Burnt Orange Report

This is It: State of the Blog

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

You say yes, I say no
You say stop and I say go, go, go
Oh, no
You say goodbye and I say hello
Hello, hello
I don't know why you say goodbye
I say hello

This is it folks. Over the night, Burnt Orange Report's domain will begin the process of pointing to our new home. Hopefully by the morning, you'll wake up to the next generation of Texas blogging. It's been a great run with over 2 years on Movable Type, but that era has come to an end, and the era of SoapBlox will soon begin. I hope you will all join us in this new venture, because the new site is for you, about you, for us as a Burnt Orange Democratic Community.

If you are using an RSS reader, please be sure to update it if you have not already to our Feedburner feed at http://feeds.feedburner.com/BurntOrangeReport (if you were already on it, you shouldn't need to do a thing). Older site entries will be moved over in the next week or two as we transfer comments and posts. And I'll encourage ALL of you to create user accounts on the new BOR (which you'll need for commenting, Burnt Orange Journals, ratings, and beyond).

If you have problems or are having problems seeing the new site, refresh your browser, clear your cache, or give your computer a quick reboot. Until tomorrow...

State of the Union Open Thread

By Phillip Martin

Thoughts, opinions and ideas with historical perspective are a plus. Thoughts, opinions and ideas along the lines of "stupid liar" are unoriginal. Tell us what you thought. We'll do a wrap up when it's all over.

Reyes Martinez Could Get Back On Ballot, Says Hidalgo Co. Chair

By Vince Leibowitz

Hidalgo County's Democratic Chairman says Jessica Reyes-Martinez may be able to get back on the ballot in Texas House District 39 following Friday's decision by the Texas Supreme Court to allow two Court of Criminal Appeals candidates additional time to fix errors within their ballot applications.

HCDC Chairman Juan Maldonado, who ruled Reyes-Martinez (the estranged wife current HD 39 State Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez) was not eligible to be a candidate because she did not put her complete address on her ballot application, told the McAllen Monitor she may now be eligible to be back on the ballot.

Reyes-Martinez, who filed just 30 minutes before the filing deadline, said the failure to put her complete address on her ballot application was a mere oversight on her part:

"We’ll see what happens," Maldonado said, adding he could not reach Reyes-Martinez on Monday. "There are possibilities she will be able to run."

Although Reyes-Martinez said she’s excited about the possibility of running again, she is still unsure if she will pursue the District 39 seat.

"I would love to get back on the ballot, but I know I’m at a great disadvantage," she said. This would be her first run for public office.

With just about three weeks before early voting begins Tuesday, Feb. 21, she said she does not know if that is ample time to run a campaign. In upcoming days, she said she will discuss the possibility of running with her family and campaign supporters.

The Democratic Primary is Tuesday, March 7.

"I decided to run because I wanted to win," she said. "I don’t know if a couple of weeks will give me the time."

Leininger & the Texas Legislative Republican Campaign Committee

By Phillip Martin

Quorum Report has the story: James Leininger, the well-known Republican contributor who has spent a great number of years and an even greater amount of money for voucher programs in Texas, has officially bankrolled a PAC. Leininger has sank $50,000 into the Texas Republican Legislative Campaign Committee, whose main purpose -- it seems -- is to defeat incumbent Republicans that voted against his voucher plan during the 79th Regular Session.

On the night of May 24, 2005, the Texas House of Representatives debated whether or not to include school vouchers in the school finance bill. A summary of the day's actions may be found in the BOR post by Byron titled "Vouchers Fail in the State House, Did Leininger Offer Bribes?" School vouchers had been one of the key education reforms proposed by Speaker Craddick, largely due to their tremendous support from Republican millionaire Dr. James Leininger.

At the time, many questioned whether or not Leininger was calling moderate Republicans (who were bucking against the leadership to vote against vouchers) into a back office to twist arms, offer bribes, and threaten the incumbents with campaign opponents. Vouchers, ultimately, were defeated, thanks to such independent conservatives as Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) and Rep. Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels), the latter of whom was named Texan of the Year. For an excellent account about what fully happened to stop vouchers, read the Texas Observer article, "Revenge of the Rural Republicans."

The lines are clearly drawn. On one side, you have Leininger, the man with the money, willing to sink fortunes into a single issue. On the other, you have the rural Republicans, those moderates who -- in all honesty -- represent districts not that different than some conservative Democrats, doing what is best for their districts. The rural Republicans didn't get scared by those back office meetings in May, and I see no reason why they'll be scared in the primaries.

The question is -- what happens if/when Leininger's tactics backfire? Do vouchers even have a chance? Does Speaker Craddick have any sort of majority to push his far-right education reforms? Only time will tell...

HELP WITH CAMPUS SAFETY!!!

By Katie Naranjo

Everyone, if you are a former UT student, live in Austin, or care about safety in a densely populated student area....please look at this link.

Here is the text of the petition that you will be signing via online:

I support the Orange Jackets Tappee class in their endeavor to put emergency callboxes in the West Campus area. With crime becoming a growing concern in the area surrounding our campus having callboxes to serve as a deterrent and as a direct link to law enforcement would promote a general feeling of safety for the students that reside in the area. I also support the City of Austin, Austin Police Department, and any other entities in making this project a reality.

Everybody Loves Poll Numbers...

By Damon McCullar

There's a new poll out on the eve of the State of the Union address. In a NBC Nightly News/Wall Street Journal poll, the President's approve/disapprove numbers are 39/54. Read the full poll here.

Just The Facts...

By Damon McCullar

I saw this article over at the Chris Bell Blog. I thought was interesting enough to toss up on BOR. Mark McDonald over at Texas Lawyer scored Rick Perry's television commercial on a scale of 10 (fact) to 1 (pure fiction). Funny how there are facts and then there are "facts".

The rate of growth in the number of new doctors by region in traditionally underserved areas such as rural Texas and South Texas is lower now than it was before Prop 12. Only the major urban areas have seen any increase in the rate of growth. That largely may be due to factors not linked to medical malpractice, namely better facilities, fewer Medicaid patients and physicans' lifestyle choices. Even if more emergency room doctors are practicing in Texas, it doesn't mean they are delivering "better health care." According to a state-by-state report card conducted by the American College of Emergency Services, the state received near-failing grades in three of four categories: a D+ access to emergency care; a D+ in care/patient safety; and a D in patient safety. The state's overall average was helped by its grade in medical liability reform: A+. Because of tort reform, Texas ER physicians only can be sued for gross negligence rather than simple negligence. Supporters of Prop 12 claimed during the 2003 campaign that 60 percent of Texas counties were without obstetric and gynecology services. Today, more than two years after Prop 12 was implemented, roughly 60 percent of counties are still without those services.

The Index: Accuracy index rating — 2.4

Sorry Guv, but cause and effect on this issue is near-impossible to prove. And how can you say that lawsuit reform is bringing better health care to millions without acknowledging that one out of four Texans remains uninsured (highest rate in the nation), state spending on hospital care ranks near the bottom (41st in the nation) and there are huge shortages of board certified ER docs (44th) and registered nurses (48th)? We know you only had 30 seconds to make your pitch, but half the facts are worse than no facts at all.

When Blogs Attack?

By Vince Leibowitz

The Washington Post has an interesting article up that outlines a supposed intraparty rift among Democrats. According to the article, liberal bloggers and interest groups are fighting elected officials trying to "appeal to a much broader audience," and this could "complicate efforts to win back the White House."

The article says that such "activists" "have denounced what they regard as a flaccid Democratic response to the Supreme Court fight, President Bush's upcoming State of the Union address and the Iraq war. In every case, they have portrayed party leaders as gutless sellouts."

Woah. I thought that's what we were trying to do to the Republicans.

Here is one of the things the article mentions I haven't noticed, so I guess I've been living under a rock:

First, liberal Web logs went after Democrats for selecting Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine to deliver the response to Bush's speech next Tuesday. Kaine's political sins: He was too willing to drape his candidacy in references to religion and too unwilling to speak out aggressively against Bush on the Iraq war. Kaine has been lauded by party officials for finding a victory formula in Bush country by running on faith, values and fiscal discipline.

Many Web commentators wanted Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.), a leading critic of the Iraq war who advocates a speedy withdrawal, to be the opposition voice on the State of the Union night. Most Democratic lawmakers have distanced themselves from the Murtha position. "What the hell are they thinking?" was the title of liberal blogger Arianna Huffington's column blasting the Kaine selection.

"Blogs can take up a lot of time if you're on them," Kaine said to reporters Thursday. "You can get a lot done if you're not bitterly partisan."

The Virginia Democrat said he will not adjust his speech to placate the party's base. "I'm not anybody's mouthpiece or shill or poster boy for that matter. I'm going to say what I think needs to be said and they seem very comfortable with that."

Aside from everything else, what does this mean: "Blogs can take up a lot of time if you're on them???" As in, if you are being interviewed by them, if you're reading them, or what?

I also found this interesting:

"The bloggers and online donors represent an important resource for the party, but they are not representative of the majority you need to win elections," said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who advised Kerry's 2004 presidential campaign. "The trick will be to harness their energy and their money without looking like you are a captive of the activist left."

Oh, really? You mean there aren't far-left wing bloggers, liberal bloggers, liberal-centrist and centrist bloggers out there all working for Democrats? Is that not representative of the majority? As for "harness[ing] [our] energy and [our] money without looking like [they] are a captive of the activist left," how is that any different from using union activists for blockwalking, or taking money from any number of various and sundry PACs?

Finally, and then I'll shut up on this article:

Many Democrats say the only way to win nationally is for the party to become stronger on the economy and promote a centrist image on cultural values, as Kaine did in Virginia and as Bill Clinton did in two successful presidential campaigns.

Ok, this is not Virginia and this is not 1992. Stronger on the economy, yes, a more centrist image, not necessarily. Why be GOP Lite? What is the point? That's what the left wing of the Republican party is for. We are Democrats. By definition, all of us (from ultra-liberals to moderate Democrats) are pretty much on the opposite end of the spectrum from the Republicans on over half of their platform issues. Why pander? Why not offer a real alternative?

Furthermore, what's the difference between what Democrats were doing regarding campaigns (which were mentioned on Kos and Democrats.com) to call our Senators asking them to oppose Alito than when Republicans have done similar things? It's just that the glove is on the other hand, I guess...

In Education, What Matters Is The Kids

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: The following is an op-ed by Senator Frank Madla, the incumbent Senator in Senate District 19. He is being challenged by Rep. Carlos Uresti, who's op-ed you can read here.

Last week, I received the single greatest honor of my life. The Board of Trustees for the South San Antonio Independent School District gave Royalgate Elementary School a new name: Frank Madla Elementary School. I have never conceived of the mixture of pride, joy and the humility I feel in the knowledge that one of my community’s public institutions of learning now bears my name.

This new and unexpected honor only serves to reinforce the commitment to education that has been a guiding tenet of my professional and public service careers. As a teacher in the South San Antonio ISD, as a member of its Board of Trustees during the 1970s, as a member of the Texas House of Representatives serving on the initial Blue Ribbon Panel on Education headed by Ross Perot in 1984, and as a State Senator for the past twelve years, I have regarded the education of Texas’ children as paramount in importance. No other issue rivals education because a quality education is the key to achieving every other life goal.

Renovating the state’s school finance system is a tremendous undertaking with many complex weight and formula details that must be agreed on by a majority of the 181 members of the Texas Legislature. These legislators represent both urban and rural school districts and constituencies with vast geographical, social, economic and cultural differences. Like the old story of the blind men describing an elephant, each can explain their specific part of the elephant, but they cannot agree on what the whole elephant actually looks like. And, like the men in the parable, in order to resolve the issue, we must put all of the parts together. As a presiding officer of the Senate observed a while back, “If this was easy, it would already have been done.”

Every member approaches the education issue from a different perspective, each with the responsibility of making sure the unique needs of their area of the state are addressed while, at the same time, trying to understand the unique needs of other areas must also be addressed I am committed to making sure that every child in Texas receives an excellent education, regardless of whether they live in a rural or urban area, and no matter what their socioeconomic status. Along with that, we need an equitable tax system that supports our schools while making make sure those who can least afford to do so, do not pay more than their fair share. Our students should all have top-notch teachers, administrators, equipment, materials and transportation. The bottom line is this: What matters most of all is the kids sitting at the desks.

The Texas Legislature has been put on notice: We must renovate the state’s school finance system, or the courts will do it for us. We have grappled with the problem in the past, but a solution has eluded us so far. As an educator, a school board member and a 33-year legislator, I have both a grasp of complex education issues and the seniority in the Texas Senate that will be needed to help resolve this issue for the benefit of all Texas students.

And with an elementary school not far from my home in South San Antonio as my namesake, every day, I will drive by a concrete reminder of the debt that is owed to every Texas student, from those in kindergarten to those in our higher learning institutions. I believe in them, and I will spare no effort to ensure they have every support needed to reach their highest potential.

Positive Change vs. the Stagnant Status Quo

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: The following is an op-ed written by Representative Carlos Uresti, who is challenging incumebnt Senator Frank Madla in the Democratic primary for Senate District 19.

Stretching across 23 counties from San Antonio to El Paso -- an area bigger than 11 states -- Senate District 19 is the largest senate district in the country. Our challenges are big, too.

Nearly half of all children in Eagle Pass live in grinding poverty (and the other half are hardly trust-fund babies). More than 75,000 people in El Paso County are at risk of losing their water services. Hundreds of thousands of eligible children from South San Antonio to Uvalde to Pecos have been stripped of their health insurance under the CHIP program. Public schools are bankrupt, homeowners' insurance is twice the national average, and millions of dollars in available federal revenue that could help are being left unclaimed in Washington, D.C.

Obviously, the status quo hasn't gotten the job done. I will.

When the state's Child Protective Services system was in crisis, I helped lead the charge to fix it. When my opponent and others tried to pass the largest tax hike in Texas history, I helped lead the charge to stop it.

As a committee chairman in a Republican-dominated House, I understand that it's important to compromise sometimes. But as a former Marine, I also understand that you should never compromise your principles. And that's the difference between my opponent and me.

I am running for Texas Senate because it's time for new energy, positive change, and a fresh approach that puts the people and communities of our district first, instead of last.

My opponent has chosen to surround himself with the symbols of Austin's failed leadership. But what the people of SD 19 need is an independent voice, not a rubber stamp for the radical right.

The Week in Preview, Part II

By Phillip Martin

As an addendum to KT's post about what's going on at BOR this week, the 40/40 project is going to catch up on a few loose ends (and allow KT time to update the site) before launching our biggest feature of the year.

Today, I'll post the op-eds by Rep. Uresti and Sen. Madla (I received both over the weekend, so we'll go ahead and put them up today). Then, tomorrow and Wednesday, we'll take a look at Eric Beverly, another candidate who's running in HD 47. I previously featured Valinda Bolton and Jason Earle in this district, but Eric contacted me, asking to be featured. Though he doesn't have as much name ID as either Bolton or Earle, he is certainly a candidate with a great deal of legislative experience. He impressed me a great deal, and is someone everyone should know about.

Finally, next week's 40/40 will feature Bob Gammage and Chris Bell. We'll have an extensive interview we've conducted with each candidate, as well as an op-ed by each campaign. Be sure to stay tuned to the 40/40 for the latest coverage.

Stee-rike!

By Jim Dallas

Although I'm biased as all get-out in favor of Chris Bell, I can still call the balls and strikes fairly, just like Chief Justice John Roberts. In today's episode,Greg tells us (with documentation!) that Bob Gammage wanted to revive the House Un-American Activities Committee in the 1970s. A lot of people change their minds over the course of thirty years, but one surmises that something like this that would have been right considered malicious, conniving, or boneheaded at that time as well. By framing this as a character issue Greg gets a gold star and a cookie from this fairly unbalanced scorekeeper.

The Week in Preview

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

This week will be one of the bigger weeks in BOR history.

In the next couple of days, Burnt Orange Report will be proud to join over a dozen Texas Progressive blogs in the officially launch of the coordinated TEXAdS BlogAd network, giving campaigns and Texas advertisers the ability and ease to reach out to and communicate with readers and activists across the state.

With a target date of Wednesday, BOR v3.0 will go live, bringing the power of SoapBlox to the Texas blogosphere and a level of community interaction unavailable until now to the political chatter class here in the Lone Star State.

And while nationally we will have the SOTU address and possible filibuster of Scalito to make major headlines, the seeds of a grassroots movement were planted this past week and weekend which will quickly grow in the next few days. I can now officially confirm a post made by Matt 2 weeks ago that Glen Maxey may soon be an official candidate for State Party Chair. But to ensure that 'may' turns into a 'will' has been the discussion among certain Austinites this weekend, all of whom have have been thinking the same thing, that Texas is ready for Draft campaign...

Aside: See what happens when readers comment on posts? They end up on campaign sites? Now, can anyone tell me if you thought the interaction we have with our gubernatorial candidates this cycle would have been possibly after what we experienced in 2002?

Also, looks like Gammage has added Rep. Paul Moreno, Dean of the Texas House, as a supporter of his campaign, following last week's big splash with Gen. Wes Clark.

"Just as the Dirty 30 bonded long ago, we need to rally behind Bob Gammage," he said. "We were needed then, and we're needed now."

One thing I did not notice, but I think says a lot, is the fact that Bob Gammage joined Gen. Clark in Corpus Christi in support of Juan Garcia running against Rep. Seaman. Maybe I'm forgetful, but is that the first time a statewide candidate has been present at an event for a down ballot candidate without it being because one of them is having a press conference endorsing the other? (Support for other statewide Democrats doesn't count, but Gammage's presence and official support probably helped Bill Moody get some coverage, even on TV).

Dos Centavos apparently made it out to the Gammage/Clark fundraiser and had some words to say about that in this post.

Photo Day

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

All of these are in the extended entry, so check below for some Sunday night humor.

Update: I didn't want to make another entry out of this, but Democracy for Texas held their candidate training the other weekend and has a post up on the Blog for America about it. A number of Texas candidates from Congressional on down were there, including John Courage, who is preparing to launch TeamCourage.net soon.

My father was one of the guest speakers during lunch and had a blast. There is actually some political activity gearing up back home in local elections so maybe I'll be able to entertain y'all with some rural political action this spring.

Via Ones and Zeros...

Via PinkDome...Gammage and LBJ. Wow.

Texas Dem Congressional Delegation Calls for Cancellation of State Lobbying Contract

By Damon McCullar

Surprise, surprise, there seems to be a connection between the K Street Project and the Governor's mansion. The K Street Project is/was a DeLay/Abramoff scheme to get the lobbying companies that populates Washington's K street to only do business with Congressional Republicans.

In today's Statesman, the Texas Democratic Congressional delegation called on Gov. Perry to cancel a contract with Todd Boulanger and his firm. It has come to light that the state has awarded a $330,000 contract to represent the states interest on legislation. Todd Boulanger is a close contact of Jack Abramoff, who has plead guilty to charges that he defrauded clients.

The Dems argue that Todd Boulanger and Co worked exclusively for Republicans and that the company duplicates the job that what the state's seven-person state-federal relations staff in Washington is already paid to do through state taxpayer dollars. They conclude that these contracts are waste of taxpayer money.

According to Congressman Doggett (D-Austin) Texas is the only state that hires outside lobbying firms and that the money is just kickbacks to DeLay/Abramoff machine.

The Bryan-College Station Eagle is carrying an AP report that indicats that the contract to Cassidy & Associates (Todd Boulanger's lobbying firm) might have been a no-bid contract (why does the government love these so much?).

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bob Gammage added to the chorus of criticism Wednesday, saying the Office of State-Federal Relations operated fine for years using its state employees without putting private lobby firms on retainer.

"I don't think we need to line the pockets of our cronies," said Gammage, who's been accusing Perry of being part of a "corrupt political machine" stretching from Texas to Washington.

Democrat Chris Bell, also a candidate for governor, had a similar view, saying that when it comes to ethics Perry "just doesn't get it."

"Apparently Rick Perry has a much higher tolerance for corruption than everyone else in the country," Bell said.

It's still too early to tell what the fallout from the scandal will be but it seems that this cancer in Washington has deep roots. We are probably at the tip of the iceberg in this scandal.

Texas Young Democrats contribute $2,500 to Special Election Races

By Katie Naranjo

This week the board of the Texas Young Democrats PAC decided to contribute $2,500 to two candidates both engaged in Special Elections. The first recipient is Donna Howard running in HD 48, who is currently in a run-off due to her exceptional show in the election on Jan. 17th. The second recipient is Katy Hubener running in HD106 and is unopposed in the Democratic Primary and has great name ID in the district.

The board will give each candidate $2,500 to be used in the Special Election and the campaigns have already received the donations. TYD is very proud to support these candidates as they work against their opponents. The election date for HD106 is Feb. 28th and the election run-off date for Donna Howard is expected to be Feb. 14th.

Weekend Governor's Race Round Up

By Damon McCullar

It was a big weekend for the Democratic gubernatorial candidates!

Mexican-American Democrats of Texas Endorse Bell
The El Paso Times reports today that Chris Bell has picked up his first endorsement going into the Democratic Primary. The Mexican-American Democrats of Texas endorsed Bell for governor of Texas. The endorsements are starting to pile up in the Chris Bell camp. After looking at the Gammage website, the only endorsement I could find was from Rep. Jim Dunnam of Waco.

Bell Accepts Invite for Debate
The Dallas ABC affiliate, WFAA has invited Chris Bell and Bob Gammage to a debate. As reported by Jason Stanford, the Chris Bell campaign has accepted the invitation. As of this writing, there has been no response from the Gammage Campaign.

Bell, Gammage Stump at Mid-Cities Candidate Forum and Chili Cook-off
As reported in the Statesmen, both Democratic candidates for governor attended the Mid-Cities Candidate Forum and Chili Cook-off this weekend. Both candidates urged their partisan supporters to ignore the "conventional wisdom" out there that the eventual nominee has no chance in November. From the Statesman article:

Bell called Saturday's turnout awesome, saying: "Note to news media: Hundreds of people don't show up to a union hall on a Saturday night unless they are completely fed up with what's going on in their country and what's going on in their state. The chili may be good, but it's not that good."

The crowd gave Bell, a former U.S. House member who has been touring the state since early last year, a standing ovation.

Gammage said: "I'm not sure how extinct we (Democrats) are. The people in this room are the tip of the iceberg."

The former Texas Supreme Court justice, who entered the race just before the Jan. 2 filing deadline, drew a partial ovation.

Phillip Martin Posed with Jack Abramoff

By Phillip Martin

From left to right: Unidentified, Phillip Martin, Secretary Norton, C. Bryant Rogers, and Jack Abramoff.

President Bush's Interior Secretary, Gale Norton, posed for a photo with notorious lobbyist Jack Abramoff, as well as Chief Phillip Martin of the Mississippi Band of Chocataw Indians. Chief Martin -- whom I have read about for many years after numerous Google searches -- did not officially meet with Abramoff.

Since I know Phillip Martin would never lie, we'll take him at his word. The story is here. The link to the photo is here. Thanks to fellow blogger Rawhide for the tip.

Fox Paid $14,000 For DeLay Appearance

By Vince Leibowitz

Fox News paid $14,000 for Tom DeLay to appear on Fox News Sunday in an 'exclusive' interview on October 2, four days after his indictment. The Statesman has more.

Am I the only one who thought public officials appeared on these shows for free?

Open Thread

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Random Updates for you today.

+ One of the two candidates (Edward Smith) to run in HD 106 in Dallas where Ray Allen has retired has now been kicked off the ballot since none of the addresses he gave were in the district, and he has only lived there 6 months. That leaves Kirk England to take on Katy Hubener in the special election and general election.

+ Matt creates a visual chart of why Lamar Smith is an Enabler to the Culture of Corruption. John Courage, running against Smith, has called for him to resign from his spot on the House Ethics Committee over on his blog.

+ David Van Os, running for Attorney General, has hired blogger PDiddie to be his new campaign manager.

+ Grits for Breakfast has not once, but twice now had his blog postings lead to major real world affects. The latest involved our blogging representative Aaron Pena.

+ Looks like former Rep. Keel might have a primary after all for his Court of Criminal Appeals seat which he knocked his opponents out of earlier this year.

+ Karen Felthauser, running for HD-52 up in Williamson County, makes the DF(A)-list. Check out her new website as well.

+ Google Video is freaking cool. Where else could you easily find such wonderfully useful things like this or see why Macs suck or have a world repository for digital fart films or see the clip from Stargate SG-1 with the Hatak fleet being destroyed.

+ Year end Google Zeitgeist is out.

+ "Champion" arrives at UT. IBMs latest ginormous supercomputer at 730 billion calculations a second.

+ Get your State of the Union preview on. Some funniness at MyDD.

Texas' Grand Canyon of Income Disparity

By Phillip Martin

A study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute shows that "no state in the nation has a wider gap between its richest and middle-income families than Texas." From the Houston Chronicle:

"Texas has arguably the most extreme separation between the well-off and everyday people in the United States," said Don Baylor, a policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin think tank that advocates for working families.

"In many states, the income gap is like a gully," he added. "In Texas, the income gap is like a deep canyon."

From 2001 to 2003, the average annual income of the top 20 percent of Texas families — $118,971 — was nearly three times the average income of the middle 20 percent, which made $41,015, the study shows.

The average income of Texas' richest fifth of families was more than eight times greater than the $14,724 average of the poorest fifth.

By comparison, the average income nationally of the richest top fifth was 2.3 times greater than the middle fifth and 7.3 times higher than the bottom fifth.

The article goes on to talk about how the cost of living in one region or another varies in Texas, citing the example that, "a family living in a border town such as McAllen with an income of $60,000 would enjoy a much higher standard of living than a family in Houston with the same income."

True, but what is that really saying? It's OK to not make that much money in the Valley, because the region is so poor anyway? That family with an income of $60,000 still needs to send their children to college, and if they can't afford higer education opportunities, it's going to be twice as difficult for that family to "raise themselves by their bootstraps" into the higher income brackets.

To read the full article, you may click on the link below.

Income disparities are bigger in Texas

Study finds no state has a wider gap between rich and middle class

By POLLY ROSS HUGHES
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - No state in the nation has a wider gap between its richest and middle-income families than Texas, according to a national study released Thursday.
ADVERTISEMENT
Click to learn more...

At the same time, Texas ranks second only to New York when it comes to income disparities between the richest and poorest families, according to the study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and the Economic Policy Institute in Washington, D.C.

"Texas has arguably the most extreme separation between the well-off and everyday people in the United States," said Don Baylor, a policy analyst at the Center for Public Policy Priorities, an Austin think tank that advocates for working families.

"In many states, the income gap is like a gully," he added. "In Texas, the income gap is like a deep canyon."

From 2001 to 2003, the average annual income of the top 20 percent of Texas families — $118,971 — was nearly three times the average income of the middle 20 percent, which made $41,015, the study shows.

The average income of Texas' richest fifth of families was more than eight times greater than the $14,724 average of the poorest fifth.

By comparison, the average income nationally of the richest top fifth was 2.3 times greater than the middle fifth and 7.3 times higher than the bottom fifth.

"What we found is that inequality is growing across the country," said Elizabeth McNichol, a senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

In the past two decades, average incomes nationally of those in the bottom two-fifths of families grew just under 11 percent, the study shows.

The top fifth saw their incomes rise more than four times that much.

And, those in the top 5 percent of all incomes nationally saw their incomes skyrocket by 65.6 percent.

Uneven growth
McNichol said such uneven income growth violates the fundamental priniciple that hard work will be rewarded with a rising standard of living.

"When income growth is concentrated at the top of the income scale, the people at the bottom have a much harder time lifting themselves up out of poverty and giving their children a decent start in life," she said.

The study tracked U.S. Census data from the early 1980s to early 2000s. Incomes are adjusted for inflation, using the national consumer price index and reflect the impact of federal but not state taxes.

Among the 19 philanthropic organizations funding the study were the Ford Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Globalization blamed
The study attributes growing income inequality over the past two decades to globalization, long periods of unemployment, the loss of well-paid manufacturing jobs, weaker labor unions, the rise of lower-paid service jobs and a national minimum wage that hasn't risen in eight years.

It recommends that states narrow the gap by raising the minimum wage, relying more on income rather than sales taxes and offering transportation and child care help for low-income workers.

"We're going to rise or fall as a state together," said Baylor at the Austin think tank, adding that Texas leaders should also start investing more in public and higher education.

"The notion that you're on your own," he said of the state's cultural ethic emphasizing self-reliance, "that logic comes back to bite you at some point."

Some Texas economists caution that income distribution studies, especially when they also advocate social policy changes, run the risk of distortion.

"The notion that income inequality has gotten worse in the United States in the last 20 years — I believe that," said University of Houston economist Barton Smith. "The idea that it is worse in Texas than in other places — I don't know that I believe that."

Smith said the study fails to capture major differences in the cost of living from one region of Texas to another. For instance, a family living in a border town such as McAllen with an income of $60,000 would enjoy a much higher standard of living than a family in Houston with the same income.

"Texas is a big place and at the bottom is the Mexican border. You are looking at vast geographic and cultural differences," said James K. Galbraith, who teaches economics and government at the University of Texas at Austin.

"If Texas were two states or five states, any one of them would be more egalitarian, that's for sure," he said. "It's not all because we are run by rich, white guys with regressive agendas."

However, Galbraith said raising the minimum wage would help close the gap as would an environment where it is easier for workers to form labor unions.

National phenomenon
Stephen Klineberg, a professor of sociology at Rice University, said Texas policy makers should heed growing income gaps or risk falling behind economically.

"What we're talking about is a national phenomenon, but it's not surprising that it's stronger in Texas," he said.

"Texas and Houston are traditionally the worst places in the nation to be poor because there's so little help for the poor."

Klineberg said Texas and Houston thrived in the last century with a natural resource-rich economy producing abundant, well-paying jobs. Many of those jobs, such as those in the oil fields, did not require higher levels of education.

The high-tech economy of Texas' future, however, depends much more on higher educational attainment for all Texans, he said.

"Texas and Houston have got to massively upgrade their education systems," he said. "If we don't find a way to educate the work force in the 21st century, the state is not going to be competitive."

Sen. John Kerry Threatens Filibuster on Alito Nomination

By Damon McCullar

According to CNN, Sen. Kerry has said that he will filibuster the confirmation vote on Sam Alito. I have to say that I'm dubious about the success of this. The the confirmation vote as been scheduled for 4:30pm eastern time on Monday.

Who Knew Gamers Were That Political?

By Vince Leibowitz

I guess I never thought about gamers being terribly political, but I found it amusing to note that not only is there a website that tracks politics as it relates to gaming (video, not casino), but they aren't too happy about Star Locke's proposal to tax violent video games.

In addition, neither Games Are Fun News nor GameSpot News are very happy with Star Locke.

Texas Redistricting Case Begins on March 1

By Phillip Martin

The United States Supreme Court will begin hearing oral arguments for the Texas Redistricting map engineered by Tom Delay on March 1. A decision is expected by early July. Should the Supreme Court eventually rule the map unconstitutional, the previous congressional redistricting plan that was in place for the 2002 primary and general elections would most likely be reinstated.

Now, I'm not a lawyer -- by any stretch of the imagination -- and can never fully appreciate the full range of details and information presented for court cases. Thankfully, our friends at the Lone Star Project have compiled an outline of the key legal points raised in the four Appellants’ briefs. I read through them, and they are very informative and very interesting to read. To read these summaries, click on the link below. If you're especially interested in the precise legal arguments, you may click on the name of any Appelant to read the complete brief.

Ed. note: This summary of the appelants' briefs is provided to us by the folks at the Lone Star Project.

Jackson Appellants’ Brief – The Jackson Appellants’ brief was filed by attorneys J. Gerald Hebert, Paul Smith, and Sam Hirsch on behalf of a broad cross-section of Texans from all races, ethnicities, and regions of the state of Texas, as well as the Democratic congressional interveners. Included among these Appellants are Congressman Charlie Gonzalez, Congressman Gene Green, former Congressman Nick Lampson and Texas State House Representative Richard Raymond. As the primary Appellants in the case, the Jackson brief is the most comprehensive and covers more topics than any other brief. Key arguments include:

1. It is unconstitutional for legislators to redraw election districts in the middle of the decade solely for the purpose of maximizing partisan advantage if a legal plan is already in place.

* During the 2003 redistricting trial in federal court, attorneys for the state and Rep. Phil King, the Texas House sponsor of the DeLay plan, conceded that the plan was intentionally drawn for the sole purpose of maximizing the number of Republicans districts. This partisan purpose was used to excuse any “unintentional” violation of other redistricting principles, including the Voting Rights Act.

* The 2003 mid-decade “re-redistricting” can not be supported by claims that it promoted “partisan fairness” because the plan used in the 2002 elections, as drawn “from scratch” by the three judge panel in the 2001 Balderas case, was based on a demonstration map submitted by the State’s attorneys and the State’s experts. It provided Republicans a partisan advantage in 20 of the state’s 32 congressional districts, according to the state’s own expert witness.

* Mid-decade redistricting done for partisan purposes alone violates the “one-person, one vote” doctrine under the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because the use of old census data does not reflect mid-decade population patterns, which a knowledgeable map drawer could use to draw plans solely for partisan gain, disrupting stability and accountability in representation

2. The Voting Rights Act prohibits the State, as part of an intentional effort to maximize partisan gains, from destroying a District in which African Americans have demonstrated their ability to nominate and elect candidates of their choice, even if they do not constitute a mathematical majority of the population in the district.

* Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act protects coalitional districts where a racial or ethnic minority can elect candidates of their choice, even if that minority group does not make up 50% of the district’s population.

* District 24 in the Metroplex should have been preserved and protected under Section 2, because it afforded African-American voters in Southeast Fort Worth the opportunity to elect candidates of their choice, as confirmed by expert witnesses for both the Appellants and the state.

* Both the Texas House and Senate sponsors of this mid-decade redistricting effort recognized in public statements the concern that District 24 would be protected under the Voting Rights Act. They reflected this concern by preserving the 24th District as a safe African-American district in the plans passed by the House and Senate. However, in Conference Committee negotiations, former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay personally interceded and demanded the elimination of the 24th as an effective African American opportunity district in order to eliminate Democratic Congressman Martin Frost and to achieve maximum partisan gain.

3. The State’s 2003 map drew an unconstitutional racial gerrymander in South Texas as a direct result of their effort to maximize partisan gain.

* In order to protect a Republican incumbent in District 23 and eliminate any chance of Hispanic control of that District, the State removed 100,000 Hispanics in predominantly Democratic Webb County and replaced them with 100,000 Anglos in the predominantly Republican suburbs and Hill Country to the north and west of San Antonio. This change “stranded” over 300,000 Hispanics in a “safe” Anglo-dominated Republican seat and violates the Voting Rights Act.

* In an effort to compensate for the loss of the Hispanic opportunity District 23, the State drew an illegal racially gerrymandered “new” District 25 – a bizarre district in which a narrow, sparsely populated “land bridge” connects Hispanic areas of Southeast Travis Co. (Austin) with a concentration of Hispanic areas in the Rio Grande Valley. In this bizarrely shaped district, 89% of the population resides in two distinctly different regions and cultures 300 miles apart.

4. The Court should restore the 2001 court-drawn plan for the 2006 Election

* Should the 2003 map be invalidated, there is no reason to allow another election to be held under an illegal map. The State had a legal plan in place before embarking on its mid-decade redistricting effort. The State never appealed or challenged the 2001 plan in court, and its own expert witnesses testified that the 2001 plan was legal and fair.

* There is precedent in the 1996 Bush v. Vera Texas case for replacing a plan in the middle of an election cycle by canceling primary results in districts found illegal and then conducting an open primary on the November general election date, followed by runoff elections in districts where no candidate received a majority of the vote.

Travis County Appellants’ Brief – The Travis County appellants’ brief, submitted by attorney Renea Hicks, argues that the state’s decision to replace a valid districting plan with a new map in 2003 violates the one-person, one-vote principle because the state did not make a good faith effort to draw districts of equal population.

* The State’s voluntary decision to redraw districts (for partisan gain) using out of date 2000 census data was not a permissible and unavoidable variation from the equal population rule.

* Instead of attempting to adjust and correct the 2003 plan for population variances, the State’s mapmakers used their keen awareness of population changes that had occurred over time and, as evidenced by trial testimony, considered these population changes in tandem with the 2002 election results when drawing a 2003 map that sought to maximize partisanship.

