protesting prop 8 in washington, dc

We hope you were able to attend one of the more than 300 protests around the country today in opposition to California's Proposition 8 which reversed marriage equality.

We were able to attend the march on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. and were happy to join with thousands of others in support of equal rights for all families. There was very little resistance and lots of those on the roads were honking and waving in support, including a Metro bus driver. The march began at the Reflecting Pool in front of the U.S. Capitol and ended at the White House, where a helicopter could be seen landing toward the end of the march. Wonder if President Bush witnessed our demonstration?


Throughout the march, protesters chanted: "What do we want? EQUAL RIGHTS. When do we want it? NOW!" It was an invigorating experience for those involved as they marched on Washington, many for the first time. Signs read, "Hate is not a family value," "Let's vote on your marriage," among hundreds of other creative slogans against hate.

People were fired up for marriage equality. Even pouring rain didn't end our march for rights!


If you have pictures and stories from protests in North Texas, send us a note at northtexasliberal@gmail.com. We'd love to hear from you about your experience.

We've already heard that over 2,000 people attended the rally in Austin. We're proud of our fellow Texans for standing up for equality!

UPDATE: Pictures from the Houston rally can be found here and pictures from Austin here. Thanks for the tips!

secretary of state clinton?

All of the hard work that Sen. Hillary Clinton put in by hitting the campaign trail and making eloquent and passionate speeches on behalf of Barack Obama was paid off on Election Day, but she may be in for yet another reward.

Rumor has it that President-Elect Obama is not interested in the names that are vying for the Secretary of State slot in his new administration, such as Sen. John Kerry and Gov. Bill Richardson.

Two Obama advisers have told NBC News that Hillary Clinton is under consideration to be secretary of state. Would she be interested? Those who know Clinton say possibly. But her office says that any decisions about the transition are up to the president-elect and his team.

Speculation increased after Clinton boarded a flight to Chicago today, though an adviser claimed it was for personal business.

UPDATE: ABC News has a a knowledgeable source calling talks of Clinton being tapped "very serious" and Politico reports Obama sources calling her "the favorite."

grandma returns (strayhorn to run for austin mayor)

Remember One Tough Grandma?

Carole Keeton Strayhorn, former State Comptroller and Austin mayor, is ready to jump back into the political scene after a failed bid for governor in 2006.

Burnt Orange Report says that Strayhorn has appointed a treasurer and filed necessary paperwork to run for mayor of Austin.

This should be interesting!

Strayhorn served as Austin's mayor for three terms, from 1977 to 1983. Her resume also includes several other notable accomplishments:

She is the first woman elected as mayor of Austin and the first Austin mayor elected to three consecutive terms. She was the first woman elected to the Texas Railroad Commission and the first woman elected as comptroller. She also was the first woman to serve as president of the Austin school board and as president of the Austin Community College board.

Throughout Strayhorn's lengthy career in Texas politics, she has been a Democrat, a Republican, and most recently an independent. We hear that the mayor position in Austin is supposed to be non-partisan, but we still wonder what she'll be this time!

it's not over (dems fight on in three states)

You may have thought that the elections were over and done with as soon as you heard the words "President-Elect," but three Democrats across the country are fighting on for Senate seats as their races are still too close to call.

In Minnesota, comedian-turned-politician Al Franken is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Norm Coleman. The state is undertaking what appears to be a recount as only about 200 votes separate the two candidates.

Down in Georgia, Democratic candidate Jim Martin has forced Republican Sen. Saxby Chambliss into a runoff election. We'll know the fate of that Senate seat after the results come in from the Dec. 2 contest. (By the way, Chambliss seems to think that he's in a runoff because so many black people voted in Georgia.)

And finally, there's a showdown taking place in Sarah Palin's stomping grounds of Alaska! It seems that voters, even those that are traditonally Republican, don't take kindly to their senator being convicted of three felonies during a re-election campaign. Alaskan officials are still counting the votes, which at last count showed Anchorage Mayor Mark Begich ahead by a razor-thin margin of only three votes. The state Democratic Party is "cautiously optimistic."

It's going to take hard work, but Democrats could win these three seats. And if that were to happen, they would be entering the next session of Congress with a filibuster-proof supermajority of 60 solid Democratic votes, with or without Joe Lieberman in the caucus.

We can't wait to see the results of these exciting races! We'll keep you posted on the outcomes. In the meantime, please consider making contributions to Jim Martin's runoff campaign in Georgia.

stop the hate, defeat prop 8

This weekend, thousands upon thousands of people of all stripes will gather at designated sites across the nation in order to protest the inevitable passage of California's Proposition 8, a constitutional amendment that will likely repeal the legal marriages of thousands of gay couples in that state.

