Rep. Aaron Pena Speaks Up On The Speaker's Race

Aaron Pena and I have a little running joke that he is a seer. This started when he accurately foretold the redistricting plan that was approved for Texas this year, resulting in a newly drawn district that Ciro Rodriguez won. Since then he has been 100% on predicting other events, so the "seer" moniker has stuck.

A lot of us have been wondering what he knows about the Speaker's race and where exactly he stands. He was one of the 17 Democrats that remained on Craddick's recently updated list of 83 (supposed) supporters. Via BOR, view the list compared to Craddick's original list of 109. Although I hate it, I can sort of understand why the Democratic committee chairs remain on the list. I think those chairs need to join their fellow Dems in an Anybody But Craddick vote, but I've already discussed that. As have others. Whatever. They owe their political life to Craddick, but they have to know that as with Ron Wilson and Al Edwards, a strong Democrat can be run against them in their 08 primaries who will vote with Democrats on education, health care, consumer issues, etc.

So, where does Aaron Pena stand? He's had three cryptic postings on his blog on the Speaker's race. In the latest post, he is pretty clear that he thinks the race is wrapped up and that on Jan. 9th, there will be clear support behind one of the candidates. From his post today:

My respect for each of these candidates and their supporters has effectively kept my postings to that of a discreet observer. That being said, it is my opinion based on information that I have been able to observe, that a front runner has emerged. It is my belief that the turning point occurred yesterday.

If things continue on their present course, and I presently see no reason for them to change, you can expect that the members of the 80th Legislature will have a clear front runner in the election for Speaker occurring on January 9th. For now, I will exercise my discretion one final time and allow you to surmise who that front runner may be.

When he says the turning point occurred yesterday, that says to me that he thinks the Craddick loyalists' efforts at phone calling and letter writing either went very, very well or that The Little Napolean's supporters have fallen off. If it's not Craddick, my guess is that McCall has the votes to win. He's got the Democratic caucus in his corner, Talton and others. I've wondered all along, if at the very end, Pitts and McCall will combine their pledges for one of them to win. Again, I think that person would be McCall.

Back to Rep. Pena. Why has his name been on Craddick's list all along? It's made a bunch of Democratic activists unhappy, that is for sure. The Austin insiders I've talked to have been clear that another session with Craddick as speaker means we have another session with little good coming out of it. A lot of people smarter about this than me think this is our one best chance for new House leadership, which will enable the members to get things done and vote the interests of their districts.

So, Rep. Pena, where do you stand? On the side of change and a better situation for the people of Texas or with the man from Midland? Is your name on Craddick's list as a bluff? A lot of people have stuck their necks out on this one and whatever happens on the 9th, it could be "off with their heads" after the vote and all the way through the end of May. I'm sure the seer is well aware of that.

Note: As I was writing this post, I got word that House Pensions and Investments Committee Chair Craig Eiland (D-Galveston) met with both Pitts and McCall today and is confident that Craddick does not have the votes to win. He believes the next Speaker of the House will be Brian McCall. Read Eiland's press release at Burnt Orange Report.

Lock The Catbox!

I love me some Clash (ILMSC). Lyrics: Now the king told the boogie men You have to let that raga drop The oil down the desert way Has been shakin' to the top The sheik he drove his Cadillac He went a' cruisin' down the ville The muezzin was a' standing On the radiator grille CHORUS The shareef don't like it Rock the Casbah Rockin' the Casbah The shareef don't like it Rock the Casbah Rock the Casbah By order of the prophet We ban that boogie sound Degenerate the faithful With that crazy Casbah sound But the Bedouin they brought out The electric kettle drum The local guitar picker Got his guitar picking thumb As soon as the sherif Had cleared the square They began to wail CHORUS Now over at the temple Oh! They really pack 'em in The in crowd say it's cool To dig this chanting thing But as the wind changed direction The temple band took five The crowd caught a wiff Of that crazy Casbah jive CHORUS The king called up his jet fighters He said you better earn your pay Drop your bombs between the minarets Down the Casbah way As soon as Sharif was Chauffeured outta there The jet pilots tuned to The cockpit radio blare As soon as Shareef was Outta their hair The jet pilots wailed CHORUS He thinks it's not kosher Fundamentally he can't take it. You know he really hates it.

