The Waterboy

The following letter to the editor was printed in the Denton Record-Chronicle on August 19, 2006 [reprinted with permission of the author].

If Congressman Burgess as­pires to an acting career, as William Trantham quips (DR-C, Letters, Aug. 10), instead of auditioning for Slackers, Part II, he might consider a staring role in a sequel to The Waterboy.

This seems more consistent with his present experience — carrying water for the Bush ad­ministration and kindred special interests.

Such adulation is evident in his facile correspondence to middle- and working-class constituents who offer citizen input.

This correspondence generally starts with the most generic and embarrassingly simple recapitulation of the issue about which the constituent has written and concludes with a summary of and enthusiastic praise for the Bush administration’s position on the issue.

Oddly, while Michael Burgess may spend little time thinking about the average citizen’s views, he always notes that he is grateful that we have shared our thoughts with him.

I guess it’s just nice to know what the “rabble” thinks. I wonder if his more generous, special-interest contributors (the minority who provide disproportionate financial power to his campaign) get comparable treatment.

While I can’t suggest a single reason that Mr. Trantham may want to vote for the incumbent, I believe his Democratic challenger, Tim Barnwell, is an extremely capable and diligent opponent.

What’s more, he is likely less beholden to special interests and more able to truly represent the people of District 26.

Although Mr. Trantham and I differ about movie casting for Congressman Burgess, we seem to share the hope that he will find more suitable work in the not-too-distant future.

Arnold Collins,
Denton

Let's help Burgess find his true calling. Click here to vote for Tim Barnwell in the Progressive Patriots Fund. (He'll get a $5000 campaign contribution if he earns the most votes in this poll.) It's the last day to vote and he needs your support. Get used to putting a check by Tim's name. It'll be good practice for this fall.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the Barnwell campaign. Join me.]

events tomorrow in denton & collin counties

Tomorrow (Saturday, August 19) will see a full day of Democratic events in both Collin and Denton counties. Please consider attending these exciting events to support your local candidates in North Texas.

The Highland Village Balloon Fest will continue tomorrow at Copperas Branch Park. Highland Village is located off of I-35 E near Lake Lewisville. This weekend marks the event's twentieth anniversary. After you check out the hot air balloons and other activities, make sure to head over to the booth hosted by the Denton County Democratic Party to meet several local candidates, including Tim Barnwell, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives from the 26th District.

At 7pm, join Democratic candidate for Collin County Commissioner in Precinct 2, Bill Baumbach, for Burgers with Bill. The event will take place at Fuddruckers in Plano (located at 2205 N. Central Expressway, Ste. 100). Kids are welcome and vegetarian options will be available. Event coordinators suggest a $25 donation to the Baumbach campaign.

Also at 7pm, the Amy Manuel campaign will host a house party in Lewisville. Join the candidate and her friends and supporters for wine, cheese, and other refreshments. Event coordinators suggest a donation of $10 or more. Please contact John McClelland for more information, including directions. Help Amy Manuel get elected as the next Denton County Commissioner in Precinct 2!

progressive patriots: vote for barnwell

Senator Russ Feingold (D-Wisconsin) has chosen several congressional candidates from key races across the country for inclusion in his Progressive Patriots Fund. The candidate with the most votes by August 23 will receive a $5,000 contribution from the fund.

This poll gives us an opportunity to support a Democrat from North Texas who is running for Congress this November. Tim Barnwell is running against Rep. Michael Burgess, a Flower Mound Republican, in the 26th Congressional District. Of the twelve candidates, he's the only one from Texas. We encourage you to cast a vote for Barnwell and demand change here in North Texas. The generous donation from the Progressive Patriots Fund would be an important and vital contribution to the Barnwell campaign.

Click here to vote for Tim Barnwell in the Progressive Patriots Fund!

Highland Village Balloon Fest

Join congressional candidate Tim Barnwell and your fellow Democrats this weekend at the Highland Village Balloon Fest.

The festival, in its twentieth year, is sponsored by the Lion's Club and features a Friday night balloon glow, balloon launches and competitions, arts and crafts, raffles, sky divers and more. So bring the family, and be sure to check out the Denton County Democratic Party booth for information on your local candidates.

When: August 18 & 19, 2006
Where: Copperas Branch Park - Highland Village

There is still time to volunteer, and we'll make sure you have plenty of time to check out the balloons and events. See you there!

local candidates interviewed: manuel & barnwell

Check out Whosplayin.com's interview with Amy Manuel, candidate for Denton County Commissioner, Precinct 2.

