WEEKLY TPA WRAPUP 071126

It's Monday, and that means it's time for another Texas Progressive Alliance Blog Round Up, compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Dealing with recalled toys that contain lead is putting a damper on charities' holiday toy drive efforts. Muse discovers some charities are not accepting toys or are throwing donations away.

Despite the Dallas Morning News article claiming the Texas Railroad Commission is stepping up Barnett Shale inspections, an injection well in N. TX remains seriously out of compliance. TXsharon has pictures, history and solutions at Bluedaze.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston compiles an obvious list of Who wont be President in 2009? Any Republican candidate. The Republican party must have worked overtime to find this bunch of losers for President. White. Old. Dull.

McBlogger takes a brief look at the concerns of a Republican Bexar County Commissioner who doesn't realize the Republican Party of Texas is already known as the Tolling Party of Texas.

North Texas Liberal reports on President Bush's loss of an ally in staunch conservative PM John Howard of Australia, whose Liberal Party lost handily to the Labor opposition in Saturday's elections.

The Texas Cloverleaf visited Capitol Annex for Thanksgiving with a guest blog about Turkey, Football, and JFK. Oh my!

Off the Kuff looks at mass transit versus highways for dealing with traffic congestion.

Vince at Capitol Annex reprises his holiday tradition begun last year by reprising his Laws of Thanksgiving -- with a 2007 update.

In "Giving Thanks for the Corporations", PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has a few choice words from David Van Os, Jeff Cohen, and John Edwards.

WCNews at Eye On Williamson notices the conspicuous absence of Rep. Mike Krusee since a rumor surfaced that he may be retiring in Where's Krusee?

CouldBeTrue at South Texas Chisme notes Lyndon Johnson was right, but demographics are having the last laugh.

Holiday Parties And Activities

The Dallas County Democratic Party is hosting a holiday party of its own next month, and we've started getting notices of others. If your Democratic group, officeholders, or whatever is having one, please let us know for the calendar. Email to roundup AT dallasdemocrats DOT org. Meanwhile, here are the ones we know about so far:

• Thursday, Dec. 6 -- State Representative Rafael Anchia Holiday Party -- 6 to 9 PM at the Salon de las Americas at 1004 Fort Worth Avenue in Dallas.
  
• Thursday, Dec. 6 -- Dallas County Young Democrats
  Year End Holiday Party -- 7 to 10 PM. Join us as we celebrate a very successful year for the Dallas County Young Democrats. Location and special event details will be announced soon.
  
  
  
• Saturday, Dec. 8 -- DALLAS COUNTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY HOLIDAY PARTY -- 1 PM to 3 PM, DCDP Office, 4209 Parry Avenue, Dallas TX 75223. Join fellow Democrats as we celebrate and remember the past year.
  
• Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 8 & 9 -- Kwanzaa Fest 2007 -- 10 AM to 6 PM. The Dallas County Democratic Party will have a booth. Please contact Renee by email to renee AT dallasdemocrats DOT org or call 214-821-8331 if you would like to volunteer to work in our booth. KwanzaaFest! features music, exhibitors, entertainment, technology, health screenings, children’s activities, car shows, educational forums and a Poster/Poetry Contest. Location: Automobile Building at Fair Park.
  
• Monday, Dec. 10 -- Stonewall Democrats Holiday Party -- 7 to 9 PM. Delicious Mexican buffet, holiday basket auction, a visit with Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie and entertainment by Wayne Smith as Cher. Please RSVP today by email to dallaspartyrsvp AT aol DOT com. Location: Havana’s, 4006 Cedar Springs Rd. in Dallas. First 100 visitors get a free drink. Dress is casual. Event is free. Bring a friend!
  
• Thursday, Dec. 13 -- J.P./Constable Precinct 5 Holiday Party -- Constable Jaime Cortes, Judge Juan Jasso and Judge Luis Sepulveda from Precinct 5 annual holiday party from 11 AM to 1 PM, at the Government Center, 410 S. Beckley (second floor) in Dallas’ Oak Cliff neighborhood.
  
