special sessions can be fun

Yesterday, the two houses of the Texas State Legislature kicked off one of their famous thirty-day special sessions. Since the Texas Constitution only requires our lawmakers to meet once every two years, the governor has to call special sessions to get things done. Unfortunately, because this is Texas, the Lege still can't get anything done. Ever. As Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst called the Senate to order, his gavel broke. He remarked, "I hope that's not a reflection on the session." Inevitably, it will be.

Besides Governor Rick Perry's "tax relief" proposals, some of the interesting bills and resolutions introduced so far include:

• A pay raise for school employees by up to $2,000, and more funding for high schools to promote graduation rates; introduced by Sen. Florence Shapiro, a Republican from Plano.
• A law that would make it a misdemeanor to disrupt funerals, in response to the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas (operated by evangelist/freak Fred Phelps) and their vociferous anti-gay protests at funerals of fallen soldiers; introduced by Sen. Robert Duncan, a Republican from Lubbock.
• A resolution to honor Karl Rove "as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives" for his supposed service to Texas and the country; introduced by Rep. Tony Goolsby, a Republican from Dallas.
• Resolutions to replace Rep. Carl Isett, a Lubbock Republican, and Rep. Frank Corte Jr., a San Antonio Republican, with their wives, as they are both serving currently in Iraq; introduced by Rep. Harvey Hildebran, a Republican from Kerrville, and Rep. Delwin Jones, a Republican from Lubbock.
  

In other interesting news, Sen. Royce West, a Democrat from Dallas, was sworn in as President Pro-Tempore of the Senate, making him second in line for gubernatorial succession. If both Perry and Dewhurst are out of the state, West will act as governor. Also, gubernatorial hopeful and State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn made an unexpected announcement of more than double the expected budget surplus: $8.2 billion. Strayhorn's suprise announcement leads us nicely into a short discussion of Perry's tax plan. The "tax relief" legislation has been broken down into five pieces of legislation introduced by several different Republicans in the Lege.

1. Rep. Warren Chisum of Pampa, Rep. Rob Eissler of the Woodlands, and Rep. Dan Branch of Dallas introduced HB 1, a bill considering tax relief by reducing school district property tax rates by seventeen cents.
   
2. Rep. Jim Pitts of Waxahachie introduced HB 2, a bill that would send revenue from the five separate tax bills to help buy down property taxes.
   
3. Rep. Jim Keffer of Eastland, Rep. John Otto of Dayton, and Rep. Vilma Luna of Corpus Christi introduced HB 3, a bill that would revise (read: increase) franchise tax provisions.
   
4. Rep. David Swinford of Amarillo introduced HB 4, a bill that would modify (read: increase) tax on the use and sale of motor vehicles.
   
5. Rep. Peggy Hamric of Houston introduced HB 5, a bill that would modify (read: increase) taxes on tobacco products such as cigarettes.

Perry has called the special session primarily to pass his tax intiatives because of a recent Texas Supreme Court ruling that made the current school finance system (Robin Hood) illegal by holding it unconstitutional. The Lege has a deadline of June 1 to pass school finance reform. Perry's plan would trade higher taxes on smokers and business-owners for lower property taxes. It was partially devised by former Comptroller John Sharp, a Democrat.

Strayhorn's "extraordinary" announcement of a surplus of $8.2 billion dollars may prove an impediment to Perry's tax legislation getting passed. As noted by Lt. Governor Dewhurst, the Republicans want "to return as much of the surplus to the taxpayers [as possible] because it's taxpayers' money." Dewhurst has commented on the heavy support of Perry's plan but has stopped short of formally endorsing it. Speculators say that many House members would prefer not to vote on a major tax bill this year, instead taking a temporary approach to fulfilling the Supreme Court's mandate.

Rep. Jim Dunnam, a Waco Democrat and the leader of the House Democratic Caucus, urged careful spending of the projected surplus. "We can do both, have meaningful property tax relief and provide more money for schools," he said.

Stay tuned. It looks as if this special session, which must adjourn by May 16, could get interesting. Who says special sessions aren't fun?

white house hustle

White House Press Secretary (and son of Texas gubernatorial hopeful Carole Keeton Strayhorn) Scott McClellan has announced his resignation from the post. McClellan has served as Press Secretary since the resignation of his predecessor, Ari Fleischer, in July 2003. Bush complimented McClellan's "class, integrity" and gestured that it would be "hard to replace Scott."

In the same vein, a senior administration official has announced that infamous advisor Karl Rove will no longer oversee policy but will move to a senior advisor post where he will be in charge of "long-term strategic planning." The deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget, Joel Kaplan, will take Rove's place in policy development.

These personnel changes could be those warned about by the new White House Chief of Staff, Josh Bolten. After Andrew Card's resignation and Bolten took the position, he promised to "refresh and re-energize" the Bush administration and issued an ultimatum for administration officials: if you want to go, leave now.

A HuffPo commenter from New Hampshire asks that we get the former Iraqi Minister of Information for McClellan's replacement, because "at least [Mohammed Saeed al-Sahaf] was entertaining during his obvious lies." More realistically, perhaps the Bush administration will actually find a White House Press Secretary that can lie to the media without squirming.

may book club meeting

The Flower Mound Democrats Book Club will meet May 19 to discuss Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics by Jerome Armstrong and Markos Moulitsas Zuniga. Armstrong and Zuniga are popular political bloggers; Armstrong is considered to be the "founder of the blogosphere" and Zuniga created the dynamite liberal blog DailyKos.

Book Club will meet at fellow NTL blogger Jennifer's house. For directions and additional information, join the Flower Mound Democrats Yahoo! Group or email Jennifer at jenngeoff@comcast.net. Please join us for food, drinks, and lively political discussion.

(Please note that the book club will no longer meet at the end of April. Please change your calendars to reflect a May 19 meeting.)

All in a Day's Work

Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. Unless, of course, you're Lee Raymond, the Irving, Texas CEO of Exxon Mobil. Mr. Raymond is leaving Exxon and his golden parachute is worth $400 million. From 1993-2005, Mr. Raymond made $686 million, which amounts to a total of $144, 573 each and every day.

Raymond, you will recall, was one of the oil executives who may or may not have conferred with Vice President Dick Cheney on his 2001 Energy Task Force. He denied it before Congress, testimony which the Republican leadership made sure was not under oath. That same congress (whose members earn an average annual salary of $165,200) also scoffed at the concept of a windfall tax on Exxon Mobil's $36 billion profit (a profit, mind you, greater than the GDP of more than half the world's nations.) Of course, you can bet the Republican Party, and to a lesser extent the Democratic Party, too, have seen a bit of that largesse. But what's a million here or there when you have the Bush-Cheney cabal to make your dreams reality? The energy bill of 2005 was such a corporate give-away, critics have deemed it the "No Oilman Left Behind Act." That's what the board of Exxon no doubt would consider a good investment.

As far as oil dependency, Raymond has some advice for America. Better get used to it. Global climate change? Raymond is from the Ronald Reagan school of science -- blame it on the plants. Concerns over drilling in the Arctic National Refuge? See Ted Stevens, he'll be happy to explain. In a business hardly known for its tree-huggers, Raymond stands out, unwilling to concede an inch no matter how many people prove him wrong. Kind of reminds you of some other Texans we know, doesn't it?

But back to that corporate compensation package. It isn't all sweetness and light. Even though Bush's tax cuts mean that Mr. Raymond can keep millions more than he might have, he'll still need a few tax breaks. May we suggest a charity?

How about the Intrepid Fallen Heroes Fund? This group is building a rehabilitation center at the Brooke Army Medical Center at Fort Sam Houston to assist wounded soldiers from Iraq or Afghanistan (average daily combat pay bonus $7.50). Or maybe the Fallen Patriot Fund? Established by our own Mark Cuban-- who earned his billions the hard way, by founding a company-- this fund awards grants to families who have lost soldiers in the war. Mark will even match you dollar for dollar up to one million. Too depressing? Well, there is the Texas Military Family Foundation, run by Julie Curtis-Win, who provides soldiers departing Fort Hood things they won't easily find at the front. It would be only fair to send them a little something, considering we sent these folks to war to project our military might over the oil fields of the Middle East.

We launch an illegal war against Saddam Hussein, thousands die and oil moguls get rich. Iraq's oil production is lower now than it was before the war, Iraqis suffer, and oil moguls get rich. Bush sounds the drumbeat of war in Iran, markets get the jitters and oil moguls get rich. Obscenely rich. In today's corporate welfare system, charity begins at home.

