And about my local judicials

This past weekend I attended a workshop on "How to be a Delegate at the 2008 Democratic National Convention", at which several of my local judicial candidates were in attendance, working the room for support. Here's a bit about each of the ones I visited with:

Bruce Mosier, 190th civil district court. With forty years of experience as a litigator and mediator, a board-certified attorney in commercial and residential real estate law, and a long history of Democratic activism, Mosier tries again for the civil court place he barely missed in 2006. He counts as supporters Sheila Jackson Lee, state Sens. John Whitmire and Mario Gallegos, and state Rep. Jessica Farrar. Here's what my blog hermano Greg Wythe said about Mosier in 2004:

One of the comments John Kerry made in the debates about judges was a well taken point: the sign of a good judge is that when you read the final opinion or ruling, you don't know which party the author was .... you just know it was fair and well reasoned. Those two qualities, Bruce Mosier possesses in great abundance over the Rubber Stamp appointment of Governor Perry.

Martin Siegel, 14th Court of Appeals. Siegel is running for an associate justice position on the 14th, which covers Harris, Galveston, Fort Bend and seven more counties in southeast Texas. Siegel served as an assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York and as special counsel to the Senate Judiciary Committee (where he worked on election reform, the McCain-Feingold campaign finance bill, criminal justice, immigration and other issues). In 2006, Siegel successfully represented the Texas Democratic Party in its suit to prevent the Republican Party of Texas from replacing Tom DeLay on the general election ballot for Congress following DeLay's withdrawal as a candidate. Siegel wrote the TDP's briefs in the Fifth Circuit on an expedited schedule and co-argued the appeal, resulting in the well-known victory for the TDP (which ultimately gave us Nick Lampson in the 22nd Congressional district).

Larry Weiman, 80th civil district court. Weiman is another of our returning judicial candidates, having garnered 48% in his 2006 run (just so you're clear on the size of Harris County's electorate, that 48% was 263,507 votes). Weiman's reputation as a potential jurist is so solid that Republicans recruited him to run in past elections, but with a long family history as a Yellow Dog Democrat, he declined to do so.

Fred Cook, 215th civil district court. Cook is also a Democratic activist, having served as chair of his precinct and election judge for the past four years. But it's his 25 years as a litigator, a past director of the Houston Bar Association's litigation division, and the AV rating from Martindale Hubbard -- the highest possible peer rating for ethics and legal ability -- that distinguishes his candidacy.

Harold J Landreneau, Justice of the Peace 1-1. Landreneau is running for the JP position that represents my area, having served the court as chief clerk for the past 8 years. In addition to being an attorney he's also an ASFCME member and formerly a vice-president for the Heights Area Democrats. A lifelong Democrat, he traveled to New Hampshire in 2000 to volunteer for Al Gore's presidential campaign there.

I'll be profiling more of my favorite judicials running in 2008, from Susan Criss to Leslie Taylor to Mike Englehart to Chuck Silverman to Al Bennett to Goodwille Pierre.

Dale Henry for the Texas Railroad Commission

In more favorite candidate news today, one of mine from the 2006 cycle announced his bid for the TRC: Dale Henry.

“The (Texas Railroad) Commissioners have just stuck their head in the sand when it comes to public safety and our environment. As a result of their failure to use their statutory authority to require gas companies to replace faulty couplings in the Dallas area, two elderly Texans have died. And, the commission has simply looked the other way as saltwater injection wells have polluted the water supply up and down the Barnett Shale region in North Texas and in other areas of the state,” Henry said.

My blog hermana TxSharon has covered the topic Barnett Shale pollution extensively. More on the oil and gas man who's concerned about the environment:

“It is pretty hard to properly regulate the oil and gas industry when you are taking hundreds of thousands of dollars from their political action committees and executives,” Henry said. “The Railroad Commission doesn’t rule for the public anymore, they rule for the people lining their campaign warchests. I will work to get legislation passed to prohibit Railroad Commissioners from taking money from the industries the Commission is supposed to regulate,” he said.

Here's Dale speaking at the Texas Democratic Party's 2006 convention:



Henry is by far the best choice for progressives in the March 2008 Democratic primary for the Texas Railroad Commission.

Michael Skelly for Congress, 7th District

My district.

Ever since Mrs. Diddie and I moved into CD-07 earlier this year, we've searched for the candidate to to take on John Cumbersome. I asked Barbara Radnofsky at a meeting of Cy-Fair Democrats if she was was going to run, and she said, "No. Are you?"

Very funny, Bar.

I kept hearing that Jim Henley, the challenger in '06, was in, then out. I took a lunch meeting just last month with a fellow who said he was running; he still is, just not as a Dem. And I had heard something about an executive with a wind energy company who was born in Ireland, who served in the Peace Corps and spoke fluent Spanish, and who was capable of self-funding a run for Congress, but I couldn't figure out who it was.

Today, in my inbox (and in the Chronicle) I got my answer:

Skelly, of West University Place, is chief development officer for Horizon Wind, which investor Michael Zilkha of Houston and his father, Selim, bought about seven years ago for $6 million. This year a Portuguese utility company bought the firm for about $2.2 billion.

Brought to the United States as a child after being born to Irish parents in England, Skelly would not discuss how much money he will put into his campaign. Candidates can spend an unlimited amount on their own behalf, and in past Houston-area campaigns some have laid out more than $3 million to get elected.

He obviously is familiar with his opponent:

Culberson, he said, has "never met a problem he couldn't make worse." Skelly said the congressman has failed to work with local government officials to help solve mass transit problems, for example.

Which naturally can't be said of the incumbent:

"Who?" Culberson said today when asked by telephone about Skelly's candidacy for the November general election. Moments later he said Skelly's remarks are "pretty standard boilerplate Nancy Pelosi liberal Democratic spin."

Culberson, 49, said he never takes an election victory for granted, but "will continue to stay focused on doing the job I have done for the people of District 7 which they clearly approve of."

Clearly not. Just read the comments at the Chron link. Then again, Congressman Culberson is molded in the image of his idol, Tom DeLay; he's ignorant, ideological, and built to stay that way.

It sure will be nice to have some actual representation in DC in about a year. Charles Kuffner's post from last year is instructive as regards the math associated with a successful Democratic challenge in the district. I'll let Skelly finish the introduction of himself:

Ron Paul quotes Sinclair Lewis

Faux news anchors' heads explode:



His response to Mike Huckabee's ad portraying the former Arkansas governor as the Chosen One was to employ the phrase that used to be this blog's signature: "When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross."

I speak from personal experience, Dr. No: calling it fascism exposes you to backlash. Too many Americans don't know what fascism is and wouldn't recognize it if they did. It's right in front of their eyes but they just cannot see it. The fact that George W Bush refers to 'the terrists' as "Islamofascists" is one big clue to the depth of American ignorance on the topic.

It doesn't matter how much money you raise, Mr. Paul, you're never going to get the Republican nomination telling them the brutal truth. Oh yeah, your crossover appeal, what with that abolishing Social Security/free trade/life begins at conception thingie: that's not gonna fly either.

The Libertarians need you badly, though. It's where you belong.

Presidents' Heads in Pearland

There's an online presidential poll that needs your input, please. Somewhat outside the mainstream for this time of the year.

