furthermore: “He’s a complicated man/But no one understands him but his woman.”)

The “Shaft” theme won an Academy Award and has become one of his best-known songs. But Hayes’s career stretched far beyond soundtracks. For much of the 1960s and into the ’70s he was one of the principal songwriters and performers for Stax Records, the trailblazing Memphis R&B label, and in the 1990s he revived his career by providing the voice for the amorous and wise Chef on the cable television show “South Park.”

"Chocolate Salty Balls", also on the South Park Christmas CD ...

He penned soul classics like ''Hold On I'm Comin''' for Sam & Dave, helped usher in the era of disco and was a goldmine for countless hip-hop and R&B artists who used his illustrious arrangements as the focal point for their songs decades later. ...

His influence also extended beyond music. His trademarked bald head, full beard and muscular frame, often adorned with a multitude of gold chains, made him a fashion trendsetter at a time when most of his contemporaries were sporting blowout Afros. He was also a symbol of black pride, and an activist for civil rights. ...

Hayes also acted in movies including ''Tough Guys,'' ''I'm Gonna Get You Sucka'' and ''Hustle & Flow.'' He had recently completed the movie ''Soul Men,'' in which he played himself; the film also starred Samuel Jackson and Bernie Mac, who died on Saturday after a bout with pneumonia.

I wou;d really like to have the rest of the week off from posting obituaries.

The Weekly Wrangle

Here's the TPA Blog Round-up for the week just passed, and check out The Truth About Texas Republicans, a new blogger-powered website designed to expose the real truth about GOP Texas legislators. The opening posts look at the stuff state representatives Dwayne Bohac, Betty Brown, John Davis, Bill Zedler and State Sen. Mike Jackson don't want you to see.

refinish69 was happy to introduce a real progressive Democrat to the readers of Doing My Part For The Left a few weeks ago, but has to wonder how to describe Michael Skelly: Democrat or Republican Lite?

Vince at Capitol Annex takes a look at the Texas State Teacher's Association lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency for giving public funds to private institutions.

Irony Alert: Mary McDaniels, Manager - Pipeline Safety, Texas Railroad Commission, lied on camera about the Atmos Energy gas pipeline couplings. She spoke in Fort Worth about pipeline safety, inspections, and regulations for Chesapeake Energy's Barnett Shale pipeline, says TXsharon at Bluedaze.

Julie Pippert at MOMocrats asked: "Offshore drilling -- whose issue is it anyway? The people's? Or the politician's?"

Women who enter the military know they may encounter danger along the way, just as their male counterparts do. Diarist Liberal Texas at Texas Kaos highlights an additional danger they face in Assault on Women in the Military, and calls on all of us to ensure that our fighting women are protected against sexual assault from the companions they should be able to trust.

WhosPlayin used to think John McCain was worthy of respect, even if he was wrong on issues. But mocking conservation and lying about Obama raising taxes demonstrate who John McCain really is.

jobsanger thinks Democrats should let Clinton's backers have their vote at the convention, and believes Barack Obama has a chance to win Texas this November.

Neil at Texas Liberal talks about AIDS and black people.

Due to the purchase of McBlogger by a rival blogging firm, the regular writers are on strike. This week we'd like to introduce you to a new McBlogger, Rose Petal.

North Texas Liberal remarks on John McCain's anti-Obama ad comparing the Democratic nominee to Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, and also includes Hilton's response ad. Still waiting on Britney's energy policy...

Off the Kuff takes a look at The Queue behind KBH for her maybe-to-be-abandoned Senate seat.

YaGottaLoveIt of South Texas Chisme urges Barack Obama to have a fundraiser for money that stays in Texas while urging Hillary Clinton to campaign for Rick Noriega in south Texas.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson posts on the Williamson County DA's unwillingness to test DNA evidence in a 30-year-old unsolved murder case in Lawsuit Filed Against County For New DNA, Fingerprint Tests.

Tropical Storm Edouard was more like a decent rainstorm, but that didn't stop the media -- old as well as new, including madcap reporter/Congressman John Culberson -- from building it up to a height it could no more sustain than its winds. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has the roundup of the hyperventilating in Houston.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is concerned about the economy in "Purses Tighten, Small Business Suffers, Families Budget".

nytexan at BlueBloggin wonders, as the Georgian-Russian war continues and Bush plays with U.S. athletes at the Olympics ... Could The U.S. Get Pulled Into Georgia’s War?

XicanoPwr discusses the immigration survey that was sent to presidential candidates Obama and McCain put together by The Sanctuary, a web-based grassroots community of pro-migrant, human rights, and civil-rights bloggers.

Late Edition Funnies