"the israel lobby" and anti-semitism

In March, John J. Mearsheimer of the University of Chicago's Department of Political Science and Stephen M.Walt of Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government submitted a working paper titled "The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy." Alan Dershowitz, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard University, was a vocal critic of the paper:

Dean Walt and Professor Mearsheimer wrote that Jews control the media and the government; that we are loyal to Israel rather than to our "host" country; and that we dupe non-Jews, against their best interests, into fighting and dying for our interest. All that was missing from the Walt-Mearsheimer screed was the "blood libel": the medieval accusation that Jews use the blood of Christian children to make Passover matzo. (They came close by asserting another blood libel - namely, that Israeli citizenship is based on "blood kinship," a claim which is demonstrably false.)

In Dershowitz's response paper, he questions the academic validity and the motives of the original working paper. Many academic journals and newspapers condemned the Walt-Mearsheimer paper, including the The Washington Post:

Inept, even kooky academic work, then, but is it anti-Semitic? If by anti-Semitism one means obsessive and irrationally hostile beliefs about Jews; if one accuses them of disloyalty, subversion or treachery, of having occult powers and of participating in secret combinations that manipulate institutions and governments; if one systematically selects everything unfair, ugly or wrong about Jews as individuals or a group and equally systematically suppresses any exculpatory information -- why, yes, this paper is anti-Semitic.

The question, however, remains. Is it correct, let alone anti-Semitic, to accuse "the Israel lobby" of being responsible for Iraq or possible U.S. action in Iran? Yes and no. Anti-Semitism from the Iranian government is at an all-time high and many politicos are worried about the situation in Israel if the U.S. took pre-emptive action in Iran. Others (namely Norman Finkelstein) call Iraq a "Jewish war" and accuse Israel of being the beneficiary in the situation.

It is not inappropriate to foster discussion of the U.S./Israel relationship. It does become an uncomfortable situation when religion becomes a matter of discussion. For example, the Walt-Mearsheimer paper brings back to the table the age-old anti-Semitic rhetoric of a Jewish-controlled media and an "Israel Lobby" of American Jews that decides U.S. foreign policy.

It is inappropriate to liken Israel to Nazi Germany or to liken former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler. Another problem arises when liberal critics of Israel repeat their old diatribe: "I guess you're going to accuse me of anti-Semitism because I criticized Israel." Only the fringe supporters are making those accusations; the majority of those that support Israel welcome open discourse on the subject and do not jump the gun by labeling all critics as anti-Semites. A prime example of this is available for all to see at The Huffington Post. Alan Dershowitz is a star blogger on Arianna Huffington's dynamic group blog. After every post he contributes can be found a long cluster of comments from users kvetching about Mr. Dershowitz, such as this quote from user Paul Rosen:

Stop whining Alan. Calling anybody that criticizes Israeli policy anti-Semitic is growing tiresome. Jews do not have a lock on the use of the Holocaust. It is not an excuse to bulldoze houses, steal land and shoot children. It is not an excuse for Israel to spy on other countries, as has been shown recently in New Zealand and the AIPAC scandal. Your attacks on Finkelstein serve only to show the bankruptcy of your cheerleading the extreme Zionists.

In fact, Dershowitz's blog (linked above) was about Norman Finkelstein. Dershowitz was replying to Finkelstein's assertions that Dershowitz plagiarized his 2003 book The Case for Israel. He did call Finkelstein the prime example of the self-loathing Jew, though that fact is hardly arguable. In another post that was completely unrelated to Israel, Dershowitz commented as a lawyer on the Dick Cheney shooting incident, and despite an overwhelming majority of constructive comments, was greeted with some accusing him of being an Israeli lobbyist, questioning his record as a reputable attorney, and calling into question his morals as a Jew.

Left-wing critics of Israel are so vocal when it comes to slamming Israel's supporters that they have lost sight of the real situation in the Middle East. Israel is not the enemy. Israel is a working democracy in an unstable region that happens to support U.S. interests and in turn, the U.S. has become the key ally in Israel's struggle. It is not anti-Semitic to criticize that: Americans have a priority of national security and investigating America's allies is not out of the question. But questioning the motives of Israel's supporters is out of line. Outrageous assertions of an "Israel Lobby" that controls U.S. foreign policy and the mainstream media does border on anti-Semitism. Liberals, including a large number of American Jews, should be proud that prominent Jews such as Alan Dershowitz never tire in defending the truth about Israel and anti-Semitism.

candidate profile: maría luisa alvarado

María Luisa Alvarado originally planned to serve Texas along with her brother. Felix Alvarado, however, was weeded out during the primary season when the check for his filing fee bounced and Chris Bell was selected as the Democratic nominee for Texas Governor. María Luisa continued to pursue the position of Lieutenant Governor despite her brother's exit from the gubernatorial race. After the primary, she was forced into a runoff with her nearest competitor, Benjamin Z. Grant. On April 11, she beat Grant by nearly twenty percentage points and secured her spot on the Democratic ticket for the November 7 election.

María Luisa was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She is one of twelve children in a family with a strong history of serving the country: all eight of her brothers have served in the military, with four serving in Vietnam and her youngest brother serving currently in Uzbekistan as a part of the Iraq conflict. Her younger sister served in the Texas Air National Guard. María Luisa is herself a veteran of the Texas Air National Guard and the United States Air Force.

María Luisa earned her bachelor's degree in sociology from the University of Texas at San Antonio in 1988. After graduation she began to work for the National Veterans Outreach Program until funding was cut and she resumed work in healthcare and social services, with special regard to substance abuse treatment and prevention. Because of her strong Texan roots and her outrage at the incumbent, María Luisa has decided to run for office.

It is due to her analyses and critical thinking about current issues affecting Texans and the lack of appropriate response by state leaders that has challenged her to run for elected office. María Luisa believes that all tax payers have a right to expect that their government work effectively and efficiently to serve all its citizens equally and fairly.

As Lieutenant Governor, Alvarado would promote better public education and safer schools, tax relief, protecting the environment, small businesses, safe communities, and "immigration reform without concrete fences." Alvarado also wants a better healthcare system that would extend to "children, elderly, indigent, underemployed, unemployed, [and] uninsured college students."

With your help, María Luisa can defeat the incumbent Republican Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the November general election. Please visit her campaign website to learn more about her and her positions on the issues. Just as importantly, please take the time to contribute to her campaign. She faces an uphill battle, but with our support and our vote, we can elect a strong Democrat like María Luisa Alvarado to be the next Lieutenant Governor of Texas.

congratulations, barbara ann!

First and foremost, congratulations are due to the newly-anointed Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate Barbara Ann Radnofsky. The Dallas Morning News and the Associated Press are calling the U.S. Senate runoff in her favor. About 60% of voters cast their ballots for Barbara Ann; 100% of precincts have reported their votes and there has been an average turnout in the Democratic runoff of 1.63%, higher than the March 7 primary.

Gene Kelly, Radnofsky's failed opponent, ran for United States Senate in 2000 after emerging victorious over Charles Gandy in a similar runoff election. He was stomped in the general election by incumbent Republican Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Radnofsky overcame an election day obstacle when it was discovered that her name was left off of the ballot in Maverick County. Volunteers began writing her name on the ballot to benefit voters by giving them a full ballot to vote with, but this does not account for those that voted early and only had one candidate for the picking: Gene Kelly. Kelly received 70% of the vote in Maverick County back in 2000, but he barely edged out Radnofsky by a fraction of a percent in the March primary. The Maverick County Democratic Party obviously made an egregious error when validating the ballots. The Secretary of State Roger Williams (recently accused of an inability to conduct non-partisan elections by none other than gubernatorial hopeful Carole Keeton Strayhorn) is dragging his feet on this issue, but Radnofsky handily won the runoff despite these setbacks.

Barbara Ann will face Senator Hutchison on November 7, 2006, for her coveted seat in the United States Senate. You can learn more about her campaign by visiting her website and reading her article on Wikipedia.

For comprehensive election results and analysis of other runoff races, visit Burnt Orange Report. The good folks at BOR are keeping the blogosphere aware of the returns as they are made available.

election day

Well, the long-awaited day has arrived. Today we will know who the Democrats will present as their candidates for Lt. Governor and United States Senator. We at NTL have endorsed Barbara Ann Radnofsky for U.S. Senate and María Luisa Alvarado for Lieutenant Governor.

You are eligible to vote in the Democratic runoff if you are a registered voter and did not vote in the Republican primary on March 7. You may vote in the runoff regardless of whether or not you voted in the Democratic primary on March 7. If you vote in the Democratic runoff, you will be ineligible to vote in the Republican runoff which is also held today. You will also be ineligible to sign ballot petitions for independent candidates such as gubernatorial hopefuls Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman.

Vote today! Click the following links for voting information and locations: Denton County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, or Collin County.