* The State’s unbridled partisan goal in the 2003 mid-decade redistricting is not a legitimate state purpose that justifies incorporating well-known population variances into a redistricting plan.

* The Court should replace the 2003 map with the 2001 Court-drawn plan for the 2006 elections.

GI Forum Appellants’ Brief – The GI Forum brief, presented by Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) attorney, Nina Perales, advanced several arguments under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act that assert the State’s avowed partisan redistricting goal did not justify dilution of Latino voting strength and elimination of a Hispanic opportunity District (23).

* Dismantling a Latino Opportunity District (23) for the sole purpose of electing the candidate preferred by Anglo voters violates the Constitution and the Voting Rights Act. There is ample evidence that the State intentionally discriminated against Latinos when District 23 was redrawn to eliminate the majority Latino citizen voting age population and voter registration in the district.

* As Judge Ward noted in his dissent in the District Court opinion, GI Forum demonstrated that seven effective Latino Opportunity districts could be drawn in the same territory in which the State only drew six Latino districts (due to the dismantling of District 23 as an effective Latino District), a clear violation of the Voting Rights Act that cannot be justified by creating another Latino district in expanded territory elsewhere in the state.

* The State can not justify the dismantling of District 23 just because the incumbent is Latino when that incumbent is the Anglo-preferred candidate and not the Latino voters’ candidate of choice. Also, it cannot rely on a defense that it was carrying out the wishes of a political party to protect one of its incumbents.

The LULAC Appellants’ Brief – The League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) Appellants’ Brief, submitted by attorneys Jose Garza, Rolando Rios, and Luis Vera, Jr., argues that the State’s decision to use outdated census data to redraw a perfectly legal map for the single-minded purpose of maximizing partisan gain violates the one-person, one-vote requirement, and that due to the under population of rapidly growing Latino districts, the burden of this “severe partisan power grab” was placed on the backs of Latino voters.

* A redistricting plan drawn with the “single-minded purpose” of achieving partisan gain violates the one-person, one-vote rule when it uses three-year old census data that under populates Latino districts, because partisan advantage itself is not a legitimate state goal that justifies such population variances.

* The manipulation of population data for partisan purposes, as used by the State in 2003, created disparities that fell most prominently on the rapidly-growing Latino population.

* The 2003 plan used outdated census data to craft a purposefully partisan plan that eliminated, in violation of the 1st and 14th Amendments to the Constitution, a Latino majority district (23) and all competitive districts in which the minority population cast the deciding votes under the pre-existing legal plan, including, among others, the 24th District in Dallas-Fort Worth.

40/40: An Interview with Representative Carlos Uresti

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: Below is an e-mail interview I had with State Representative Carlos Uresti, who is challenging incumbent Senator Frank Madla for the SD 19 seat. To read my interview with Senator Madla, click here.

What made you decide to challenge your own State Senator -- two time incumbent Senator Madla -- in this primary?

Frank has a long record in Texas politics. For many years, he remembered that his constituents were the ones who voted him into office, not the lobby. Over the past few sessions, though, it became increasingly difficult for me as a Democrat to believe that Senator Madla would be a reliable vote for our district when we needed him. On too many bills, Frank crossed the aisle to vote with Republican leadership to balance our state’s budget on the backs of those who could least afford it. He became more interested in helping powerful special interests while kids went without health insurance, elderly people lost nursing home allowances, and state employee ranks were decimated for the benefit of a few big private interests. Frank’s votes were a slap in the face to me as a Texas Democrat, as a fellow legislator, and as a resident of the district he represents. I live where those children go without medical care. I see the results of his votes. I could have waited a few more years until he finally retired, but I don’t think the vulnerable constituents in his district can.

What has your experience in the House taught you about the legislative process?

The House is not for the faint-hearted. I learned the hard way that doing the right thing can be a punishable offense in the legislature. I learned that sometimes the surest sign you are on the right track is when you lose something you care about, like a committee chairmanship. But I was proud to lose points with leadership in the House for opposing bills that would ask even more sacrifices from Texans who can least afford them. I can hold my head up high at home in my district, even if I didn’t get the best assignments in Austin for the stands I took. My time in the House also taught me this about the legislative process: some bills must be blocked and killed when you have the chance. Moving a bad bill “through the process” just builds momentum that can’t be stopped in the end. That is what happened with HB 2292, and Frank Madla’s votes gave the beast its shot at life.

During the 78th Legislature, you took a strong stance against HB 2292 - a bill that consolidated many HHSC agencies, privatized call centers across the state, and denied health insurance to thousands of Texas children. What have you done, since 2003, to correct the problems you believe exist in this legislation?

I worked with many other concerned House members to ensure that we would put money back into the budget to improve coverage under CHIP and increase eligibility again. Unfortunately, with current leadership in place, we did not achieve all we wanted to. But even many Republicans could see that the shortsighted cuts that 2292 made were actually increasing the costs to their districts, so we had some good bipartisan support for those initiatives. I also demanded – and got – a restoration in child abuse and neglect prevention program funding. While these funds are still too low, we are back from the grave 2292 put us in with respect to child abuse prevention programs. I continue to join my colleagues in a call for a thorough examination of the outsourcing contracts that eliminated so many qualified state workers while creating expensive private sector systems that just don’t work. I intend to examine the state of these systems during the interim in preparation for filing new legislation to address these problems.

During this past session, you were very involved with the creation and passage of SB 6. Why did you feel this legislation was so important? Why is it OK for there to be privatization in SB 6, and not OK for there to be privatization in HB 2292?

SB 6 literally helps to ensure the future of our state by protecting our children. We have an enormous problem today in Texas, and frankly, around the world: It is child abuse and neglect, and it is destroying the fabric of our communities. As a legislator, I could not imagine a more important cause to advance in Austin than protecting those who cannot protect themselves. I also cannot imagine a better investment in the future of Texas. By spending funds now to protect and rehabilitate children from effects of child maltreatment, we can help avoid an endless list of costly social problems in the future. As a fiscally responsible legislator, and as a human being, SB 6 was one of the most important bills I have ever worked on.

To read the rest of Rep. Uresti's answer to this question, and to read his responses about his views on school finance reform, water issues, and how he plans to win the SD 19 primary race, click on the link below.

The privatization component in SB 6 was directly related to improving the quality and continuity of care for children in state custody. It was not done to cut costs at their expense, as was the case with the privatization efforts behind HB 2292. SB 6 did not create an overall net loss of state jobs; we reallocated and actually increased state jobs in that agency. But we did have to use some strategic and limited privatization measures to realign agency functions so that kids would be better cared for than they were under the old CPS system.

I have always been clear on this point: if privatization is a viable means of improving and protecting the lives of vulnerable citizens, and we have data that backs the use of privatization for that purpose, I will consider its use. Where SB 6 was concerned, privatization actually costs the state more money in the short term, but it also should produce better outcomes where saving kids’ lives is concerned. In contrast, HB 2292’s privatization plan led to a large-scale loss of state jobs, reduced service availability and quality throughout Texas, and was a boon to private sector for-profit companies at the taxpayer’s expense. The two bills couldn’t be more different in that respect.

What do you believe needs to be done about school finance and property tax reform?

We need to put all options on the table if we are going to have a serious, productive, and well informed debate on property tax reform. Voters need to know what kind of impact lowering property taxes will have if we aren’t careful: 90% of Texans will pay HIGHER taxes under the kinds of proposals Frank Madla has supported in the past. That isn’t fair to Texans, and it certainly isn’t good for District 19.
I support a thorough overhaul of the state’s franchise tax code to make sure we close loopholes that allow companies to reap the benefits of our public school system without paying their fair share. I think we need to look at other sources of tax revenue that are currently untapped, like an increase in the cigarette tax that I proposed last session; that would generate more than a billion new dollars for the state budget. We also have to consider using every viable means to increase efficiency in school administration so that every cent of every dollar is well spent. We owe that much to taxpayers; as a taxpayer myself, I expect nothing less. But the bottom line for me is this: I will not support lowering property taxes if it is done by passing on the cost to those who can least afford it through higher sales taxes and fees.

Beyond education and health care, what do you feel is the biggest issue for the constituents of SD 19?

Water. We need to get everyone at the table to address this issue. It’s a major problem anywhere in the country where high population growth is occurring. My opponent has cast some votes that really upset most of District 19; essentially he voted to remove citizens from the political process that controls the use and protection of their natural resources. I don’t believe that fits with the needs and traditions of District 19 or the State of Texas. It’s time for a dialogue between all the stakeholders that is guided by one central reality: we all need water and its supply is not endless. We have to embark on a new era of negotiations that stress the conservation, appropriate use, reclamation, and equitable distribution of this precious resource.

Why are you running for Senate District 19?

Texas is at a turning point. Like the rest of our Nation, we are rapidly becoming a state of haves and have-nots. Senate District 19 exemplifies the kind of missed opportunities that characterize our state in far too many places. The only way we are going to adapt to a global economy with opportunities that enrich everyone is by aggressively combating poverty, improving public health and education, protecting our natural resources, and investing in infrastructure that builds a foundation for future prosperity. I don’t see the tough votes being cast from District 19, the votes that demand better health care and education for our children; the votes that create a safety net for elderly and disabled Texans and our vets. I am running because I see years of missed opportunities going by, and a population in the district that can’t afford to wait any more for the future to arrive.

What do you see as the biggest challenges in your upcoming campaign? What separates you from your primary candidate, incumbent Senator Madla?

It is always an enormous challenge to battle an incumbent for a seat, especially one who’s been in that seat as long as Frank has. He has inertia on his side: a body at rest tends to stay at rest. He also has a good relationship with powerful special interests who want him to stay where he is.

What separates me from Frank is a vision for our district that includes everyone. My priest gave me a Bible verse some time ago which I taped to my desk where I can see it each day. It reads, “Without vision, the people will perish.” Our people are perishing. They are losing hope, jobs, security, and lives. It is time for a change. I have a vision for Texas and District 19 that includes everyone – not just those who are powerful and wealthy enough to influence events at the Capitol. I know the problems of those who are least able to defend themselves from the political forces in Austin, and I carry those people with me in my heart whenever I vote. I have vision for the kind of state we all deserve, and I won’t stop fighting for it.

How did your background as a marine help shape your leadership style?

The Marine Corps teaches you something that applies particularly well to political life: leaders are only respected when they respect those they lead. As an elected official, I realize that my first duty is to my constituents; I have to respect the fact that I work on their behalf, that I speak for them in Austin, and that it is my duty to vote in their best interests when a bill comes before me. Marines also have a slogan I take to heart every day: Semper Fi, or always faithful. I am always faithful to those I lead and to their priorities; that is my solemn duty as their elected official.

My time in the Corps taught me to take responsibility for my actions, to own up to the consequences of my conduct as a public official and leader. No one expects perfect performance from any human being all the time, much less from elected officials. But as a Marine, I demand that political leaders, including myself, are held accountable to the people for their conduct and votes – and my opponent has some bad votes to account for.

One of the best lessons I took away from the Marine Corps is to pass leadership skills on to others. I guess I learned that lesson pretty well: my son Carlitos just joined the Corps, and recently left us to begin his career as a Marine. We’re very proud of him.

During your campaign, how do you plan to connect with the large percentage of voters that live in rural areas of Texas you have never represented?

I have been fortunate to have so many folks approach me from those areas, people who are eager for a change after so many years of inaction in Senate District 19. My campaign is well connected to those rural areas, and in many cases, they came to us with the hope that things might finally change. I’ve been traveling throughout the district since last year, making connections with the voters all over District 19, and we are all connecting on one basic point: we need new energy and vision coming from our Senate district.

Juan Garcia Kicks Off Campaign Tomorrow

By Damon McCullar

Navy veteran and lawyer Juan Garcia kicks off his campaign for state rep tomorrow with none other than Gen. Wesley Clark. The campaign kickoff is at 4pm at the Selena Auditorium in Corpus Christi.

I had an opportunity to speak to Juan last night in a phone interview.

DM: When did you first consider running for public office?

JG: Starting about a year! ago, I started receiving emails encouraging me to run and folks from around the state started making the trip down to Corpus to make the case for why it was important, and why it made sense to run for this seat. But the fact is I've always felt a calling to serve, and that's why after graduating from law school I went to naval flight training. If ever somehow involved down the road in making that most sacred of decisions, whether to send young men and women into harm's way, I think it's important
to have taken a turn yourself.

DM: Why state rep? Why not city council or governor or anything else
in between?

JG: When I was first approached about running for office, it was in terms of an open US Senate seat (because Senator Hutchinson was rumored to be running for governor). I was intrigued, and very interested in talking about the war, and the issues surrounding it. But as we all know, that didn't happen, and to try and raise the massive warchest necessary to compete with an entrenched, incumbent U.S. Senator, especially as a first-time candidate, just didn't make sense. But I feel that I can make an immediate difference in the Texas House. On the heels of a string of failed sessions dedicated to education, I think there's a unique opportunity here to impact schooling throughout Texas.

DM: Tell me about your family?
JG: My Dad is a retired navy pilot from Robstown, the next little town past Corpus. He flew A-7 attack jets, and he used to always say that if he'd been there with an A-7, the Alamo would have been a whole different story. The Navy has a tradition called a "Tiger Cruise," in which the aircraft carrier, after a deployment to the Gulf, pulls into Pearl Harbor, and family members board the ship, and ride it back home into San Diego. I did a Tiger Cruise aboard the USS Constellation with my dad when I was 8 years old, and that's really where I got the bug to fly. 25 years later I got to return the
favor, when he was my guest aboard the Constellation. My wife and I met as classmates at Harvard Law School. She grew up in New
York, and settling down in my hometown in South Texas was a tough sell for her initially, but she's come to love it. We have four kids, the oldest being 7-year old twins: three boys and a daughter, whom if my plan holds, will enter the Convent when she's 16.

DM: Tell me about your naval career?

JG: I spent 13 years on active duty, and left in October 2004 as a
Lieutenant Commander. I was a pilot, did a couple deployments to the Gulf, and served as the aide-de-camp to the deputy Commander in
Chief of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe. I'm still serving as an Instructor Pilot in the Naval Reserve, teaching the Navy's newest pilots to fly, right here at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. (My youngest brother is a newly-commissioned officer in the Navy and reports to flight training in a couple weeks. We're hoping we get to fly together - in which case he will
see the inside of his stomach!).

DM: Gen. Wesley Clark is coming to your campaign kickoff, what is
your relationship to him?

JG: I served under his command during Kosovo, and later got to know him when was selected to be a White House Fellow. He was a White House Fellow as well, and later served on the board that selects future Fellows. He's got one of the most amazing bio's in American public life, and I'm honored that he's making the trip down to the Coastal Bend for my event.

This Is Just Too Funny Not To Pass On

By Vince Leibowitz

Thanks to Google News Alerts I still have active on a bunch of now-former congressmen, I was directed to SFist.com, a San Franscisco blog which today had a post up about a local election there and discussed Christine Pelosi (daughter of Nancy Pelosi). I could not figure out why this was emailed to me as a news alert for "Max Sandlin" until I read this (all links and puncuation, etc., are from the source):

Christine Pelosi, whose mother you may have heard of, is a former San Francisco deputy DA who is now active with the Democratic party. In her day job, Christine serves as Chief of Staff to Congressman John Tierney (D-Mass.) (who her mother then appointed to the Intelligence committee) and used to date (scroll down) Texas Democratic congressman Max Sandlin (during which time her mother appointed him to the Ways and Means committee). Sandlin, 63, lost his bid for reelection last year (and is now dating a representative from South Dakota. What a player!).

Strangely enough, the funniest thing in the post, to me, was that Max Sandlin was listed as being 63 years old. Hello...look at the guy! Via Wikipedia, try 53.

I just couldn't resist correcting an out-of-state blogger on the real age of one of our former Congressmen.

Bell Campaign Endorsed By Garnet Coleman

By Vince Leibowitz

Chris Bell's campaign today announced another high-octane Texas legislative endorsement today: Garnet Coleman.

Coleman had this to say about Bell:

In the last legislative session, Houstonian Scott Hochberg offered a now famous amendment on the school finance bill that demonstrated the devastating power of a good idea. Another Houstonian, my friend Chris Bell, has brought the power of bright ideas to his campaign. My friend has some great ideas about how we can get Texas moving in the right direction again, which is why today I am proud to endorse Chris for Texas Governor.

And, for those who were criticizing the Bell campaign in the comments yesterday for not having any issues, here are a few that Coleman spotlighted in endorsing Bell:

Right now legislative pensions are tied to judicial salaries, meaning that we lawmakers give ourselves a pension increase when we raise judges’ pay. Meanwhile, teacher pay is abysmally low. Chris has proposed linking legislative pensions to teacher pay to provide an extra incentive for state legislators to raise teacher pay.

Right now we send Texas National Guardsmen and women into overseas combat with a salute, a pat on the back, and not much else. Chris has proposed that the state reimburse these heroes for their life insurance premiums to protect their families’ financial securitt.

Right now college students are compensating for skyrocketing tuition by buying only some of their textbooks. Chris has embraced the common-sense idea of making college textbooks tax-free to make it a little easier.

And this one is near and dear to my heart—the Texas Enterprise Fund is a slush fund for corporate welfare, plain and simple. The State of Texas has spent $217 million of the people’s money to create, as of last year, a miniscule 275 jobs. That’s a pretty pathetic return on a sizable investment. Instead, Chris wants to fully fund the Skills Development Fund that partners Texas community colleges with existing small businesses for job training programs. This program has financed training for 15,559 new jobs and 28,832 existing jobs at a cost of only $900 per job over the last three years. And the best part is that this program helps existing Texas businesses, not out-of-state corporations.

Finally, our public schools are treating standardized tests like they’re the cure and not a diagnosis. The Perry administration is using high-stakes testing to teach our kids, but that works as well as using a thermometer to lower a fever. The result of this blind loyalty to Enron-style accountability is the country’s top dropout rate, which in turn has created a School-to-Prison Pipeline that has filled our prisons and emptied half a generation of its promise. Chris Bell wants Texas to have the best public schools in the country, and he wants to start by getting away from the high-stakes nature of these tests and giving control of classrooms back to teachers and principals where it belongs.

And, by way of an update on yesterday's post on Bell demanding Strayhorn return the money she got from James Leininger, Kuff has more, including a link to a Houston Chronicle story on the topic. And, the Chron's not the only outlet picking this up. It's received good coverage state wide, to wit: Dallas Morning News; Brownsville Herald; KLTV Tyler; KWTX (Waco/Temple); and KRIS-TV (Corpus Christi).

Bell Calls for Less Emphasis on TAKS Test

By Phillip Martin

I know most have already seen this, but since the Statesman's headline was a bit misleading and caused some confusion, I wanted to try and clear the matter up.

Chris Bell spoke yesterday in advocacy of changing Texas' policy of high-stakes testing for students. Rather than solely relying on standardized test scores to decide if students pass or fail, Bell would like to see several different student achievement measures taken into consideration. From today's Austin-American Statesman:

Bell said the TAKS demands should give way to a traditional approach, leaving students' advancement largely up to teachers, principals and parents.

His position was nearly echoed by Jeremy Warren, a spokesman for Democratic candidate Bob Gammage of Llano, who said the test scores should be among several tools for determining whether students advance, with others including grades.

Bell said: "Whether a child moves forward should not be based upon the test. It should be how they perform in their respective courses." He said he wouldn't outlaw the TAKS, letting educators use standardized tests to compare schools and students and to identify individual student needs.

The title to Gardner Selby's article is "Bell wants to scrap TAKS," which misses and misrepresents Bell's point. As he says in the quote above, he doesn't want to outlaw the TAKS test. He just doesn't believe that it should be the only measure for student achievement.

Personally, I completely agree with Bell on this issue. I'll post my extensive reasons why I agree later on in the day. For now, let's hear some of your thoughts.

***UDPATE*** The Statesman re-did their headline. The online headline of the article know reads, "Bell wants to de-emphasize TAKS." I said he calls for less emphasis on TAKS...but, you know. Happy to see they kept it from being too misleading. To anyone at the Statesman who might happen to read this -- I appreciate it.

40/40: An Interview With Senator Frank Madla

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: Below is an e-mail interview I conducted with the 13-year incumbent of Senate District 19, Senator Frank Madla. Check back later today to read my interview with his primary opponent, Representative Carlos Uresti.

Why are you running again for Senate District 19?

I believe there are unfinished items that I am in a position of leadership and seniority in the Texas Senate that will best serve the constituents of SD 19, particularly bringing to fruition Texas A&M-San Antonio; issues of public school and public school finance, including the unique issues of both urban and rural schools. Also in that list are issues relating to protecting our future water needs while protecting landowner rights, and I want to keep a commitment that I made to retired teachers to try to ameliorate some unintended consequences from legislation passed this past session.

What do you see as the biggest challenges in your upcoming campaign? What separates you from your primary candidate, Rep. Uresti?

My biggest challenge, because I am of the "grassroots" old school, is trying to shake the hand of every voter in Senate District 19.

I think that I have a solid list of accomplishments for those who reside in SD 19 in relation to jobs, education, teachers, and a long list of accomplishments when it comes to health care.

My strong value of honesty and truth has always been my bond. Members know that, once I give my word, they can take it to the bank. I believe that my tenure in the Texas Senate and the legislature gives constituents in SD 19 an effective voice of strength, experience, and seniority, and that means clout for the district when that is critically needed

It seems like – and I may be looking at the numbers completely wrong –most of the families in your district would have been taxed more if House Bill 3 had passed in May. Why did you decide to support and vote for HB 3?

First of all, HB 3, as passed out of the Senate, was quite different than the House version, but it was by no means the end all to fix all. It contained some elements that were a good beginning, especially for SD 19. Without a doubt in my mind, our schools need more money, but this bill supported a plan to bring the equity rate from its current inequity of about 77% up to 92% with an increase per year until it reached 98% equity. That alone was a major step forward. It closed the loophole for businesses avoiding the franchise tax; increased homestead exemptions to $30,000 which would have helped families in my district considerably; increased funding for transportation; increased funding for small and mid-size schools; and increased teacher pay by $3,500 including restoration of the healthcare supplement. All of those things are extremely important to my district.

Do I want even more money for schools? Of course, but that wasn't the option before us. Basically, the bottom line is this: our schools need more money and we all want better schools. Every child should have a quality education regardless of wherever they live. Is this the best we can do? No, but a better solution is going to take a commitment from the state, the business community, and taxpayers.

What has your experience in the Senate taught you about the legislative process?

It has taught me that my opponent does not understand the legislative process in the Senate. In the Senate, you have to be able to work with both sides of the aisle, and I've learned to do that with both moderate and conservative Republicans. Doing so does not mean that you have to give up your values or your party allegiance and loyalties, but you learn how to work together for the good of the whole state and for your own district. We each represent our district in the way we believe is in their best interest. Whether you are from one party or the other, there are similar issues and similar constituent needs that demand similar solutions and that you work together to resolve that have nothing to do with party politics. I think that is something my opponent has not learned, and that would make him completely ineffective. It is probably what allowed me to have the highest percentage of bills passed and signed by the Governor than any other Senator.

To read the rest of the interview, including Senator Madla's response to questions about his views on school finance, his recent support of HJR 6, and what he feels are his greatest accomplishments in his long legislative career, click on the link below.

What do you believe needs to be done about school finance and property tax reform?

I feel that, when we re-write the formula for school finance, every
component of the education of the child needs to be included in that formula. Nothing can be excluded because, if so, it impacts the education of the child. For example, in West Texas, some of the districts stretch across thousands of square acres, and if the child cannot get to the school, and the school cannot afford to provide transportation to the school, they are not going to receive an education. In urban areas, security and safety are critical, expensive, needs--needs you don't see as severely as in rural areas, yet our formulas do not seem to include those items, and we leave that cost to local districts to fund or to find the needed funding. A means must be found that addresses the unique needs of our districts while assuring an equitable, quality education for every child, regardless of where they live. Along with that, we must have a fair and equitable tax system to support our schools that assures those who can least afford to do so do not pay more than their fair share.

During the 78th Legislature, you voted in favor of HB 2292 - a bill that consolidated many HHSC agencies and privatized many call centers across the state. At the time, the Legislature was told that the bill would save the state as much as $45 million, but recent audits have shown that the state will only save $1.1 million over the next five years. Do you still believe the move towards privatization will, in time, help the state of Texas? What are your thoughts?

I did not support HB 2292 in its final version. The state was facing a $10 billion deficit at the time, and something was going to be done to address that deficit. HB 2292 proposed to preserve services to the neediest citizens by cutting administrative costs. It is my observation that, for major legislation, it is best to allow the process to move forward with hopes that resolutions for the most problematic issues will be developed. When the end product did not seem to do that, I did not support the bill in its final form.

As to the eventual verdict on privatization, the jury is still out on that.

I know, during the session, HJR 6 was a very difficult issue for Democrats in swing districts. In the end, you switched from signing a letter saying you’d block the bill to, ultimately, voting for it. Considering how well you know the people of your district – having served as their Senator for over twelve years – what ultimately made you decide to switch your vote?

I signed the letter with the understanding that it would not be released until we heard from our constituents, and I did so before I started hearing from the constituency. I never decided to switch my 'vote.' As an elected official, my responsibility is to represent the citizens of Senate District 19. The district I represent is composed of many citizens with traditional and conservative values. Support for the opportunity to vote on this issue simply outweighed those who were opposed. The decision was difficult, but ultimately, I supported the right of voters to decide on this issue for themselves.

You've served over thirty years in the Texas Legislature. What do you consider to be some of your biggest accomplishments over that time? During your past term?

The Gifted & Talented Program; bringing Toyota to South San Antonio and with it, the expected 4000 new jobs, pumping more than $2.4 billion into the Texas economy over the next decade; keeping the 19,000 at Kelly AFB, keeping the state school open and preserving the jobs there; creating the Epilepsy Center of South Texas; legislation that created the In-Home and Family Support Program to help elderly individuals and individuals with disabilities remain in their own homes as long as they can possibly do so and avoid institutionalization; legislation that helped to expand the scope of practice for Physician Assistants in rural Texas; creating the office of Rural Health Care; and authoring the amendment that was the forerunner for the Children's Health Program (CHIPS); authoring legislation to create Texas A&M - San Antonio and bring access to higher education to the long underserved South Side of San Antonio.

In the past legislative session: finally succeeding in the passage of legislation that will allow the agri-industry of grape growers and wine production to compete on a national level and will bring more jobs, both in production and tourism, to our state.

Legislation that prohibits the University Interscholastic League from holding their major regional and state events at the same time as the TAKS tests are given which was legislation brought to us by superintendents, teachers and parents and passed in one session. The prohibition will allow students to concentrate on their tests and, hopefully, increase their performance on standardized tests. Prior to this, some students were tired and anxious about both, wanting to excel in both but having to travel long distances to compete in UIL events the day before or next morning, some times as much as 250 miles one-way.

While the education bill has not been passed in its final form, amendments that I offered to increase funding for small and rural school districts as well as transportation were supported and remained in all versions of the bill. I continue to have confidence those things will emerge in the bill produced during the upcoming Special Session.

Having a higher percentage of bills introduced and signed by the Governor than any other senator; and chairing a committee that processed more bills than any other committee.

What issue – more than any other – do you consider yourself an expert on? What issue do you feel most passionately about?

I heard the definition of expert is 'someone who knows more and more about less and less,' so I'm not sure if that is a positive statement, and expertise changes. I do try to listen to the experts. However, I have been involved in the issue of education and school finance since first serving on the 1984 Blue Ribbon Commission, chaired by Ross Perot, and I believe I have a good comprehension of the issue, especially as it impacts SD 19. I feel the same way about health and water, having served on key committees and sub-committees on these issues throughout my career and as a former educator and school board member in the public school system.

How does your faith and your values shape the way you make policy in Texas?

My faith provides my core values of trying to conduct all that I do with honesty and truth and to treat others fairly. I may not get it all right, and others may not agree with the choices that I make, but I can say that I try to do so.

40/40: Get to Know Senate District 19

By Phillip Martin

If you've ever driven to El Paso from Austin or San Antonio, chances are you spent a great deal of time driving through Senate District 19. Home to some of my favorite places in the state -- including Big Bend and Garner State Park -- SD 19 is one of the larger districts in the State of Texas. It occupies the southern and western portions of Bexar County (San Antonio), the southeastern tip of El Paso County, and the entirety of 21 other counties in the southwest areas of the state. Click here to view a map.

Over 2/3 of the district is Hispanic, yet SD 19 is considered a swing district that leans Democratic. Voters in SD 19 voted 53-47 Bush-Kerry, but have supported Democratic candidates in many House and Congressional races. While researching the district, one longtime politico familiar with the district said that approximately 2/3 of the Hispanics may be considered "religiously conservative," though party affiliation is not necessarily important to voters. Also, "religiously conservative" -- as another politico pointed out -- is a bit misleading of a term.

I could write thousands of words about how to understand the way the experience of growing up in an Hispanic culture affects your outlook on life -- social, religious, political, and otherwise. The long and short of it is that the same voters that hold "religiously conservative" views about gay marriage and abortion also tend to be very pro-education, and believe government can and should work for them as an agent of economic opportunity. The percentage of supporters for Prop 2 exceeded 80% in 14 counties in SD 19; yet, of the 13 State Representatives in SD 19, 10 of them are Democrats. I'd imagine that this district could very well have the largest percentage of pro-life, straight-ticket Democrat voters in the state. In that regards, they aren't "religious conservatives" in the way we normally think of the term.

How, then, does a Democrat represent the views of such a wide-reaching, swing district? Check back with the 40/40 tomorrow to read interviews with Senator Frank Madla and Representative Carlos Uresti, and see how they plan to work for Senate District 19.

HD 48 Runoff Set for Valentine's Day

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Via QR, news that the runoff in House District 48 will be set for Tuesday, February 14, Valentine's Day. This was rumored at last night's Travis County Democratic Party Dinner, where Donna got some "mad props" from everyone on up to Lloyd Doggett who apparently was talking about her to the Congressional Democratic Caucus last week...

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst was the one to give the official order because Perry is off in Iraq on a "bi-partisan Department of Defense-sponsored mission to visit Texas troops serving in the Middle East." Make of that what you will.

Most local officials felt comfortable with the date set. Strangely, the less time the Republican machinery has to get its act together after their embarrassing 37% showing the better for us. So donate to Donna Howard and we'll be one step closer to 6-0 in '06 here in Travis County.

Howard picked up the Austin Association of Professional Firefighters and the Travis County Sheriff’s Officers Association endorsements today. Her other endorsements include... Education Austin, Texas State Teachers Association, Texas Federation of Teachers, Texas Nurses Association, Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists, Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice, Central Labor Council, Texas State Employees Union, People for Efficient Transportation PAC, and the Austin American-Statesman, Austin Chronicle, Daily Texan.

Bell To Strayhorn: Give The Sugar Daddy Back His Money

By Vince Leibowitz

Via Chris Bell's blog, I noticed that AP has picked up on a speech he gave challenging Carole Four Names to give back $100,000 she took from voucher advocate James Leininger.

As you will recall, I pointed out earlier that Strayhorn was opposing vouchers though she'd taken thousands from the voucher advocate.

And, I'm very glad to see Chris Bell calling Carole Keeton Strayhorn on the carpet for this:

Independent candidate for governor Carole Keeton Strayhorn now says she's against private school vouchers but in the past took $100,000 in campaign donations from a millionaire voucher advocate, Democrat Chris Bell said Tuesday.

Bell criticized Strayhorn for saying she opposes using taxpayer money to send children to private schools. Her comments last week were aimed at Republican Gov. Rick Perry, who favors a pilot voucher program.

"Texas needs to trust that its leaders will have the courage of their convictions," Bell said. "When she says that vouchers are off the table, well, for how long? And when will they be back?"

Boom! Exactly what I was trying to say in my earlier post, but thank you, Chris Bell, for saying it with class and not beating around the bush.

AP noted that, From 2000 to 2003, Strayhorn accepted contributions totaling $100,000 from conservative San Antonio businessman James Leininger, a voucher supporter. Late in her 1998 run for state comptroller, Leininger secured a $950,000 loan to Strayhorn's campaign, and in the 1999 legislative session she supported a voucher plan that failed.

After what Bell had to say, though, is this quote from Strayhorn on the subject has to be my second favorite, and I'll tell you why after you read it:

"Some years ago I could philosophically discuss with you the possibility of taking a disadvantaged kid and trying a pilot program with disadvantaged kids on vouchers. That's absolutely off the table now. The reason it's off the table is we've got to save public education."

So, she just now came to this conclusion on Friday, after she was confronted by the issue? The reason I like this quote so much is because Democrats are constantly being bashed because we've 'changed our minds' on so many issues from abortion to the war in Iraq (a la John Kerry 2004). This quote gives Democrats a prime opportunity to give a Republican back a heepind tablespoon of their own medicine.

And, thanks to Chris Bell for giving Carole Strayhorn a good dose of that, no to mention that it is frightening to think that educators have given their endorsement to someone who may not trust "the courage of their convictions."

Young Conservatives of Texas Issue Their Endorsements: Big Surprise There

By Vince Leibowitz

The Young Conservatives of Texas (the same folks who brought you illegal immigrant roundups) have issued their GOP Primary endorsements.

For the most part, there were no major surprises, except that YCT picked Mark Williams over Tommy Merritt (R-Longview) in State House District 7, and that YCT declined to endorse anyone in HDs 78 and 10.

YCT's endorsement of Williams isn't that much of a surprise, though, given that Merritt hasn't been a favorite of the GOP leadership for some reason. This was especially evident in 2004 when he went up against Kevin Eltife (R-Tyler) and Paul Sadler (D-Henderson) in the race to fill Bill Ratliff's senate seat in the special election. I was, however, somewhat shocked that they endorsed the opponent of a fairly popular incumbent in a fairly red area.

As for the candidates in HDs 78 (Rep. Patrick Haggerty and Lorraine O'Donnell) and 10 (Rep. Jim Pitts and Duke Burge) I am surprised they claimed that none of the candidates were in agreement with the political philosophy of Young Conservatives of Texas. After all, wasn't Jim Pitts in favor of 11-year-olds being eligible for the death penalty?

Of course, Haggerty has seemingly been targeted for replacement by his own party, along with Carter Casteel and others. Casteel, it should be noted, wasn't endorsed either. YCT picked challenger Nathan Macias. In fact, neither Geren, Jones nor Smith were endorsed by YCT, and all were targeted by the state GOP in last fall's recorded message poll, too. Interesting.

Dunnam Endorses Gammage: Your Thoughts?

By Vince Leibowitz

[Author's Note: I've updated this post as, after reading it, I realize it didn't say what I intended it to say and, in fact, inadvertantly insulted many Democrats I respect very highly. So, toward that end, to anyone who took this post wrong, I hope you'll forgive my momentary lapse in judgement and chalk it up to my fingers getting ahead of my brain-VL]

House Democratic Caucus Chair Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) has endorsed Bob Gammage for Governor.

And, although it's the only endorsement I've seen on Gammage's website (and the only one I'm aware of outside the other "Dirty 30" candidates), it is no doubt an important endorsement.

However, does that single endorsement outweigh all of Chris Bell's endorsements?

In my original post, I inadvertantly communicated that it did. Or, at least, I felt that way after I re-read the post.

What I had intended to say is that, throughout Texas, Dunnam is probably better known, generally speaking, than many of the people who have endorsed Chris Bell. That said, there is no doubt in my mind that, while Dunnam's endorsement will play well for Gammage in some areas because of that, the endorsements of party giants like Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa and Molly Beth Malcom certainly play well for Bell, and I wasn't intending to downplay the lengthy and distinguished list of people who have endorsed Chris Bell.

I guess what I was trying to say is that, while Chris Bell has numerous endorsements (there is someone who appeals to just about everyone on that list, from Pete Gallego to Max Sandlin), Gammage has only one, but it is an important one.

Does that mean it is more important that Chris Bell's endorsements? No, not necessarily. Does it mean Gammage needs only one endorsement? No, it doesn't. Chris Bell's been endorsed by a wide spectrum of people from local officials to former Congressmen.

The dialogue I was really trying to start is: what do readers think about endorsements in general? What about these endorsements specifically? What role do they play in a campaign? How much do they matter to you as a voter?

