Sunday, October 03, 2021
Friday, October 01, 2021
The Friyay Wrangle from Far Left Texas
Not much to cheer about down here in Deep in the Hearta, but it's almost the weekend, and we'll take what we can get.
#Texas federal judge will hear arguments Friday court in Justice Dept.'s suit to block state's new #abortion ban@TexasTribune
— ChickenFriedPolitics (@ChkFriPolitics) September 30, 2021
-Southern politics are on the menu at ChickenFriedPolitics.com-https://t.co/g9royfnrBq
U.S. District Judge Robert Pitman of Austin will hear arguments Friday over whether to temporarily halt the Texas law, which stands as the nation’s biggest curb to the constitutional right to an abortion in a half-century.
The Justice Department has pushed for the court to act swiftly, but it is unclear how soon Pitman will decide.
The smirking General Lazy Eye must be doing.
Texas defended the most restrictive abortion law in the country by arguing that it’s “stimulating” interstate commerce. https://t.co/s24J4fLFtB
— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) September 30, 2021
There are marches tomorrow, here and everywhere.
Texans are up against so much right now- a hateful anti-abortion bill, erasure of voting rights, and a humanitarian & Constitutional crisis at the border.
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) September 23, 2021
Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the U.S. Its govt & the majority of its ppl oppose @GovAbbott's heinous bills.
As a follow-up to yesterday's Doubtful post...
A great first day for my friend @matthewjdowd. @DanPatrick is at the forefront of political extremism in this country. He is a significant abettor and author of the insanity that has been unleashed that divides and threatens us. He has embraced nihilism as his animating ideology https://t.co/NOsfGstDs2
— Steve Schmidt (@SteveSchmidtSES) September 30, 2021
The bipartisan consultantocracy force is strong with Dowd.
I will effort to make the latest redistricting takes as brief as possible, with the action item first.
📢📢TESTIFY VIRTUALLY! At 9AM on Monday 10/4, you can tell the House committee exactly what you think of this map from the comfort of your own Zoom. The deadline to register is 9AM on Sunday 10/3. Get those sign-ups in here: https://t.co/xvvkrcb74T https://t.co/SDz3dwAQDf
— Texas Civil Rights Project (@TXCivilRights) September 30, 2021
This one below, by the only Republican state representative who has passed a sanity test, was yesterday's winner.
If the map process was entirely objective and took a non-partisan approach the map would look quite different than the draft.
— Lyle Larson (@RepLyleLarson) September 30, 2021
No one in the house is worth gerrymandering for..
The job pays 600 dollars a month. Tell everyone thanks for the use of the hall and run from this asylum. pic.twitter.com/2oMAncu5bs
ICY(really)MI: Want to know whether Texas maps are being drawn to disenfranchise minorities?
— Lauren McGaughy 🌟 (@lmcgaughy) September 30, 2021
Good luck finding out. Texas lawmakers passed a law in 2019 that will let them keep key communications secret. https://t.co/A0oq5sflnr #txlege
I have several Tweets regarding "Texas Republicans behaving badly in areas besides redistricting" that have piled up.
Offering no deets, @GregAbbott_TX at @TPPF event says 'add'l caravans' of migrants are coming to Texas-Mexico border.@TxDPS, state's National Guard are hatching 'different strategies that we will try to use to repel these.'
— Bob Garrett (@RobertTGarrett) September 30, 2021
Background: https://t.co/MmmabeTEGR 1/3 #txlege pic.twitter.com/MlipIKbgrC
Greg Abbott is calling for Texas lawmakers to increase the penalty for illegal voting — weeks after he signed a bill lowering it.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 30, 2021
This comes after an audit of the 2020 election in four counties was announced, despite no evidence of widespread fraud. https://t.co/Mgf105dI6B
Somebody on the far right yelled "Jump", Greg Abbott replied, "How high?", and Dade Phelan said, "not this time".
