Wondering what the Texas House is gonna look like after next week? Head on over to QuorumReport's Daily Buzz and take a gander at Kronberg's breakdown of the 8 day out reports. If the current Republican powers that be have their way, we'll have a nice chunk of Republicans that are indebted to Speaker Craddick and James Leininger. Throw in the usual suspects of Bob Perry, old school Republicans at ART, and Texans desperately looking for torts to reform, and it's obvious there's a push to keep the status quo in the Legislature.
Parent PAC and their fiesty soccer moms flexed their collective muscle during the primaries, and there's a push to stem that tide by courting Republicans that will dance with the ones that brung 'em (that's 3 metaphors in 1 sentence). What's that mean? It means that if you haven't already, you had better get off your ass and vote, lest we deal with one more session of nonsense legislation coupled with motions to show the speaker voting aye.
John Kerry was giving a speech to some college students in California, and flubbed a line from his speech, saying college students would "get stuck in Iraq" if they didn't work hard in school. The line was supposed to read "Do you know where you end up if you don't study, if you aren't smart, if you're intellectually lazy? You end up getting us stuck in a war in Iraq."
At any rate, Tony Snow and Majority leader John Boehner jumped at the quote and ripped Kerry apart for not supporting the troops and whatnot. Kerry's response:
"If anyone thinks a veteran would criticize the more than 140,000 heroes serving in Iraq and not the president who got us stuck there, they're crazy," he said. "No Democrat will be bullied by an administration that has a cut-and-run policy in Afghanistan and a stand-still-and-lose strategy in Iraq.""I'm not going to be lectured by a stuffed-suit White House mouthpiece standing behind a podium, or doughy Rush Limbaugh, who no doubt today will take a break from belittling Michael J. Fox's Parkinson's disease to start lying about me just as they have lied about Iraq."
Doughy Rush Limbaugh? Niiiiice.
Sure he does, he just chooses to ignore it since it does not apply to him...after all, he's the Attorney General. Laws are for poor people, pedophiles, and Mexicans. WFAA television has a story (video) on Mr. Abbott's use of taxpayer funds to create slick publicity videos. First, he sends them out to the lazy TV stations in Texas to get a story on the air about how tough on crime he is, then he catalogs it and uses it on his campaign website, then finally he edits it and uses it in his own campaign commercials. (Well, not him specifically, but someone paid handsomely by him)
For shame. When we think of the office of the Attorney General, isn't accountability and successfully avoiding the appearance of impropriety up at the top of the list? Some people say what he's doing is illegal, we say it's just hubris.
Update: Abbott is now saying his actions were completely legal. Imagine that.
[via BOR]
The venerable White House press corps member, Helen Thomas, will speak in Houston on Thursday. Although now retired from the UPI, she is a columnist for Hearst newspapers and is promoting her new book where she finally unleashes 86 years of pent up rage against the 'tards in the White House press room. Although Thomas was never known for breaking stories (at least to me she wasn't) what she is known for is her long history in that press room. We bet she knows a thing or two about the lack of cognitive skills and journalistic credibility of those we count on to find out and then tell us the truth. If you're in Houston there are worse things you could do on a Thursday.
For details about her appearance, click 'permalink.'
It's Tuesday, bitches, which means one week until the electoral extravaganza. Here's your next to last chance to give us your predictions for the final tally in the Governor's race.
Again, for a little assistance, here are all the recent polls. The eventual winner will receive their choice of the books PD mentioned.
Your prediction closest to the election will be the one that we use when determining the winner. In other words, if you've already made a guess, you don't have to repeat yourself when we ask for more - we'll just rely on your old prediction. If you want to change your guess, though, feel free.
Today is Halloween. More than an opportunity for girls to dress up like hookers, it's also a chance for the kids to get gobs of candy. Mmmmm, hookers. Here's a few scary stories for your Halloween pleasure.
That's how a GOP mailer describes Dallas-area Democrats. Click here to view side one and here to view side two.
Thanks to our tipster for sending these in.
