Presented without editorial comment

Earlier this week, in Buffalo, NY, Kitty Lambert and her longtime partner Cheryl went to the appropriate government institution to obtain a marriage license. Gay marriage, of course, is not legal in that state, so Kitty and Cheryl were denied.

But Kitty wasn't done yet.

With news cameras rolling, Kitty then turned to the crowd and asked for any male who would be willing to get married to her. A gay man named Ed stepped forward and volunteered. They briefly exchanged information and presented the appropriate documents along with $40. City staff verified the information, and proceeded to give them a marriage license.

So you see, gay people can get married. They can even get married to other gay people. Just as long as they're the opposite gender. But gay people can't get married to the ones they love.

Will the children of Buffalo sleep any more soundly this evening now that this loving couple has been denied their rights?

Why I'm supporting Dr. Alma Aguado for Texas governor

Many of my Texas Progressive Alliance colleagues are behind the presumptive nominee, but I am not. I have previously stated my reasons for not supporting Bill White in the primary; if you need to be reminded why I am not, you can go here, here, and here. Ultimately it comes down to my clear understanding that Bill White simply doesn't steadfastly represent anything that I believe important, outside of defeating Rick Perry and cleaning up Houston's air a bit.

Ted also states some of the best reasons for voting for someone else in the Democratic primary. White just isn't representative of what we feel a Democratic candidate should be. He's much too close for my comfort to being a moderate Republican -- here, take the quiz and see for yourself.

I also took a long look at Farouk Shami, who pays for the ad at the top right corner here. While being a successful businessman and displaying what I initially considered a somewhat endearing personality, Shami has -- to put it mildly -- exhibited a remarkable, even amazing, lack of political acumen.

So my attention turned to the group of people that the Texas Tribune referred to as The Unmentionables. And what I found was a true progressive candidate. A San Antonio physician, single mother, and amateur artist who was born into abject poverty in Mexico, Dr. Alma Aguado understands the inexorable trends in Texas. She has a sharp focus on the neglect of the welfare of children, but the acute and critical nature of that neglect on Hispanic children. Here's a brief excerpt from her introduction (I've taken the liberty of fixing some of the troublesome syntax, for clarity's sake):

In the year 2000 under Republican administration, Medicaid and CHIP funds were redirected favoring the Texas Enterprise Fund. In the year 2005 Medicaid and CHIP funds were restored only to have funds diverted towards the $200 million Emerging Technology Fund. In 2009 we have a total of 1.5 million uninsured children in Texas.

The state's own Comptroller of Public Accounts points out that from the 1984-1985 state budget through 2000-2001, the state increased real public safety and corrections spending by 258 percent, but increased real public and higher education spending by only 82 and 39 percent respectively. In 2007, 28 percent of the (Texas) adult population has no high school diploma. Texas only spends $6.8 million for adult education, as opposed to Florida which spends $277 million. Due to budgeting decisions in the best interest of corporate welfare, we now have an uneducated unskilled workforce ... this is what I call "backward vision".

Go on, read for yourself. Read also her very comprehensive stance on the other issues beyond health care and education.

To paraphrase Michael J. Fox's character in The American President, people -- in this case Texas Democrats -- want a winner, and "they're so thirsty for it they'll crawl through the desert toward a mirage, and when they discover there's no water, they'll drink the sand."

Bill White looks like a winner to Texas Democrats because they are mighty thirsty these days. I do not discount the premise that White could very possibly win. But I believe that will occur only if White executes a flawless campaign strategy from March (or April, if he's in a run-off) to November and gets a little help from a circumstance or two outside of his control that knocks Rick Perry down a few notches.

I'll happily support Bill Caucasian Milquetoast White in the general election as the Democratic nominee for governor of Texas. But in the primary, it's about democratic and progressive principles. Dr. Alma Aguado has them.

Lots of Sunday Funnies

There'll be more later today, too ...

Borris Miles versus Al Edwards

My old Texas House district hasn't gone without its share of news, either. Isiah Carey of Houston's Fox 26 and his blog Insight, followed by Elise Hu at the Texas Trib ...

Would you take a drug test live on the radio? Former State Representative Borris Miles did. If you tuned into KCOH radio (Thursday) morning you would've been entertained. Miles took on the challenge put forward by current State Representative Al Edwards. He mad the challenge Wednesday on KCOH. This comes after Miles challenged Edwards for weeks to a debate on the issues in district 146. Around 9 am (Thursday) morning Miles brought in a private drug testing firm, gave a urine sample, and took his screening live on the radio. Miles says he didn't want to ever put the people of the district through what he calls this type of b.s. again. ...

Note: Miles eventually challenged Edwards to take an IQ test!

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This whole drug test deal actually got started at a campaign event photographer Justin Dehn and I attended two weeks ago, at a soul food restaurant called Just Oxtails, in the district. Edwards was taking questions from his supporters, and one supporter wanted to know whether Miles is actually drug-free, given past press coverage of his partying. Edwards started challenging Miles to take a drug test within 72 hours. It's a lot more than 72 hours later, but it appears Miles submitted to the test in a most-public way. He's drug free.

These two fellows have entertained us for years. Earlier in this cycle I received e-mail on the day before his campaign kick-off that by all appearances was from Miles' campaign and cited numerous endorsements from elected officials and community leaders from both sides of the aisle.  That turned out to be a dirty trick.

Theatrics aside, there's only one choice in HD-146. Edwards remains a tool for the Republicans in the Texas House; Miles is the one of the strongest progressives I have ever met. I expect that -- with his recent marriage and the legal issues that troubled his brief term behind him -- Miles has conquered his personal demons.



Borris Miles should be returned to Austin and Edwards should be involuntarily retired, again.

Shami and white people, Medina and more truther gaffes

Let's just go to the videotape. Shami first.



WFAA's Brad Watson also posted this at the station's website.

And Medina, in an interview with Victoria's KAVU-TV.



Let's take Shami first.

Of all the bizarre -- I mean truly bizarre -- things he's been saying lately, a little overt racism isn't such a big surprise, now is it? He's telling a brutal truth but a vastly, politically incorrect one nevertheless. The fact that he also won't deny the MIHOP/LIHOP conspiracy theory is just icing on the cake.

Truth to tell, he was done before this interview. Slam the lid shut on this campaign. Maybe his people can find a way to keep him from talking to any other reporters between now and March 2.

The interview Medina did with Beck and the walking-back from those comments -- as well as her claims of a conspiracy among the two against her -- have gotten more attention than the conversation above. She actually said that asking questions about the 9/11 Commission report is as legitimate as asking questions about Obama's birth certificate.

Like Shami, if she keeps on talking she's going to make Sarah Palin start to sound reasonable.

Update: Is it true that Medina worked for the Mexican Mafia and sold so much ecstasy back in the day that she was the inspiration for Funky Cold Medina?

Hey, I'm just a patriot asking questions here.

Update II: Medina has taken to salting campaign staffers into her press conferences, posing as reporters. That's not exactly "non-politician" ...