Melder's Musings

Ameriquest Field in Arlington, Texas. Was this a dry run for President Bush and the Supreme Court?

President George W. Bush got a lot of practice for his current job while he was Governor of Texas. One skill he had before entering the Governor's mansion, though, was using government to seize private property only to turn it into more expensive private property.

With 7 of its 9 justices appointed by Republicans, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last Friday that local governments could seize private property for private development.

This brings back memories for Texans. I'll provide the rest of you a brief civics and history lesson:

Back in Texas, George W. Bush was once a managing partner in the Texas Rangers baseball club. The team (or at least its owners) wanted a new stadium. They used government to get it.

In Texas, many governmental functions are vested in what we call special taxing districts. We have such districts for all sorts of projects, including schools, hospitals, urban development, economic development, water preservation, soil conservation, and much more. These are government entities with publicly elected boards (unless otherwise chartered) and the power to levy taxes and seize private property through condemnation. After making a few phone calls, Bush talked the legislature into creating the Arlington Sports Authority.

After the charter was granted, the ASA attempted to buy property near the Six Flags Over Texas amusement park. Six Flags had already bid millions of dollars on the property, and the landowners were prepared to sell so the park could expand. The ASA could not (or did not) want to get in a bidding war, so they had the property condemned and seized it. Ameriquest Field (f.k.a. The Ballpark at Arlington) was constructed, and the taxpayers of Arlington are still paying off the bonds.

Shortly after using government to seize property, Bush ran for Governor on a platform of limited government and property rights. That was the first time I heard the now all-too-familiar sound of the Republican Hypocrisy Express.

You can read a more thorough history, from which this paragraph is taken:

While on paper the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority was a public entity, in practice it was merely a puppet for Bush and his partners. According to documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity, the owners would identify the land they wanted to acquire. A Rangers owner, Mike Reilly, a Realtor, would then offer to buy the parcels for prices he set, which in several cases were well below what the owners believed their property was worth. If the landowners refused to sell to the Rangers at the offered price, the Arlington Sports Facilities Development Authority could take possession of their land and leave the price to be determined in court.

All of this led to a noteworthy exchange in Friday's White House press briefing between W.H. Press Secretary Scott McClellan and WorldNetDaily White House correspondent Les Kinsolving.

At today's White House news briefing, WND asked presidential press secretary Scott McClellan about the landmark Supreme Court decision yesterday allowing local government to seize a home or business against the owner's will for the purpose of private development. McClellan's first statement on the issue came in response to KGO radio reporter Sarah Scott.

KGO: Scott, does the president plan to introduce legislation to counter the Supreme Court's decision on eminent domain? Isn't a man's home his castle?

McCLELLAN: First of all, on the Supreme Court decision from yesterday, we were not a party to that case. The president has always been a strong supporter of private property rights. Obviously, we have to respect the decisions of the Supreme Court, and we do. Later in the briefing, WND asked McClellan:

WND: Suppose McLennan County, Texas, decides that a center for slot machines would bring in much more revenue than the Bush ranch. Would the president try to fight the eminent domain, as now legalized by five members of the Supreme Court, by means of the Aderholt-Shelby bill, or how?

McCLELLAN: You know, I don't know of any attempt by McLennan County to do such a thing, first of all. And, second of all, if they did, it's a matter for McLennan County to deal with. But I know of no such effort.

WND: He would fight it, wouldn't he?

McCLELLAN: Les, I think the president has made his views clear when it comes to private property rights. In terms of Supreme Court decisions, we obviously have to respect the decisions of the Supreme Court.

WND: Does the president feel as strongly about that lady in New London, Conn., who will be forced out of her home where she was born and has lived for 87 years [as a result of the high-court decision], does he feel as strong as Justice O'Connor feels, and does he believe this decision will help with his nomination of new justices?

McCLELLAN: Les, we just haven't talked about it, but the president is always concerned about the American people and their well being.

WND: He really is concerned about this lady, isn't he?

With the Culture of Corruption Weekend now behind us, let's turn to The Nation for a recap.

I won't bother reprinting the entire article, but a few paragraphs I found most revealing:

On June 24 conventiongoers were treated to speeches from conservative stars like House majority leader Tom DeLay; antitax zealot Grover Norquist, who called Senator John McCain a "nut job" for compromising on Bush's judge picks; and black right-winger Jesse Lee Peterson, who announced that "most black people--not all, but most--can't think for themselves." The high point of the day, however, belonged to the movement's favorite red-diaper baby, David Horowitz. Horowitz reminded his fawning audience that he could "be sitting at home in the coastal mountains of California, watching horses and rabbits run across my neighbor's yard." Instead he chose to appear for free before a bunch of College Republicans because, as he told them, "The future of the free peoples of the world depends on the Republican Party--and ultimately it depends on you."

In the past year, Horowitz has barnstormed universities across the country, organizing smear campaigns against leftist professors, advising conservative students on tactics to harass their perceived opponents and all the while raking in massive lecture fees. At the College Republicans' convention, Horowitz harped on his time-tested theme: "Universities are a base of the left. Universities are a base for terrorism."