Remember, it's those crazy liberal loonies that are so damn angry all the time! Not the right. Especially not a former White House speech writer.
Most detestable are the lies these rogues craft to turn grief into votes by convincing the families of our war dead that their loved ones died in vain. First, knowing what every intelligence agency was sure it knew by early 2003, it would have been criminal negligence had the president not enforced the U.N.'s resolutions and led the coalition into Iraq. Firemen sometimes die in burning buildings looking for victims who are not there. Their deaths are not in vain, either.He's sick and tired of Republicans being in control and he's going to take it some more!Second, no soldier dies in vain who goes to war by virtue of the Constitution he swears to defend. This willingness is called "duty," and it is a price of admission into the highest calling of any free nation--the profession of arms. We have suffered more than 2,300 combat deaths in Iraq so far. Not one was in vain. Not one.
These are the people I now hate--these people who seek to control our national security. The best of them are misinformed. The rest of them are liars.
So I intend to vote on Nov. 7. If I have to, I'll crawl over broken glass to do it. And this year I'm voting a straight Republican ticket right down to dog catcher, because I've had it. I'm fed up with the deranged, lying left. They've infected me. I'm now a hater, too.
Life is full of tough choices: save a soldier's life ... or prevent a gay marriage? Somehow the clip gets even better when the dude starts whining about how Rep. Musgrave's "handlers had their hands on our face .. their hands on our bodies - very close to assault."
[via TPM]
The movie about the Dixie Chicks run in with the neo-conservatives opens nationwide November 10, but NBC refused to air commercials promoting the film. We don't understand why we aren't old enough to watch a commercial for a movie that we may or may not go see. You can visit the Dixie Chicks Shut Up & Sing MySpace page for information about the movie or watch the trailer here. That's right, PinkDome has got bigger balls that NBC executives. Did you ever doubt that?
We just don't understand this logic. Fifty-four percent of those surveyed don't think Perry is doing a great job, but with such a crowded field of candidates he still holds on to a lead among likely voters. With 38% support among those surveyed, he's the likely winner. Bell and Strayhorn are in a statistical dead-heat for second place and Kinky's numbers seem to have bottomed out at around 10%, 12% if you're being generous.
As we've spent time talking with some of your favorite pundits, elected officials and drunk bloggers (We have a club) we all agree that the polls this year are hard to believe, hard to decipher and the other thing we discuss is how do you pinpoint exactly where the Strayhorn campaign imploded? We can pinpoint it for Kinky...*cough* negroes *cough*.
The other talk about the governor's race is Chris Bell. The Democrats hoping against hope that he's got a shot, all the while lamenting his lack of personality. Sounds to me they are looking to 'John Kerry' him after the election. Blaming his lack of personality for not inspiring voters. We don't blame Bell, we blame the Democrats that keep giving us these kind of candidates to choose from in the first place.
At least Strayhorn, Friedman and Perry all have personalities that can generate some passion...whether it be love or hate. Bell could put a policy wonk to sleep.
As the holidays grow near, many of us start the 'dread' early. The level of dysfunction in the Pinkdome family compound is a Tennessee Williams Southern Gothic tragedy that ought to charge admission. We always send a case of Veuve home before we arrive just to make sure there's a bottle nearby at all times. In Conroe, Texas, the Martin family ought to get to the liquor store early, too. Guy Martin ran against his brother in a bitter campaign for city council. After he lost, he started a newsletter...and a blog.
The newsletter and blog is, Martin says, is about the truth in politics. Uh oh. We all know that whatever you do in politics ...you never tell the truth. It's like the first rule of fight club. Martin attacks politicians, his own brother, and apparently a preacher, giving him the moniker of "pulpit pimp." Guy Martin claims his brother bought votes in the recent election.
Ouch. There's a lawsuit filed, natch, against Martin and his other writers. Martin responds with, ''I'm not going to apologize about the truth." We can wholeheartedly agree with that position...if it is the truth. Which we don't know. But, never apologize for telling the truth. It's the one thing we need the most in politics today.
