Rudy Awakening

Many Giuliani watchers already understand that Rudy is a hothead and a grandstander, even a bit of a dictator at times. These qualities have dominated the story of his mayoralty that most people know. As that drama was unfolding, however, so was a quieter story, driven by Giuliani's instinct and capacity for manipulating the levers of government. His methods, like those of the current White House, included appointments of yes-men, aggressive tests of legal limits, strategic lawbreaking, resistance to oversight, and obsessive secrecy. As was also the case with the White House, the events of 9/11 solidified the mindset underlying his worst tendencies. Embedded in his operating style is a belief that rules don't apply to him, and a ruthless gift for exploiting the intrinsic weaknesses in the system of checks and balances. That's why, of all the presidential candidates, Giuliani is most likely to take the expansions of the executive branch made by the Bush administration and push them further still. The blueprint can be found in the often-overlooked corners of his mayoralty.

Perhaps you better go read the whole thing.

DOJ to investigate CPS Energy (hangman's noose)

On the heels of the discovery of a hangman's noose in the cubicle of a supervisor at municipally-owned CPS Energy in San Antonio, the US Department of Justice will investigate the allegations of ... oh, let's be charitable and call it "decades-long racial insensitivity".

Specifically the Community Relations Service division of the USDOJ. From their mission statement:

The Community Relations Service is the Department's "peacemaker" for community conflicts and tensions arising from differences of race, color, and national origin. Created by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, CRS is the only Federal agency dedicated to assist State and local units of government, private and public organizations, and community groups with preventing and resolving racial and ethnic tensions, incidents, and civil disorders, and in restoring racial stability and harmony. CRS facilitates the development of viable, mutual understandings and agreements as alternatives to coercion, violence, or litigation. It also assists communities in developing local mechanisms, conducting training, and other proactive measures to prevent or reduce racial/ethnic tension. CRS does not take sides among disputing parties and, in promoting the principles and ideals of non-discrimination, applies skills that allow parties to come to their own agreement. In performing this mission, CRS deploys highly skilled professional conciliators, who are able to assist people of diverse racial and cultural backgrounds.

CRS was in Jena, Louisiana in September of this year, and went to Jasper, Texas in the wake of the death of James Byrd in 1998.

David Van Os, the attorney for the IBEW, which brought the original complaints of unfair work practices against the company, is contemplating litigation on a handful of fronts by a number of former CPS employees, union and non-. Quote:

"The situation is intolerable and we intend to do everything possible to clean it up."

So there will likely be more about this to be blogged in the future.

Update (10/27): Sharon has more on the other nooses in the news.

TexBlog PAC event Monday, 10/29

So our merry little band of bloggers is going to start doing more than just writing about the outrageous things the Republican-and-Blue-Dog-led Texas House does: we're going to begin influencing it by electing more (and better) Democrats.

Come to our Houston fundraising event next Monday evening:

Join TexBlog PAC
with special guests:

State Representatives

Senfronia Thompson	Garnet Coleman
Dora Olivo	Jessica Farrar
Rick Noriega	Ana Hernandez
Ellen Cohen

State Senators

Mario Gallegos
Rodney Ellis

Special thanks to our sponsors who include:

The Texas Democratic Party	The House Democratic Campaign Committee
Congressman Chris Bell	Congressman Nick Lampson
Council Member Melissa Noriega	Barbara Radnofsky
Jim Henley	Joe Jaworski

Monday, October 29th, 2007 5:30 to 7:30 pm

At the Home of David Mincberg
5406 Braeburn, Bellaire, 77401

For additional information, or to sponsor the event, call Charles Kuffner at 713-825-0013.

Or throw a little in our kitty here.

An 'Office" Party

I'm going to be Marching to Stop Executions in Houston this weekend, but I wish I had time to get to Scranton, PA for this:

As Michael Scott, the clueless boss on NBC's "The Office," would say, "ain't no party like a Scranton party."

With that in mind, the city where the Emmy-winning cubicle comedy is set is hosting a weekend blowout for thousands of fans.

The inaugural "Office Convention" promises to be as quirky as the show itself, with highlights including an Office Olympics (Dunderball, anyone?), a character lookalike contest, appearances by cast and crew and performances by the Scrantones, the band that recorded the show's theme music.

"The Office" is absolutely hands down the best thing on television. I try hard to never miss it.

It starts Friday with the "Today" show's Al Roker broadcasting live from the University of Scranton and wraps up Sunday.

About 2,000 tickets ranging from $25 to $250 have been sold so far — 70 percent of them to out-of-town fans.

A remake of the acclaimed British series of the same name, "The Office" is shot in mock-documentary style, following the exploits of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and his sad-sack underlings at the fictional Dunder-Mifflin paper-supply company.

In its fourth season on NBC, "The Office" boasts a devoted following.

Fans have been making pilgrimages to Scranton, a small city about 100 miles north of Philadelphia, to check out real-life landmarks referenced on the show, from Poor Richard's pub and Farley's restaurant to Lake Wallenpaupack and the Lackawanna County Coal Mine Tour.

One bummer:

Fourteen cast members, along with the show's writers and executive producer, are scheduled to appear this weekend. None of the actors who play the main characters — Carell, Rainn Wilson, John Krasinski and Jenna Fischer — have signed on.

Alas, fame and fortune and movie-making (and a fear of being typecast, I suppose) keeps this weekend from being an all-star event.

Maybe next year I'll go, too.