After Gov. Abbott adds a change to SB 1 to the special session agenda, Speaker Phelan says “now is not the time to re-litigate” and that the House will be focused instead on “its constitutional obligation to pass redistricting maps.” #txlege https://t.co/nv4xV0dNiv
— Madlin Mekelburg (@madlinbmek) October 1, 2021
Speaker Phorehead still doesn't earn a gold star from me, but it's nice to see someone occasionally saying 'no' to something.
Lawmakers using leadership PACs as "slush funds" to live lavish lifestyles: report https://t.co/juxRJXiUB6 pic.twitter.com/X3us80X8ce
— The Hill (@thehill) October 1, 2021
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spent 18 percent of his PAC’s $2.2 million on political activities, spending $12,000 on Houston Astros games and $5,000 at the Cloister at Sea Island, Georgia’s top-rated luxury hotel, the report found.
CanCruz's lawsuit against the FEC, seeking to get more of his money back, has reached the SCOTUS. (Given our Citizens United world, I would expect the justices to rule in his favor.)
Senator Ted Cruz’s challenge to a federal election law that limits how candidates can recoup loans to their own campaign will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 30, 2021
His lawyers argued the law deters candidates from loaning money to their campaigns. https://t.co/hi9h9CMbq9
Round and round the grifter wheel spins.
6/ The report looks specifically at the record of Commission Chair @ChristiCraddick.
— KUT Austin (@KUT) September 28, 2021
It found that Craddick "cast a deciding vote" in favor of a pipeline company that she owned thousands of dollars of stock in and received $22,500 in campaign contributions from the company.
The second- and third-tier Republinuts are... well ...
SCOOP: A Texas judge has ruled default judgements against Alex Jones and Infowars in two separate Sandy Hook cases. He will now be liable for all damages and a jury will now be convened to determine how much he will owe the plaintiffs. https://t.co/9TOSYkbYhZ
— Sebastian Murdock (@SebastianMurdoc) September 30, 2021
NEW: An unidentified person has tried to burn down the Democratic Party headquarters in Austin, Texas. pic.twitter.com/hdzdFpUUx3
— No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen (@NoLieWithBTC) September 30, 2021
Two weeks' worth of tweets in this thread. Kinda entertaining until you realize these people are real, out there where you live ...
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) October 1, 2021
... and crazy as a buncha shithouse rats. https://t.co/GBRQDnVCol
#ExposeChristianSchools https://t.co/hl5LaMDXwA
— A Lefty Gamer (@A_Lefty_Gamer) September 29, 2021
How far right is too far for the Texas GOP? Link to this weeks's Second Reading podcast with @jamesrhenson & @JoshuaMBlank, with some supporting poll results and graphics https://t.co/vcvi4fEnvu #txlege pic.twitter.com/TOhf0RUuQw
— The Texas Politics Project (@TxPolProject) September 30, 2021
I sure hope we find out soon.
Regarding COVID:
On average, more than 260 Texans have died of COVID-19 every day in the last month https://t.co/bHyCRyK5ji
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 29, 2021
University of Houston professors develop intranasal COVID vaccine https://t.co/cJItdnPMLL
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 30, 2021
And the battle for justice for trans children never ends.
Texas has considered dozens of anti-trans bills. These moms have helped stop them. https://t.co/SV7qG1URGG
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 30, 2021
Though it will be the children themselves who win the battle for tolerance for all.
DEVELOPING: Temple HS students protesting outside after trans student is denied access to female facilities. pic.twitter.com/dhORrBNtM0
— Maiya Turner (@Maiya_Turner) September 29, 2021
The Boomers who ran The Rag Blog are leaving us. And LareDOS also shared the life and times of Powell St. John, who departed last month.
Wrapping up a long, difficult, frustrating week with a few soothers.