To prove his point, Horowitz singled out Sami Al-Arian, a former University of South Florida professor on trial for allegedly funneling money to Palestinian terror groups through his now-defunct think tank. Horowitz neglected to mention that Norquist, the College Republicans' former executive director and a speaker earlier that morning, funded Al-Arian's think tank through his own Islamic Institute, which he founded with seed money from Qatar, Kuwait and other Middle Eastern sources, including a self-described supporter of Hezbollah, Abdurahman Almoudi. Horowitz was also mum about Al-Arian's private June 2001 briefing with Karl Rove, who last week accused liberals of wanting "to offer therapy and understanding" for the 9/11 attackers. Nor did Horowitz mention the photo-op that candidate George W. Bush posed for with Al-Arian during the 2000 campaign. Nor did he note that Al-Arian boasted that he helped win the state of Florida for Bush by pulling its 90,000 Muslim votes into the Republican column.
But these facts were beside the point. Indeed, Horowitz's campus crusade has little to do with fighting actual terrorism. If his work has produced any results at all, they are manifested not in the waning influence of terror lovers on campus--whoever they are--but in the acute sense of mission that drives today's young conservatives. By Horowitz's logic, College Republicans fight terrorism when they respond to professors who compare conservatives to Nazis by staging sit-ins in their offices, which he advised conventiongoers to do. And they are beating back the Iraqi insurgency when they demand that their university budget more money toward bringing conservative speakers (like Horowitz) to campus, which he also advised them to do. This equation holds a special appeal among College Republicans who are loath to risk their lives on the battlefield but don't want to feel that they are missing the action either.

In interviews, more than a dozen conventiongoers explained why it is important that they stay on campus while other, less fortunate people their age wage a bloody war in Iraq. They strongly support the war, they told me, but they also want to enjoy college life and pursue interesting careers. Being a College Republican allows them to do both. It is warfare by other, much safer means.

I try to find value in each of my fellow human beings. With these people, it's really hard.

President Bush told us the same things he's been telling us for months now. In other words, he's still lying.

I do agree with him one one point (which I'll paraphrase): the terrorists consider free societies decadent and we must take our fight to them.

Here's my beef (which has not changed after tonight's speech): we made Iraq the mess it is. Yes, Iraq is now the center of the so-called "War on Terror." Why? we made it that way. When we started this illegal and unjustified war, we made Iraq a rallying cry for Jihadists. We took down a secular (and yes, evil) regime, creating a vacuum that sucked in extremist Muslims from around the world.

Mr. Bush actually quoted Osama Bin Laden tonight, the first time we've actually heard him mention the person truly responsible for the so-called "War on Terror" in months.

For the record, I think our actions in Afghanistan are, for the most part, correct. I think we should be waging war against Saudi Arabia (as they were home to most of the men and money behind September 11), not Iraq, and I think OBL must be captured immediately (even though CIA director Porter Goss disagrees).

Also for the record, let's review Mr. Bush's flip-flopping statements on OBL:

"The most important thing is for us to find Osama bin Laden. It is our number one priority and we will not rest until we find him." (September 13, 2001)

"I want justice...There's an old poster out West, as I recall, that said, 'Wanted: Dead or Alive,'" (September 17, 2001, UPI)

"I don't know where bin Laden is. I have no idea and really don't care. It's not that important. It's not our priority." (March 13, 2002)

"I am truly not that concerned about him."(responding to a question about bin Laden's whereabouts, March 13, 2002, printed in The New American, April 8, 2002)

What a difference a year...and now almost four makes.

The news is slowly tricking out of Austin, but apparently they are trying to see that the school doors will open in August after all.

Here's the latest (most of it from the Austin American-Statesman):

• Comptroller Strayhorn says Perry's plan sucks. No surprise...she wants his job. That said, she's almost always critical of him, and she's almost always right.
• The Democrats' plan was voted down. Again, no surprise. We almost don't matter in this debate and can't take any of the blame. There aren't enough of us in the legislature to count...literally and figuratively. Most troubling, though, a lot of the Rs actually voted for it, meaning a good plan with bipartisan appeal went down in flames.
• House Republicans have been attacking each other on tax questions.
• Governor Perry has taken his show on the road.
• Some Republicans, thankfully, are pissed we're in this mess.
• Speaker Craddick (who killed the Democrats' plan) says the schools will open no matter what. I don't believe him.

More as it develops. I'm trying to find Alice Cooper's phone number. Stay tuned.

Will this be a weekly feature? Not likely. It's a good working title, though.

That said, this week's idea is freeway blogging.

For those of you wondering why I'm not writing about today's decisions regarding The Ten Commandments or Internet file sharing, don't let the humor intended in my headline confuse you. Before I present today's reaction, read what I wrote about this subject months ago.

As I've shown previously, the Ten Commandments monument at the Texas Capitol in Austin, while perhaps historic, is nothing more than Hollywood promotion. The monument in Austin was donated (as were many like it around the country) by a group funded by the famous director Cecil B. DeMille. Their whole purpose was to promote a movie. Which movie? The Ten Commandments.

I wonder how many uberchristians would still be cheering if they knew that the ultimate den of sin, Hollywood, was responsible for this latest icon in the culture wars.

That said, I do support today's ruling regarding the monument in Austin. The grounds of the Texas Capitol are home to a number of monuments, all purporting to preserve the memory of a variety of people and events. I believe that other religions should have the opportunity for their own monuments, but a Republican-dominated legislature wouldn't even consider it. Currently, they're supposed to be considering how to fix our school finance crisis, but I'll post more on that fiasco later.

That seems to be the m.o. for the Republicans.

As war continues in two fronts, and more wounded veterans come home everyday, the Veterans' Affairs Administration is facing a $1 billion shortfall in the money it needs to take care of our soldiers.