The CD-22 race pitting Democrat Nick Lampson, write-in Republican Shelley Sekula-Joe-Gibbs, and some other write-in candidates is apparently closer than anyone had anticipated. A Houston Chronicle poll shows that 36 percent of respondents would vote for Gibbs for a write-in candidate (about 80 percent of whom said they'd vote for Gibbs), while 35 percent would vote for Lampson.
The poll is probably skewed, however, by the fact that Gibbs was inside people's houses introducing herself while they were on the phone. Plus, regardless of what the poll may say, I have no faith in 35 percent being able to remember her name while in the voting booth.
Kuff has more.
Al Gore has signed on as an environmental consultant to the UK and clearly he's scared the piss out of Tony Blair. The PM has said "What is not in doubt is that the scientific evidence of global warming caused by greenhouse gas emissions is now overwhelming." Just to drive the point home, he also said, "It is not in doubt that if the science is right, the consequences for our planet are literally disastrous." Clearly, Al Gore, has painted a picture of fireballs destroying the Parliament building if Tony Blair doesn't stand up to George Bush and use big words like, "scientific facts." We all know that those kind of words are like kyrptonite to George.
The Chairmain of the New Jersey College Republicans has earned a sad title at such an early age: Douchebag. Apparently, in a slew of emails, Steven Damion attempted to extort money from a candidate's campaign in order to get support from the New Jersey College Republicans. Oops! That campaign notified lots and lots of people and then the shit hit the fan with lots of uncovering of the extortion and embezzlement and lack of integrity and what-have-yous.
It's never too early for those young Republicans to learn slimeball political gaming is it? We feel dirty after having read the emails (which are included in full if you click on 'permalink' below). Also, note the grasp of the English language in the last email...sounds like Steven is most likely not getting much of an education in this so-called 'college' he's attending.
[via Gawker]
Seriously, why would State Rep. Joe Pickett, D-El Paso be attending a Get Out The Vote event with John Cornyn in El Paso? My other favorite thing in this bit of news someone sent over to me is Republican candidate Dee Margo blaming Senator Shapleigh for the floods in El Paso. There is some serious smoking of the loco weed out there. (Full story in the permalink)
It's almost Happy Hour, and we're taking a cue from Congresswoman Kay Granger. Granger, who bears an uncanny resemblance to an eagle sniffing the armpit of the Statue of Liberty, has a recipe on her website (here, under "Beverages") for "Easy, Killer Margaritas".
Making them is simple, just mix a can of limeade, a can of beer, and a can of tequila together and voila! Instant buzz. Now I love me some booze, but mixing beer, canned tequila and limeade together sounds less like a margarita and more like the grain alcohol/Listerine/Franzia cocktails I drank as a 19 year old in college.
I don't know about you, but I'd rather be drinking an Adios Mofo (buy the t-shirt here). Feel free to stop by the Stephen F Austin on election night and buy me one.
While searching for stupid pictures of Rick Perry on flickr, I came across the above gem. And I know what you're thinking: where can I get my hands on that shirt? And why don't girls dress like that all the time?
Not sure about the second question, but you can get your hands on an Adios, MoFo t-shirt right here. And, yes, that's two plugs for the shirt in one day.
Let's revisit "water-boarding" for a minute. Does it or does it not fall under the category of torture? If so, then is torture a.) wrong, b.) violation of the War Crimes Act or c.) Bush policy in spite of a. and b.?
The answer is C.
Cheney indicated that the Bush administration doesn't regard water-boarding as torture, and allows the CIA to use it. "It's a no-brainer for me," Cheney said at one point in an interview.Ok, now let's do this again and this time let's suppose that "water-boarding" is not torture. (Click here to read a definition and description of the practice) To get to this supposition we have to ignore the fact that it is torture and completely embrace a position, completely unfounded by reason or fact, that it is not torture. Ok, you with me? You there? Now, since we agree that "water-boarding" is not torture, do we collectively believe that dunking prisoners underwater so they believe they are drowning is the American way? Is it really a reflection of the 'shining city on a hill' that we present America to be?
