All great businessmen have to start somewhere. For Sen. Patrick, he took an alternative approach to the traditional lemonade stand:

And more recently, another satisfied customer with a photo of his purchase:

And I'd like to note that the whole baby-selling thing is completely unnecessary if men buy Sen. Patrick's easy-to-use home vasectomy kit.

All this TYC shit keeps coming back to him or his staff:

An aide to the governor received detailed investigative reports alleging a sex scandal at a West Texas youth lockup days before the November election, documents show, but Gov. Rick Perry has said he learned only last month, from news reports, about the abuse at the Texas Youth Commission facility.

Interviews and documents confirm that one of Perry's aides, Alfonso Royal, was forwarded graphic investigative reports about sexual abuse at the West Texas State School from Texas Ranger Sgt. Brian Burzynski on Oct. 30 or 31, 2006. The documents also indicate that Royal knew in October, just days before Perry was re-elected, about a West Texas district attorney's lack of action in the case.

Watch the clip at Think Progress and there it is...at the end when she insists that Senator Inhofe stop being a douchebag to Al Gore. Oh it was delicious. (link)

Elizabeth Edwards cancer has returned. I fucking hate cancer, y'all.

But, maybe we could be in our own little way. A fellow fan of politics has asked me to pass along that they have a room available in a new construction house. If you know anyone that's needing a place and isn't a pyscho (that means you, Talton) shoot me an email for more deets.

The House was considering a bill to protect statues from removal. It grants this protection to confederate statues. Senfronia offered an amendment to protect all those statues "unless that person engaged in an armed insurrection against the United States". She's great.

You know what's the worst part about reading the story on the budget coming out of committee?

Seeing that the reporter could only get Warren Chisum quotes. Sweet Fancy Moses lady, weren't there any other trolls or mouth breathers around for you to talk to? Blech.

Guess when Alberto Gonzales will resign and win a year's supply of Ben & Jerry's ice cream.

Representative Robert Talton (R-Pasedena) has frequently amazed me at his asshole-ishness. When he gleefully noted a word missing in the CHIP bill he got it booted back to committee. Furthering his hatred of children and poor people he told the Houston Chronicle "Let them eat government cheese."

How come rabid pro-life people are only pro-life from conception to birth and then don't give a flying fuck if the children are poor, uninsured, living in squalor or being abused? It's fascinating, really.

My favorite words ever in politics. Senator Uresti and a teenage lover? (via)

Seriously, if even this guy can get laid some of y'all ought to just give up altogether.

Man. Maybe I'm stupid, but reading the article about Senator Duncan (R-Lubbock) wanting to ignore an accounting rule is something I couldn't quite get my head around. Point out the flaws in my thinking and discuss in the comments.

The GAO passed an 'accounting rule' requiring states to estimate future health care costs and ensure retirement funds were funded appropriately. (Did I get that much right?) Doing so would obviously create a gap and may result in the legislature cutting programs to shrink the gap.

So, instead of ignoring an accounting rule why don't we address the real issue? The real issue is the skyrocketing costs in health care and everyone's unwillingness to look at alternatives.

(via)

The Children's Hospital of Austin is facing a public relations problem today as the mother of a terminally ill child continues her fruitless quest to continue treatment on the child. We've talked about this before. The mother has asked for a restraining order against the hospital's plan to remove the ventilator, resulting in the death of the terminally ill child.

The Statesman says the legislature is going to debate the so-called 10-day rule today. What is there to debate? The legislature wants to require treatment until a patient's family can find another hospital? Another hospital will not take this patient, nor would any hospital take any terminal patient that another hospital is discharging.

What medical experts are testifying on this issue? What morons are pushing this issue? Update me and give me the deets in the comments. It looks like I'll have to go down to the pink dome today after all.

We've noticed quite a few series and stories and contests about worst boss stories. We thought we'd jump in. Anyone brave enough to share bad boss stories? We've all had them. Ever had a raging drug addict call you at 3 a.m. and threaten your life? Ever been told you have to work all weekend without getting any comp time during the week? Ever had a boss throw a stapler at you?

Just me?

When your legislative priorities are taking a nosedive, you were re-elected with only 39% of the vote and the most boring legislative session ever is almost halfway over without any big win you could either stay and fight or take a flight...to the Middle East.

Perry's trip is well timed indeed.

Offensive:
Donald Trump. In every way, but having this douchebag sound off on politics even if we have the same opinion is offensive.
Not Offensive:
Any reference to a "sticky situation" as a "tar baby" is not offensive. That's right, you heard it here.

[CNN]

"As the country's most trafficked Web site, MySpace will play a powerful role in the upcoming election," Chris DeWolfe, MySpace's chief executive said in a statement.

MySpace now has presidential hopefuls with profiles! Like, that's so totally cool because now we can totally ask Barak and Hillary to, like, be our friends and then we can send them a comment that says, "Thanks for the Add!" They'll totally win the election because I'm going to put them in my top 8!

First off, having a 70-something presidential candidate as your 'friend' on MySpace seems to be about as cool as admitting your favorite band is ABBA. Secondly, The CEO of MySpace has a twisted sense of self-importance and impact of MySpace. Just because you have site traffic and generate ad revenue does not make you influential in political elections. Somebody should put that on a t-shirt. [DMN]