Our Long National Nightmare Is Over

How I wish. Saddam was hanged at dawn in Baghdad. That certainly didn't end the Iraq war nightmare. I loved the "we got him!" post on Bay Area Houston. I had forgotten that note of triumph from a couple of years ago when Saddam was captured out of that hole in the ground. Go, Team USA! I'm watching the Gerald Ford motorcade procession into D.C. It's more entertaining than than the Alamo Bowl which is boring, boring, boring. My perspective on Gerald Ford's passing is from the perspective of someone who was a teenager when Ford became President (which makes me a little different from most of my fellow progressive bloggers who are (cough!) slightly younger than me.) I remember the tremendous anguish of the Nixon presidency. It's hard to describe what a true Constitutional crisis that was. Our Constitution worked; our democracy was preserved. I will always remember that during the Nixon presidency, I thought the entire time that he was slimy. I was just a kid. But, it was obvious to me that he was a liar and a sneak. Kids know. My daughter is the same age that I was when Nixon resigned. She knows to her core that Bush is a jerk and a fool. She watched the Texas Governors debate and feels the same way about Perry. She would love for someone to replace Bush and say "our long national nightmare is over." I remember when Ford said that. Many of us wanted Nixon to get nailed for his crimes against our country. My child's eye view was probably more eye for an eye than it is now. But, with Ford's pardon, retribution wasn't to be. The country supposedly moved on. But, I never thought we recovered. Nixonian politics set the stage for Reagan's social conservatism which I believed was totally wrong for the neediest of our citizens (who I taught as a high school teacher in Houston.) Then we moved right on to DeLay and K Street. We had a brief respite with Clinton in the White House. Now, we have Bush and we are well into another national nightmare. 3000 U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq. Many, many more Iraqis killed. Ford's hearse just stopped at the WW2 memorial, which I have visited. Our long national nightmare continues. We are not respected in the world. We are not winning the war in Iraq. Not today, not tomorrow. The very definition of failure.

Rep. Leo Berman Speaks His Mind On The Speaker's Race

One of Leo Berman's (R-Tyler) constituents sent him an email (see Burnt Orange Report) asking him to please support McCall for speaker. In his reply, Berman suggests that one of Craddick's opponents may be doing something that is against the law (emphasis mine in italics): Dear Mr. Yocom:

I am a Conservative Republican. Tom Craddick is a Conservative Republican. I have no idea what you are talking about when you speak of fear and corruption in the Texas House.

Rep. McCall is a Moderate to Liberal Republican who would have to make many concessions to Liberal Democrats in the House in order to get their vote for Speaker. I plan to stay with the winning team of Tom Craddick.

Democrats in the House have tried to disrupt the legislative process for two sessions since Republicans became the majority party. If not for Tom Craddick, they would have ruled the roost despite the fact that they are in the minority.

Sincerely, Leo Berman

The thing is that Speaker's candidates cannot make ANY promises to any legislator to win their vote. There is something called the "Speaker's Statute" which is Chapter 302 of the Texas Government Code. Offering something in return for a Speaker's vote is called legislative bribery: SUBCHAPTER C. LEGISLATIVE BRIBERY Sec.A302.031. DEFINITION.In this subchapter, "economic benefit" means anything reasonably regarded as economic gain or advantage, including a campaign contribution. Acts 1985, 69th Leg., ch. 479, Sec. 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1985. Sec.A302.032. LEGISLATIVE BRIBERY: PROMISES OR THREATS. A person commits an offense if, with the intent to influence a member of or candidate for the house of representatives in casting a vote for speaker of the house of representatives, the person: (1) promises or agrees to cause: (A) the appointment of a person to a chairmanship or vice-chairmanship of a house committee or subcommittee; (B) the appointment of a person to a particular house committee or subcommittee, the Legislative Budget Board, the Texas Legislative Council, the Legislative Library Board, the Legislative Audit Committee, or any other position the speaker appoints; (C) preferential treatment on any legislation or appropriation; (D) the employment of a person; or (E) economic benefit to a person; or (2) threatens to cause: (A) the failure to appoint a person to a chairmanship or vice-chairmanship of a house committee or subcommittee; (B) the failure to appoint a person to a particular house committee or subcommittee, the Legislative Budget Board, the Texas Legislative Council, the Legislative Library Board, the Legislative Audit Committee, or any other position the speaker appoints; (C) unfavorable treatment on any legislation or appropriation; (D) the refusal of or removal from employment of a person; or (E) the withholding of economic benefit from a person. So, when Berman says that McCall would have to make concessions to get the votes of Democrats, he is implying that he would have to break the law to win the Speaker's race. I'd use a little different language if I were Berman, as that is a serious accusation.