There are two events of this kind in North Texas, so take your pick and show up to one or the other. The time for silence is over. It's time to stand up and fight for our rights and the rights of our family, friends, and neighbors.

PROP 8 PROTESTS

Dallas
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 @ 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Dallas City Hall @ 1500 Marilla Dr.
FACEBOOK PAGE

Denton
WHEN: Saturday Nov. 15, 2008 @ 12:30 p.m.
WHERE: Courthouse on the Square @ 110 W. Hickory St.
FACEBOOK PAGE

honoring our veterans

stop the hate - dallas protest tomorrow

Stop the hate in Dallas!

Here's your chance to speak out against bigotry and hate in our hometown.

Tomorrow morning, a local church called First Baptist Dallas plans to give a hateful sermon preaching about why it's not okay to be gay. If you disagree with this assessment and think that it's okay, in your eyes and God's, to be who you are, please attend tomorrow's protest.

Please be at 1707 San Jacinto in Dallas tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. for the protest.

brimer not letting go

Apparently, Kim Brimer isn't ready to let go.

PoliTex says that this afternoon, the Wendy Davis campaign had yet to receive a congratulatory call, and no concession statement had been made from the state senator, a Tarrant County Republican.

Brimer, who lost by about 7,000 votes to the former Fort Worth City Councilwoman, was unavailable for comment when called Tuesday night by the Star-Telegram. His campaign spokesman, Jarod Cox, said they were waiting for more complete results before commenting.

When 100 percent of the precincts were reported by Tarrant County elections officials late Tuesday night, Brimer still did not call with a comment.

Let's no be quick to judge this is a poor sportsmanship- after all, it's a definite possibility that Brimer really isn't ready to let go and that he'll continue to challenge Davis' eligibility even after her election.

tie game (dems make gains in texas house)

Texas Democrats may have failed to elect any of their statewide slate yesterday, but they did make inroads in the Texas Legislature.

With most of the races completed, Democrats have picked up a net gain of three seats in the 150-member House. They flipped six seats that had been held by Republicans and lost three of their own seats. And there's an Irving seat where GOP incumbent Linda Harper-Brown has eeked by with a 25-vote margin (out of 40,700 votes cast), but there are still provisional ballots to count and a recount in the race is almost certain.

If the Democrats are able to flip Harper-Brown's seat in a recount, then the Texas House would be tied with 75 Republican members and 75 Democrats. That could mean that a speaker race which could end with a Democrat as Speaker of the Texas House.

As we head into redistricting, it's more important than ever to have Democrats in control of the state legislature. And it's looking more and more like a real possibility after yesterday.

wendy wins! (davis defeats brimer in sd10)

After a grueling campaign in which her opponent continuously plagued the campaign with legal battles, former Ft. Worth city councilwoman Wendy Davis is the winner in Senate District 10.

Tarrant County voters chose to send change to Austin, rejecting the same old divisive Republican tricks offered by Kim Brimer.

Congratulations, Wendy! You endured a hard-fought campaign and we hope you're enjoying this moment- we can't wait for you to get to work in Austin to continue your tradition of making Tarrant County and Texas better with your service. Thank you, and way to go!

OBAMA ELECTED PRESIDENT

Sen. Barack Obama, an Illinois Democrat, has been elected president of the United States, according to major network projections.

real-time election results on twitter

North Texas Liberal will keep you updated on real-time election results at our Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/nortexlib

vote vote vote vote vote vote vote

this is it

It seemed like this day would never come, but it's finally here.

Today is Election Day 2008. Hopefully, by tonight we'll know who'll be our next president.

With your help and your vote, we can usher in a new progressive era of hope and change. We can elect Democrats up and down the ballot that will help make the necessary reforms that will get our country headed back in the right direction. The results of this most consequential election will determine the future of our country. No less hangs in the balance.

Many have speculated what this country would look like if Al Gore had become the president eight years ago instead of George W. Bush. Let's not spend the next eight years wondering what might have been. Let's make our hopes and dreams a reality. Let's vote for real progress, instead of divisive Washington politics that's gotten us nowhere.

Let our vote be a resounding demand to end the war in Iraq, work toward universal health care, end tax cuts for corporations outsourcing our jobs, and become independent from foreign oil by investing in new and alternative forms of energy. Let our vote tell the government that we will no longer accept it prying into our bedrooms and doctor's offices, but will instead send it where it's most needed- our schools.

Most of all, let our vote tell the youth of this country that we care about their future. That we want them to inherit an earth better than that which we received.

We hope you'll take the time to vote today, if you haven't already. Vote for your future. And vote for ours.

North Texas Liberal endorses Barack Obama for president of the United States.