This follows a pattern in which Republicans on the Hill and in the White House refuse to put the necessary funding into VA programs.

Here are words from others. First, my former Congressman (but no longer, thanks to DeLay's redistricting) as per the Associated Press:

"Waco Democratic Rep. Chet Edwards said he raised the alarm about the budget shortfall months ago trying to increase funding through amendments to legislation providing more funding for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and separately during a committee debate on the House budget plan.

'I pointed out ... that the VA this year was cannibalizing its equipment and capital budgets to keep the lights on and to cover operating expenses. A lot of members of Congress and the leadership of VA chose to ignore those facts, but I'm glad they are coming to light right now,' said Edwards, ranking Democrat on the Appropriations subcommittee that oversees VA funding.

He proposed paying for a $2.2 billion increase in the VA budget by shrinking a tax cut for people with incomes of more than $1 million, but it was rejected on party lines, he said."

This is from the Washington Post:

"Leaders of the American Legion, the Paralyzed Veterans and the Disabled American Veterans all noted a striking partisan division in Congress on veterans issues, with Democrats giving them much more support than Republicans.

Traditionally, Violante [Joseph A. Violante, legislative director of the Disabled American Veterans] said, 'Republicans have been supportive of defense,' but he said Bush administration policies and votes in the House and Senate suggest that the GOP does not view the care of veterans as 'a continuing cost of war.'"

When I talk to Republicans, I often ask them why they are Republicans. One answer I get most often (especially from self-identified gay Republicans) is that the policies of the Bush Administration are making us safer.

Today, I present proof that we are not safer. Most of you probably have already heard this, but for those who haven't, prepare for a shock.

In the wee hours of Wednesday morning, a drunk 20-year-old (who is from a foreign country), and his two drunk teenage friends, were able to steal a plane and fly it around New York City. They flew for several hours undetected. The wannabe pilot appeared in court yesterday.

Let's compare that to 9/11: foreigners took over planes and flew them into New York City. Those terrorists actually were detected, but the tapes of how FAA personnel handled the hijackings have been destroyed.

Many will find this story cute or even funny. I find it scary.

Yesterday, the College Republican National Committee opened its annual meeting in Washington, D.C. At the meeting, young GOP leaders will hear speeches from prominent Republican figures and conservative ideologues. Those addressing the group include embattled Republican House Leader Tom DeLay, who has been reprimanded by the Ethics Committee on three separate occasions (he actually gave the inaugural keynote address), as well as scandal-plagued Republican activist Grover Norquist. There is no word on whether former lobbyist Jack Abramoff will be present to teach a class in influence peddling.

The meeting comes only a few months after the CRNC's fundraising methods over the past two years came under scrutiny. Their aggressive solicitations wrongly suggested that money donated would go directly to the Republican Party or to the Bush campaign. It also targeted dementia patients. For more, read this Washington Post article.

From the other side:

"The College Republicans convention looks like rush week at Phi Beta Corruption," said College Democrats President Grant Woodard. "And, given their fundraising tactics, it looks like these young Republicans are quick learners. It is a bad sign that these young political activists are looking up to these disgraced leaders."

Amen.

The Texas Association of Business, finally complying with a Texas Supreme Court order, released records related to its 2002 campaign activity.

The crux of the matter (as reported by the Austin American-Statesman): "state law generally prohibits corporations and unions from spending money on campaign activity."

Read the entire article here.

It's not the indictments we heard rumors about this week, but it could get us a lot closer to them.

Hold on...I don't really think he should die, but one stupid statement deserves another.

Let's examine exactly what Rove said. The Washington Post reprints his statement in its entirely. I reprint the part that has caused all the trouble:

"But perhaps the most important difference between conservatives and liberals can be found in the area of national security. Conservatives saw the savagery of 9/11 and the attacks and prepared for war; liberals saw the savagery of the 9/11 attacks and wanted to prepare indictments and offer therapy and understanding for our attackers. In the wake of 9/11, conservatives believed it was time to unleash the might and power of the United States military against the Taliban; in the wake of 9/11, liberals believed it was time to… submit a petition. I am not joking. Submitting a petition is precisely what Moveon.org did. It was a petition imploring the powers that be to 'use moderation and restraint in responding to the… terrorist attacks against the United States.'

I don't know about you, but moderation and restraint is not what I felt as I watched the Twin Towers crumble to the earth; a side of the Pentagon destroyed; and almost 3,000 of our fellow citizens perish in flames and rubble.

Moderation and restraint is not what I felt - and moderation and restraint is not what was called for. It was a moment to summon our national will - and to brandish steel.

MoveOn.Org, Michael Moore and Howard Dean may not have agreed with this, but the American people did. Conservatives saw what happened to us on 9/11 and said: we will defeat our enemies. Liberals saw what happened to us and said: we must understand our enemies. Conservatives see the United States as a great nation engaged in a noble cause; liberals see the United States and they see … Nazi concentration camps, Soviet gulags, and the killing fields of Cambodia.

Has there been a more revealing moment this year than when Democratic Senator Richard Durbin, speaking on the Senate floor, compared what Americans had done to prisoners in our control at Guantanamo Bay with what was done by Hitler, Stalin and Pol Pot - three of the most brutal and malevolent figures in the 20th century?

Let me put this in fairly simple terms: Al Jazeera now broadcasts to the region the words of Senator Durbin, certainly putting America's men and women in uniform in greater danger. No more needs to be said about the motives of liberals."

