There's STILL only one D in SD-17

And that's despite the judge in the case calling Stephanie Elaine Fridia Simmons Cougar Mellencamp a liar about her residency and voting predilections ...

After hearing testimony from Simmons herself that she voted in the wrong county for 14 years, District Judge Scott Jenkins was the picture of disbelief. She explained that she thought it was OK to vote in her parents’ voting precinct in Harris County even though she and her husband lived in Fort Bend County. She said it never crossed her mind that she was doing anything wrong and that no one at a polling place for those 14 years asked her if she resided in the precinct.

“It’s straining my credulity,” Jenkins said in response. He used even stronger language while denying the other Democrat in the race, Chris Bell, an injunction that would have removed Simmons from the ballot. He marveled that an intelligent woman and an “officer of the court” -- Simmons is an attorney-- could have believed that what she was doing was legal.

“It saddens me that I do not believe you,” Jenkins said.

It saddens me even more that you could not figure out how to do the right and legal thing and disqualify her from the ballot, Judge Jenkins. But, as Kuffner notes, "Viva Democracy".

Still, the evidence that Chris Bell remains the only Democratic candidate in the contest is found in the large, deep hooftracks of one Ron "Water Buffalo" Wilson.

I hereby petition Sarah Palin to remove the beasts from the endangered species list.

Ike will miss us, but ...

... may follow the path of Hurricane Dolly, which (who?) hit South Texas two months ago:

This is because a weakness forecast to develop in the high-pressure ridge that's steering Ike westward, which would have allowed a northwestern turn, now may only appear briefly.

If no such weakness develops Ike will continue a largely due west, or just north of west, movement.

Valley residents will quite obviously be happier to welcome another visitor the following week.

Let's hear it for fair and balanced!

"Olbermann, Matthews removed from anchoring political event coverage at MSNBC"

Just a week ago, Keith Olbermann opened a two-hour report from New York on Hurricane Gustav, far away from where the Republican National Convention was (not quite) getting underway. The tone of his revised responsibility in the anchor chair struck me as a little solemn -- even a little chastened. Today the announcement leaks out that he and Tweety will give way to the odious Dancing David Gregory in the lead seat for the debates, as well as election eve and other notable political reporting at the cable arm of NBC/Universal/General Electric/K-Mart (I love that joke; it was on the Alec Baldwin profile on 60 Minutes again last night).

This was due in no small part to the caterwauling from every single conservative corner about "Bias" in the media. Both the White House and John McCain's campaign have been whining about it for months now. But when heavydeadweights Tom Brokaw and Brian Williams started piling on, the corporate fatcats decided they had to do something.

Glenn Greenwald makes all the salient points about how and why NBC knuckled under, that MSNBC has always knuckled under -- going back to Phil Donahue's show, their highest-rated at the time getting suddenly canceled at the start of the Iraq War -- and much more. Or, as Barb notes:

Translation: NBC bent over and took one for the GE team because of complaints from Republicans. So kudos to NBC ... America can't have too much fair and balanced news coverage.

Update: kos has the "nail, meet hammer" on why NBC caved: because McCain threatened to pull out of the debate to be monitored by Brokaw.

The Weekly Wrangle

Ah, the first Monday after Labor Day ... the air finally feels a little cooler, the shadows are definitely a little longer, the excitement and sense of urgency associated with the approaching elections -- or maybe that's football season -- is as welcome as the first frost on the pumpkin. Actually here in Houston frost is months off; we'd settle for Ike staying away.

Here's this week's edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance weekly round-up, compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Two Bartonville (or is it Argyle?) Republicans are indicted for voter fraud, a 3rd degree felony. The Texas Cloverleaf follows the story.

Vince at Capitol Annex notes that right-wing Republican, anti-immigrant, 14th Amendment-hating state rep. Leo Berman (R-Tyler) is taking steps to launch a campaign for governor in 2010.

jobsanger points out that McCain may not want to use the "P" word but still wants to privatize Social Security, and tells us the investigation into Palin's ethics is getting messy (and weird).

Harry Balczak has another Reminder to You People over at McBlogger. In this edition: Joementum Loserman, disrespectful Republicans and their hatred of veterans.

Off the Kuff looks at some polling data and suggests there isn't much room for a Palin bounce, especially in Texas.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Republican love/hate over the Hispanic vote. Meanwhile, some Hispanics say a pox on both your houses.

Texas Liberal asks just how is it the government could come and take your gun.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is suspicious, What Is Condeleeza Rice REALLY Doing Over There?, and why the media puts this on the back page.

nytexan at BlueBloggin points out the recent activity with the McCain Palin team in Alaska is the continuation of the Bush administration corruption in McCain-Palin Troopergate Stonewall Is Bush-Cheney 2.0

dembones at Eye On Williamson posts a synopsis of this week's candidate forum in HD-52: Maldonado and Daniel make their case before Hutto EDC.

Harris County Commissioner Jerry Eversole declares himself a dead man walking, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs notes his pending exit with a heartfelt "so long, and thanks for all the fish".

refinish69 at Doing My Part For The Left tells everyone who is who's fired up.

North Texas Liberal listens in on Republican commentators Peggy Noonan and Mike Murphy as they tell us how they really feel about McCain's VP pick Sarah Palin when they think the cameras are off.