Remember John Sharp's 'Endorsement Derby' with David Dewhurst in 2002? Sharp dozens more endorsements than Dewhurst, but he didn't win. Of course, those were groups and PACS, not individual people. Chris Bell, on the other hand, has more than a few Texas Democrats with major name recognition (either statewide or in their own areas of Texas).

So, again, what do you think? And, this isn't meant as a free-for-all for people to bash Bell or Gammage. Simply, what are your thoughts on endorsements and they role they play in political races?

Picture Perfect

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

We liked this picture so much from In the Pink we thought we should share it with you as well.

Like Andy, you should Donate to the Donna Howard campaign and give us a pick up in the House going into the next Special Election in HD 106 in Dallas. Katy Hubener would love to have some wind at her back.

Gee...I Guess She's Not Getting Any Money From Bob Perry, Either!

By Vince Leibowitz

Is it me, or did I just take time out of my busy schedule the other day to point out a Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn hypocrisy? I think I did, concerning school vouchers.

Well, thanks a lot, One Tough Grandma, but I've got to do it again, except this time, it has to do with the Texas Residential Construction Commission.

Although her comments this time were following a review her office performed of the commission on request from Rep. Todd Smith (R-Euless), it was still laced with the campaign rhetoric:

The Texas Residential Construction Commission is acting as a "builder protection agency" and has no power to force homebuilders to repair construction defects in new houses, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn said Monday.

...

"For these reasons, if it were up to me personally, I would blast this Texas Residential Construction Commission off the bureaucratic books," Strayhorn said.

...

"Caveat emptor _ let the buyer beware _ is the motto of the unscrupulous. It should not be the hallmark of state policy," she said.

Once again, I ask: Has 'One Tough Grandma' Lost Her Marbles?

It appears that, one by one, Carole Four Names is distancing herself from the 'achievements' of the Texas GOP over the past four years and from the Republican Party Platform in general.

Keep in mind the Texas Residential Construction Commission was created as part of the Legislature's huge "Tort Reform" crusade back in 2003. The entire purpose of the TRC, though no one will dare say so, is so millionaire campaign contributors like Bob Perry (one of the people behind Swift Boat Veterans for Truth in the '04 presidential election) don't have to be subjected to nasty little lawsuits over the homes they build.

Ok. So, she's abandoned school vouchers, now she's abandoning tort reform. What's next? Will she be supporting government-funded abortions on the floor of the Capitol Rotunda? Making it illegal to own a gun?

Seriously, is she just trying to piss off everyone who has ever given her money? Will she back away from everything her party has ever supported all in the name of getting votes?

I mean, it was kind of funny to see her bitch about vouchers. And, it's amusing to watch her complain about the Texas Residential Construction Commission. But this is becoming something very alarming--and something that anyone that has every even THOUGHT about supporting Carole Strayhorn as the "Anybody But Perry" candiate should think about: she's flip-flopping more than a fish out of water.

Strayhorn's entered a special political danger zone of a black hole here: in order to get votes, she'll say anything, do anything and promise anything to get ahead.

Let's not forget Carole Strayhorn was on the Legislative Redistricting Board that gave the Texas House and Senate a composition that fostered a climate to pass such asinine legislation as that which created the Texas Residential Construction Commission. She was lock-step, arm and arm with her party then.

But now that she's a "Texas Independent," she's running from all of that as fast as possible.

Of course, I'm not the only one who realizes the hypocrisy of Grandma Four Names. The Chris Bell campaign is right on top of it, too:

Strayhorn stayed away Monday from talking about her run for governor as an independent against Republican Gov. Rick Perry. But an aide to Democratic gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell suggested that Strayhorn's criticism of the construction commission had a political bent.

Strayhorn, who ran for comptroller as a Republican, accepted some $160,000 in campaign contributions from prominent Houston builder Bob Perry from 2000 to 2003, but didn't get any after that, the Bell campaign said. Bob Perry also has been one of Rick Perry's biggest contributors.

"Of course the Texas Residential Construction Commission is a case study in corruption. The Comptroller doesn't have to misuse her state office to prove that," Bell spokesman Jason Stanford said in a prepared statement.

What President Bush Knew About Katrina

By Phillip Martin

An article in today's Washington Post uncovers a report the White House received two Days prior to the landfall of Hurricane Katrina. The report, issued by FEMA, warned the intensity of Katrina could cause significant levee damage, displace over a million Louisiana residents, and require one of the largest search and rescue operations in United States history.

From the Washington Post:

A computer slide presentation by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, prepared for a 9 a.m. meeting on Aug. 27, two days before Katrina made landfall, compared Katrina's likely impact to that of "Hurricane Pam," a fictional Category 3 storm used in a series of FEMA disaster-preparedness exercises simulating the effects of a major hurricane striking New Orleans. But Katrina, the report warned, could be worse.

The hurricane's Category 4 storm surge "could greatly overtop levees and protective systems" and destroy nearly 90 percent of city structures, the FEMA report said. It further predicted "incredible search and rescue needs (60,000-plus)" and the displacement of more than a million residents.

The NISAC analysis accurately predicted the collapse of floodwalls along New Orleans's Lake Pontchartrain shoreline, an event that the report described as "the greatest concern." The breach of two canal floodwalls near the lake was the key failure that left much of central New Orleans underwater and accounted for the bulk of Louisiana's 1,100 Katrina-related deaths.

The article went on to note that President Bush -- despite notice of the storm's impact two days before landfall -- insisted, immediately following the storm, that no one could have expected what happened.

President Bush, in a televised interview three days after Katrina hit, suggested that the scale of the flooding in New Orleans was unexpected. "I don't think anybody anticipated the breach of the levees. They did anticipate a serious storm," Bush said in a Sept. 1 interview on ABC's "Good Morning America."

President Bush has since apologized for "the extent that the federal government didn't fully do its job right," going on to say that he wanted to "know what went right and what went wrong."

It seems that at least one thing that went wrong was a failure to listen.

Kinky Friedman on 60 Minutes Yesterday

By Damon McCullar

The Kinkster appeared on 60 minutes last night. He was still touting his stands on gay marriage, prayer in school, immigration (close the borders until Mexico cracks down) and the "Ten Suggestions":

"The Ten Commandments. The Ten Commandments being taken out of the public schools. I want them back," says Friedman.

Why?

"I want them back, they belong there," says Friedman. "Maybe I'll have to change their name to the Ten Suggestions, you know. But they were taken out, not by separation of church and state, but by political correctness gone awry. One atheist stands up and says, 'I don't like the Ten Commandments,' and suddenly out they go. And, of course, we all know what happens to an atheist when he dies. His tombstone usually reads, 'All dressed up and no place to go.' "

[...]

I'll tell you right now. I'm for prayer in school," he says. "I say what's wrong with a kid believing in something? I don't care if it's a tree or a rock or something, he should believe in something. I also support gay marriage. I say they have every right to be just as miserable as the rest of us. And I'll tell you another thing, you won't find any candidate that supports prayer in school and gay marriage. For that reason alone, people should vote for an independent-thinking person."

>

The only two things that I really learned from the interview is that Kinky is single and is an ex-Coke head. Oh yeah, he plans on getting the 71% of registered voters that didn't vote for for governor last go around to vote this time...good luck with that.

Montana Governor for President?

By Vince Leibowitz

While surfing political news on the Web, I came across a very entertaining article concerning Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and the 2008 presidential election.

At any rate, I thought the article was both interesting and amusing, especially since there is evidently a blog promoting a Schweitzer candidacy out there, and thought I'd share it with BOR Readers.

40/40: Get to Know Senator Frank Madla and Representative Carlos Uresti

By Phillip Martin

This week's edition of the 40/40 takes us out of Travis County and into expansive Senate District 19. This primary race features thirteen-year incumbent of SD 19, Senator Frank Madla, being challenged by a nine-year veteran from the State House, Representative Carols Uresti. While this blog, at different times, has featured harsh reviews of Senator Madla, I'm going to try my best to give both candidates a fair shake at coverage. Also, as a side note, I'm unable to find a campaign website for Senator Madla. If anyone knows the link, send it to me and I'll put it up this afternoon.

Senator Frank Madla was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1973. He served in the House until 1993, when he was elected to the State Senate -- a seat he still holds today. During this past session, Senator Madla was appointed President Pro Tempore by Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst. Dewhurst - as reported by the Austin Chronicle and Kuff -- has been campaigning for Senator Madla for some time.

Rep. Carlos Uresti is a former member of the Marine Corps. He was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant and served four years of active duty before returning to his home in San Antonio. There, he received a law degree, and was elected in a special election in 1997 to a district that now covers the eastern and southern portions of San Antonio and Bexar County. During the past regular session, Rep. Uresti was a major worker with S.B. 6, the Adult and Child Protective Services reform bill. As we reported here at BOR (via the Statesman blog), Rep. Uresti crafted the APS portion of the bill.

Eddie, over at The Red State, has been covering SD 19 for some time. Anyone interested in some more background on this race and the candidates in it should check him out. Tomorrow, I'll have a look at the political make-up at SD 19, and I will hope to have interviews with both candidates posted by Wednesday. Stay tuned to the 40/40 all week long for more coverage.

Andry Brown Press Conference @ 9 AM

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Andy Brown will be having a press conference on the South Capitol Steps Monday morning at 9 AM with Senate nominee Kirk Watson and Austin House Reps where he will be announcing his endorsement of Donna Howard. It is suspected that he will become Co-Chair of Howard's Run-Off campaign and will be writing a large check to her campaign.

I'll say this: Rick Perry tried to divide Democrats in an election engineered to favor his man Ben Bentzin. Unfortunately for Rick Perry, Bentzin is no longer favored and Democrats are united for the run-off. Andy Brown, I wish you had been given a fairer shake in this election, but you have proven yourself to be a classy man, putting the interests of the District and Party before yourself. Having already sent out thousands of mail pieces urging Democrats to vote in the Special Election, I feel today's actions will solidify your standing in many an activists heart.

And you know, there are still a few Republicans left in this County where a challenge by a certain Mr. Brown at some point would have our support!

West Wing to End

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

West Wing will end after this season, with the swearing in of the new President being the focal point of the last episode.

Personally, I haven’t watched any episodes since coming to college, but it was one of my favorite shows in high school. It was a wonderful hour of hopes and inspiration once a week in a time of uncertainty.

P.S. I've been playing around all weekend on getting the new BOR up to speed. It's not going to be ready for a few more days and I won't set an exact date for official launch, but I will say that in the next couple of days, things will be set up to where donors and writers will be asked to create the first user accounts and help make some decisions on layout and labeling. Shortly after that it will go live. In the meantime, I will let you know, that the new system will be running on SoapBlox, and Burnt Orange Report will instantly become the highest trafficked SB blog currently on the network.

Student Government Campaign Winds Up & Down

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

For all you not interested in UT-Austin Student Government campaigns, be forewarned that this is one of those entries again. But because of some of the developments of the last week, you probably won't have to endure too many of these entries which I'll explain below.

It is also a sad day in a sense, because comprehensive election reform and the complete abolishment of tickets which I supported last spring, has led to a refining of the art of SG ticket building to the point where results are pre-determined weeks before a single vote is cast (and this year, before filing even opens). It is only through the coordination and pooling of money, incumbency, and candidates available in tickets, that such disastrous results for student democracy are achieved. This doesn't mean I am personally in support of or opposed to the remaining ticket, rather I'm just disappointed with the system. -kt

It's been quite some time since my last SG campaign update. Back then, Michael Windle was still running with Jessica Fertitta in a ticket against Danielle Rugoff and Marcus Ceniceros. Then, at the end of the year, the make-up of the Windle/Fertitta ticket changed (as semi-predicted in the post that I made at the time).

It is this very thing though that may be the reason for conflict in who's running for what. Because of her outright nature, Fertitta may have more balls to push for the top spot, even though convention and current Assembly status, would place her in the VP spot. While very well known outside of SG, early SG posturing is largely a factor of 'weight' and visibility inside of the Assembly, which could be why this issue has yet to be resolved.

Personalities rubbed the wrong way, and Fertitta left, taking a good sized chunk of core members with her as she joined up with the Rugoff/Ceniceros camp. Looking back, this could quite possibly be the defining moment of what was to unfold, as it gave Rugoff/Ceniceros the boost of credibility, manpower, and assembly support that launched them into a position of gaining the critical mass needed to create another SG "sweep" election. Fertitta was then replaced by Jennifer "Cookie" McCook as VP. McCook was the new Alumni Relations Director (an office created this past year), and while not a Directorship that is considered 'weighty' in its institutional sway, building contacts with alumni does offer a nice chance to boost the campaign kitty. Being president of her sorority, Alpha Phi, didn't hurt either.

But that was not to last. Last Monday, the day before classes, core members, supporters, and candidates on the Windle/McCook ticket received an e-mail explaining that they would not be filing for a spot on the Student Government Spring Ballot, leaving Rugoff/Ceniceros as the singular ticket to stand for election, barring any new tickets forming (which wouldn't win anyways at this point) and independent candidates (where Mario Sanchez remains the lone candidate to date having expressed an intent to run). While it is likely that more independents may file, it is unlikely that any of them stand a significant chance to win if they run a traditional campaign. The only opening that exists is if an independent ran a grossly non-traditional independent campaign, paired with Rugoff/Ceniceros choosing to run a grossly limited campaign (which I havn't seen an indication of yet).

More below the fold...

Following is the e-mail from Windle/McCook...

From: Michael Windle
Date: Jan 16, 2006 9:00 PM
Subject: Student Government Elections

Dear ----,

I would like to inform you that I am no longer running for Student Government President and my good friend Jennifer McCook is no longer running for Vice President due to unforeseen family and financial personal circumstances beyond our control. We have loved our roles as At Large Representative and Agency Director within Student Government, and we know that there is a place in SG for every student that wishes to be involved. Unfortunately, the positions of Presidential Candidate and Vice-Presidential Candidate weren't right for us at this time. There's no question that we have faith in the abilities of Student Government and hope you continue or start your involvement.

I know the dedication you've shown to this university through the personal service and leadership you've made up to this point, and I wanted to notify you personally. Although this decision was tough, I am excited to work ten times as hard at my current position of At Large Representative. Please take this as an opportunity to gain an understanding of the hard work SG members put in day after day much after campaign season has started and elections are decided.

As always, Student Government will continue to do a service for every student on this campus. The value of SG cannot be understated, and I hope you continue to stay involved by coming to meetings Tuesday nights at 7PM in the Student Services Building.

Thank you again for your help, and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns.

Hook 'Em,
Michael Windle

Now, as has been passed along to me by sources more familiar with the internals of the two campaigns, Windle/McCook had only about 15 of 40 odd spots filled out as of last week compared to Rugoff/Ceniceros which had about 35. In terms of where those stranded candidates will go now, I'm doubtful that any more than one or two will be added into the lone ticket. Rugoff/Ceniceros had done a pretty bang up job of putting together a broad based ticket with a lot of good people and key supporters in advance of this last week's news.

The task now is for Rugoff & Ceniceros to gain a clear sense of legitimacy in this election. Without an organized opponent, turnout will down from last year's 18%. It is expected there will be no competitive election for Daily Texan editor this year (as the paper tries to get away with its editor elections all together), leaving what currently appears to be a two-way race for Student Events Center (SEC) President between Matt Reyes and John Grube to drive turnout. University Co-op Trustee elections have always been an afterthought in voting and are not likely to change this year due to their strict (and rather boring) election code. Texas Student Media (TSM) board seats may very well be non-contested again this cycle. Put that together and you'll be lucky to see 9% turnout.

Of course given that, an under the radar independent bid could be possible, and small colleges are easier to compete in independently. Down ballot races could see more filings as a 2-ticet SG war will not suck the available media oxygen out of the air. In any case, expect the West Mall to be far quieter come February...

Filing for office opens Tuesday and runs through February 7.

Thank You: Open Thread

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

(Bumped for the design contest, if interested, leave a comment letting me know you are... -kt)

Earlier today I put out a call for donations to help move over to the next generation of Burnt Orange Report. I've finally had a chance to plow through the dozens of e-mails that have come into me from every angle. And I cannot thank you enough.

12 donors gave a total of $470 (avg $39 / donor)! That will more than cover our transition costs as well as sustained costs through the end of the year! And 11 of the 12 of you donated $25+ so I'll be sending the first 7 of you the location for logging in to grab those first BOR User Accounts (and if anyone declines, then I'll move through the list in order of payment made). Any extra funds may go towards an additional locally developed, integrated ad system which a fellow blogger has contacted me about. I'm excited, and you should be, too.

My next challenge to the Burnt Orange Community is for anyone that would like to try their hand at BOR logo. I'll offer up to $50 (and possibly an additional contract) for a finished design or conceptual ideas that lead to a design (thanks to the generosity of today's donors)!

Requirements include...
Width: 100-150 pixels
Height: 100-200 pixels
Include: Burnt Orange Report

Possible Colors: Burnt Orange, Black, White, Grays (others if they work)
Slogan: "News, Politics, and Fun from Deep in the Heart of Texas", "Liberally Biased", Create a New One
Themes/Images: Texas, Capitol, Nothing that Violates UT Trademarks/Copyrights

Now for that Open thread and such...

+ Pink Dome gets the Funny on.

+ Eye on Williamson County has a neat write-up that our rural readers can identify with, about not being the only Democrat in one's neighborhood.

+ Chris Bell opens up a Student Union section of his website. He's also picked up some endorsements from SDEC members which are a mixed bag. Some like Bill Perkison from SD 24 are trying to push for reform in the party, others like Dr. Dennis Teal from SD 3 (who is a prospective TDP Chair Candidate) are living in the past.

+ Bob Gammage has cleaned up his site some, and started expanding his Issues page. Wes Clark will be hosting a fundraiser and reception for him in Houston next Thursday. More info or to attend: click here.

VOTEXAS.ORG: It's Not A Hubert Vo Campaign Website...

By Vince Leibowitz

I'm sitting around waiting to watch 60 Minutes to see what Kinky Friedman has to say and suddenly, I see Texas Secretary of State Roger William's face on the television screen in a commercial talking about voting in Texas and how it's "Easier. Faster. More Secure." Then, a url flashes on screen, and I think it says "votetexas.org." Well, it didn't, because there are no such sites. It was actually "votexas.org," supposed to be a cute play on words, I guess.

I immediately know the website is a one of those things to make us feel better about electronic voting. And, it is, but it's very well hidden within the website.

It's on the "Special Events" page, actually:

To effectively implement and educate Texans on the Help America Vote Act, Secretary of State Roger Williams is kicking off the VOTEXAS program with a three-day, nine-city tour of Amarillo, Austin, Corpus Christi, Edinburg, El Paso, Fort Worth, Houston, Lubbock and San Antonio. Over the three-day event, the Secretary is unveiling the most sweeping changes in election law Texas has seen in four decades.

Now, nowhere does it say "electronic voting," but what else could it mean? This is just a lame attempt to make people feel better about e-voting. How much the commercials and the site are costing the taxpayers of Texas, I have no idea. I immediately decided the site was worthless when I found, in the FAQ section, a notice that the site doesn't list polling places although it has a little button that actually says "polling places." It refers readers to their local newspapers or elections offices. Gee, how handy.

Emails Show Workings Of Gov's Office During Katrina

By Vince Leibowitz

If you haven't read the Houston Chronicle story on how e-mails from Rick Perry's staff show what was 'really' going on during the Katrina disaster, I urge you to do so. It's a real eye-opener.

Given that it's one of the best 'tick-tock' stories I've ever read using internal government documents to track response to a major crisis, I won't dwell on the story or offer my own interpretation. However, I do want to be sure to point out some of the more interesting and entertaining exchanges from the emails the Chron used as the basis of the story. Here are a few, sans any commentary from me:

Texas would have to start diverting evacuees to Dallas and San Antonio and smaller cities throughout the state and consider a statewide cap, perhaps 100,000, McCraw advised.

"I do not believe we will be able to 'cap' very well," responded Phil Wilson, Perry's deputy chief of staff. "It seems like a very difficult challenge to put a hard and fast number on, though it makes sense."

"We have no choice than to cap," added Deirdre Delisi, Perry's chief of staff. "Otherwise the feds will send more and more. Can we get them to engage other states, like Ark or tenn?"

Despite glowing TV reports that juxtaposed the war-zone scene at the New Orleans Superdome with the clean, organized haven of the Astrodome, security quickly deteriorated at the Dome, messages show.

Perry's office received reports of fights, thefts, car vandalism, an assault and confiscations of handguns, knives and a bayonet.

"Houston PD has confiscated enough alcohol to fill two 55 gallon drums and a small amount of narcotics," said e-mail from the Texas Department of Safety's Criminal Intelligence Service.

A message to McCraw noted that Houston police had asked the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission to send 32 enforcement officers because "the situation is growing out of control."

"Apparently tensions are high because alcohol and weapons were taken away from the evacuees," Delisi wrote Sept. 1. "Don't ask me how they got alcohol."

Officials also worried they were sheltering pedophiles and gang members alongside women and children, McCraw said.

The crowd became so unruly the first day that the Red Cross advised officials with the Texas Education Agency not to visit because law enforcement couldn't guarantee their safety.

"I have real concern developing about lawlessness breaking out in Texas as a result of our generosity," Walt wrote. "We need to make certain we do not exceed our ability to provide necessities for those we are agreeing to take. What's the plan for those who see the Astrodome as their rightful home for the next 90 days? What's the plan for handling increase in prison/jail population?"

DeLay apparently shared that concern.

On Sept. 2, Wilson wrote McCraw and Perry staff that someone with the Sugar Land Republican's office called, wanting to know whether Perry planned to call the National Guard to "protect Houston" from what was happening in New Orleans.

Houston had direct access to as many state troopers as needed, McCraw responded. The Guard, understaffed after deployments to Louisiana and overseas, would be deployed only if necessary, he added.

"Houston or any other city in Texas will not turn into a (New Orleans). Thanks," McCraw wrote.

"DeLay's office called again," Wilson wrote 18 minutes later. This time, DeLay's staff said the city of Houston was asking for the Guard to patrol the perimeter of Reliant Park and the George R. Brown Convention Center and to provide logistics support.

The Guard would take too long, McCraw responded. He had requested 360 troopers instead.

A couple of hours later, Wilson wrote, "DeLay's staff called again and DeLay was standing right there. He REALLY wants to talk to the gov-especially about the national guard."

An hour later, McCraw was writing Perry's office for permission to activate 1,000 members of the Army National Guard to support evacuation and shelter operations throughout the state.

Perceived breakdown

As busloads of evacuees waited outside the brimming Astrodome, Perry staffers grew so concerned about a perceived breakdown of leadership among Houston politicians and law enforcement that officials proposed either a stern talking-to by Perry or a state takeover of the Houston operation, according to a Walt e-mail message.

"Steve McCraw advises big problems with leadership at the local level in Houston," Walt wrote to other Perry staff. "Decades of infighting between city and county, sheriff's office and police office have resulted in a total breakdown of leadership."

Walt listed options.

The first: "Take over by sending someone to Houston and letting Harris county and Houston officials know the state is in charge," she wrote. "Obvious political ramifications if we do that."

The second was for Perry to call Harris County Judge Robert Eckels, Mayor Bill White, Sheriff Tommy Thomas and Police Chief Harold Hurtt and "tell them the bickering has to stop," Walt wrote.

Neither option was ever used because Houston-area officials settled their differences among themselves, McCraw said. Although the e-mail credits him with the idea for the takeover, McCraw said someone else recommended it.

"At no time did I think the state should go in and take over," he said. "We were in fact very proud of what they were able to do there in Houston."

...

The next day, it was Dallas' handling of the shelter efforts there that drew criticism from Perry's staff.

A Sept. 3 story in the Dallas Morning News about the city's struggle to find room for evacuees infuriated Perry's staff.

Outspoken Dallas Mayor Laura Miller was quoted as saying Perry had done nothing to help, besides showing up for a photo opportunity.

"This story is unbelievable," Walt wrote staff. "so much whining and nay-saying."

"In my opinion, the story makes them look like (expletive)," Delisi responded. "For cities as wealthy as those in the metroplex, the kind of rhetoric is underwhelming."

A tiff with Miller appeared to be resolved in e-mail McCraw sent just after noon.

"I called Laura Miller and we had a long talk and I was able to figure her real source of anger and we concluded on cordial terms," McCraw wrote. "She promised to be supportive at the next conference."

But late that night, Miller, a Democrat in a nonpartisan post, was quoted in another Morning News story reiterating her complaints about evacuee overload in Dallas.

"My advice to laura miller: stop talking to the press. She's making herslef look terrible," Delisi wrote.

"Any faint hope she may have been clinging to for a statewide run is now gone," deputy press secretary Robert Black wrote. "The moment came to be a leader and she met it with a whine and a complaint."

"That is almost poetic," Delisi responded.

Sheryl Cole for Place 6: Fundraising

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Sheryl Cole, running for the City Council seat being vacated by Mayor Pro Tem Danny Thomas (Place 6, the historically African-American seat), has filed her first financial report, showing supporter contributions of over $13,000 gathered during the first 45 days of the race. Two other candidates in the race reported contributions of $3,250 and $140 during the same period, giving Cole the early fundraising advantage.

Her campaign has also released its first list of public supporters (available here). Some notable names include 2005 Place 3 City Council candidates Gregg Knaupe, Mandy Dealey, and Margot Clarke; TARAL Executive Director Sarah Wheat; Political consultants Alfred Stanley and Mark Littlefield; Recent candidates Kelly White, Lulu Flores and Jan Soifer; and community leader Bettie Naylor. Cole’s campaign committee is being chaired by environmentalist Shudde Fath and businesswoman Bobbie Baker, with Rev. Joseph Parker, Jr., serving as the campaign’s treasurer.

Cole will have her formal campaign kick-off event on Wednesday, February 1st, at 5:30 PM at the Victory Grill, 1104 East 11th Street.

ABOUT SHERYL COLE

Attorney and account Sheryl Cole, 41, is a 23-year resident of Austin. She earned her B.B.A. in accounting from the University of Texas in 1986 and became a Certified Public Accountant in 1987. Cole subsequently returned to U.T. for law school, earning her J.D. in 1991. Cole’s legal career includes six years as staff counsel at the Texas Municipal League. Married to Austin attorney Kevin Cole for 15 years, Sheryl Cole is the mother of three boys, and currently serves as president of the Lee Elementary School PTA. The Cole family belongs to David Chapel, where Sheryl teaches 2nd grade Sunday School. Cole currently serves on the Board of Leadership Austin and the Austin Area Urban League, and is a former Board member of Communities in Schools. Cole also served as Tri-Chair of the 2004 AISD Citizen Bond Committee, and was appointed by former mayor Kirk Watson to serve on the 1998 City of Austin Citizen Bond Committee. If elected, Sheryl Cole would be the first African-American female to serve on the Austin City Council. The election is scheduled for Saturday, May 13, 2006.

Faring My Way in Austin

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

I've been playing around with a site this afternoon, documenting my travels from this week. Wayfaring.com is pretty darn cool, especially since I walk and bike everywhere. So I thought I'd make up a few maps of my activites for y'all while I work on the new BOR site so I can start getting at least those logins out to the donors. (Did I forget to mention we'll have polls?)

Anways, here's my ill fated trip around Austin last Tuesday when I went to the Bob Gammage press conference and ended up with a flat tire at Glen Maxey's. Then my two attempts at cashing Andy Brown's ad check, first on foot, then on bike.

Perry Calls HD 106 Special Very Close To Primary

By Vince Leibowitz

Update: I'm a little off on this one, as I didn't check the Election Code (hey, give me a break, it's Saturday!). More on that and other good stuff (like Smith being unable to run in the special) in the comments, so check them out.)

February 28 will be the date for the special election in HD 106 following Ray Allen's early departure from the Lege. That's seven days before the March Primary, not counting the special election day itself. Early voting will begin February 13.

Given the fact that Democrats faired well in the recent Special Election in HD 48, I'm not surprised that Perry has set the date so far out and so close to the March Primary. In fact, if I remember my dates correctly, early voting for the regular primary begins Feb. 21, meaning that both elections will essentially be going on simeltaniously to some degree.

So, why did Perry pick such a date? I think it's for two reasons. First, because Kirk England is the GOP establishment favorite in HD 106, and he's got a primary opponent in Edward Smith. I'm thinking that, if England bests Smith and he and Katy Hubener go into a runoff at the same time a primary is going on (wouldn't that be wierd?) Smith would likely drop out, meaning it may make things easier for England.

Second, I'm sure they want to set forth enough time to allow England to raise some cash.

Finally, and it's a little sad, but I'm thinking that Perry hopes voters will be suffering from "election fatigue" or confusion and that perhaps some Democrats won't vote in the Special Election but rather in the Primary only, especially since election day overlaps with early voting for the primary. Strange, I know, but who knows what is on their minds.

Candidates have until January 30 to file for the special election. Early voting will begin Feb. 13.

Given all this, please go help out Katy Hubener. You can contribute online, and she'll need everything she can get to defeat whatever the GOP will throw at her for the Special.

40/40: The Race in HD47 is about Electability, Experience and Effective Leadership

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: The following is an op-ed piece written by Valinda Bolton, one of two Democratic candidates we're featuring this week from the HD 47 race. To read the op-ed by Jason Earle, click here.

It’s time for Democrats to start winning elections. Right now it’s likely that Alito will be confirmed, Roe v Wade challenged and the wealthiest will continue to get tax giveaways. Texans will continue to have the highest homeowner’s insurance rates in the country, school vouchers will still threaten to pull money away from our public schools, and the revolving door from legislator to lobbyist will still be open. If we want the mainstream Democratic ideals held by the majority of our citizens represented in the policies we adopt, then it’s time to be pragmatic in our approach to campaigning against Republicans. It’s time to unite as Democrats and choose the candidate who is not only most qualified, but who can defeat the Republican nominee in November.

District 47 is one of the most winnable races in Texas and I was honored that experienced people that I respect and admire asked me to run. While HD47 leans Republican, rapid growth has brought an influx of voters who are independent thinkers.

• There was only a 6% differential between Kerry and Bush in 2004. Bush won.
• Down ballot, Democratic women won against Republican men.
• District 47 defeated Constitutional Amendment #2 by 5%.
• There is no Republican incumbent.

This tells us that HD47 is a swing district. That means Democrats have a real shot at winning. It doesn’t mean it’s a slam dunk. The Democratic nominee going into the November election must be able to capture 6-7% of the swing vote. We have to have those independent and disaffected voters come out to the polls, and a candidate with a targeted name will only polarize those folks and keep them from swinging our way. The absolute bottom line is to put a Democrat from this district back in the House

Since being asked to run and kicking off my grassroots campaign I have experienced a groundswell of support that reaches across District 47. The campaign has attracted many of the politically active and energized a whole new group of voters who’ve joined the effort to take back district 47. I’m proud to have their support and I will honor it by doing the work necessary to win the election and add a Democrat to the House.

I know what it is to tackle tough issues, to take a stand in the face of resistance and to build bridges to find solutions. My work has always been about building stronger and safer communities. Through this work I’ve gained a wealth of experience and established a proven track record of leadership that has prepared me to serve effectively in the Legislature.

• I’m a nationally recognized trainer for law enforcement on building community collaborations.
• I served for 3 years with the Congressionally-mandated Defense Dept. Task Force on Domestic Violence.
• I’ve served in leadership roles with local non-profits, state-wide and national organizations
• I co-founded an organization that provides transitional housing for women and their children. I’ve worked with several state agencies to develop training programs to improve services to clients.
• I’ve been a community and school volunteer and have served in leadership roles in my church.

My effectiveness as a leader is proven. My ability to get people from diverse backgrounds to work together is demonstrated. My electability is undeniable. Let’s ADD a Democrat from HD47 to the House this year.

The Pot Calling The Kettle A Voucher Advocate: What Won't She Do To Get Ahead?

By Vince Leibowitz

Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Stayhorn...what are we going to do with you, honey?

Like a stubmling nursing home patient who forgot to take her "memory pills," and accused her own son of hiding the family silver where she couldn't find it, 'One Tough Grandma' Carole Strayhorn today accused GOP Governor Rick Perry of dismantling public schools in favor of vouchers.

Poor 'One Tough Grandma!' I guess she forgot to take her Ginko, because all of her commercials I see on television, though she proclaims herself a "Texas Independent" end up having the word "REPUBLICAN" flash down somewhere on the right hand side of the screen at some point.

Not to mention the fact that back in 1998, she was all about being supreme voucher advocate (and right-wing Sugar Daddy) James Leininger's bitch when he guaranteed a $950,000 loan that helped catapult her into office with that landslide .05 percent of the vote.

Sure. She has the TSTA endorsement. She's gotta complain about vouchers and claim that Rick Perry is going to destroy public education as we know it. That Perry will destroy public schools with vouchers is true, so in that regard, I'm not calling Mrs. Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn a liar. However, I do not recall her ever coming out so strongly against vouchers prior to her exploring a race for governor.

Now, if anyone else does, please, by all means, correct me. I've Googled the subject to death, and found nothing substantive. To be fair, I also Googled around to find articles about Strayhorn (yes, I Googled under all the various and sundry names) supporting vouchers and found little except the fact that, duh, Leinninger and other voucher advocates have given her tons of money over the years.

Of course, when she started sparring with Perry, Dewhurst, Craddick, et al circa 2003-2004, that did stop or decline, as I recall from media accounts at the time.

So, what's the real deal with 'One Tough Grandma?'

It's easy to say that Carole Four Names either (a) never supported vouchers or only mildly supported them or (b) she still supports them and is lying because it's politically appropriate right now.

However, I believe the cold, hard, naked truth swirling around Strayhorn like the smell of urine at an animal shelter is that she simply says and does whatever is politically expiedient for her at the time and whatever she believes will help her get ahead the fastest to the next level.

Look at her past: Strayhorn's nothing but a chameleon who changes her spots/stripes/political colors to suit her own ambition. She's had more differing opinions and political viewpoints than she has had last names.

Though I'm sure readers of BOR are tired of me referring to the classic Austin Chronicle piece from '98 about Strayhorn, just recall this quote from that article if you have any doubts about whether Texas' 'One Tough Grandma' cares more about Texas or her own political ambitions:

Rylander wasn't on the road to Damascus when she was blinded by the light. Instead, her lightning-quick conversion from liberal Democrat to conservative Republican was propelled by pure ambition. After her term as mayor, the only step up was running for Congress. And the fast-talking Rylander didn't want to wait until longtime U.S. Rep. Jake Pickle felt like quitting. So in 1985, just one year after working on the steering committee for Democratic presidential nominee Walter Mondale, Rylander joined the GOP. It was a bold political move that left many of her longtime Democratic backers in Austin seething. "Her supporters felt betrayed, attacked. Their rhetoric against her became very extreme," says Travis County Attorney Ken Oden, himself a veteran of many partisan fights. After the switch, Rylander, says Oden, "got a new set of friends." And while that may have been personally painful, the political payoff was substantial. "The race against Jake vaulted her career over those who had been active in GOP circles for decades," says Oden.

Vintage Chameleon Carole. Her political career is easily likened to the stereotypical wealthy suburban houswife who goes through a divorce, gets a new set of friends, joins a new church, becomes the beneficiary of her husband's new money, gets another divorce, gets remarried, and then gets new friends, a new church and new money.

Except (and in spite of the four names) her divorces were from political parties. She divorced the Democrats, and now has divorced the Republicans, although it's clear that divorce is far from finalized given she still has the affiliation on some of her campaign commercials.

So, is it a lapse of memory for 'One Tough Grandma' or simply the blind ambition of a political chameleon who would eat their young (if they weren't serving in the Bush administration) to get ahead?

I'll say it's the latter, but maybe a dose of the former. So, calm on down, 'Grandma,' and just sit in your rocker a spell, hon. There's not anyone in Texas who doesn't know what you're doing. Just take a memory pill and keep takin' those pot shots at Rick Perry. You'll help the real Democrats by doing so and it will all be all right come November.

All right for Texas, that is. Because a real Democrat will be in the governor's mansion (hopefully). Either way, you'll be out of state government for good and looking for your next political fix.

Bentzin: #2, Like USC

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

bumped, I'm adding photoshopped pictures in the extended entry. Try your hand. If someone wants to be really clever, you'll find a way to put Donna Howard on Vince...