Rove precipitated his Manhattan speech with these comments on MSNBC's "Scarborough Country."

"They are dominated today by sort of the MoveOn.org wing of the Democratic Party, you know, the Howard Deans, the Dick Durbins, the MoveOn.org, the Michael Moores, and saying outrageous things like this. I don't know. I don't understand. Remember, MoveOn.org, in the aftermath of 9-11, ran a huge petition drive, a big ad in The New York Times and other newspapers, asking for us to have understanding and tolerance of the Taliban and discouraging any violent response to 9-11. This just shows how out of touch these people are. And when someone takes to the floor of the United States Senate and says that the men and women serving at Guantánamo are equivalent to the Nazis, the Stalinists and the Khmer Rouge, Pol Pot, murderers, it's pretty remarkably tone deaf."

With the entirely of Rove's dribble now out in the open, let's remind ourselves of a few facts.

1. MoveOn.org ran no advertising in the wake of the September 11 attacks. It released nothing between April 2001 and late 2002. When it began advertising again, that advertising was related to the illegal war in Iraq (which had absolutely nothing to do with September 11). You can see for yourself their press archive and their advertising archive.
2. Michael Moore's only books or films on the subject or terrorism were released in 2002 and beyond, well after the actual September 11 attack. In those books, he criticized the administration's decision to ignore the warning signs, President Bush's complete lack of action on the day of the attacks, and the war in Iraq (again, a complete diverson).
3. Howard Dean didn't even begin campaigning (or criticizing Bush) until he left the Vermont Governor's mansion in 2002. Like Moore (and other people who can see past GOP rhetoric), he was critical of Bush's lack of action before and on September 11 and the diversionary war in Iraq.
4. Dick Durbin was, at least in part, right. Some of our tactics in Gitmo are the same tactics used by Hitler, Stalin, and other deadly regimes. The basis for his comments was an undisputed FBI report.
5. The only people coddling terrorists are Rove's Republicans. It is this administration that is actually providing psychiatrists (a.k.a. therapy) to terror suspects.

Some call it racial profiling. Others go so far as to call it ethnic cleansing. Either way, Kurdish forces in Iraq, with US knowledge (and thus, tacit approval), have been illegally imprisoning and torturing hundreds of minority Arabs and Turkmens.

Using a "confidential State Department cable...addressed to the White House," the Washington Post publishes this report.

Tom DeLay's chief money man, Jack Abramoff, is making more bad press today. As the Washington Post reports:

"Lobbyist Jack Abramoff used money from a Mississippi tribal client to set up bogus Christian anti-gambling groups and to fund pet projects including gear for a "sniper school" in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, according to documents released yesterday by Senate investigators."

Meanwhile, rumors around Austin suggest more indictments of people close to DeLay, if not the Congressman himself, could be forthcoming by week's end.

Other DeLay Dirt:

• Casino money was diverted and never reported.
• DeLay may have held an illegal fundraiser for a Virginia Congressman.
• DeLay's Democratic challenger (a former Congressman) is "tightening the screws."
• DeLay's PAC must reveal its donors.

Stay tuned.

Comptroller Strayhorn: as seen before the mauling by the Texas Bible Thumpers for Perry Committee.

As expected, Texas Comptroller Carol Keeyton...skip a few...Strayhorn is now a candidate for Governor in the 2006 Republican Party primary.

The Austin American-Statesman reports on her candidacy.

As I wrote this weekend: "Carol, by the way, is mother to White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. He has yet to explain the Secret Service reports that show gigolo-turned-reporter Jeff Gannon coming to the White House late at night and leaving early in the morning, all while the rest of the W.H. press corps was out of town with the President. The implication that her son may be involved in a gay sex scandal won't play well with the Repugs. She also used to be a Democrat, and still holds a few of our beliefs (one in particular: the state should fully fund CHIP). They hate that."

In other words, the uberchristians won't vote for her. Besides her possibly gay son and pro-poor-people policy ideas, her marital history is blemished (at best).

Also as the Austin American-Statesman reports, her son won't leave the blue podium in D.C. to campaign at home for Mom.

Rick Perry: reading his own Terot cards, perhaps?

Failing to realize the camera was still rolling, Texas Governor Rick Perry ended an interview with a Houston TV station in less than gubernatorial fashion yesterday.

Today, t-shirts commemorating the incident are for sale.

My thanks go to the folks at PinkDome for their coverage.

With war on two fronts, massive deficit, a failing health care system, and growing evidence of public corruption (all at the hands of the GOP), the American press would rather focus on the partisan comments of a guy whose job it is to be partisan.

The following was sent to me via e-mail by a fellow liberal. If I didn't believe in free speech so much, I'd make it required reading for every American.

Read the latest Keith Boykin's 411.

Q: What's the difference between Iraq and Vietnam?

A: Bush knew how to get out of Vietnam.

The White House finds itself under increasing pressure to propose a timetable for the return of American troops from our Iraqi quagmire. So far, they've refused to even entertain the idea. While I agree it will be an extremely difficult task, they should at least put some effort into it.

That pressure found some new credibility late last week when Conservative Republican Walter Jones, a Congressman from North Carolina and the father of "Freedom Fries," voted with Democrats to ask the Bush administration for a troop withdrawal time table. Jones says he was misled and has asked the House cafeteria to return French Fries and French Toast to their proper names.

This noteworthy turn of events was discussed on today's edition of CNN's Inside Politics. Also up for discussion were reports that some $8.8 billion in Iraq funding is missing.

