Linda Ronstadt has Parkinson's

And it has left her unable to sing.

The 67-year-old singer, who will publish her memoir, Simple Dreams, next month, revealed her condition Friday in an interview with AARP.

The singer of such '70s and '80s hits as You're No Good, Hurt So Bad and Don't Know Much now uses poles to assist her when walking on uneven ground and travels with a wheelchair. She says she was diagnosed with the neurological disorder eight months ago, though she began experiencing symptoms, including hand tremors and trouble controlling the muscles that let her sing, several years ago.

Linda was the first woman -- not girl, woman -- I ever loved (OK, crushed on).  That Livin' in the USA album cover up there, coming out in '78, nearly knocked me over. But it was obviously her pipes that finished me off. Here she covered Gershwin...



...but she could also do country.



Her hits defined the '70's and '80's as much as anybody's.

"I think I've had it for seven or eight years already, because of the symptoms that I've had," the 11-time Grammy winner tells interviewer Alanna Nash. Ronstadt's last album was 2006's Adieu False Heart with Cajun musician Ann Savoy.

"No one can sing with Parkinson's disease," she says. "No matter how hard you try."

Color me a deep shade of melancholy at this news. One more, with my two favorite songs (interspersed with the 1978 comedy flick FM and Martin Mull).

Still waiting for that shame to show up

Lisa Falkenberg at the HouChron on the disintegrating civility in the mayoral tilt.

Already, (Ben) Hall and (Annise) Parker are trading jabs about everything from personal income to the definition of a debate. I'm sure allegations of illegal campaign signs will be next, especially with prospective also-ran Eric Dick in the mix.

But I was most interested in asking Hall one question: What the heck are you doing?

Given that Parker is a relatively well-regarded incumbent who managed to avoid major scandal and any resounding cries of incompetence, why is Hall running? Why throw good money - mostly his own - after bad odds?

"In fact, the odds are that I'm going to win," Hall responded, making it clear that he also disagreed with my "ludicrous" assumption that Parker is generally doing a good job. He most often mentioned her "pension fund neglect" and "mismanagement of assets" in the budget, and her silence on the problems in Houston schools.

You guessed it: God is his co-pilot and political adviser.

As to his reasons for running for mayor, Hall explained that he wants to give voters a real choice. It was a decision he made several years ago, he said, but he had to pray for God's guidance in choosing the right time and to give his reluctant wife "a spirit of acceptance" about the idea.

"Several years ago", but apparently not two, when Roy Morales nearly forced the mayor into a runoff, and not four when Gene Locke did so. Hall seems to have the same problem with the words that come out of his mouth that Greg Abbott has with his Tweets; neither are thought all the way through. Here's the reveal...

When he visits "the barrios and the bayous and the neighborhoods," Hall said, "I don't see where she gets her votes. She made 50.04 percent against no significant competition last round. She's gotten no more popular over the last two years." (For the record, the Chronicle reported 50.08 percent.)

Hall believes part of the problem may be Parker's "strident" leadership style, a bit of which he's experienced during his few private encounters with her. The first time they met, at a University of Houston event, Hall said, the two shook hands and he recalls the mayor saying " 'It's nice meeting you. I'm going to whip your ass so bad that you'll never run for public office again.' " At which point, Hall said, "I immediately told my friend, 'My goodness, I now know what's wrong with the city.' "

Hall then described a later exchange after the Juneteenth Parade. After introducing himself again, Hall says Parker responded, "I'm glad you keep introducing yourself to me because I keep forgetting who you are."

Asked whether Hall's recollections of the exchanges were accurate, Parker spokeswoman Sue Davis said in a statement: "Ben Hall needs to man up. The mayor did not use those exact words and she certainly didn't curse. But it's not surprising that Mr. Hall's response to a confident woman leader is to call her names. Yesterday, Mr. Hall sent out a public statement calling the mayor a liar. What kind of leadership is that?"

Well somebody is certainly not telling the truth. The truth probably does not rest entirely with one account or the other, either.

"Strident" is actually one of the nicer words I would use to describe Madam Mayor. To say that a Dale Carnegie continuing education course would be well worth the investment is understating her case.There just aren't going to be any charm offensives launched out of City Hall in this cycle.

Sue Davis is one of the few consultants who is worth a damn in this city. She's also my neighbor (we live in the same precinct). So I want to say this as nicely as I can, because I like her and respect her: this is poor service to your client, Mayor Parker. Turn down the flames. Stop trying to demonstrate who's the bigger dick in the race. One Dick is one too many already.

Personal attacks are not addressing the legitimate challenges to Mayor Parker's record, aren't increasing voter interest in the election, will NOT boost your vote tally. There is a considerable body of evidence that this sort of thing reduces all those, and worse yet, it gives the appearance that Mayor Parker simply wants to run out the clock on the campaign. Stonewalling the debates to the bare minimum in number and in who gets to participate, discussion in 'forums' that focus on issues that aren't the most pressing (such as crime for example), and other stalling tactics do not serve the best interests of Houstonians.

The underlying assumption here, of course, that it is the intention of Mayor Parker's campaign to serve the citizens of Houston in a positive manner, so perhaps my premise is flawed. If the ad hominem continues, I'll have to revisit and revise it. Back to Falkenberg for the finish.

I have to say, the not-cursing claim was a great disappointment. It seemed kind of an Ann Richards-on-a-Harley thing to do. The "man up" response was even less inspiring.

[...]

When I asked how Hall believes he differs politically from Parker, a fellow Democrat, he said: "I think I am a futurist. I don't think she has that skill set. For me, elemental government is balancing the budget. That's elemental. For her it seems to be an accomplishment."

Hall does seem a formidable politician. In a conversation, he'll use your first name a lot. He's loyal to the script. His oscillation between insulting Parker and then pledging the "positive campaign" mantra could use a little grease. But he's a likable guy with an inspiring rags-to-riches story. His name, Ben Hall, conveniently rhymes with "for all." He's had a bit of trouble paying property taxes on time and he spent too much time living in Piney Point.

But I do believe he genuinely wants to make Houston a better place. And whether or not he wins, he's already made this a better race.