Two Craddick Democrats Fall In Line - With Craddick

Two Democratic House Committee Chairs are on record in the Houston Chronicle today as supporting Craddick for another term as Speaker of the Texas House. Remember the list of Democratic Chairs I discussed earlier that required watching as the vote for speaker neared? A refresher: The hard-core Craddick Democrats (and their Committee chair assignment) include: Robert Puente (San Antonio, Chair Natural Resources) Kino Flores (Pharr, Chair Licensing) Norma Chavez (El Paso, Chair Border and International Affairs) Helen Giddings (Dallas, Chair Business and Industries) Harold Dutton (Houston, Chair Juvenile Justice) Kevin Bailey (Houston, Chair General Investigations) Sylvester Turner (Speaker Pro Tem; Appropriations Committee) These Democrats owe their legislative power to Craddick and they are on record as doing Craddick's bidding even when it goes against the interests of their districts. Apparently, Craddick is working down the list in order, strong-arming them to go on record a supporting him in the Speaker's race. This from the Chronicle: Sticking with Craddick, for example, are Democratic Reps. Robert Puente of San Antonio and Ismael "Kino" Flores of Palmview, who chair, respectively, the committees on Natural Resources and Licensing & Administrative Procedures.

Flores said Craddick's reputation for strong-arm tactics could be undeserved, but he wasn't about to test it.

"If you don't put him in a corner and if you don't punch him, he'll work with you," Flores said. "Now, has anyone opposed him and survived? I don't know. If you're asking me if I'm going to take that chance, (the answer is) no."

I hope they are bluffing. If not, they need a challenger in their 2008 primaries where they will really have to contemplate losing the power they so crave. The entire list needs to hear from their constituents that another two years of Craddick means another disastrous legislative session. Here's what Brian McCall, currently the lone Republican that has announced against Craddick has to say about him:

"He's known for his tough, strong-armed, mean-spirited tactics," said Rep. Brian McCall of Plano, a fellow Republican. "There's a rebelliousness occurring in the House for that very reason.

He accused Craddick of micromanaging bills, and, in the process, weakening committee chairmanships. He vowed to return power to the committees and to allow members to vote in the interest of their districts and their conscience, which he said Craddick stifled. There's a Democrat in the race, Senfronia Thompson of Houston. She's staying in for now, but says she would consider supporting McCall. Garnet Coleman says he will support McCall if Thompson releases him from his pledge. The vote happens on Jan. 9th. This sort of thing is the Texas politics I know and love. I think we have a real opportunity take out the mean-spirited little man who is currently Speaker of the House.

Spending Campaign Cash: Rep. Phil King

Representative Phil King, R-Weatherford, has more campaign cash to spend than most Texas House members. After a quick review of his campaign finance reports for the past two years, where I noticed he has around $300,000 cash on hand and MANY more expenditures than I typically see when I review these, I decided to take a closer look at both the donation and expenditure sides of his reports.

How is he able to afford nearly $9500 in gas, $4300 in hotels (he's partial to the Marriott in San Antonio), $11,000 in air travel, $750 in meals and $1000 in other miscellaneous expenses, all of which he vaguely describes as "travel expense"?