During that discussion, Liberal strategist-turned-pundit Paul Begala said that it is not Congress' place to investigate such missing money. It was at that point I turned off the television.

Kudos to Jones. Congratulations for standing up for what's right (and for realizing your culinary blunder).

A pie in the face for Begala. If Congress can't investigate where the money goes, who should? It's their Constitutional duty, dumbass.

Some good reading from yesterday's Washington Post:

"Business on the floor of the House was halted for 45 minutes yesterday [Monday] after Rep. John N. Hostettler (R-Ind.) accused Democrats of 'denigrating and demonizing Christians...'

The House was debating a Democratic amendment to the annual defense appropriations bill that would have required the Air Force Academy to develop a plan for preventing 'coercive and abusive religious proselytizing.'

Hostettler, speaking against the amendment, asserted that 'the long war on Christianity in America continues today on the floor of the House of Representatives" and "continues unabated with aid and comfort to those who would eradicate any vestige of our Christian heritage being supplied by the usual suspects, the Democrats.'

Yesterday, Hostettler had a choice: to agree to withdraw his words, or to stick by them and face a ruling from the chair that he had violated rules against disparaging another member on the floor. If the member's words are taken down, it is considered a serious offense and the lawmaker would not be able to speak for the rest of the day.

Eventually, Hostettler rose and read a sentence that had been written out for him in large block letters by a young Republican floor aide: 'Mr. Chairman, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the last sentence I spoke.'"

You can read the entire article here.

Perhaps Hostettler will think twice before he tries to score cheap political points in the future. Democrats, as we have always done, were seeking protection for all faiths. Maybe the FBI should check Hostettler's desk for a Taliban training manual. He, like many Republicans, seems to like the idea of a theocracy.

An interesting (and unnerving) story out of Dallas today:

"Faced with foreclosure on a Dallas County land deal, a 33-year-old Dallas man used the legal system to mount a retaliation campaign against some of the state's highest public officials, according to a 16-count indictment released Tuesday.

Tanenankhana Andrews peppered court clerks with phony legal papers last December, falsely claiming that Gov. Rick Perry and Attorney General Greg Abbott, as well as Dallas County court workers and area attorneys, owed him more than $10 million, according to court documents.

Sheriff's Department deputies were working to locate and arrest him late Tuesday.

Mr. Andrews was able to file the fraudulent claims because there is no review process when such court documents are filed, said Judge Mark Greenberg, one of Mr. Andrews' targets. Once the claims were filed, the targets had financial liens placed on their property, preventing them from selling real estate and other assets until they could get the issue resolved. "

Read the entire story in the Dallas Morning News.

With the election still more than three years away, and a couple of announcements already made, it's time for me to begin keeping tabs on candidates for President.

Based on my wide array of reading, here's who I consider to be on the list so far. As I see fit, I'll also include some commentary.

Keep in mind, these are my impressions as of today, and they are listed in no particular order.

DEMOCRATS

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (New York)
As she's said, she's focusing entirely on her re-election to the Senate. Even though many polls suggest she'll win any Democratic primary and currently has a slight edge over the most popular Republicans, she's still a very polarizing figure. She knows that. Look for her to stay out of the race entirely. The only reason I mention her is because everybody else is so damned consumed with her.

Senator Joe Biden (Delaware)
He announced is intent to seek the nomination Sunday. He's been very public with his criticism of the Republicans. Other than that, there's not much to say...at least not yet.

Senator John Kerry (Massachusetts)
He's been traveling the country talking about health care issues. This will be a major issue in 2008 as more Americans deal with their obesity and as more Americans lose their health insurance. This is also a way to keep his name in the press. That said, I don't think the Democratic faithful will give him another chance.

Former Senator John Edwards (North Carolina)
Edwards now runs a center at the University of North Carolina studying poverty. While poverty certainly exists in America (no matter how hard Texas Republicans attempt to deny it), I think this marks the beginning of a return to state politics for Edwards.

Governor Mark Warner (Virginia)
An example of how successful we could be in so-called red states, Warner is making moves in Iowa (an early caucus state), and is meeting privately with party and union leaders elsewhere.

Governor Bill Richardson (New Mexico)
Another red state success story, he's made a political trip to New Hampshire, the state that normally follows Iowa in presidential voting. From his time as a cabinet member he also carries the Clinton mystique, which will serve him well in our primaries.

Governor Tom Vilsack (Iowa)
This is more press speculation than anything else. News today is half reporting and half guesswork. That latter half keeps Vilsack in the news.

Senator Evan Bayh (Indiana)
I've listened to my fellow Democrats talk about Bayh for many years now. He's not made the jump yet, and I don't think he will this time. Without a higher public profile, it's a jump that won't get him very far, anyway.

Vice President Al Gore (Tennessee)
This is desperation on the part of some Democratic activists and more guesswork by the press. Look for him to remain at the helm of his new wannabe-MTV.

REPUBLICANS

Former Representative Newt Gingrich (Georgia)
He's getting press from books, trips to New Hampshire, and the occasional disagreement with the Bush White House. That still won't take away the baggage from his hypocritical time in the House. He may run, but he won't win.

Governor Mitt Romney (Massachusetts)
He's likely to excite the uberchristian Republican base with his homophobic governance of a liberal state, and he's been visiting New Hampshire, but he's still not known nationwide.

Senator Bill Frist (Tennessee)
His efforts so far look just like Mitt Romney's. He is more known, but he will have a hard time explaining how his company bilked millions from the federal government. He might also catch some flack for attempting to diagnose Terri Schiavo via video...and getting it wrong.