Following up on Phillip's post below, I couldn't let this one go.

Ben Bentzin may say "I'm Vince Young and it's Halftime", but he's missing some very important facts. Like this one: Texas leads USC 16-10 at halftime at Rose Bowl.

Oops. And the best part is that USC's halftime score of 10 out of 26 total points scored, is almost a perfect match to Bentzin's 38% of the vote against his Democratic opponents.

So you're right Bentzin, it is halftime. It's just that your more of a Reggie Bush or Matt Leinart than a Vince Young. And if history holds true, you'll still be in second when this game is over.

40/40: We Must Put Our Families First

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: This is an op-ed by Jason Earle, who's running in the Democratic primary in HD 47. Check back later this afternoon to read an op-ed by the other feature candidate of the week, Valinda Bolton.

Partisan politics at the capitol have failed to get the job done. Our public schools are on the brink of bankruptcy, our health care system is being held hostage to big insurance companies, our property taxes continue to shoot though the roof and ultra-partisan politicians call the shots.

That’s why I’m running for State Representative — to put the interests of Austin families first and partisan politics last at the Capitol.

Our elected leaders must rise above partisan politics with a fresh, honest, independent perspective that safeguards the interests of our children. Each generation faces the same challenge of handing down our civilization and our democracy to the next generation. Right now we are failing the test of building a better society for our children. The number one priority of the next legislature should be education because we all know it is easier to build a child than fix an adult.

I’m a native Austinite, and I am proud to say that I am a product of the schools in this community. I was educated in the Austin ISD, Lake Travis ISD and St. Stephen’s school and have two degrees from UT including a master’s in social work. I have a lot of experience in numerous areas including health care, public education, public safety and economic development for the State.

Schools need the proper resources to prepare students for the real world and the fact that schools must have up to date textbooks, computers and internet access and all schools must be safe is something we can no longer put on the back burner. My grandmother worked for schools for 25 years and is still an active member of the Texas Retired Teachers Association so I know the battle schools have when it comes to funding.

Today in Texas, middle income families are bearing too much of the tax burden for education. It makes no sense for the poorest families to pay the most for public education while some businesses use loopholes to get out of paying their fare share.

Currently only one in sixteen businesses pays their franchise tax. State government should take the lead in creating a tax structure that is fair to all families. State government should also make sure that public education stays public. I do not believe that vouchers are an option. Public funds should go to public schools and the children they serve.

We need to support our teachers by giving them more autonomy and allow them to actually teach in the classroom. Teachers are important, therefore we need to raise teacher pay at least to the national average and implement a mentoring program to help new teachers adapt and grow in their profession.

In 2004 Texas had a graduation rate of 65%. That ranks Texas 37th in the nation in graduation rates. In order for our children to be competitive in the workforce they need to graduate from high school.

Lowering tuition in our institutions of higher education is a necessity if we are to prosper in the future. The Texas legislature needs to increase funding for its statewide grant, loan and scholarship programs. A college degree should be the right of every Texan, not just those who can afford it because that will make us all more prosperous.

We must fix our schools, help families stay healthy and safe and create new economic opportunities in order to meet our obligations to the Texas of tomorrow.

I intend to work hard for a better tomorrow for the children and families of Southwest Travis County and all of District 47.

We can do this, we can do it together, and I intend to make it so.

Bentzin: "I'm Vince Young, and it's Halftime"

By Phillip Martin

Ben, you're a Sun Devil, not a Longhorn. Don't insult us.

From today's Daily Texan:

Bentzin noted the low voter turnout, which was about 14 percent, and said that a higher turnout would be in his favor. He said that his campaign plans to promote the importance of this election in order to increase voter turnout.

"I'm Vince Young, and it's halftime," the former Dell executive said.

I can understand why Bentzin would say that. Republicans are always comparing themselves to God, and Vince Young is - in all honesty - a god here in Austin. Bentzin is just being true to his oversized ego.

The thing is, though, is that if Bentzin was Vince Young, he would have won the special election 85,323 to 3. In case you're wondering, that's the total number - as of 2004 - of folks registered to vote in HD 48. Of course, that's presuming folks wouldn't have registered just to vote for Vince, and that the other candidates would have voted for themselves (which may be a bit of a stretch).

Think I'm exaggerating? I took my photo by the tower a week after the Rose Bowl. It was almost 1:00 AM. There were approximately 45 people out there taking pictures. I had to wait five minutes to get a clear spot in front of the fountain. I guarantee you that at least ten times as many people took photos of the tower lit up #1 than voted in the HD 48 special election.

A friendly note to Ben Bentzin -- don't compare yourself to Vince Young. Vince Young isn't even "Vince Young" anymore -- considering we've (and I mean all UT sports fans) -- now equate "Vince Young" with people like Odysseus, George Washington, and Denzel Washington's character in the movie Man on Fire.

P.S. This should have been Matt's post, but I couldn't resist. Sorry, Matt.

KT gives another important angle comparing the Rose Bowl spread to the election results.

Rashad Jafer...

By Vince Leibowitz

While reading all the stories about Felix Alvarado being off the ballot, I noticed that a number of bloggers were mentioning Rashad Jafer, but evidently didn't realize he had a website. I didn't realize this until a few days ago, either, but he does, and it's Rashad for Texas.

And, though it's doubtful Jafer could force a runoff, for what it's worth, here's some information from the site on the 'new' Third Man in the Democratic Primary for Governor:

Rashad Jafer was born in Pakistan on September 11, 1961. He got his bachelors degree from the University of Karachi in microbiology. Rashad is married and has two sons ages 10 and 11.

After migrating to the United States in 1981, Rashad picked retail as a career and has since been in that field in different capacities. He is currently employed at a major retail store chain as a manager.

He has been in Houston, Texas since 1982.

It's Official: Special Election in the 106

By Kirk McPike

State Representative Ray Allen, who previously announced his retirement from the Legislature, has decided to call it quits early, confirming today the rumors that have circulated since early this week. The Grand Prairie Republican is claiming that he "cannot afford to serve on a $600-a-month salary with no other source of income with the prospect that we will soon be in special session until June." But his reasons for leaving are immaterial -- what is important is that this gives Democratic candidate Katy Hubener, who narrowly lost to Allen in 2004, the chance to win a special election and go into the November general election as the incumbent.

Katy has already announced her intentions to run in any special election for House District 106. Katy is a local realtor and longtime leader in the Dallas County Democratic Party. She's the only Democratic candidate in the March 7, 2006, primary for District 106, so she's the only Democrat who could both win this special election and not be a half-term lame duck. It seems unlikely that any other Democrat will jump into a special election with no chance to continue beyond this summer's special session. Katy ran a good race in 2004, has broad support for 2006, and now has a unique chance to win the seat early and help bring a solid Democratic voice to Austin for the important debate on school finance reform.

With the encouraging results down in Austin, we know that Democrats can do well in these special elections. Katy has a broad base in the District 106 community and is already campaigning for the primary. She'll likely be facing one Republican, Kirk England, in the special election, provided that no candidate swings in from out of the blue.

Katy's going to need the help of Dallas-area Democrats to run in this early election. She's proven she can come close against an entrenched incumbent, and now she only needs to beat a political novice. Dallas Democrats would be making a huge tactical mistake not to push hard to give Katy the support she needs to win this race in the spring, so that we can move into the fall with one more Democratic incumbent.

Update: Felix Alvardo Off the Ballot

By Phillip Martin

Last night, we heard rumors from fellow Texas blogs that Felix Alvardo was kicked off the Democratic gubernatorial primary ballot running. Today, it's official.

From the Statesman:

A Fort Worth man, the only Hispanic person to declare for governor, was bounced from the ballot late Thursday after his check to the Texas Democratic Party for the $3,750 filing fee bounced.

The name of Felix Alvarado, a middle school administrator, will not appear on the March 7 party primary ballot, said Charles Soechting, the party's state chairman.

(...)

"I take full responsibility for that. That's my mea culpa. I overplayed my hand," he said. "I'm disappointed."

Alvarado was a very hard worker, and may very well end up on the ballot some day - just not this year. I hope he continues staying active in his communities, and runs again next time.

Juan Garcia Campaign Kick Off

By Damon McCullar

Juan Garcia kicks off his campaign next Thursday at 4pm at the Selena Auditorium. Joining him in kicking off his campaign will be Gen. Wesley Clark (Ret.), former presidential candidate.

Juan Garcia is a second generation Naval aviator with multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf. Garcia graduated with honors from UCLA, where he gave the 1988 commencement address. He earned his law degree from Harvard and his master's degree in public policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

After completing his naval officer and flight training, Garcia received his "Wings of Gold" at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Lieutenant Commander Garcia flew 30 armed missions in the Persian Gulf, including an emergency landing in a sandstorm, served as a top aide to the deputy Commander in Chief of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, and served in Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. He served on the aircraft carrier USS Constellation in support of the enforcement of the no-fly zone in Iraq. His military awards include the Joint Commendation Medal, the Naval Commendation Medal,and the Naval Achievement Medal.

A practicing lawyer, Garcia has chaired the Board of Citizens for
Educational Excellence, serves on the Board of Governors for Leadership Corpus Christi, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation, the Corpus Christi Barrios Association, the Surfrider Environmental Group, received certification as a legal volunteer at the Corpus Christi Women's Shelter, and an on-air host for the area's PBS television affiliate.

Juan Garcia is currently running for the Texas House of Representatives in District 32 against

New Numbers for Governors

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Zogby Interactive Polling via Greg's Opinion...

Perry (R) - 38.3%
Strayhorn (I) - 20.5%
Bell (D) - 17.9%
Friedman (I) - 14.4%

Perry (R) - 38.6%
Strayhorn (I) - 21.3%
Gammage (D) - 15.3%
Friedman (I) - 15.7%

And two sets that are pointless because filing is over, but do give us a baseline.

Perry (R) - 39.0%
Strayhorn (I) - 20.3%
Turner (D) - 15.7%
Friedman (I) - 16.6%

Perry (R) - 38.9%
Strayhorn (I) - 21.6%
Sanchez (D) - 15.3%
Friedman (I) - 16.2%

Greg doesn't have a linked source yet, but we can assume that the margin of error is the usual 3-4% points. That said, Perry is steady at 39% regardless of the Democratic nominee, and Strayhorn stays in second at 21% more or less. The only variance, and this is quite within the margin of error is that Bell a couple points away from Kinky. Certainly not the 'more electable' argument that Greg pushed in his comment thread though probably due to having run for a year.

My concern is actually that Bell has been running for a year, and the only difference he makes relative to Gammage or anyone else is 2.5% points. In either case, they are both stuck in the mid-teens with Kinky. The bigger issue is trying to get Democrats to realize that if they abandoned Kinky (who has no formula for winning now) and stopping betting on OTG, they could actually have a shot at winning down the road. While I feel this will happen once we actually have a nominee, there is little to be read from this poll, other than that Bell hasn't proved much of anything in the past year and he's far from being able to claim he's 'more electable' than anyone else.

But that's not all! Fav/Unfav numbers below the fold!

WOAI has a SUSA poll (not well done because it doesn't separate out any partisan numbers) about the favorable/unfavorable for every candidate running for Governor, right on down to the oddballs. Error plus/minus 4.5%, 499 registered voters.

(R) Rick Perry
42% Favorable
37% Unfavorable
18% Neutral
3% Unfamiliar

(I) Carol Keeton Strayhorn
40% Favorable
19% Unfavorable
22% Neutral
19% Unfamiliar

(I) "Kinky" Friedman
21% Favorable
22% Unfavorable
20% Neutral
37% Unfamiliar

(D) Felix Alvarado
8% Favorable
7% Unfavorable
14% Neutral
70% Unfamiliar

(D) Chris Bell
6% Favorable
14% Unfavorable
13% Neutral
67% Unfamiliar

(D) Bob Gammage
3% Favorable
11% Unfavorable
16% Neutral
70% Unfamiliar

(D) Rashad Jafer
5% Favorable
11% Unfavorable
12% Neutral
73% Unfamiliar

(R) Larry Kilgore
9% Favorable
8% Unfavorable
18% Neutral
64% Unfamiliar

(R) Rhett Smith
3% Favorable
8% Unfavorable
20% Neutral
69% Unfamiliar

I've bolded the important numbers. Perry, Strayhorn, and Kinky's Fav/Unfav numbers are actually useful because enough people know who they are to make an opinion. And it's good to see that people don't like Perry.

But looking to our Democratic challengers, the only numbers that really show us anything are the 'unfamiliar' numbers. (One problem with this type of poll is that the few people who do know unknown candidates, are partisans, and I would suspect that the higher negatives on the Dems are Republican just opposing them because they know what party they are and vice versa for Kilgore, Smith, etc.) Once again, after a year of campaigning, only 3% more people have a clue as to who Democrat Chris Bell is compared to Democrat Bob Gammage, who entered the race in December. It may not be much, but I'm not going to buy any 'name ID, campaigned for a year, best chance to win' arguments from the Bell camp based on numbers like that.

It's a tough road ahead, no kidding. But seeing that, even Bell's improved fundraising numbers might have one singing 'That Don't Impress Me Much'. No wonder Team Bell has bothered to go on the attack against Gammage. More on that tomorrow...

Oh, and Senate numbers as well.

(R) KBH - 56.9%
(D) Radnofsky - 31.8%

You're A Good Man Andy Brown

By Katie Naranjo

After block walking for months, an amazing special election, and rolling with the punches Andy Brown is supporting Donna Howard politically and financially for the run-off. After talking to many of his supporters, and gaining their approval, Brown is contributing to Howard’s campaign.

During the special election Andy also used funds to send out over 4,000 pieces of direct mail reminding voters about the election on Jan. 17th. Although he wasn’t running in the special he attended the CADW meeting and proved to be a class act. One thing is for sure…if Andy does run he will again prove to be a goodman.

What's going on at the Bell Campaign?

By Katie Naranjo

Money, endorsements, and travel has kept this Harris county native busy as the primary nears. Looking at the TEC reports Bell is looking ahead of the game with his $500,000 in the bank, compared to the Gammage team’s $60,000 banked. Bell is also riding high on some recent endorsements, mainly endorsements coming from pro-choice advocates. Bell seems to be building up mojo for the primary on
Mar.7th after his streams of high profile endorsements and a powerful speech at the SDEC meeting in Galveston.

Another interesting step in grassroots campaigning...Bell has started a student webpage so college and high school students can get involved with the campaign. The site called The Student Union, allows students to request Bell speaking appearances, literature, and information about the campaign. Check it out students.

Bell is also planning a press conference in front of the Alamo in San Antonio due to a major increase of support from the San Antonio area. The press conference is tomorrow Friday Jan. 20th at noon to celebrate new endorsements from the area. Bell is also scheduled to travel throughout the Valley area in the upcoming weeks due to his support in the Hispanic community.

Side Note: The Bell campaign has raised over 70,000 just from the website donation page. The traditional campaign methods are changing. That's about all folks...will post more as it comes.

Congressional Democrats Slow To Take Advantage Of GOP Scandals?

By Vince Leibowitz

Via Google News (if you haven't customized Google with your own news (or even a feed from BOR), you really should...very handy), I stumbled across a Bloomberg story claiming that Congressional Democrats are "slow to take advantage of the corruption scandals that have engulfed Republicans."

This is reportedly because Congressional Democrats are divided over changes to lobbying and ethics rules:

Representative David Obey, a Wisconsin Democrat, said many members of his party oppose tightening lobbying rules at a time when Democrats have a chance to regain a majority in Congress in the November elections.

"I've had a number of people who said, 'Geez, you really want to do this, after the way Republicans have treated us?'" Obey said. "Why would we guarantee them this stuff if we take control?"

Democrats risk squandering an opportunity to use the ethics issue for political advantage, said Marshall Wittmann, who heads the Democratic Leadership Council, a party organization, and who previously advised Republicans. "The leadership needs to get in and rattle some members and say, unless we take the initiative with bold and far-reaching proposals, the Republicans will steal this issue from us," he said.

While I don't agree that the Republican Party as a whole could "steal" this issue from the Democrats, I do believe every congressional Democrat should latch onto this issue, even though they may have some differences of opinion concerning whether or not what is good for the goose is, in fact, good for the gander.

Regardless of whether or not the DeLay/Abramoff scandals actually eclipse one of the most famous congressional corruption scandals of the 20th century (Abscam), Democrats today should take a lesson from what the party's leadership did in the aftermath of that scandal with regard to stronger ethics. Or, better yet, Remember what Tip O'Neill did concerning Congressional pay raises, and how he tied that to ethics early in his tenure as speaker after Watergate? If not, refresh your memory with this, written shortly after O'Neill's death:

Early in his time as Speaker, when his bill for a new House code of ethics was in trouble, he lumbered to the well of the House and cut through the debate on the crucial provision, a limitation on outside income. The speech was vintage O'Neill.

Sure, he said, he knew what it was to be strapped. Wasn't he the one who had fought for a raise of $12,900 a year in Congressional pay? But in exchange he had promised the American people "the strongest code of ethics that this country has ever seen." The issue, after Watergate, he thundered, was "restoring public confidence in this Congress as an institution, restoring confidence in its membership."

He looked out at an audience that included the 80 Democrats for whom he had campaigned the previous fall, the scores of members he had appointed to the nine select and special committees over which he had jurisdiction, and the more than 200 beneficiaries of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Fund, for which he had been the chairman.

His listeners knew that the Speaker had a great voice in their committee assignments, the scheduling of floor action on bills, the disbursing of campaign money and the small favors that can make or break a Congressional career. Mr. O'Neill called in his chits. The result was a foregone conclusion. The vote was 344 to 79.

While I'm not advocating Democrats doing to Congress what Republicans did to the Texas Legislature after they gained control and turning it into a one-sided mess, Democrats (especially Congressional Democrats) need to realize the power that appropriately utilizing the DeLay/Abramoff ethics debacle can offer their campaigns.

And, I'm not just talking about Congressional Democrats or candidates running for state office, state house, etc. Even in rural counties with an entrenched, corrupt GOP machine (and there are many), the more you tie the incumbent GOP to the scandals, the better off you are. If there are GOP scandals in an individual county (and there often are, take Wood County, where a justice of the peace was recently convicted of perjury). There is no reason local candidates can't tie that corruption in with state and national level DeLay/Abramoff corruption.

While I understand it is a risky proposition to do something like this because it comes very near to painting all Republicans with the same brush, I believe it is something that has to be done and done right this election cycle.

If voters hear it enough, and the message is delivered properly, it will have an impact. When you've got your opponents on the ropes and issuing a denial every day or in response to every press question, it's much better than giving them time to issue their own fuzzy press releases—especially GOP incumbents who have a way of "announcing" funding and special projects during election years. (Again, not that Democrats don't do that, but I've never felt Democrats were as sleezy about it as Republicans are).

A lot of pundits and politicians and political consultants complain that negative does more harm than good, especially in terms of negative advertising. I've never believed that. Though it may not have worked for Tony Sanchez, 2002 was a different election cycle and Texas was in a different place politically. And, sure, newspaper editorialists always complain about negative ads, though the television stations owned by the same companies that own the newspapers are eager to take the cold, hard, cash they get for running those negative ads. Just another hypocrisy.

Keep in mind that negative campaign tactics are what turned Texas red in the first place: negative direct mail, negative television, negative radio. Although a lot of "experts" claim the public is tired of the negativity, I still believe it can work, if done right.

And, this is the year to do it right. And, this is the scandal to do it with.

Just my two cents. Disagree in the comments! (I'm serious; let's have a debate!)

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report and the Political State Report. He served as Communications Director for the Bob Glaze for State Representative Campaign in 2004 and still has an entire shoebox full of negative mailers sent out by Republicans during that campaign.

40/40: An Interview With Jason Earle

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: Below is an interview I had with Jason Earle. Interviews will normally appear on Wednesday, but because of the HD 48 special election, everything for the 40/40 was moved back a day. Earlier this afternoon, I posted my interview with Valinda Bolton. Tonight, I'll compare how the two candidates stack up on the issues. Stay tuned for op-eds from each candidate tomorrow.

How have you been active in the community over the years?

Having been born and raised in Austin, I've developed a lot of experience in many different areas, mostly in health care. I've worked from the emergency room to the ICU, in long term care, home care, and end of life care. I've done a lot with health care, but I've also done a lot with education. I've been a youth counselor and a mentor for at-risk kids K-12, and to this day I'm a mentor with the Longhorn Leaders program. I also know a lot about public safety - I was involved in the first leadership course that the police department developed. Through all of that, I've seen the need for people to give back to the community, that need for us to make sure that the future we hand down to the next generation is better.

Why are you running for State Representative?

I was raised in this district, and it's been good to me, and I look forward to giving back. Furthermore, as I've said, I'm gravely concerned about what kind of future we're handing down to our children, and part of that is because of the current corruption and cronyism that's going on in the State Capitol. Why can't we fix the education system? Why can't we fix the health care system and fully fund CHIP? Obviously, it seems that the priority of too many politicians isn't our children, and I think we need to change that.

There's some who are concerned that your father's prosecution of Tom Delay will bring unwanted, undesirable, negative attention to the race in November. What do you think about that?

Anybody who is going to run in the general has got to be competitive. No matter who the person is, the Republicans are going to want to keep the seat that they've held for over a decade. The money's going to be poured into the race anyway. It's an assumption, first of all, that a whole bunch of more money is going to be thrown into this race if I'm running in the general election. As you can see with Donna Howard and Ben Bentzin - he outspent her by more than 3-1. Now, I've already outraised my primary opponent 3-1, which is important because - in the general, which is what we're talking about now - you're going to have to raise enough money to do some television, and maintain your grassroots efforts. If we want to win this seat in November, then we need someone who can raise money, knock on doors, and won't back down from the Republicans. I believe I'm the best candidate to do that.

What separates you from Valinda Bolton? Why are you the better choice for Democrats in the March primary?

The fact that I have a lot of experience in a lot of different areas - in education, in health care, in public safety, in economic development in the state - means a lot. I'm committed, and I'm hard working. I've already received such a great deal of support from people that normally vote Republican. And last, but not least, is the honest fact that it's going to take someone who can raise money. You've got to be competitive, and I've shown that I can do that and I will continue to show that I can do that.

What do you think needs to be done about school finance and property tax reform?

I think that we need to first reverse the way we fund our schools. Right now, the state pays about 40% for our public schools, while local taxpayers pay 60%. We need to compeltely reverse that, so the state pays 60% and local governments only pay 40%. Secondly, we ought to look at pulling down federal dollars, and that's something I've talked to Commissioner Sharp about. We all know that it's easier to build a child than fix an adult, which is why we need to focus on public education now. We can do better for our schools and for our communities, but it takes all of us.

Beyond education, what do you think are the big issues for HD 47?

Local growth issues are extremely important to this district. I was raised in this district, and I'm very familiar with the water issues, noise issues, and traffic issues that are facing people throughout the district. There are concerns about the access to affordable health care issues that worry many middle class workers in this district. I think it's very important that someone who is representing the people listen to their concerns and is able to answer their questions, and that's what I've been doing for the past six months.

During the 79’th Regular Session, there were a few budget amendment votes that would have redirected funds earmarked for the Texas Enterprise Fund to areas of health care such as CHIP or improvement of nursing home facilities. Do you think we should redirect those funds, or keep investing in the Enterprise Fund?

My understanding is that the Enterprise Fund is just a slush fund for Perry to pad the pockets of special interests. I don't know how effective the Enterprise Fund is, and I'd like for us to be able to hold it and the Governor more accountable for those funds. CHIP, absoultely, is essential. Right there with education, fully funding CHIP must be a priority for state officials. You can't educate a kid if they're sick.

What health care issue is most important to you?

Well, CHIP is definitely the first issue I'd want to fix, but beyond that we need to look at how our emergency rooms are our outpatient clinics right now. We should not be paying so much to serve people who need wellness checks. We have to take a common sense approach to this issue - an issue that affects all of us.

How do you plan to win the primary? What are you doing to make your campaign stand out among the other candidates?

We've been campaigning for six to seven months now, and our campaign has been centered and focused around grassroots efforts. District 47 has had a Republican for a decade. What you need is to have someone who can knock on doors, appeal to swing voters, and reach out to both sides of the aisle. I've already had the Vice-President of Circle C and some of the board members there endorse me, because they're concerned that the Republican candidaets are only going to add to the culture of corruption in Texas politics. To win this race, in the long run, it's going to take somebody who can appeal to the diversity within the district, and I believe I'm that candidate.

40/40: An Interview With Valinda Bolton

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note: Below is an interview I had with Valinda Bolton. Interviews will normally appear on Wednesday, but because of the HD 48 special election, everything for the 40/40 was moved back a day. Later this afternoon, I'll post my interview with Jason Earle, and then tonight I'll take a look at how the two candidates compare on the issues. Stay tuned for more coverage on the HD 47 race.

How have you been active in the community over the years?

My whole career has been spent buildings stronger and safer communities. I’ve spent 20 years working on domestic violence and sexual assault issues. I’ve been very involved with PTA at my kid’s school. I’ve worked to prevent child abuse. I’ve worked as an affordable housing advocate. I’ve worked with groups like the TFN and Habitat for Humanity. I’ve seen and worked on a wide range of issues that affect our families, and I want to bring that level of experience to the Legislature and continue finding solutions to protect our families.

Why are you running for State Representative?

I’m passionate about the issues in this race – education, health care, standing up and taking care of families. One of the things that I’ve been talking about is that we hear so much talk about family values, and it just seems to me that we need to do more than just keep talking about values and start actually valuing families.

What separates you from Jason Earle? Why are you the better choice for Democrats?

I believe experience and electability are the two main factors you need to look at, and that’s what we’re trying to highlight. Democrats have to have swing voters to win this race in November. We have to have those independent and disaffected voters come out to the polls, and a candidate with a targeted name will only polarize those folks and keep them from swinging our way. The absolute key here – the bottom line of everything – is that we need to get a Democrat from this district back in the House. That’s what it’s all about, and I believe I have the best chance to do that.

What do you think needs to be done about school finance and property tax reform?

We have to get money flowing into education, and it seems like we’re not going to be able to implement any kind of improvements for education until we figure out the tax question. I’m hopeful that the tax question will be adequately addressed this spring, but improving education is something we’ll be working on forever. There are certain kinds of education reforms we should look at first, and others I’m not sure we should be examining at all. For example, I’m concerned about one proposal that everyone seems to be talking about – the requirement that 65% of a school’s budget must be spent in the classroom. Well, how do you define what counts as classroom spending? Would you include librarians, nurses, and bus drivers? The librarian at my child’s school is a huge factor in my child’s education. How do you define what counts?

You talked about the importance of raising teacher salaries? Do you think we should look at merit pay as an option for raising teacher salaries, or focus on broad-based salary increases?

The very first thing we need to do is give teachers an across-the-board salary increase. What are you going to base merit pay on? There are so many factors about student performance that have nothing to do with the teacher. What kind of breakfast the student had, what the home life is for the student, how far they have to travel to get to school, what their past grades and past education experience they have. A single teacher can’t be accountable for all of that. If you raised all teacher salaries to a competitive level, and there were programs on top of that that were meritorious based on a teacher’s actual performance – mentoring, a student reading program, things like that – then that might be something worth looking at. But you’ve got to raise all teacher salaries first.

Beyond education, what do you think is a huge issue for HD 47?

Water and development are going to be huge issues for our areas. I’ve spent time in western Travis County, and that area is dealing with a number of development and growth issues. There’s a huge potential for sprawl, and especially with the drought we’re in now, water is an incredibly important issue. If you’re going to put homes out there, they need to be able to have the capacity and resources to support the communities. Along with that is the whole question of traffic and congestion, and how that affects our environment in that part of the county. Education is always going to be the number one concern, but how we plan for successful growth and development in our community is incredibly important as w ell.

I saw on your website that you specifically mention the need for mental health care reforms, which is interesting because that’s not an issue a lot of people focus on while they campaign. Why is that an important issue to you?

I read recently that Travis County has the highest suicide rate in Texas, so there are lots of folks that are struggling. Texas spends less money on mental health care than almost any other state in the country. There are not enough public hospital beds, and private centers are always full. Because of funding cuts, public hospitals have to restrict exactly what kind of services they can provide and how many people can receive them, and I believe it’s a huge burden to some of those families that have to drive 250 miles just to provide mental health care for their loved ones.

During the 79’th Regular Session, there were a few budget amendment votes that would have redirected funds earmarked for the Texas Enterprise Fund to areas of health care such as CHIP or improvement of nursing home facilities. Do you think we should redirect those funds, or keep investing in the Enterprise Fund?

I think our top priority next session is to fully fund CHIP. We have the highest rate of uninsured children in the country. Most of the children who aren’t insured live in Texas, so at the same time we have the fastest growing child population in the country, we have the fewest amount of children who are insured. CHIP is designed to protect kids of working families, who just aren’t able to be covered by any other program. For every dollar the state puts on the table, the federal government will send us $2.81 for CHIP. If you can get a 287% return on your investment, why wouldn’t you? That federal money is going to other states. It’s not sitting in some fund waiting for us – the state of Texas is losing federal money because we won’t put enough CHIP dollars into our state budget. In the absence of a healthy, educated workforce, who are the people that businesses the Enterprise Fund are supposedly attracting going to hire?

I saw that you and Jason Earle were both endorsed by the Central Labor Council. What kind of changes do you think need to be done for workers in the state of Texas?

With teachers and school employees, we definitely need to do everything we can to pull their salaries up to a competitive and reasonable level. Texas is ranked 37th in the country in terms of teacher pay, so one of our first priorities should be to recruit and retain quality teachers, and we need to raise teacher salaries in order to do that. One of the big issues with the Texas State Employees Union issues is the huge push towards outsourcing and privatizing state functions. I’ve worked in rural communities for years, and I worry about the economic impact that privatization and closing offices will have in areas where the most stable sector in a rural economy is government-based jobs.

What first got you interested in politics?

My very first political action was when I was about five years old and I tore up my parent’s Goldwater sign. I’ve been a Democrat for as long as I can remember, and I grew up in a family full of Republicans. Out of college, when Ann Richards was running for Governor, I was active in that campaign as a volunteer.

How do you plan to win the primary? What are you doing to make your campaign stand out among the other candidates?

In the primary, it’s all about getting the message out and getting to know as many people as you can, and letting them get to know you. We’re talking to people about the depth and breadth of my experience, and my involvement in the community and working on issues. And we’re working on all the normal get out the vote measures – block walking, mailers, running a website and sending out e-mails. We’re trying to show everyone how winnable this district is for a Democrat, and why I’m the best Democrat for the job.

Gay Republican Write-In Running Against Doggett

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

From the world of semi-bizarre comes word that Congressman Doggett in TX-25 running from Austin to Mexico, will have more than just a Libertarian challenger, he'll have a 24 year old gay Republican waging a write-in campaign.

Edward Mokrzy, 24, a former Dallas resident, said he had planned to file for a place on the ballot in the primary before the National Republican Congressional Committee cancelled a pledge to provide his $3,125 filing fee. The group pulled its support after he announced he would run as openly gay and on a government reform platform, he said.

"I think what happened was that the Texas Republican Party got scared because they saw me as actually having a chance of winning Austin and of winning the election," Mokrzy said.

Mokrzy said he suspects Republican Party leaders would prefer not to see an openly gay Republican elected to office. Austin is so liberal that a gay candidate with progressive ideas about government reform would stand a good chance of winning, he said.

"That's speculation, but I do truly believe that," Mokrzy said.

Well, Mokrzy can speculate all he wants, but on the ballot or not, he's not going to fracture Doggett's Austin base any time soon. And even the Log Cabin Republicans don't know who he is.

Carla Halbrook, a spokeswoman for Log Cabin Republicans who lives in Dallas, said she is unfamiliar with Mokrzy or any support for him from gay Republicans in Texas.

"I don't know anything about him, and I haven't heard anything about him," Halbrook said.

And for Gay Republicans, you really think they could come up with a site slightly more fabulous than this one.

Greet Rep. Barton's Lobby Train

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Republican Texas Congressman Joe Barton (whose website tag still has him campaigning for the 2004 election) is planning a little train ride from Fort Worth to San Antonio. A normal ticket costs $149 a person, but if you'd like to be a member of the Culture of Cronyism, you can pay $2000-$5000 and play some Texas Hold 'Em along the way.

Democrat David Harris has a great post in response to that. And even better, now has info on where you can go to give Barton and his financiers a send off!

So join them this Friday (tomorrow) and greet Barton and his lobbyist passengers at the Santa Fe Railroad station, 1101 Jones Street, Fort Worth, TX (map) from 3:00-4:15 PM and give Joe a great Texas send off! The Harris campaign invites you to carry signs reminding him, he was elected to represent the district, not special interests.

Burnt Orange Report Version 3.0: Donate

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

I figure that on today, my 5th Anniversary of personal blogging outside of Burnt Orange Report, I'd announce that in the next week, Burnt Orange Report will have a new look and new platform, taking Texas blogging to the next level at last. I have reached a deal with a developer whose work I first noticed last summer (when I abandoned plans to move over to a new system based on Xoops).

The new Burnt Orange Report will load faster, be less cluttered, and more importantly empower our community of readers to the level they deserve. There will be user accounts just like you'd find over at Daily Kos or MyDD. Users will be able to comment and rate each other and conversations will be threaded for viewing by all readers, allowing for true conversations to occur on posts. And in what I believe will be the greatest advancement for the Texas Blogosphere, I'll be proud to introduce "Burnt Orange Journals" where any registered user can now become a contributor to the site as you would at Kos or MyDD, with a recommend feature and promotion.

But all this wouldn't be possible without the hard work being carried out by the developer, and the MovableType converter being built specifically for us since BOR is the first MT based blog to come on board his project. If there is anything I am at heart a fan of, it's geeky tech projects that are in any way community oriented. Especially if they are being done by progressives, for progressives.

And because of that, I'm doing something that I rarely do, which is ask for donations from our readership to help cover the costs of this great leap forward.

I'm only looking for $200-$300. But as a bonus, I'll give donors the option of creating the first low ID user accounts right there with our Front Page writers, getting a sneak peak at what we are building, even as I'm working on completing the design and controls!

SPECIAL HONOR: Donors giving $25+ will receive one of the 7 remaining single digit User IDs.

Will Wynn Running for Re-Election

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Austin Mayor Will Wynn (who's website address is just too clever you'd never expect it) filed the first campaign finance report of his 2006 re-election campaign yesterday. Wynn raised $40,430 from 428 individual donors in the period between November 16th and December 31st.

The total of more than $40,000 is an unprecedented sum this early in the campaign season. Since Austin’s Fair Campaign Ordinance went into effect in 1997, limiting individual contributions to $100 and all but eliminating donations from outside the city, no candidate has raised $40,000 in the first reporting period.

Mayor Wynn will officially announce his re-election campaign with a kick-off event at the Broken Spoke on Friday, February 3rd, from 5 pm to 7 pm. Asleep at the Wheel will perform live to support the campaign.

Danny Thomas, outgoing City Councilmember (and supported of Proposition 2 last fall) is the only other announced candidate I am aware of (other than Jennifer Gale or Leslie whom I'm not doubting might end up filing).

Updates and Open Thread

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

This is an open thread. What races are you watching?

And some updates...

+ John Courage's District (TX-21) gets an overview in this post at Casual Soapbox.

+ Austin's Green Choice energy is actually cheaper than the regular plan right now.

+ Bob Gammage is finishing up Day 3 of his "Un Nuevo Dia Para Sur de Tejas" tour. A number of readers commented on the fact that his announcement tour excluded the valley, El Paso, and the Panhandle. His campaign is planning on covering them in a serious of geographic tours. So if you are in Laredo or Corpus Christi Friday, go see him. (The recording of the Austin Press Conference didn't turn out, sorry about that.)

+ Juan Garcia is running in HD-32 against Rep. Gene Seaman, anchored in Corpus Christi (pdf). Gen. Wesley Clark will be kicking off his campaign next Thursday, Jan. 26.

+ The Gay & Lesbian Victory Fund will be having a Spring Brunch fundraiser next month, honoring Rep. Barney Frank, Lupe Valdez (Dallas County Sheriff), Elena Guajardo (San Antonio City Council), Annise Parker (Houston City Controller), and Sue Lovell (Houston City Council). You can buy tickets here.