Dallas Marches for Immigration Rights

An estimated 350,000-500,000 people marched in downtown Dallas on Sunday to protest proposed immigration reform legislation. The Dallas Morning News reports that the march "rewrote history" as the largest of its kind in North Texas. The protest was peaceful, with only one arrest.

"It rewrote history," said Roberto Calderon, a history professor at the University of North Texas who participated in the march. "There's no turning back. It makes concrete the larger demographic and cultural changes that are taking place for the community here in North Texas and Dallas."

Revenge of the Nerds

It's a delicious irony, isn't it, that the folks most defiant at being steamrolled by the Bush administration are those geeks over at the Justice Department. Not that we shouldn't expect our civil servants to stand for truth, justice and the American way. It's just that six years of the White House's war on dissent had us pretty much believing they could get by with anything. When our own citizens can be locked up without due process; when the highest-ranking lawman in the land condones torture; and when, after setting aside decades of precedence and policy to lead us into an illegal war in Iraq, the administration now has the brass to suggest they'll do it again in Iran -- well, it makes one realize the fragility of our democratic process, to say the least.

Buried in the bowels of government are everyday patriots, the career civil servants who can't be bribed or threatened: people like scientist James Hansen at NASA, who spoke out on global climate change despite pressure from on high. Unfortunately, speaking truth to power in today's political climate is usually a career ender. Army Corps of Engineers chief contracting officer, Bunnatine Greenhouse, was fired for suggesting no-bid contracts to Halliburton violated rules on government oversight. Since the Bush administration came to power, scores of our best, most experienced public servants have been culled from the ranks for presenting uncomfortable truths or opinions out of sync with the neocon cabal currently in charge.

We began hearing stories of internal critics being silenced early on in the Interior Department, when the Environmental Protection Agency and the Bureau of Land Management came under attack. Rumsfeld's purge of the Pentagon began before the war. Lately, the axe has fallen heavily with Bolton's shake-up of the State Department, and Porter Goss' witch hunt at the CIA. The result has been brain drain and a declining morale among those who are left.

Once open disagreement was shutdown, whistleblowers began leaking to the press. The NSA eavesdropping scandal launched when an insider leaked to the New York Times. Calling the disclosure a "shameful act," the administration responded with an aggressive crackdown, asking the Justice Department to open an investigation. Porter Goss threatened employees with random lie detector tests to uncover leakers in the CIA. An investigation as to who leaked the secret prisons in Europe is on-going.

The Justice Department itself has felt the heat from this administration. President Bush was personally responsible for demoting the supervising federal prosecutor, U.S. Attorney Frederick A. Black, just as his investigation into Jack Abramoff's lobbying efforts on behalf of Superior Court officials in Guam was starting to yield fruit. And former Deputy Attorney General James Comey and former Asst. Attorney General Jack Goldsmith hung tough in response to pressure to approve illegal wiretaps in what Newsweek termed a palace revolt. But they paid the price. On his way out, James Comey appointed his friend, nerdy Patrick Fitzgerald, (alright, make that sexy nerd ), to serve as special prosecutor investigating the CIA leak scandal.

Since indicting I. Lewis Libby, Fitzgerald has been playing a version of high stakes poker with the Libby defense team. When Libby's lawyers asked for thousands of pages of classified material, (a tactic known as greymail), ostensibly for the purpose of proving that Libby was so distracted by his job that he forgot he talked to reporters about Plame, Fitzgerald fired back a sassy letter, calling the attempt "nothing short of breathtaking," and added that he was not required to search every government agency's files for evidence that might help Libby's defense. The special counsel also released correspondence making a tantalizing reference to missing White House emails, since rediscovered. Libby's lawyers filed a motion to dismiss, arguing Fitzgerald had no authority to conduct the investigation. Now the Justice Department drops a bomb: Bush authorized Libby to leak classified material. Well, well.

Today's revelations on the National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) memo on Iraq make stark the hypocrisy of an administration that declassifies and leaks highly sensitive intel for political purposes, while aggressively pursuing whistleblowers who try to shine some light on the most secretive presidency since Nixon. The President is authorized to disclose classified information, although it's questionable whether he followed protocol, and the debate regarding the aluminum tubes has been known, although not highlighted, all along. But it is politically damning, contradicting as it does so many previous statements by the administration regarding Plamegate. Every new revelation in this case makes apparent the degree to which the administration was gaming the system, and the contempt with which they regard the public and the press.

Certainly, no one in the inner circle at the White House had reason to believe Fitzgerald's investigation would get this far. At the very least, we now have proof that the President set in motion a series of events which led to the outing of a covert agent. And the sensational nature of today's revelations make Libby's excuse that he forgot about Wilson's wife until he heard it from reporters even less plausible. It's too early to say whether Fitzgerald's investigation of Scooter Libby will lead to a conviction, much less to further indictments. And a true accounting of the build-up to the war won't come from the special prosecutor's actions. That's the role of Congress. Let's hope the Democrats are taking notes.

But watching Fitzgerald turn the tables on the Bush administration must be heartening to the unsung heroes in the government ranks. If there is anyone in a position to appreciate the fetid stench of corruption and spite that characterizes this administration, it's those on the inside. Chalk one up to the guys with the white hats (and the pocket protectors).

The Bug Man's Gone

We never thought he'd do it, but facing a strong opponent in the general election, and coming off a brutal primary fight, a chastened Tom DeLay announced he is stepping down from his congressional seat in May, acknowledged his mistakes and asked his voters to continue the fight for reform in Congress.

Okay, so I made that last part up. But he is retiring. And give him credit, at least he's consistent. Defiant to the end, DeLay told Time interviewer Mike Allen:

TIME: Do you think you did anything that made you more of a target for your critics? Do you think you made it easier for the opponents to —
DeLay: No. The opponents HATE what we do—what we have done in the last 11 years in the majority. We have built the largest political coalition of my adult lifetime. They hate that. We have been effective for 11 years going now, doing some pretty amazing things. They hate that. The reason we've been effective is we've tried to change the culture of Washington, D.C. And do it legally and ethically.

And that silly ole indictment? Move along, nothin' to see. The ethics violations? Pure partisan hoohah. Corrupt staff? Well, now, I can't be accountable for every little detail. Abuse of house rules? Those Democrats just wish they'd thought of it first. That $500,000 paid from PAC funds to his wife and daughter? Family values in action.

The Time article is worth reading just to hear his wife, Christine's, perky cheerleading. There are still a lot of unknowns concerning who will replace DeLay, and whether his seat will be filled prior to the November election. DeLay could have bowed out before the primary and allowed one of the challengers to run. Salon has some theories as to why he didn't do that:

Those who contributed to Tom DeLay's campaign may be onboard for his legal defense, too. As the Washington Post points out, under federal election law, DeLay is allowed to spend the money in his reelection coffers on attorneys' fees. "Election lawyers say one advantage of bowing out of the election now is that the campaign cash can be converted to pay legal bills immediately, instead of being drained in the course of a bid to stay in office," the paper says. (Why, one wonders, would such a law exist? Lawmakers and regulators sure do think about all the contingencies when drawing up finance rules.)
This is good news for DeLay, because although he has amassed a large legal fund, contributions had lately been declining. The fund collected $318,000 in the third quarter of last year, the Post says, but in the fourth quarter it collected only $181,500. As of the end of 2005, the defense fund contained $600,000. Meanwhile, DeLay's campaign account has $1,295,350, according to the most recent filing with the Federal Elections Commission.

Now there are some whispers that Ronnie Earle could eventually be the least of DeLay's worries. But to suggest that he stayed in the race just to raise funds for his legal defense -- what in Rep. DeLay's two decades in congress would make you so cynical? Unfortunately for us, the bug man's demise doesn't mean his legacy won't be with us for a long time to come.

early voting - primary runoff

Early voting has begun for the Democratic and Republican primary runoff elections here in Texas. If no single candidate earned a clear majority (50% +1) in the March primary, he or she will face the next highest vote-earner in that primary.

This runoff will cover two statewide races for the Democrats. First, Democrats will decide who will face incumbent David Dewhurst in November for the coveted position of Lt. Governor. Maria Luisa Alvarado and Ben Z. Grant are the Democratic nominees.