• Tuesday, Dec. 18 -- Irving Democratic Club Christmas Party -- with US Senate Candidate Rick Noriega -- 7 to 9 PM at the Community Building (135 S. Jefferson) in Irving. The Irving Democratic Club continues its tradition of fellowship and sharing as we gather by raising canned goods for Irving CARES and the Salvation Army to share with the less fortunate. Please bring a generous canned food donation for needy families. Also, please bring a covered dish to share with our guests! Per city regulations this event is alcohol free.

Two other notes for the holidays from the folks at Dallas Air America. They've put up their annual list of links to tips and sources to help have a truly "green", environmentally friendly season at this page. They also pass on, from the Pentagon, links to numerous sites you can use to donate to or help those in the military this season at this page. Contrary to the demagoguery of Bush's claque, we can of course support the troops and still be against war; there are links to many groups working for peace listed under "Friends & Allies" on the website sidebar of the Dallas Peace Center.

WEEKLY TPA WRAPUP 071119

It's Monday, and that means it's time for the pre-Thanksgiving edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance's Weekly Blog Round-Up. This week's round-up is compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

The Texas Cloverleaf examines the ongoing feud between TxDOT and NTTA -- this time the funding for the Hwy 161 project Dallas County may face its wrath. To toll or not to toll? That is TxDOT's question.

Hal at Half Empty wants to ask John Cornyn just one question: "When are you going to stop flip flopping on a border wall?"

XicanoPwr reports on the noose found hanging from a scaffolding on separate occasions over at the Exxon Mobil facility in Baytown, TX.

NYTexan at Bluebloggin discovers that some things will just never go away. Tom DeLay Will Launch Activist Group. Two stellar citizens, Tom DeLay and former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell have teamed up to promote the Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM).

Kay Granger pretends to care about the environment by sponsoring an Energy Expo but TXsharon at Bluedaze points to her ZERO score on environmentally friendly votes and begs to differ.

Harris County election officials adjusted the vote at 1:30 a.m. Wednesday morning, after Tuesday's final election results had been released to the media. The Democratic Party's observer, a long-time voting rights activist, was stunned to watch it happen. What does this mean for the integrity of electronic voting in all of Texas? PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has questions without answers.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston reminds us that Texas is #1 in sucking with tuition for Texas University up by 63% since deregulation in 2003. The high cost of college tuition deregulation. Tuition increases again.

CouldBeTrue at South Texas Chisme complains that Texas keeps money meant for hospitals in 'state funds'. You can hear the Republicans yammering for another tax cut.

Muse wonders why Tom DeLay can't seem to stay away from Fort Bend County when he is supposed to be a Virginia resident. His new Coalition for a Conservative Majority kicks off there and has Ken Blackwell as its chair. Yeah, that Ken Blackwell. SOS in Ohio during the 2004 elections.

Mayor McSleaze at McBlogger asks What part of "interfaith" was not clear? in his post detailing the actions of Hyde Park Baptist Church.

Why can't Rudy Giuliani talk about baseball any more without pandering? Off the Kuff takes a look at his latest shenanigans.

Vince at Capitol Annex explores Texas Congressman Ron Paul's "surge" in the polls and in online contributions and wonders why his Republican supporters haven't bothered to examine his terrible record on behalf of the middle class in Texas.

WhosPlayin brings back the Texas Dim Bulb Award for Cracker-Barrel Craddick.

On The TexasBlue, David Gurney explores the total absence of integrity displayed by the Religious Right's endorsements of Giuliani and Thompson.

Easter Lemming watched the Pasadena mayor's race candidate forum in some amazement: How often do you hear a Texas candidate say: "He's just told me the position pays $102,000. I had no idea. If I had known that, I would have put out more yard signs." And Easter Lemming gets the candidate reply in the comments.

Texas Toad of North Texas Liberal explains why the Chicken Pickens of the Swift Boat Veterans for Truth owes Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., a sum of $1 million.

