Sunday, October 07, 2007

The Weekly Wrangle

Time once again for the Texas Progressive Alliance Weekly Blog Round Up. This week's round-up is compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

TXsharon says, "YOU SUCK AT&T" and she can only say that because she doesn't use AT&T. Over at Bluedaze she tells why, if you use AT&T for your Internets, you can't say they suck.

Stace at Dos Centavos reports on racism and bigotry committed by a corporation and a UT fraternity.

What's really going on in Irving? Xanthippas at Three Wise Men notes there's more going on in the immigration crackdown than possible profiling and arrests.

CouldBeTrue at South Texas Chisme notes that NOW wants to know why U.S. District Judge Judge Samuel Kent was 'punished' with a 4-month vacation after the investigation into sexual harassment charges.

Criticism of Hillary Clinton's laugh is no laughing matter, so says PDiddie at Brains and Eggs in HRC:LOL.

Might be time for a bit of horsetrading on the floor of the Senate, and one of Texas Kaos' regular diarists, Fake Consultant, has a bit of advice on the subject for Majority Leader Harry Reid in On Larry Craig and Filibusters, or Wanna Make a Trade?

Truth, it has been said, is the first casualty of war. The Republican-Media coalition must have declared war on Social Security, and Blue 19th exposes their lies.

Human rights advocates cheered the Williamson County commissioners' vote to sever ties with the operator of the T. Don Hutto holding facility for undocumented immigrants, but Eye On Williamson's wcnews wonders if a battle within the Republican party over the county's share of the profits may have driven their decision.

McBlogger at McBlogger speculates as to the reasons Sharon Keller (chief justice of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals) needed to get out of work at 5 on Sept. 25th.

Vince at Capitol Annex tells us about the Texas Conservative Coalition's new Election Integrity Task Force, its new Chairwoman and its likely recommendations.

Peter at B and B writes about the quixotic attempts by a group of environmentally conscious Republicans to get their chosen political party to care about conservation and stewardship: Republicans for Environmental Protection, all 70 of them, meet in San Antonio.

Off the Kuff looks at the ongoing dispute between the Harris County Appraisal District and the state comptroller over how commercial properties are taxed.

In a Texas Kaos dairy, Dallas and Denton drinking water at risk by TxDOT's route selection choice for FM299, Faith Chatham's shares a letter from Highland Village parents group activist/homeowner Susie Venable to mayor Tom Leppert of Dallas regarding the city water department's failure to monitor possible MTBE contamination issues. Despite cries of running out of money, TxDOT selected the only route (of 8) which would double project costs by requiring bridges to be built across three tributaries to Lake Lewisville (the drinking water source for Denton and Dallas Counties) in the area of the lake already contaminated by MTBE.

Gary at Easter Lemming updates the Pasadena mayor Manlove resignation and his running for Lampson's seat. There are a lot of happy faces at city hall. Easter Lemming broke the story back on September 22nd.

Trinity Trickey strikes again at The Texas Cloverleaf. This time pro-toll road literature features the war on trees and the fight against Angela Hunt by the powers that be. Only in Dallas.

This week's installment of GLBTube at the Houston GLBT Political Caucus Blog is a double feature: first, a sampling of clips related to ENDA; secondly, gay Republicans are running ads in order to sabotage hypocritical presidential candidates!

WhosPlayin hammers away on GOP Congressman Michael Burgess for dissing Muslims and being one of 30 boneheads to vote for giving mercenary firms like Blackwater a license to kill.

The Texas Blue looks at how the evangelical social movement isn't playing nice-nice with the Republican Party any longer, and why that is good for America.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson -- author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator -- is making a virtual book tour stop at Para Justicia y Libertad on Oct 11 to discuss his new book The Latino Challenge to Black America: Towards a Conversation Between African-Americans and Hispanics.

Hal at Half Empty counts a Lucky Seven of candidates that want to run against Nick Lampson in CD-22. He ROFLs and LMAOs.

Sunday Funnies (Really Late Edition)





Friday, October 05, 2007

RNC logo's "wide stance"


So much snark, so little time.

A prison-striped, starry-eyed pachyderm, on his hind legs (they only go two-legged when they're engaging in coitus), gathering behind next year.

Or perhaps ...

(I)t really does look like an elephant that just got ran over by a truck and is now splattered and dazed on the ground, covered in skid marks.