Ben Hall runs strange ads and is just too 'revival minister' for my taste. He's also being managed by Republicans, which ruins his credibility as a Democrat. But Falkenberg is correct; for all of the Hall campaign's unfocused dream-state qualities and inability to find an issue that resonates (hint: it ain't pensions, no matter what Bill King says) there remains a large window of opportunity that Parker and her team have left open to exploit. She is simply not a pleasant and decent enough person in word and deed for her management skills to overcome.

She's like that boss who brags about meeting every quarterly projection even as the workers in his department -- or her company -- tell you what an asshole that guy is. That act may still pay dividends in the corporate world, but if the voters reward similar behavior in the public sector, we'll only get more of it. And we have far too many assholes in both worlds as it is.

So on the theory that Ben Hall is the lesser asshole... he's winning.

There are other people running for mayor who aren't assholes at all, and they deserve consideration from an electorate that would be motivated by that quality. Their only chance to make that case, and for the voters to make that choice, is in the first round in November. So I hope they choose wisely.

In the meantime I'll keep waiting for Godot humility to make an appearance. Respect, empathy, and kindness are not weaknesses. Only Republicans think that.

Dewhurst ends political career

One last self-inflicted wound.

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst personally called police and asked to talk to the highest-ranking officer about getting a relative out of jail, Allen police said.

He also asked for the cellphone numbers of a judge and the Collin County sheriff, which a sergeant declined to give him.

The relative, Ellen Bevers, an Allen elementary school teacher, was jailed on charges of shoplifting at a Kroger’s grocery store on Aug. 3, police said.

Police released an audio recording of the phone call late Wednesday after a request from NBC DFW under the Texas open records law.

Go to the link above and listen for yourself.

"What I would like to do, if you would explain it to me, sergeant, what I need to do is to arrange for getting her out of jail this evening and you can proceed with whatever you think is proper," Dewhurst said on the call.

In the call, Dewhurst described Bevers as his sister-in-law but police said the woman was married to Dewhurst's nephew. In a short statement later Wednesday, Dewhurst referred to her as his niece.

[...]

Dewhurst said he had known Bevers for 30 years and described her as "the sweetest woman in the world."

He's known her for 30 years, but he's still confused about how he's related to her (by marriage). You would think he could've at least gotten that straight before he placed the call.

Naturally, Dan Patrick pounced.

"The fact that David Dewhurst believes he and his family are above the law is the height of arrogance and recklessness," Patrick said. "This blatant abuse of power would be stunning coming from any elected official.  However, it is particularly disturbing coming from the Lieutenant Governor of Texas.”

Yes, even a blind state senator/talk radio host can find an acorn once in awhile.

I was fairly confident that with the three right-wing freaks running against him in the primary, Dew could still find enough of the so-called moderates to lift him into the runoff. Not any longer.

Place your bets on Dan "Pussycats" Patrick versus Jerry "Gunhole" Patterson, ladies and gentlemen, because Todd Staples' Tweets, though entertaining, aren't going to be enough to get him any higher than third.

Rick Perry negotiates to accept some Obamacare funding for seniors, disabled

(The Texas governor), an ardent opponent of the Affordable Care Act, is in talks with Obama administration officials to accept an estimated $100 million in care for the elderly and disabled through Obamacare, Politico reported Tuesday night.

Texas health officials are seeking to enroll in the so-called Community First Choice program available via the law's Medicaid expansion. Perry officially declined to enroll his state in the program, saying in April that expanding the program for the poor would make Texas “hostage” to the federal government.

From the Politico piece...

Perry health aides are negotiating with the Obama administration on the terms of an optional Obamacare program that would allow Texas to claim stepped-up Medicaid funding for the care of people with disabilities.

The so-called Community First Choice program aims to enhance the quality of services available to the disabled and elderly in their homes or communities. Similar approaches have had bipartisan support around the country. About 12,000 Texans are expected to benefit in the first year of the program.

"It's not Obamacare money! We are NOT hypocrites!"

“This is not entirely accurate,” (Perry spokesperson Josh) Havens said by email. “This has nothing to do with Obamacare. The state of Texas has been providing these types of services via Medicaid waiver for decades, and we are continuing to provide this service.”

My embarrassment in being represented by people so ridiculous is overcome by my desire to see the least among us assisted, no matter what pretzels of rationalization the governor has to twist himself into.

Just get it done, you morons.

Update: Snarkier from Egberto.

Cindy Hughes Zerwas 1955-2013

Cindy Zerwas, wife of state Rep. John Zerwas, of Simonton, died Tuesday of brain cancer.

"My wife Cindy passed away at home this morning, following a courageous fight against brain cancer," the Republican lawmaker from Fort Bend County said in a statement. "Cindy was surrounded by myself and our children and grandchildren at the time of her passing.

"My family and I would like to express our deep appreciation for the continued thoughts and prayers of our friends within the community, throughout Texas, and beyond."

A memorial service is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday at First Colony Church of Christ, 2140 First Colony Boulevard in Sugar Land.

John Zerwas is one of the very few Republicans in the state legislature who understands the need to expand Medicaid to the poorest and least-insured in Texas. I met with his staffers in the spring and they made it obvious that they knew something needed to be done, but that the extremists in their party weren't going to allow it to happen.

Try to imagine losing a loved one to cancer AND being saddled with hundreds of thousands of dollars in medical debt that will never be paid off in your lifetime. (It's no better being bankrupted by co-pays and deductibles when you have insurance, either.)

I'm glad that Zerwas has empathy for those Texans of lesser means going through similar circumstances to what he has endured, and I hope others with less empathy can be persuaded by his valiant example.

Peace and strength to the Zerwas family at this time of loss.

If his mother had a C-section, then he isn't natural born

And it doesn't matter whether his head hit the dirt in Canada, Cuba, the United States, or in outer space.  That ain't "natural".

“The Dallas Morning News says that I may technically have dual citizenship,” Cruz, a freshman Republican from Texas, said in a statement. “Assuming that is true, then sure, I will renounce any Canadian citizenship. Nothing against Canada, but I’m an American by birth and as a U.S. Senator, I believe I should be only an American.”

And if he doesn't renounce Satan, then it don't matter what the "boarders" of the country were.

(I'm finally understanding why this birther BS is so much fun.)