(Pearland, regular readers here may recall, is nestled in the gumbo mud of the Texas coastal plain five miles to the south of Houston, and is also the home of Bobby Eberle, he of Talon News/Jeff Gannon fame (in addition to serving as the vice-chairman of the Republican Party of Texas). Pearland also claims as city councilman one Kevin Cole, who defended Tom DeLay in a rather humorous e-mail to DroptheHammer.org back when DeLay was still defensible to many Republicans. Cole was a deacon of the First Baptist Church of Pearland, which was the launching pad for Pastor Rick Scarborough of Vision America, a man of God working hard to inherit the mantle vacated by Jerry Falwell.)

My Five were Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, FDR and LBJ, and in the comments I added that the only bushes that needed to be on display were the tightly trimmed shrubs lining the entrance to the park.

John Edwards and Iowa.

For months, Edwards has been rounding up support in the state's rural precincts where the front runners have paid less attention. While Obama and Clinton have drawn crowds in the thousands in places like Des Moines and Ames, Edwards has been winning over people in tiny towns like Sac City (population: 2,189). That's important, the strategists say, because under Iowa's arcane caucus rules, a precinct where 25 people show up to vote gets the same number of delegates as a place that packs in 2,500. In other words, even if he loses to Obama and Clinton in the state's bigger cities, he can still win by wrapping up smaller, far-flung precincts that other candidates have ignored. "The bulk of our support is in small and medium counties," says Jennifer O'Malley, Edwards's Iowa state director. O'Malley says Edwards has visited all 99 counties in the state; the campaign has so far trained captains covering 90 percent of all 1,781 precincts.

Tonight I participated in a conference call with Edwards supporters across the state of Texas; Fred Baron, David Bonior, Chris Bell and others gave updates and asked for (and volunteered to) help. Perhaps the most revealing thing to me is that the campaign is so encouraged by the momentum building in the Hawkeye State that their foremost request was for volunteers to spend any available time in New Hampshire.

Edwards is going to win the Iowa caucuses. Mark it.

Reid backs down, pulls FISA bill

Thanks to everyone who budged the machinery of democracy today:

Harry Reid just announced on the floor that he intends to table debate on the FISA overhaul legislation until January.

This is an important development and will hopefully allow the opposition to telco amnesty to convince enough Senators that providing blanket immunity to these companies who broke the law really doesn't do much to keep us safe.

Earlier, our Liberal Lion noted:

The President has said that American lives will be sacrificed if Congress does not change FISA. But he has also said that he will veto any FISA bill that does not grant retro-active immunity. No immunity, no FISA bill. So if we take the President at his word, he's willing to let Americans die to protect the phone companies.

Update: the video of the above ...



And while their offices indicated they opposed the bill and supported Senator Dodd's filibuster, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, (and John McCain too, for that matter) were nowhere near the Senate chamber today. All of them stayed on the campaign trail -- the Democrats in Iowa.

Chris Dodd -- by his actions and his words -- deserves fresh consideration from those who remain undecided about whom to support for President.

Update: here's his message, recorded shortly after the end of the session ...

FISA-with-immunity bill update

"Good morning, I'm calling Senator Obama/Clinton/Biden to ask him/her to represent the hundred of thousands of Texas Democrats like myself who have no representation in the United States Senate to oppose the FISA bill containing retroactive immunity for the telecommunications companies, to be considered today."

"Thank you."

T'was-the-week-before Wrangle

And all through the 'sphere
Not a blogger was stirring
(They drank too much beer.)

Vince does me one better:

It's beginning to look a lot like Monday
every where you go,
Take a look at the blogs and posts glistening once mo',
with threads and comments beaming all aglow.

It's beginning to look a lot like Monday
Round-ups on ev'ry blog
but the prettiest sight to see is the posting that will be
from your fave-rite blog....

Enjoy this week's Texas Progressive Alliance Blog Round-Up compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Fred Thompson couldn't make the ballot in Delaware because of FIVE HUNDRED SIGNATURES. Mayor McSleaze at McBlogger thinks that's pretty pathetic. You will as well.

Eddie at Burnt Orange Report writes about a precedent-setting case in the Sixth District Court of Appeals which gives helps a Paris, Texas blogger preserve his or her anonymity.

How I became a "far-left-radical with a socialist agenda" etc. On Bluedaze by TXsharon.

While Gary at Easter Lemming Liberal News had a sick mouse, the world moved on.

Choo choo!! That's the sound of cleaner air at The Texas Cloverleaf. Ninety-eight new and more environmentally friendly trains are running in Texas. But did taxpayers really have to front the money?

Bay Area Houston wonders why NASA contractors are limiting their employees' constitutional rights while receiving billions of dollars of government funding.

Vince at Capitol Annex notes that AG Greg Abbott has handed Speaker Tom Craddick an early Christmas present in the form of an opinion that gives him carte blanche -- and even emasculates impeachment.

Muse discovers a list of 300+ women political bloggers! Female bloggers are playing a powerful role in this presidential election cycle -- and are increasingly recognized for this. Texas bloggers are on the list. Check it out!

In his piece titled John Cornyn Files for Senate, Hal at Half Empty entertains the notion that the junior senator is really looking for an elusive seat on the US Supreme Court.

Stace at DosCentavos tells us about the newest Pew Center poll! It's no wonder many Citizen-Latinos (and especially undocumented folks) are feeling like people without a country.

Eye on Williamson posts on Brian Ruiz, Rep. John Carter's opponent in TX-31, and two of Carter's recent votes in Ruiz and Carter's (R-Exxon Mobil) Circle .

An activist action plan for the FISA-with-telecom immunity bill, coming up on Monday in the Senate, is posted by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs.

And, last but not least, don't forget about Dan Barrett in House District 97, who has been endorsed by the Texas Progressive Alliance in his special election runoff. Matt at Burnt Orange Report has a great post about the race here.

Sunday Evening Funnies

Retroactive immunity for whatever crimes you (may) have committed.

I'll take it. How about you?

Do the American people deserve to know, not every specific, but the extent to which their rights were violated? Do they have a right to know what the legal basis was that the telecommunications corporations relied upon when they decided to help the government violate the law?

Do we have to ask the non-thinking conservative's question of AT&T et. al. : "Whaddaya got to hide?"

And did you know that Chris Dodd, the only Senator who has consistently fought against FISA-with-telecom-immunity, lost the race for Senate majority leader by one vote to Harry Reid? (I didn't.)

Do something about this bill today. And tomorrow. This is a moment for leadership on the part of the people running for president who get to vote in the Senate on this bill tomorrow. And a test of their loyalty to the oath they took to support and defend the Constitution, which carries a fourth amendment they would do well to refresh themselves with:

Privacy apart, this president's defiance of statutes by the dozens is constitutionally alarming. But the matter goes deeper still. Even if Congress were to repeal the laws securing telephone privacy, or if phone companies found loopholes to slip through when pressured by government, the Constitution's Fourth Amendment shield for ''the right of the people to be secure" from ''unreasonable searches" is a shield for all seasons, one that a lawless president, a spineless Congress, and a complacent majority of citizens -- who are conditioned to a government operating under a shroud of secrecy while individuals live out their lives in fishbowls -- cannot be permitted to destroy, for the rest of us and our children.

If Ron Paul would give Mike Huckabee all his money ...

then maybe the goofball Republicans could have a chance at holding onto the White House:

Once considered a minor candidate in a large field of candidates, Paul is now close to breaking a $12 million fundraising goal for the final quarter of the year as his volunteers stage an Internet money-raising event Sunday tied to the anniversary of the 1773 Boston Tea Party.