Another New Web Site

The latest addition to our local candidates on the internet is Judge David Hanschen, who is running for the Fifth District Court of Appeals. His new site is at DavidForJustice.com.

Taking Care Of Dallas

Last week Congress passed the first override of a veto by President George W. Bush, enacting a $23 billion Water Resources Development Act. This was was authored by Dallas' Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson and originated in the Water Resources and Development Subcommittee, which she chairs. One project, written into the bill by her, is to bolster the Trinity River Corridor. The $298 million authorization includes:

• Levee raises / stabilization for additional flood protection for downtown Dallas;
  
• Bridge modifications for additional flood protection and river meandering;
  
• 90-acre and a 60-acre flood conveyance lakes that will contribute to flood control, environmental restoration, and recreation;
  
• Lake recharge system that will provide a reuse of wastewater treated discharge for water quality and recreation purposes;
  
• Over 500 acres of new wetlands within the Dallas Floodway;
  
• Trinity River meandering and riparian habitat to replace a previously straightened river channel; and
  
• Improvements to the interior drainage system of pumping plants, flood storage areas (sumps), and storm water pressure sewers.

Help Take Back The State House

In the special election to fill a vacancy in the State House of Representatives from Tarrant County last week, one Democrat came in way ahead of six Republicans. Now there will be a runoff between Democrat Dan Barrett and a Republican who has already pledged to support Craddick for another term as Speaker. You can help get us closer to restoring sanity to the legislature by volunteering to walk blocks and ask for votes for Dan each Saturday from now through the runoff (probably in early December). Meet at Tarrant County Democratic Party Headquarters, 3004 W. Lancaster, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, at 9 AM this Saturday, November 17, for coffee, donuts, and training. Folks will be out of the door by 9:45 and return at 12:30 for lunch. For more information, contact Karen Lovett at 817-291-5170 or email to campaign AT danbarrett DOT com. You can also contribute on line at this page.

WEEKLY TPA WRAPUP 071112

It's Monday, and that means it is time once again for the Texas Progressive Alliance's Texas Blog Round-Up. This week's round-up is brought to you by Vince from Capitol Annex.

TXsharon at Bluedaze sounds an alert about an investigative report exposing The Most Toxic Substance on Earth and the Barnett Shale gas exploration.

CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme is disgusted with UT Southwestern Medical Center's policy of using state funds to give the 'elite' special treatment while the rest of us languish.

McBlogger wants to know why Barney Frank is loving on big banks with his Kill The Mortgage Market bill, HR 3915.

Xanthippas at Three Wise Men says be on the look out for how credit card and home mortgage lenders will screw you by making you pay debts you don't actually owe.

Muse finds herself in the middle of a massive police presence and wonders if she has wandered into a manhunt. Nah, not an escaped convict, just W in town to get slobbered on by his lapdog, John Cornyn, at a fundraiser.

At Half Empty, Hal questions whether Congressmen Lantos' and Smith's excoriation of Yahoo! chiefs for releasing information to the ChiComs, is just the pot calling the kettle black.

Burnt Orange Report is all over the runoff for HD 97. Todd Hill gives an analysis of on the ground action and why Democrat Dan Barrett came in first place to secure a runoff spot in the HD 97 race this past week. Phillip Martin breaks down the numbers and price-per-vote, while also looking at some possibly illegal practices by the Republican in the runoff, Mark Shelton.

John Coby at Bay Area Houston writes about State Representative John Davis being slapped by the Ethics Watchdog. Again.

The Texas Cloverleaf's hide is chapped by the abolishment of the hide inspectors and calls for a new Texas Constitutional Convention.

BossKitty at BlueBloggin points out how the Bush administration shows their support for veterans and the troops in US Tax Dollars NOT Spent on Homeless Veterans - Words Are Cheaper.

Texas Toad at North Texas Liberal fills us in on Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson's announcement of the delay in the sale of the Christmas Mountains, as well as the reaction of Environment Texas.

Lightseeker at Texas Kaos tells that gigantic slurping sound from a few acres of scrub in north Texas was just T. Boone Pickens stealing water rights..