Among the featured events at the Oct. 2 Boerne Book and Arts Festival is a discussion about the Old Spanish Trail with author James Collett. https://t.co/To4aM3Fqbm
— San Antonio Report (@SAReport) October 1, 2021
“Just Put the Eggs”: Ana Hernandez’s Protean Punctuation
— Glasstire (@Glasstire) September 25, 2021
By Christina Frasier
Read more below:
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.#AnaHernandez#christinafrasier#abelortiz#genievefiggis#JacintoGuevara#goseesomearthttps://t.co/dIcyobdiTd pic.twitter.com/MsL0X7bLxW
"We WILL have a great city, in spite of them, & if they don't behave very well up there in Austin, we will CUT OFF THEIR SUPPLIES, & throw them upon corn bread and beef."
— Traces of Texas (@TracesofTexas) September 30, 2021
-- the Houston Morning Star in 1839 after Houston lost the fight (to Austin) to be named the state capital pic.twitter.com/aEkgRcXc7l
Thursday, September 30, 2021
A Dowdful Wrangle
My neighbor, Democrat Matthew Dowd @matthewjdowd is running for Texas Lt. Governor!! And his campaign headquarters is right here in Wimberley, Texas, just across the street from the Mail Stop on Route 12. Matthew is coming for clueless Dan Patrick. pic.twitter.com/JR62xNGprn
— Gale Wiley (@galewiley) September 29, 2021
Much like me -- a Democrat turned Republican in the late '70's (by Ronald Reagan, like so many other Texans) turned back to Democrat in the late 80's -- Matthew Dowd's path has been full of twists and turns. He's more of a Democrat of convenience these days, as the GOP has gone full whacko. Feel free to blame it on Trump, but the truth is that the slow migration began under Dowd's former idol, George W. Bush. I know; I blogged it. From the stolen 2000 election to 9/11 to Iraq and Afghanistan and Katrina and WMD and the 2008 housing/Wall Street meltdown, Bush the Younger owns clear title to it all, and the chickens are still making their way home. So when you read "former Bush strategist" as Dowd's first name, you should remember that it wasn't just Karl Rove or Karen Hughes advising the country's 2nd-worst president how to destroy the world.
Don't forget that there was a not-insignificant number of Democrats who voted for GWB in 2004 who said that he should be the one who cleans up his messes. On that theory, apparently, Dowd might be the choice for Team Donkey.
In other words, @matthewjdowd helped cultivate the GOP politics that gave us @DanPatrick in the first place #txlege https://t.co/I5MCuQEiQu
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) September 29, 2021
Dowd's magical thought leadership hasn't abandoned him, either.
First sentence of his bio describes Dowd as a “thought leader”.
— Tyler Norris (@TXTylerNorris) September 29, 2021
Roll the tape… #txlege https://t.co/OJoh4ay9ws pic.twitter.com/7GUyWUjdk4
driftglass expands, but you get it. Make no mistake; this isn't an endorsement of Mike Collier, another former Republican who has lost twice statewide and thinks the third time is his charm.
Undervoting this race unless there's a real for-the-people candidate. And by that I mean one that doesn't meet the approval of people like Evan Smith and Evan "Ike Dike" Mintz.
The Texas House redistricting maps are to drop today, according to Speaker Phorehead, so I won't go as long with the Congressional cartography as I intended or wanted. Some pearls of wisdom from those in the know, for our edification.
I understand what Dave is trying to say but you really can’t just tell a Ds vs. Rs story in a stage like Texas. There are more Latinos in Dallas & Tarrant counties than in the entire state of Colorado - and yet no Latino representation.
— Michael Li 李之樸 (@mcpli) September 28, 2021
New: Texas appears to have hired a Republican redistricting operative whose clandestine work helped drag Wisconsin into a legal morass last decade: https://t.co/glXC4nEOYv #txlege
— Alexa Ura (@alexazura) September 29, 2021
And the Houston Press points out the gift given to Wesley Hunt.
GOP redistricting plan adds a completely new congressional district — District 38 — that would be made favorable for a Republican, stitched together by cutting into four existing districts. https://t.co/wvSRN8uOmu
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 27, 2021
Here's the latest on the fraudit.