I have been a Democrat all of my life. My father was a precinct captain for President Johnson and my mother still refers to herself as a “yellow dog”. I am also distantly related to former DNC Chair Robert Strauss.

My religion plays a major role in political beliefs as well. I was raised a Reformed Jew in Southeast Texas. Reformed Jews tend to be liberal. We are encouraged from a very young age use logic and reason to understand what we believe and not just accept on faith. Jews also have an obligation to tikkun olam, which means to mend, heal and repair the world. This obligation implies an obligation to the environment, as well as, an obligation to care for and help those who are less fortunate. My religion is also grounded in science and education. I have always felt that the Democratic Party has a greater dedication to the environment, science, education and to helping the less fortunate than other political parties.

Also, Democratic candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in the 26th District, Tim Barnwell, was recently interviewed for Burnt Orange Report by John McClelland.

....We have a Congress that has abandoned the will of the American people, and has not faithfully discharged the duties assigned to them under the Constitution of the United States. Lobbyists now write legislation. Too much money changes hands. People come out of Congress much richer than they went in.

The incumbent Congressman in our district, is a perfect example of this: He owns stock in a petroleum company, took over $60,000 in their campaign contributions, and then voted for an enormous corporate welfare package to the industry even as they made record profits, charging us all $3 per gallon at the pump. A recent check shows my opponent owns stock in 4 major pharmaceutical companies, and voted for the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage plan that forbids the government from negotiating prices with the drug companies. He should have recused himself.

Finally, I remember visiting the monuments and memorials when my son Josh and I went to Washington D.C. a couple of years ago. In a quiet, unassuming spot lay a simple well-worn stone laid in honor to the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Upon this stone are written these words from the final paragraph: "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." This really stuck with me……and I’ve decided to pledge my life, fortune and honor in serving the people of the 26th District.

To help these great North Texas candidates, visit their websites, contribute what you can, and contact their volunteer coordinators for more information on how to get involved with the campaign. Tim Barnwell and Amy Manuel would appreciate your support.

Barnwell for the 26th Congressional District

Check out victory06's diary on Texas Kaos outlining Tim Barnwell's platform for the 26th Congressional District in Texas.

TIM BARNWELL and a Democratic Congress will:

- fight to raise the minimum wage and repeal subsidies for companies that send our jobs overseas.

- overturn Republican cuts in financial assistance to college students.

- repeal the Republican bill that denied competition in drug pricing for Medicare Part D, and will work toward health coverage for all Americans.

- return to the fiscal responsibility of the Clinton years and reduce the deficit and the debt.

- champion stem cell research, providing hope to millions of Americans for cures from catastrophic diseases.

- promote alternative fuels, fuel efficiency, and reduce dependency on foreign oil.

- follow up on the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission and demand oversight of the administration’s build-up to and conduct of the war on Iraq.

With your help, Tim Barnwell will go to Washington to help accomplish all these goals. Please join us in this exciting opportunity to show the country what North Texas really believes in and will fight for.

MAKE A CONTRIBUTION OR VOLUNTEER AT barnwellforcongress.com

Residents of the 26th Congressional District deserve better. Let's work together to send Tim Barnwell to Congress in 2007.

[Disclaimer: I volunteer for the Barnwell campaign. Join me.]

"The Big Buy" Showing at Peace Action Denton

If you haven't seen The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress, Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck's documentary on the fall of Tom DeLay, here's your chance. The Peace Action Denton group will be showing the movie this Saturday as part of their quarterly meeting. Congressional candidate Tim Barnwell will be saying a few words before the viewing of the film.

WHAT: Denton, Texas screening of The Big Buy

WHEN: Saturday, July 08 2006 07:00 PM

WHERE: Trinity Presbyterian Church, 2200 Bell (at Sherman), Denton

TICKET PRICE: FREE, RSVP required below

TIME: 5:30 P.M. Quarterly General Membership Meeting with Potluck supper - everyone invited. Movie starts at 7:00 PM.

Special Guest Congressional District 26 Candidate Tim Barnwell, who is running against Michael Burgess, will make a short presentation before the film.

Admission is free and film is followed by discussion. Please visit our website for information on all our upcoming events.

HOSTED BY: Peace Action Denton.