Senator Chuck Hagel (Nebraska)
He's made a few visits to early primary states, but his appeal to moderates will keep the uberchristians from voting for him.

Senator Sam Brownback (Kansas)
In spite of a few visits to early primary states, nobody knows him.

Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani (New York)
Let me paraphrase the uberchrisitians: he likes gays and abortion too much.

Senator Rick Santorum (Pennsylvania)
The uberchrisitians love him. When the rest of America reads about how he took a dead fetus home so his living children could cuddle it, their stomachs will turn, and so will their votes.

Governor Haley Barbour (Mississippi)
If he uses that same down-home charm that Bush uses (as he has in Mississippi), he'll be interesting to watch.

Senator John McCain (Arizona)
He's RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman's wet dream...perhaps in more ways than one. He'll also trick many uneducated voters. Many people believe he's a moderate, but one only need look to his record to see the truth. Unless the left figures out a way to reveal his true colors, he'll win the nomination and the White House.

Pardon the bad alliteration. News about those who want to be known as G'uvna of Texas is coming in fast...like...well...insert your own Wild West cliche here.

Rick Perry, a.k.a. Governor Goodhair:
Our sitting G'uvna, who wants a third term, vetoed 19 bills today. He's famous for the Father's Day Massacre a few years ago during which he killed 81 bills. That was a pissing contest with the lege. Today's smaller hack job was his burnt offering at the altar of big "bidness." One example: the lege thinks consumers should know when to expect payment of promised rebates. Goodhair says no.

In other news from Texas' very own Mr. G.Q.: he will issue a proclamation for a special session on school finance. That session will start Tuesday at noon. The state is staring down the barrel of a judicial .45 on this issue. If we don't fix the system, the courts will most likely shut it down in October (1.5 months into the next school year). The Repugs have had six years to fix it. Nothing yet. Perhaps Perry will attempt to reintroduce his stripper tax idea.

Carol Keeyton...skip a few...Strayhorn, a.k.a. One Tough Wife:
Carol, in the midst of a throng of liberals flocking to our southern Mecca, is set to make a "major" announcement Saturday afternoon (as this is written, in about 12 hours). She has long been rumored as a challenger to Perry in the '06 Republican primary. In the words of one local newscaster: she's serving hot dogs, so that means she's running for Governor. I think this warrants questioning why she's announcing this weekend. Is she leaving the GOP? That's not likely, but it's an interesting thought.

Carol, by the way, is mother to White House Press Secretary Scott McClellan. He has yet to explain the Secret Service reports that show gigolo-turned-reporter Jeff Gannon coming to the White House late at night and leaving early in the morning, all while the rest of the W.H. press corps was out of town with the President. The implication that her son may be involved in a gay sex scandal won't play well with the Repugs. She also used to be a Democrat, and still holds a few of our beliefs (one in particular: the state should fully fund CHIP). They hate that.

Kay Bailey Hutchison, a.k.a. Madame Cheertocracy
Kay, it is being widely reported, will announce next week that she will not seek the mansion. This ends months of speculation. It also dashes Democratic hopes of two vacancies in the U.S. Senate. John Cornyn, Texas' Junior Senator, is rumored to be a U.S. Supreme Court nominee.

It continues to be a situation worth watching. As of today, Perry will win next year. We Democrats continue to search for our candidate, and the clock is ticking. Stay tuned.

Hundreds of rabid liberals are gathered in Austin, Texas, this weekend for DemocracyFest 2005. I am proudly among them.

As I maneuver between workshops, forums, and caucuses (and take in the Austin nightlife) look for interesting items as I encounter them.

I'll be back in Pottsboro late Monday. It is then my red-to-blue conversion therapy continues anew.

There are countless stories like the one you are about to read. It's stories like these that make me proud to be pro-choice.

This story came to me from someone I know only as fierytopaz23. It comes in the wake of new parental consent laws here in Texas. Parental notification (but not consent) has been on the books since 1999.

"Last fall, my 16 year old daughter and I were driving home after phone banking and coloring a precinct map at the Kerry headquarters. She shared the following information.

She said she had volunteered that night because Kerry supported abortion.

A classmate of hers had become involved with a boy. She changed her mind during sex, but the boy didn't stop (which constitutes rape here in Texas). My daughter called Planned Parenthood and found out it cost $70 for the morning after pill. They didn't go to Planned Parenthood.

Later, the girl contacted my daughter again. She threatened to use a coat hanger on herself if my daughter didn't go with her to the illegal abortionist. My daughter believed her when she said she would do this and agreed not to tell anyone. The girl had the name and money for the abortionist.

My daughter drove her to the place. Her classmate was bleeding badly in the car. She drove her classmate home and told the mother that her daughter was having a horrible period. The girl was taken to the hospital. She will never be able to have children. She doesn't talk to my daughter anymore. She walks around in a haze.

I listened to this with a breaking heart.

Why hadn't she gone to her mother or father? They would kick her out of the house.

Why hadn't she come to me with this? I promised not to tell.

Did the girl consider having the baby and giving it up for adoption? She wanted to graduate with her class and didn't want her parents to know this had happened to her.

Why didn't she call a regular abortion clinic? They would have called her parents.

Teenagers often feel they know all the answers.

This bill won't encourage young woman to come forward before it is too late. This situation is best solved by over-the-counter birth control for the morning after, with advice by a licensed pharmacist. Better to find a pharmacist willing to counsel, then a back street abortionist."

