Hurry up and RIP, Tom...

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DeGuerin subpoenas Earle

Yeah, right.

Kuff, Josh Marshall, and Talk Left elaborate. ITPT gives good snark.

This will be a non-starter, but as Kuffner quotes from the subscription-only Roll Call piece:

"Everything will be in play," said one high-ranking House Republican (cockroach, from safely behind the baseboard). "We will throw everything we can at Ronnie Earle."

You know what this reminds me of?

Sometimes even when you spray, and stomp, and stomp again, that nasty little bastard's antenna keeps twitching.

But he will die soon enough (as the cartoon above demonstrates).

Kevin Brady's having a really bad week

The Republican Congressman representing many of the eastern Texas counties devastated by Hurricane Rita is in a world of hurt lately. Let's summarize his woes; first from the Houston Chronicle (all emphasis mine):

Rural East Texans cried and vented frustration today over the lack of relief aid they've received and their belief that federal and Red Cross aid is being unfairly concentrated on urban areas where the suffering is not as great.

Dozens of residents gathered under tight security at First Baptist Church in Deweyville, which sits on the Texas-Louisiana border, to talk with Red Cross and Federal Emergency Management Agency representatives. Many said their homes are uninhabitable and the only power they have comes from generators.

U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-Texas, who wore a bulletproof vest under his dress shirt, attended meetings in Jasper, Newton, Deweyville and Buna today with plans to visit Orange, Vidor, Kountze and Woodville on Tuesday.

Brady spokeswoman Sarah Stephens said she couldn't offer specifics about the extra security, but said, "It's certainly not a fashion accessory and something we don't normally do when we're in the district."

As Brady stepped up to the church altar, four Texas Department of Public Safety troopers lined up in front of the lectern, separating the congressman and other federal officials from the rural residents who say their needs have been neglected.

East Texas is where I grew up, and where my parents still call home. In fact, my 79-year-old mother just made it back to her home in Orange County last Friday after evacuating ahead of the hurricane; she still doesn't have electricity after two weeks.

But back to Brady. He was jailed just last Friday night when he returned for his university's homecoming festivities:

U.S. Rep Kevin Brady was arrested and charged with driving under the influence while in South Dakota, according to a published report.

The Texas Republican was pulled over by a state trooper Friday night for a problem with the tail lights of his vehicle, The Dallas Morning News reported.

Authorities were waiting for results of a blood test to determine Brady's blood-alcohol level at the time of the arrest. The legal limit in South Dakota is 0.08. If convicted of the misdemeanor charge, Brady faces up to $1,000 fine and a year in jail, Clay County Sheriff Andy Howe said. Brady was in East Texas on Monday and could not be reached for comment, spokeswoman Sarah Stephens told the newspaper.

Poor Ms. Stephens is really having to earn her salary, isn't she? At least she didn't have to front for the Congressman regarding the dirty DeLay money he refuses to return:

While U.S. Rep. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, did not receive money from TRMPAC, he did receive $10,000 from ARMPAC in 2003.

"I'm certainly not going to return it," Brady said Thursday. "Tom DeLay has been fighting for everything important: less taxes, stronger national security and to protect our families. He has helped us restore sales tax deductions to Texans, and he played a key role in getting federal road dollars."

You really think highly of Mr. DeLay, don't you sir?

"As for me, the Tom DeLay I know is principled and respects the law. I just don't believe he would break the law, and this (the matter of his indictments) is going to give us a chance to see all the facts."

I expect that the good people of Southeast Texas are about ready for a new Congressman. And there's lots of good Democrats over there who should delight in taking on this challenge.

Expect to see announcements about this race here frequently in the coming election season.

A smattering of local events (and some scuttlebutt)

There's a slew of activities going on in Houston this week in opposition to Prop. 2, the amendment to the Texas Constitution defining marriage as exclusively between a man and a woman, set for the November 8 ballot. Note in particular the debates, one probably concluding at the University of Houston as I post this.

(It seems to me that the GLBT community locally has not yet mobilized for a strong GOTV to defeat this proposition. I hope I'm wrong.)

Houston City Council candidates are rushing to the finish line with thirty days to go until the municipal elections. Jay Aiyer and Sue Lovell make a joint appearance tomorrow at the Harris County Democratic Party's brown bag luncheon; Peter Brown is Celebrating the Arts downtown, John Parras and Mayor pro-tem Carol Alvarado are holding fundraising soirees this week.

The calendar is full for the state house candidates as well -- Rep. Alma Allen, Ana Hernandez, and Borris Miles all have meet-and-greets going on this week.

Barbara Radnofsky speaks at the IH-10 Democrats meeting in Baytown on Wednesday the 12th, and next Monday U.S. Rep. Gene Green has his birthday party/BBQ and David Van Os appears at an open house in his honor at The Woodlands.

The Chicano-Latino Leadership and Unity Conference is this Saturday.

Greg's got a wrap with more local political goings-on...

And there's lots of rumors swirling around about candidates seeking to challenge HCDP chair Gerry Birnberg, but if he chooses not to run for re-election, then my money and support will go to John Cobarruvias, whom I am fortunate to count among my friends.

Bring on the Redbirds!

Another truly bad week for Republicans

Deputy Attorney General nominee Timothy Flanagan's name is withdrawn after his connections to Jack Abramoff are revealed.

The anti-torture bill is passed by the Senate 90-9 (Texas' John Cornyn is one of the nine voting in favor of torture). The president, stubborn as ever, will veto it anyway.

Hurricane-relief contracts awarded with little or no competitive bidding will be done over.

Bush finally gives up on Social Security reform and additional tax cuts. For the time being.

Tom DeLay fielded a second indictment, and Karl Rove is about to catch his first.

Did I forget to mention that the GOP is tearing itself in two over the nomination of Harriet Miers? Or that two polls now show Bush's support has eroded into the 30's?

It's hard to believe that things could get worse for the ruling party in the days and weeks to come. But they could, if gas prices don't recede, if more of our soldiers continue to die in Iraq and Afghanistan, if someone in addition to Rove gets indicted, if we suffer another terror event ...

There's about a year for the Republicans to regain their footing, along with some semblance of credibility with the electorate, of course. Several people who know more about this sort of thing than me sense a shift in the political landscape of historic proportions.

I come down on the side of history (and my confidence in that outcome will naturally depend on the minority party's candidates doing their part in the next twelve months to present a viable alternative).