Seriously, defend this practice. How are people not outraged by the hubris of this administration?
(P.S. To quote a friend of mine, the 'grrr Cheney' photo that's also in the article from the Raleigh-Durham News Observer is absolutely priceless)
Looks like the Dallas Morning News' endorsement of Perry won't prevent them from calling him out. DMN's editorial this morning: [emphasis theirs]
But it's the other half of that new Perry campaign speech that makes absolutely no sense. He says he'd like to roll back the rate on the new business tax. Yes, that would be the same tax just hammered out to help fund Texas schools. Simply unbelievable.Flo just doesn't understand. See, Perry doesn't need to know how much revenue the tax will raise, or how much extra cash we'll have in the budget surplus. Perry's got faith, and he's a leader, and I think it's in everyone's best interest to do what he says: cut the tax. Cut the shit out of it. Make those local school districts fend for themselves and jump up appraisals even more.The ink's hardly dry on this tax, which was approved in May - after four excruciating sessions - as a way to shift about a third of the funds for schools from local property taxes to Texas businesses.
GOP Sen. Florence Shapiro put it perfectly: "I don't see how we can lower the business tax rate when we haven't even begun collecting it yet."
Then, when homeowners see that the property tax cuts aren't materializing because of the liberal, tax-and-spend local appraisal districts, the public will be foaming at the mouth for an insanely low appraisal cap. Then school districts will be truly fucked.
When your entire plan is to destroy government, you don't really need to know a lot of the details. Instead, just answer "tax cuts."
You may avoid picking up the Vanity Fair because you don't think much of magazines with George Clooney on the cover, or you may feel that it's probably just a thick magazine filled with advertisements and fluff. If you aren't picking up this magazine you're missing some of the most insightful political commentary we consistently find in the swirl of political commentary.
In this month's issue you'll find a postcript on their amazing story of Bunnatine Greenhouse and you'll, once again, wish you had her personal address to send a note of thanks for reminding you what honesty, truth and bravery in the face of government intimidation look like. There's also a story on the NORAD 9/11 tapes.
Two features that are worth reading include James Wolcott's Red State Babylon (availabe online) and a fascinating story about Senator Conrad Burns which we'll post about later this week.
Governor Perry's latest 'mofo' for the press corps? The quote he gave regarding the budget surplus *cough* bullshit *cough* to the FW Startlegram "Our budget surplus is going to be so friggin' big," Perry said. So, it's not ok for a candidate for governor to say Katrina evacuees are thugs and crackheads but it's ok for a sitting governor to say 'mofo' and 'friggin'. Which reminds us, do you have your very own "Adios, MoFo" t-shirt? You can totally buy them from us!
Not to mention the fact that the budget surplus is an Internet hoax.
That seems to be Perry's answer to creating shady statistics. In a recent press conference touting a reduction in border crime of 60%, the people that live in those counties are kind of bewildered. The statistics also don't show the same numbers. Maybe if you count right after a surge in law enforcement activity there is some reduction, but the crime just moves down the road or waits until the campaign statistic enhancing event was over to return to their old ways.
That's Perry, tough on border crime when the campaign is near. We're so proud.
The new ad campaign by the AARP has a catchy tune and you can dance to it. Four stars!
The campaign is urging people to vote the issues and not the personality of the candidate. You can find out more at dontvote.com.
Will you step up to the plate? This is an election where every last dime will be spent getting out the vote and every contribution will matter - $25, $50, $100 or $250. The Democrats are counting on million-dollar checks from liberals to put them over the top. We're counting on you.The Dems are pulling together and this "GOP Challenge" is in direct response to the Use it or Lose it campaign that Off the Kuff alerted us to a few days ago. Apparently, there's a challenge on the Dems side to ask elected officials that are not in a tight race or with no opponent to pony up some of their campaign cash to help the Dems take back Congress. What a cool idea and obviously it has scared the piss out of the GOP.We've never issued a challenge like this before. That's because the stakes for our country have never been higher. You are our last, best hope for a continued Republican majority. Show Kennedy, Kerry and the liberals in Congress we will meet this challenge.
