Bill Clinton is The Most Interesting Man in the World.

He makes Chuck Norris cry simply by biting his lower lip.

His blood is carbonated. He has no 'off' switch.

He lives vicariously through himself. He had an awkward moment once ... just to see what it felt like.

He can speak French ... in Russian.

He doesn't always drink beer. But when he does ... it's Billy Beer.

Stay thirsty, my friends.

The Weekly Wrangle

Here we are in August, there has yet to be a named disturbance in the tropics (knock on wood) and it's time for another Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup.

TXsharon at BlueDaze needs your help to expose this dirty video.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme calls out KBH and the GOP for using racism and the NRA to get out the vote in 2010. Having a competent, experienced Latina judge? Not important.

Off the Kuff reminds us that Governor Perry's consistently wrong decisions regarding unemployment insurance will cost the state two billion dollars, maybe more.

McBlogger takes a look at a lawsuit against TRS and discovers losses, possible corruption and a nightmarish problem for the Republicans in 2010.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston says you better think before you trust a Republican with your family's health care.

Mean Rachel decides that Democratic gubernatorial candidate is still too Bush League for her tastes.

Our governor is living the life of the rich and famous. He does so on our dime and on the "dimes" of his fat cat contributors. Libby Shaw gives us the ugly details over at TexasKaos: Our Kept Governor to the Unemployed: Eat Cake.

Why did Ciro Rodriguez vote against the Waxman-Markey climate change bill and then suddenly flee the House? And why is he taking grip-and-grin meetings with David Dewhurst? PDiddie at Brains and Eggs would really like to know.

Vince at Capitol Annex tells why he believes that the smart money is on Rick Perry picking David Dewhurst to replace Kay Bailey Hutchison if she resigns before the end of the year.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted a video he made that will take only 39 seconds your life to watch. He also made a post marking the third anniversary of his blog. Texas Liberal has run 1500 page views a day so far this year and had racked-up over 725,000 views since it began. Thank you blog reading public!

WhosPlayin notes that the city of Lewisville is cancelling its Cinco de Mayo celebration for 2010 due to budgetary concerns.

Dembones at Eye On Williamson points out Congressman John Carter's latest nuttiness: Franking Commission draws the line on Rep. Carter.

Mike Thomas at Rhetoric & Rhythm reviews Debra Medina's campaign video and deems her the Sarah Palin of South Texas.

Teddy of Left of College Station was forced to evacuate his home in Bryan due to a warehouse fire that was burning toxic materials, but was able to return the next day. Before the evacuation Teddy was able to write about Michael Vick’s return to the NFL, and whether or not he deserves a second chance. LoCS also covers the local and progressive events in the Bryan-College Station area this month.

If nuclear power companies are already having trouble with their credit ratings, why are Texans rushing to throw them billions for plants that even the builders can't finance themselves? Good question, says Citizen Sarah at Texas Vox.

Sunday Funnies

What DID make Ciro run?

Fear? Shame? This guy needs to be broomed in a Democratic primary (again).

On the floor of the U. S. House of Representatives, the tension was palpable.

After weeks of intense negotiations over the climate-change bill, during which the energy lobbies had exerted tremendous pressure on individual representatives, who were also feeling the heat from their engaged constituents, the final vote on the Waxman-Markey bill occurred on Friday, June 26.

The Democratic leadership knew that the final vote would be very close, and knew they must have a victory, leading Speaker Nancy Pelosi to be a constant force on the floor, tallying votes, confirming commitments, twisting arms; President Obama was also on The Hill speaking to as many undecided or recalcitrant representatives as would meet with him.

A Democratic legislator the leadership did not think they needed to worry about was Ciro Rodriguez of the Texas 23rd District. When Speaker Pelosi had polled him prior to the vote, he indicated he would vote “yes” on the measure, supporting his party’s longstanding commitment to enact much-needed legislation to begin to combat the effects of global warming.

He did not tell her the truth. When the time came to vote, instead he opposed the legislation, and then hustled off the crowded floor. Bedlam erupted. After Rodriguez sprinted out of the chamber, frustrated floor managers shouted after him and dispatched a search party. Politico blogger Glenn Thrush captured the high drama:

At one point, New York Rep. Anthony Weiner bounced from a huddle of leadership members and began calling the rep's name, like a wayward toddler, as he scanned the Speaker's Lobby and the adjacent balcony. “[Rodriguez] cast his 'no' and then ran the hell out of there," said a member of the whipping team, still steaming after the vote. "We tried him at his office and they said he was gone."

Why did Rodriguez say one thing and do another? Why did the former social worker not own up to his negative opinion about the legislation as a host of other Democrats had done? And why, like a child caught in the act, did he bolt from the floor - thereby compounding his guilt?

At one time Ciro was one of the best progressives in the House. That was during his first stint in Congress, from '97 to '05, when he represented CD 28. After Tom DeLay's redistricting, Ciro was defeated in a Democratic primary by fellow Blue Dog (and Bush lapdog) Henry Cuellar by a whopping 58 votes.

It was a tremendous victory in a run-off over incumbent Republican Henry Bonilla in December, 2006 that sent Ciro back to Congress. Barbara Radnofsky hosted a fundraiser at her home here in Houston that was attended by David Van Os, Glen Maxey, and perhaps fifty others. One of the proudest Democratic moments of that year was watching two Texas Dems defeated by redistricting -- Nick Lampson was the other -- return to the House of Representatives.

In my humble O, Rodriguez has done almost nothing since to merit that renewal.

Let's hope a real Democrat challenges this Blue Dog turncoat in 2010.