Vince at Capitol Annex has some reservations about the fact that the Bill White 2010 bandwagon is already rolling down the tracks.

WhosPlayin takes a look at an aspiring new "non-partisan" political party - the GOOOH party.

Gary at Easter Lemming Liberal News had one of his (in)famous what I did election day posts.

PDiddie is fed up with Democrats like Dianne Feinstein and Chuck Schumer, and intends to support only members of the Democratic Party such as Dennis Kucinich and John Edwards. He clarifies the distinction in "The Democrat Party vs. the Democratic Party", at Brains and Eggs.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson has video of the TCRP's Scott Medlock Discussing Williamson County, T. Don Hutto, & CCA.

Off the Kuff does a little after action review by examining his Election Day predictions to see how they turned out.

Watching The Web 071105

Photos from the Dallas anti-Cheney demonstration

Power and the Presidency Bill Moyers video
Is a Presidential Coup Under Way? Jim Hightower

Waterboarding is Torture… Period
Bush's Free-Fire Zones

Fearing Fear Itself Paul Krugman
Crazy Bush Compares Democrats To Nazi Appeasers

Inexorable March Toward War With Iran?
Frontline: Showdown to Iran video

Jim Mattox interview audio

DCDP Executive Committee Meets Nov. 17

The quarterly meeting of the Dallas County Executive Committee will be held Saturday, November 17, at 10 AM, at the Thurgood Marshall Recreation Center located at 5150 Mark Trail Way, Dallas. Precinct Chairs will consider the Advisory Committee's recommendation regarding DCDP policy on resolutions relating to Endorsements, Warnings and Issues. Immediately following the Executive Committee Meeting there will be a 2008 Delegate selection training on how to become a delegate to the 2008 Democratic National Convention. If you have any questions, please contact Steve Tillery at the Dallas County Democratic Party office at 214-821-8331.

WEEKLY TPA WRAPUP 071105

It's Monday, and that means it is time once again for another edition of the Texas Progressive Alliance's Texas Blog Round-Up. Before we get down to this week's edition, however, TPA members want to encourage all of our readers to vote for two TPA member blogs in the 2007 Weblog Awards: Three Wise Men and The Agonist. Vote for Three Wise Men here and The Agonist here.

The Texas Cloverleaf looks at the final installment of Trinity Trickery and implores Dallas residents to Vote Yes on Prop 1 on November 6th!

At Bluedaze we learn from TXsharon that the FWISD Participates in a Web of Deceit with Barnett Shale Producers and how the school district helps spread oil company propaganda at the expense of education.

Hal and some friends attended Nick Lampson's (TX-22) NCLB Town Hall Meeting this past week and reports from Half Empty.

Bill Howell of Stoutdemblog quotes from and links to the firestorm on the web over Barack Obama's knowing use of a homophobic hatespeaker as emcee of a campaign rally in I Love A Tirade.

Upset about the enthusiasm of some in Congress for an AG that thinks torture is OK and views Constitutional check and balances as 'quaint'? So is McBlogger.

Off the Kuff looks at the fate of the Astrodome now that the Texans and the Rodeo have come out against a plan to redevelop it as a hotel/convention center.

North Texas Liberal's Texas Toad tells us a Halloween horror story about global warming deniers Fred Singer, Don Erler, and their ilk in Planet Purgatory Parts One and Two.

Would you feel honored if a city named a street after you? What if the street was broken into non-continuous segments and wound its way through backwater sidestreets of town? What if no one even knew where the street was? Well, that's how Lubbock has "honored" Cesar Chavez, notes Blue 19th.

Over at Texas Kaos, there's a report on Texans giving Darth Cheney a well deserved reception up in Dallas. Succinctly put, Don't Iraq Iran!

David Van Os has an opposing viewpoint of several of the constitutional amendments on Tuesday's ballot, and shares it at Brains and Eggs.

Over at Three Wise Men, Nat Wu analyzes the situation in Africa, particularly renewed talk of war between Ethiopia and Eritrea, while Xanthippas takes on Scott Horton's view that being "grown-up" Democrat when it comes to foreign policy is giving Bush what he asks for.