“There was a mad dash to determine if Trump was actually being serious with his statement and it was decided this was the best route to take without blowing up the special session,” the aide said. https://t.co/e2v4NfV0U3 #TXLege
— Forever in debt to your priceless advice. (@PDiddie) September 28, 2021
New: Trump says it's "big mistake for Texas" to not pass Toth election audit bill, which Abbott has resisted adding to special session call so far
— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) September 29, 2021
"Texas is a much redder state than anyone knows, but this is the way to make sure it turns blue"https://t.co/tZr6SsJEXk #txlege
Trump is going to turn on Abbott eventually, just as he does everyone, friend and foe alike. And I am here for it. The 'forensic audit' (sic), as it turns out, is more fraudulent than everyone thought.
Begs the question: If this constitutes an "audit" and has been underway for months, why wait to announce it until last Thursday, the same day former President Trump asked @GovAbbott for an audit of Texas results? https://t.co/15wR9py6fB
— Zach Despart (@zachdespart) September 29, 2021
“Governor Abbott and the Secretary of State are telling the public that this ‘audit’ has been going on for months...they’re on the news and issuing press releases about this ‘audit’, talking to everyone about it but us.” - Harris County Attorney @CDMenefee #TxLege https://t.co/JICC0Ji7WM
— Scott Braddock (@scottbraddock) September 28, 2021
So it appears Governor Fish Lips has tried to gaslight Trump. That should go over well in his primary fight with the freak right. LOL
Let's move on to the Lege's latest show of incompetence.
Texas lawmakers were furious today about a loophole that says natural gas companies won’t have to better prepare their facilities for extreme weather before this winter.
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 29, 2021
That loophole is one lawmakers wrote into law. #TXlegehttps://t.co/jtlEZKSP1S
That's what happens when the lobbyists write the bills and then you vote for 'em without readin' 'em, you buncha morons.
.@ChrisGTurner offered an amendment to SB3 to close this loophole during the regular session
— PhillipMartin (@PhillipMartin) September 29, 2021
Every House Republican voted against it #txlege https://t.co/qfqKg3A5qS
In fight over $2B Texas winter storm bill, #ERCOT says it just followed orders@ERCOT_ISO said it had no choice but to jack up the wholesale price of electricity to as much as $9,000 per megawatt-hour— or 300 times the average rate — during storm#TXlegehttps://t.co/lTzGwIOWBr
— Anna Núñez (@nunez_anna) September 28, 2021
Truthfully, I prefer stupid over corrupt.
Texas oil and gas regulators make big bucks from the industries they oversee and fail to recuse themselves when arbitrating conflicts or determining penalties for companies they’ve invested in, according to a new report.
— KUT Austin (@KUT) September 28, 2021
And it all may be perfectly legal. https://t.co/cqCORluXWj
A father-daughter team dominate energy regulation in Texas, and they profit from the industry they regulate, @cltomlinson writes. https://t.co/ukOqpx83E4
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 30, 2021
In a new court filing, Texas argues DOJ can't sue over SB8 in part because the law is "stimulating rather than obstructing interstate travel" as women have to leave the state to obtain abortions.
— Jacqueline Thomsen (@jacq_thomsen) September 29, 2021
Doc: https://t.co/sCfjUOLlsd pic.twitter.com/lgU906MbfD
After firing the housing director for "serious allegations of fraud or corruption," Turner swung back saying he will lay out new information. https://t.co/E10jKEP3wo
— ABC13 Houston (@abc13houston) September 30, 2021
At Water for Texas 2021 conference, House Speaker @DadePhelan acknowledges storms are “getting more and more intense,” but he won’t say it’s climate change: “Something’s going on.” #txlege
— Brian Chasnoff (@bchasnoff) September 29, 2021
I don't know whether I prefer corrupt to venal. At least corruption can be prosecuted (even if these fuckers tend to skate).