February 19, 2006
11:30am- 1:30pm
Renaissance Houston Hotel
6 Greenway Plaza East
Houston, TX 77046

Club for Growth, Club for Cuellar

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

So here are the facts.

Rep. Cuellar is an incumbent "Democratic" Congressman "representing" the 28th District of Texas. In 2004, he ousted then incumbent Democrat Ciro Rodriguez, who underestimated his opponent and lost. Rodriguez is back, challenging Rep. Cuellar in the March primary, the winner of which faces no opponent other than a Libertarian this November. Victor Morales is also running in the primary...the same Victor Morales who stated "I wouldn't run as a Democrat again" in 2002, after losing the Senate bid to Ron Kirk, and has a non-working website.

The Club for Growth up until now has only endorsed Republicans. And the first Democrat that the Club for Growth endorsed? Rep. Henry Cuellar.

The Club for Growth supports...

* Taxpayer Funding of Private Schools
* Opposition to Raising the Minimum Wage
* Eliminating Estate Taxes on Millionaires
* Passage of CAFTA

Democrat Henry Cuellar...

* Supported Vouchers in the Texas House
* Endorsed Bush over Gore in 2000
* Was Rick Perry's 1st Sec. of State appointment
(before Geoff Conner was on Perry's Scene)
* Voted for CAFTA
* Supported Republican Tax Packages and Immigration Reform

Now, to give credit, Cuellar did have this to say in reaction...

Cuellar's campaign said that the Club for Growth never contacted them before issuing the endorsement, and that the endorsement came "out of left field." Cuellar issued a statement: "I find that with any endorsement you get half of their friends and all of their enemies. The only endorsement that I am looking for is the endorsement of the voters in this district, and I am working hard everyday to earn it."

Yes, such a strong repudiation of the Club for Growth endorsement. Though that silence I can almost hear the sound of Republican money flowing into his campaign coffers.

Some anaylsis that has passed my way...

San Antonio Turnout Promises to be High, Favoring a Ciro victory.

The controversial recount that gave the race to his opponent in 2004 was decided by a mere 58 votes. In Bexar County alone, 84% of the votes casts were for Ciro. This year, hotly contested primaries in the county for State Senate and State Representative will significantly increase voter turnout in Ciro’s favor. With San Antonio representing roughly 30% of the vote, this year’s increased turnout in San Antonio will send Ciro back to Congress.

Henry Cuellar is faces Opposition at Home in Laredo…

The conservative city of Laredo delivered the election for Cuellar. Yet just 2 years later, several Laredo elected officials, including State Senator Judith Zaffirini, publicly opposed the re-election of Henry Cuellar and supported former primary candidate, State Representative Richard Raymond instead. While Raymond chose to opt-out of the race just days before the filing deadline, the wounds of political division in Laredo are both fresh and deep. Cuellar cannot count on his own home county to carry the district for him again, which is no surprise, since Cuellar neither lives nor works in the Congressional District he represents.

Craddick Handing Out Candy To Opposed GOP Members

By Vince Leibowitz

I rarely read the Texas Insider because it almost always seems out of date or difficult to find anything aside from mundane press releases, but I surfed over there this evening and, to my surprise, what did I discover but that Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland) is handing out goodies to the GOP faithful in contested primaries.

I'm referring to Craddick's appointment of Rep. Dan Flynn (R-Van) to the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Keep in mind Flynn is one of several Republicans ushered into the House in the 2002 election cycle via millions in funding from Texans for a Republican Majority and the Texas Association of Business. He's also named in the indictment of Tom DeLay, John Colyandro, and Jim Ellis because he received RNC/TRMPAC funds as well as being named in the Robold/Colyandro/Ellis indictments that also included various corporations.

So, of course, when the GOP sees that he has a primary opponent who, in spite of not having a website, very few signs I've seen, etc., they get scared as heck and name their man to the Sunset Advisory Commission.

Chuck Tull (R-Edgewood), Flynn's opponent, is a candidate with a Democratic primary voting history through the 2004 election cycle reportedly talked into running as a Republican by various education PACS. Nevertheless, (and regardless of what special assignments Craddick throws his way), Flynn is pretty much a hands-down winner in the HD2 GOP Primary, period. End of story. The primary voters in Hunt and Van Zandt Counties are made up of far, far too many of the GOP Faithful for Tull to have a shot. Given the area he is from and his background, Tull would have had a better shot going head-to-head with Flynn as a Democrat in a general election contest.

Ray Allen to Resign...Special Election for HD 106?

By Phillip Martin

Via QR and Pinkdome: Ray Allen may officially resign his seat tomorrow, allowing Perry to call a special election to fill his seat before the spring special sessions. Now, this is just QR's reporting -- there's no official word as of yet -- but if it's true, it would make the second special election for a swing district Perry would call in the past few months.

Katy Hubener, a Democrat who only lost to Allen last election cycle by less than 2,000 votes, is the only Democratic candidate who filed for the November race. Presumably, she would have a clear shot at any sort of special election, but I'd have to check on that. There are two Republican candidates filed for the March primary - Tom Johnson, a college professor, and Kirk England, an insurance agent who has the support of "300 local leaders" and attended the Texas Public Policy Foundation's Policy Conference last week.

Updates when/if they come. Everyone should feel free to leave any news, tips, or comments they may know. Just shootin' from the hip, here.

Perry via DMN: April/May Session Likely

By Phillip Martin

From a brief Dallas Morning News article:

Gov. Rick Perry said he probably will call a special legislative session on school finance in April or May, just before a June 1 court deadline for action.

The Republican governor, who spoke with reporters at a campaign event for a legislative candidate Monday, said he probably won't place private school vouchers on the session agenda. That issue most likely would be addressed in the 2007 regular legislative session, he said.

We'll see if vouchers really stay off the table, or if that he's just trying to keep that off the radar screen for Republican priamries.

There's as many theories about when he'll call (and whay may happen in the special sessions) as there are days between now and the June 1 deadline. I could write 1,000 words about what I think will happen, but that'll just waste everyone's time. Whatever happens will happen when it happens (that's a fun sentence to write). In the mean time, we've got to help Donna Howard win her run-off election, be thankful that we have Rep. Hernandez finally filling the HD 143 seat, and continue to get out our Democratic message for how we should improve our public schools.

Local Club Meetings

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

It's a new year, and many readers may have resolved to get more involved in local politics as the political winds have shifted in our favor. So to that end, here are 3 club meetings that you may wish to attend.

First off, Capitol City Young Democrats (CCYDs) is starting anew (as it has from time to time) so if you feel you are a "young urban professional", graduated from UT, or maybe attending another Austin University that is without a Democratic Club, CCYDs is perfect for you. There first meeting this semester is this Sunday and membership dues are only $10.

When: Sunday, January 22nd, 7pm
Where: Opal Devines
700 West Sixth Street
Contact: David Z. @ (512) 680-8210

Another local group in an area that has seen quite a bit of recent Democratic activity, North by Northwest Democrats (NXNW) just had their monthly meeting this past Monday at the Village Shopping Center. But if you happen to be up in that part of Travis County, contact Richard Anton at richardanton-at-alumni.utexas.net or 512 343 0112 for more information.

Lastly, University Democrats at UT will be restarting the semester next Wednesday at it's usual time of 8 pm (every Wednesday) in a NEW room, Mezes 1.304. Dues are only $5 for the semester, which gets you voting rights in our elections as well as the ability to partake in the Dining with Democrats program as well as our paid Internship program which is now expanding to 3 offices this semester.

State Lobbyist Once Worked Closely With Abramoff

By Vince Leibowitz

Todd Boulanger, a lobbyist representing Texas's interests (or, at least, the Republican's interests) in Washington has deep ties to Jack Abramoff, according to a story in Tuesday's Houston Chronicle:

Boulanger was a member of what was known as "Team Abramoff" while working at the law firm of Preston, Gates & Ellis, and he followed Abramoff when he moved to Greenberg Traurig LLP. Then in March 2004, they both moved to Cassidy & Associates.

Along with Abramoff, Boulanger was a registered lobbyist for Indian tribes in Mississippi, Michigan and Louisiana, as well as the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands. The Mississippi and Louisiana tribes wanted to halt expansion of Indian gaming in Texas because it competed with their casinos.

Boulanger and his current firm, Cassidy & Associates, were hired by the Texas Office of State-Federal Relations under a $330,000 contract. Gov. Rick Perry, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and House Speaker Tom Craddick sit on the advisory policy board for that state office.

It's the second time the state has hired as a congressional lobbyist someone with connections to controversies surrounding former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land.

Texas House Democratic Caucus Chairman Jim Dunnam (D-Waco) had this to say on the subject:

"It's cronyism at its worst...All these guys are connected to one another....What do we have 32 congressmen for? They are up there to advocate for the best interests of the state of Texas? The governor definitely ought to cancel that contract."

Though Boulanger has not been accused of wrongdoing in the Abramoff investigation, Abramoff pleaded guilty this month to ethics charges.

Boulanger has been linked to Abramoff and DeLay's inner circle for years, according to published reports. DeLay's former chief of staff, Tony Rudy, reportedly introduced Boulanger to his wife, Jessica, who also worked on DeLay's staff. Jessica Boulanger now is the press secretary of Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who is campaigning to replace DeLay as majority leader.

40/40: Get to Know House District 47

By Phillip Martin

On Monday, I introduced candidates Jason Earle and Valinda Bolton, the top two Democratic names in the March primary who are hoping to fill the seat Republican Terry Keel is leaving. After taking yesterday off for the HD 48 Special Election (Go Donna!), it's time to pick back up with this week's 40/40 and take a closer look at House District 47.

House District 47 makes up the southwestern part of Travis County. To see a map of the district, click here. Briarcliff, Lakeway, Bee Caves, and Circle C are the major communities/subdivisions in the area, with approximately 90% of the district living in urban/suburban areas. Over 80% of the population lives in a home valued over $100,000 (over twice the state average), and the population breaks down to about 73% Anglo and 18.5% Hispanic.

The most interesting part about HD 47, though, is its recent election trends. Though Republican Terry Keel has held the seat since 1997, the district is very, very winnable for a Democrat. Here's a look at some key election statistics from the 2004 General Election:

PRESIDENT AND VICE-PRESIDENT
*BUSH/CHENEY (R) --- 40,955 -- 53.3%
KERRY/EDWARDS(D) -- 35,872 -- 46.7%

COURT OF APPEALS DIST. 3, PL.4
GREEN, BILL (R) ----- 35,332 -- 47.8%
PATTERSON, JAN (D) - 38,660 -- 52.2%

COURT OF APPEALS DIST. 3, PL.6
PEMBERTON, BOB (R) - 37,145 -- 50.3%
HENSON, DIANE (D)--- 36,634 -- 49.7%

353RD DISTRICT JUDGE
ANASTASIADIS, DEMETRI (R) - 34,291 -- 47.0%
COOPER, MARGARET (D) ----- 38,661 -- 53.0%

As you can see, Bush only carried 53% in the district. What's most telling about the district, though, is that two different Democratic women beat out Republican men in down ballot races, and a third -- Diane Henson -- came within a little more than 500 votes of victory. These numbers would suggest that a Democratic woman has an excellent chance to win HD 47, so long as she can carry those 3,000-4,000 swing voters in the district.

Check back to the 40/40 later in the day for interviews with Valinda Bolton and Jason Earle, and see what they're doing to try and turn HD 47 blue.

Rider Out of March Primary

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

From the Statesman, Kathy Rider will be pulling out of the March Primary in District 48. (Even if Howard wins, there would still in theory be a primary, though the three candidates have agreed that if one won the special election, the others would not contest them in the primary).

Political consultant and lobbyist Bill Miller, a close ally of some Republican leaders, described the results as an upset because the seat was drawn in 2001 to elect a Republican. He said it could signal that good times are ahead for other Texas Democrats as they try to pick up seats in a Republican-controlled Legislature this year.

"She still has to win, and you have a runoff," Miller said. "But it's a big warning to Republicans to take a look at the issues that are surfacing in this race and how they play with the electorate."

The winner will serve for the rest of 2006, including at least one special legislative session this spring to address the state's school finance system. Baxter resigned in November, citing professional and family reasons, and now lobbies for the cable industry.

Rider said she will drop out of the March Democratic primary to see who will face Bentzin in November for a new term that will start in January 2007.

"I think the Democrats are going to take the seat in the runoff, and we're pleased," Rider said.

I'll be the first to thank Kathy Rider for her previous service to the AISD and for helping to show that Democrats can solidly perform in District 48 (and for being gracious in defeat). No one could have predicted that her campaign more or less kept Donna Howard from winning outright tonight, even though after the fact, that does appear to be the case.

This now puts candidate Andy Brown in a bit of a pickle, because if Donna wins the run-off, his campaign doesn't need to restart, but no real decision can be made until a month from now when that election is over. I'm willing to bet there will be pressure, now that Rider is out, to urge Brown to fully endorse Howard in the run-off. We should hear from that camp in the next couple days. Check back with Burnt Orange Report for any updates. Also thanks to the Texas Whip for their reporting.

District 48 Election Results Thread

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Early Results are in for tonight's special election here in Travis County. I'm at the Donna Howard Victory Party at Waterloo Icehouse, where the candidate has just arrived.

Results (SOS):

(R) Ben Bentzin // 2,088 // 45.76%
(L) Ben Easton // 99 // 2.17%
(D) Donna Howard // 1,825 // 40.00%
(D) Kathy Rider // 551 // 12.08%

Overal Turnout: 4.64% (EV)

The important thing to note, Democrats have 52% of the vote total right now, and you can make your own conclusions about what that would mean if Kathy Rider was not in this race. I expect the numbers to improve from here as the night goes on, though these early numbers are already better than expected. If Howard comes in with more votes than Bentzin, she is well placed to win what seems to be a likely run-off. But anything could happen.

Update:

Travis County Results when they come in will be here, along with precinct by precinct.

The two precincts with over 10% turnout are being won by Howard with 53% and 57% of the vote. Bentzin is only at 36% and 30% in those precincts.

Update:

In the early vote, Bentzin is winning only winning 13 of 39 Precincts with over 50%. Rider's ceiling is 20% in any one given precinct. Looking at the 10 Western Travis County Precints (the 370s) which Bentzin won outright, the turnout is below average, some precincts below 1%, most below 3%.

Update: 14 of 39 Precincts Reporting

New Cumulative:

(R) Bentzin: 40.4%
(L) Easton: 2.13%
(D) Howard: 45.8%
(D) Rider: 11.7%

Election Day Only:

(R) Bentzin: 31.3%
(L) Easton: 2.1%
(D) Howard: 55.7%
(D) Rider: 11.0%

Update:

New Cumulative:

(R) Bentzin: 37.5%
(L) Easton: 2.1%
(D) Howard: 49.15%
(D) Rider: 11.3%

Final Results

(R) Bentzin: 37.8%
(L) Easton: 2.3%
(D) Howard: 49.47%
(D) Rider: 10.45%

Howard was 73 votes off of avoiding a run-off. 59.92% is the combined Democratic Vote. Needless to say, Howard is in a very good position to win a run-off as most people were expecting to Bentzin to have around 48%-49% of the vote tonight, not 38%. Now all Howard has to do is consolidate the Democratic vote columns, making sure not to lose too many voters from the 14% turnout tonight which is sure to drop in the run-off, likely to be set in mid-February.

Precincts won by 50%+ (of 39 total precincts).

Howard: 20
Bentzin: 6
Rider: 0
Easton: 0

Texas Tuesday: Dot Nelson-Turnier

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

With the holidays now behind us, it's time to get back in the swing of things. And since many of the Texas Tuesdays writers have been behind the concept of running every race, I thought we'd focus on one candidate who best symbolizes the ethic of challenging incumbents despite the odds, despite the conventional wisdom ... and despite personal handicaps.

Dot Nelson-Turnier is challenging incumbent Debbie Riddle in one of Harris County's reddest State Rep. districts - a district that has not had an alternative for Democrat on the ballot as far back as the online records go (1992). That alone would make Dot's challenge impressive. But Dot is also wheelchair-bound, which makes a slight alteration of "Run.Everywhere" to "Roll.Everywhere." This hasn't limited Dot's ability to take her word to Democratic groups in search of volunteers and donors.

Houston's own Perry Dorrell managed to get some Q&A out of Dot in an excellent post over at TexasTuesdays.com:

I am running because I feel no Republican should run unopposed. We have to give people a choice. My focus is on what I call the Killer E’s , Economics, Education, Equity, Equality and Environment and I do not think the incumbent Republicans have been making much progress on these issues.

Of course, Dot's opponent is a Republican who believes that a free, public education is a communist idea. Seriously. Check Perry's post for the details.

For now, we ask that you support Dot's candidacy by mailing a check:

Dot Nelson-Turnier
40 FM 1960 W # 225
HOUSTON, TX 77090-3530

... or visit her campaign site to donate via Paypal.

Feel free to forward this message to any and all good Democrats in your address book. And if you run a blog, feel free to give Dot some publicity to help spread the word. If candidates like Dot are willing to stem the latest version of a Red Tide here in Texas, then there ought to be numerous other candidates motivated to run in even more districts next time around. But for now, let's help Dot get uphill in this race to start showing some real progress among Democratic voters!

And, of course, the fine folks at ActBlue.com could still use a donation or two to help get online donations to every state legislative race available. Donations to this go a long way towards helping candidates like Dot as well as any potential candidates who might be more willing to run if the availability of tools such as ActBlue were available to them.

Election Day in HD 48

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

It's the first day of school for students at UT, and it's Election Day in House District 48, which includes some Far West student precints. So students heading in and out of classes, and everyone else that lives or knows someone out in the District, be sure to vote today for Donna Howard (or Kathy Rider) in your home precinct. A list of precinct locations can be found here. If you need to check which precinct you are in, you can look that up online here.

Remember, if Ben Bentzin is kept under 50%, it will force a February run-off, and it's my bet that he's going to be within 1-2% of that mark either way. Should Bentzin win today, he becomes the State Rep through November, and gets to cast pro-voucher, Baxter-esque votes during this spring's special session(s).

And just think about where Bentzin's money is coming from...

Texans for Lawsuit Reform: $20,000
Bob [the swift boat guy] Perry: $10,000
HillCo PAC: $10,000
Mike Toomey: $1000

Update: Texan: More than 4,500 early voters have already cast their ballot to find a replacement for Todd Baxter's vacated northwest Austin state representative seat, according to Travis County voting records released Friday. (For comparison, 68,663 votes were cast in the 2004 general between White and Baxter.)

Results will be here tonight. I may try to make it to one of the victory parties to report on results as they come in this evening, sometime after 7pm.

Update 2: Is anyone going to the Donna Howard Victory Party at 7 up at Waterloo Icehouse at 6023 N Capital of Texas Hwy? Want to give me a ride? E-mail or call me.

Ellen Cohen Kickoff Party In Houston

By Matt Hardigree

I've never met Ellen Cohen, but just looking at her list of accomplishments I think... wow... she seems like a cool lady. So I'm going to actually try and meet her at her campaign kick-off party. Plus, Houston's sportscaster Lisa Malosky is going to be there. Which is pretty cool, huh?

For those who don't know, she's challenging everyone's favorite incumbent Martha Wong in HD134. And by everyone's favorite, I mean everyone who is afraid of gays getting married.

More details here, but below is all you need to know:

Campaign Kick-Off
Thursday, January 19, 2006
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
4950 Bissonnet, Suite 100
Bellaire, Texas 77401

40/40: Get to Know Jason Earle and Valinda Bolton

By Phillip Martin

This week's edition of the 40/40 takes us to House District 47, where at least seven different candidates are running to fill the House seat vacated by Republican Terry Keel. According to the Texas Democratic Party's website, there are four Democrats running in HD 47 - Valinda Bolton, Jason Earle, Royce LeMoine and Eric Beverly. Due to my limited amount of time and resources, I will feature Jason Earle and Valinda Bolton this week, since they are the most prominent Democratic names on the ballot. In future weeks, I hope to get more information together and report about LeMoine and Beverly. Royce LeMoine has a website you can see here, and for some background information on LeMoine and Beverly, click here.

Valinda Bolton graduated from Baylor with a BA in Psychology, and got her Masters at Texas Tech from the Department of Human Development and Family Studies. She served as the Training Director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCDSV) and helped found WOMAN, Inc., a community housing development organization that works to develop transitional housing for women and their families. Bolton is a member of South Austin Democrats, Southwest Austin Democrats, Austin Women’s Political Caucus and a sustaining member of the Travis County Democratic Party. Also, as K-T reported for us, she is a direct descendant of General Sam Houston. Glen Maxey is currently consulting for her.

Jason Earle is a lifelong Austinite who got both his BA and Masters at the University of Texas at Austin. Currently working as a community relations executive for Girling Health Care, Earle describes himself as an active business leader with "both practical and theoretical experiences in the business, corporate, education, financial, government, health care, non-profit and public safety fields." Jason Earle is also the son of Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle, who - as I'm sure all of you know - is currently prosecuting Tom Delay for money laundering.

Both Earle and Bolton have been endorsed by the Central Labor Council, which represents hundreds of community leaders involved with education, health care, public safety, etc. The two are considered the front-runners for the March 7 Democratic Primary.

Stay tuned to the 40/40 all week long for more coverage. Check back tomorrow for a closer look at House District 47. Wednesday, I'll post separate interivews I've had with each candidate. Thursday, I'll do a side-by-side comparison of each candidate on the issues, and Friday I'll post an op-ed by each candidate.

Entertaining Snips From Part I of Perry Interview

By Vince Leibowitz

The Midland Reporter-Telgram has published the first of two parts of an interview with Gov. Goodhair. After a read-through, I found these statements which I think are especially entertaining:

My favorite one actually comes from the end of the interview:

Perry would support 2007 legislative consideration of schools' teaching "intelligent design" alongside evolution. "I think it's wise for kids to have differing theories to think about," he said.

"I wouldn't have a problem in the world with my kids, if they went to public schools, being exposed to that debate. I think it would be good for the whole country."

Um, Rick, don't you think, as Texas Governor, you might should select your words a little more carefully? I mean, you're the guy "in charge," right? You're the one working to help public schools, right? Well, I mean, trip to the Bahamas with Grover Norquist and James Leininger aside, that is. I couldn't find, via Google, where the Perry's kids go to school, but, based on his statement above (which could be interpreted as "my kids are too good for the Texas public schools I've helped screw up," I'm betting they go to private institutions, at least, if they're still under college-age, and I think at least one is.

Here's another lovely excerpt:

"The toughest part of my job is not about me, it's about my family and the pressures of being the son of the governor, the daughter of the governor or for that matter the wife of the governor. When they see their father or husband being attacked, that's tough on them.

"You know, some vicious rumor comes out and that's hard on family. I'm a big guy. I'm pretty tough skinned because I've been doing this for 20 years. Protesters are like opposing football players who say, 'We're going to do X, Y and Z and these guys aren't going to be a speed bump.'

"And the coach cuts that out and puts it on the bulletin board. That's how I look at folks who attack me or my programs. They just energize me."

Yeah, governing's a bitch, ain't it? Of course, when you've got to worry everything from the media scrutinizing your Bahamas trips, your money from Bob Perry and, of course, let's not forget this entertaining tidbit, I'm sure dinner-table conversation at the Governor's Mansion is quite...entertaining. I mean, heck, it's not every Governor that is notorious/infamous enough to garner so many opponents a blog is needed to track "the world" against him.

A Train Ride With Smokey Joe?

By Vince Leibowitz

'Smokey Joe' Barton is hoping some of his big-money backers will take a train ride with him next weekend—literally.

In his Dallas Morning News column this week, Todd Gillman notes that Barton's campaign has a special seven-hour private train ride scheduled next Friday to go from Fort Worth to San Antonio:

"During the ride, we'll have lots of time to talk, play some Texas Hold 'Em, and enjoy some great down home Texas food," reads the glossy, six-panel invitation to "Joe Barton's 2006 Texas Train Ride." "This is about as good as it gets."

In San Antonio, donors will have brunch Saturday with the Ennis Republican, chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee and – since former Majority Leader Tom DeLay's fall from grace – the top-ranking Texan in the House. He and his guests will also have cocktails, an evening tour of the Alamo, dinner and breakfast on Sunday.

Of course, Craig McDonald with Texans for Public Justice and Tom Smith of Texas Public Citizen offered up their views on the railroading, no pun intended (and pun intended, I guess).

No doubt this will give David Harris, Barton's opponent in CD-06, some more ammunition. To give Harris some more ammunition, you can contribute here via his website or here, via his Act Blue page. Harris was featured on Daily Kos a while back for "Fighting Dem Tuesday."

There is also a blog for the race, the Dixtrict Sixer Blog. Other race links: Harris's DKos Diary.

More Bad News For Tom DeLay: People Don't Want To Vote For Him

By Vince Leibowitz

Only half of voters who voted for Tom DeLay in 2004 will do so again, according to a Houston Chronicle poll by Richard Murray and Bob Stein:

Only half of those who cast ballots for DeLay in 2004 said they will do so again. And while a fourth of the 2004 DeLay voters still aren't sure whom they will vote for this year, almost 20 percent have defected to other candidates.

Responding to the poll Saturday, DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said the result is "contrary to the strong support we're seeing for Congressman DeLay throughout the district."

The telephone poll of 560 registered voters in the 22nd Congressional District was conducted Tuesday through Thursday.

Of course, the decline in DeLay support is due to his being indicted, the fact that he's been tainted by the Abramoff scandal, and various and sundry other accusations of corruption.

However, the Chron notes:

DeLay may be able to win back the undecided voters, but he starts with the disadvantage of a 60 percent unfavorable rating in the district he has represented for 20 years. Only 28 percent view him favorably, according to the poll.

That's barely half of the 50 percent favorable rating DeLay received in a poll conducted for the Chronicle last spring by Zogby International.

"I go a lot on the way somebody talks, and he doesn't give me warm and fuzzy feelings," said Robert Jones of Pearland, who has supported DeLay but rated him unfavorably in the Chronicle survey last week. Jones, who voted in the 2004 Republican primary and considers himself an independent, said he hasn't decided whom he will support this year.

According to the new poll, 38 percent have changed their opinion of DeLay in the past year. And of those, 91 percent view him less favorably.

Only about half of likely GOP primary voters now rate DeLay favorably, and only 39 percent are committed to voting for him in March.

When he last faced Republican primary opposition in 2002, he won 80 percent of the vote.

DeLay's opponent, attorney Michael Fjetland, is one of three candidates challenging him for the GOP nomination March 7. The others are former schoolteacher Pat Baig and attorney Tom Campbell.

And, on an even more interesting note:

So far, the lukewarm support for DeLay among likely primary voters is not benefiting his Republican opponents, who together poll less than 10 percent with the rest undecided.

"DeLay is benefited by a short campaign season because his challengers are unknown," Murray said.

There's no evidence that DeLay's dwindling support represents a tarnishing of GOP strength in the 22nd District.

Forty-two percent identify themselves as Republicans, 27 percent as Democrats and 23 percent as independents. Republican President Bush enjoys a 55 percent approval rating in the district.

Stein and Murray said DeLay is likely to win the Republican primary but not unscathed.

In the general election, he would face former U.S. Rep Nick Lampson, who is unopposed in the Democratic primary and polls highest among the probable November candidates. DeLay also may be challenged by former Republican Rep. Steve Stockman, who has filed as an independent. Stockman will need to petition for a place on the ballot.

If the general election were held today, DeLay would get 22 percent of the vote, Lampson 30 percent and Stockman 11 percent. The ballot also will include a Libertarian Party nominee.

Kuff has more on this, along with newish blog, DeLay vs. World, which actually has two pieces.

Given these good numbers, now would be a great time to contribute to Nick Lampson, which you can do here. You can also check out Lampson's diaries on DailyKos and MyDD, or via the Lampson for Congress Blog, which is currently down but expected to be up again soon.

Strayhorn Claims To Have $8.1 Million In Campaign Warchest

By Vince Leibowitz

Though official reports aren't due before the Texas Ethics Commission until Tuesday, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn announced late last week that she has $8.1 million in her warchest to take on Rick Perry and the eventual winner of the Democratic Primary.

She lags behind Perry who, according to the Houston Chronicle, has $11.5 million in his campaign account.

Strayhorn reportedly raised 2.4 million between July 1 and December 31 of last year, while Perry's camp claims he raised $4.6 million during the same period.

Given that the Republicans (and Republican/Independent) are bragging about how much cash they have on hand, I thought it'd be a good idea to remind everyone that they can (and should) donate to the campaign of the Democratic candidate for Governor of their choice. Here are the links (in alphabetical order):

Felix Alvarado
Chris Bell
Bob Gammage

You're so vain, I bet you think this post is about you (Rick perry).

By Matt Hardigree

I just put together a post for Chris Bell on Perry's laughable new "Proud of Texas" campaign. In the spirit of cross-posting and drawing visitors to the Chris Bell blog, here's a taste:

A smart lady once said that there is a difference between pride and vanity, pride is what we think of ourselves and vanity is what we'd like others to think of us. There is a lot for the Governor of Texas to be proud of, but it's vanity that makes him want us to believe that he has anything to do with it.

More here.

40/40: "An Independent vs. A Rubber Stamp"

By Phillip Martin

Editor's note: This is an op-ed piece by Donna Howard. As part of the 40/40, we're giving every candidate we feature an opportunity to write on any topic of their choosing. Click here for Kathy Rider's op-ed.

There is one issue and one issue only in the special election on January 17 -- who will represent House District 48 during the special legislative session on public school finance this spring. No other issue is on the table, and that makes it easy for voters to choose.

If you think public schools have so many resources that we can afford to siphon billions of tax dollars out of them to fund a private-school voucher scheme, vote for Ben Bentzin. He is the candidate of the pro-voucher movement. He was handpicked by Rick Perry and is supported by James Leininger, the San Antonio doctor who has bankrolled both Perry's political career and the voucher movement.

If you think public schools are underfunded and that the state tax structure should be stabilized so that we can truly strive for "the best schools in America" (Rick Perry's unfulfilled 1998 campaign promise), then I'd appreciate your vote.

I am backed by every teacher and public education group endorsing in this race because they know I have spent my entire adult life working for better public schools -- even when my name was not on the ballot. I served on the Eanes ISD school board, co-founded the Texas Education Crisis Coalition, and am certified as a Master School Trustee by the Texas Association of School Boards. I have served on the boards of Common Cause and the Texas Freedom Network, working to improve public schools and head off taxpayer-funded vouchers.

Ever since 2002, when Todd Baxter narrowly defeated Ann Kitchen with the help of thousands of illegal corporate dollars from Tom DeLay, HD 48 has been saddled with a state representative who put his own partisan agenda first and our community last. Now, after suddenly quitting midway through his term to become a lobbyist, Todd has saddled us with a Republican candidate who promises to be a rubber stamp for Tom Craddick and the ultra-partisans who have failed to fix our schools for nine straight legislative sessions.

Let's not make it 10. If you want responsible change, please vote for it on January 17. Send someone to the State Capitol who wants to be part of the solution, not part of the problem.

Houston's Homeless Problem

By Jim Dallas

Via CNN, we learn today that the National Coalition for the Homeless has ranked Houston among the top 10 "meanest" cities (# 7, to be precise). Houston is on the National Coalition's wall of shame because of ongoing efforts to criminalize of homelessness (or more specifically, enact outdoor sleeping bans). The local Coalition for the Homeless estimates that about 14,000 Houstonians are homeless. This figure was arrived at pre-Katrina. About 30,000 Houstonians will be homeless at some point in a given year. About 40 percent of those sampled by the Coalition were chronically homeless - out on the streets for three years or more.

I live in the Third Ward. Pretty much every night (except for those that are freezing cold), I can find homeless folks wandering around my neighborhood. It bothers me on two levels. The first level is my own personal security - though aside from some aggressive panhandling has never really been threatened. The second and more important level is concern for their well-being. Why are so many Houstonians homeless? The Coalition asserts that the most common reason is job loss, followed by drug abuse. My personal observations suggest that the repeat-beggers (the guys I run into pretty much every week down at the gas station) have physical, mental, or drug-related disabilities.

Look: homelessness, on many levels, pisses me off. It pisses me off because I can't sit down at the bus stop at night because somebody is sleeping there. It pisses me off because I can't fill up my car without being asked for money. Moreover, it pisses me off because I wouldn't want to be homeless, and yet so many people are - usually not by choice (although a few of the folks seem to either like it, or are too proud to accept public services, or are simply out of their gourds). At best, I have a love-hate relationship with the local homeless, and I understand why many Houstonians would support being "mean" (which I really think is the wrong word here). Nevertheless, the bleeding heart homeless advocates are absolutely correct - public sleeping bans just shuffle people around, unless you give them somewhere else to go. If homelessness pisses you off, then maybe you ought to lobby for job creation and expanded public services (particularly mental health care and drug treatment). The National Coalition of the Homeless, not being idle whiners, has listed a set of constructive alternatives to criminalization. I hope Mayor Bill will look at this issue more carefully in the future.

Meanwhile, Dallas ranked #6 (worse than Houston! I'm sure Byron will just love to hear that). San Antonio and Austin both ranked in the Top 20.

40/40: Solving the School Finance Issue

By Phillip Martin

Editor's note: This is an op-ed piece by Kathy Rider. As part of the 40/40, we're giving every candidate we feature an opportunity to write on any topic of their choosing. This afternoon, I will post Donna Howard's op-ed.

These are the facts:

• Texas has a constitutional mandate to fund public schools.
• The future of Texas depends upon an educated labor force and a strong educational system.
• Texas was the only state in the US to decrease spending on education during the last fiscal year.
• Texas ranks 38th nationally in teacher salaries and last in its high school graduation rate.
• The Texas Supreme Court has declared that the $1.50 per $100 valuation tax cap is unconstitutional.
• The Texas Legislature must solve the school finance issue by June 1, 2006 or the doors of our schools will close.

It is crucial that our children receive a good education and are prepared to take their place in America’s labor force. Teachers are a key factor. Teachers must be given the resources and tools to teach. Teachers must be supported with viable salaries and benefits as well as the tools to enable them to teach effectively.

The current school finance system is badly broken and has created even more inequities by mandating the sharing of revenues by property-wealthy districts. The Eanes District, for example, sends 59% of its revenues to less wealthy school districts. The State’s share of funding for public schools has decreased by almost 30% over the past ten years to only 38%. Property owners currently bear the burden of funding public education in Texas. The three-legged stool of state funding, property tax revenue and business franchise taxes has two disproportionately short legs…no wonder it is collapsing. We have the fifth most favorable business environment in the nation, and I believe that businesses can increase their participation without harming the bottom line. Industry and commerce will not continue to come to Texas if the public schools are not of good. There are several strategies to lessen the burden on property owners without unduly burdening businesses:

• We must increase the state’s share of public funding.
• We must close the loopholes on franchise tax collection.
• We must identify a reliably steady revenue stream for school finance.
• In the short term, the sales tax on tobacco-related and alcoholic products could be increased, adding an additional $3 billion to educational revenues.

The Texas Legislature set up the current school finance system in 1993. It was designed to equalize funding for public education across the State. The new system should be indexed for both inflation and growth. Simply including a growth provision in the student population would bring relief to many districts. The cost of education index does not currently reflect the true cost of education.

The Special Election for State Representative House District 48 is on January 17th. Early voting has already begun and will continue through Friday, January 13. This election is critical because the individual elected will serve in a special session of the Legislature on school finance, which will be called by the Governor later this spring. We must solve this issue. As a member of the AISD Board of Trustees for ten years and President for eight, I believe that I am the most qualified candidate to address the challenges.

District 48 deserves an effective voice in the Legislature...one who reflects the views and values of District 48. I am an experienced leader well suited to being a voice of change and effectiveness.

Bentzin: Delay's Dirty Laundry

By Phillip Martin

Though they may be overspent, the Travis County Democratic Party sure is doing their best to make sure a Democratic candidate wins HD 48. It appears they have sent out at least two separate mail pieces to raise awareness about Bentzin's ties to Tom Delay.

The above photo is from the front cover of a direct mail piece that is being mailed out to voters in HD 48. The inside spread of this 11x17 mail piece has a full layot/flow-chart clearly explaining how Delay and Bentzin are tied through Colyandro. Sorry - I only managed to scan the front of this piece before Kinko's closed -- I'll try and get the whole piece up sometime tomorrow.