Paul, the only candidate to release up-to-the-minute tallies of campaign receipts, has raised $11.4 million for this three-month period.

If the Texas lawmaker beats his target, he will have raked in more campaign cash than the other GOP contenders did at the end of the latest reporting period, including early front-runner Rudy Giuliani, who raised $11.6 million.

Anthony Corrado, a campaign finance expert at Colby College in Maine, said that Paul could well end up leading the GOP presidential pack in fundraising for the final quarter, which ends Dec. 31.

"Ron Paul has had remarkable success raising money this year," said Corrado.

Poor Huck; he's got ephemeral "polling support" but no caysh:

Until today, Huckabee's homepage had a "December 15th" goal of $1,150,000. Then today, perhaps as they saw it might not make it, they changed it to a "December" goal! This means it appears that they've nearly accomplished their goal in half the time, when in fact they failed to meet the original one!

Paul will likely raise $4 or 5 million bucks today; Huckabee can't raise a million in a month.

Will Huck get the dough if he winds up at the top of the conservative scrum? Sure. But Republicans are right to fear his nomination. He would be crushed next November.

I think Paul's fundraising and national grassroots appeal is certainly real. His endorsement of the eventual nominee will be coveted. A spot as vice-president on the GOP ticket is plausible. Paul is literally the only Republican candidate generating any real excitement, and has already reached the point of significant viability. Just not as the party's nominee for president.

Paul would destroy the Republicans by running as a Libertarian at this point, with still no better chance of getting elected than if he happened to wind up the GOP standard-bearer. He is, similar to the blimp pictured in the link above, inflating rapidly to the role of kingmaker, well-positioned to make considerable demands of the nominee. I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing -- today --, because Paul is the anti-neoconservative. His influence as potentially the vice-president could bring a quick end to the folly in Iraq, prevent war with Iran, and close the sad chapter of 21st-century American neo-imperialism executed by the Bushies.

There's considerable independent and crossover appeal in a McCain-Paul ticket, IMHO. They might even be a less nasty bunch to go against in a general.

Nope. Sorry. That last sentence is just too unrealistic.

Update (12/17): Six mmmmmmillion dollars yesterday. From 30,000 donors. He's gone past $18 million for the quarter.

IOKIYAR (and it's not a blowjob in a blue dress)

‘Sleeping with the boss’ common at KBR in Iraq:

Working in Iraq wasn't always an adventure for Linda Lindsey.

"If you wanted to get a promotion you didn't necessarily have to have the qualifications,” remembered Lindsey, a former KBR contractor. “You just needed to be sleeping with the person who was doing the hiring.”

Let's pause here a moment and review The Rules (Republican version 2.008):




Continuing ...

Though she did not know Jamie Leigh Jones, the young KBR contractor who says she was drugged and gang raped by colleagues, Lindsey said Jones’ allegations are not surprising.

“Where I was at and when I was there it was very, very upsetting,” Lindsey recalled.

In a sworn affidavit for the Jones case, Lindsey said: “I saw rampant sexual harassment and discrimination."

“Well, first of all, a boss saying that he hired a woman because she told him that she puts out," she added.

Her affidavit also said: "When anyone would report an incident of abuse or harassment, they would be threatened with a transfer to a more dangerous location."

Lindsey said complaints made it back to KBR's Houston headquarters, but the people causing problems in Iraq were never removed.

That left many women workers, Lindsey said, feeling helpless.

If you're a "fat, lazy, and old" (his lawyer's words, not mine) white man who shoots two people in the back with a 12-gauge, or a male KBR employee in Iraq, donchyoo worry 'bout a thing. But if you're anybody else, you're fucked. Wrong place/wrong time/wrong color/wrong political philosophy; raped, tortured, killed, too bad for you.

Makes a person wonder why he would be concerned about something as relatively inconsequential as whether his vote counts or not.

Sunday Funnies

2004 election "could" have been stolen: Ohio SOS

Thank goodness we found out just in time to prevent it from happening again.

Ohio's Secretary of State announced (yesterday) that a $1.9 million official study shows that "critical security failures" are embedded throughout the voting systems in the state that decided the 2004 election. Those failures, she says, "could impact the integrity of elections in the Buckeye State." They have rendered Ohio's vote counts "vulnerable" to manipulation and theft by "fairly simple techniques."

Indeed, she says, "the tools needed to compromise an accurate vote count could be as simple as tampering with the paper audit trail connector or using a magnet and a personal digital assistant."

In other words, Ohio's top election official has finally confirmed that the 2004 election could have been easily stolen.

It's just nice that three years and nearly two million dollars later we finally have confirmation, isn't it?

(Ohio SOS Jennifer) Brunner is calling for widespread changes to the way Ohio casts and counts its ballots. Her announcement follows moves by California Secretary of State Deborah Bowen to disqualify electronic voting machines in the nation's biggest state.

In tandem, these two reports add a critical state-based dimension to the growing mountain of evidence that the US electoral system is rife with insecurities. Reports from the Brennan Center, the Carter-Baker Commission, the Government Accountability Office, the Conyers Committee Task Force Report, Princeton University and others have offered differing perspectives that add up to the same conclusion.

Paging Bill White. Mr. White, please pick up the white discourtesy phone for a clue ...

Now why was this Ohio business such a big deal again?

Brunner is the Democratic successor to Republican J. Kenneth Blackwell, who administered the 2004 election as Secretary of State while also serving as state co-chair of the Bush-Cheney campaign. The report comes as part of her pledge to guarantee a fair and reliable vote count in the upcoming 2008 presidential election.

Under Blackwell, Ohio spent some $100 million installing electronic voting machines as part of the Help America Vote Act, passed by Congress in the wake of the scandals surrounding the 2000 election. Former Ohio Congressman Bob Ney, HAVA's principle author, now resides in a federal prison, in part for illegalities surrounding his dealings with voting machine companies.

Blackwell, who was defeated in a 2006 race for the Ohio governorship, outsourced web hosting responsibilities for the 2004 vote count to a programming firm that also programmed the web site for the 2000 Bush-Cheney campaign. Blackwell's chosen host site for the state's vote count was in the basement of the Old Pioneer Bank Building in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where the servers for the Republican National Committee, and the Bush White House, were also located.

Oh yeah. Corrupt Republicans hard at work subverting democracy. Seems like I've heard about that before.

Update: Rhymes with Right has a respectable opinion from that side.

Greg Abbott, Tom Craddick, and the best government money can buy

After 180 days of careful contemplation, the TxOAG issued a 31-page opinion regarding the question of whether the Speaker of the Texas House is a statewide officer.

The answer: he has no opinion. Mostly.

The two Republicans who wrote to "General Abbott", however, do have one:

"...it now appears that the integrity of Texas Government is still at a critical crossroads," say State Representative Jim Keffer (R-Eastland) & State Representative Byron Cook (R-Corsicana)

"In football terms, the Attorney General's advisory opinion has punted this issue to the courts and has fumbled in its attempted summary. Craddick is elected from his Midland district which is only 1/150th of the people of Texas. Based on this, we strongly disagree with the unprecedented contention that the office of Speaker is a statewide officer.