Calgary Carnival Poop Cruz, real name Teodoro Rafael Osama Adolf Fidel Jose Tom, has some 'splainin' to do. We better get Donald Trump and Orly Taitz on the case.

And I want to see his college transcripts, too.

Update: Nice try, Rafael Edward.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is also wondering...

"Abortion Barbie" and now "Retard Barbie." Doesn't @Mattel have lawyers? #Txlege
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) August 19, 2013

...as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff is there with the early news that Sen. Wendy Davis is leaning toward the governor's race next year.

Despairing about the sorry state of Houston's mayoral contest, PDiddie at Brains and Eggs seems to be suggesting a vote for Nobody. But not if Nobody is a Dick.

Horwitz at Texpatriate notes that paybacks are hell as a special prosecutor is appointed against Rick Perry to investigate coercion and abuse of office complaints.

Rick Perlstein reminds us that the right wing is playing the long con. WCNews at Eye on Williamson has the details in There is nothing new under the wingnut sun.

Neil at All People Have Value wrote that he is donating 25 cents to Amnesty International for every negative attack e-mail he gets from the Ben Hall and Annise Parker campaigns for mayor of Houston. Neil, who previously wrote Texas Liberal, now has the website NeilAquino.com. All People Have Value can be found at NeilAquino.com.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme sees Rick Perry hurting Texas children once again. Perry wants to privatize public education.

=========================

And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Better Texas examines the effects of the 2011 budget cuts to family planning.

Greg Wythe looks at the national backlash against standardized testing.

New Media Texas breaks out the wrestling analogies for the Houston mayor's race.

The TSTA Blog discusses the changes made to the process for approving charter schools.

Texas Vox points out the double standards in Texas' water laws.

Texas Water Solutions analyzes the Legislature's plans for water infrastructure.

Grits for Breakfast reports on another Texas official making taxpayers fund an extravagant security detail for himself.

Letters From Texas eagerly awaits the prospect of Rush Limbaugh moderating a GOP presidential debate.

BOR reports on racial disparities in drug arrests in East Texas.

Concerned Citizens condemns the homophobic remarks made by a San Antonio city council member and some of her staff while discussing that city's proposed non-discrimination ordinance.

Egberto Willies interviewed 2012 Green Party presidential nominee Jill Stein, but remains skeptical of third parties' influence on the American political system.

TXSharon at BlueDaze notes that a Texas Railroad Commission employee who blew the whistle on his supervisor was fired and now he's suing the state.

Lastly, attorney Paul Kennedy reviews Rise of the Warrior Cop, a new book about the militarization of America's police forces.

Wheelchair Ken

Turnabout is fair play, amirite?

If things were really going to get evened up, however, "Crippled Ken" would be the hashtag. And Senator Davis should not be thanking me for my support, either. (I'm positive she's smart enough not to do that.)

Let's not get bunched up over who's being more insensitive or politically incorrect either, shall we?

Among other things, Barbie taught compassion to my friends and me. When our dolls' bendable knee joints gave out, they were not thrown away but treated as physically challenged Barbies, whereupon we made make-shift wheelchairs for them. When Ken's arm was chewed off by the dog, we tried to convince our Barbies they should see beyond his disability.

Look what I found on e-Bay.

So -- again -- this isn't my creation. This isn't the invention of a sick mind. This is historical fact: Barbie had a friend in a wheelchair but not a blind one; certainly no mention of one that had a mental disability or with obvious opinions on women's reproductive freedoms (despite what you may infer).

That's obviously a contrivance intended to belittle.

Greg Abbott's got a real problem on his hands to start the week, and I don't think he can safely ignore it. It looks as if he has pushed himself right out of the frying pan and into the fire, and he may need a couple of his right-wing pals to get ahold of his chair and pull him out. He absolutely possesses the requisite conservative hypocrisy immunity gene, but even he is smart enough to see that this road he is rolling down is a less-traveled one for a reason.

It's not like he's the second coming of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, after all.

Update: This is not sufficient. Abbott must renounce the slur... or else continue to own it.

Update II: I learned a new word today.

Sunday Funnies

The Dome is going to come down

As bad as the city's managers are, they look like Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos compared to the county's.

I realize now what I should have realized back then: Ed Emmett and the Harris County commissioners don't want to save repurpose the Astrodome, they just want to avoid taking the blame for destroying it.

The Commissioners Court on Tuesday unanimously voted to place a bond election for up to $217 million to convert the iconic stadium into a massive, street-level convention hall and exhibit space, saying residents should take part in deciding the historic structure's fate.

Should voters reject the bonds, County Judge Ed Emmett and Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman said Tuesday they see no other alternative than to demolish the former "Eighth Wonder of the World," which has sat vacant since city inspectors declared it unfit for occupancy in 2009. The Reliant Astrodome has not housed a professional sports team since the Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000.

"If it does not pass in November, then that should be the death knell for the Dome," Morman said.

This has been their intention all along, and I just refused to see it. The scales have fallen from my eyes.

While the vote to put the measure on the ballot was unanimous, court members' personal support for the project is not.

Only Emmett and Precinct 1 Commissioner El Franco Lee said they definitely will cast a vote in favor of the bond referendum. Both, however, said they have no plans to launch - or, in Emmett's case, participate in - campaigns to get the measure passed.

"There needs to be some plans made to do it, if it's going to be a success," Lee, who wants to save the Dome, said of a campaign. "The judge is our leadership, so we'll just see what occurs from there."

The Dome suffered benign neglect for decades at the hands of most of these characters already, but this new tack is nothing but passive aggressive demolition in advance of the actual implosion. It is amazing to me that the only one making some sense here is Steve Radack.

If the bond fails in November, Precinct 3 Commissioner Steve Radack said it "would make no sense to me at all" to spend millions of dollars demolishing the structure.

"There's another day to have another election," he said. "Why are you going to spend $8 million and then tear it down?"

The vote to call the bond election was made with one condition championed by Radack: That the ballot language explicitly say that the project would require an increase to the county property tax rate, which has not been raised in 17 years.

Increasing the tax rate by as much as half a cent in 2015, if the bonds are approved, is the recommendation of county budget chief Bill Jackson, who still is looking at ways to offset some of the $217 million price tag.