I did manage to get all of a separate mail piece scanned in, though. You can click here to read through it. The front cover has a huge, scummy photo of Delay and reads "Tom Delay has himself another "Yes" man...and he lives in your backyard," and the back details Bentzin's ties to Delay, his record on vouchers, how he opposed funding for public schools in 2002, and his pro-life stance.

HD 48: More Endorsements

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The Donna Howard campaign picked up a couple more endorsements today from the Austin American Statesman and Austin Chonicle.

AAS: Howard, 54, a former Eanes school board member, offers practical experience writing school district budgets, a valuable perspective for legislators grappling with school finance and that's why we recommend her to voters in this special election. The Legislature has enough members looking out for business interests, but what it could really use is someone experienced at balancing a school district budget using an antiquated property tax to meet modern educational needs.

...

There is nothing to implicate Bentzin in the legally questionable activity of the business association, but we are also troubled that he agreed to pay Colyandro indirectly through a contract with a printer. Texas campaign law requires candidates to report accurately all contributions and expenditures.

Rider, a former Austin school district board president, can lay claim to practical school board experience, but her tenure as the school board's president was marked by internal turmoil and a data-manipulation scandal that resulted in an unprecedented indictment of the school district.

Although he hasn't specifically said so, Gov. Rick Perry is expected to call the special session after the March primaries. Therefore, there will be no long learning curve for the winner of this race. Howard isn't likely to need one. Though Howard is a bit soft on specifics, she is smart enough to realize that a freshman's effectiveness is likely to be minimal, but she is capable enough to minimize the seniority gap. Both Bentzin and Howard are energetic, knowledgeable and committed to the community.

Chronicle: The dominating issue is education, because of its importance to District 48 voters, and because of the public school finance crisis and upcoming special legislative session, likely to be called this spring. Although Bentzin is running as a moderate determined simply to "improve the schools," he would replace his predecessor Todd Baxter as a reflexive vote for the GOP leadership, and he has already declared his support for private school vouchers "in certain circumstances" – a position indistinguishable from that of the stealth voucher promoters at the Capitol.

Both Donna Howard (Eanes ISD) and Kathy Rider (Austin ISD) have school board experience, and are acutely aware of the issues facing the public schools and the necessity for the state not just to reform school finance but to fund more of it. Both are fully qualified for the seat, and it would have been helpful to hear them battle it out in a real primary. But because of the difficult arithmetic of this particular election, we strongly believe supporters of public education should unite behind a single candidate – indeed, it would have been nice if the Democratic Party had had enough common foresight to do so. By a narrow but significant margin, we believe the candidate with the best chance to defeat Perry's anointed candidate is Donna Howard.

Remember, Early Voting ends this Friday. Info on times and locations are here.

Briefs Filed In Redistricting Case

By Vince Leibowitz

In anticipation of March 1 oral arguments, various opponents of the Congressional Redistricting plan forced through the Texas Legislature by allies of indicted former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land) have filed briefs with the U.S. Supreme Court.

The San Antonio Express News notes opponents of the remap claim in the briefs outdated Census data was used to establish political lines that diminish minority voting strength:

"They diluted the voice of Latinos by using this old data," Rolando Rios, a lawyer for the League of United Latin American Citizens, said Thursday.

The state of Texas has until Feb. 1 to respond to the briefs, which were filed Wednesday with the Supreme Court as part of an accelerated plan by justices to hear oral arguments in the case on March 1 - one week before party primaries are held.

The high court agreed on December 12 to hear arguments in the redistricting case, which is actually a conglomeration of four separate challenges to the 2003 remap.

The Cases

The cases are styled as follows:

League of United Latin American Citizens, et al., Appellants v. Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, et al; Travis County, Texas, et al., Appellants v. Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, et al.; GI Forum of Texas, et al., Appellants v. Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, et al.; and Eddie Jackson, et al., Appellants v. Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, et al.

Though the Express-News simplified the matter quite a bit, the questions presented by the various cases are as follows:

LULAC v. Perry, et al:

1. Whether the 2003 Texas Congressional Redistricting Plan (Plan 1374C), adopted and developed using outdated, inaccurate 2000 Census data and resulting in malapportioned districts, in violation of one person, one vote when measured against 2003 Census data, and when "the single-minded purpose of the Texas Legislature in enacting Plan 1374C was to gain partisan advantage" and when such purpose is realized, is an unconstitutional political gerrymander.

2. Whether proof of racially polarized voting is overcome by evidence of partisan affiliation of minority voters in the analysis of the second prong of Gingles in a minority vote dilution claim.

Travis County, Texas, et al v. Perry, et al

Does the Texas legislature's 2003 replacement of a legally valid congressional districting plan with a statewide plan, enacted for "the singleminded purpose" of gaining partisan advantage, satisfy the stringent constitutional rule of equipopulous districts by relying on the 2000 decennial census and the fiction of inter-censal population accuracy?

GI Forum of Texas vs. Perry, et al.

1. Whether political partisanship is sufficient justification, under section 2 and the Constitution, for dismantling a Latino-majority congressional district in order to elect the Anglo-preferred candidate.

2. Whether section 2 permits a state to eliminate a majority-minority district located in one area of the state and create another majority-minority district in a different area of the state.

3. Whether the District Court erred by requiring section 2 demonstrative districts to be more compact and to offer greater electoral opportunity to minority voters than the corresponding districts in the challenged redistricting plan.

4. Whether the number of majority-minority districts that can be created in the state functions as the upper limit of permissible political opportunity when assessing proportionality under Johnson v. DeGrandy.

Eddie Jackson, et al vs. Rick Perry

1. Whether the Equal Protection Clause and the First Amendment prohibit States from redrawing lawful districting plans in the middle of the decade, for the sole purpose of maximizing partisan advantage.

2. Whether Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act permits a State to destroy a district effectively controlled by African- American voters, merely because it is impossible to draw a district in which African-Americans constitute an absolute mathematical majority of the population.

3. Whether, under Bush v. Vera, 517 U.S. 952 (1996), a bizarre-looking congressional district, which was intentionally drawn as a majority-Latino district by connecting two far-flung pockets of dense urban population with a 300-mile-long rural "land bridge," may escape invalidation as a racial gerrymander because drawing a compact
majority-Latino district would have required the mapmakers to compromise their political goal of maximizing Republican seats elsewhere in the State.

To date, a number of briefs have been filed in the cases. The appellants in Jackson, Travis Couty, GI Forum and LULAC filed briefs this week. The Texas State-Area Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and Texas Democratic Party Chairman Charles Soechting filed briefs in support of the appellants this week as well, and Frenchie Henderson filed a brief supporting appellants Travis County shortly before Christmas. (There is also a Joint Appendix in two volumes.)

A number of groups have, to date, also filed Amicus Curiae briefs supporting the appellants, including the North Carolina State Conference of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; the Fort Worth-Tarrant County Branch NAACP; the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, Inc.; Samuel Issacharoff, Burt Neuborne, and Richard H. Pildes; the Reform Institute, Thomas Mann, and Norman Ornstein; the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law; the Center for American Progress; University Professors Concerned About Equal Representation For Equal Numbers of People; and Neil H. Cogan.

The League of Women Voters of the United States and League of Women Voters of Texas filed a brief in support of reversal.

Professors Gary King, Bernard Grofman, Andrew Gelman, and Jonathan N. Katz, filed briefs in support of neither party.

For links to all of the briefs, previous Supreme Court orders and more, go here, which is the website for Jenner & Block, which represents the Jackson appellants.

Background on Texas Redistricting

In 2003, the Texas Legislature, fresh into its first session under Republican control thanks to work and millions of dollars in electioneering of groups like the Texas Association of Business and Tom DeLay-aligned Texans for a Republican Majority, began to tackle redistricting during the legislature's regular session, resluting in a walk-out by Democrats in the House to block a quorum.

However, the Democratic House members's brief departure to Ardmore, Oklahoma wasn't enough: Texas Governor Rick Perry called three special sessions to tackle the issue, two of which failed in part because Democratic Senators denied a quorum by traveling to New Mexico for 45 days until Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston) abandoned his fellow senators and returned to Austin.

In a third special session, a redistricting plan passed on an 18-12 vote in the Texas Senate. The plan was eventually signed into law by Texas Governor Rick Perry.

A flurry of lawsuits soon resulted, and a three-judge panel of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals twice upheld the Texas redistricting map as constitutional. On appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court, the court remanded the case back to the Fifth for reconsideration following Vieth v. Jubelirer, a Pennsylvania redistricting case.

Texas Republicans held 15 of 32 congressional seats before the 2004 elections. Redistricting helped the GOP capture 21 seats and expand their majority in the House of Representatives. The redistricting plan resulted in the defeat of Congressmen Nick Lampson, Max Sandlin, Charles Stenholm and ended up having longtime Blue Dog Democrat Ralph Hall switch parties, and caused Cong. Chris Bell (now a candidate for governor) to be defeated in a primary election.

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report and the Political State Report.

40/40: Howard and Rider On the Issues

By Phillip Martin

I know K-T has already graciously announced a BOR endorsement for the HD 48 Special Election, but I wanted to go ahead and finish our even-handed week-long look at Donna Howard and Kathy Rider. Click on the jump below for a comparison of where Howard and Rider stand on the issues of vouchers, reforming taxes for school finance, insurance reform, children's health insurance, tuition deregulation, and more.

Be sure to check back tomorrow for an op-ed piece from each candidate.

Vouchers

Both candidates are strongly opposed to vouchers. Howard has said that - while some pilot programs for school vouchers may be worth a look further down the line - to even think of spending public dollars for private school education is totally unacceptable. Rider is 100% against vouchers, and believes that vouchers are a subsidy to those people who have already given up on public schools.

Reforming Taxes for School Finance

Both candidates eagerly await the Tax Reform Commission's recommendation. Kathy Rider believes that an increase in the sales tax on cigarettes and alchohol is worth exploring, and that such a tax could generate as much as $3 billion in additional revenue for the state. Rider also would be in support of a 1% business activity tax, but would want to exclude the health care industry from such a tax (to see why, read her interview here). Howard mentioned no specifics in her interview, saying that she was committed to a broad based tax that was fair to businesses and taxpayers alike.

Insurance Reform

Howard and Rider both talked about the need to lower insurance premiums for Texas consumers. Howard believes that the Legislature needs to follow through on its promise to lower homeowners insurance. Rider spoke more about the way that increased insurance rates - coupled with high utility bills, as well as the increased cost of higher education, health care, and higher property taxes - tend to suffocate lower income families.

CHIP vs. Texas Enterprise Fund

Both candidates talked about how the state needs to maximize the amount of federal dollars it pulls down for CHIP. Howard went on to say that, without the accountability for the Enterprise Fund, we can never be sure what it's doing to attract businesses, while we know what we get when we invest in children's health insruance.

Higher Education and Tuition Deregulation

When I asked the candidates about tuition deregulation, here's what they said:

Kathy Rider: "We cannot continue to push for our children to go to college and then make it harder for them to afford it."

Donna Howard: "We are pricing college out of the reach of too many Texas families." She went on to say that she doesn't blame the universities for raising the cost of tuition; rather, she believes the state has cut too much money from higher education.

Gay Adoption and Abortion Rights

Since neither of these issues are expected to come up in the special election, I didn't press too hard for detailed answers. However, both candidates said that they are pro-choice, and that we should never try to take a child away from a caring, loving home.

Gammage End of Tour Today

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

In two hours (11 am), Democratic Gubernatorial candidate Bob Gammage will be making his final stop at TDP Headquarters with Democratic candidate for Lieutenant Governor Ben Grant, and Democratic candidate for Comptroller Fred Head, fellow "Dirty Thirty" members. I'll be there with the rest of the Press Gaggle and try to get an audio file of any speech, Q&A, etc. An Update is to follow later this morning.

BOR HD 48 Special Endosement: Donna Howard

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

From what I can tell, The Texas Whip is the first Austin blog to say who they are endorsing in the Special Election (Donna Howard) so I thought I'd through in my two cents.

For the January 17th Special Election, I'll be endorsing personally, and on behalf of Burnt Orange Report, Donna Howard (I believe most of our writers are of the same opinion, but anyone else is free to write up their thoughts if they have a different opinion.) I have made some comments in this entry for as to why I believe she is the better candidate in this election, though the important thing to realize is that Ben Bentzin needs to be defeated (for his ties to TRMPAC, support for vouchers, etc.)

Some things to note, Howard picked up the endorsement of the Central Labor Council.

"There is only one question in this election: who is best qualified to represent our community schools in next spring's special legislative session on public school finance," said Central Labor Council (CLC) President Louis Malfaro. "And there is only one answer to that question: Donna Howard!"

Malfaro said the endorsement was nearly unanimous, with all but one voting member backing Howard. That member opted not to choose between the two Democrats in the race.

Howard is a former elected member of the Eanes Independent School District board and longtime community advocate for public education.

She also has a new ad on the air, and you can donate to the campaign which raised over $85,000 through the end of December.

Howard's total raised from individuals was $78,910.09, with an average contribution of $195. She loaned her campaign $6,000 and received 354 other donations, including a $40 check from a friend who lost her home in the Hurricane Katrina disaster.

Howard's report contained no contributions from proponents of a private-school voucher scheme that would siphon billions of tax dollars out of public education. Nor did it report any secret payments to an indicted co-conspirator of Tom DeLay in the former U.S. Majority Leader's criminal money-laundering case.

Here's your Early Voting and Election Day info.

The DOT Show and Scalito

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

TG Caraway has started a podcast on Texas politics, primarily, and Texas music. Caraway and David Holmes (DNC-TX member) just created the first episode. The first episode discusses Delay, the Governor's race, and some state rep. races around the state and in Austin. As it contintues to develop, it will focus on getting political news out to Democrats who live outside Austin and exploring ideas that Democrats should be considering as we try to win campaigns.

http://thedotshow.libsyn.com

And this is really great, on video we have Sen. Cornyn calling Samual Alito, Scalito. Twice. Watch it.

Bell Campaign Turns Against Democrat

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

As has now been touched upon by Vince and explained by Jim, we have the news by e-mail today that Chris Bell has gone negative, not on Rick Perry or Strayhorn or Kinky, but fellow Democrat Bob Gammage. Check out Jim's entry for a good explanation of why Bell's female endorsers didn't exactly get their silver bullet right and aimed it not at safe, legal, and rare abortion-foe Rick Perry but at pro-choice, anti-government funded abortion candidate Democrat Bob Gammage. I liked this comment from Vince's thread...

I guess I'm confused about this whole thing. Is Bell criticizing Gammage because he didn't support federally funded abortion? Does this mean that Bell endorses federally funded abortions?

What's the point of this whole 'email blast'? Is the purpose just to lay out some innuendo and then assume we're too stupid to remember or look up what the whole thing was about?

Not only is it a big waste of time, but also an indication that the Bell campaign must be scared of what they are seeing on the ground in the primary it's had over a year to lock up. Gammage, only three days into officially announcing his campaign on his statewide Set the Record Straight tour in what I (and many Democrats) thought was going to at least be a clean primary.

But candidates don't go negative in primaries, unless they have to, unless there's a threat, unless they are slipping behind. And from what I have heard from local politicos in the Party in Austin, and what has been passed on to me by people familiar with some former Bell Ringers in other parts of the state, Gammage, even at this early stage, is pulling them his way, or at least back into the undecided column. By pulling in two fellow Dirty Thirty members to campaign with him for Lt. Gov and Comptroller, he's created a compelling narrative which competes with Bell on the ethics front, while at the same time broadens the fight beyond one race.

Bell certainly is announcing endorsements, then again, I remember the same strategy in the closing month of the Howard Dean campaign, which ended up being counter productive, and diluted his message of reform and independence from the current state of affairs in the Party. It was an attempt to move from outsider to inevitable, which is likely what is happening here, and considering that former Dean manager Joe Trippi is doing some consulting for the Bell camp, I wouldn't be surprised.

I like Chris Bell. He's a great guy, a good man for stepping up the plate, and if he's the nominee my support as well. But I'm disappointed.

I'll see if I can stop by the Bob Gammage Press Conference Thursday morning here in Austin to see who he's attacking.

Gammage Criticized For Congressional Voting Record on Abortion

By Vince Leibowitz

[Author's Note: Evidently Jim and I were typing our posts on this topic at the same time, though my post has a much later time stamp. Of course, his was longer. Anyway, I didn't see it when I read the blog before I posted, so sorry, Jim, for stealing your thunder.]

In the first major controversy of the Democratic Primary race for governor, the Austin American Statesman reports that the Chris Bell campaign is circulating a letter criticizing Gammage for his voting record on abortion in Congress.

The letter is signed by a dozen abortion-rights activists including the formitible Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who argued Roe v. Wade before the U.S. Supreme Court as well as Peggy Romberg, executive director of the Women's Health and Family Planning Association of Texas; and Heather Paffe, political director of the Texas Association of Planned Parenthood Affiliates.

According to the Statesman, Bell aides said the women signed the letter as individuals and not on behalf of their groups.

The Statesman notes:

It does not point to specific votes, but Bell's campaign charged that Gammage voted repeatedly in 1977 against allowing federal funds to pay for abortions in cases of rape or incest or when it was deemed "medically necessary."

Gammage spokesman Jeremy Warren responded that Gammage "is pro-choice and has been for decades."

"The issue that they're discussing is not a woman's right to choose but whether the taxpayers should be paying for that," he said. "At the time it was a new issue and it was very controversial, and Bob Gammage voted with Al Gore, Dick Gephardt and a lot of other Democrats."

Warren said Gammage now believes that taxpayer dollars should be allowed to pay for abortions deemed medically necessary or in cases of rape or incest.

Given that the 95th Congress, in which Gammage served, was a couple decades ago, it's not surprising no one is able to cite any votes. The Congressional Record isn't avaliable online for that period. However, 1978 was the year the Department of Health, Education and Welfare announced it would finance abortions for indigent rape and incest victims if such incidents were reported to law enforcement within 60 days. Personally, I Googled everything I could think of to try to find the voting records of the 95th and just couldn't find anything of substance relating to the type of votes in question.

However, I did find an interesting tidbit via a Google search for "abortion" and "95th Congress" via AFF, which I thought was worth a snip here:

"A generation or two ago, the Republicans were the pro-choice party and the Democrats were considered the pro-life party," notes syndicated columnist Mark Shields, a pro-life liberal. Planned Parenthood was a favorite charity of George H.W. Bush, he observes--one indication of the sea change in opinion that happened over the last few decades.

To many Democrats, the pro-life position once seemed a natural fit with the party's self-image as champion of the underdog. In the 95th Congress (1977-78), the Democrats had a 292-seat majority that included 125 pro-life Democrats. In 1976, then-candidate Jimmy Carter opposed public funding for abortions. Emerging leaders like Dick Gephardt, Al Gore, and Jesse Jackson Sr. were all originally pro-life.

Who is the Pro-Choicest of the Pro-Choicers?

By Jim Dallas

As I believe I've noted, I'm supporting Chris Bell in the Democratic primary. I am, however, fairly amicable towards Bob Gammage's candidacy. Unless Bob Gammage eats a baby on national television, I'll probably be fairly unlikely to engage in gratuitous Gammage-bashing myself. That means I'll probably spend the next few weeks or months (hopefully until the primary, you know, but these truces don't always last) sitting on the sidelines acting as scorekeeper as the die-hards heat things up.

Liz Carpenter, Sarah Weddington, Molly Beth Malcolm, et al - Bell backers - stepped up to the pitchers' mound today with an e-mail to the Chris Contingency on the abortion issue:

When Texas Democratic women help choose our next nominee for governor, we need to know we can trust that the nominee will not just say the right things about a woman's right to choose, but will also do the right things. We need to know that we can trust him to fight for our rights when the pressure's on. Both of the top Democrats running for governor say they're pro-choice, but only one of them has faithfully stood by us in our political fights, and that is Chris Bell.

The other Democratic candidate, Bob Gammage, said he was pro-choice when he filed for governor, but when he had to choose between placating anti-choicers and sticking up for his beliefs in Congress, Bob abandoned us. Bob was on the anti-choice side of just about every vote on reproductive rights when he was in Congress. The votes may have been taken a long time ago but it’s the most recent and telling legislative experience he offers for this office. We can’t trust Bob Gammage to take the heat and fight for our rights.

Ladies, I have tremendous respect for you all. But I have to call this one a ball, not a strike. Besides the fact that these votes took place nearly thirty years ago (Gammage was elected to one term in Congress, from 1977 to 1979), the characterization of Gammage's record as "placating anti-choicers" is somewhat questionable. Let's take a look at Bob Gammage's actual votes to see why. (Below the Flip)

P.S.Brains and Eggs - which really ought to be added to our blogroll - notes that the Bell campaign summarized the votes here. As I note below, interpreting voting records can be kind of a dodgy affair, and their interpretation is different than mine. I'd like to hear from a Congress expert (which I am not).

The roll call votes in the 95th Congress which were clearly about abortion were vote numbers 326, 466, 550, 595, 596, 603, 681, 690, 696, 701, 1087, 1088, 1290, 1344, 1496, 1516, and 1521. All but one of these votes turned on whether the government should fund abortions, not whether abortion itself should be legal. The other vote (1344) turned on whether the civil rights commission should be involved in studying abortion regulations.

The issue of public funding of abortions was the major abortion rights issue in 1977 and 1978. These votes largely served to clarify and extend the scope of the 1976 Hyde Amendment. As a 1978 Newsweek article stated, "[f]or women who are unable to pay for abortions, the big questions now [was] what exceptions will be allowed in the federal ban." Throughout much of 1977 and 78, the issue raged, with the House preferring language banning funds completely or in all cases except for where the mother's life was in jeopardy. The Senate, however, wanted exceptions for the mother's health and in the cases of rape and incest. Gammage's record (and they can sometimes be something of a Rorschach blot) suggests that his views aligned fairly closely with that of the Senate, favoring a liberalized or compromise ban. Given that the status quo ante in 1977 was a total ban, per the 1976 Hyde Amendment, Gammage's position could be construed as moderately pro-choice. Moreover, Gammage's position seems to have been roughly in line with the Carter Administration's (which seems to have opposed federal funding of abortion).

Laid out, here are Gammage's votes:

* For information on paired votes, see here. My understanding is that you must reverse the position (Yea means Nay) in order to understand the paired vote's real meaning here.

At any rate, it seems to me that one can be both pro-choice and anti-funding. This was (apparently) Al Gore's position during the 1980s, and is the position of the Libertarian Party. Granted, I understand there is an argument that the abortion issue is about positive liberty (female empowerment, etc. etc.) and not negative liberty ("keep your laws off my body"). Under the former, public funding is actually sort of a big deal. But personally, I find it a stretch that voting against government funding for abortion can be called "abandoning" the pro-choice movement. Though to be sure, Bob Gammage's record clearly indicates that he wasn't an automatic vote for the women's rights groups who (in the 1970s) had some fairly exorbitant demands.

On the other hand, however, it is equally plain that Gammage's entire Congressional record is moderately conservative. His Americans for Democratic Action ratings were 20 (out of 100) in 1977 and 25 in 1978. These scores were actually fairly typical for most of the Texas Democratic congressmen in the 95th Congress (only Reps. Eckhardt, Jordan, and Gonzales - regularly scored above 50).

Chris Bell received a score of 100% from NARAL in 2004 (these rankings did not exist in 1978) and 85% from ADA in 2004. Clearly, Chris Bell is more attuned to the interests of reproductive rights activists. Nevertheless, given the very real fact that today's anti-abortion activists are trying to criminalize (as oppose to privatize the funding for) abortion, one cannot escape the impression that the Ladies are comparing apples to oranges, and making mountains out of molehills. To say the least, I am not yet convinced that Bob Gammage is a baby-eater (good for him).

BORed - Strayhorn Mispells Her Name on Intent Letter

By Matt Hardigree

What happens when you have thirteen names? Sometimes, it seems, you mispell one. According to the Statesman:

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, the onetime schoolteacher hoping to oust Gov. Rick Perry in November, misspelled her last name, leaving out the Y, in her declaration of intent to run as an independent for governor.

In two parts of the one-page form, filed last week, her last name is spelled Strahorn, the Texas Secretary of State's office said today.

"Our office cannot recall a situation when a candidate misspelled their name on the top portion of the form and the affidavit itself, so we are currently looking into the situation," said Scott Haywood, spokesman for the agency, which oversees state elections.

Proving that "One Tough Grandma" may also be "One Senile Grandma." This is exactly the kind of silly mistake that we'd expect from Perry. However, Perry spokesflack Kathy Walt assures BOR that "The governor can spell his name without any help, in fact, he's been on the See & Spell all week practicing."

40/40: An Interview with Kathy Rider

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note -- As part of the 40/40 project, we're trying to interview every candidate we feature. Below is the interview with Kathy Rider. For the link to my interview with Donna Howard, click here.

What made you decide to run for office?

I think that District 48 deserves an effective legislator - someone who is going to represent their views, and certainly the last two sessions we have not had somebody there that represents our views. District 48 has people who are very strong public school advocates, anti-voucher, pro-choice, and who feel very strongly about health issues. I think school finance needs to be addressed, and I'm the candidate that has the experience and the working knowledge of dealing with school finance.

What kind of experience would you bring to the table?

I was on the AISD Board for ten years, served eight as President, and while I was there we went through about three different versions of school finance. I truly don't believe anyone in the legislature ever anticipated that a district like Austin - that has 58% free and reduced lunch eligible kids - would have been considered property wealthy, or that a district such as Eanes would be sending 59% of their budget back to the state. We need a State Representative that can understand what's been going on in our public schools and will look at a way to meet the constitutional mandate we have before us.

I saw somewhere about a 65% cap on recapture that you were proposing. Can you tell me a little more about that?

I think that - as everyone knows - things always get kind of massaged when you go down to the Legislature and talk about legislation. 65% is probably a pipe dream, and I think you can probably look at somewhere between 45% and 65% that is more realistic. I really don't believe a district should send back a majority of their funds. Part of the issue about equity is - for example, Eanes sends their money to seven different school districts, and only one of them is at the $1.50 cap right now. The others are all below the cap, and one is even at $1.23, which means many in the Eanes ISD aren't so much helping education as they are subsidizing property owners so they don't have to pay as much in property taxes as people in Eanes and Austin and Leander and Lago Vista. I think that's something important that we have to look at when we restructure our school finance plan.

Ben Bentzin has come out as a staunch supporter of vouchers. Would you consider vouchers at any level, even as a focused pilot program? What are your views?

Vouchers are a subsidy to those people who have already given up on public schools. We have pilot programs. Austin ISD has over 80,000 kids. You can go to any school in this district if you just ask, as long as it's not already overcrowded. As far as throughout the rest of the state, there are already provisions so that if a school is on the low-performing list two of three years, then any student in that school may transfer to another school within that district. Very few students and parents ever take advantage of that choice, so I don't see why we should support vouchers for private schools. We simply cannot, as a state, continue to have the fifth best business climate if we don't have a good workforce, and you can't have a good workforce without educating our children.

When you say the fifth best business climate - what is that based on?

It comes from the Chamber, looking at what businesses considerable favorable in terms of resources, tax abatements, and incentives that businesses are given to make their home base here in Texas.

For the rest of the interview, including what Kathy Rider thinks about property tax relief, her idea for a 1% business activity tax, her views on health care issues, and her favorite place type of food, click on the jump below.

How do you think we can create a tax structure that is fair to all businesses?

You're never going to find that magic formula that pleases everyone, but we should try and do what we can, especially because we're talking about our public schools. We should possibly look at a business activity tax of no more than 1% of net profits. I'm sure many might be opposed to that, but the reality is that - when I served on the school board - we'd have meetings with businesses considering moving to the Austin area. The first question out of their mouth every time was, "how are your public schools." Businesses are not going to come to Texas unless we have good schools. I would, however, exclude the health care industry from that business activity tax, not just because I'm a health care provider, but because I understand the industry.

Well, I'd imagine folks who work in the insurance industry would say they should be excluded because they understand the industry. Why should the health care industry be excluded from the tax?

When I bill insurance companies for the services I provide, or when a physician or an emergency room or hospital bills an insurance company for the services they provide, it doesn't matter what you put on that bill. The insurance companies already have a set rate for what they will pay -- whether you're talking about outpatient mental health, or a c-section, or whatever. They've already set their rates and -- no matter how much the service actually costs -- they're only going to repay me a certain amount, and patients will only pay co-pays. Health care providers can't pass on the cost to their consumers, so a business activity tax would only further hurt the health care industry's ability to provide their services and keep their doors open.

25% of Texans are uninsured. What do you think we should do about that?

One of the things that we know is that if Texas put on the table the appropriate amount of dollars to leverage for federal dollars, we could have every single child in this state that is eligible for either Medicaid or CHIP enrolled. No questions asked. Every dollar the state spends on equates to $2.81 in federal dollars. Other states have figured this out, and we haven't yet. If we did that, and leveraged the full amount of federal dollars available to us, we could also see about taking care of our most vulnerable citizens. When a family member is critically ill, and they don't have insurance, they don't seek the preventative care they need. Instead, they end up in our emergency rooms, and overwhelm that system, preventing emergency rooms from concentrating their resources on heart attacks and car accidents and things like that.

What about the Trauma Care Fund?

Those folks haven't seen that money yet, because the Legislature has been raiding those funds in order to balance the budget. If we're going to do dedicated funds, and if we're going to say that something is valued higher and valued enough to dedicate a fund, then we need to make sure that the monies for that fund get to where they're supposed to.

During the 79’th Regular Session, there were a few budget amendment votes that would have redirected funds earmarked for the Texas Enterprise Fund to areas of health care such as CHIP or improvement of nursing home facilities. Do you think we should redirect those funds, or keep investing in the Enterprise Fund?

Well, I think you have to look at the availability of your revenue. You're going to need to generate more revenue, and I really don't believe that the sales tax will get you there. That's why you need to restructure the tax system so that we can fund all the things we've been talking about. Then we can look at the available revenues and look how we can generate more revenues to pay for the services and programs we need.

In order to help reduce people’s property taxes, Democrats have pushed a plan to increase the homestead exemption. In some cases, 144 of 150 house districts in the state would save more money on their property taxes with the Democratic plan than the Republican plan. However, due to the large amount of wealth in HD 48, your district would be one of the few that wouldn’t benefit under the Democratic plan. Would you support a homestead exemption if it did greater good for the state, or would you only vote for what helped your district?

We have to look at what increasing the homestead exemption would do for the district. I'm always going to be sensitive to what's happening in District 48, but one of the things that we also need in our legislators is statesmen. We need people that are willing to stand up and say, OK, this is good policy for the entire state, and how can we make it work for the best interest of District 48 but not at the expense of District 48, and vice-a-versa. I think the people of District 48 know that we need to do what is fair for everyone, but it may be that - because of our collective wealth - we need to pay a little more. It's something I'd certainly want to see the specific numbers for, but it's definitely worth looking at.

Do you see this as a race between yourself and Ben Bentzin, or is it more making yourself stand out among all the candidates -- Democratic and otherwise?

I see it primarily as a race against Ben Bentzin, though I don't know if anyone can win this outright, including Mr. Bentzin. I know he is dropping a tremendous amount of money into the race, but Mr. Bentzin's problem -- despite all of his money -- is that he is pro-voucher and anti-choice, and the Republicans in this district may not put a side in their yard, but they are anti-voucher and pro-choice. I know he's said he's going to be the inside voice, but I don't want to go there just to throw complaints. I'm running to set things right, and if the leadership isn't looking for solutions and a common ground, then they're not doing what's best for Texas.

I always like to wrap up with some lighter questions. What’s your favorite food?

Fried chicken and spaghetti. Not together, of course -- just separately, those are my favorite foods.

Where’s your favorite place to go in Austin?

Neighborhood parks, really, are where I love to go in Austin. I grew up in Fort Worth, and we didn't have free parks with swimming pools and playground equipment like you do, just, all over the city of Austin. I love that the Austin developers, from the beginning, set aside free places for families to attend. It just shows you how important our families and our children are to the people of this city.

What’s your favorite kind of music?

I'd say country music, more than anything else. I listen to most kinds of music, but I've always been most fond of country music.

What’s your favorite political blog?

I don't really have one. I don't read the blogs a lot, but I'm definitely going to start looking at the Burnt Orange Report more often!

40/40: An Interview with Donna Howard

By Phillip Martin

Ed. note -- As part of the 40/40 project, we're trying to interview every candidate we feature. Below is the interview with Donna Howard. Later this afternoon, I'll post my interview with Kathy Rider.

Q. Obviously, school finance is the most important issue of this special election, since whoever wins will represent HD 48 in the upcoming special session(s). What experience do you have in school finance?

A. Well, I've always been involved with our community schools. I was active in some community groups that we’d started to help our schools, and from there I was encouraged to run for school board. I served on the Eanes ISD school board for a few years. Then, after the 2002 election, I helped launch a group called the Texas Education Crisis Commission, which is a grassroots group whose purpose is to work throughout the state to educate people about school finance. We monitored legislation, hosted forums in several communities in the state, testified before the legislative committees about school finance – things like that.

What made you decide to run for office?

When it came time to look for somebody to fill Baxter’s seat, some people came to me and said they wanted someone that had a great deal of understanding about school finance and asked me to consider filing. I know Andy Brown had already filed, and I met with him a couple of times, and after several weeks of looking at it I decided that, even though Andy was doing a great job, that I had something to offer here that was important for me to do. I had an opportunity to continue to try and make a difference in our community, so I decided to run.

Do you think the answer to fix school finance is simply a reworking of the tax structure, or do we need to invest more money into education?

Both. We can’t invest any more money right now since we don’t have any money. The problem we have is that we bring in less money per capita than just about every other state in the country. We need to restructure our tax system – which is what the Sharp Commission is looking at – so that we can bring in revenue that can grow with the economy, has some fiscal capacity to it, and may fully fund public education as well as some of the other services that we expect from our government.

Ben Bentzin has come out as a staunch supporter of vouchers. Would you consider vouchers at any level, even as a focused pilot program? What are your views?

I’m 100% against vouchers. There could be something in the future that’s proposed – if we’re fully funding public education, of course – that says “let’s try something outside of the box.” That may be a possibility to look at something, further down the road, but at this point in time and where we are in our state, I believe it’s totally unacceptable to consider using public dollars on private schools, especially when public schools are struggling and don’t have sufficient resources. Bentzin, you know, he’s cut from the same cloth as Todd Baxter, and he’s backed by the same people. He’s had a fundraiser hosted by the top five HMO insurance lobbyists. Basically, his funding is coming from the same sources as those that are requiring a lock-step mentality of voting, so it’s pretty impossible to believe that he’s going to vote for the best interests of the HD 48 community – like he’s saying on TV – and not for the people who funded his campaign.

For the rest of the interview, including what Donna Howard thinks about CHIP vs. the Texas Enterprise Fund, property tax relief, health care issues, and her favorite place to go in Austin, click on the jump below.

Do you think we should look at an increase in the sales tax to help grow the economy?

I’m not in favor of raising the sales tax, primarily because we already have one of the highest sales tax rates in the country, and it’s a very regressive tax. I know Kathy Rider has proposed an increase in sales tax for alcohol and cigarettes, and I recently heard compelling testimony that increasing the sales tax for cigarettes could help reduce smoking. As a health care professional, I’m very interested in anything that’s going to help reduce smoking, since that’s what leads to a lot of our chronic diseases. Yet, at the same time, I think it’s pretty obvious that if you follow that through, if you do decrease smoking, you will decrease the revenue you might generate from that tax. I’m supportive of the positive effect an increase in the cigarette tax could have on health care in our community, but it’s not a tax that is necessarily stable and that you can count on for funding in the future.

In order to help reduce people’s property taxes, Democrats have pushed a plan to increase the homestead exemption. In some cases, 144 of 150 house districts in the state would save more money on their property taxes with the Democratic plan than the Republican plan. However, due to the large amount of wealth in HD 48, your district would be one of the few that wouldn’t benefit under the Democratic plan. Would you support a homestead exemption if it did greater good for the state, or would you only vote for what helped your district?