"Furthermore, it is unprecedented to contend that the House Speaker is subject to removal by a vote of the Texas Senate. Sadly, the Attorney General's advisory opinion only reaffirms the adage: 'Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.' Tom Craddick's declaration of 'absolute authority' is an abuse of power and undermines the basic premise of democracy in Texas government.

"We firmly believe Craddick's application of 'absolute authority' has violated constitutional rights of members of the legislature and the constituents they serve. We firmly believe our state constitution did not create the Texas House Speaker post as a dictatorial position.

"It is our understanding of the state constitution that the Speaker is a legislative post constructed to serve the members of the Texas House of Representatives as a presiding officer over its operation. Because of the Attorney General's own admission of a lack of clarity by past Court cases, it now appears that the integrity of Texas Government is still at a critical crossroads.

"Enough is enough. The people of Texas need to let their local representatives know that they've had enough of Tom Craddick's one-man dictatorship."

Even Republicans are tired of the corruption in Texas government (not enough of them, obviously, but still, this qualifies as progress).

What do you suppose they'll actually do about it, though?

Update: South Texas Chisme rounds up the links from the MSM and the blogosphere summarizing the disarray. Vince thinks it's a total win for Craddick, including the AG's suggestion that impeachment would not force the election of another speaker, but Harvey Kronberg finds some flaws in the legal reasoning (bold emphasis his):

We are still trying to sort out Greg Abbott's opinion regarding Tom Craddick's constitutional assertions of power. The consensus of non-government attorney's (sic) we have spoken to is that it is much verbiage without much meaning.

What seems truly bizarre to this reader is that more deference was given to Knox v. Johsnon (sic) in which an appeals court decides a state hospital superintendent is considered a state officer than to the 1871 precedent in which the House removed a speaker. In fact, although the state constitutional convention of 1845 is referenced, the 1871 precedent is not.

In parsing through arcane case law, the Attorney General never looks to other states or federal examples where nearly identical constitutional issues have been adjudicated -- something at least one expert told QR was the starting point of such a discussion in which no case law existed.

And of course, the Abbott opinion never seriously looks at the precedents cited in the briefs hostile to his conclusion.

More reaction likely.

What's wrong with telecom immunity anyway?

This:

Dear United States Senate,

Please pass a bill that gives me immunity from breaking the law. Now -- and this is awkward -- I can't tell you which law I broke or when I first broke it, or the specifics of how I came to break that law. I can't tell you what the results of my breaking of the law have been, and I cannot tell you how long I have been breaking the law. I can, however, assure you that I broke whichever law I broke for a very good reason, which is that President George W. Bush told me to break it.

I can't tell you whether or not George W. Bush had the authority to tell me to break the law, because I can't tell you how I broke the law. So maybe I didn't break the law at all, because George W. Bush says I didn't, but on the other hand George W. Bush lacks the power to declare who did or did not break the law, because it is not for him to say, so I probably did break the law, in a manner I can't discuss.

Anyway, I think you will agree that the only available option is to pass a law declaring that it is OK that I broke whatever law I broke, if I broke it, because if you do not I will be sad and people will be mad at me and possibly try to hold me accountable for breaking the law that I can't tell you I broke.

It is very important to give me blanket immunity for breaking the law, whichever law I broke, for reasons that I am also not allowed to tell you. Please get right on it -- preferably tomorrow. If you have time.

P.S. I am not a crackpot.

Harry Reid is bringing the FISA bill up for a vote today Monday -- placing, as the NYT notes ...

... Democratic senators like Christopher Dodd and Russ Feingold in the absurd position of having to stage filibusters against their own party’s leadership to try to forestall more harm to civil liberties.

And mcjoan finishes:

Reid won't only be going against Feingold and Dodd on this. He'll be going against Daniel Akaka and Bob Menendez--not your average liberal firebrands, but Senators who signed on to that letter opposing telco amnesty.

He's also be going against Senators Biden, Clinton, and Obama, all of whom will hopefully remember their promise to support Dodd's filibuster, if necessary.

It's time for some real leadership in the Senate, for someone to stand up to Bush. This would be a great place to start, and our presidential candidates are just the people for the job.

With the news earlier this week about Nancy Pelosi assisting in the waterboarding of our democracy, I would have to say that I'm at the end of the line with my Democrat Congressional leadership. This FISA bill needs to go down in flames, one way or another.

Or else the Democrats in Washington are going to.

Update (12/15): The vote is now scheduled for Monday. For the next three days I will be calling Democratic Senators in other states requesting their assistance in thwarting this retroactive immunity legislation, since I do not have any goddamned Senators in my state who represent me in Washington.

2007 Texan(s) of the Year

The Texas Progressive Alliance is proud to announce the Texas House leadership team of state representatives Jim Dunnam, Garnet Coleman, and Pete Gallego as our 2007 recipients of the Texan of the Year award.

There may not be three individuals who have done more for Democrats in the state of Texas over the past four years than Dunnam, Coleman, and Gallego. Together in 2007, they led the way for the resurgence of the Texas Democratic Party. They were on the front lines battling Speaker Craddick in the final days of the session, and are now poised to add to the Democratic gains in the House as they continue their roles as co-chairs of the House Democratic Campaign Committee.

Their work together is imperative to the continued progress of Democrats in Texas, but it's their individual efforts that really demonstrate how this leadership team brings out the best in one another for the good of all Texans. Here's a brief highlight of what each of these leaders did over the past year:

Jim Dunnam

Where Democrats had a mere 62 members in the House in 2003, today there are 70, including Kirk England, who announced his intention to switch parties and run as a Democrat in the next cycle. And with the extra troops there was mustered a full frontal assault on Craddick's corrupt leadership, launched by a single question from the Waco Democrat: "Mr. Speaker, what is the process of removing the Speaker of the Texas House?" His mastery of the House rules was incredible to watch.

During the 80th legislative session, Dunnam led efforts to clean up the mess Rick Perry and the Republican leadership made at the Texas Youth Commission. He worked with Coleman and Gallego to lead the fight against expanding tax cuts for the richest 10% of Texans at the expense of health care and education. He passed numerous bills for his district but will forever be remembered for the efforts he made on the House floor, challenging the absolute power of Speaker Craddick.

Garnet Coleman

Coleman is one of the most progressive members of the Texas House. He filed over sixty pieces of legislation, including ending tuition deregulation, overturning the ban on gay marriage, and preventing the construction of new toll roads anywhere in the state of Texas. But beyond those strong policy positions, he successfully passed legislation to expand health care opportunities for former foster children and double the funding for cancer research. He continued his fight to fully restore CHIP -- an effort he's worked for ever since Craddick and his allies kicked hundreds of thousands of kids off their state-sponsored health care beginning in 2003.

Beyond his legislative work, Coleman is the top fundraiser for Texas Democrats and is well-known for his non-stop efforts in supporting House Democrats across the state. He chairs the Legislative Study Group, which received a Silver Star award from the TPA for its policy work.

Pete Gallego

Gallego is the chair of of the largest bipartisan legislative caucus in the Texas House, the Mexican-American Legislative Caucus. He also sits on the national board of NALEO. He was a top lieutenant for Speaker Pete Laney, and his work from that better time allows him to remain one of the most trusted members of the Texas House.

His policy issues are far-reaching and range from helping protect our state's natural resources to preventing those horrid voter ID bills behind the scenes. Gallego also tempered some of the more controversial issues of the session, including immigration and security. He often makes waves quietly inside the Capitol, but his efforts help thousands of Texans from all walks of life.