The highly-publicized race will be that for the chance to face Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison for her seat in the United States Senate. Hutchison is up for re-election this November and will face one of the following Democrats in the general election: Gene Kelly or Barbara Ann Radnofsky. Kelly is an 80-year-old retired Air Force lawyer from Universal City. He was the nominee against Kay Bailey Hutchison in 2000 and lost miserably. He refused to campaign... he has never accepted campaign contributions and refuses to speak at public events. He is what we call a "perennial candidate," or someone that puts their name on the ballot every election without giving any real effort to their campaign. Kelly has become a statewide joke. He beat an energetic Charles Gandy in the 2000 Democratic Primary on name recognition alone. Some speculate that Republicans may have crossed over in 2000 to ensure Gandy's defeat. Perhaps the same thing is happening this year. Republicans would not want Radnofsky on the campaign trail because she stands for a stronger Texas. Radnofsky is in clear opposition to Senator Hutchison's corruption and would make a refreshing change in the Republican-controlled Senate. Let's not let fools and fanatics take away our hope of putting a real Democratic voice in the U.S. Senate: vote for Barbara Ann Radnofsky! She has received endorsements from every major newspaper statewide as well as countless Democratic organizations. She is our best bet in November.

Early voting will continue through Friday. Click the following links for voting information and locations: Denton County, Dallas County, Tarrant County, or Collin County. Election day is April 11.

Tom DeLay Dodges Another Bullet

This is what passes for good news in the DeLay camp these days:

DeLay's former deputy chief of staff, Tony Rudy, 39, did not implicate him in any wrongdoing when he pleaded guilty Friday to conspiracy in the case involving convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Add this to the other good news that Jack Abramoff himself appears unlikely to implicate DeLay in his plea bargain, and Michael Scanlon, Abramoff's lobbying partner-in-crime, didn't name him either. Of course, Rudy did implicate DeLay's chief of staff, Ed Buckman, in the congressional bribery scandal. Buckman was DeLay's closest aide and spiritual adviser. But just because this admission takes the scandal into DeLay's inner circle, don't go jumping to conclusions. DeLay was completely clueless and you'd better believe it hurts to know that the people he trusted so well were capable of such duplicity.

All this good news probably made him want to get up and do the Snoopy dance. But some people just can't catch a break. It seems the Hollywood libruls made a movie star of the Hammer, and he's upset they didn't portray him in the best light. Mark Birnbaum and Jim Schermbeck are releasing The Big Buy: How Tom DeLay Stole Congress, a movie about DeLay's recent, er, troubles with Ronnie Earle. As DeLay describes it:

“The same day I secured the Republican nomination to continue serving you and the good people of the 22nd District, my Democrat opponent Nick Lampson’s liberal Hollywood buddies gave me a “welcome” gift. They officially released a documentary about Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle’s partisan witch-hunt.”

But the documentarians have a different take:

Mark and me, Hollywood Liberals? I live in rural West Texas. I drive a ten-year old Civic. I just voted in the Republican primary. My family and I paint the town red by going to one of many chain restaurants in Lubbock. Mark is a grandfather who lives with his cat in a 30-year old middle-class home in North Dallas built by a Texas Instruments engineer.

Well, for those of you who've never been, Lubbock does have it's own special charm. Still, pity poor Tom. Everytime he dodges another bullet, somebody else has him in their sites. No wonder he wants his gun back.

candidate profile: eddie bernice johnson

Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson is a proud Dallas Democrat. She currently represents the 30th District of Texas in the United States House of Representatives. Born in Waco, Johnson was educated in Texas at both Texas Christian University and Southern Methodist University.

Rep. Johnson was elected to the Texas State House of Representatives in 1972 and the Texas State Senate in 1986. She was later elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, a position she still holds, in 1992, when she became the first woman and the first African-American to represent the Dallas area in Washington, D.C. She is also the Chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus. According to her official House website, "Congresswoman Johnson sits on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and serves as the Ranking Democratic Member of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment. As the Ranking Texan on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, she has secured millions of dollars for Texas development, and has helped Dallas-Fort Worth become one of the fastest growing business areas in the country."

EBJ was a vocal critic of the Iraq War before it even began. In 2002, she made the following statement on the floor of the House:

"I am not convinced that giving the President the authority to launch a unilateral, first-strike attack on Iraq is the appropriate course of action at this time. While I believe that under international law and under the authority of our Constitution, the United States must maintain the option to act in its own self-defense, I strongly believe that the administration has not provided evidence of an imminent threat of attack on the United States that would justify a unilateral strike. I also believe that actions alone, without exhausting peaceful options, could seriously harm global support for our war on terrorism and distract our own resources from this cause."

Congresswoman Johnson is on top of things not only at a national level, but also when it comes to her constituency. She has been a key player in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina that devastated New Orleans. She has secured extra grants from FEMA for the city of Dallas as it housed (and still houses in many cases) the majority of the evacuees. She has also brought home grants for anti-gang intiatives and the Dallas Children's Advocacy Center. Her accomplishments are numerous and too many to detail here.

During her first seven terms, Johnson has received 100% rankings from NARAL, the Human Rights Campaign, the NAACP, Planned Parenthood, the Humane Society of America, the AFL-CIO, the American Bar Association, and countless other organizations and unions.

EBJ is a Dallas favorite. We have consistently re-elected her to Congress since 1992. Let's not stop now. Feel proud and confident as you cast your ballot for incumbent Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson come November.

Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day on April 29th.

I am sure others received this note from Howard Dean. Is this something we should think about doing as a group?

Are you ready to make history? Thanks to the overwhelming support from thousands of Democrats, who donated to get the literature for the canvass printed and shipped, we're on schedule and gearing up for the unprecedented Neighbor-to-Neighbor Organizing Day on April 29th.

On that Saturday, thousands of volunteers will recruit hundreds of thousands more Americans committed to changing the status quo this year during door-knocking events in communities across America.

Democrats have a clear vision for America, and we're going to get the word out by making personal contact with our neighbors. And along the way we will build new relationships among volunteers on the ground, a network that will have an impact beyond a single day. Whether you've never volunteered or you're a seasoned door-knocking veteran, it is crucial that you take part in this historic organizing push.

In many states, Democratic Party staff on the ground have already put together staging areas for massive voter contact events on the 29th. Thanks to donations from people like you, hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature are being printed and shipping in bulk to those locations right now.

If there isn't an event near you, don't worry. Some state parties will have canvassing events on alternate dates, or have other important events planned for that weekend. You can still plan your own canvass in your community. Our online tool makes the planning process easy, and if you create your event before April 10th, we will get doorhangers to you in time for your canvass on the 29th.

Whether you're attending an event or hosting your own, we have also put together materials on the web to help you make your canvass as effective as possible. The online package includes tips on canvassing, a suggested script for when you get to the door, and the doorhanger itself in various formats for you to print extras on your own.

Two-thirds of Americans reject this president and the Republican leadership -- and they are waiting to hear from us. We are all members of one American community and it's up to us to make sure that our country has a government as good as its people. Democrats have a big task in November. We will only win if every one of us takes responsibility for the outcome of the election now -- while there is still time to build our operation.

Thank you for being a part of this extraordinary grassroots push.

Governor Howard Dean, M.D.

march book club meeting!

The Flower Mound Democrats Book Club will hold their March meeting tomorrow night at Jill's house. They will meet for dinner and afterwards will discuss How the Pro-Choice Movement Saved America: Freedom, Politics and the War on Sex by Cristina Page. If you have read this book or plan on reading it, please attend for an informed discussion on abortion rights and the secret anti-contraception agenda of the pro-life movement. The book suggests that the pro-choice movement saved America because pro-choice activists have done more to lower abortion numbers through sex education, planned pregnancy, and birth control.

Check the Flower Mound Democrats Yahoo! Group or email Jill at jillm@mac.com for details on the March 31 meeting.

radnofsky mailers

Please refer to this blog at Burnt Orange Report for more information on the new mail ads from Barbara Ann's campaign. Remember to tell your friends about this great candidate and encourage them to vote for Radnofsky in the April runoff election. Gene Kelly has lost time and again and it's about time the Democrats presented a real candidate to the U.S. Senate race.

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.

abramoff gets jail time

MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- Jack Abramoff, the disgraced lobbyist at the center of a Washington corruption scandal, was sentenced Wednesday to nearly six years in prison for fraud in the purchase of a Florida casino cruise line.

Let this be an example to those corrupt politicians and lobbyists that would try and exploit the system to line their pockets. Fraud, conspiracy, perjury, and corruption will no longer be tolerated. You are not above the law and the justice system will treat you like the criminal you are.

I'm not naming any names, but a certain politician from Sugar Land should be mighty worried at this newsbreak.

dixie chicks "not ready to make nice"

In March 2003, just days before the first bombs were dropped over Baghdad, the Dixie Chicks (a country music group consisting of lead singer Natalie Maines, guitarist, banjo player, and backing vocalist Emily Robison, and violinist and backing vocalist Martie Maguire) sparked controversy at a concert in London. In between songs, Maines, a Lubbock native, said that as a group the Dixie Chicks were ashamed to be from the same state as President Bush.