Disclaimer: I volunteer for the Barnwell campaign. Join me.

state convention 2006 - friday

Two of the four NTL bloggers were delegates to the 2006 State Democratic Convention and we were honored to attend. We drove to Ft. Worth, which is only about thirty minutes away from us (we were obviously in North Texas to begin with). On Friday, we headed to the convention center. I received a badge that declared me a Tim Barnwell volunteer and then went to sign in at the SD9 booth and get my credentials.

I spent a couple of hours wandering around the exhibit hall visiting the various candidates and caucuses at their booths. After I figured that I'd seen everything (and spent $5 on a granola bar and a Diet Coke due to a lack of vegetarian options), I went to the Grassroots Training Caucus put on by the Texas Democratic Party. It was pretty basic (I already knew most of what the lady was telling us... I learned it firsthand during our April canvass here in Denton County). I ducked out early enough to attend the Universal Healthcare Caucus. It was really interesting to learn what it was all about because, while I'm an advocate of healthcare reform, I haven't had time to research the plan for universal healthcare.

I met up with some area Democrats from around Flower Mound and Denton County at the Senate District 9 Caucus. We called the caucus to order and voted on our next SDEC Members. Marvin Sutton was re-elected as the SD9 Committeeman. As Christine Asberry is resigning from her post because she's moving to another SD, there was a contentious race for the Committeewoman position. Carol Wise, a big Maxey supporter from the Denton area, barely lost out to Susan Culp, a Richie supporter from Grand Prairie. Denton County's caucus unanimously voted for Carol Wise in the runoff vote, but Susan Culp still prevailed to become the SD9 Committeewoman. I'm not against Culp, but I would have preferred Wise simply because of the accessibility issue. I know that she attends the Executive Committee meetings in Denton so I'd have been able to contact her easily for anything I needed.

After the SD9 Caucus, we had only a few minutes to try and grab something to eat. A few of us ventured past the Iraq protestors (one woman told us that we should join the protest... when we told her that we needed to eat, she asked us to think of the soldiers in Iraq that had to face 120 degree weather and forgo dinner to protest; needless to say, we didn't) to find somewhere to eat. When we realized that the convention was going to convene in about fifteen minutes and the wait at the Hilton was twenty minutes, we headed back to the convention center. Only two of our group of six or seven braved the line at the concessions stand (including myself). I paid $10 for a burrito (rice, beans, cheese, lettuce, and tomato) and a Diet Coke.

After dinner, we rushed into the arena just in time for the invocation and the first speakers. We were very excited to hear General Wesley Clark speak. He was very charismatic and really got the convention off to a great start. Democrats all across the arena were fired up and giving him a standing ovation. We later heard from the Secretary of State of New Mexico, who was inspirational and obviously excited about being a Democrat. I was confused as to why she was there because we're in Texas, not New Mexico, but she was a good speaker nonetheless. An entertaining speaker followed in State Senator Leticia Van de Putte. Capitol Annex live-blogged her speech here and here.

It was also wonderful to hear from gubernatorial candidate Chris Bell. Many people had already heard Bell speak at his other appearances (he also went to a few labor caucuses at the convention in addition to his many campaign stops across the state). This was reflected in the fact that probably about fifteen percent of the delegates had trickled out of the arena by the time Bell was introduced by his lovely wife. The crowd screamed and applauded loudly for Bell. Many of his supporters (including myself) held blue signs that read Bell for Governor. We waved them in the air after he punctuated each of his points.

After the convention wrapped up, I headed back home. Expect a blog from TT soon, who had the opportunity to meet several prominent bloggers, including Anna from Annatopia and Vince Leibowitz from Capitol Annex, at the Blogger's Caucus. Look forward to that, as well as my upcoming post about Saturday's events. (Yes, Saturday has passed and the convention's over, but I figured it would be better to break it up into two posts. It will be better for the both of us. Expect a blog on day two of the TDP Convention tomorrow.)

Fan Mail for Congressman Burgess

In the latest issue of The News Connection, writer and columnist Stephen Webster has an op-ed entitled "An Open Letter to Congressman Michael C. Burgess." Mr. Webster, it seems, has a few issues with his representative, and it's personal.

Our workers - MY friends - who toil away hours upon hours, have lost their overtime pay protections, and you helped that happen. Our military reservists and National Guard members, nearly 40 percent of whom do not have health care, really needed that expansion of TRICARE, but you did not see fit to give it to them. And what was with that vote to cut federal student aid by $12.6 BILLION? One of my own siblings was thrown off the Pell Grant fund because of that. Not to make things personal, but family is family.

