"For all those whose cares have been our concern, the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die."
“An important chapter in our history has come to an end. Our country has lost a great leader, who picked up the torch of his fallen brothers and became the greatest United States senator of our time.” -- President Barack Obama
"(He) need not be idealized or enlarged in death beyond what he was in life, to be remembered as a good and decent man, who saw wrong and tried to right it, saw suffering and tried to heal it, saw war and tried to stop it. Those of us who loved... him and who take him to his rest today, pray that what he was to us and what he wished for others will some day come to pass for all the world."
...for the funeral service for Mrs. Diddie's mother, Nilda Behar-Ojalvo. Somewhat light and irregular posting ahead without the laptop, but a nice business center at the Hilton Maimi Airport makes this one possible.
Among some of the actual activists denied entry were the conservatives associated with Dick Armey's FreedomWorks, who were turned away for carrying American flags.
Texas high school students would learn about such significant individuals and milestones of conservative politics as Newt Gingrich and the rise of the Moral Majority — but nothing about liberals — under the first draft of new standards for public school history textbooks. ...
The standards, which the board will decide next spring, will influence new history, civics and geography textbooks.
The first draft for proposed standards in United States History Studies Since Reconstruction says students should be expected “to identify significant conservative advocacy organizations and individuals, such as Newt Gingrich, Phyllis Schlafly and the Moral Majority.”
Remarkably, among those feeling shamed number some Republican members of the SBOE (beware the irony at the end of the excerpt):
“It is hard to believe that a majority of the writing team would approve of such wording,” said Terri Leo, R-Spring. “It's not even a representative selection of the conservative movement, and it is inappropriate.”
Another board conservative, Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, thinks students should study both sides to “see what the differences are and be able to define those differences.”
He would add James Dobson's Focus on the Family, conservative talk show host Sean Hannity and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee to the list of conservatives. Others have proposed adding talk show host Rush Limbaugh and the National Rifle Association.
“Judge Keller didn't close the court to anybody,” said Chip Babcock, Keller's attorney. “Michael Richard's lawyers never knocked on the right doors and they gave up.”
Screw you, Chip. Right in your Swiss bank account.
If the facts are as reported, Judge Keller should be removed from the bench. It would show monumental callousness, as well as a fundamental misunderstanding of justice, for a judge to think that a brief delay in closing a court office should take precedence over a motion that raises constitutional objections to an execution. If the facts have been misreported, the impeachment process would allow Judge Keller to set the record straight.
Impeaching a judge is not a step a legislature should take lightly. It is important that judges be insulated from political pressures so they have the independence necessary to administer justice fairly. But judges cannot be allowed to use their extraordinary discretion to deny litigants the fundamentals of due process. That is especially true if the stakes are literally life or death.
Yesterday our Houston confederation of progressive bloggers -- Charles, Martha, Jaye, Stace, Greg, John, Neil, David and me -- met with Democratic gubernatorial candidate Tom Schieffer and his communications director (and former Chron hand) Clay Robison.
While I posted this earlier regarding my opinion of the current standings in the race for governor, I found Schieffer hard not to like personally in our two-hour conversation. He has this little Bushproblem, though, and nothing I have heard him say yet enables him to get past it. He's earnest and sincere and has some good ideas about what Texas needs to focus on -- education, economy, health care -- that need some fleshing out as to specifics. He's also not visibly perturbed about being challenged on his Democratic bona fides; in fact seems bemused by it. One remark that he made stood out to me in terms of casting aspersions against a primary rival, and that was, quote: "If Democrats nominate someone that does not scare people ...". I couldn't really place the person this was aimed at. Kinky, perhaps? I don't think Kinky scares anyone at all. Ronnie Earle? Earle would energize a Democratic base like Schieffer never will (of course, he'll also add a little gas to the Republican fire -- if you'll be able to tell from all the other crap they'll be throwing on the flames). Who have Democrats nominated in recent years that "scared" people?
My question to him was a hypothetical -- assuming it was offered, would he welcome a W endorsement of his candidacy in the general election -- that Schieffer deftly brushed aside with "He's not going to endorse me". Fair enough, but will you take a large donation from him? Will you ask him to call his sizable donor list on your behalf -- especially if Perry is once again the GOP nominee? Bush owes you a favor somewhere along the line, in my book.
One of the most odious results of fifteen years' worth of 100% lockstep Republican rulership in Deep-In-The-Hearta is the 9-0 "majority" of corporate lackeys serving on the Texas Supreme Court. Thanks once again to Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report for reporting the apparent second vacancy on the state's highest bench:
Brister’s resignation follows Justice Harriet O’Neill’s announcement that she would not seek re-election when her term expires.