A firestorm of angry phone calls and letters to radio stations caused country radio to boycott the Dixie Chicks' music, despite its previous popularity. Conservative activists staged burnings and bulldozings of former fans' unwanted CDs. The members of the bluegrass trio received numerous death threats. They had really caused a ruckus.

However, when the Dixie Chicks came back to the United States to promote their Home album that featured a cover of Stevie Nicks' "Landslide" and a song about the Vietnam era entitled "Travelin' Soldier," they played to sold out crowds. Their first show was in Greenville, South Carolina, where 15,000 fans cheered them on. When Natalie gave time for detractors to jeer, none were heard over the screams and cheers.

The Dixie Chicks still had a problem with country radio. Their hits weren't played on many stations. Natalie made the comment that after being snubbed at the Country Music Awards, but still winning three Grammys against tougher competition, they knew that country wasn't their home anymore.

In 2004, the Dixie Chicks toured with James Taylor on behalf of the MoveOn PAC's Vote for Change Tour. In late 2005, they recorded "I Hope," a song dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. All profits from the single were donated to charity to help New Orleans residents affected by the disaster.

Now, the Dixie Chicks are gearing up to release their first new album since the controversy, Taking the Long Way. It is anticipated to have a different sound than the other albums, aimed at a wider audience. The first single is "Not Ready to Make Nice," a song co-written by all three of the group members. They admit that the song is a statement about the comments Natalie made and the reactions that ensued. Some lyrics include "I’m not ready to make nice/I’m not ready to back down/I’m still mad as hell and I don’t have time to go round and round and round/It’s too late to make it right/I probably wouldn’t if I could/‘Cause I’m mad as hell/Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I should" and, in reaction to the death threats the group received, "It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger/And how in the world can the words that I said/Send somebody so over the edge that they’d write me a letter sayin’ that I better shut up and sing or my life will be over."

Robison released a statement about the single.

"The stakes were definitely higher on that song. We knew it was special because it was so autobiographical, and we had to get it right. And once we had that song done, it freed us up to do the rest of the album without that burden."

The Associated Press reports that many country music stations are adopting a "wait-and-see" attitude toward the single. Some are slipping the song into rotation without making any fuss and just seeing if the listeners notice and how they respond. Others are waiting to see how the single fares in other markets. The song has received airplay in some of the major markets for country music, such as Dallas, Austin, and Nashville.

The full song and the lyrics can be found at the band's official website. To try and get the song played on country radio in North Texas, you can request it online from country stations like 96.3 KSCS, 96.7 The Twister, and 99.5 The Wolf.

The hand protecting our Constitution

Scalia gives obscene gesture at church

(UPI) - A Boston Herald reporter asked the 70-year-old conservative Roman Catholic if he faces much questioning over impartiality when it comes to issues separating church and state. "You know what I say to those people?" Scalia replied, making the obscene gesture and explaining "That's Sicilian." The 20-year veteran of the high court was caught making the gesture by a photographer with The Pilot, the Archdiocese of Boston's newspaper. "Don't publish that," Scalia told the photographer, the Herald said.

Dick Cheney says "Go f#*k yourself" on the Senate floor. George W. flips off reporters in Texas, later recorded calling them "a*sholes." Supreme court justices now too? What does this really prove?

It proves that they have nothing but contempt for the people, for reasonable discourse, and for our fourth estate (you know that little idea of a free press mentioned in the first amendment?). A Supreme Court Justice, one expected to uphold our Constitution, feels free to exercise his first amendment right in a crass, juvenile manner, but expects his orders not to publish to be obeyed? They aren't hiding their agenda, their lust for power, their disdain for the ideals of this country. They really believe they've won and they can spit on us and any institutions that question them. What an embarrassment, again.

Thank God two of my best friends cleared this situation up for me before I really got depressed. Joe knows Boston, and took the liberty of enlightening me:

"Jennifer, for shame. How quick we are to hate.

Being that I am from the great Bay State, allow me shed some light on what you have OBVIOUSLY misconstrued to be some type of insult to his detractors. In the great city of Boston, the middle finger is synonymous with and common as a hand wave. It is our special way of saying, "How is yous guys doin'?"

So please, before you pass judgment on the great and august Justice Scalia, take a moment to attempt to understand (dare I say "embrace") the cultural diversity that makes up this great land. I think we will all be better people for it.

F*#@ you all,
Joe"

Thanks, Joe. I feel better now. And from my best spin-sister Holly back home:

"Justice Scalia clarified his comments and accompanying hand gesture made March 26th on his way out of Catholic mass. Regarding Scalia's use of his middle finger pointing upward, representatives for Scalia assured shocked supporters that when used by a person ordained by God to judge the morals of others, like Scalia, the gesture actually means "see you in heaven my child." Members of the religious right breathed a sigh of relief at the revelation and immediately thanked God for this neatly packaged and convenient answer, which allowed them to stop considering whether or not Scalia is just a prick. President Bush, in a statement issued today, praised Scalia for his uncompromising ability to 'see the Christian spirit in others, even his opponents and to express hope that even the Godless will receive salvation'. Bush, however, stopped short of expressing his approval of the gesture as the new symbol of the restructured Supreme Court. Unnamed White House sources report that Bush does agree that the gesture sums up the stance the new Court intends to take on established precedent inconsistent with its preconceived notions of morality and on Constitutional freedoms deemed unnecessary."

Thanks, Holly. Those degrees in journalism and law will take you far. Don't be surprised if Fox News calls with an offer if they read this.

DCCC to target NRCC Chair

Robert Novak has some good news and some bad news for the Republican party. First the good news: Jack Abramoff is telling friends that nothing he is revealing to federal prosecutors as a result of his plea agreement on fraud, tax evasion and conspiracy will implicate Tom DeLay. Alright, technically it's only good news for DeLay. Abramoff doesn't promise he won't sing about other members of the House, including Ohio congressman Robert Ney.

Now the bad news: There are reports the DCCC may be targeting the chair of the NRCC in the 2006 congressional elections:

Rep. Rahm Emanuel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign committee (DCCC), has taken the unusual step of targeting his Republican counterpart, Rep. Tom Reynolds, for defeat in his upstate New York district this year. There is no record of a House campaign committee chairman ever being defeated for re-election by the opposition party.

The DCCC claims secret polls showed the supposedly safe Republican district represented by Reynolds is competitive this year. Reynolds, chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, in 2004 won re-election to a fourth term with a surprisingly low 56 percent. His Democratic opponent was retired industrialist Jack Davis, who spent $1,250,000 of his own money in 2004 and is trying again.

Where would the DCCC get the chutzpah to pull something like this? Whatever happened to bipartisanship in Congress? Why, this is unprecedented!

Of course, there was that little incident with Tom Daschle. You know, the Senate Minority Leader who was defeated by John Thune in November, 2004 after an unprecedented campaign where Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist broke tradition and actively campaigned against his counterpart. The result was the first race a senate majority or minority leader has lost in over 50 years. Daschle's crime, according to Frist, was that he was the chief obstructionist to President Bush's policies on tax cuts, judicial nominees and the war in Iraq. Of course, a lot of Democrats were scratching their heads about that one, seeing as how his tax cuts went through, not once but three times, his judicial nominees were appointed and the war in Iraq...well, don't even go there (no pun intended).

For an example of Senator Daschle's unpardonable crimes:

...he angered Republicans and unnerved a few Democrats when, with the nation on the brink of war with Iraq, he said he was "saddened that this president failed so miserably at diplomacy that we're now forced to war."

Daschle later said he regretted the timing of his criticism and expressed strong support for U.S. troops in Iraq.

Yes, it's painful to remember how successfully the Republicans were able to steamroll the Democrats in the early years of the Bush administration. But that's history now. If the November elections deliver a Democratic majority in the House, the Democrats are going to issue subpoenas faster than New Rome issues traffic tickets. Senator Frist, along with henchman Tom DeLay in the House, rewrote the rules of partisanship that are now coming back to haunt them. Too bad neither one of them will be around after the elections to reap their just rewards.

Lewis Lapham on C-SPAN

The editor of Harper's Weekly, Lewis Lapham, appeared on C-SPAN this week promoting his article in the March 2006 issue, "The Case for Impeachment: Why We Can No Longer Afford George W. Bush." After almost thirty years at the helm, Mr. Lewis is retiring, but his swan song is a doozy. The article documents extensively the justification for the build-up to the war, but the money quotes are Mr. Lapham's editorial assessments, where he throws down the gauntlet to both Congress and the press:

We have before us in the White House a thief who steals the country's good name and reputation for his private interest and personal use; a liar who seeks to instill in the American people a state of fear; a televangelist who engages the United States in a never-ending crusade against all the world's evil, a wastrel who squanders a vast sum of the nation's wealth on what turns out to be a recruiting drive certain to multiple the host of our enemies. In a word, a criminal -- known to be armed and shown to be dangerous. Under the three-strike rule available to the courts in California, judges sentence people to life in jail for having stolen from Wal-Mart a set of golf clubs or a child's tricycle. Who then calls strikes on President Bush, and how many more does he get before being sent down on waivers to one of the Texas Prison Leagues?....