Greg Abbott has created a fascist state.#txlege https://t.co/KAMcE3kysf
— Kay My Vote Matters Mar🌱🛹🥁👠💉💉 (@BluTexGal) September 29, 2021
.@TrevorProject, a suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for young LGBTQ people, said crisis contacts from LGBTQ Texans seeking support has increased more than 150% from Jan. 1 through Aug. 30, compared to the same time period last year. https://t.co/5hHvA8YxuI
— Texas Tribune (@TexasTribune) September 29, 2021
The criminal and social justice updates.
NEW: Virtually everyone this Fort Bend police officer stopped was Hispanic. His bosses shrugged. (From @Dexinvestigates and me) https://t.co/JoRhWn8cAO
— St. John Barned-Smith ⚔️ (@stjbs) September 29, 2021
The men were arrested by state troopers and held for weeks without facing formal charges, a violation of state law. It's the latest misfire in Abbott's hastily assembled effort to involve Texas in patrolling the border. https://t.co/sc6dsFeeDc
— KPRC 2 Houston (@KPRC2) September 28, 2021
It is not clear why the teenager was not immediately arrested.
— Chron (@chron) September 28, 2021
The Waller County District Attorney's Office did not answer questions about the case but instead referred to a Facebook post saying it is still under investigation. https://t.co/IB8y92etCl
To wrap, a few extra pieces of good news, and the soothers.
While filming @BravoTopChef , @PadmaLakshmi and @gailsimmons will join Mayor @SylvesterTurner and County Judge @LinaHidalgoTX for a protest this Saturday against Abbott's six-week abortion ban. https://t.co/H2oKtvyUFR
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 29, 2021
Growing up in Houston, @HighTechAztec felt the impacts of environmental racism firsthand. Today, he and his dad @JHParras are co-founders of one of Texas’ leading grassroots environmental organizations @tejasbarrios.
— Texas Observer (@TexasObserver) September 29, 2021
From @capaciousmood: https://t.co/JJT5hM8dtU
Meanwhile, in Allen, Texas ... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/DVdExf75Wp
— Jana Wilson (@janadegrand) September 29, 2021
‘The Accommodation,’ Jim Schutze’s landmark history of racial segregation in Dallas, hits stores this week. Here’s why you might want to read it ➡️ https://t.co/pNRt4xfPBk pic.twitter.com/gzN6fmaeJb
— KERA (@keratx) September 28, 2021
San Antonio's West Side will soon have a Latino bookstore #GCAC #LatinoBookstore #FamilyLibraries #OurVoice #Unidos https://t.co/SCvvEeYcAx via @mySA
— Tony Diaz (@Librotraficante) September 25, 2021
Pic: 1889 Needle Parker, Daughter of Quanah Parker, A Comanche Warrior and Political Leader in Texas pic.twitter.com/WEghWfq0p5
— 🪶Native Red Cloud🪶Mahpiya Luta 🪶5thGen🦬FM3⚡️🦉 (@Native3rd) September 28, 2021
Some people look over the Texas landscape and see the ghosts of cowboys past. In September 1983, @lawrence_wright followed a paleontologist who saw dinosaurs and the eerie swamps where they once lived. https://t.co/3XddSK6hlp+
— Texas Monthly (@TexasMonthly) September 28, 2021
The 'Incomparable Impressionism' exhibit returns stateside in November to MFAH, its sole U.S. venue. The must-see display includes Monet, Renoir, and Degas paintings. https://t.co/DoOkskfipY
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) September 29, 2021
What's next? Enjoy a slice of art. 🍰
— McNay Art Museum (@McNayArt) September 28, 2021
Our major fall exhibition, 'Wayne Thiebaud 100: Paintings, Prints, and Drawings,' opens in just a month on October 27. Thiebaud is best known for his tantalizing paintings of desserts and has long been associated with the Pop art movement. pic.twitter.com/lrybNZg50U