A half-cent hike would mean an $8 increase to the annual tax bill for a $200,000 home with a 20 percent homestead exemption, Jackson told court members Tuesday.

It will cost 8 bucks a year to save an icon. Eight bucks -- barely one day's lunch money -- to the TeaBaggers who live in the far flung exurbs of the city. How do YOU think they will vote?

Lastly, from Charles...

The big question at this point is who lines up to oppose this. The Harris County Sports and Convention Corporation, whose renovation plan is what the Court approved for the ballot, will take the lead in communicating the referendum and the reasons to vote for it to the public. I have no idea how much money they’ll have to mount a real campaign, however. It’s certainly possible that some deep-pocketed types could show up to fund a campaign in favor of this, or in opposition to it. It’s also possible that there will be little more than earned media and some online presence to inform the voters.

... and the HCSCC's chairman, Edgar Colón.

Colón said he plans to actively campaign for the referendum, describing it as the sports corporation's "homework" to host town hall meetings and give presentations on the project it has proposed. "We're going to now go into the community and we're going to educate the voters as to the importance of this project, its importance to the region and why they should support this proposition..."

Go into the community with what? PowerPoint presentations? Brochures? Thirty-minute talks at Democratic club meetings?

Let's cut to the chase: what's your budget for the marketing campaign? Most efforts of this type include television, radio, and direct mail advertising. That would put you up to a million bucks right out of the gate, maybe a couple. You're also down to about 75 days remaining to execute your strategy.

Call me skeptimistic, but I don't foresee success. Hell, I don't even see a good faith effort. Can you at least pull out an "old college try"?

Say so long to the Astrodome, everybody. The Party of No wins again because nobody -- and I mean nobody in this case -- has the balls to stand up to them.

Update: OK, there's this...

Reliant Park management officials pitched their plan to turn the Astrodome into a massive convention and exhibition venue to a sympathetic crowd on Thursday: the hospitality industry, mostly hotel owners and managers who are understandably keen on seeing Houston attract more large events that lure out-of-towners who need a place to stay.

[...]

During the Q&A, Colón also revealed that plans are in the works to form a political action committee that will raise money to promote the Dome referendum. ...

“There is going to be a more organized political campaign, a political action committee, to which I’m sure you all of you can donate funds,” Colón said, eliciting some hearty laughter.

Still not encouraged.

Still waiting for a little shame to seep in

To the Houston mayoral contest.

Mayor Annise Parker and challenger Ben Hall are debating the meaning of "debate."

Hall two weeks ago called on Parker to join him in six televised debates. Parker said one was enough.

Then on Thursday, Parker tweeted: "Looking forward to the first of many campaign debates this weekend, as well as more forums like last night. Plenty of chances to see us."

Hall's chief strategist John Weaver, also on Twitter, replied, "Phony post Ms. Parker. No 'debates' this weekend. There are forums, but no debates. (Hall) and Houston still waiting."

Parker's tweet referred to a Saturday event hosted by the Baptist Ministers' Association of Houston & Vicinity at 6 p.m. at J.J. Roberson Family Life Center, 4810 Redbud.

A June 5 post on the ministers' Facebook page referred to the event as a forum. So did ads for the event and the candidates' written invitations, said Hall press secretary Julia Smekalina. Parker spokeswoman Sue Davis said she has not seen written materials for the event but said it was referred to as a debate in her conversations with the ministers' group. A member of the group did not return a call Thursday.

There's more at the first link, but I just can't take any more. I've listened to a better exchange of competing ideas at Cub Scout den mothers' meetings. Really; I was a Cub Scout, and those women could throw down with my mom. This geek fighting on Twitter is like watching Dumb and Dumber play checkers.

Maybe some day we'll see some healthy democratic leadership demonstrated in this town, but it doesn't look like it's going to show up in 2013.

Update: With a tip of the chapeau to the Democratic Underground.

From the latest Gallup Poll this guy is gaining. Something like an 80/20 spread...

And all apologies to Sylvia.



Your nobody called today
He hung up when I asked his name
Well I wonder
if he thinks he's being clever
You say nobody tells the truth
The fact is what you say is true
but I can govern like nobody can

It's not just about Wendy any more

Bless her heart (and I don't mean it in that condescending southern Christian way, either).

In just a few weeks, the Wendy Davis phenomenon has grown exponentially. She is no longer just a rising star in the Democratic Party constellation. She has risen. Democrats in Washington, in Texas and around the nation, marshaled by female activists, are clamoring for her to run for governor in 2014 — no matter that her chances of winning are slim in a state that has not elected a Democratic chief executive in more than 20 years. 

I think she's more like a supernova.

“I want Wendy Davis to run for governor,” Senator Kirsten E. Gillibrand of New York told me on Friday. Ms. Gillibrand, who won re-election by a landslide last November, is undeterred by speculation that Ms. Davis cannot win in Texas. She believes that even if Ms. Davis were to lose the race, she would still command a big platform in the nation’s second-largest state, one that would reverberate nationwide, to discuss tough issues like women’s reproductive health, abortion rights, education, jobs and the middle class. “She will elevate the conversation.” 

2014 is finally going to be the Year of the Woman (or female political candidate, as it were).

See, the thing is that Sen. Davis simply cannot say she's not going to run for governor now. She's being compelled to run -- pulled to it by forces within both political parties. The Republican insider POV...

(T)he real winner of Sen. Davis’ decision to run for Governor are Texas Democrats. Without her, they have no credible statewide candidate in 2014. With her, they will likely find other credible Democrats willing to step out and run statewide. She will also provide a race that Battleground Texas, the Obama campaign’s effort to turn Texas blue, can organize around. Finally, she will likely boost Democratic turnout in urban counties such as Dallas and Harris helping down ballot Democrats running for county and judicial offices.

Sen. Davis’ race for Governor is a win for Texas Democrats. It remains to be seen whether it will ultimately be a win for Sen. Davis.

Now I doubt whether Robert Miller has any good Democratic insider information about a decision Wendy Davis has not made yet and won't make for a few more weeks. But he has read the tea leaves accurately in this case. More...

And regardless of whether she wins in 2014, Texas Democrats will be happy to have Davis at the top of their ticket, says Ross Ramsey at The Texas Tribune. They are mostly hoping that she has "some political magic, and that it's contagious" — that the presence of a relatively famous, beloved-by-Democrats candidate for governor will draw other credible candidates statewide and "attract voters who might influence other races below the statewide level."