But in the news media [the American electorate] find no strong voice of dissent, in the Democratic Party no concerted effort to form a coherent opposition. Which places the work of protecting the country's freedoms where it should be placed -- with the Congress, more specifically with the Republican members of Congress. What else is it that voters expect the Congress to do if not to look out for their rights as citizens of the United States? So the choice presented to the Republican members on the Judiciary Committee investigating the President's use of electronic surveillance comes down to a matter of deciding whether they will serve their country or their party. I don't envy them the decision; the rewards offered by the party (patronage, campaign contributions, a fat retirement on the payroll of a K Street lobbying firm) clearly outweigh those available from the country-- congratulatory editorials in obscure newspapers, malicious gossip circulated by Focus on the Family and Fox News, an outpouring of letters and emails from grateful citizens not in positions to do anybody any favors.

The March issue is still available at newsstands. On March 2, Harper's Weekly held a forum, "Is There a Case for Impeachment?" moderated by Sam Seder, and featuring Rep. John Conyers Jr., John Dean, former congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman, Lewis Lapham and Michael Ratner. Click here for a transcript and podcast of the forum, and the text of Conyers' impeachment resolution.

oglala sioux tribe planned parenthood

After the recent abortion ban was signed into law in South Dakota by Governor Mike Rounds, no one was more outraged than the President of the Oglala Sioux Tribe on the Pine Ridge Reservation, Cecilia Fire Thunder. Ms. Fire Thunder is a former nurse and was angered that a governing body consisting mainly of white Republican men would make a law restricting women from making a personal choice on abortion. Free to make her own decision on the issue, she has come to take the opposite stance.

“To me, it is now a question of sovereignty. I will personally establish a Planned Parenthood clinic on my own land which is within the boundaries of the Pine Ridge Reservation where the State of South Dakota has absolutely no jurisdiction.”

Yes, you read that correctly. President Fire Thunder plans to open a Planned Parenthood branch in the state of South Dakota and there's nothing the Republican legislators can do about it.

A mailing address and an email address can be found here if you'd like to help finance this effort. The Oglala Sioux Tribe doesn't have a lot of disposable income, so in order to take on such a large project, they're going to need our help. If you can't afford to help with resources presently, at least drop an encouraging email to President Fire Thunder and let her know that you support her work for women's rights.

Second Verse, Same As the First

With the president's poll numbers in a free fall, and Republican dissent emerging in Congress, Democrats are setting to run the 2006 campaign as a referendum on Bush's policies. Republican party strategists, however, think they know the key to winning in the fall: turn out the base.

As Fred Barnes, in an article for The Weekly Standard, outlines it:

House Republicans, for their part, intend to seek votes on measures such as the Bush-backed constitutional amendment banning gay marriage, a bill allowing more public expression of religion, another requiring parental consent for women under 18 to get an abortion, legislation to bar all federal courts except the Supreme Court from ruling on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance, a bill to outlaw human cloning, and another that would require doctors to consider fetal pain before performing an abortion.

There couldn't be a better testament than this agenda to the fact that Bush's capital is - spent. And although it sounds arrogant and even risky to run on an agenda that is so marginalizing when the largest disaffection in recent polls has been among moderate Republicans, the truth is that the RNC has no choice. They are paying the price now for the incredible party discipline of the last five years. The Republican congressional leadership followed Bush doctrine in lockstep right up to the edge of the cliff, and there is no backing away now.

"Dave Sachett of the Tarrance Group said, in a memo to Mehlman, that distancing oneself from the president is a "flawed strategy" and would not protect a Republican candidate "from the generic backlash against the administration or the congressional leadership." Rather, it would turn the campaign into "a national referendum on President Bush and the policies of the administration and the congressional leadership"-- just what Republicans fear in 2006. Jan van Lohuizen of Voter/Consumer Research said a campaign that becomes a referendum on Bush could also chill Republican voter turnout. "Anything we do to depress turnout, by not running as a unified party, for instance, could very well lead to serious consequences in November."

Well, why not? It worked before. And they might get lucky. Moderate Republicans may choose to stay home in November rather than vote for a Democrat, if the party of opposition fails to prove it is a viable alternative. But the Democratic strategy may not necessarily equate to many specifics, something that frustrates Republicans.

Blunt, however, wants to force Democrats to present an agenda. Contrasted with Democratic plans, "our ideas always look better," he says. "Their best day will be the day before they release their agenda. Suddenly [Republican] policies will look like the policies that would work best in the future."

The Democrats learned this piece of political jujitsu from the Republicans' torpedo of Hillary Clinton's health care plan. Republicans trashed it without presenting a viable alternative, and therefore, scuttled any possible compromise. The Democrats displayed the same tactic successfully during the debate on how to save Social Security, and although they have taken hits for not being the party of "ideas", the political fallout has been manageable. But the key to successfully implementing this strategy is a strong offense in order to keep the focus on your opponent's shortcomings, rather than your lack of specifics - a tactic at which the Republicans excel. Fortunately, five years of Bubble Boy's bungling has given the Democrats plenty to attack. It remains to be seen whether they have the stomach for it.

Gore in 2008?

Ever since Al Gore sat in a hot tub on Saturday Night Live, and followed that appearance with an announcement that he would not run for president in 2004, conventional wisdom has been that his days of seeking political office are over. Following the chaos of the 2000 election battle, and seemingly freed from the constraints of worrying about public consensus, a new Al Gore emerged as a cogent and uncompromising critic of the Bush administration; dawned the hero's cape to rescue ailing patients from a Louisiana hospital during Katrina; launched a new media venture; and is gradually becoming the most recognized and respected international spokesperson on the dangers of global warming. Nowhere, it seems, is running for office even a consideration.

And although the democratic field of presidential candidates for 2008 is dense, favorites are already emerging. Hardball, along with much of the Republican leadership, has annointed Hillary Clinton the frontrunner; the blogosphere is fawning over Russ "Censure the President" Feingold; and the traditional media is looking for the next Clinton in Virginia Gov. Mark Warner. Al Gore, we're told, has found his niche and it ain't running for office.

And indeed, every spokesperson for Gore has echoed that, time and time again. But a recent article in The American Prospect leaves the door open just enough to speculate:

And it could be Gore, if he wants it. Here’s the scenario: Hillary Clinton continues rolling forward, amassing establishment support and locking down the large donors. Anti-Hillary voters prove unable to coalesce around a single champion, so Clinton is able to suck up all the oxygen but, as with most faits accomplis, attracts little genuine enthusiasm. At the same time, her hawkishness and ostentatious moderation sparks widespread disillusionment among the online activist community. Inevitably, the liberal wing of the party begins calling for a Bigfoot of its own to enter the primary, and the obvious prospect is Gore. DraftGore.com, which already exists, amplifies the drumbeat, collecting pledges and holding events. The press corps, sensing a Godzilla vs. King Kong battle, begins covering the events. As Marty Peretz, publisher of The New Republic and a longtime friend of Gore, says, “if he were to find that there was some groundswell for him, I think it would be hard to resist.”

So it seems a long shot at best. If he were to declare, would his new image and fund-raising capabilities make him the automatic front runner? Who knows? Republicans did a character assassination on Gore in the 2000 campaign, with the press as willing accomplices. As a result, Gore suffers from the same bane as Hillary Clinton - high unfavorable ratings from Republicans. In the long run, Gore may serve us better by continuing to focus on global climate change - a threat more serious than terrorism, and an issue seriously begging for a credible political spokesperson. But with a new movie on the issue coming in May, and "draft Gore" momentum building, speculation won't be dying down any time soon.

Texans at War

As we mark the three-year anniversary of the Iraq war, protests are scheduled across the nation this weekend, including today's rally - Stop the War Now and Bring Our Troops Home- in downtown Dallas.

Before it's gone, grab a copy of the March 2006 issue of Texas Monthly, devoted entirely to Texans who have served their country at this time of war. Among the articles is one on Rick Noriega, a Democrat representing District 145 in the Texas Legislature, when he found himself called up to serve in Afghanistan. Rick designated his wife, Melissa, to serve in his stead until his return last August. Another story covers a soldier who blogs from Iraq. And "Fallen Heroes" is a somber roll call of the 203 soldiers with ties to Texas who have given their lives in the Iraq war.