All the good ones have already been taken. But there's plenty of bad ones left, and they're all pretty funny.

Thursday, October 04, 2007

TexBlogs on SCHIP

President Bush yesterday vetoed an important and widely supported bi-partisan expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) (H.R. 976). WhosPlayin takes a look at what the blogs of the Texas Progressive Alliance are saying about this terrible move:

Adam at Three Wise Men writes: Bush uses veto pen to strike health care for kids



Blue 19th takes Randy Neugebauer to task for being willing to send billions to Iraq, but not to help children at home.



Blue 19th also uncovered a transcript of a secret press conference featuring the President, the Governor, and Rep. Randy Neugebauer. Put your sensibilities on hold and enjoy.




In examining Bush's veto of the SCHIP reauthorization and expansion, Vince at Capitol Annex notes that this is one of the President's worst actions in office and also points to statements on the veto from a pair of Texas legislators, Mike Villarreal (D-San Antonio) and Ellen Cohen (D-Houston).



Muse interrupts her outrage at the veto to send Bush a Bible verse, and remind him that his approval numbers are half of the percentage of Americans who approve of the legislation. She wonder if what's next is clubbing baby seals and drowning kittens.



Eye On Williamson calls Bush and Rep. John Carter on their votes against children, for private insurance corporations and urges the people to get involved: Bush Vetoes Childrens Health Care & John Carter Is Right By His Side.



Matt Glazer of Burnt Orange Report notes that the non-partisan Center for Public Policy Priorities urges Texans to encourage Senator Cornyn and the 18 Texas Congressmen who voted against it to change their votes to override the veto. Matt also suggests that Bush, Perry, Cornyn, and McCaul hate children and encourages us to show our outrage at a rally for kids health.



Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff notes that Bush is acting ashamed of this veto and explores the numbers needed for an override.


Wednesday, October 03, 2007

Arkansas Traveling

As previously referenced, I'll be driving through beautiful East Texas on Thursday with an overnight in Little Rock, spending Friday morning touring the Clinton Library and Friday evening watching the University of Arkansas Razorbacks (or Ladybacks) take on the Georgia Bulldogs (or Lady Bulldogs) in a SEC women's volleyball matchup. #4 is the oldest child of my youngest brother and the team's MVP.

On the weekend our options include attending the Arkansas -- Tennessee-Chattanooga football tilt or the Bikes, Blues, and BBQ rally on Saturday, then watching the Ladybacks on Sunday afternoon versus the Auburn Tigers (or Tigerettes) and returning to Texas Monday.

Once again please don't let any hurricanes come through Houston while we're away. (Y'all didn't do a very good job last month when we learned Humberto was coming while we were at the airport.)

I won't be taking any coats and ties to wear. I will be test-driving the Laptop Connect card I recently acquired for on-the-go-surfing in places that time forgot. So expect to see sporadic but not spasmodic blogging.

(I hate that word "spasmodic". It always makes me envision someone having an epileptic seizure. Or some poor woman who can't stop menstruating.)

Tuesday, October 02, 2007

Lest We Forget

Rush Pigbaugh failed to serve his country in Vietnam because he had a boil on his ass.

VoteVets.org puts the wood to him:



Who's the phony now?

HRC: LOL

I have previously come clean on my distaste for Madam Clinton as the Democratic nominee, but that's almost purely pragmatic. She's too conservative for my taste, and she's far too beholden to the corporate POV, and yes, she is going to be toxic to every other Democrat on the ballot with her, particularly throughout the South.

I thought The Laugh was fake and forced when I heard it several times last week, as Hillary made the rounds of the Sunday Morning Talking Heads. If it makes other people feel like I do -- a little uncomfortable with the phoniness -- then she may have a real problem.

Emphasis on May.

I think it walks right up to the edge of misogyny, though, to call her laugh a cackle. See, witches cackle. As we move toward Halloween, it's inevitable now that we're going to see some little kids (and some not-so-little ones) dressed up as Hillary the Witch, pointy hat and broom, cackling. That's fine; jocularity and biting humor and all.

But I really don't want to see the Beltway pundits start to pull out words like 'cackle', because words like 'bitch' will shortly follow. And worse. That's not even safe ground for the Faux News pimps.

I'm calling bullshit now on our media trying to make that her meme.