The "pundits and other self-appointed experts" are hoping Davis jumps in, too, Ramsey adds. "For sheer political theater, a governor's race that includes Davis would be a lot more interesting than one with a very well-financed Republican candidate and no Democrats, which is what the ballot looks like now."

Even Republicans seem kind of excited about the prospect of Davis running for governor. She isn't very popular in GOP circles, and the idea of defeating her must hold some appeal.

We're past the point of no return. For there to be any kind of immediate future for Texas Democrats, she can't take a pass. Davis bears the weight of the entire Texas Democratic Party, some of the burden of other beleaguered Democrats in southern states, and by extension a small portion of the national party's 2014 electoral prospects. That is one heavy lift.

As the saying goes, Democrats have to fall in love with a candidate (while Republicans just fall in line), and everybody loves Wendy. If she decides she's not going to go for it and run for re-election to her state Senate seat instead, all the helium screams out of her balloon. And everybody else's, for that matter. Greg Abbott's bank account, a red-ass exurban/rural Texas, and salivating Republicans holding smears at the ready are the least of her concerns now. She sets Texas back another decade -- not to mention her own political prospects -- if she won't pick up the gauntlet.

There is officially too much at stake for her, Democrats, the state of Texas, and (yes, even) the nation if she chooses not to make a bid for the governor's mansion. I just don't see her backing away from that fight. That's not who she is, not who she has demonstrated herself to be.

It's fait accompli at this point.

Update: Thanks to Daily Kos and Crooks and Liars for helping spread the word. Back to you, Senator Davis.

Annise Parker takes off the gloves

And gives Ben Hall a beating.



Like everybody else, I thought that Hall's introductory video was weird and slightly obnoxious, but I have to say that I didn't expect the response from the mayor to be so harsh.

For the record let's note that we rarely see an incumbent with such a strong opening hand lash back at a fairly weak (yet coffer-filled) challenger like this. I don't think Parker is nervous about Hall after all of his missteps, but this response signals she's not going to take any chances. So does this, quoting from yesterday's presser and apparently before the above spot made its appearance...

"Mr. Hall hasn't been a Houstonian very long, and he has very little name ID. He has to (make a large advertising buy) to introduce himself to Houstonians, and pretty soon I'm going to help him."

Hall's rejoinder -- from the inbox yesterday afternoon -- makes it look as if he's girded for battle.

Well we knew this day would come. We knew Annise Parker would be terrified of a candidate in this race with real leadership and vision, and we knew she would go on the attack.

Today the incumbent’s campaign launched an attack ad questioning my dedication to the city of Houston and ignoring what I’ve done as city attorney and fighting for justice in my private practice.

Let me be clear: Annise Parker will fund this ad and more like it with the millions she’s raised from those benefiting from taxpayer-funded contracts and special interests from out of state. [...]

Annise Parker doesn’t just campaign like a typical professional politician -- she governs like one too. Houston is just learning about the huge raises worth tens of thousands of dollars she gave to her closest advisers after laying off nearly 750 city workers. She put the rest of the municipal workforce on furloughs (with an exception for her own staff).

And now the same politician who fired city workers while padding her close advisers’ pockets is questioning my love for this city? It’s absurd.

This is the first in what will likely be a campaign full of attacks against me. I don’t mind it -- I can take whatever she can dish out...

Blah blah give me money to fight back blah blah.

Campaigns usually reach this stage in late October, not in mid-August. It's nice to see the two front-runners are in championship form with regard to their rapid response. And I suppose we can expect the carpet-bombings on the airwaves to continue until the outside temperatures around here begin to cool off. Or morale improves.

As for those of us who track these developments, Neil's already disgusted.

84 days before the November 5 Election Day, incumbent Mayor Annise Parker and top challenger Ben Hall are polluting the public airwaves and public debate with negative advertising and attacks in the campaign for Mayor of Houston.

I know this is how it is done and how it has often been done in American history. But just because things are normally done in a certain way does not mean you can't move ahead in a different fashion.

I'm really enjoying my brother's direction with his new effort.

In any case, anybody who has had the misfortune of following Houston politics knows how this will all go---

Mayor Parker and Mr. Hall will spend a lot of money. Much of this money will come from big companies and the rich. Issues of poverty and social justice in Houston will be ignored. Turnout will be 15%-20% of eligible adults. There will be ceaseless negative ads and many of them will be stupid. Neither candidate will get 50% of the vote on Election Day and so we will be subjected to more weeks of campaigning with a runoff vote.

None of this reflects the values of hopeful people. Not much of it reflects anything of value to the people of Houston. Mayor Parker and Mr. Hall will go at it and people will tune it out or just think of both of them as equally bad. Only a small percentage of Houstonians will bother to vote.

Without forgetting the many volunteers each campaign will have of committed everyday people, none of this will inspire people to take action for themselves and with others to offer alternatives from the bottom and middle up to a failed and corporate-bought political system.

I'm on the e-mail list of both the Hall and Parker campaigns. Just today I've received three negative e-mails from these two campaigns. I've resolved today that I'm going to donate 25 cents to Amnesty International for every negative e-mail I get from Parker and Hall.

I won't say "this is going to be fun to watch", because it won't be. Houston deserves better than this. We just stand no chance of getting it.

Around the horn: Stace was first with the ad and the quote from the presser. Noah has a good take on this "attack-back" strategy, and Texas Leftist covered the press conference yesterday where Mayor Parker announced she was coming to the rescue of the Thanksgiving Day Parade (with a little help from her deep-pocketed friends).

More as it develops, and if it's not too nasty. Not interested in documenting every salvo fired from these two. Maybe some of the second-tier candidates can offer something more positive in the days to come.

The Water Wars are coming

Not Texas versus Mexico, or even Texas versus New Mexico. But West Texans against the frackers.

Fracking (and the drought) are winning, and Texans are losing.

How dry is it in Texas? So dry some residents are wishing for a hurricane to replenish the aquifer. So dry that many Texans are now against using water to frack for oil, which is famously called Texas Tea.