Because Republicans refuse to accept reality, an entire circle of lives has been negatively impacted forever. It happens every day. Read more here.

I end this post with a question (from a different situation): if a girl is impregnated by her incestuous father and has no legal option but to go to him for permission to abort the byproduct of that incest, what do you think will result?

Yesterday, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to apologize for its failure to outlaw lynching. Beside the fact that it's taken this long to pass such a resolution, it's more disturbing that a number of southern senators (who just so happen to be Republicans) did not co-sponsor the resolution.

As you might expect, Mississippi's Trent Lott is among them.

Trent Lott’s refusal to sign onto the anti-lynching resolution that is only the most recent addition to Lott’s long record of racism. Lott failed to join other senators in cosponsoring the resolution apologizing to the victims of lynching, and the descendants of those victims.

Let's review Uncle Trent's record:

• In December 2002, Lott was ousted as Senate Majority Leader after making comments about how the country would be better off had then-segregationist Strom Thurmond been elected President in 1948. Lott said, "I want to say this about my state: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We're proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn't have had all these problems over all these years." [The Washington Post, 12/10/02]
• Lott Made Almost Identical Comments in 1980. "You know, if we had elected this man 30 years ago, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today." [The Washington Post, 12/12/02]
• Lott Opposed the Voting Rights Act. In 1981, then-Representative Lott was one of 24 House members to oppose extending the Voting Rights Act, which “struck down obstacles between minorities and polling places.” [The Washington Post, 12/13/02]
• Lott Opposed Martin Luther King Jr. Day and declared King undeserving. In 1983, Lott was one of 98 House members to oppose making Martin Luther King Jr. Day a federal holiday. In an interview after the fact, Lott said: "Look at the cost involved in the Martin Luther King holiday and the fact that we have not done it for a lot of other people that were more deserving." [The Washington Post, 12/13/02]
• In 1989, Lott was one of seven republican senators to vote against $300,000 in funding for the Martin Luther King Jr. Federal Holiday Commission. Lott was also one of 11 senators to vote for a separate amendment to delete the $300,000 in federal funding for the Commission. [The Washington Post, 12/13/02; Vote #57, 5/2/89; Vote #52, 5/2/89]
• In 1994, Sen. Lott was one of only 28 senators to support an amendment prohibiting federal funding for the King commission. [The Washington Post, 12/13/02; Vote #127, 5/24/94]
• Lott supported Bob Jones University. In 1981, Lott filed a brief, albeit unsuccessfully, with the Supreme Court supporting tax exempt status for Bob Jones University despite the universities policies which discriminate against minorities and prohibiting interracial dating. “In his brief … he argued that ‘racial discrimination does not always violate public policy,’ and that ‘to hold that this religious institution is subject to tax because of its interracial dating policies would clearly raise grave First Amendment questions.’” [The Washington Post, 12/13/02]
• Lott opposed Hate-Crimes Legislation. In 1990, Sen. Lott was one of four senators to vote against a bill to require the Dept. of Justice to compile hate-crime statistics on assaults linked to prejudice and race. [The Washington Post, 12/13/02; Vote #13, 2/8/90]

Allow me to borrow a phrase from Trent's friend Haley: "Mississippi can do better."

The Republican attack on public broadcasting continues. First, they targeted PBS and NPR news programs for signs of "liberal bias" (even though John McLaughlin has two shows, along with the Wall Street Journal). Now members of the House of Representatives are sharpening their knives for Big Bird.

House Appropriations Committee members are now deciding whether to slash more than $200 million in funding for public broadcasting, including $23.4 million earmarked for "Ready to Learn" children's educational programming; the money that keeps shows like "Sesame Street," "Arthur," and "Clifford the Big Red Dog" on the air.

The proposed action would cut the Corporation for Public Broadcasting's budget by $100 million and "zero out" all federal money for CPB within two years. Small television and radio stations that serve rural communities and minority audiences will be devastated by these cuts.

The CPB is already embroiled in controversy over Chairman Kenneth Tomlinson's attempts to withhold funding from PBS programs that don't follow his conservative political line. Apparently dissatisfied with this effort to make public broadcasting more "fair and balanced," the Republican majority is now trying to bankrupt the entire system. They call it "starving the beast."

For you rabid homophobes, keep in mind that the episode of "Postcards from Buster" featuring lesbian farmers/parents never actually aired.

Help stop this madness. Click here.

As is reported by that right-wing rag The Hill, Rep. John Conyers (D-Michigan) is being forced to hold Thursday's hearing (that's what we're calling it) or forum (that's what they're calling it) on the Downing Street Memo at the offices of the Democratic National Committee.

Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wisconsin), Chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, is refusing to allow Conyers, the ranking member of the committee, to use House facilities. This is just the latest in a string of events that Sensenbrenner has blocked, dating back to December. Apparently, he doesn't believe a public building should be used for public business. Conyers has assembled a list of witnesses for Thursday's hearing and invites all members of the committee to attend.

Sensenbrenner is still feeling the sting after he abruptly, and in violation of House rules, shut down a hearing of the full committee on Friday.

In more Sensenbrenner news, a report set to be released tomorrow will show him to be the leading recipient of lobbyist-funded travel in the House.

Meanwhile, Conyers is seeking petitioners in support of his inquiry into the Downing Street Memo.