I think anyone who is elected as a State Representative has a responsibility to their constituency and to be a voice for the people they represent. That’s why we elect people from areas and not just statewide. At the same time, I think most everyone understands that we’re functioning as a state, and we have to consider the big picture as well. Most everyone I’ve spoken with in HD 48 is interested in having the kind of tax structure that is going to be fair, broad-based, and is going to give us the kinds of schools we all want to have. Now, how we do that is where the rubber meets the road. In terms of increasing the homestead exemption...I think there’s merit to increasing the homestead exemption, but we really need to solve the bigger picture here first, so I’d want to see how the details of the homestead exemptions and how they might work with what the Sharp Commission and the Legislature try to do to solve the bigger picture.

If you could fix just one area of health care, what would it be?

The answer there would have to be health insurance. Looking at it from a couple different perspectives, the first thing we’d need to do is fully fund the CHIP program so that we take care of all those kids that don’t have health insurance. The other part of that is making health care more affordable to the general public. Health insurance costs have created a myriad set of problems for our economy. Small businesses are often unable to give their employees the types of benefits that employees expect, and even large businesses are having trouble funding employee health insurance. There’s also the problem of helping our teachers. The Legislature cut the health-care stipend for teachers in half during the 2003 session, and the support staff has yet to see the restoration of their health benefits. Too many people rely on the emergency room as their primary health care provider, which ups the cost for local communities. The lack of health insurance really impacts a wide segment of our communities in a lot of different ways, and we’ve got to find a way to address that.

During the 79’th Regular Session, there were a few budget amendment votes that would have redirected funds earmarked for the Texas Enterprise Fund to areas of health care such as CHIP or improvement of nursing home facilities. Do you think we should redirect such funds, or keep investing in the Enterprise Fund?

I think one of the problems with the Enterprise Fund is the perception that it’s the Governor’s slush fund, to be able to give extra money to contributors and friends. There isn’t the accountability in the fund that needs to be there for it to work. We need transparency in the Enterprise Fund, because we don’t really know how many jobs it’s bringing to the state. The Enterprise Fund sounds nice, but what we really need to do to attract businesses is to provide the kind of community services – a strong public education system, quality health care, etc. – that will benefit the employees of businesses.

If you were elected, would you support a bill that prevented former lawmakers from lobbying for a year after they leave office?

Absolutely. Common Cause - group I helped start back in my early years and whose board I served on - has been supporting that forever. This revolving door that we have going on right now is something we definitely need to change.

If you win this special election, other Democratic hopefuls have said they’d clear the way for you in the primary. If you lose, or you going to step back from running, or try again in the March primary?

The Democratic candidates have all said that if a Democrat is successful in the special election, then that’s our candidate. But, certainly, if a Democrat is not successful, then I’m moving forward aggressively with the primary.

We'll wrap up with some lighter questions. What’s your favorite food?

Bread. I’ve always loved it – the smell of it, the taste the texture. I just love bread.

Where’s your favorite place to go in Austin?

Probably the Hike and Bike trail. I go there several times a week to stay in shape and enjoy the wonderful outdoors of Austin. I’m having less time to do that right now because of the election, but I just love going out there and I’m so grateful to Lady Bird Johnson for investing in that.

What’s your favorite kind of music?

I love all kinds – folk, country, some of the older, more classic rock. I listen to KUT in my car all the time, because they just do a great job and I love listening to them.

What’s your favorite political blog?

The Burnt Orange Report.

For Kathy Rider's interview, and more coverage on the HD 48 race, stay tuned to the 40/40 project all week long.

Quit Whining and Drink you Starbucks

By Jim Dallas

Dovetailing with a previous exchange over at Greg's place about the sufficiency of 3-ish percent GDP growth (as well as the fact that I've been listening to a lot of old Nirvana albums recently, so I'm already on the level with angst-squared), Daniel Gross of Slate writes that 20-somethings lack the proper perspective on economics:

This is, with apologies to the Broadway musical Avenue Q, the "It Sucks To Be Me" Generation. To hear these authors tell it, college graduates (and twentysomethings who haven't gone to college) are in a world of hurt. The deck is stacked against them: student loans and credit-card debt, budget deficits and McJobs, high housing prices and generational warfare waged by more-numerous baby-boomers...

And so, here we are again. Now, today's twentysomething authors are clearly onto something. College is more expensive today in real terms. There's been a shift in student aid—more loans and fewer grants. The Baby Boomers, closer to retirement, are sucking up more dollars in benefits. There's more income volatility and job insecurity than there used to be. So, why are these books—Generation Debt in particular—annoying?

It's not that the authors misdiagnose ills that affect our society. It's just that they lack the perspective to add any great insight. Writing in the New York Times this weekend, economics reporter David Leonhardt called Strapped, "a grim tale of one-sided generational warfare." Draut argues that "with the possible exception of having a larger array of entertainment and other goods to purchase, members of Generation X appear to be worse off by every measure" than prior generations. Huh? How about the Internet and Starbucks coffee and Lipitor and not having to worry so much about AIDS or crime or Mutual Assured Destruction or getting drafted into the Army and getting sent to Vietnam?

Also, many of the economic issues the authors identify—job insecurity, low savings rate, income volatility, the massive ongoing benefits cram-down—affect everybody, not just twentysomethings. And the people hurt most by these escalating trends aren't young people starting out. They're folks in their 50s and 60s, middle-managers at Delphi whose careers have ended, coal miners in West Virginia who face death on the job, the people at IBM who just saw their pensions frozen.

Today's twentysomethings, by contrast, have their whole lives in front of them...

Gross is probably on to something here; Thomas Frank made the converse observation about the go-go 90's in One Market Under God that (in his view) too many Gen-X'ers were then taking an everything-will-be-okay-forever view of economics. All the applicable criticisms apply - us young people are self-absorbed and lacking in wisdom, etc. Nevertheless, I certainly hope that Gross's valid point doesn't get picked up as an argument for not discussing real structural problems in the economy (like the ones Gross points out himself). Clearly people my age have an even greater stake in economic reform by virtue of the fact that we've got everything to look forward to.

I want to here what you think, commenters. Where should the line be drawn between idle whining and productive social criticism?

The Maxwell Files - Life as an opposition researcher

By Matt Hardigree

(Ed Note: As a part of my day job I work with many commercial real estate appraisers. Most of the conversations I have with appraisers relate directly to the property that I'm working on, but one day I met an appraiser with a former occupation that interested me. It turns out that this average looking, early thirty-something professional was once one of the toughest and lowest opposition researchers/investigators in Texas.

Over the last few weeks I've been collecting stories from him about politicians and campaign politics during the last decade. His tales are both amusing and cautionary, bringing to light the cold machinery of our electoral process. He's out of the business for good, he says, and allowed me to share these stories with the agreement that I don't reveal his name, the name of the people he worked for or the people he was investigating. Thus, all of these individuals will have pseudonyms. He's chosen the name Sam Maxwell for himself, though he wont reveal to me why.

This isn't the first story he shared with me; however, he said that it represented a turning point for him and I should post this first. We've done our best to disguise everyone involved, so if you think it's you or someone you know… it is probably best to keep quiet.)

The Wedding

Opposition research has to be one of the least glamorous political jobs there is. You spend all of your time reading and rereading documents, trying to find a connection between one bad thing and another. All people do bad things, politicians are just people who work harder to cover it up. And this job sucked even harder before everything was on the internet and was googleable.
What I did most of the time was a little more interesting. Instead of searching files, microfiche, tax records and newspaper clippings I went to talk to candidate's enemies, relatives, close business owners (strip clubs owners) and friends (strippers). Something about my young looks, slight Texas drawl and naïve grin convinced people they could share the worst they knew with me.

If you've haven't seen the movie Wedding Crashers, I like it a lot, the two main characters go to weddings in order to meet ladies. Well, a lot of what I did was crash weddings. You get your weird mix of jealous ex-boyfriends, drunk relatives and bitter bridesmaids at the reception that usually yields some great information. Unlike Vince Vaughn, I rarely was able to turn it into sex.

What makes this job easy is making enemies for yourself. I was working for a State Senator that was fearful of losing his seat to a Republican challenger, a bank man, so I made that guy my enemy. By extension, his son was my enemy and he was getting married.

I generally go to weddings and receptions as a Smith. Everyone knows a Smith (Aaron Smith, Robert Smith, Chris Smith, Tyler Smith). Someone always asks "The Smiths of Longview?" which is a stupid question as there are probably 1,000 smiths in Longview. I usually respond "no, the Smiths of Lufkin," which somehow always elicits a bull-shit nod of recognition. Wear a nice brown suit and no one asks too many questions.

Making the son an enemy this time was easy because his bride-to-be was a knock out. I was soon to learn that she grew up poor in the valley, worked her pretty tail off and got a mostly full ride to the ivyist of ivyies where she met the son of Mr. Bank Man while she was working at the school book store.

That lucky prep school jerk. I felt sorry for her, though. He wants to bang out six more kids like him, just like daddy. Her womb, like an abandoned midtown building, about to be gentrified and populated by rich yuppies.

She works her entire life and ends up with some sliver spoon-fed jackass who didn't work a day in his life before landing a job at his daddy's bank. I knew guys like him in my frat. They're not all bad, it's just that they don't deserve bad shit and all they get is the nicest shit. The other thing I know about these guys is they think they can get away with anything, so they do some stupid stuff.

That's where his friends come in. It wasn't hard to spot the other ivy-league prep school trash, drinking cocktails and chasing bridesmaids with a sense of entitlement as foul-smelling as their cologne. I joined in, leering and making jokes with them about all the little Mexicans at the party. Jerks.

I tried to pump them for information but they weren't biting. They asked if I knew the bride. I said I didn't. They asked if I'd like to know more about her. I said "Whatever." Then one of them leads me out to his ugly, maroon Volvo where he shows me some pictures.

It turns out, before she met Mr. Bank Man's son, she did a little something else to earn money. Nothing really awful, in fact, the Polaroid's were kind of artful in a way. I asked him where he'd gotten them, he said that he knew the guy that "commissioned" them. I asked him had the groom seen them, he said no and not to tell him. It was kind of an inside joke amongst the friends.

We went back to the party and laughed some more and drank some more. I slipped out to my truck to retrieve my slim jim to quietly break into the car. Just my luck, the drunk bastard didn't even lock his doors. I took Polaroids of the Polaroids and left the copies where I found them and pocketed the originals.

As I snuck back to my truck I had the awful luck of running into the bride. She was seeing off some cousins or something. She stopped me and asked if I was a friend of her new husband. I said yes, we went to the same prep school. She said I didn't seem like any of his old friend and I nervously laughed and said "Thanks." Which made her laugh.

I told her how lucky I thought he was, and meant it. She said she thought she was lucky. She said she worked a lot in college and didn't have time to make many friends, but that he was always there for her. She said she never thought she'd end up with a banker's son, let alone a Republican, but that love just has a way. She was so sweet and sincere, something I was beginning to think didn't exist.

I told her congratulations and quickly sped out of there. I felt like I was going to puke. I'd usually be high-fiving myself for such a find. Thinking about how I'd spend the money. It's what I was good at. I'd think about taking down my enemy. But, shit, I kept thinking about what was going to happen to her. Did he love her enough to endure this?

A mutual friend of the banker and the senator showed the photos to Mr. Bank Man and he quietly withdrew from the race to pursue his "business interests." The happy couple was still together last time I checked, so I don't know if either of them found out. Maybe he already knew. Maybe she told him.

It was the first time I actually thought about the consequences of what I was doing other than winning, which is why I didn't last much longer at the job. When someone is cheating on their wife, being blackmailed by strippers, evading their taxes or stashing drugs in their offices exposing them feels like some kind of justice.

This just felt mean and pointless. Especially because I was fairly sure the Senator was just as bad, maybe worse. He and his were just better at covering it up.

- Sam Maxwell

40/40: Get to Know House District 48

By Phillip Martin

"Money, get away,
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team..."

--"Money," by Pink Floyd, now the unofficial Ben Bentzin theme song

Yesterday, I introduced Donna Howard and Kathy Rider, the Democratic candidates for HD 48. Today, I'm going to look at the lone Republican running in HD 48, and tell you a little about the people of House District 48.

The Republicans have fielded a candidate for this special election and the 2006 General Election that probably sings the Pink Floyd song I quoted in the top of this post in his sleep. Republican candidate Ben Bentzin has unofficially spent almost $300,000 in three weeks for this special election (given his three week of television ads, and at least 5 direct mail pieces), doing his best to buy his way into the State House for the upcoming special session(s) on school finance.

Though he looked like an early favorite, the Statesman recently reported that, in Bentzin's 2002 bid to unseat State Senator Gonzalo Barrientos:

Political consultant John Colyandro produced his campaign's mailers while Colyandro was helping [TAB] with its direct-mail efforts, including a pro-Bentzin mail advertisement paid for with secret corporate money.

This revelation can significantly torpedo Bentzin's bid for the House, which is probably why he refuses to go on television to debate Howard or Rider. The article goes on to report that Bentzin never reported that he paid Colyandro -- through a printer -- for the work Colyandro did in Bentzin's election.

Bentzin is now directly linked to DeLay's top man at TRMPAC. The Republicans have fielded a candidate that will have a tough time winning in November -- and possibly not even in January if people realize Bentzin's ties to Delay -- and further demonstrates the high level of questionable involvement that TRMPAC, TAB, and Tom Delay all had in the 2002 State House Races here in Texas.

Beyond his explicit ties to Tom Delay, Ben Bentzin also has come out in favor of vouchers, and -- as Pinkdome reported -- came out and said, "Rest assured, it is my ability to work across the aisle in a principled way that has truly partisan Democrats quaking in their Birkenstocks." That's right -- he can work across the aisle by stereotyping and insulting Democrats.

That's a look at Ben Bentzin. Here's a look at HD 48.

For those who grew up and/or live in the Austin area, House District 48 is easily identified as the "Westlake District." For those readers familiar with Texas but not Austin, Westlake is often referred to as the Highland Park of Central Texas. And for those readers joining us from other parts of the country, House District 48 is, quite simply, very, very wealthy. However, a whole lot of people vote in HD 48, and as recent elections show, they don't necessarily vote party line.

A look at the wealth of HD 48, first. According to the 2000 Census, the average value of owner-occupied housing in HD 48 is $305,952 -- three times the state average. Almost 90% of people living in the district own a home that is valued over $100,000, and the average per capita income for people living in HD 48 is over twice the state average.

If you operated solely on stereotypes, you'd imagine that the rich communities of HD 48 would vote exclusively Republican. That, in fact, is not necessarily the case. Approximately 83% of registered voters have turned out in the past two election seasons (2002 and 2004), and they definitely vote for the candidate.

In the 2002 HD 48 race, Republican challenger Todd Baxter defeated Democratic incumbent Ann Kitchen 52-45%, with about 2% of the vote going to the Libertarian party. Baxter's name was among those in question for taking money laundered through TRMPAC during the 2002 election (which came back to haunt him after Tom Delay was indicted, and most likely led to his resignation from his House seat last October). After serving as little more than a rubber stamp vote for the Republican leadership in the State House, Baxter almost lost to Democratic challenger Kelly White in his 2004 bid for re-election. Baxter eventually won his seat back in the 2004 General, but only by a narrow 147 vote margin. That same year, President Bush defeated Kerry in HD 48 by a margin of 61.5-38.5%. That means that well over 7,000 people knowingly cast their votes for President Bush, then switched parties to vote for Democratic challenger Kelly White. Given the Tom Delay scandal, Democrats believed that this year was the year to take back the House seat for HD 48.

Tomorrow, I'll post separate interviews I had with the two Democrats trying their hardest to take bach HD 48 -- Donna Howard and Kathy Rider. Stay tuned all week long to the 40/40 for more coverage.

Gammage Completes First Leg Of 'Set The Record Straight Tour'

By Vince Leibowitz

Democratic candidate for governor Bob Gammage completed the first leg of his 'Set the Record Straight Tour' Monday following stops in Sugar Land, Beaumont, Lufkin and Longview before tackling Tyler, Texarkana, Dallas and Fort Worth on Tuesday.

In Sugar Land, the former Texas Supreme Court Justice lambasted Texas Governor Rick Perry and President Bush but reportedly said little about his Democratic Primary opponents Chris Bell and Felix Alvarado, at least according to the Austin American Statesman:

The former Texas Supreme Court justice stopped in an airport terminal with Ben Grant, a former lawmaker and judge who is running for lieutenant governor, in embattled Republican U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay's hometown. Gammage used to represent the area in Congress.

"There's a corrupt out-of-control political machine that stretches all the way from Washington, D.C., to Austin," Gammage said. "Tom DeLay is at one end, and Rick Perry is at the other."

With Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn leaving the Republican primary to run as an independent and Perry almost assured of the GOP nomination, the Democratic primary has become the first major battle in the 2006 governor's race.

Gammage and former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell both are trying to paint themselves as reformers at a time when Republicans face questions and investigations about their conduct in office.

The Statesman noted that Gammage, who along with Grant and comptroller candidate Fred Head were part of the 'Dirty 30' in 1971, "sought to link Perry to DeLay, who has been indicted in Texas on campaign-finance charges and is under pressure because of his ties to disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

And, my personal favorite:

Gammage also criticized Perry for taking a 2004 trip to the Bahamas with, among others, anti-tax guru Grover Norquist and major Republican contributor James Leininger before a special legislative session on school finance.

I can't remember the last time a statewide Democratic candidate actually went after James Leininger on the stump [someone please correct me if I'm wrong...].

The Beaumont Enterprise offered a short story on Gammage's stop there, noting in its lead that Gammage promised to "end the influence of special interests in the state's government."

In Beaumont, Gammage offered a couple of soundbites which, in my opinion, are pretty strong and to the point, except I'm afraid half of the electorate isn't observant to catch what he means by 'policy created on yachts,' though I think it's brilliant:

"The truth is, Rick Perry is failing Texas. That's why I'm running for governor," said Gammage during a stop at Southeast Texas Regional Airport. "I'm running against policy created on yachts. I'm running for the people of Texas."

The Enterprise also quoted Lt. Governor candidate Ben Z. Grant:

"I've been involved in a lot of uphill battles, so miracles do happen," Grant said. "I'm not saying it will take a miracle, but it will take a lot of hard work. I'm running to win."

The Lufkin Daily News had more on Gammage's positions and goals in an article concerning his stop in that city.

The News notes Gammage wants to:

•Raise the minimum wage from $5.15 an to $6.50 an hour.

•Pass a constitutional amendment guaranteeing every Texan the right to clean air and clean water.

•Reform the state's tax code.

•Pass ethics reform and corporate responsibility acts; and

•Work with Congress on providing affordable health care.

And, Gammage took another well-deserved shot at Religious Right Kingpin James Leininger:

Gammage, 67, pointed to a color photo of a 54-foot yacht that he said was similar to the one that Perry and some of his biggest backers, Jim Leininger, a longtime proponent of school vouchers, and Grover Norquist, one of the biggest beer distributors in the state, took on a "secret" junket to the Bahamas. During that trip Perry and his friends came up with a public school finance plan that was "laughed off" the floor of the Texas Legislature, Gammage said.

Gammage said he would work on public policy in Austin, not on a yacht in the Bahamas.

"We're going to christen this yacht the S.S. Perry," Gammage said to applause from the small group of supporters that gathered at the airport to hear him speak. "And ... we're going to sink the Perry in November..."What bugs me is that yacht is flying the Stars and Stripes — that's my flag. It should be flying the Jolly Roger."

Lt. Governor candidate Ben Z. Grant spoke at the rally as well:

Grant, a former state representative, said even though his opponent, David Dewhurst, has enough money to "burn a wet mule," he is running to win. He said in talking to the people of Texas, he has found that they are growing more and more disenchanted with state government.

"We can have a bright tomorrow, but first, we need new leadership in Austin," he said.

At Gammage's stop in Longview (Gregg County), he continued along a similar theme:

"We have to eliminate incompetence and corruption that governs our state today," he told a small crowd at KRS Express. Aviation, just south of the East Texas Regional Airport, emphasizing that must be addressed first.

Then he spoke about school finance reform and said "it's going to have to be a bipartisan effort where we sit down and put all the financial resources of Texas on the table with no sacred cows ... and we don't say we are not going to consider this."

"We come up with a formula that spreads that burden as broadly and thinly and painlessly as possible to produce the maximum revenue for an excellent system of free public schools, said Gammage, also a former state senator, U.S. representative and justice of the Texas Court of Appeals, who plans to face Gov. Rick Perry. "We distribute that revenue as fairly, equitably and uniformly as possible to every school child and every school district in Texas."

He said lawmakers must strive to make a commitment to providing excellent educational opportunities for all children. The growth of economic development in the state is dependent upon how good the education system is, he said.

Grant also appeared with Gammage at his last stop of the day, and was surprisingly frank:

Grant, who plans to face Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, said he wasn't optimistic in the beginning but that's changing.

"People need a choice," he said, adding that as he campaigns and talks to supporters he's becoming more optimistic about the race.

Grant said he is opposed to people having to pay for toll roads and legislation that allows universities to decide how often to increase tuition.

"It's going to get to the point where the poor people are not going to be able to go to college," said Grant, also a former judge of the 71st judicial district court for Harrison County.

In regards to public school finance reform, Grant said level financing should be provided to each student on the basis of the wealth of the state.

He said environmental issues also are important to him, particularly a focus on clean air and water.

On Tuesday, Gammage will visit Tyler and make several other stops as well. In Tyler, he'll be joined by comptroller candidate Fred Head (D-Athens).

Interestingly, each of the daily newspapers covering the Gammage/Grant tour noted—fairly high up in their stories, in fact—that both Gammage and Grant were members of the 'Dirty Thirty,' which seems to have become the media's way of identifying the Gammage/Grant/Head trio. This is likely because of the importance of the Dirty Thirty in Texas political history but also because it's probably easier for the media to mention that as an ID factor first rather than to list the various offices Gammage and Grant have held.

You can check out other Texas Democrats running for governor via their websites: Chris Bell, Felix Alvarado, Rashad Jafer.

Lt. Governor: Adrian De Leon [no website I am aware of], Maria Luisa Alvarado.

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report. He also writes for Political State Report. He may be reached via email at Vince_Leibowitz-at-verizon.net

Lowering Property Taxes Won't Fix The School Finance Mess, Solicitor General Says

By Vince Leibowitz

Though it may be politically expedient, Texas' Solicitor General Ted Cruz told the Texas Tax Reform Commission (chaired by former State Comptroller John Sharp) Monday that such an action will not get the state out of legal hot water when it comes to public school finance.

According to an AP story, the commission appointed by Governor Perry is looking at additional state taxes to pour into schools in place of local property taxes:

To lower property taxes by a third, which has been the goal, lawmakers need to find about $5.5 billion a year in new consumer and business taxes to replace current income.

Giving homeowners a break may be a good idea politically, said Ted Cruz, Texas' solicitor general who represents the state in the school funding lawsuit. But as a legal matter, lowering property taxes presents a new funding challenge to lawmakers without addressing the court order, he said.

Lowering the school property tax cap from $1.50 per $100 of property value has been the benchmark of numerous failed school funding proposals during the last three years. Simply lowering the cap won't make the system comply with the Texas Supreme Court's opinion on what would be legal, Cruz said.

The tax cap was intended to be a locally levied tax. But the Texas Supreme Court ruled that school districts no longer have discretion to set their own rates because they are required to fund state and federal education mandates — which eat up much of the property tax revenue — and still not tax above the cap.

The rate has become both a minimum and maximum taxing level, the court ruled. That amounts to a prohibited statewide property tax, which makes the system unconstitutional.

Until districts have discretion to set their own rates, the tax remains illegal, Cruz said.

That means that if lawmakers choose to replace property taxes with new tax revenues, but still lower the cap, districts would still be forced to tax at the new cap and wouldn't have the flexibility to set their own rates.

Cruz said lawmakers could bring the state into compliance by dropping some state mandates to ease spending requirements. Additionally, school districts could gain flexibility to set their tax rates if lawmakers gave them more money and removed the property tax cap, Cruz said.

All this came during one of the group's meetings Monday in Austin. The group has been holding public hearings across the state to seek input for its upcoming recommendations concerning new business and consumer taxes.

AP also noted:

An estimated 15 in every 16 businesses avoids the state's main business tax because of exemptions and loopholes in the law. Former comptroller John Sharp, chairman of the panel, said many businesses have indicated they are prepared for their tax-free ride to end.

"There are going to be some people that are going to hold out until the end, that think that the good Lord put 'em here not to pay taxes," said Sharp, who wants to submit the committee's recommendations to the Legislature by the end of March. "But most of the business community knows that that's not a situation that can work."

So, what's all this really mean? Not much, in the grand scheme of things. The fact remains that the Lege has until June 1 to fix the school finance mess. Perry will reportedly call another special session after the March primaries. However, given the problems the Lege has had coming to terms with school finance in the past, it remains to be seen whether or not a constitutionally viable solution will be able to be hashed out by then.

The fact that Texas' top pols—Perry, Lt. Governor Dewhurst, and Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn—are all in the midst of an election cycle won't make things any easier, either.

Eye on Williamson County has more on this.

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report. He also writes for PolState.

DeLay Denied

By Vince Leibowitz

Most of you probably have already heard/read that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has denied Tom DeLay's requests for relief (a writ of mandamus and a writ of habeas corups) requesting that the money laundering charges against him be dismissed or sent back to a lower court for an immediate trial.

But, for those who have not (and I appologize for not posting this earlier and just doing links now, but...), you can read news stories here, here and here. Also, Pink Dome and Off the Kuff have some good reads on the subject.

To view the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals' logs on the two cases, go here and here.

And, just because it's been bugging me while reading the blogs this afternoon...NOTE to all out-of-state bloggers: The Texas Supreme Court did NOT hear Tom DeLay's case. It was the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. In Texas, we have two top courts—one for civil and one for criminal appeals.

40/40: Get to Know Donna Howard and Kathy Rider

By Phillip Martin

Currently, we have two Democrats running in the special election for House District 48, which incorporates much of western Travis county, including the Westlake area. These two candidates are Donna Howard and Kathy Rider.

Last October, Todd Baxter (R) resigned his seat as State Representative to spend "more time with his family." Within a month, Baxter accepted a lobbying position as the state cable industry's top lobbyist. Governor Perry then set a special election to be held on January 17 to fill his seat.

Kathy Rider first became active in the community while attending the University of Texas at Austin, where she earned a degree in mathematics and a masters in Social Work. She has been a mental health provider for 35 years in the Austin area, and served with countless boards and organizations. She was Vice-President of the AISD Board of Trustees for two years, followed by eight consecutive years serving as the President of the AISD Board.

Donna Howard grew up in the Austin area, and first became involved in politics when she attended the University of Texas at Austin. It was there that she earned a degree in nursing and a master's in health education. In addition to the numerous organizations she has worked with in the Austin community, she served on the Eanes ISD board for several years, before a couple of unsuccessful campaigns for seats on the State Board of Education in 2000 and 2002. Among those supporting her include the last Democrat to represent HD 48, Rep. Ann Kitchen, as well as Kelly White, who lost last year's HD 48 election by a few hundred votes.

As you can see, both candidates have excellent experience in the health care and education communities here in Austin. As K-T posted this morning, several statewide nursing PAC's have endorse Howard. Kathy Rider has been endorsed by the TPACE, which represents 20,000 social workers in the state of Texas.

Tomorrow, we'll look more specifically at HD 48, including a closer look at Ben Bentzin, the Republican candidate for the seat who has explicit ties to the Tom Delay money laundering machine. Wednesday, I'll post separate interviews I had with both Donna Howard and Kathy Rider. Thursday, we'll look at where they stand on the issues, and Friday I'll post an op-ed each candidate has written.

Stay tuned to the 40/40 all week long for more coverage.

Alito Hearings, Day One

By Jim Dallas

Shorter Lindsay Graham: When Alito was writing anti-Roe memos for the Reagan administration, he wasn't being a wingnut, just a kissass.

Shorter Chuck Schumer: Judge Alito - you're crazy, aren't you?

[Schumer then proceeded to rake Alito over the coals, but finished with a thoughtful argument for why mum ain't the word.]

Shorter John Cornyn: All the Democrats are for Alito, except for the ones that aren't [metaphorical evil eye to Schumer], and that's swell.

Shorter John Cornyn (2): I want someone on the Supreme Court who will cram religion down our throats - you know, someone who doesn't have an extremist liberal agenda.

Shorter Dick Durbin: I might vote for you if you dressed up like Sandra Day O'Connor.

Nurses Endorse Howard in Special Election

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

The political action committee for three of the state's largest nursing associations has thrown its support behind Donna Howard in the special January 17 election to fill the vacant House seat in West Austin and western Travis County. The Texas RN/APN PAC is the official political action committee of the Texas Nurses Association, the Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists, and the Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice.

"This is a simple choice for nursing," said Toni Inglis, RN, a Clinical Nurse Specialist and local Texas Nurses Association member. "As a former registered nurse, Donna Howard is an unabashed advocate for public health who has devoted her entire adult life to helping care for Austin families, including stints as a critical care nurse at Brackenridge and Seton hospitals."

Now what I'll point out as interesting is something below, which of course is one reason why getting this endorsement was made slightly easier.

Howard earned a degree in public health education from the University of Texas at Austin and has taught health education courses there in the past. A former president of the Texas Nurses Association’s local district for Travis and surrounding counties, (TNA District 5) she has called for fully restoring Children's Health Insurance Program benefits to the more than 11,000 eligible children in Travis County who were stripped of coverage by state leaders two years ago.

This is one of the reasons I really like Donna Howard in this race. She's has support from Nurses, Teachers, and Transportation groups because she shares a bond with them that come naturally. She used to be an RN. She used to be school board member (Eanes). Perhaps the two biggest issues facing Texans in the legislature and who better to put in a position to help solve those problems, than someone who's already made that part of her life's work? Just as I think Kelly White's background would have added a new perspective to the Lege and Mark Strama's adds a new angle, I have a certain affinity for candidates that do not fit the traditional lawyer/politician/small business/real estate background that dominates the body.

Early Voting runs all this week for the District 48 special.

Early Voting Locations

The following locations are available:

Monday - Saturday, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM

Central

Travis County Airport Boulevard Offices
5501 Airport Boulevard

Northwest

Randalls (Research)
10900-D Research Boulevard @ Braker

Southwest

Randalls (Bee Caves)
3300 Bee Caves Road

West

Northwest Rural Community Center
18649 FM 1431, Suite 6A

One Warm Fuzzy Feeling, A Little Bit of a Fix-er-Up-er

By Jim Dallas

About a month ago I cited the UFW as an example of how to write good fundraising letters. The L.A. Times (via Matt Stoller) shows us why good fundraising can make little difference if the funds aren't used well:

Today, a Times investigation has found, Chavez's heirs run a web of tax-exempt organizations that exploit his legacy and invoke the harsh lives of farmworkers to raise millions of dollars in public and private money.

The money does little to improve the lives of California farmworkers, who still struggle with the most basic health and housing needs and try to get by on seasonal, minimum-wage jobs.

Most of the funds go to burnish the Chavez image and expand the family business, a multimillion-dollar enterprise with an annual payroll of $12 million that includes a dozen Chavez relatives.

The UFW is the linchpin of the Farm Worker Movement, a network of a dozen tax-exempt organizations that do business with one another, enrich friends and family, and focus on projects far from the fields: They build affordable housing in San Francisco and Albuquerque, own a top-ranked radio station in Phoenix, run a political campaign in support of an Indian casino and lobby for gay marriage.

The current UFW leaders have jettisoned other Chavez principles:

The UFW undercut another union to sign up construction workers, poaching on the turf of building trade unions that once were allies.

The UFW forfeited the right to boycott supermarkets and stores, a tactic Chavez pioneered, in order to sign up members in unrelated professions.

And Chavez's heirs broke with labor solidarity and hired nonunion workers to build the $3.2-million National Chavez Center around their founder's grave in the Tehachapi Mountains, a site they now market as a tourist attraction and rent out for weddings.

For what it's worth, the story reads like a hit piece; at least a couple of the sources seem like they've got some axes to grind. That doesn't mean the criticisms are baseless, though.

The point to take away from this is not that unions are crooked and that idealism is futile. The point Matt Stoller makes is that half the battle for organized laborers is keeping their institutions clean. The same can be said, I think, of any progressive institution.

Which leads us to recent posts by some bloggers (e.g. Matt Yglesias), who ask of our House Democrats, "where's the beef?"

I'm all for a Democratic political reform package but I wouldn't put too much stock into it. At the moment, Republicans are loving lobbying reform bills. Such bills allow them to seemingly get out from under the cloud of sleaze while remaining, fundamentally, in hock to corporate interests.

To run a campaign, you need ideas the other side can't sign on to. More to the point, you need ideas they can't easily co-opt by counterproposing a watered-down version. That means you need to attack some of the substance of what K Street Republicanism has done, not just the atmospherics of the lobbying trade.

Dern tootin'. While my googling skillz are not running on all four today, I do recall someone saying something to the effect of "our ethics reform proposal will have gone far enough when half the caucus has to be dragged along kicking and screaming." I like that saying. I think I'll put it in my clip-and-save box.

Young to Enter NFL Draft

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Via the Statesman...

Vince Young announced Sunday that he is skipping his senior season as quarterback for the national champion Texas Longhorns and will enter the NFL draft.

"I've decided to enter the draft this year and go to the NFL," Young said in a news conference on the University of Texas campus. "I know that everybody is behind me, and I thank God for that. I won't let ya'll down."

Young said he made the decision after meeting with his pastor and family. He vowed to complete the requirements for his college degree.

I can't say that I blame him, though I will be sad to see him go. It's better to go out on your peak and in the world of Football, especially if that is going to likely be your single career, why risk a second year at UT when you could be signed? Thanks for the memories, Vince. That was one hell of a game.

PS. I'm back in Austin now, and realized that I couldn't log into my G-Mail account to read the 100s of e-mails I have. (Not that this is a bad thing maybe...) If anyone else if having an error message come up, it may be because you need to download the latest version of Firefox (1.5).

More On TAB Activities

By Vince Leibowitz

Though most of it is a re-hash of what's already known, the Austin American Statesman has an article in Sunday's editions concerning the Texas Association of Business and some new information relating to John Colyandro and Ben Bentzin.

The article notes that Colyandro, one of the primary masterminds behind TAB's massive 2002 direct mail campaign aimed at defeating Democratic incumbents, also worked as a consultant to Bentzin's unsuccessful State Senate campaign during the same cycle. Bentzin is presently running for an open seat in the Texas House.

The article notes:

Ben Bentzin, a Republican Senate candidate in 2002, said last week that political consultant John Colyandro produced his campaign's mailers while Colyandro was helping the association with its direct-mail efforts, including a pro-Bentzin mail advertisement paid for with secret corporate money.

Joe Turner, Colyandro's lawyer, said Colyandro did nothing wrong in his dual roles working for a campaign and working with a group that was supposed to steer clear of campaigns.

"He had a lot of different clients during that period of time," Turner said. "They were totally unrelated in most instances."

Indeed, in the world of politics, it's not unusual for a consultant to work for more than one campaign. But the state's largest business organization, through four years of criminal investigation, always insisted that it followed its lawyer's warning not to coordinate its mailings with any campaign.

That the association had an outside campaign consultant helping could undercut its defense that the mailers were protected free speech intended to educate voters about issues, not political ads for candidates.

"In the last couple years I haven't seen any evidence of coordination," Austin lawyer Roy Minton said Friday, speaking of his time representing the business group. Told of Colyandro's dual roles, Minton said, "I just don't deal with hypotheticals based on hearsay."

Bentzin, who is currently running for an open state House seat and has not been accused of any wrongdoing, and association President Bill Hammond said they were unaware of Colyandro's dual roles.

"I had no idea at all," Hammond said.

Until Bentzin this week volunteered Colyandro's role with his 2002 campaign, the public would not have known because Bentzin paid Colyandro indirectly. Bentzin paid Austin printer Bob Thomas a fee for printing the mailers, which Thomas shared with Colyandro.

Last fall, a grand jury indicted the association on 128 felony counts, accusing it of illegally spending $1.7 million of corporate money on 4 million mailers that were sent to voters to help elect or defeat candidates.

State law generally bars the use of corporate money in elections.

The association has said it did not have to disclose the corporate money, mostly received from insurance companies, to the public because the mailers did not urge voters to support or oppose candidates. The association also says it never coordinated the message, timing or design of the mailers with any campaign.