Every fracking job requires several million gallons of water. “Only about 20 percent to 25 percent on average of the water is recovered, while the rest disappears underground, never to be seen again.” Fracking is probably not the wisest use of water anywhere, but in a drought it’s downright self-destructive.

Update: More from Daily Kos, AMERICAblog, and Texas Monthly with some photos.

And starring Greg Abbott as Dr. Strangelove

Damn Captain Kroc at McBlogger beat me to it, so I guess I'll just have to post some pictures.

This isn't mean or even tacky. I would wager most Texans -- hell, most Republican primary voters -- aren't aware the man is a stone-cold fascist in a wheelchair.

This is "Separated at Birth" satire, that's all.

If you find this offensive but find this hilarious, then it might be you that's the problem.

Just public domain images. Plain vanilla Google search.

You don't suppose he can tap his foot as he plays guitar, like Bob Roberts could, do ya? (OK, that was mean.)

Abbott isn't bothered by the "cripple" jokes, so why should you be? And If you still think this is mean, then just wait and see what's coming over the next year-and-a-quarter. It might be enough to make you cry.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance thinks sine die are the two sweetest words in the Latin language as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff believes that changing the culture is necessary to change the Legislature.

Texpatriate went undercover in Montgomery, TX to attend Brandon Creighton's big announcement for ag commish ... and lived to tell the tale.

Wendy Davis gave a speech at the National Press Club this week, and the major theme was "giving voice to the voiceless". WCNews at Eye on Williamson calls it a must-see video.

Though we just passed the 40th anniversary of the Roe vs. Wade decision, Texas Leftist can't help but have some "pseudo deja vu" from copious hours in history class. It turns out that once upon a time, there was a significant pro-choice contingency in the Republican Party. Though it's a struggle, a few are trying to push the party back towards sanity, and cease the *latest* war on women.

There's going to be at least one debate in the Houston mayoral race, because PDiddie at Brains and Eggs got all the inside dope on it.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants everyone to know the latest dirty deal Rick Perry gave the children in our state.

Neil Aquino, formerly of Texas Liberal, made his first post at his new blog All People Have Value. This blog is at Neil's new website called NeilAquino.com. Neil is open to all comments and input from folks as he debuts his new blog and website.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

Too Twisted For Color TV detailed all of the things that she and other people with disabilities have to go through to enter the Capitol. These obstacles were even more daunting during the second special session.

Jason Stanford wants Dan Patrick to keep his word and debate Thomas Ratliff about CSCOPE.

Concerned Citizens calls on San Antonio to finish the job on equality.

Educate For Texas informs us that the state of Texas hasn't updated its cost of education Index since 1991.

Beyond Bones castigates the Discovery Channel for its fake "documentary" on Megalodon.

Better Texas calls the sales tax holiday "well-intentioned but misguided".

Patrick Michels at the Texas Observer crunches the numbers and concludes we are still spending less per student today in Texas than we were a few years ago, and barely more than we were a decade ago.

The Texas Green Report documents the effect of coal pollution on people's health.

Sunday Funnies

Houston mayoral debate scheduled for October 8

My source for this information will remain confidential. -- Ed.

This past week a meeting was held to negotiate a mayoral candidates' debate among the seven declared candidates running for Mayor of the City of Houston.  This debate will take place on October 8, 2013, at 7:00 pm.  It is to be sponsored by the Bethel Family Church Empowerment Center.  The debate will take place at Willowridge High School, 16301 Chimney Rock, and Houston media will be invited to cover it.

Candidates and/or campaign staff from seven campaigns were invited to the meeting: Don Cook, Eric Dick, Keryl Douglas, Michael Fitzsimmons, Ben Hall, Victoria Lane, and Annise Parker.  Two candidates (Douglas and Fitzsimmons) were not present and were not represented by any of their staff at the meeting.

Judging from the intensity of the negotiations, it seems unlikely that there will be more than one scheduled debate, at least one that includes all of the candidates. 

More on that.

It was proposed that any subsequent candidates other than the seven already identified should be excluded from debating. In the discussion that followed, most participants seemed to feel that the elimination of any later candidates who were "not viable" or "not serious" because they had not declared early enough or not raised enough money was appropriate. 

You already know my position on this. There is only one group of people qualified to filter out unworthy candidates, and they are the voters in the election. More about the debate...

It was agreed that a drawing would take place ten minutes prior to the event with all candidates present to determine the order of candidates' initial statements, and opening remarks would be 90 seconds each (in a fifteen-minute window).  Thirty minutes was allotted for the debate itself and a total of ten minutes for candidate closing statements.

It would be more than unfortunate if less than 90 minutes were indeed the sum total of public exposure of the contenders for mayor of Houston in advance of the general election. That is to say, the public exposure not paid for by the respective campaigns (literally millions of dollars, as we know) and not advanced by television, radio, and print (aka "free" or "earned" media) . I'm sure there will be vigorous discussions happening online, in the blogs and social media, but those conversations have their own exclusivity, not to mention spin.

Campaign advertisements in your mailbox, on TV and radio, Tweets and Facebook updates and yes, even blog posts do not serve as effective replacements for open air discussion about the issues of the day among the people offering themselves to the voters.

This may sound airey-fairey and "Kumbayah" to you, particularly if you're a political hack, a social media butterfly, and even if you're a blogger. It isn't. It's what we know as participatory democracy in the United States of America. It's unruly and a little messy and we either have it or we don't.

If the electorate chooses to opt out, that's their prerogative. (My humble O is that we ought to make it illegal NOT to vote, but that's another rant on a different day.) There is nobody sitting in a quiet room who gets to choose the players. Nobody in the game gets to block anybody else from playing, just as nobody gets to hang a "Closed" sign on the Statue of Liberty.

You'd think this would be obvious to people with the word "democracy" as part of their name, but we know that it is not. If you didn't understand before why so few people participate with their ballot in Houston's municipal elections, then you should now.

There will still be a greater number of Houstonians showing up in the heat of an August day at a professional football team's practice than there will be at a mayoral debate, and that will remain true even if we held as many debates as the Texans hold practices. Yes, there is a certain measure of personal civic responsibility that distinguishes the two. What do you suppose would be the outcry, however, if JJ Watt forbade Andre Johnson from practicing because he's not one of the most popular players this season? Or if Johnson decided to exclude Watt because he wasn't making enough money?