Also on Thursday, at 5:00 p.m. (D.C. time) in Lafayette Square Park, in front of the White House, a large rally will support Conyers. At that time he plans to deliver to the White House a letter addressed to President Bush and signed by over 500,000 Americans and at least 94 other members of Congress. The letter asks the President to respond to questions raised by the Downing Street Minutes.

Among those speaking at the hearings will be: Joe Wilson, a former ambassador and W.M.D expert; Ray McGovern, a 27-year CIA analyst who prepared regular presidential briefings during the Reagan administration; and Cindy Sheehan, mother of a fallen American soldier.

Smaller rallies, in a show of additional support, are scheduled to take place nationwide.

"F. James Sensenbrenner." It just rolls off the tongue.

As more information around the Downing Street Memo begins to work its way into the press, more and more people are beginning to press the administration.

The Capital Times of Madison, Wisconsin reports:

Wisconsin Democrats are calling for the impeachment of President George W. Bush,Vice President Dick Cheney and Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld.

Loyalists at this weekend's state party convention in Oshkosh passed a resolution calling for Congress to initiate impeachment proceedings against the three officials for their role in the war in Iraq.

The resolution contends that the administration "lied or misled" the United Nations, Congress, and the American public about the justification for the war. It cites the so-called "Downing Street memo" from British Prime Minister Tony Blair's government, as well as reports from U.N. weapons inspectors as evidence of widespread deception.

You can read the entire article here.

As the story points out, the Wisconsin Democrats are not the first to pass such a resolution. Nevada (a red state) Democrats passed one last year.

They won't get what they want, but I appreciate their gumption.

While channel surfing during the wee hours this morning, I found out what former Congressman J.C. Watts is doing these days.

As you might expect, it's completely hypocritical, considering what he used to say he believed in.

Look for complete details soon.

Richard Corey is the undisputed winner in Starkville's Ward 4. Sources inside Starkville City Hall during this morning's examination of the ballots and ballot boxes from last week's election say the hand count done by Corey and the ousted Lee Beck put Corey ahead by six votes. That's one more vote for Corey than last week's official count.

Without a lawsuit, the official tally of 121 for Corey and 116 for Beck will stand, however. Sources say that Beck attempted to challenge the validity of ballots on numerous superficial issues, including whether or not voters had indicated their middle initials.

After the examination, Beck gave a written statement to members of the media congratulating Corey on his victory. That statement indicated there would be no additional challenge to the vote. Beck also promised to remain active in civic affairs.

My blog is the first public source of this information.

Meanwhile, I await Beck's apology for the false voter fraud accusations.

As is being reported on other blogs, people within Lee Beck's failed campaign are spreading false allegations that I voted in Tuesday's municipal elections in Starkville, Mississippi.

I respond:

No one takes allegations of voter misconduct more serious than I do. That said, these allegations should be taken out with the trash. I have only registered to vote in one place, and that place is my home, Lampasas, Texas. I have only voted in that one place. Do you want proof? I encourage you all to contact:

Connie Hartmann
Lampasas County Clerk
P.O. Box 347
Lampasas, TX 76550
(512) 556-8271

Linda Crawford
Lampasas County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar
P.O. Box 150
Lampasas, TX 76550
(512) 556-8271

If that's not good enough, contact the people in charge of voter registration and elections in the other places I've lived:

Angie McGinnis
Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk
101 E. Main St.
Starkville, MS 39759
(662) 323-1356

Linda Fahrendorf, Secretary
Bryan County Election Board
217 N. 16th Ave.
Durant, OK 74701
(580) 924-3228

Wilma Blackshear Bush
Grayson County Clerk
100 W. Houston, Ste. 17
Sherman, TX 75090
(903) 813-4235

John Ramsey
Grayson County Tax Assessor-Collector and Voter Registrar
P.O. Box 2107
Sherman, TX 75090
(903) 893-8683

I was in Pottsboro, Texas, last Tuesday (some 500+ miles from Starkville). I have not voted absentee in any election since doing so in Lampasas, Texas, in November 2004.

Lee's allegations and any so-called "proof" he has to back them up are complete nonsense. I challenge him to present his "proof" so that it can be easily bunked. A loser recounting ballots is understandable. A loser making false allegations of election fraud is shameful. I demand an apology.

Part of a story that is slowly gaining the momentum it deserves, six more documents related to the Downing Street Memo are set to be leaked tomorrow. You can get them here.

For those that haven't followed the story before now, get the lowdown here.

As you have read elsewhere, Richard Corey officially won Tuesday night's election for the Ward 4 Alderman seat in Starkville, Mississippi. The election, which had Corey up by one vote Tuesday, was not decided until affidavit ballots were counted Wednesday. Corey won the race by five votes.

This afternoon, Incumbent Ward 4 Alderman Lee Beck personally delivered to Corey his request to examine the ballots. Mississippi Election Code allows Beck (or his appointed representative) to examine every ballot and the box by hand, in the presence of the Circuit Clerk (or her deputy). Lee has set his examination for Friday, June 17.

My blog is the first public source of this information.

As for Beck's reasons, I can only speculate. I don't doubt that anyone in his situation would do the same. What he hopes to uncover, I can't possibly imagine. The ballots were counted with an optical scanner and have been under lock and key since then.

It has been a while.

I've been absent from writing new posts to my blog, mainly because of a massive increase in my professional workload.

As the title of this entry suggests, my company has moved me out of Oklahoma and back where I belong: Texas.

Look for more details soon on what's been since my last post (for those that care).