Looking over your list of contributors, one cannot help but wonder what it is like to enjoy the support of today’s Reigning Oligarchs. Corporations like TXU, AT&T, Pfizer and General Electric are not your constituents, nor do they represent the interests of any of those who reside in your district. Despite this, your War Chest is full of their dollars; your votes, seemingly directed by their financial interests. Perhaps that is why you have accepted nearly $60,000 from big drug industry interests since you began your political career. One only has to look at who you were most swayed by when it comes to the debate over Internet Neutrality: you supported the telecom giants in their effort to set up toll booths across our lines of communication. It is the People’s Internet, Congressman. Remember that. Should this bill pass the Senate, and our digital first amendment lies in pieces, we will be angry. Very angry. Rest assured.

Touting “Conservative Values” will get you only so far. Big talk requires bold action, yet you voted for the Bush Budget, which authorized the accumulation of the most debt in the history of all this nation’s presidents, combined. With the passage of this deceptive bill, we, the citizens, are responsible for paying in excess of $30,000 per person. And then, to top it all off, Bush altered the bill, adding more pork-barrel spending to it, AFTER it passed Congress. He signed it into law without the approval of your governing body. You do know that is a violation of the Constitution, right? Every sixth grader knows the process of how a bill becomes a law. You have remained silent despite this illegal action; a direct violation of everything this nation stands for. That is inexcusable.

And Webster's still only getting warmed up. In the Bush administration's pay-to-play congress, Representative Burgess has been the most obliging of rubber-stamps. It's an amazing record, really, considering he was only elected to congress in 2002.

North Texas deserves better. This fall, there is an alternative. Tim Barnwell is running against Michael Burgess for the Texas 26th Congressional District. Tim supports restoring the original PAY-GO rules to curb the growth of government spending. He doesn't believe we should bankrupt our government to provide tax cuts to the ultra-rich. He wants to keep the internet free of the corporate power grab that would curtail free speech and innovation. He wants restored funding to our veterans' programs so that those who serve their country will receive the benefits we promised them. He believes it's time to wake up and get serious about our energy dependence, and the vulnerability in which it leaves our country. Visit his website, and if you like what you see, make a donation. Help put someone in Congress who speaks for you and your interests, not big business and the penthouse elite.

Disclaimer: I volunteer for the Barnwell campaign. Join me.

stories from a dnc canvass

All four of the current contributors to the NTL blog participated in today's DNC Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day, one of the many events planned to implement Howard Dean's Fifty State Strategy. We joined members of the Flower Mound Democrats at a local restaurant and exchanged literature and ideas before heading off in pairs to different precincts around the area. We had block-walkers from Flower Mound, Lewisville, Double Oak, Highland Village, and Grapevine; all of us were incredibly enthusiastic and ready to show other members of the community that the Democrats have an agenda and that it is a clear alternative to the Republicans. Some of us used voter rolls to target Democratic households in an effort to get the base fired up, while others went from door to door spreading information on the Democratic plan for America and handing out literature about our great local candidates, such as Tim Barnwell, the Democratic challenger for Rep. Burgess. We talked to many registered voters that were ready for a change and were excited to see action from the Democrats in what is largely considered a conservative bastion.

I'm sure the other NTL contributors will share their canvassing experiences on the blog in the coming days, so keep an eye out for our stories from a DNC Canvass. It was the first time that most of us had participated in this sort of event, but we learned a lot and are fired up and ready to do it again. We're ready to bring the Democrats out of the woodwork. We're already planning on follow-up mailing materials, etc.

Also, if you participated in another similar event sponsored by a different area group such as the Dallas County Democrats or the Denton County Democrats or one of the local offshoots in the suburbs, please share your experiences through the comment feature here at the blog! Together we can really make a difference in North Texas through a progressive grassroots movement.

texas reps vote to "sell out" the internet

Internet users in Texas should be ashamed of their delegates to the U.S. Congress. Texan members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee Rep. Michael Burgess (R) of Flower Mound, Rep. Joe Barton (R) of Ennis, Rep. Ralph Hall (R) of Rockwall, Rep. Charles Gonzalez (D) of San Antonio, and Rep. Gene Green (D) of San Antonio all voted to "sell out the Internet" by rejecting the Markey Amendment, which would protect Net Neutrality.