Laughably absurd, yes? Of course it is.

The citizens of Houston deserve a broader public forum to learn about the people who have chosen to contend for leadership of the city. Let's hope they get it. And in the meantime, let's keep putting pressure on the powers that be -- and the ones who think that they be -- to broaden that forum.

(There have been two corrections to this post: one to fix the date in the headline, and one correcting Andre "Robertson" to Johnson. -- Ed.)

Week in Review: Texas Oligarchy

With a big dollop of marinara fascism.

-- The local Democrat (I cannot in good conscience use the word 'Democratic', and I explained this distinction nearly six years ago) chapter: here and here.

-- The Republican-dominated Texas chapter yesterday, and also from the Chronic.

Out of the gates early is state Sen. Glenn Hegar, R-Katy, who is running to replace outgoing Republican Susan Combs as comptroller.

Hegar, who carried the Senate version of the omnibus abortion restrictions bill, announced his campaign team Thursday.

Leading the team as general consultant is Rob Johnson, who served as a national campaign manager for Gov. Rick Perry’s failed presidential run last year. Johnson also helped Perry win re-election as governor in 2010 and served as chief of staff for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst.

David White, who served as senior policy adviser for Combs most recently and also worked on Perry’s 2010 gubernatorial campaign, is senior adviser.

Keri Mason, former finance director for the state’s Republican Party, will be in control of the campaign’s finances and Elizabeth White, who worked as legislative director for state Sens. Brian Birdwell and Craig Estes, is political director.

Fairly incestuous little club, isn't it? It's nice to see Greg Abbott branching out a little, though, at least in regard to his pollster.

Consulting services have been the Abbott campaign’s biggest expense this year, according to his latest campaign finance report. Abbott has tapped several longtime Perry consultants. He has spent several hundred thousand dollars on The Lauderback Group, the fundraising firm that helped raise money for Perry's 2012 presidential bid; political consulting firm Bearse & Company, which is run by former Perry speechwriter Eric Bearse; and Norway Hill Associates, another political consulting firm owned by Perry’s former consultant Dave Carney.

Dave Carney, the guy who had to take the fall for Rick Perry's malaprops in 2012. I'm sure he spent a few minutes feeling sorry for himself on his private island.

The campaign has also paid for internal polling using Wilson Perkins Allen Opinion Research, the same pollsters U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz used during his campaign in 2012.

Past campaign finance reports show Abbott switched to Wilson Perkins from Baselice & Associates, the campaign’s former internal pollster, in 2012 after relying on Baselice for nine years.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst used Baselice, also Perry's former internal pollster, during his failed bid for U.S. Senate (he lost to Cruz in a GOP primary runoff). Baselice’s polling results leading up to the runoff put Dewhurst on top by five points. Wilson Perkins’ predictions were closer to the 13 percentage point margin Cruz defeated Dewhurst by.

Baselice will probably land on his feet, what with all the aspiring TeaBaggers lining up in the primary to get fleeced. 

There's encouraging signs that the conservatives are coming apart, and from time to time even a few unholy alliances come together, but it's still going to take a lot of pick axes, torches, and pitchforks to break up the monopoly.

Hand me that sledge hammer, will you?

Texas retailers back GOP War on Women

It's not just Macy's and Kroger; Gerland's and Brookshire Brothers and others are also on board with the Republican misogyny.

A front-page piece in Tuesday’s Houston Chronicle shedding light on how mega-retailers the likes of Macy’s and Kroger lobbied Gov. Rick Perry to put the kibosh on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act is resulting in some public fallout for the companies.

The governor vetoed the Texas version of the equal-pay-for-women legislation -- passed by the Texas Legislature with GOP support at the end of the regular session in June -- after receiving written requests to do so from several retail corporations and associated industry groups. Let's excerpt the most revealing part of the article for those who can't climb over the paywall...

Also writing to seek a veto were representatives of Macy's, the Houston grocery company Gerland Corp., Brookshire Grocery Company, Market Basket, the Texas Association of Business and the National Federation of Independent Businesses.

HEB is a member of the Texas Retailers Association, but lobbyist Rusty Kelley said the company did not lobby against the bill.

The letters to Perry provide a behind-the-scene glimpse of the legislative process. Entities such as the Texas Retailers Association can seek a gubernatorial veto without the knowledge of sponsors. Thompson and her Senate counterpart, Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, say they were blind-sided by Perry's veto and the retailers' opposition.

Veteran Austin lobbyist Bill Miller said seeking a gubernatorial veto is a common lobby tactic. "That's a smart play. You don't fade the heat (by publicly opposing a bill) on the front end and you win on the back end." He said that, except for the Chronicle's open records request, "no one would be the wiser. You do what you gotta do to protect your client."

To refresh your memory, Bill Miller is a mostly-Republican political consultant. He is co-founder of HillCo Partners, which was previously mentioned here in regard to their efforts to kill "sanctuary cities" legislation in the 2011 legislative session.

(Digression: this is a pluperfect example of how to play both sides against the middle. You do what you gotta do to protect your corporate client who writes you large checks for dispensing your political wisdom. Even when it screws over Texans and politicians of both political parties. Hey, that's -- allegedly -- a smart play.)

On Wednesday, the liberal group Progress Texas started an online boycott of Macy’s and Kroger, asking folks to sign on and refrain from shopping at the stores until they support “equal pay for equal work.”

Citing the Chron’s story, Sen. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, followed hours later by announcing that she’s cancelling an appearance at the Macy’s at the Galleria. Garcia was set to kick-off the 2013 annual Texas sales tax holiday, according to her office.

The boycott may be expanding this morning to the predominantly East Texas grocers named above.

This is a BFD. Know why?

Because women in Texas are already losing their health clinics. They have all but lost the right to choose whether or not to give birth. In a state with already criminally low wages for so many of its residents, Texas Republicans (mostly through their agents outside the Legislature, to be clear) are making sure that Texas women do not receive equal pay for the same work that men do. Both of these circumstances would especially be the case in East Texas, where clinic options -- and grocery-shopping options -- were few and far between before all this.