This collection of campaign commercials through the many years of Perry campaigns was like a long look back at the broken promises of Perry Past. It makes us wonder what the Perry future will be. Our guess? More of the same. Good luck with all that, Texans.
BB adds: I do love the young Perry cowboy look though.
A bunch of semi-celebrities and average athletes have gotten together to create an ad in response to the one Michael J. Fox did earlier. The new ad tells Missouri voters to oppose stem-cell research and vote against an amendment to the state constitution. Check it out:
Personally, I hope this back and forth continues until Election Day, with the quality of the "star's" careers (and of the video itself) getting progressively worse. I mean, let's face it - this response ad was pretty shitty. I figure the next one will be filmed in Super 8 and star Eric Roberts, Balki from Perfect Strangers, and Bill Buckner.
And the guy at the beginning of the video - Jim Caviezel, who played Jesus in The Passion of the Christ - is he speaking in Aramaic? Why didn't they get Mel Gibson in the ad?
From the FoxNews "Science" section:
A misdirected manatee apparently swam 700 miles up the Mississippi River to a chilly harbor near Memphis'downtown riverfront, prompting rescue plans by wildlife officials. The docile, endangered marine mammal, about 8 feet long and 1,000 pounds, is far north of its natural range along the southeastern U.S. coast. Biologists have no idea how it got there.
Rescue officials plan to return Rep. Mary Denny back to Texas as soon as a large enough crane can be located.
From the frontpage of CNN.com earlier today:
My friends and family have sent me these two Perry-related links today:
- Perry predicts record budget surplus [FW Star-Telegram]. My favorite quote in the article? When Perry said, "Our budget surplus is going to be so friggin' big." I mean, it's just delicious.
- Homeowners confused, frustrated as property tax bills arrive [AP on News8Austin]. Basic gist of this piece is that the property tax cuts that Perry mentioned in a now-pulled political ad don't exist. In the real world, property taxes are actually on the rise this month.
I guess Grandma was right. And when I say Grandma, I mean "Grandma" Strayhorn, not my grandma in North Texas. My grandma is voting for Perry, I have a feeling.
The state of Washington felt compelled to pass a law against bestiality. Last week the state made its first arrest when a woman caught her husband having sex with their pit-bull terrier. Our favorite parts of this story are the newspaper quickly pointed out that it was a female dog, so it was not gay man-dog sex. That's a relief because, you know, the gays will 'recruit' anything! Plus, the wife took the time to take photos with her cell phone before she called the police. Who has the presence of mind to walk out on your porch, see your husband fucking the dog, grab the cell phone and take a few pictures and then call the police.
Just guessing at what possible reaction we'd have if we caught our partner having sex with the dog...maybe spray them with the water hose? Gouge out our eyes? Beat the living shit out of them and call Fox News? Yeah, the last one is probably what we'd do.
We think this ought to be Warren Chisum's new legislative priority. What penalties under the law could we impose that would be greater than the humliation of broadcasting this through the media? Also, would there be greater penalties for same-sex bestiality than the penalties for opposite-sex bestiality?
... came out this morning, showing Bell with some promising numbers. SurveyUSA:
On Daily Kos, kos says that "a Rasmussen poll to be released later has it Perry 36 (33), Bell 25 (18), Strayhorn 22 (22), and Kinky Friedman 12 (16)."
Just like a week ago, now's your chance to offer your predictions for the final tally in the Governor's race.
Again, for a little assitance, here are all the recent polls. The eventual winner will receive their choice of the books PD mentioned.
Your prediction closest to the election will be the one that we use when determining the winner. In other words, if you've already made a guess, you don't have to repeat yourself when we ask for more - we'll just rely on your old prediction. If you want to change your guess, though, feel free.