Together, Representatives Gallego, Dunnam, and Coleman are extremely deserving of our 2007 Texan of the Year award.

A side-effect of my use of Human Post Hormone

NBA, hot stove league, and Mitchell report hap'nins

Sports postpourri. First, from my basketball insider newsletter:

Steve Nash handed his tooth to a trainer after a Carlos Boozer elbow dislodged it and then gave a hilarious halftime interview to the cameras on his way to a 29-point night. Nash finished with six boards, 11 assists and three 3-pointers on a 10-of-12 shooting night as the Suns beat the Jazz. He gave the interview with an exaggerated lisp, highlighting part of his missing tooth, which was fun to watch.

-- The Astros made a big trade yesterday. I think it'll work out OK for them; Troy Patton's stock has dropped a bit over the last year. He projects as a third or fourth starter, though he's not ready for the bigs yet. Luke Scott should start over Jay Payton in left field for the O's, at least against righties, but he may not be more than a one- or two-year solution. Matt Albers has fourth-starter potential but belongs in the pen right now, as he's primarily a two-pitch pitcher. Dennis Sarfate, a waiver claim from the Brewers, emerged as a viable late-game relief candidate at the end of last season; he has, however, a long history of command problems. Mike Costanzo was the strikeout-prone third base prospect the Astros picked up from the Phillies in the Brad Lidge deal.

I'd say the Orioles got about as much as they could for Tejada, and the Astros -- provided they do something in a trade for pitching with Chris Burke, Adam Everett, or Ty Wigginton, or all three -- improved themselves the most with this deal.

Update: Richard Justice seems to have a mixed opinion. And Adam Everett signed a free-agent contract with the Minnesota Twins shortly after this posting.

--Start rehearsing your "Fukudome" jokes now:

The Cubs reeled in another marquee free agent, reaching a preliminary agreement with Japanese star Kosuke Fukudome on a four-year, $48 million deal to be their right fielder. ...

In Fukudome, they have added a needed left-handed bat who can get on base, hit with power, run and play strong defense.

"He's been our target acquisition from day one," Cubs general manager Jim Hendry said Wednesday when the Cubs announced the deal pending Fukudome passing a physical next week in Chicago.

Considered one of the best outfielders in Japanese baseball, the 30-year-old slugger was a key member of the team that won the inaugural World Baseball Classic in March 2006.

If Harry Carey was still alive, there wouldn't be a green leaf on the outfield walls of Wrigley Field this April before WGN lost their broadcast license.

-- The Rocket was allegedly on the juice. More names this afternoon. "It's going to be a rough day in the Bronx," the Bergen Record quotes the source -- a strength coach employed by the Yankees as well as a personal trainer to Clemens and Andy Pettitte.

Joe Horn, Sharon Keller, and Texas' frontier justice

Kudos to Lisa Falkenberg for her willingness to write the ugly fact:

Human life is worth more than property. It seems like a universal truth. But apparently not in Texas, or other states with similar laws.

Over the past week, I've researched the Texas Penal Code and discovered some provisions that were surprising even to this fifth-generation Texan. The law of our land seems to place more value on the property being stolen — even if it belongs to a neighbor — than on the life of the burglar stealing it.

A review of our state's protection-of-property statutes suggests that Horn's repeated declarations about not letting the burglars "get away with it" may be the words that ultimately set him free.

If Horn doesn't get indicted, don't blame the grand jury. And don't blame Harris County District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal. Blame the section of Chapter 9 of the Penal Code that deals with protection of property.

Under the section, which has been in place at least since 1973, a person is justified in using deadly force to protect a neighbor's property from burglary if the person "reasonably believes" deadly force is immediately necessary to stop the burglars from escaping with the stolen property. It's also justified if the shooter "reasonably believes" that "the land or property cannot be protected or recovered by any other means."

Justifiable homicide. Castle doctrine. "He needed killin' ".

The vast majority of Texans -- conservative Republicans and Democrats alike -- love this idea of Judge Roy Bean, "shoot-first-ask-questions-later" dispensation of justice. The rest of us know it's crude, ignorant, and abhorrent, and the majority of nearly 500 comments (at the time of this posting) from Chronicle readers at the link to the op-ed above proves it.

The "hang 'em high" mindset screeches at full volume today on the Chron's website, from that page to the latest report about Judge Sharon "Killer" Keller's 5 p.m. justice. Commenters at both pages represent many more -- and likely a majority of Texans -- who would just as soon take matters into their own heavily armed hands and dispense their personal opinion of 'criminal justice' at the end of a gun, or a needle, or a noose.

If that's really what Jesus would do, then I'm glad I'm not a Christian.

Falkenberg finds someone who acknowledges the inherent political cowardice reality:

"My sense is that the reason, not just Texas, but other states have been enacting statutes more and more like this is because politicians are afraid to vote against them," said Steven Goode, a law professor at the University of Texas.

"They don't want the next attack ad to be one where they are criticized for voting against someone's ability to protect themselves in their home."

"In a calmer and less politicized environment we might have different laws," Goode said. "But campaign ads don't allow for particularly nuanced discussions of issue."

Let's bottom-line it.

Judge Keller needs to resign, or be impeached. Joe Horn needs to be arrested and charged with murder in the first, so that a jury of his "peers" can determine his guilt or innocence. I'm convinced he'll be just as safe following the verdict as he is today -- certainly so if he is tried in Harris County. That's how justice is supposed to work, after all.

Gold Star Texan: Mario Gallegos

In addition to awarding our Texan of the Year (coming on Friday, December 14), the Texas Progressive Alliance recognizes others who have contributed to Texas politics and the progressive cause during 2007. Leading up to tomorrow's TOY announcement, we have named our TPA Gold Stars (one each day through today). Wednesday, we feted Molly Ivins. Tuesday, we recognized Denise Davis. Monday, it was Rick & Melissa Noriega. The Silver Stars, announced last week, may be found here.

State Sen. Mario Gallegos

We all like to think that when our beliefs and principles are truly put to the test, that we will answer the call; that we will stand up for the things we hold dear even if it means putting our own well-being at risk. Most of us never find ourselves in that position, and it's often just as well, for as the apostle Peter might say, 'easier said than done'. But when the courageous deed is done, it serves as an inspiration for us all.

State Sen. Mario Gallegos was in that position this spring. Having undergone a liver transplant shortly after the legislative session began, he spent most of the rest of it in Houston recuperating. His absence meant that the Democratic Senate caucus had only ten members, which was not enough to block a divisive partisan bill such as those that were filed to restrict voting rights by requiring photo ID. Sen. Gallegos asked Lt. Gov. Dewhurst to give him notice if a voter ID bill was going to be on the docket, so he could do his duty and prevent it from passing. Dewhurst made a one-time-only guarantee, so against the advice of his doctor, Gallegos arrived in Austin and vowed to stay there until sine die to protect all voters' rights. And it was a good thing he did, as events proved Dewhurst's willingness to pass such a bill by any means necessary. His health was weak but his will was strong, and the battle was at a standstill.

Just as victory seemed assured, his fragile recovery worsened, sending him back to Houston, and it looked as if Dewhurst would finally get his chance. And then, when everyone least expected it, Gallegos returned to the Capitol, leaving no doubt as to the force of his resolve:

Ailing state Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, has a hospital bed set up in the sergeant's office -- about a 100 feet (sic) from Gallegos' Senate chamber desk, Monday so that he could help block a contentious voter ID bill from debate.