You have to hope that Texas women -- in particular those living  in East Texas who might have been previously inclined to vote R -- are clearly getting the message the Republicans are sending them. And that message is: "We Don't Give a Shit About You."

Update: More from Burnt Orange and from Texas Leftist, with Houston-area store locator maps of the offending retailers.

No debate about the number of debates, or who should be included

Kuffner is surprisingly wrong, while Campos is just being consistent. Both reference the Houston Chronicle's op-ed on mayoral debates, with an excerpt from the newspaper the third of the following.

It’s hardly clear to me that having candidates beyond Mayor Parker and Ben Hall in a debate will yield a “constructive conversation”. The candidates not named Parker or Hall would have to be running constructive campaigns for there to be some chance of that happening, and so far the evidence for that is lacking. The principle of democracy argues in favor of inclusiveness, but the principle of imparting useful information to as many voters as possible argues for limiting the debate to those that have something useful to say.

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I totally disagree with their take to include all the candidates in the debates.  That would be a waste of everybody’s time. 

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Houston's future is too important to limit the mayor's race to one debate, and we're far too diverse to restrict debates to an incumbent and a self-funded millionaire challenger. Putting multiple candidates on stage will provide a panoply of perspectives and a constructive conversation about our city's needs. Municipal issues don't always make for the most exciting discussions, but the horse-race atmosphere of elections provides a more compelling backdrop for topics like the city budget.

While we hope Ben Hall will use the debates to explain why he is spending his personal fortune on an uphill battle to unseat the mayor, the time for one-on-one debates is during a runoff. The general election should provide voters with multiple options for what our future will look like. Whether the race for mayor, controller or city council seats, voters are best served when candidates debate the issues and define what it means to be a city that is building forever.

==========

I've posted a response to both men at their respective blogs, but I'll expand on what I said there in case the comments don't make, or remain in, the light of day.

We cannot have a functioning democracy where pundits and insiders declare who gets to be included in or excluded from public debate fora. Paying the filing fee -- or submitting the required signatures -- should be enough to grant access to the public conversation. If you want to take note of those organizations who host debates without including all ballot-qualified candidates -- which is their prerogative but is just as wrong -- then watch this space for future developments.

The people who make a living in politics, those who want to curry favor with elected officials and their staff and advisors, and all other assorted lackeys, lickspittles, and hangers-on DO NOT GET, ARE NOT ENTITLED (yes, I'm shouting now) to set the ground rules with regard to who is allowed to participate in the democratic process. Really, it's as simple as that.

Anybody who agrees with me should look askance at people like that. Anybody who disagrees can go get fucked. In their arse.

Oh, one more dumbass thing from Campos.

Excuse me, but when did Ron Green become controversial?  Was he one of the fellas that ran on Highway 288 and blocked traffic?  Does he use PEDs?  I don’t know about that.

Of course you don't, you jackass moron. It's not like it was in the newspaper or anything.

GOP fever shows no sign of breaking

-- Former chair of the Republican Party of Texas Cathie Adams:

Speaking with Christian radio host Rick Wiles last week in an exchange first captured by Right Wing Watch, Adams decried a biometric scanning proposal present in immigration reform legislation already passed by the Senate, claiming that it would give amnesty to people from Muslim countries who "are not here with the best intentions for America."

When Wiles decried a "biometric scanning" proposal present in the Senate's bill, Adams suggested that such a plan would manifest itself by giving "lost foreigners" the sort of "mark of the beast" cited in End Times prophecies.

"And, of course, we know in biblical prophecy that that is the End Times," Adams said of the initiative. "That is going to be the brand either on our foreheads or on the back of our hands. That is demonic through and through. That is End Times prophecy. There is no question about that."

-- House Minority Leader Eric Can'tor, challenged by no less than Fox New host Chris Wallace:

“You talk about creating jobs, you talk about growing the economy, but you have spent the last week in the House on passing your agenda, a series of bills called Stop Government Abuse,” Wallace said. “Is what you’ve been doing the best way to spend Congress’ time when you’re about to go on a recess for five full weeks?”

When Cantor tried to defend some of the laws the House had passed, including a measure to prevent “bureaucrats” from receiving bonuses, Wallace pressed him.

“Rightly or wrongly, none of these bills you’ve passed is going to become law,” Wallace said. “Your own members say they’re not going to pass the Senate, the president won’t sign them. Let’s talk reality. You haven’t passed the farm bill. You’ve only passed four of the twelve appropriations bills you’re supposed to pass. We face a government shutdown and a debt limit in the fall. Is this the best way to spend your time, passing bills that aren’t going to become law?”

“You’ve got the president out giving campaign speeches again, as if we’re in the middle of the election again,” Cantor objected.

“Tend to your own knitting,” Wallace replied. “You could pass a farm bill. You have the power of the purse! Only four of the twelve appropriation bills have even passed. Why not do what the House is supposed to do?”

When you have lost Fox, you've lost the country. More...

Cantor dodged the vacation question, because he is the one who designed the schedule. The 126-day 2013 House work schedule was his idea. Of course, he is not going to take responsibility for only leaving 9 legislative days out of two months to avoid a government shutdown. House Republicans want that confrontation. Even though the manufactured crisis strategy hasn’t worked for two years, they are going to go back to that well again.  

Wonkette always does it better.

“Why is Congress full of morons, Eric Cantor? Why does it suck so very very hard, Eric Cantor? Why is attempting to repeal Obamacare your go-to solution for just about every pressing problem facing the American people, Eric Cantor? Aren’t we heading for a major disaster because you guys are too busy playing grabass to actually get down to the work of real governance?”

Update: Even Politifact found its pants were on fire trying to fact-check (sic) Cantor's remarks.

-- Texas agriculture commissioner candidate Eric Opiela:

He says our Texas way of life is under attack. This land, Texas, is where he learned the value of hard work.

That Obama and his administration will stop at nothing to further their radical agenda. He doesn’t say what the radical agenda is.

But it’s why he’s running for Agriculture Commissioner. To fight the federal government.

Eric Opiela is concerned about future generations. Like his son Ryan. But apparently not his daughter.

It’s Eric Opiela’s Texas. It’s a man’s world.

Get used to that "Fightin' Obama" bullshit from every single Republican running for office, including Houston city council. It's all they have to run on.