Texans, please contact your representative in D.C. and let them now that you are disappointed in his vote that would favor the communications companies over his constituents. Learn more about how Net Neutrality affects you from a previous post at NTL.

It's a sad day when Texas Democrats will vote against the will of the people. The Democrats cannot claim to be a populist party if they vote like corporate-minded Republicans. Please take the time to send an email to Rep. Green and Rep. Gonzalez, letting them know that they have let us all down as Texas Democrats. (This vote is expected of former Democrat Rep. Ralph Hall, who became a Republican in 2004 when he formally endorsed President Bush's re-election campaign.)

Rep. Joe Barton, an Ennis Republican, is one of the co-sponsors of this bill and his mind probably can't be changed (for fear he'd be casted as North Texas's very own flip-flopper), but if enough constituents in CD 26 express their outrage concerning Rep. Michael Burgess's anti-consumer and anti-small business vote, it's possible that he'll change his mind. Democrat Tim Barnwell, who will challenge Rep. Burgess for his seat in November, has come out in favor of Net Neutrality.

denton county democratic convention

This past Saturday, I was a delegate to the Denton County Democratic Convention. The convention was opened with a speech from Lt. Governor candidate Maria Luisa Alvarado. She expressed her desire for a stronger Texas for every Texan and promised to bring her Democratic values to the very important post in Texas government. She asked that all Texans vote for her in the runoff on April 11 and beyond that in November.

After Alvarado's address, Denton County Party Chair Edra Bogle addressed her last convention. In May, she will be succeeded by John Gossett, who served as secretary to the convention. Mrs. Bogle called the convention to order and implemented some parliamentary procedures and then we were under way.

Some key speeches included a rousing address from candidate for U.S. Congress, District 26, Tim Barnwell. He talked about how the constituents in his district range greatly; some live in a gated community in Flower Mound and others live in a rough area of Fort Worth. He's running on principles, though, principles that should extend past those barriers. Rep. Michael Burgess has outstayed his welcome in the 26th District and it's time for a change.

Amy Manuel, running for Denton County Commissioner Precinct 2, gave a speech, as well as the Democrat running for State House, District 64, John McLeod. McLeod faces stiff competition from popular Republican Myra Crownover in November.

Some candidates sent representatives to speak in their stead. One of your NTL bloggers proudly spoke on behalf of Barbara Ann Radnofsky, candidate for U.S. Senate. The crowd overwhelmingly showed support for Radnofsky as Jennifer urged the delegates not to vote for perennial loser Gene Kelly on April 11.

Another candidate represented by a campaign worker was Glen Maxey. Maxey ran the No Nonsense in November campaign last year against Prop 2. This year, he is running for State Party Chair. The representative urged all delegates that would go on to the State Convention to cast their vote for Maxey.

After candidate speeches, delegates were chosen for the State Convention. Yours truly will represent Senate District 9 and Denton County this June at the State Convention in Fort Worth. I'm very excited about it and will definitely come back bearing many reports, endorsements, etc.

After a short recess, Edra reconvened the convention to vote on resolutions. The Denton County Party will send several resolutions, including national healthcare and anti-war messages to the State Convention. At the state level, they will have the chance to be embedded within the party platform.

The convention ended with a speech from Lt. Governor candidate Ben Z. Grant. Grant will face Alvarado in an April 11 runoff. Grant famously rode a horse to the Constitutional Convention in the 1970s and is a former Texas lawmaker that was considered a member of the "Dirty Thirty." He asked the delegates for their vote in the primary so he could get back down to Austin and sort out the Republican corruption.

The convention, overall, was a huge success. I was proud to be a part of politics in action and felt like I was really doing something to help better the Democratic Party here in Texas. I can't wait till June when the State Convention will convene. It will be a huge honor to participate. A large number of area Democrats have been elected as delegates to attend, and Denton County will be well-represented.

Meet Tim Barnwell - Candidate for TX-26

Tim Barnwell is running for Congressional District 26 against Republican Michael Burgess. Come to the Flower Mound Democrats meeting THIS MONDAY, meet Mr. Barnwell and mingle with some like-minded citizens:

When: Monday, March 13, 2006
7:00 p.m.

Where: Landmark Grill
1297 Justin Road
Lewisville, TX 75077
(972) 317-4867

Let's turn out and show some support for a worthy candidate!

Update: [3-13-2006]
Listen to Mr. Barnwell's podcast at the News Connection.