"I'm hurting. I'm hurting," Gallegos said a few minutes ago as the Senate went into session.

[...]

In the meantime, Sen. Bob Deuell, R-Greenville, is monitoring Gallegos' health. Deuell is a physician.

In the face of such powerful will, Dewhurst capitulated, promising no voter ID legislation would be considered, allowing Gallegos to return home and get the treatment he needed. The ailing senator left the chamber to a standing ovation from both his peers and the assembled gallery, as well as the lasting gratitude of all Texans who cherish the unfettered right to vote.

For literally putting his life on the line in order to protect democratic principles, State Sen. Mario Gallegos is a deserving winner of a Gold Star from the Texas Progressive Alliance.

Dobbs' head explodes; CNN anchor continues talking

Thanks, Andy:

Shortly after his statement about illegal Mexican laborers constructing a border fence, Dobbs’ head exploded, filling the screen with smoke and visibly startling (guest and fellow anchor Anderson) Cooper.

After Dobbs’ head burst into flames, his CNN cohort attempted to go to commercial, but Dobbs continued talking undaunted for another fifteen minutes.

Immediately after the broadcast, Dobbs was rushed to the Head Explosion Unit at George Washington University Hospital where the CNN anchor continued talking for an additional five hours before being administered general anesthesia.

“In all my years as a brain surgeon I have never seen someone with such serious head trauma continue speaking,” said chief of surgery Dr. Hiroshi Kyosuke. “It is almost as if Lou Dobbs’ mouth functions completely independently from his brain.”

*standing ovation*

Green Zone gang-rape: another KBR job hazard

Never Forget: what's always been the most important thing in this Crusade for Iraqi Democracy is safeguarding the freedoms of our brave American contractors who risk their lives every day to bring us $100 oil:

"These are the worst types of crimes that can happen to a citizen abroad," said Rep. Ted Poe, R-Humble, who wrote the letter with Rep. John Conyers Jr., D-Mich. "I think there's going to be some movement by the Justice Department now that this is in the public domain."

Finding a patriot like Ted Poe waging war here (not quite like Charlie Wilson, but close) has to be the surprise of the season. Of course when the laws were being written absolving corporations of every single tort responsibility, he was on the front lines there too...

KBR lawyers have asked the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas to dismiss the cases so they can be handled through the company's Employee Dispute Resolution Program. KBR and Halliburton employees sign contracts in which they agree to resolve disputes and claims against the company through an arbitrator.

The company picks the arbitrator. KBR has only won 80% of the arbitration claims filed against it.

You know, you'd think they could do better than that.

Update (12/13): Think Progress has more, including video of Poe on Lou Dobbs' program last night.

2007 Gold Star Texan: Molly Ivins

(Besides recognizing our Texan of the Year, the Texas Progressive Alliance acknowledges a number of others who contributed to Texas politics and furthered the progressive cause during 2007. Leading up to the TOY announcement on Friday, we bring you our TPA Gold Stars, one each day this week. Yesterday we awarded Denise Davis; Monday, Rick & Melissa Noriega. The Silver Stars, announced last week, are here.)

Molly Ivins

Had she been born in 1984 instead of 1944, Molly Ivins might have been a blogger. Instead she was an award-winning, best-selling journalist, columnist and author. A Texan, a progressive, a feminist, and a survivor, her passing earlier this year marked the end of an era for Lone Star liberals as well as those across the country who loved her fiery, populist brand. Ivins gave all progressives a prominent national voice.

In honoring someone as distinguished as the late, great Molly, sometimes it's best to do so in someone else's words. In this case, hers:

I used to say, having once been a card-carrying Sixties radical, that if I had to be called a liberal, I’d just as soon be the worst kind of liberal -- a bleeding heart. I wound up being a liberal because I was for civil rights and against the war in Vietnam and that’s what I got called. I missed the New Deal and McCarthyism and all that good business.

I’ve got more important things to worry about -- three-year-old kids getting raped and denied admission to a hospital because their mamas don’t have any money and things like that. I carry neither grief nor guilt for the many sins of liberals past and present: there’s too much to bleed over. And laugh over.

Indeed, Molly. For this and more, we name you a Texas Progressive Alliance 2007 Gold Star.

2007 Gold Star Texan: Denise Davis

(In addition to awarding its Texan of the Year, the Texas Progressive Alliance has chosen a number of others who have contributed to Texas politics and the progressive cause during 2007. Leading to the TOY announcement this Friday, we bring you our TPA Gold Stars, one each day through Thursday. Yesterday we recognized Rick & Melissa Noriega. Our Silver Stars, announced last week, may be found here.)



Denise Davis

Few stories this year enthralled the politically inclined among us like the ongoing turmoil in the Texas House. From the speaker's race at the onset of the 80th legislative session to Rep. Pat Haggerty's call for members who wanted to remove House Speaker Tom Craddick, to taking the keys to their voting machines and following him out of the chamber ... 2007 was a watershed moment in Texas political history. While there were many elected officials who deserve (and will receive) recognition and historical remembrance for the parts they played in the pageant of chaos that was the 80th Texas Legislature, one other individual -- who happens not to be an elected official -- also deserves to be recognized for the role she played in the unprecedented drama.

Denise Davis, the former parliamentarian of the Texas House, was never an uncontroversial figure. Throughout her tenure -- nearly three sessions -- Democrats privately criticized Davis for some of her rulings and believed her to be an unrepentant loyalist to Craddick. That changed at a moment approaching midnight on May 25, 2007, when Davis walked out of the parliamentarian's office and into the pages of history. Around 9 p.m. that evening, after House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam brought a motion to vacate the chair, which Craddick refused to recognize. The speaker then abruptly left the dais -- and subsequently the assembly -- in chaos, 'adjourned' until 11 p.m. What transpired in the interim remains murky, although one thing is clear: Davis and deputy parliamentarian Chris Griesel resigned, leading Craddick to appoint two cronies (former state reps. Ron Wilson and Terry Keel) to replace them. Davis departed Craddick's service rather than legitimize his dictatorial hold over the Texas House. It was a move that took great courage, because the full power of the speaker's office -- in attempts to silence her about what happened in those final hours -- was brought to bear upon her.

When the history of the 80th Legislature is written, among the legislators who will occupy the pages of the texts that comprise this story, there will be one other person whose role will be noted, and that is Denise Davis -- for her principle and bravery.

2007 Texan of the Year: Gold Stars

In addition to awarding one Texan of the Year (coming this Friday), the Texas Progressive Alliance chose to recognize a number of others who have contributed to Texas politics and the progressive cause during 2007. This week, leading up to the TOY announcement, we bring you our Texas Progressive Alliance Gold Stars (one each day through Thursday).



Melissa and Rick Noriega

These two Houston Democrats could easily be called Texas' new political power couple. Melissa Noriega made news this year with her run for the Houston City Council seat, vacated by Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who had resigned to complete the last six weeks of former Congressman Tom DeLay's term in 2006. Through a special election, a runoff, and a general election battle to win the council seat for the full term, Melissa's progressive message endeared her to Houston voters, earned significant media recognition, and helped mark her as part of a new generation of progressive leaders with statewide potential. She had previously served as interim state legislator while her husband served his country in Afghanistan as a reservist and lieutenant colonel in the Texas National Guard.