As Matt Cook, the soldier blogger from the "War.Com" article, describes his role:

I've been here almost five months - a rough five months at that - and the patrols seem to blend together. We've done a lot of good things here, but tragedies often make it difficult to see the forest for the trees. I think I speak for many when I say that my biggest fear is leaving this place in no better condition than we found it. But whether we say it or not, in between our b****ing and bellyaching lies a purpose and a promise to each other. When we leave, this place will be better than we found it.

The brave men and women showcased in these stories, and the countless others whose names and faces we will never know, deserve leadership at home equal to their sacrifice abroad. What Bush needs now is someone who can put aside the slogans and produce what this administration has failed to produce so far - an actual plan to end the war. The MBA president needs a project manager, who can produce a plan with quantitative deliverables to measure our progress, and report back to congress and the American people. He needs a plan with timelines and a decisive end point, that tells us by what measure we'll be able to declare victory and bring our troops home. Real victory, the kind Matt Cook yearns for, is beyond our reach. But the only thing worse than acknowledging that now, is marking a second three-year anniversary with more grim statistics and the same result.

sandra day o'connor speaks out!

The newly retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, appointed by President Reagan but considered by many to be a moderate and "the swing vote," recently spoke out against right-wing attacks on the judiciary.

Sandra Day O'Connor was born in El Paso, Texas, and spent much of her life in Duncan, Arizona. She later attended Stanford in the 1950s. She had trouble finding work as a lawyer because of her gender, but she was appointed to the Arizona State Senate and was subsequently elected to two full terms as a Republican. She became the first woman to become Senate Majority Leader in any state. She was serving as judge on the Arizona Court of Appeals when she was tapped by President Reagan.

Ms. O'Connor spent twenty-four years on the Supreme Court. She was the first woman to be appointed to the highest court of the land, and part of her service was spent with the second woman ever appointed and confirmed, Clinton-nominated Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

On March 9, Sandra Day O'Connor gave a speech at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. In her speech, she criticized Republican leaders for their attacks on the independent judiciary. She declared, "We must be ever-vigilant against those who would strong-arm the judiciary" and said that such threats "pose a direct threat to our constitutional freedom."

Many point to former Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) as an example of what O'Connor is warning against. Last year during the Terri Schiavo debacle, DeLay called for scrutiny of "an arrogant, out-of-control, unaccountable judiciary that thumbed their nose at Congress and the president." Unfortunately for these Republicans, the Supreme Court is in place to uphold the Constitution rather than to enforce the conservative moral agenda.

"It takes a lot of degeneration before a country falls into dictatorship," Ms. O'Connor said, "but we should avoid these ends by avoiding these beginnings."

High School Student Not Backing Down

Did anyone read the story about the Democrat student at Highland Park High School who refused to become a Republican, even when his dad threatened not to pay for his college education? According to the story, the HS student could not be bribed to support a party which we all know only cares about a few people and causes and does not support what is good for all Americans. He should definitely be applauded. The story indicated that the student participates in several Democrat groups. With more young people in Texas becoming Democrats, there is definitely hope for the future.

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.

ann richards diagnosed with cancer

Ann Richards, a Democrat and former Governor of Texas, has been diagnosed with cancer. On Wednesday she announced that she had "been diagnosed with cancer of the esophagus and her treatment could include surgery, radiation, chemotherapy or a combination of all three." Yesterday, she began treatment at the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston.

Richards, 72, was the 45th Governor of Texas, serving from 1991 to 1995. She was succeeded by George W. Bush. She went on to work at the bipartisan Public Strategies, Inc. in New York.

She has been known to fight illness with strength and candor. She admitted that she had once suffered from alcoholism and that she attended Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, but her spokesperson said that she quit drinking and smoking in 1980. She also wrote a memoir in 2003 about her battle with osteoporosis.

The present Governor of Texas, Republican Rick Perry, released a statement yesterday that reflects the feelings of Texans throughout the state as we hope for the best for our former leader.

"Ann Richards holds a special place in Texas history. [My wife] Anita and I join Texans across the state in sending our prayers and best wishes."

We at NTL also send our best to Ann Richards, a true Texas hero. Here's to a full recovery as you fight this battle... you've done it before and we're convinced that you can do it again.

Maybe It Should Be A Law

An open house at a local public school featured essays by second graders on the topic If I Were President... Among the thoughtful musings on why we should provide medicine for sick people and all toys should be free, was this entry:

Vice Presidents can not shoot people when they're out hunting birds.

radnofsky event in flower mound

Let's get this (Democratic) Party started! With Barbara Ann Radnofsky going into a runoff election against perennial loser Gene Kelly, it's time to really get excited about her campaign. You can start by attending a fundraising house party for Barbara on Saturday, March 18th at 7:00.

Food, drink, and entertainment provided. Just bring your open mind and your open wallet to ensure Barbara's win in the run-off on April 11th!

When: Saturday, March 18th 7:00 PM
Where: Home of Jennifer Giles (Flower Mound, Texas)
Contact: jenngeoff@comcast.net

radnofsky prepared for runoff

US Senate hopeful Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Democrat from the Houston area that represents the best chance of beating incumbent Kay Bailey Hutchison in November, is still going strong after yesterday's primary. She didn't lose, but she didn't exactly win. She'll face Gene Kelly in the April 11 runoff election. Her campaign is remaining positive about the future.

Barbara Ann won the primary, garnering 43.5% of the vote versus Kelly's 37.4%. Hunter scored a distant third. Barbara Ann faces Kelly in a runoff election on April 11.

A reclusive candidate who doesn't talk to the media and who avoids voters, Kelly has massive name recognition after ten failed attempts in fourteen years, and runs solely off his name similarity with deceased Hollywood dancer Gene Kelly, whose moniker pulls up 19 million hits on Google.

Barbara decisively beat Kelly in the primary, despite the fact that he was the party nominee against Hutchison in 2000. Running as a first time candidate without primary polling, without direct mail, and without paid media, Barbara still took first place by a clear margin against a hunter in Texas and a Hollywood icon.

She has carefully managed money, staff, and a statewide grass-roots volunteer effort, and is well positioned to use her resources to win the runoff--with your help.

Karl Rove of course would love to clone Eugene Kelly. He has run numerous races against Democrats, and his name recognition is high enough to cause multiple run-offs and to even win the Senate nomination in 2000.

Once he makes the final cut, however, Kelly keeps playing dead--to the glory and glee of the people he supposedly runs against. Against Republicans, he does no campaigning, avoids the media and Democratic events, and gives up without so much as a whimper. In his race against Hutchison he made no appearances, received no endorsements and only granted one interview. "I'm not doing anything different, to be honest with you," Kelly said in the runup to this year's primary, indicating that he plans to keep losing even as he tries to keep others from making a positive difference.

Texas Democrats need a fighter to take our state back and to keep fakers like Kelly from ruining our party. Barbara Ann Radnofsky has made 328 campaign appearances and received the endorsement of every major newspaper in Texas. And Kelly? Commentators describe him as a clown, a perennial joke, and an embarrassment to the party.

The dancer is dead, folks...please don't let him kill the Party.

It's time to get behind Barbara Ann. Support her today by visiting her website and donating what you can. She's going to need all the resources she can get for her runoff campaign and hopefully for her general election campaign after that. Stay tuned to NTL and we'll keep you updated on parties and events that will benefit Barbara Ann's campaign. Most importantly, get out and vote on April 11 and bring all of your friends with you.

primary results - statewide elections

Chris Bell won the Democratic primary race for governor and will be the Democratic nominee that faces Rick Perry in November. Perry has been called as the winner of the Republican primary, polling at 85%.

Democrats chose former U.S. Rep. Chris Bell of Houston to be their gubernatorial nominee Tuesday, making him at least the second sure candidate on the November ballot.

Bell had 62.8 percent of the vote, while former Supreme Court Justice Bob Gammage had 28.6 percent, according to early returns. Houston store manager Rashad Jafer, who was not raising money, had 8.6 percent.

Bell will face Republican incumbent Gov. Rick Perry in November, while the independent candidates, Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn and singer/writer Kinky Friedman, now face an uphill climb to get enough petition signatures to get on the ballot as well.

Democratic nominees for Lt. Governor Maria Luisa Alvarado and Benjamin Grant will face each other in a runoff election. Alvarado received 40% of the vote, while Grant received nearly 39%. The two will face off to run against Republican incumbent David Dewhurst, who won the Republican primary with about 80% of the vote.

One of the biggest surprises of the night is the Democratic primary race for United States Senate. Many expected Barbara Ann Radnofsky to win in a landslide as she was the only visible candidate during campaign season. However, former nominee Gene Kelly won about 37% of the vote, with Radnofsky in the lead at 45%. The two candidates will take part in a runoff election to decide which of them will face Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison in the general election.

