Tuesday, April 11, 2006

Victory is sweet.

Just returned from the parties for Barbara Radnofsky and Borris Miles, and I have to tell you, as sweet as March 7 was, tonight was even better.

Lyn and I were on the BAR live webcast tonight again, joined this time by Mrs. Diddie (it will be archived tomorrow for viewing; I'll update this post then) and even before it began, the AP had called the race for Barbara. So it's on to November, and some reckoning with Senator Perjury Technicality. Kay Bailey Rubberstamp hasn't had much in the way of a respectable challenger in her time in the Senate, but all that changes now.

As the webcast continued and Lyn got some returns fed into her Treo, we rushed over to the Sheraton by the Astrodome to party with the Miles crew and the rest of District 146's elated constituents. Borris had pulled ahead as the returns closed on the finish line, and within the ten o'clock hour Rep. Edwards conceded. When the Representative-elect finally made an appearance, he was something I haven't seen before: humbled. And a little bit awed by the incredible dedication and hard work of his supporters.

A special shout-out to my blog podnah Greg Wythe, who poured everything he had into this race and looked as worn out and happy as Borris' mother did. And there's a thousand others, and I hope their enthusiasm can carry over to all the other races we must win in November, from Chris Bell to BAR to my man David, and Hank Gilbert and Fred Head and Maria Luisa Alvarado (congratulations to her on her victory today as well) and Ellen Cohen and Kristi Thibaut and Hubert Vo and all the rest.

I salute Rep. Al Edwards for his 28 years of service to the district and the state of Texas. But I am thrilled that I will have a real Democrat representing me in Austin.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Ten thousand marched for justice in Houston today.

That's about ten thousand people who filled the streets of downtown H-town this afternoon to make a statement about justicia para todos, like the pledge says. Even I-45 ground to a standstill with cars trying to get to the march and cars stopping to watch. I saw the flags of the United States, Mexico, Pakistan, Palestine, Honduras, and El Salvador. I saw signs that said "Outlaw Ignorance" and "We're workers, not terrorists". I saw mariachis and Uncle Sam on stilts and Lady Liberty and palenta and taleta and chicharron vendors.

Here's a photo from Austin also worth sharing:

The Republicans are getting nauseous about the genie they've let out of the bottle, but the local conservatives remain angry and bitter. This is going to end badly for them, they know it, and it's only going to make them more insufferable to live with (as if that was imaginable).