Rick Noriega's story is also well known: as a veteran of the "War on Terror" and the coordinator for Houston's relief effort for Hurricane Katrina victims in 2005, Rick generated buzz early in 2007 as a number of progressive netroots activists and traditional, offline Democrats created a movement to "draft" Noriega into the Democratic Party's race for US Senate. Rick answered the call and threw his hat into the ring to take on John Cornyn and the formidable Texas Republican machine in 2008, despite the fact that he could have easily won re-election to the Texas Legislature or even run for another office where the battle would have been easier. Instead, he had the courage to stand up for all Texans and declare "enough is enough".

True people-powered candidates, Rick and his wife Melissa have made significant personal sacrifices to serve the people of Texas. For this and many other reasons, the Texas Progressive Alliance is pleased to recognize Rick and Melissa Noriega among its 2007 Gold Stars.

The Weekly Wrangle

Time once again for the Texas Progressive Alliance Blog Round-Up, compiled as it always is by Vince from Capitol Annex.

It appears that Texas state Sen. Craig Estes is considering an investigation into the egregious negligence and malpractice of the Texas Railroad Commission. However, as TXsharon at Bluedaze reminds us: It's no time to rest! Keep the pressure on with your letters, emails, faxes and calls.

Now that Williamson County's secret complaint has been dismissed, the Texas Fair Defense Project's class-action lawsuit on behalf of indigent defendants is back on track. Eye on Williamson's wcnews provides an update on the slowly progressing case in The Upside-Down World of Williamson County.

The Associated Republicans of Texas met, ate, belched and applauded the venom spewed from the mouth of Karl Rove at an appearance in Austin last week. Grab your can of disinfectant and click over to Brains and Eggs, where PDiddie has the (pooper) scoop.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme enjoyed this headline: "Where was Hutchison, Valley veterans ask". Why aren't all US veterans asking where all 'support the troop' Republicans have been?

John Coby at Bay Area Houston has his take on a Christmas poem -- T'was the Night Before Impeachment: T'was the night before impeachment it was cold, wet, and rainy, Not a creature was testifying, not even Dick Cheney. Impeachment resolutions were hung in the House for appearing, waiting for Conyers and Waxman, and a long-awaited hearing.

BossKitty at Bluebloggin is frustrated with Congress dropping the hate crime bill H.R. 1585 Hate Crime Bill Married To Iraqi War Funding - No Joke.

Vince at Capitol Annex takes a look at the lies and errors in Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court in the groundbreaking voter ID case.

The Texas Cloverleaf calls out TxDOT for delaying DFW area construction projects even after receiving $3.197 billion from NTTA.

The Sunset Commission is taking a hard look at TXDOT and McBlogger thinks it's about time. Feel to send in your suggestions on how to fix the ailing agency.

One week into filing season, Off the Kuff reviews the filings he's waiting for.

The Texas Education Agency made national news after the forced resignation of Chris Comer, its science curriculum director, in the ever-swirling "intelligent design" controversy, reports North Texas Liberal's Texas Toad.

More Sunday Funnies

And another from the great Nick Anderson:

Sunday Funnies

Romney, Huckabee, McCain, Giuliani and more bloggerhea

-- Give Huckabee and McCain the up arrows and Romney and Giuliani the downs. Huckabee is finally catching some flak (over things like his phone call to God) after coasting all the way into December. Count Rudy out; he hasn't bottomed out yet from Sex on the City. Romney's JFK moment this week wasn't even that (a moment). Nobody else -- including Dr. No and Lazy Fred -- is going to be a factor.

If I had to hold my nose and pick one of these ultimate November losers today, it would be John McCain.

-- The latest Bush adminstration scandal involves the destruction of tapes. How Nixonian.

-- Blackwater's brother, the State Dept.'s inspector general, went on and resigned yesterday.

-- My neighborhood was voted one of America's top urban enclaves. Of course I knew this already.

-- The Republicans in Wharton county have decided to go back to paper ballots:

On whether computerized electronic voting machines are reliable and secure, the Republican leadership in Wharton County votes "no."

Precinct chairmen in the county southwest of Houston decided this week to return to using paper ballots in the March GOP primary for president, congressional seats and local races. ...

In the statewide election, businessman Jim Welch tried to vote at a fire station in Boling. Some of his votes on state constitutional amendments changed before his eyes, he said, and when election officials acknowledged the problem and offered to let him start over, he concluded the equipment was unreliable and declined. Welch later complained to county and party officials.

-- Auto loans are the next credit crisis.

-- Progressive blog readers are Satan worshippers, according to Bill O'Reilly. NBC's David Gregory blames blogs for the polarization in politics. These two fools simply don't understand that if they had simply performed as journalists, then there would have never been a need for a political blog in the first place.

"O'Reilly" and "journalist" in the same sentence. My mistake.

-- Lastly, Harvey Kronberg has noticed the power of the Texroots:

In perhaps another signal of the maturation of the netroots, QR notes that 24 Democratic candidates for the Texas House have already reported raising money through ActBlue, a national Web-based clearinghouse for Democratic campaign donations.

The fundraising leader so far is Brian Thompson, the all-but-declared challenger for Rep. Dawnna Dukes’ (D-Austin) seat in the House. He reports $4,800 in donations. While that’s not exactly a Bob Perryesque figure, it’s almost as much as the incumbent has in cash on hand on her last Ethics Commission report.

Dukes will obviously have the resources to vigorously defend her seat, but Thompson’s popularity fits an initial trend of challengers getting support from the netroots. After Thompson, the next three most successful online fundraisers are Sandra Rodriguez ($2,000), Dan Barrett ($1,674) and Sherrie Matula ($1,575).

Thompson and Rodriguez are primary challengers to Craddickrats Dawnna Dukes and Kino Flores. Barrett is in the runoff for Fort Worth's HD-97 (election day is December 10) and Matula will take on the ethically challenged John Davis in HD-129, in Pasadena.

Texas GOP lines up, pays big for more Rove lies

Longtime GOP strategist Karl Rove decried Democrats in general and Hillary Clinton in particular as big spenders and said President Bush's spirits are high at an Associated Republicans of Texas fundraising dinner Thursday.

When The Architect of a misadventure in Iraq deep into the trillions of dollars with still no end in sight calls anyone a "big spender", maybe it's time for the attendees to put on the waders. They put on their kneepads instead:

Among those attending were Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, Comptroller Susan Combs, Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson and Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones.

"Every time ... I see Karl, I bow just a little bit and call him 'his excellency,' " said Dewhurst.

Shame we don't live in a monarchy. Oh wait ...

"Karl was neither the man behind the curtain in as many things as he got credit for, nor is he to blame for all the things in the last couple of years he's been blamed for. He's a hard-working, smart political strategist. I would imagine he's so busy rewriting history these days that he may not have time to make any history with new candidates."

-- Democratic consultant Kelly Fero, getting it right for once

2007 Texan of the Year: Silver Stars

Since 2005, the Texas Progressive Alliance has named a "Texan of the Year" to give recognition to a worthy Texan who has made a significant contribution to the world of politics or the progressive cause.

For our third annual TOY Award, the TPA elected to not only fete one Texan -- the one who contributed the most to the progressive movement in 2007 -- but also recognize others whose contributions were important to the progressive cause and worthy of recognition.

