Wednesday, October 04, 2017

Our Revolution's Texas Tour this weekend

Attention Texas Democrats: this is your wake-up call.

Fresh on the heels of a big win in the Birmingham mayor's contest yesterday, the Bernie Sanders-backed Our Revolution folks are swinging through the Lone Star State this weekend, with Nina Turner and Jim Hightower headlining.

This is probably a progressive populist's last chance to get the party started here.  I won't be attending the H-Town get-together, so I hope someone who does will send me a report, or post some pics to social media.

Update: The Progressive Wing has dozens of Tweets, pictures, and video from the North Texas rally yesterday (scroll down into the comments).


Austin on Friday, October 6, Houston on Saturday, October 7 -- note this location has been changed from the one listed on the flyer above -- and then San Antonio that same Saturday evening, Dallas on Sunday, October 8, and Tyler on Sunday evening the 8th.  Yeah, hopefully the RGV and El Paso, maybe even the Panhandle, next time around.

Next week is the gubernatorial campaign kickoff for Tom Wakely in Blanco, Texas.  My phrase "Bernie Sanders in a cowboy hat" has been repeated twice now by those in the *ahem* mainstream media, mostly with some intended snark.  (I'm taking it as a compliment.)



I have, as regular clickers here will note, been harsh on Texas Democrats for their generational ineptitude, and Democrats generally for an unhealthy focus on Russian election influence.  More of that just this morning, and the debunking of last week's "bombshells" continues.

There's always time for a fresh start, and that's what Our Revolution and Wakely represent.  Take advantage of this one or keep doing what you've always done, Donks.  Your choice.

Monday, October 02, 2017

The Weekly Wrangle


The Texas Progressive Alliance -- a few members, anyway -- wonders why Democrats can't seem to generate many candidates or much enthusiasm for 2018.  Part of the reason may lie in a recent US House vote, where four of the state's most prominent Democrats -- Joaquin Castro, Lloyd Doggett, Beto O'Rourke, and Mark Veazey -- voted against a few small tax breaks for Hurricane Harvey victims.  Even Republicans were surprised, and explanations seemed unsatisfactory.

Here's the blog post and lefty news roundup from last week.

Off the Kuff laments the Fifth Circuit ruling that will allow some enforcement of the "sanctuary cities" law.

SocraticGadfly sees wingnuts creating red herrings and strawmen over Dallas' removal of the Robert E. Lee statue, and exposes their deliberate fallacies.

The F!^%*&ing Russians made headlines again, and PDiddie at Brains and Eggs cringed.

In Port Aransas, Texas Standard has an account from Cowboy Camp David, which is feeding the masses of Harvey victims and relief workers there.


Better Texas Blog takes note of the extension of the Obamacare enrollment period for those who've been affected by Hurricane Harvey.

jobsanger cites Rasmussen as an authority on the ignorance of the American electorate (and the irony is rich).

Grits for Breakfast sees Bexar County is ending arrests for small quantities of marijuana.

The Lewisville ISD discussed the 'R' word in in its workshop last week, reports the Texan Journal.

Chris Hooks at the Texas Observer sees Greg Abbott's hostility toward the metro areas of the state untempered even by the ravages of Hurricane Harvey.

The Texas Tribune reveals the piles of dark money behind the lack of reporting about the dangers posed by petrochemical plants along the Gulf Coast in the wake (no pun intended) of Harvey.

David Collins at DBC Green Blog has a couple of posts about the callousness of Trump to the suffering of the people of Puerto Rico.

Neil at All People Have Value took a picture of electrical wires on a rainy day. APHV is part of NeilAquino.com.