Stand with Texas Women road show today (and also about taking stands)

Because sustaining the momentum that outrage over abortion restriction legislation provides is important.

More at the Facebook event page and Stace's place. Speakers confirmed at post time include Wendy Davis and Cecile Richards. We might get to see Sens. Leticia Van de Putte, Kirk Watson, some of the Houston contingent such as Rodney Ellis and Sylvia Garcia, and a few Texas House members prominent in the fight on their side of the Capitol, like Senfronia Thompson and Jessica Farrar (that is, if they aren't busy debating/voting on the bill).

Here I'll digress into a conversation on Facebook that began yesterday among Democratic activists about a 2014 gubernatorial campaign between Davis and Greg Abbott, and whether a race that includes a slogan such as "standing with Wendy" might be insensitive to Abbott.

I have been ridiculing the attorney general's ribald hypocrisy since at least 2006, when I helped the David Van Os campaign challenge him in the AG race that year. This is one of my favorite posts of all time, and it was written on the inauguration of the clean Republican sweep in January, 2007. I have lots and lots to blog about Abbott, and much of the source material is going to come from the archives here.

Let me just say that if there are Democrats shirking from a fight this early, then Wendy Davis might as well stay in the Senate. And if anyone find themselves in a quandary over a campaign slogan that alludes to bipedal mobility or lack thereof, then let's "Roll with Wendy" instead.

Update: Am I the only person that remembers the vicious slander leveled at Max Cleland by Saxby Chambliss? How about Tammy Duckworth? Republicans simply do not suffer from these minor league moral dilemmas.

It's hard for me to imagine anybody -- even a group of Texans as profoundly ignorant as the Tea Party -- conjuring up an ounce of sympathy for a craven opportunist like Greg Abbott, but one thing I have learned in my activist years is that anything is possible. I don't see enough votes being lost over this that cannot -- should not -- be easily replaced with the canvassing efforts Democrats have to make to win anyway.

They stand to lose many more votes if they keep looking and acting like a bunch of cringing milksops.

AMF

Socratic Gadfly has already said all that needs sayin', so I'll just look ahead to the future. Which is Governor Greg Abbott at about 1:4 odds.

Texas Democrats probably had a better chance of defeating Governor Suckseed, despite what the early polls indicate.

For Wendy Davis, it means she can’t run against her perfect foil. She can’t run against damaged goods and a governor that many Texans have grown weary of. If Davis makes a bid for the Governor’s Mansion, she’ll most likely have to face Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, currently sitting atop a campaign fortune of $18 million and counting. The silver lining, though, is that Abbott is every bit as right-wing, if not more so, than Rick Perry. And in recent polling, Davis actually performs better against Abbott than she does Perry. Abbott leads her 48-40 (still a big lead) vs. Perry’s 53-39 advantage.

Davis, should she choose to run, would have a hard row to hoe no matter who she might challenge. And then there's the matter of defending her seat in the Texas Senate, which if lost gives the Republicans a 2/3rds majority in that body (and likely with Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick presiding over it).

Yes, that is all worse -- much worse -- than what is in place at the moment.

But Texas simply isn't changing fast enough to bring some big changes about in 2014. There might be a couple of lower-level statewide offices in closer play next year, but there are still no announced candidates that aren't Republicans.

Which means some wealthy fellow, probably Caucasian and conservative, gets to be the sacrificial lamb once more this cycle. Since Bill White probably doesn't want to get his butt beaten again, whose turn is it? I'm guessing businessman, maybe trial lawyer, devout Christian, similar sort of profile to what has been offered up in the past.

I'm pumped. How about you?

In related news, Katy Perry also announced that she would not run for governor of Texas.

I can't tell if those titties are strawberry ice cream or cherry-flavored whipped cream. Can you?

Standing with Texas Women Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance stands with Texas women as we bring you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff explains that while the Supreme Court may have neutered the Voting Rights Act, the legal battles over the redistricting maps are far from over.

Horwitz of Texpatriate rips Houston mayoral candidate Eric Dick a new one.

The GOP's national strategy for Obamacare is erode, impede, repeat. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs thinks that's bound to be more effective than introducing bills to repeal it once a month for the past several years.

Many of the major pro-migrant groups have been pushing the U.S. House to pass the Senate's immigration reform bill, but in case you haven't heard, there are some like DosCentavos who have been railing against the bill's "border surge." DC reports on the Valley member of Congress who resigned from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus because of it. Could it trip up the CHC as the debate continues?

At TexasKaos, Libby Shaw gives us a long and passionate look at Texas women pushing back! Check out Texas GOP: Regulate Women's Reproductive Rights. But Don't Mess with Industry.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

From The Desk explains to her (Republican) Congressman why charity cannot adequately replace a government program like SNAP.

Former Texan Marci Glass says she'll be post-feminist when the world is post-patriarchy.

Juanita mocks the anonymous fool that's whining about Sen. Wendy Davis' appearance.

Nonsequiteuse will keep making her voice heard in Austin until someone listens to it.

Texas Leftist warns against underestimating Wendy Davis.

Bay Area Houston had Rick Perry's press release announcing his future plans before anyone else did.

BOR suggests that SB2, the bill dealing with 17-year-old murder suspects, may be unconstitutional.