The Texan of the Year will be announced on December 14. Between now and then, the Alliance will release its list of Texans who made contributions we believe also worthwhile. This begins today with the announcement of the TPA's Silver Stars (and next Monday, four additional "Gold Stars" will be named, followed by the TOY on Friday).

Without further ado, here are the 2007 Texas Progressive Alliance Silver Stars (in alphabetical order):

Texas Ranger Brian Burzynski. It has been said that persistence is as much a virtue as is patience. Inasmuch as that is so, it is also true that persistence pays off. In the case of Texas Ranger Brian Burzynski, persistence also saved thousands of Texas children from a certain hell at the Texas Youth Commission. Beginning in 2005, Burzynski investigated allegations of sexual misconduct in Texas' juvenile prison system. He was rebuffed by state authorities, local prosecutors, and even the United States Department of Justice. In spite of these roadblocks, Burzynski continued to press his case -- investigating, making noise, not letting go, and never taking 'no' for an answer. The end result? He broke open one of the largest criminal justice scandals in Texas history and brought forward a flood of legislative reforms. For this and more, the Texas Progressive Alliance is pleased to confer upon Ranger Brian Burzynski a 2007 Texas Progressive Alliance Silver Star.

Hank Gilbert. Though Gilbert's race for agriculture commissioner ended last November, he also persisted. During his 2006 campaign Gilbert promised Texans that -- win or lose -- he would continue to fight against toll roads, mandatory animal ID legislation, and international corporations that threatened the citizens of Texas. Gilbert organized a Texas Independence Day march on Austin. Working with farmers, ranchers, Democratic activists, and disillusioned landowners, he brought nearly 1,000 people to testify against the Trans-Texas Corridor at a session of the Texas Senate Committee on Transportation and Homeland Security the day before the march. Thousands more Texans showed up the next day to join the public protest. Gilbert has been instrumental in forming a statewide umbrella organization of anti-toll road groups to continue the battle against toll-enabling legislation. As a director for Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, he continues to travel the state and nation speaking out against the takeover of taxpayer-funded infrastructure by private interests. For this and more, the Texas Progressive Alliance proudly names Hank Gilbert recipient of a 2007 Texas Progressive Alliance Silver Star.

Congressman Ciro Rodriguez. In 2006, Rodriguez was the "comeback kid" of Texas politics, winning a seat in Congress after a runoff about the time the Texan of the Year for 2006 was announced. This year, Rodriguez took office as part of the first Democratic Congress in nearly a generation and has served his San Antonio-based district honorably. His race is considered one of national Republicans' top targets, although Rodriguez's constituent services and his support from Democratic leaders like Speaker Nancy Pelosi will no doubt help him retain the district.

Texas Bloggers who made a difference. For the first time Texas bloggers determined that some of their own were worthy of special recognition for their work during 2007: John Cobarruvias (Bay Area Houston Blog); Vince Leibowitz (Capitol Annex); Edmundo "Xicano Power" Rocha (XicanoPwr); and Sharon Wilson (TxSharon of BlueDaze). A note on each blogger:

John Cobarruvias almost single-handedly changed the way Texas legislators use and report their campaign/officeholder expenses. Because he held their feet to the fire with his "Spending Campaign Cash" series, organizing a group of volunteers to file complaints against offending legislators and urging media to report on spending abuses, legislators have cleaned up their acts. The Texas Ethics Commission has issued written reminders to legislators about the very problems with reporting expenses that Cobarruvias uncovered.

Vince Leibowitz. As the 80th Session of the Texas Legislature ended in turmoil -- with parliamentarians resigning, legislators walking out, and two stooges of Tom Craddick on the dais as officers of the Texas House, Leibowitz decided that the full story of those final days wasn't being told and started digging. Through public information requests, he uncovered a sheaf of documents from Craddick's office that helped piece together exactly what happened in those final hours. No mainstream media outlet did better reporting, and Leibowitz's work broke new ground and proved that Craddick's actions were the premeditated acts of a Speaker on the brink.

Edmundo Rocha. Blending heavy-handed social critiques, local and national politics, and a heaping dose of common sense in his blog, Rocha tackles heavy topics like immigration, teenage pregnancy, racial and gender politics and backs it up with a unique style and spirit. With a loyal and unwavering audience (his Texan of the Year nomination, in fact, was suggested in the comments of a blog by one of Edmundo's readers), Rocha has rapidly become one of the state's most prominent Latino bloggers. No issue is too tough and none taboo for this blogger.

Sharon Wilson. Most Texans don't know what the Texas Railroad Commission is or does. In 2007, one Texas blogger changed that. Wilson's reporting on the injection well drilling in the Barnett Shale region and its impact on the water quality and the environment in Wise County and surrounding areas has been invaluable in bringing wider attention to the dangers this practice poses across the state. Wilson has nearly single-handedly stood up to large oil companies and made the companies and state agencies -- including the Texas Railroad Commission -- take notice. Relentless in her drive to educate the public and elected officials to the damage being done to the Texas environment, Wilson's investigative reporting and blogging is worthy of greater recognition.

Texas Legislative Study Group. The policy clearinghouse for progressives, the Texas Legislative Study Group is full of unsung heroes. Helping legislators keep up with the more than 50 bills that come up each day in the Texas House, the TLSG and its policy analysts could be considered the most important behind-the-scenes players in the legislative process when it comes to safeguarding progressive principles. Legislators carry their reports around on the House floor like bibles. Their arguments against the appropriations bill, some versions of Jessica's Law, and the Castle Doctrine were masterful. Also worthy of recognition is that the brilliant minds behind the work of the TLSG aren't aged policy veterans, but rather among the best minds of more recent generations, "Generation X" in particular. The men and women who toil at the TLSG are indeed those who will shape Texas public policy for generations to come.

TexBlog PAC. Started by just a handful of Texas progressive bloggers, TexBlog PAC has harnessed the energy of the online community. In a state with one of the largest netroots communities in America -- and the most vibrant progressive blogosphere, TexBlog PAC is poised to build on victories bloggers helped happen in 2004 and 2006. Having already raised over $10,000 in its initial months, the PAC will play a key role for Democrats as they take back the House in 2008.

David Van Os. Following his defeat in the 2006 Attorney General's race, Van Os made good on his promise to "keep fighting 'em on the ice." From aiding groups like TURF in their battle against the private takeover of government infrastructure, to helping workers who were intimidated when nooses started showing up in their workplace (securing the removal of both the noose and the supervisor), Van Os never stopped fighting for working Texans. In addition, from musicians to probation officers to non-profit employees, Van Os has continued his life's work on behalf of the union laborers of Texas.

State representative Mike Villarreal. In 2003, many were ready to write Villarreal's political obituary. Fast forward to 2007, and Villarreal has become one of the progressive leaders in the Texas House. Authoring legislation that would have created contribution limits for political candidates and an independent redistricting commission, Villarreal took a lead with these progressive issues. In addition, Villarreal led on GLBT rights by authoring HB 900, which would have provided protections from discrimination in housing and employment based on sexual orientation and gender identity and expression for the GLBT community. These efforts, coupled with the compromise he sought to proffer when Republicans tried to take over the House and suspend the constitutional provision concerning the consideration of legislation early in the session, make Villarreal worthy of recognition.

Join us in expressing your thanks and congratulations to the Silver Stars of the Texas Progressive Alliance.