Brister was appointed to the Court by Governor Rick Perry in 2003 and won an election in his own right in 2004.His term expires at the end of next year.By resigning, he gives the Governor an opportunity to appoint a replacement who would then run as an incumbent.
Republicans are lining up to fill those slots. Where are the Democratic judicial candidates?
Justice Rebecca Simmons, currently serving on the Texas Fourth Court of Appeals, announced today she is seeking election to place 3 on the Texas Supreme Court, a position held by Justice Harriet O’Neill who recently announced that she will not seek re-election to the court when her term expires at the end of 2010. Justice Rebecca Simmons was appointed to the Fourth Court of Appeals in May 2005 and subsequently elected in 2006. Prior to her appointment, she served as district judge of the 408th Judicial District Court in Bexar County.
Two other Republicans, Dallas’ 5th Court of Appeals Justice Jim Moseley and Eastland’s 11th Court of Appeals Justice Rick Strange, also have said they plan to run for O’Neill’s seat.
Let's see, do Democrats have anyone who could run for the Fourth Court of Appeals slot Simmons is vacating? I wonder, wonder who ...
Former Republican Majority Leader Tom DeLay will join 15 celebrities from the worlds of entertainment and sports in kicking up their heels on the new season of Dancing With the Stars.
The jokes will write themselves, of course, so be sure and tune in the late-night comedians for their takes. "Dancing Behind Bars" will likely be heard more than once. (Oh yeah, I almost forgot that there's a very good reason why DeLay isn't in jail yet.) Personally, I suspect he dances exactly like he used to govern -- stomping all over everyone else as he shuffles unceremoniously out the door.
I still won't ever be tuning in this most ridiculous of shlock teevee.
Keep your eye on the Gulf now that we've entered the high season for possible hurricanes. It's also time to watch preseason NFL football, but the Texas Progressive Alliance is always in midseason form. Here are this week's blog highlights.
BossKitty at TruthHugger has been awakened from slumber by the nightmare of the health care reform debacle. Look who's causing all the trouble and who's being thrown to the wolves in Without Health Options, Where Is Your Voice?
Over at TexasKaos, lightseeker connects the dots between the fear mongering, health care reform, and history. He throws in the return of the militias for good measure. If armed and frightened groups are reappearing in Iowa, how long before they show up in Texas. You do remember the Republic of Texas movement, don't you? See it all in Fear, Health Care and History: A Reflection Updated! - Return of the militias
Harry Balczak at McBlogger begins a new feature, This Week In Lawyerin', in which he'll take a look at some arcane legal concept and educate you on it. This week, what to do when caught with kiddie porn.
Rachel Maddow vs. Dick Armey on Press the Meat Sunday morning was previewed and then summarized by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs. It so happens that even Joe Scarborough thinks Armey is a douchebag.
Neil at Texas Liberal is vacationing in Cincinnati. The police department there staged a "blue flu" last week where some members of the force called in sick even though they weren't. They are upset over possible layoffs. Yet they are not so concerned about this prospect that they are willing to make some minor contract concessions in order to help the city of Cincinnati with a budget deficit. It's the same old story with the CPD; they expect you to do what they say, but they have a hard time doing what they are told to do and a hard time caring about fellow city employees.
DosCentavos reports on the happenings in HD-127 now that Joe Crabb is finally retiring. He's also running a poll, so check it out!
A 95-year-old Crow Indian who went into battle wearing war paint under his World War II uniform has been awarded the nation's highest civilian honor.
Wearing a traditional headdress, Joe Medicine Crow on Wednesday received the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the White House. The award was clasped around his neck by President Barack Obama.
"Dr. Medicine Crow's life reflects not only the warrior spirit of the Crow people, but America's highest ideals," Obama said as he introduced him and called him "a good man" in the Crow language.
Medicine Crow broke tradition and briefly spoke after Obama gave him the medal, telling the president he was "highly honored" to receive it. ...
The president met Medicine Crow during a campaign stop last year when Obama, then a U.S. senator, was adopted as an honorary member of the Crow tribe.
In 1939, Medicine Crow became the first of his tribe to receive a master's degree, in anthropology. He is the oldest member of the Crow and the tribe's sole surviving war chief — an honor bestowed for a series of accomplishments during World War II, including hand-to-hand combat with a German soldier whose life Medicine Crow spared.
After the war, he became tribal historian for the Crow and lectured extensively on the Battle of the Little Bighorn. Medicine Crow's grandfather served as a scout for the doomed forces of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer.