Vince at Capitol Annex notes that if screwing the middle class was a Congressional sex scandal, Texas' GOP Congressmen would be making serious headlines.

NYTexan at BlueBloggin explores Bush's endless veto pen and his continued disregard for the Katrina victims.

WCNews at Eye on Williamson asks why is every former Bush administration official from Texas always rumored to running for public office in Texas? In The Definition of Insanity.

This week's episode of TheTexas Blue's Who's Blue interview series features former Texas Congressman and Attorney General Jim Mattox, who shares with us his observations on Texas campaigns throughout his career and how the national mood may affect the coming election cycle.

I Love A Tirade

Surprise, surprise, surprise. Obama's anti-gay religious right activist used the opportunity Obama gave him last night to preach his hate to thousands of African-Americans. ... As for Obama, he did a taped introduction in which he praised McClurkin, the religious right activist, as one of his favorites. That's nice, because the way to help combat homophobia in the black community is to make sure the gay-basher is first endorsed by someone as high-ranking as Obama, who then chooses to say nothing about the gay-bashing. --AMERICAblog

Obama's campaign now says that McClurkin only wants to cure the unhappy gays. (The rest of us are, I guess, fine to continue trying to kill America's children.) --AMERICAblog

And I have to say, I’m not buying it -- I think when Obama booked McClurkin he was engaging in dog-whistle outreach, and when people got pissed he just didn’t want to take responsibility for it. --Firedoglake

This looks like Obama is giving a wink and a nod to bigots. And that's consistent with campaigns that do not empower progressives at the top level; this concert should have been killed a month ago in meetings of staffers where the progressive got up on the table and screams no. It should have been killed on Monday when that advisor could have talked to Aravosis and asked 'how big a deal is this', and brought that feedback into the campaign. But that advisor doesn't exist, and so the South Carolina consultant who thinks that McLurkin is the route to votes in the state won by defaut. --Open Left

This isn't simply a mistake, despite what I first wrote. ... Hopefully, at the very least, the downfall of Obama's campaign will serve as a warning to anyone else in the Democratic Party who wants to harness the activism of the netroots to win, but who distances him or herself from the netroots in order to look palatable to the establishment. You can't throw us under the bus and expect us to still support you forever. --Open Left

We cannot, we must not abandon our full and vocal support for the right of gays, lesbians, bisexuals, and transmen and transwomen to be full and equal participants in our society. That's a bigger issue than any campaign, and a more important fundamental calling than any single race. In short, a candidate for the Democratic endorsement should be willing to lose before they abandon a commitment to equality. And the fact that you seem to put winning ahead of equality for gays and lesbians tells me that you are not somebody I can support for president. --Shakesville

Is he really saying that 1) fighting for a tolerant "faith community" is impossible because 2) it is vehemently, inherently, and un-redeemably homophobic? I know for a fact the latter point is not true, so this truly looks like a big STFU for a politician who suddenly doesn't like the second-guessing of his actions.

This is truly an epic flameout by the Obama campaign, engaged in actions that are completely indefensible. Those of you who continue to try and rationalize it -- would you be making the same exculpatory arguments if it was George W. Bush doing the things Obama is doing right now? Or one of the rival campaigns? --Daily Kos

... you know what I'm damn well tired of? Being told my concerns as a Democratic voter in a Democratic primary aren't as important as those of "independents" or "centrists" or whatever it is we're calling assholes who can't make up their minds these days.

I'm getting really fucking sick of being told my concerns are out of reach because addressing them might piss off some whiny pussy who thinks it's just too much for her to think about, the whole "equal protection under the law" thing, who equates co-existence with having something "shoved down my throat," who thinks "other people might be uncomfortable" is a legitimate reason to refrain from letting right be done. ...

YOU'RE IN A DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR THE LOVE OF GOD.

TRY GETTING DEMOCRATIC VOTES.

Try doing things that appeal to passionate, involved, activist Democrats. --First Draft