Brainy Endorsements: Engelhart, Weiman, Bennett

Mike Engelhart, Larry Weiman, and Al Bennett are three Democratic jurists who are all worthy of re-election to the Harris County bench.

Engelhart is a fairly hilarious stand-up comedian and clever blog commenter in addition to his various social media skills (blog, Facebook, Twitter). He's also the only judicial whose bumper sticker currently rides on the back of my truck. Engelhart is hosting a fundraising event for his campaign on September 20 at Hotel Icon. More details on that are here. And here's a video he made for his campaign from '08.



Weiman, also first elected in the 2008 blue wave, has nearly quadrupled the resolution of jury trials for cases in the 80th District Court in which he presides. He earned Democracy for America's endorsement that year. Two items of note from that link...

It is also my goal to eliminate the practice of judges soliciting or accepting campaign contributions from attorneys or parties with active cases before that court.

Finally, it is my goal that after serving my first 4 year term that people from every party as well as independents consider me to be a fair and impartial judge who is courteous, professional, compassionate and decisive.

Indeed you have met those goals, Judge Weiman.

I first met Judge Bennett in 2006, when he contended for HD-146 against Borris Miles and Al Edwards in their first matchup (he finished third). Bennett asked me for my support but I had earlier committed to Miles. I told him than that I was impressed with him and would look forward to supporting his future candidacy in some capacity. That opportunity for me came in 2008, when -- along with Engelhart and Weiman and others -- Bennett joined the group of the first judicial candidates elected to the bench in Harris County since 1992.

Bennett is so highly regarded by his peers that he was elected unanimously by them to serve as administrative judge over all of Harris County's 24 civil courts.

Bennett is holding a fundraiser on September 27 at Farrago (details as they are available). There's little my endorsement adds to his record of accomplishment at this point. I'm just pleased to count him as a friend.

Mike Engelhart, Larry Weiman, and Al Bennett have earned the respect of the attorneys who have practiced in their courts, and they merit return to the Harris County bench by the voters.

Update: The Houston Chronicle joins me in endorsing Weiman and Bennett. And also Engelhart, with this high praise:

Since his election in 2008, Judge Mike Engelhart has been a leader within the Harris County Civil Courts, spearheading e-filing initiatives that save time at the courthouse and money for taxpayers. Inside the courtroom, this Democrat has stood out as one of the hardest-working judges, writing thoughtful opinions where many others would issue quick rulings. Board-certified in personal injury law and fluent in Spanish, Judge Engelhart is among the top judges in the county, if not the state, and deserves another term on the bench. 

Well-earned.

Earlier Brainy Endorsements include...

Nile Copeland for the First Court of Appeals
Alfred and GC Molison for HD 131 and SBOE, respectively
Henry Cooper for HD 148
Keith Hampton for Presiding Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Barbara Gardner for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals
Don Cook for Congress, 22nd District
Max Martin for Congress, 36th District
Remington Alessi for Harris County Sheriff
Ann Harris Bennett for Harris County Tax Assessor/Collector
Ann Johnson for HD-134

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is still on a post-convention bounce as it brings you this week's roundup.
 
Off the Kuff analyzed the latest poll of Texas and its implications.  

BossKitty at TruthHugger is suspicious about the timing of that horrid film clip using the name of Mohammad as a fuse to global meltdown against all things western. She really wants to know WHO is responsible for Opportunistic Sadism and the US Election. But she would rather complain about why America's leaders are so slow to address more imminent hazards to America's children: Half Truths Don’t Protect Our Children From Dirty GOP Toxic Trash.

Paul Sadler, the Democratic candidate for US Senate in Texas, is making the right argument; the question is: will enough voters hear it? WCNews at Eye on Williamson makes it clear: Sadler painting Cruz as an extremist in US Senate race.

Libby Shaw reminds us that Women Will Remember in November . Check it out at TexasKaos now.  

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme wants you to know polluters like Exxon and Citgo do harm to real people and our environment.

A point about money and politics had to be made by PDiddie at Brains and Eggs, and so he made it.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted that where the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers meet at Cairo, Illinois is the place where he was created. Neil said his point of origin was based on 3 factors. He was looking for creation as a whole. A place where the culture and society he lives in is expressed. And for a place that has been part of his own life. This junction of two great American rivers meets these tests.

Brainy Endorsements: Ann Johnson

Ann Johnson is the Democrat running to represent HD-134, the district I lived in a few years ago, in the Texas House of Representatives. She is challenging a one-term incumbent Republican named Sarah Davis, who barely managed to defeat former state representative (and now Houston councilwoman) Ellen Cohen in 2010. There is no Libertarian or Green candidate competing in this district.

Johnson is both a cancer survivor and an out lesbian as well as an attorney and former prosecutor. From her profile in OutSmart...

Johnson supports Obama’s Affordable Care Act, and points out that the LGBT community would greatly benefit from healthcare reform. “I oppose discrimination in any form,” Johnson says. “Texas, right now, is at the bottom of the barrel, dead-last in the nation for being able to provide care to its citizens. Our governor has taken a position to say that he’s going to keep it that way. I don’t agree with that. Texas has to evaluate whether or not it’s in the best interest of our state, our citizens, and our economy to turn down $76 billion that we have already paid [for our Medicaid program]—money that’s due to come back to the state. Making sure we have healthcare is a benefit to everyone, and that is an equality issue for everybody.” 

Davis, a cancer survivor herself, has shockingly voted against much of the women's health legislation that came before the Texas House in the last session, save the bill mandating transvaginal sonograms for women prior to their choosing to end their pregnancies. Blogger nonsequiteuse has the best interpretation of that dichotomy.

Davis likes to call herself a moderate because that's what HD-134 reflects. The truth is that she is more like Greg Abbott: a person who advocated to change Texas law concerning the health crisis he suffered, and has done all that he could to deny others that which he benefited from.

Meyerland Democratic Club president Art Pronin also notes today on his Facebook page...

TX State Sen Joan Huffman (17) is fundraising for Rep. Sarah Davis. Sen. Huffman is the #1 rated anti-choice senator. She authored the sonogram bill in the Senate and is a key ally of Dan Patrick. She also sponsored the (bill) to defund Planned Parenthood. We must inform the voters of 134: Davis is no moderate and the people surrounding her prove it.

Savvy readers will recall that one of my previous endorsements included the Green running against Huffman in SD-17, David Courtney. So with no alternate candidate in this race, I encourage Greens to support Johnson, and likewise for Democrats, Courtney in SD-17 against Huffman.

This is how we build progressive coalitions, folks.

Charles Kuffner has blogged extensively about the race, including this recent interview with Johnson as well as this post last spring signaling the Davis-Johnson tilt as a bellwether for Democratic House prospects.

Update: The NYT -- via the TexTrib -- has a bit about the contest today.

Representative Sarah Davis, Republican of Houston, is running in a district where both Mr. Obama and Mr. Perry were on the short end. That result for Mr. Perry had something to do with his 2010 opponent — former Mayor Bill White of Houston — but almost everybody thinks she has a race this year against Ann Johnson, her Democratic foe.

Previous Brainy Endorsements include the following:

Nile Copeland for the First Court of Appeals
Alfred and GC Molison for HD 131 and SBOE, respectively
Henry Cooper for HD 148
Keith Hampton for Presiding Judge, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
Barbara Gardner for the Fourteenth Court of Appeals
Don Cook for Congress, 22nd District
Max Martin for Congress, 36th District
Remington Alessi for Harris County Sheriff
David Courtney for Texas Senate, District 17
Ann Harris Bennett for Harris County Tax Assessor/Collector