On Friday, Hammond did not retreat from that assertion. "Our efforts weren't coordinated with that (Bentzin) campaign," he said.

The association's publicist, Chuck McDonald, who produced most of the mailers, testified in a civil trial last year that Colyandro was "part of the TAB team" that met frequently in McDonald's office to discuss the creation of the mail pieces.

"He had input on discussions. . . . All (in the room) would talk to me about the message and, you know, the strategy and those kinds of things," McDonald said.

Colyandro has been indicted, along with U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay and another DeLay aide, on charges that he laundered money and illegally used corporate money in the 2002 elections through his role with the Texans for a Republican Majority political committee.

Aside from being just another juicy revalation, however, I'm not exactly sure how this will play out, mainly because TAB can't really be in a worse situation than it already is. Second, it comes as no surprise (and I think I'd already heard it before anyway) that this kind of thing went on in Bentzin's campaign since it's already been revealed, in the TRMPAC scandal (sister to this one) that consultant Kevin Brannon worked on the campaigns of State Reps. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) and Dan Flynn (R-Van).

GOP Targeting Their Own?

By Vince Leibowitz

[Note: I'm not sure if this has been posted elswehere, but I thought it was worth a mention here.]

January's issue of Texas Monthly contains an interesting story on the 'Republican vs. Republican/conservative vs. more conservative' fight that seems to be brewing in the Texas GOP.

In particular, the article discusses the GOP's evident attempts to seek opponents for Tony Goolsby (R-Dallas), Carter Casteel (R-New Braunfels), Charlie Geren, (R-Fort Worth), Toby Goodman, (R-Arlington), Delwyn Jones (R-Lubbock), Tommy
Merritt (R-Longview), Pat Haggerty (R-El Paso) and Todd Smith (R-Euless).

How'd these incumbents find out about it? According to Texas Monthly, it went something like this:

Just home from a weekend trip in early November, state representative Tony Goolsby, of Dallas, went to his office and left his wife, Toppy, to check their voice mail messages. A few minutes later, Toppy called him. Most of the messages were routine, but there was one he needed to hear — an automated political poll. The first question was no surprise: Do you support Proposition 2, the constitutional amendment to defend traditional marriage? “Answer yes or no,” the robo-voice instructed. The next question took Tony completely by surprise. “If the election were held today, would you vote to re-elect your state representative, Tony Goolsby?” It was the last thing he expected to hear — well, almost the last thing. He certainly hadn’t authorized the poll. There could be only one explanation: An unknown enemy was probing to see if he was vulnerable to a challenge. And then came the absolute last thing he expected to hear. “This poll was authorized and paid for by the Republican Party of Texas.”

And, Goolsby wasn't the only GOP incumbent upset about this. Texas Monthly notes:

"[Todd] Smith [(R-Euless)], in particular, was outraged about the party’s participation in the poll. He says he confronted Jeff Fisher [check here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, and here for more on Fisher's previous activities], the executive director of the Texas Republican Party, who claimed that the poll about Prop 2 was taken statewide, in every legislative district. But were other Republican lawmakers singled out? “Show me the list of the state representatives whose constituents were polled,” Smith said. Fisher refused. “Tell me how the list was compiled.” Again, he refused. “Why did you poll in my district?” This time Fisher answered: “To help you in case you have a Democratic opponent,” a response Smith characterized to me as “lying to my face.” His district is so solidly Republican that David Dewhurst, running for lieutenant governor in 2002 as a virtual unknown, got 65 percent of the district’s vote against veteran Democrat John Sharp. “What I want to know is where all this is leading,” Smith told me. “Who is calling the shots?”

Where this is leading is toward all-out war in the 2006 Republican primary. Many Republicans outside the Capitol — especially on the far right — are angry about the failure of Republicans inside the Capitol to enact the conservative agenda on school finance, spending, and other litmus-test issues. In 2003, the first session of Republican rule in 130 years, everything had gone according to plan: budget cuts, tort reform, congressional redistricting, and new restrictions on abortion. Then, in 2005, the majority couldn’t pass a school finance bill, provide property tax relief, impose budget restraints on local government, pass a school voucher program, or otherwise advance the ideological agenda embraced by Governor Rick Perry and such friends of the Republican Party as the influential Texas
Public Policy Foundation, Republican National Committee member Bill Crocker, major donor James Leininger, and the authors of various conservative Internet newsletters.

For months, speculation about a purge of Republican lawmakers who put the interests and desires of their constituents ahead of party orthodoxy has run rampant. If the anger of the ideologues can be transmitted to the Republican primary electorate (which, everyone agrees, is more conservative than the larger group of voters who identify themselves as Republicans), the March primary could become a witch hunt for incumbents derisively labeled RINOs, as in Republicans in Name Only.

But Tony Goolsby, Todd Smith, and the rest of the group that got such
unwelcome attention from the state party are hardly RINOs. On the vast majority of votes, especially social issues ranging from gay marriage to abortion, they seldom stray. They see themselves as mainstream Republicans beholden to no one except the voters who sent them to Austin, and they simply aren’t going to support a school finance bill or a school voucher bill that’s unpopular back home. (Goolsby, for example, polls his district by mail every election cycle on their views about vouchers, and the smallest negative response has been 56 percent.)

It is an odd story: Having devoured the Democrats, the Republicans have turned on one another. The consequences for the state have been severe. This became evident during the fight over school finance last spring, when Speaker Tom Craddick and Kent Grusendorf, the Republican chairman of the House Public Education Committee, kept pushing a bill that tossed out the old system and imposed a series of mandates, often unfunded, on school districts in the name of reform.

Republican lawmakers were squeezed between the viewpoint of the leadership, which was openly hostile to the education community on ideological grounds, and that of the education community back home, which itself was openly hostile to the leadership on policy grounds. This squeeze, along with the much-remarked-upon infighting between Perry, Dewhurst, and Craddick (and sometimes Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn), prevented Republicans from producing a plan that had broad backing inside and outside the Capitol. Now, with the self-sabotage at fever pitch and primary season approaching, the
big question being asked in Texas political circles is, What should a real Republican stand for?"

Anyway, for the record, Merritt, Casteel, and Haggerty each got one GOP opponent. Geren and Jones got two, Smith got six, and only Goolsby and Goodman escaped unscathed.

DeLay Dumps Bid To Remain Majority Leader

By Vince Leibowitz

U.S. Congressman Tom DeLay (R-Sugarland) Saturday walked away from his bid to hang on to the powerful post of House Majority Leader.

DeLay, who faces felony charges in a Travis County District Court, told Republican Congressmen in a letter:

"During my time in Congress, I have always acted in an ethical manner within the rules of our body and the laws of our land. I am fully confident time will bear this out...I cannot allow our adversaries to divide and distract our attention."

DeLay was forced to setp aside as Majority Leader after being indicted on campaign finance charges by a Travis County grand jury in for his role in a fund-raising scheme that raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to defeat incumbent Democrat Texas legislators in 2002 paving the way for the state's first Republican controlled legislature and a partisan, mid-decade redistricting scheme presently before the U.S. Supreme Court.

AP claims DeLay's decision came "amid growing pressure from fellow Republicans who were concerned about their own political futures in the wake of this past week's guilty pleas by lobbyist Jack Abramoff."

In addition to ditching his campaign to remain Majority Leader, DeLay faces a tough election in his own district. He has three opponents in the March 7 GOP primary—political activist and former teacher Pat Baig and attorneys Tom Campbell and Michael Fjetland. Former U.S. Congressman Nick Lampson will face the eventual winner in November as he was the lone Democrat to file seeking the seat. Libertarians Stan Norred and Bob Smither will seek that party's nomination at a June convention. Ex-U.S. Congressman Steve Stockman (R-Friendswood) and Gabriel P. Owens filed as independents. They will be forced to secure enough signatures from independent voters following the primary to get on the ballot.

Kuff has some interesting stuff on Stockman, via DeLay vs. World.

[Cross Posted on PolState.]

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report and the Political State Report. He may be reached at Vince_Leibowitz-at-verizon.net

DN-C, DN-do

By Jim Dallas

The Hotline briefs us on the progress of the DNC's plan to revitalized grassroots organizing:

"Howard Dean has turned out to be the biggest surprise of the season. He's a good man. And he truly gets it."

Those are the words of Charles Soechting, the TX Dem chair who when Dean announced his bid for DNC chair had Soechting grtting his teeth. At the time, the Texan worried that Dean didn't get the problems parties grappled with and certainly didn't possess the regional sympathy to figure out how to win elections in the South.

But now, closing in on Dean's 1st anniversary as DNC chair, Soechting has seen enough to convince him that Dean "knows what it to makes Texas truly competitive."

Veterans of Dem politics who work on state and local campaigns are eager to praise Dean. In part, that's because Dean has devoted the bulk of the DNC's staff, energy and time to fulfilling his chairman's campaign promise: to revitalize the Dem Party at the precinct level.

Dem strategists in DC often ask their colleagues: "What is Dean good for?" They moan that he's not raising as much as money as they expected or his surrogates promised; that he hasn't been Joe Trippi-like and revolutionized the party's small donor outreach; that he can't shut his liberal mouth. Dean's admirers have ready counter-arguments, but they've lacked something tangible to bat down the critics. But now, they say, the party's investment in states is beginning to pay off.

It goes on with details. Of course I wonder if the 2006 and 2008 coordinated campaign plans will be a little more sophisticated in voter targeting (something that the GOP seems to be running circles around us with).

Sandlin to Lobby

By Vince Leibowitz

Former U.S. Congressman Max Sandlin (D-Marshall) will be doing some governmental relations work (i.e.: lobbying), I learned today thanks to an old Google News Alert I didn't even know I still had active from last year's election cycle.

A New York newspaper ran a brief within another story which included the announcement that Sandlin has become a shareholder in the nation's 8th largest law firm, Greenberg Traurig. Sandlin will work from the firm's D.C. and newly opened Houston offices, according to a press release on its website.

Sandlin, who has been in private practice since leaving congress, joined the firm following expiration of the year-long federal ethics restrictions that prevent retired Congressmen from lobbying on the Hill. Sandlin was recently mentioned on BOR for his endorsement of Chris Bell for Governor.

Texas 41, USC 38

By Byron LaMasters

We won. Hell yeah. Kick ass. Go UT! I'm elated. What a game! And did I mention the Vince Young is amazing? He certainly made his point. And finally, Mack Brown can stand proud to his critics.

I may not be able to join Rick Perry in being proud of his "Texas", but I'll stand with Vince Young and Mack Brown and their leadership this year. Congrats Longhorns! We're damn proud of you...

Go Longhorns!

Rose Bowl Open Thread

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

It's almost here, I'll be offline while watching the game, but here is your place to post updates, comments, and cheer and jeer the game on through the night.

Hook 'em!

On the Governor's Race

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

Well, the Governor's race is certainly white...

Ok, bad jokes aside, I have included and bolded below a great rundown of the lay of the land prepared by Dean Rindy of Rindy Miller Media. It was prepared for the Bob Gammage for Governor Campaign, but it is still by far almost exactly what I was going to say on the race. So read it below-it's an outline for what is needed for a Democratic victory this fall.

TO: BOB GAMMAGE CAMPAIGN
FROM: Dean Rindy
Re: Strayhorn Creates Immense Opportunity for Democrats

Overnight Carole Keeton Strayhorn has created an exciting investment opportunity for Democratic contributors---the best opportunity in a decade.

Suddenly the Governor’s race is winnable— but not for Strayhorn.

Strayhorn’s Private Meetings

Strayhorn has been meeting privately with major Democratic donors around Texas, trying to raise a campaign kitty of $20 million. I have talked to people who have been briefed on these meetings. Strayhorn is touting a poll which she says demonstrates that, running as an independent, she would beat Perry, Chris Bell and Kinky Friedman for Governor. (The poll was conducted in December, before Bob Gammage announced, so he wasn’t included in the trial heat.)

Her poll confirms the theory that Friedman will fade away into single digits with Strayhorn in the race as an independent. She simply sucks the air out of Kinky’s message, hogs the media spotlight, steps on his story line, and makes it very difficult for him to attract significant numbers of Perot type conservatives. Kinky will have to go after Democrats, and a strong Democratic candidate will make that very difficult. On the issues Kinky is a bland centrist who doesn’t offer much to a progressive constituency.

In her presentation to donors Strayhorn offers the caveat that if the Democratic candidate for Governor gets a million or two for TV in the last week, he will pull enough Democrats back into the fold to defeat her. Strayhorn’s spin is that this would hand the election to Perry. A more objective view is that it would allow the Democrat to win. A major part of Strayhorn’s private mission is to dry up money for Democratic candidates. This is actually a grave admission of her fundamental weakness, for it reveals how fragile her poll numbers really are.

At the present moment she can do well against a weak unknown like Chris Bell, or if Democratic voters see her as the only alternative to Perry....but that will change dramatically once a Democratic candidate receives the millions of dollars worth of free publicity that comes from merely winning the Democratic primary. If the nominee is a real Democrat, like Bob Gammage, who excites the party’s base, then it is a new ball game and fundamental electoral forces come into play. If Strayhorn and Perry cut each other up, and if Bob Gammage holds the Democratic base, we can win.

The Lay of the Land

In 1992 George Bush Sr. carried Texas with 41%. Clinton got 38%, Perot 22%.

Bush Sr. barely scraped by in that election, and Rick Perry is not a George Bush. Perry is a lot more vulnerable in the state. His performance ratings and trial heats have been well below 50% in every poll for the last year, which often foretells death for an incumbent. While Perry is no Bush, Strayhorn is no Perot.

Her image as an independent is much weaker than Perot’s, and it will be extremely easy to discredit her with Democratic voters. This is a woman whose announcement speech opened with the words, “I am a Republican,” and closed with “I love George Bush.” Her son, Scott, is Bush’s chief flack. Buried in news archives around Texas are rich troves of nasty quotes she has delivered about Democrats in very recent years. And she has an additional problem. Strayhorn cannot use this year’s most effective issue--the culture of corruption in the Republican machine, because she’s been part of it herself.

The Democratic Base

Thirty-eight percent is a good, conservative indicator of the Democratic Base vote. Clinton won 38%. Kerry got 38.2% in 2004, and Gore got 38% in 2000. Down-ballot Democrats with no money finish in that neighborhood or a little below in statewide races.

In non-presidential years Democrats have done BETTER.

Perry won 58% in 2002, while Sanchez got 40%. In 2002 Sharp got 46% for Lt. Gov; Ron Kirk got 43.6% for U.S. Senate. Other down-ballot Democrats in 2002—unknown and unfinanced--- came in below 40. Obviously circumstances, previous name I.D., or TV advertising can lift a Democrat above the party’s base numbers.

Strayhorn’s Impossible Math

Here’s the math. For Strayhorn to reach the high 30’s in total statewide vote, she has to win almost HALF of all the voters who voted for Kerry and Sanchez (That gets her to about 19-20 percent of the total vote). Then, she also needs to pull nearly ONE-THIRD of the voters who chose Bush and Perry (which would get her up to 38-40% of the total vote). THERE IS NO WAY THAT CAN HAPPEN. There is no way Strayhorn is going to win half of all Democratic voters while winning one-third of all Republicans.

If there is any kind of credible Democrat in the race, Strayhorn will get no minority votes, no White liberals (as in Houston and Travis County), and no Democratic loyalists. The Party has been purified down to its base. The people who might defect already did so some time ago. Strayhorn’s best potential targets are moderate conservative, Republican-voting “independents” and moderate Republicans who can’t stomach Rick Perry. These are the people who gave Perot 22% in 1992. They are not enough.

If somebody starts talking about the large share of self declared “Independents,” in our electorate, (as much as 24% in the 2004 exit polls) tell them to sit down and catch their breath. Any pollster will tell you that most self-identified “independents” are actually partisan and are usually inclined Republican or Democratic. Less than 10% of Texas voters, if that, are truly “independent.” So the best measure of voter potential is to actually look at the way the total vote for party candidates has gone in recent elections.

Strayhorn’s poll is an artificial universe, frozen in time, which assumes a zombie-like quietude from the Democrats and an ineffective attack campaign from Perry. Neither of those assumptions will hold true.

The Logic of the Situation

So it’s 1992 again---Clinton, Bush, Perot. And we’re Clinton. He won nationally, but didn’t quite get over the top in Texas; we can. Money will come into the race from national Democratic sources who see the fantastic opportunity here. If Democratic funders in Texas contribute, even modestly, we can be competitive.

Ordinarily you would need at least $20 million to run for Governor in Texas. But this is not an ordinary time, and a Democrat can win with less than half that. We can spend money three times as effectively as normal campaigns, because we only have to target advertising at our base, which is all we need to be competitive in a multi-candidate free-for-all. Our advertising dollars can be spent far more economically than our opponents’. And our message is much simpler.

Here’s the logic of the situation. Strayhorn will probably launch a TV campaign, perhaps fairly soon, to reestablish her positive identity and explain her new “independent” role. She cannot win, however, by being nice. Strayhorn has to attack Perry in order to win. Perry has to crush Strayhorn, the earlier the better, to stop her from gaining momentum. It is quite likely that we will see a $30 million bloodbath.

While the two dinosaurs thrash about in the jungle, we can remain relatively unscathed for the mid part of the campaign year. We will hammer home our message to hold our base, while looking far cleaner than our two Republican rivals. Perry will wake up as we begin to move, and start to attack us, but it will be too late. He and Strayhorn will be damaged goods, we will have outflanked Kinky on progressive issues. We will hold our base, we will pick up some votes in the disillusioned center. And we will win.

Dean Rindy
Rindy Miller Media
www.rindymiller.com

Martinez v. Martinez

By Karl-Thomas Musselman

South Texas politics, gotta love it.

The wife of a state representative filed Monday to run against her husband in a South Texas race that both candidates said coincides with an impending divorce.

Democratic state Rep. Armando "Mando" Martinez, a 13-year incumbent from Weslaco, faces a primary challenge from his wife, Jessica Reyes-Martinez. The District 39 seat covers part of Hidalgo County.

Reyes-Martinez, 28, filed as a candidate in the March 7 primary only 30 minutes before the Monday deadline, The Monitor reported in its Tuesday edition. She's making her first bid for public office and is now a homemaker.

"I'm actually running for office, not against him," Reyes-Martinez told the McAllen newspaper. "It just happens he's in office right now."

The two live in separate houses in Weslaco, and did not speak with one another after making short speeches at the Hidalgo County Democratic Party kick-off on Monday night.

The 40/40 Project: A Year-Long Candidate Education Forum

By Phillip Martin

A couple months ago, I wrote a column titled "The Year of Change" that outlined what I believe we can do to bring change to Texas. Since those of us who write for Burnt Orange Report can't raise a million dollars and aren't in control of any large-scale message for Democrats, we must do the best we can with what we've got.

Today, BOR is announcing a major, year-long commitment to bring about that change we're always talking about. Starting next week, we're going to launch the 40/40 Project.

Our goal is to feature 40 candidates in 40 weeks, from January 9 until the start of early voting for the General Election on October 23 (with a week off for the primaries). Every week, we'll feature a certain candidate, and every day we will focus on a different aspect of that candidate and the campaign he or she is running. The breakdown for each day will go as follows:

Monday: "Get to Know the Candidate." A personal biography, any significant staffers/supporters of the campaign, and any important newspaper articles about the candidate.

Tuesday: "Get to Know the Race." An analysis of the district/area they're running in, and, once we get past the primaries, a quick look at their opponent.

Wednesday: "One-on-One." A personal interview a BOR writer conducted with the candidate.

Thursday: "On the Issues." A breakdown specifically on issues, expanded from the interview and any candidate forums we attend.

Friday: "In Their Own Words." A column the candidate writes him/herself.

I will be heading up this project for the first month or so, and will be the unofficial "Team Leader" for the 40/40 Project -- even though all BOR writers will, at one time or another, write for the project.

We will begin next week with a look at the candidates in the special election for House District 48. Donna Howard and Kathy Rider have already agreed to participate. For primary races, we're going to ask all candidates to participate and whoever says yes -- that's who we'll feature. I'm sure questions of fair/even coverage will arise, but I imagine we'll all be able to make it through just fine.

Anyone with any specific questions, comments, or complaints may e-mail me (phillip@burntorangereport.com), or leave a comment below. Any campaign managers and/or consultants who would like to have their candidate featured may also e-mail me with their expressed interest.

Rose Bowl Open Thread

By Damon McCullar

The NCAA National Championship less than a day away. Let's hear your thoughts on the game. Give us your predictions. Here's my thoughts: USC is overconfident! ESPN is acting as if they have already won the game. Also, after losing the Heisman Trophy, Vince Young has something to prove. I think it's gonna be a tough game, but the Longhorns will pull through and win 28-21. Hook'em!

Meet VaLinda Hathcox

By Vince Leibowitz

[[EXCLUSIVE]] Given that I hadn't seen much about Land Commissioner candidate VaLinda Hathcox in statewide media following her filing yesterday, I decided to give her a call myself in an effort to help other Democrats get to know the candidate for Land Commissioner.

No stranger to politics, Hathcox, presently an attorney in private practice, has the distinction of having been the first woman elected County Attorney in Hopkins County. She presently lives in Hopkins County and she and her family own a ranch/former dairy farm in Hopkins County as well as property in Wood County.

Though County Attorney of Hopkins County is the only elected post she's held to date, her resume is lengthy and distinguished, starting with an internship in the General Land Office early in her career. While at the GLO, Hathcox helped re-write state leases to include provisions for geothermal resources. Following that, she served as a hearings examiner (equivelant to an administrative law judge today) for the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts under Texas political legend Bob Bullock.

She also served as Special Assistant Attorney General under Jim Mattox as director of that office's legislative programs. Hathcox also served as General Counsel for the Texas Association of Counties and as director of programs for the State Bar of Texas.

Aside from having run for county attorney, Hathcox ran for State Representative in the Austin area years ago in a 13-field race which included former State Representative Glenn Maxey, and ran against former State Senator Bill Ratliff early in his career as well, in addition to a try for a multi-county state district judgeship serving Lamar and Hopkins Counties, where she made a good showing in spite of the district being heavily stacked toward Lamar County candidates.

As far as her plans for the office, among other things Hathcox wants to work to make better use of geothermal resources and ensure that are well-educated when it comes to lending practices related to home equity loans.

A Sulphur Springs native, Hathcox earned her bachelors and masters degrees from East Texas State University and her law degree from the University of Texas.

Max Sandlin Endorses Chris Bell

By Vince Leibowitz

[Note: I guess everyone else is on vacation or something, so I'll try to keep things up in their absence-VL]

The Chris Bell campaign today rolled out another endorsement. This time none other than former U.S. Congressman Max Sandlin (D-Marshall) was featured on the campaign's website.

Sandlin, it should be noted, has himself been mentioned as a viable candidate for statewide office.

Sandlin is the latest among Bell endorsements which include Rep. Charlie Gonzalez, Bexar County Commissioner Tommy Adkisson, State Sen. Juan 'Chuy' Hinojosa, former Texas Democratic Party Chairwoman Molly Beth Malcom and Texas House member Pete Gallego.

A quick review of Bob Gammage's site shows no endorsements up yet, but I'm sure they will be forthcoming. Felix Alvarado's site lists no endorsements yet, either, though he does have a blog.

Steve Stockman...As An Independent...In The DeLay/Lampson District?

By Vince Leibowitz

[Author's Note: Thanks to RBH in the comments for bringing this one to our attention.]

Could it be true? Is former Congressman Steve Stockman (R) trying to make a comeback as an Independent in Texas' CD 22? According to the Texas Secretary of State's website, there is a Steve Stockman making a run as an independent in the district.

But, is it the Steve Stockman?

I would tend to say 'yes. probably...well, maybe...'

For those who don't remember, Stockman defeted Jack Brooks as part of the "Republican Revolution" in 1994. Brooks served in Congress for 42 years before falling victim to Stockman's electoral tactics. In 1996, Nick Lampson narrowly defeated Stockman.

Stockman is, by most accounts, a right-wing nut. But, his running as an independent is what's bizarre to me, since his old Chief of Staff, Jeff Fisher, is currently Executive Director of the Republican Party of Texas. Here's a great "blast from the past" about the two relating to a mysterious fax Stockman's office received just before the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing.

Via Off the Kuff, here's a 2003 story which relates (somewhat) to Stockman.

At any rate (since his number comes up when you Google "Steve Stockman Friendswood Texas), I am SO tempted to just give whatever Steve Stockman is in the phone book a call and say, "hey, is this you and are you in fact running as an independent?"

Running as an independent, no less, in Tom DeLay's district! This election cycle is shaping up to be a blogger's dream...oh, the things that could happen?

Perry's Record

By Vince Leibowitz

This letter to the editor from the Dallas Morning News was making the rounds on Democratic lists this afternoon. Given that Perry's facing a full assault already, I thought it was worth a mention:

It was great to hear Rick Perry's intentions to run for governor based upon his record.

After Gov. Perry championed insurance reform on behalf of the insurance industry, home insurance rates doubled with less coverage and higher deductibles.

After he championed extreme limits on medical malpractice lawsuits and massive tort reform on behalf of the insurance industry, health care and insurance rates have risen with absolutely no relief for the consumer.

Under his leadership, the Republican-controlled House and Senate could not resolve the funding issue for our public schools, but after four special sessions, he did manage to pass a bill to increase his own tax-funded pension.

Property taxes are higher, wages are lower, health insurance is becoming scarce, car insurance is on the rise, college costs have skyrocketed, electricity and gas have increased, gasoline is still over $2 a gallon and Texas has sunk below Mississippi in categories including education, health care and services for the needy.

So, if Rick Perry wants to run on his record, I have three words for him: "Bring it on!"

John R. Cobarruvias, Houston

'Dirty Thirty' Redux? Bob Gammage, Ben Grant & Now, Fred Head For Comptroller!

By Vince Leibowitz

Redux: Refers to being brought back, revived or restored. From the Latin "reducere."

I'll admit: I nearly fainted when I checked the TDP filing page and saw that none other than Henderson County political legend Fred Head had filed for Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.

Fred Head (D-Athens), for those of you who aren't aware, is an Athens attorney who served a number of terms as State Representative representing Henderson County and various other counties Henderson was aligned with 'back in the day' before various redistricting(s) changed the East Texas political landscape into what it is now. Though I can't put my hands on the data at the moment (and Google is of no help whatsoever), as best as I can recall Head didn't serve after the early 1990s (but someone can correct me if I'm wrong). Head, it should be noted, was a member of the so-called "Dirty Thirty." (Remember that as you read on...)

His son, attorney Mike Head, ran for State Representative against Betty Brown in 2002 but was defeated by her heavily funded smear machine. Incidently, Brown is facing Kaufman attorney Wade Gent in a GOP Primary this time around.

The most interesting thing about the Head filing, aside from the fact that it means Dems have filled most all of our statewide slots this time around in spite of the lack of a predetermined "dream team" ticket, is that he is the third former Texas legislator (and by former I mean out of office since at least the 1990s) to file for statewide office. More specifically, he's the THIRD member of the 'Dirty Thirty' to make a re-appearance on the political scene.

Bob Gammage, who is running for governor, was first, followed by Ben Grant, also a member of the 'Dirty Thirty.'

It's interesting, to say the least, that three members of the Dirty Thirty are in line to take on the current corrupt Republican machine.

It also brings up an interesting paralell, in that Chris Bell, who will face Gammage in the primary, is a reformer of the "new school" and that he'll be pitted against someone who is an "old school" reformer.

I strongly suspect that, if the late Judge John Hannah (another Dirty Thirty member) was alive today, he'd probably be joining Gammage, Head and Grant and run for something, too.

I do wonder, however, given that none of these men (as far as I can tell) have run major campaigns since the religious-right GOP fueled machine took over Texas, exactly how they will be adapting their styles. At any rate, I have no doubt that any and all of them can and will do better than Bill Hollowell—ten years out of the game and a new political party later—when he made an attempt to get back into public office in 2000.

In other filing news, I noticed that two Democrats are now vying for Max Sandlin's old seat, as Democrat Duane Shaw will face Roger L. Owen (D-Longview) in the quest to unseat Louie Gohmert. [HINT To Democratic Candidates: If Gohmert runs that dumb ad about the music box being the "only thing he had left" after the mean old "death tax" took his grandmother's estate, check the Camp County probate records. I've heard some rumors...that's all I'm saying...]

Also, Sulphur Springs attorney VaLinda Hathcox will be running for Land Commissioner, so it appears that Jerry Patterson got his wish and will be opposed after all.

[Note: Guess I wasn't the first one to pick up on the 'Dirty Thirty' thing. I just noticed Greg got there first. Dagnabbit!]

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report. He may be reached at Vince_Leibowitz-at-verizon.net.

Tommy Merrit Has A What? And Louie Gohmert, Too!

By Vince Leibowitz

You could have bowled me over with a feather when I read via PinkDome that Tommy Merritt has an opponent.

I guess I somehow missed this, but Patrick Franklin (D-Longview), who also has a blog, will be seeking to unseat Merrit in HD 7.

Although I can't say that HD 7 will be the easiest district for a candidate like Franklin to win in, keep in mind that Merrit isn't exactly one of the GOP's most beloved State Reps.

Remember that in 2004, in the special election for Bill Ratliff's SD 1, it was Kevin Eltife who was the GOP favorite and went on to defeat Paul Sadler, not Merrit.

That said, if Franklin is able to mount a respectable effort against Merrit (which will be tough——that seat seems pretty safe, there is no doubt, however, that the PACs will enter the race with all guns drawn.

Here's a brief note on Franklin from the Kilgore News Herald.

Also, the Kilgore paper gave some ink to Roger Owen (D-Longview) who is hoping to unseat Louie Gohmert in CD 1. I guess I missed that Owen had filed (Dec. 13 according to the state party website).

Sadly, however, CD1 is going to be a tough road to hoe as well. Max Sandlin put forth a huge, well-funded and very well organized effort there in 2004 and did not fare well on Election Day. The Longview News Journal gave Owen a nod last month as well.

Vince Leibowitz is a regular contributor to Burnt Orange Report. He may be reached at Vince_Leibowitz-at-verizon.net

It's Official: Strayhorn An Independent (Updated)

By Vince Leibowitz

It's official. Carole Keeton Strayhorn will run as an independent. This is from her announcement:

"I am a Republican, but I know we must set partisan politcs aside and do what's right for Texas. That is why I am running for governor as a Texas Independent. We can't wait any longer. It's time to shake Austin up."

Via QR.

Update: Houston Chronicle has a story here. WFAA Dallas has the story here. San Antonio Express News has the story here. And, there's more...

Of course, now begin the questions. Chief in my mind is "What's she going to do now that the big donors will side with Perry?" There is no way, at least in my mind, Strayhorn can raise enough money as an independent to be competitive with the kind of money Leinninger, Bob Perry and others will shift into Rick Perry's campaign in order to help Perry hold on.

Second, of course, is whether or not she can get the necessary signatures. I think that's a no-brainer. I believe, depending upon how much money she has to hire someone to gather them, she can overcome this hurdle without difficulty. As for raising money and the rest, though, she'll be out in the cold to some degree without a strong party infrastructure behind her.

Only time will tell what will come next.

UPDATED (Twice): If You Say You're Gonna File, Shouldn't You File???

By Vince Leibowitz

(As of 5 p.m., Flynn did get an opponent. Charles "Chuck" Tull did indeed file, but I'll leave this one up for "historical purposes" I guess...)

I guess this is one of those to file under, "Uh, yeah...whatever."

Anyway, even though I have nothing to do with the Republican Party, I've received not one, not two, but THREE CALLS this morning asking me if I knew whether or not Charles Stanley Tull, Jr. (R-Edgewood), was going to file or not to run against Dan Flynn (R-Van) in TXHD 2.

Seriously, if you are running for State Representative and announce your candidacy months in advance, shouldn't you file before, oh, say, NOON ON FILING DAY?

I say this because I just checked the Republican Party of Texas's filings and notice that Tull, Flynn's long-anticipated opponent, has not filed. Keep in mind this is in spite of the fact he's been listed in several newspapers and even pictured on one website as a "candidate" for State Representative. His candidacy has considered such a "sure thing" to the point he was listed in the Tyler Morning Telegraph announcement on Flynn's re-election.

So, what are the people who are waking me out of bed on January 2 and asking me about this race saying: That Charles Tull will not be making a run for it, at least, not this time.

I haven't talked to Mr. Tull about this, so I don't know personally. And, though he's from our county, I don't know him though I do know his dad, former Grand Saline Police Chief Stanley Tull.

But, for what it's worth, all three calls I had this morning had heard that (a) Tull had been asked to run by an education/anti-voucher PAC as he is a school board president and has a wife who is a public school teacher and that (b) because a Democrat is now in the race, Tull isn't running in the GOP Primary.

Again, keep in mind these are simply what's going around the "rumor mill" right now. Either way, I thought it might be worth mentioning in the event there are similar "made" races in other districts.

But, in terms of facts, I can tell you two things: Charles Tull, Jr., voted in the Democratic Primaries in this county in 2002 and 2000. As for 2004, I'm not sure. But, he did vote as a Democrat in those years (and I know because I checked.)

{NOTE: I checked and, as of 1:30, still no filing by Tull. I'll advise you, dear readers, if there is a change.}

UPDATE: ON the Dem side, what about Graham Sweeney (D-Boles)? Texas Association of Counties lists him as having announced, along with Scott Cornuaud (D-Quinlan), for the Texas HD5?? Anyone? The state party doesn't have him as having filed as of 11:15.

Filing Deadline/Bowl Games

By Phillip Martin

Today is the filing deadline for the 2006 General Elections. I've got lots of e-mails in our inboxes, but today is the last day of my holiday vacation, it's a beautiful day outside, and I'm going to play frisbee golf with my best friend before he goes back to school.

I'd imagine there are dozens and dozens of names, headlines, and press releases out there, and I wanted to give anyone the opportunity to post about someone who's running.

As a side note to this post, there are some big bowl games today. I'm not going to run a prediction on all of them, but I'm certain Ohio State will beat Notre Dame. I'm thinking by at least ten points.

Happy New Years!

Juan Garcia Files for HD 32

By Damon McCullar

Corpus Christi attorney and naval aviator Juan Garcia has filed paperwork to be the Democratic candidate in the race for Texas House of Representatives, District 32. District 32 covers parts of Nueces County, and the entirety's of San Patricio, Aransas, and Calhoun Counties.

The 39-year old Garcia is a graduate of Harvard Law School and also holds a Master's Degree in Public Policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. He served on active duty for 13 years as a Naval Aviator, with multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf and during the Kosovo conflict. He continues to fly as an Instructor Pilot in the Naval Reserves at NAS Corpus Christi. In 1999, Garcia was one of 16 Americans selected to serve as a White House Fellow, the national leadership program whose alumni include Colin Powell and Henry Cisneros.

This marks the first run for public office for the father of four young children. Said Garcia: "You only get one chance to be a first-time candidate: not aligned with any faction, indebted to no one, and free to follow your own conscience. I take the privilege and responsibility of public service very seriously, and thought long and hard before entering this race. I'll make the most of this opportunity."

High on his agenda will be the education and property tax crisis. "Despite three expensive legislative sessions dedicated to education, Texas still ranks second from the bottom in SAT scores, we're dead last in high school dropout rate, and we pay our teachers well below the national mean, all despite paying some of the highest property taxes in the country. I think we can do better" said Garcia. Garcia served in Washington DC as a Special Assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education from 1999-2000, chaired the Board of Directors of "Citizens for Educational Excellence," and was a member of the CCISD district-wide Planning and Decision-Making Team.

Garcia is a second-generation naval aviator. His family has deep roots in the Coastal Bend, but education and military service took him around the world before returning home to South Texas to settle and raise a family. His wife, whom he met when they were classmates at Harvard, also practices law in Corpus Christi.

Garcia serves on the Board of Governors of Leadership Corpus Christi, the Dr. Hector P. Garcia Memorial Foundation, Boy Scout Pack 296, and is a frequent on-air television host for the local PBS affiliate.

The Garcia Campaign plans a formal announcement in January. Asked about the challenge of winning in such a large district, Garcia replied "I've overcome tougher odds before. We'll take our strong message to every resident in the District, and then let the people decide."