A recent Newsweek poll was released last week. The results are the kind that make you think to yourself, thank God I'm not the only one. Sixty-seven percent say they are dissatisfied with the way things are going in the United States. We could be all serious here and tell you that all those that have fought for so long to call people unpatriotic, weak, traitors, and whiny have now nowhere to turn as all of America begins to unite behind a demand for change. We could...but we won't.
Instead let's talk about how we always knew the pendulum would swing. It's the one holdover from our days in poly sci classes. No matter how frustrated we've ever been with the hubris of the current leadership, we were always confident that America would come around. She never lets us down....eventually.
After you watch this video with Felicity Huffman, Angie Harmon and Tyne Daly, tell us about your first time.
Via TPM, I was pointed to the frontpage of CNN.com, which is trumpeting "Top terror suspect confirmed killed."
Only when you read on, the dude was killed in April. And it's October right now. Which I'm sure has no absolutely significance whatsoever, right?
Tennessee Democratic candidate Harold Ford, Jr. drove his bus right up to an event for his Republican opponent Bob Corker. He jumped out walked right up and said, "Let's debate." Hilarity ensued. Corker was pissed! How dare some upstart negro have the nerve to ambush him and ask him questions about the issues on live TV!?
Recent polls show Ford and Corker (sounds like a food show, doesn't it?) in a race that's too close to call. Dems are eagerly watching this race in the Republican-held territory. There's a video at the link that will make you squirm with its uncomfortable-ness.
BB adds: A recent RNC anti-Ford ad has come under fire for being racist. The RNC using racist tactics? Who'da thunk it?
A Houston couple with a landscaping business are apparently doing so well they can turn down business because they won't help the gays have a beautiful yard. Truly, God says unto thee...faggots get no roses. The owners sent this email,
"Dear Mr. Lord, I am appreciative of your time on the phone today and glad you contacted us. I need to tell you that we cannot meet with you because we choose not to work for homosexuals. Best of luck in finding someone else to fill your landscaping needs. All my best, Sabrina."The Houston Chronicle picked up the story after the email started making the rounds and people started calling on the landscaping couple and rudely pointing out their bigotry and stupidity. Money is money...even if it does come from butt-pirates.
Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth and El Paso all have ordinances against discrimination that include sexual orientation, Houston doesn't.
Because making fun of Dubya never gets old. . . last night we were watching NBC Nightly News (because I can't stand that lame "Free Speech" segment on Katie's show). An NBC reporter interviewed Senor Presidente and they showed clips from it. The only part we saw was when she asked him if he used Google to look stuff up. His answer (with our emphasis of course):
"Occasionally. One of the things I've used on the Google is to pull up maps... I forgot the name of the program, but you get the satellite, like I kind of like to look at the ranch... reminds me of where I want to be sometimes."[Daily Nightly]
He then went on to say that he never uses email. He doesn't read it, and he doesn't write it, because of the Freedom of Information Act. So all those Amnesty International emails you've sent, all those Union of Concerned Scientists emails you sent, all the email petitions you signed, well, he's not getting them.
Which is not really a surprise at all. We already assumed that since he has people read the newspapers for him, he didn't have anything to do with the internet. If you want to reach him, TV may be the last way. . . and only if you can sneak on FOX News somehow.
And on that note, in an interview with Bush, our favorite speak-to-truth commentator Bill O'Reilly asked Dubya lots of hard-hitting questions. . . as well as throwing in a plug for his upcoming book.
TXU, the electricity company that wants to have their new coal-fired power plants fast tracked through the permit process, isn't doing very well with the "public" part of public relations.
Case in point: TXU has threatened to sue an environmental group for using the TXU logo as part of an 8-foot tall parade float that the group has been trotting around the state. The float, which can be viewed here, kind of makes it look like Rick Perry is taking a pull from a huge, TXU-sponsored bong. "Break out the 5-footer, Anita - the Rick's had a long day."
