Blogistan Roundups

Most of you probably already know about The Daou Report, a collection of left, right and center of the blogosphere Pete pulls together (and he's doing so now for Salon). But you'll have to either subscribe (it's certainly worth it; one of the very few sites I personally pay for) or get a day pass by watching a short advertisement.

You can find a free one done by my buddy here in Deep-In-The-Hearta. Bucky Rea, who's got a pretty nifty blog himself, wrangles some of the usual and unusual suspects every Friday at The Blog Box.

Go check them out. I'll be here when you get back.

And I haven't said anything about sports in awhile...

Pitchers and catchers reported this week. The Boys of Late Winter are warming up, just like everything else.

There's a college baseball tournament going on this weekend at Reckling Park, home of the Rice Owls, and it's just a couple of train stops from my house, and my alma mater, Lamar University, is playing in it. See you there (I'll be wearing the cap with the cardinal on it).

It's just about time for March Madness. My brother-in-law is a Dukie, but even if he wasn't, I'd have a hard time rooting for someone else. Though they are not quite as invincible as in years past; witness last night's defeat at the hands of Va. Tech. I think probably Kansas or one of those other Tobacco Road schools -- Ky., N.C., Wake -- stands a pretty good shot.

And the Rockets won eight straight heading into All-Star weekend. They have gelled around T-Mac and Yao by getting true power forward play out of Juwan Howard, gutsy Jason-Kidd-like production from Bobby Sura, and timely bench strength out of David Wesley and Jon Barry and the indomitable Scott Padgett. (I'm going to keep calling him that until he cools off.) Their second-half schedule is going to make or break, though. They may have a great season, or they may not. We'll see.

Oh yeah, something happened regarding the NHL, but I can't remember what...

I'm going to play golf. Later.

The Talibaptists

They're here, they're queer ( in the definition of the word before it was co-opted some decades ago as part of the bigots' agenda ) ... get used to it.

Or not. As you prefer. Of course, if you'd just rather not fight back, then please take a seat in this lovely handbasket.

The Dallas Observer has a piece -- it was forwarded to me by my nearly favorite blogger -- about Richard Ford and Kelly Shackelford, one a lion in winter, the other a Christian Soldier on the rise. These two men have and will continue to affect moderate -- a precarious definition itself, from the liberal view -- Texas GOP politicians in their inimitable way: by playing the "Who is the MORE Religious Conservative?" game. ( Go read the article. )

That made me think of a passage in Lou Dubose and Molly Ivins' Shrub: The Short but Happy Political Life of George W. Bush where they detail the takeover of the Texas Republican Party in the '90s by the likes of Tom Pauken, Dr. James Leininger and others. Even W. wasn't pure enough for them at that time ( the litmus test for party chairman in 1994 was whether or not you had attended an anti-abortion rally. You haven't? Too bad. ) I found my copy so I'll excerpt the cogent part:

George W. Bush was not Phi Beta Kappa at Yale, but he understands: you got to dance with them what brung you. He has learned to dance with the Christian right. It has been interesting and amusing to watch the process. Interesting because it's sometimes hard to tell who's leading and who's following; amusing because when a scion of Old Yankee money gets together with a televangelist who suffers from too much Elvis, the result is swell entertainment. Dubya's skillful handling of the Christian right -- giving them just enough to keep them in line -- is probably his most impressive political credential. ...

In the end, the Christian right gets more sermons than blood, seat, or policy out of Bush. He talks the talk but rarely walks the walk -- and still gets the support of the Christian right. Among other things, it's very shrewd politics. Although Gary Bauer and Dr. James Dobson have figured out his strategy -- feed the lions just enough to stop them from attacking -- it is, as Sam Smoot says, a dangerous game. These disciplined political Christian soldiers have spent the last ten years taking over the the machinery of the Republican Party, precinct, county, and state. Now they want a ring, not just a promise.

The authors go on to describe how Karl Rove engineered the ascendance of Dim Son without selling out to the Jesusoidz; how John Cornyn came to be our Senator ( and not Pauken -- thank God for small favors ) and a few other kernels of wisdom.

Here's my point:

It will take at least a decade of hard work and long hours, not to mention a shitpot of money and some hurt feelings and bruised egos and maybe even some skinned knuckles in order to beat back these zealots.

And don't forget: their jihad is just. They've got God on their side.

I ask those who intend to stand for office on the progressive side one question, whether you run for precinct captain or Governor:

Are you ready to rumble?

We don't have time for any more John Kerrys -- and by that I mean Democrats, on ballots local and national, who won't fight back ( for whatever reason ). And one more thing: unless you're quite a bit younger than I am, you won't live long enough to see the fruits of your labor. Is the fight still in you?

Let's get going, then. We've got a country to take back.

P.S. There's a Houston Democratic Underground Meetup, above ground, tomorrow afternoon. Click on the link in my header. Warning: we're probably weirder in person.

Met some more cool kidz last night

at the weekly "Drinking Liberally" get-together. Among the most cool were a lawyer with a nifty blog, an actress with an Office Space credit as well as a national commercial (we don't hate Mondays either, K) and ... Travis? I cannot remember what you told me your deal was. Tell me again?

And hopefully we can get the Kink worked out (more on that later, dear reader) ...