Hank Gilbert has been endorsed by voters and will be the next Democratic nominee for Agriculture Commissioner to attempt to unseat Republican incumbent Susan Combs.

Prop 1 and Prop 2 on the Democratic ballot have both passed, meaning that the state Democratic Party platform will reflect the voters' wishes to raise the minimum wage and restore full rights to a trial by jury in civil cases.

primary results - local elections

The U.S. House District 16 will send incumbent Democrat Silvestre Reyes, who won his primary with 100% of the vote, to election in November.

Art Brender has won with about 60% of the vote and will retain his position as Tarrant County Democratic Chair.

The Dallas County District Attorney's race has been called. The nominees will be Democrat Craig Watkins and Republican Toby Shook.

Denton County Criminal District Attorney Bruce Isaacks seems to have been unseated in the Republican primary. Paul Johnson received nearly 60% of the vote in that race.

The highly contested race in District 47 for State Representative will end with runoff elections for both the Democrats and Republicans. Valinda Bolton and Jason Earle will face each other in a Democratic runoff and Bill Welch and Alex Castano will face each other in a Republican runoff.

The US House District 10 Democratic primary will also see a runoff between Ted Ankrum and Paul Foreman. The winner of the runoff will face Republican Representative Michael McCaul and Libertarian Michael Badnarik (the same person that ran for US President in 2004 against Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush).

Roger Owen narrowly defeated Duane Shaw in the Democratic primaries and will face Republican incumbent Louie B. Gohmert for US House District 1.

Jim Henley won the Democratic primary for US House District 7 and will face Republican John Culberson for his seat.

Do Your Duty!

Today's the day. GO VOTE!

Click here for a list of Democratic primary voting locations in Denton County. They are sorted by precinct, which is listed above your address on your voter registration card. If you can't find your voter registration card, you can find your precinct here.

For Democratic primary voting locations in Dallas County, click here.
For Democratic primary voting locations in Collin County, click here.
For Democratic primary voting locations in Tarrant County, click here, then click on Election Day Locations.

Enemies List

If the NSA sweeps you up in it's net for expressing your dissent against the Bush administration's policies, you'll be in good company. The following letter from Michael Smith was published in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram in the letters to the editor section of the December 30, 2005 edition. In light of the continuing saga on NSA wiretapping, we thought it was worth revisiting.

Dear President Bush,

Can you please place me on your enemies list? Is there a form I can download or something? I'm quite sure that there is an enemies list. Nixon kept such a list of U.S. citizens who he felt were a danger to his administration, and your views on dissent seem to be comparable to his. If we question you, we're giving aid and comfort to the enemy, right? If we criticize your war, we're traitors, right? If we check out the wrong books from the library, you'll know about it. If we call the wrong people, the NSA will know about it. So there's bound to be a list, and I don't want to be left out.

Read the entire letter at Michael's Notes.

Redistricting Update

On Wednesday, the Supreme Court heard arguments regarding the legality of the Texas congressional redistricting plan. Anthony Zurcher of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram has an op-ed arguing that if this plan doesn't qualify as overly partisan, there's no such thing.

But in their zeal to redraw Texas' electoral map and maximize their party's representation in the congressional delegation, Rep. Tom DeLay and the state Republicans have gone too far - and, depending on the increasingly fickle views of Justice Anthony Kennedy, the Supreme Court might agree.

But David Broder doesn't think it likely. The arguments against the redistricting center on three issues: 1) A mid-decade redistricting was unfair; 2) Gerrymandering was excessive; and 3) Probably the strongest argument, that the redistricting violated the Voting Rights Act. Broder notes:

Questioning showed that about 100,000 Hispanics had been moved out of a South Texas district, improving the election prospects of Republican Rep. Henry Bonilla. The state contended that they were shifting Democrats - not Latinos - and Roberts, for one, appeared to buy the argument that the motivation was political, not racial.

So it's okay to crack and pack districts according to race, as long as you're a political hack and not a bigot. Ah, but I'm sure that Chief Justice Roberts, who attended private boarding schools, graduated from Harvard, and spent his formative years working with an ethnically diverse group of middle-aged white men, (Rehnquist was Scandinavian, after all) would certainly have a keen antenna for these issues.

Where Do They Get These People?

The News Hour with Jim Lehrer had a segment on the South Dakota abortion legislation tonight. In an interview with Fred De SanLazaro, State Senator Bill Napoli (R) was asked how he could insist the legislation, which bars all abortions except when the mother's life is at risk, would allow for exceptions in the case of rape or incest. Here's his response:

A real-life description to me would be a rape victim, brutally raped, savaged. The girl was a virgin. She was religious. She planned on saving her virginity until she was married. She was brutalized and raped, sodomized as bad as you can possibly make it, and is impregnated. I mean, that girl could be so messed up, physically and psychologically, that carrying that child could very well threaten her life.

Digby has the analysis here.

conservative states going haywire

The state of Mississippi, a conservative bastion and a strict opponent of abortion, is following the lead of South Dakota and attempting to ban all abortions in the state. The Republican Governor Haley Barbour has said that he hopes that the bill comes to his desk with exceptions made for rape and incest, but that he would probably sign it even without those provisions.

Responding to questions about whether he'd sign a bill with no exceptions for rape or incest, Barbour said: "It hasn't gotten to my desk yet. When one gets there, we'll find out, and I suspect I'll sign it. But I would certainly rather it come to my desk with an exception for rape and incest. I think that's consistent with the opinion of the vast majority of Mississippians and Americans."

This really goes to show that Barbour is another conservative puppet. He obviously cares more about pleasing his Republican legislature and the radical conservative voters in his state than protecting women if he'll veto his own opinion before he'd veto the monumental legislation.

Now, the legislature in Jefferson City is proposing that Christianity be made the official state religion of Missouri. This is in direct violation of the Establishment Clause in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution... but the Republicans in Missouri can't let a silly little thing like the Constitution impede them.

Seriously... what is this country coming to these days?

Edit: Upon further research of Missouri law, it's interesting to note how misleading the original article from KTOV out of St. Louis is.

The bill was filed as House Concurrent Resolution 13, meaning that even if passed it will have virtually no effect and will not be considered an actual law (according to the Missouri House glossary).

An act of the House or Senate or of both together that ordinarily has no effect of law. It either commends some achievement, expresses an opinion, urges another entity such as Congress to take some action, or takes some internal action such as establishing a committee. See also Concurrent Resolution and Joint Resolution.

Regardless, this is a waste of time and money, and the Missouri House is "recommending" something that is blatantly unconstitutional.

dallas anti-war rally

Please join us on Sunday, March 19, 2006, in downtown Dallas for a rally to Stop the War Now and Bring Our Troops Home.

At 10:45am, people of all faiths are encouraged to attend morning services at St. Paul United Methodist Church at 1816 Routh St., Dallas, TX 75201. Rev. L. Charles Stovall will lead a service centering on the tragic consequences of the invasion and occupation of Iraq.

Protestors will begin gathering at around 1:30pm at the church. The antiwar rally will begin promptly at 2pm and the corresponding march will end at the federal building downtown. After the event, those attending the rally will be invited back to the church for complimentary refreshments provided by the Food Not Bombs group.

Please come out and support the antiwar movement in Dallas. Your presence is extremely important and vital to the mission: we need to bring the troops home safely and as soon as possible. With 72% of the troops thinking we should end the war this year, there's no better way to support the troops. Bring them home!

Jaw Dropping Poll Numbers

No, we're not talking about the 34% overall approval rating for George Bush in the latest CBS poll, the lowest of his presidency. Nor is the 18% approval rating earned by Dead-Eye Dick much of a surprise. We're talking about the Zogby poll findings that 72% of American soliders serving in Iraq think we should pull our troops out within the year. That's the good news. Here's the bad:

85% said the U.S. mission is mainly "to retaliate for Saddam's role in the 9-11 attacks," and 77% said they also believe the main or a major reason for the war was to stop Saddam from protecting al-Qaida in Iraq."

Okay, troops, we're very, very proud of you. And we're doing our best to bring you home. But do we have to say this again? Saddam Hussein thought Al Qaeda was a threat to his power. He wanted nothing to do with them. He had no ties to the attacks on 9-11. There were no Iraqis involved, period. Fifteen of the nineteen hijackers were Saudi Arabians, and two were from Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. See, that's why we're turning over our port operations to Dubai Ports World. It's not because Bush is cozy with these guys. It's just that, like the Godfather, the administration likes to keep our friends close and our enemies closer. It's part of our strategery in the global war on terror.