Monday, October 01, 2007

The G.O.D. Party (not the GOP)

I wrote previously about the possibility of third-party challenges in 2008, but I admit I never thought the fundies would get so fed up they would feel like quitting:

Some of the nation's most politically influential conservative Christians, alarmed by the prospect of a Republican presidential nominee who supports abortion rights, are considering backing a third-party candidate.

More than 40 Christian conservatives attended a meeting Saturday in Salt Lake City to discuss the possibility, and planned more gatherings on how they should move forward, according to Richard A. Viguerie, the direct-mail expert and longtime conservative activist.

As if the Republicans didn't have enough problems. On the other hand: Forty folks? As Arlo Guthrie sang in "Alice's Restaurant", ten more and people may think it's a movement.

Since Rudy 9/11 is an abortionist and neither Grandpa Fred nor Mitt the Flip-Flopper are Christians, and with Newt out suddenly, the God Squad is going to have to rely on the appearance of another saviour in 2008. And prayer ain't workin' for them.

I only wish these poor fools had decided to do this in the Eighties. You know, before the Reagan Revolt.

1,153 and $159,041

Our little portal collected 812 of those, and $141,489.16.

Rick thanks you, and we thank you.



"Now with this new dimension in American politics, the netroots allows for regular folks like me who have devoted their lives to public service to step forward and stand for higher office.


No longer do you have to be a celebrity or a self-financed millionaire to offer yourself for public service.



The netroots, in large part, have leveled the playing field.



The netroots component is going to be a critical piece to defeating John Cornyn
and getting the state and nation back on track after this administration has so misled us."


Update
(6:30 p.m.): Noriega raised a total of $570,000 for the quarter just ended. The netroots contribution was 27.9% of that tally.

The Weekly Wrangle

Time again for this week's edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance's Blog Round-Up, compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Blue 19th wonders: Can someone ask Randy Neugebauer why he hates college students?

Evan at the Houston GLBT Political Caucus Blog asks: Where is the Human Rights Campaign as leaders in Congress are considering leaving transgender workers out of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act because, unlike other GLBT political organizations, HRC -- no, not Hillary -- has been silent (and that's not acceptable).

In How are these alike? Fort Worth and Wise County TXsharon of Bluedaze warns Fort Worth residents about the dangers of Barnett Shale drilling, conflicts of interest and good-old-boy politics.

McBlogger goes all medieval on the Texas Transportation Commission's derriere... Like toll roads? Not McBlogger!

Texas Kaos community member Carol Gee gives a primer on terms we're all going to need to become more familiar with in 50 Ways to Understand the Protect America Act.

Managing diabetes is a real pain, according to PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson analyzes the latest actions in his statehouse district in Krusee's Influence And Credibility Are Gone, Time For HD-52 To Start Over.

BossKitty at Blue Bloggin notes that Lloyd Doggett hits Bush in the nose again, and this time it's about SCHIP. She also tells of some of the antics of Pete Sessions on the vote -- and how it's all about earmarks.

In a pair of posts, Nat-Wu at Three Wise Men asks if the city of Irving is practicing racist law enforcement.

Off the Kuff takes a look at State Proposition 2, an education bond issue that should not be confused with the Houston ISD's more controversial referendum.

Over at Stop Cornyn, Matt tells us how John Cornyn has once again voted against Texas children. Another post at Stop Cornyn notes just how out of touch the junior senator's vote was.

Texas Toad at North Texas Liberal talks about the Project Farm Team meeting, with guest speaker Vince Leibowitz, and how that organization can turn Denton County blue.

The Texas Blue, one of the recent additions to the Texas Progressive Alliance, has an audio interview with state representative Kirk England, who discusses his background and what motivated his recent decision to switch from Republican to Democratic.

Vince at Capitol Annex tells us how Rick Perry's decision to order the state's two largest retirement systems to divest in Iranian-related investments could cause a special session.

B and B says Stop the Border Wall.

Half Empty takes note of the huge issue that is the Trans Texas Corridor. Hal attended Hank Gilbert's informative discussion this past Saturday and reports.

Refinish69 at Doing My Part For The Left gives his views about people saying 'elect any Democrat' and why he thinks that is total BS in Rick Noriega, Dan Grant and John Edwards: 3 Great Democrats To Get Elected.