The environmental group, Downwinders at Risk, is understandably laughing at TXU's attempt to bully them:
The environmental group says its use of the logo is protected political satire under copyright and free speech laws.For more information on the TXU power plants and where you can see Rick's giant styrofoam noggin' across the state, check out the Downwinders at Risk website."They will receive something in writing telling them that their demand is silly. Mr. Poole [TXU's General Counsel] is a small man ... he should be ashamed of himself," says Paul Levy, of Public Citizen, a Washington, D.C.-based consumer advocacy organization aiding Downwinders at Risk.
"It's hard to imagine they'd file a lawsuit. And if they do, it'll be thrown out and we'll be awarded damages. It's that frivolous."
Election night is going to be busy and we'll need your help. We plan to start live-blogging as election results come start to come in. We'll be arriving at the Stephen F. Austin straight from the airport around 7:30 or 8:00. As we get arrive we'll be watching the Texas races, and we'll need your help because we want to watch the national scene as well. Who will keep tabs on the House and Senate races?
We'll have our laptop at the Stephen F. Austin and if you've got one, bring it and let's keep up with the excitement, the disappointment and the bizarre.
The AP article about Strayhorn and Kinky casting their early vote ballots yesterday mentioned that Strayhorn "had to endure heckling from write-in candidate James 'Patriot' Dillon as she tried to speak to reporters afterward." Who is the brave man with enough gonads to holler at Strayhorn? Did she threaten to shake him? Does his nickname stem from the rumors about his Patriot missile-shaped dork? Let's investigate.
The Secretary of State's website shows Jim Dillon as a write-in candidate for governor, complete with his terrorist-hatin' nickname. Which means that Dillon was able to do what Strayhorn couldn't, despite her access to some of the top lawyers in the state: get his nickname officially on the ballot.
What does a guy like Patriot do for a living? Well, according to his website, he's a craftsman and freedom fighter. He proclaims proudly that:
I have accepted zero dollars of assistance or campaign contributions, nor will I accept a salary for public services; I will fight tooth and nail, fist and fang, hook and claw to overturn the establishments New World Order. I am taking this fight national and if necessary I will take the fight into the streets of our once great land.
More after the jump ...
Have you ever watched a campaign ad and knew right away that the campaign could barely scrape up enough money to get one produced and on the air? You know how we know? Because Chad Khan's ad for TX District 126 says everything there is to say about him in 30 seconds. It's like watching someone narrate the life story of FDR in under a minute. Sometimes, just because you have the money to do an ad doesn't mean you should.
More at Think Progress.
Enron CEO sentenced to 24 years. Discuss.
It seems as if Kinky Friedman's speech to the TexasBarCLE disrupted the filming schedule for his documentary. The group refused entry to his photographer and camera crew because they just wanted a speech, not a show. It's a shame we'll never get to see that scene. Maybe they can do a dramatic re-enactment so the movie won't suffer.
Besides voting for people, what else are we voting for on election day? In Austin, there are several ballot initiatives. Prop. 7 is a hooge bond proposal for the city that includes everything but the kitchen sink. Austin needs many things as the city grows rapidly and its infrastructure is stretched. From the AAS article:
Proposition 7 is part of a $567 million bond package that includes money for a new central library, parks and open space, affordable housing, street reconstruction and other projects.Ok, we can accept those things...that makes sense. But, then we saw this part..."So, city officials plan to develop a $12 million animal shelter on city land near Airport Boulevard and U.S. 183 in Southeast Austin." Now, we love animals. Not love love animals, but we think they're cute and loyal and all that...but $12 million dollars for stray dogs and cats? Are you f'ing kidding me?
We'd have to vote a big absolutely not. We know the Town Lake Animal Shelter is a beloved community icon, but there is no way in hell we're voting for a $12 million facility for a dog pound.
What insanity is on your local ballot?
Early voting starts today in Texas. We'll be taking advantage of this 'feature' for the first time because we'll be away on important business on election day. This is a great idea and the only reason we've never done it before is because we like to feel all smug on election day with our "I voted" sticker. (Truth be told, we usually take a few because they tend to fall off around noon and we're such nerds we have to keep them on until the end of the night.)
Here's information about early voting and how you can do it and where. Mmmm, early voting...dirty!