He also spent over $45,000 on "accommodations" over two years. This includes around $1300 per month on the luxury Gables at the Terrace in Austin. Legislators can spend their campaign cash on a place to live in Austin, and King is able to afford much nicer accommodations than most.

Nearly $17,000 was spent on computer related services and items such as internet service, hardware and software. This is a spare no expense guy when it comes to technology. He spent over $18,000 on his telephone bills, almost all to Cingular.

The kicker is that he's spent over $97,000 on expenses he loosely describes as "public relations". What does that mean if you are a Texas legislator? To Phil King it includes a LOT of donations to organizations such as Weatherford schools and sport teams, Young Conservatives of Texas, the United Way, Texas Star Ranch and Retreat, Stars Over Texas PAC ($10,000 to Craddick's son of TRMPAC), the Rotary Club of Weatherford, Parker County Republican Women, Greenwood Baptist Church, Diana's Flower Shop, various Republican candidates, Bush Legacy Republican Women PAC (what IS that? scary), Parker County Sheriff's Posse ($2K), Barnes and Noble, Amazon.com, Capitol Gift Shop ($5000!), Retriever Sporting Clays ($5200) and Academy Sports. Oh, and there are a few entries for what I assumed this expenditure category was all about - graphics and public relations firms or individuals (including a vendor called Christian Marketing).

Over $13,000 are reimbursements to his staff and other people, only described as "staff expense and meeting expense" or "staff reimbursement for travel and meeting expense." This is very vague and it's impossible to know what those payments were really for.

Who is this guy? Well he is the chair of a powerful committee - Regulated Industries. Yeah, that's electricity deregulation to you and me. Blame him for your high electricity rates. I read a couple of good blog posts on this in the last few days - at Bay Area Houston and jobsanger. King also co-chairs the Electric Utility Restructuring Legislative Oversight Committee, which is a joint committee of the Texas House and Senate. He serves on the Civil Practices Committee and the Redistricting Committee and is a member of the joint House and Senate Committee on the Power of Eminent Domain. Redistricting? Yeah, this is the guy that authored the redistricting legislation during the 78th Legislature and subsequent special sessions. Something else interesting that I found out about him is that he was recognized as “Legislator of the Year” by the Texas Association of Builders for his work on HB 730, the bill that was supposed to provide consumers recourse with homebuilders, but instead protects the homebuilding industry.

So, guess who funds King's cushy legislative lifestyle?

Homebuilders - $17,500 from Hillco PAC (Bob Perry's PAC), HomePAC of Texas Texas Association of Builders ($3500), Bob Perry ($32,500) and others.

Electric Company and Energy PACs - American Electric Power PAC, Centerpoint Energy Inc PAC, Constellation Energy Federal PAC, Devon Energy Corporation PAC, Duke Energy Corporation - State PAC, EPIC - El Paso Electric, General Electric Company PAC, Reliant Energy PAC, Rural Friends of Electric Cooperatives, Texas Gas Service Company PAC, TXU PAC and others for well over $100,000.

Also, he is well-funded by other regulated industries, particularly communications ($65K plus) and insurance. There's money coming in from pharmaceutical PACs, legal PACs and technology PACs.

I've been told that not many people really look into the spending side of the campaign finance reports. I can see why. To be frank, it's confusing and the data is not easy to sort. But, Phil King is a poster child of how the cash flowing in directly relates to the cash flowing out, and how some of our legislatures appear to bought, sold and paid for by industries who are seeking favorable legislation.

On Santa Visiting Only Good Boys and Girls

The presents are unwrapped, the house is a mess, the teenagers are still barely awake and I'm escaping into a little light reading before getting ready for the next round of family activities. I just read a list of the top 11 most outrageous things conservative commentators said in 2006 and my favorites are below. These, to me, represent the opposite of Christmas, a day when we celebrate the birth of Jesus who came to serve the poor, heal the sick, make the lame whole again and bring peace on earth. Via Salon: Fox News host John Gibson: "Do your duty. Make more babies. That's a lesson drawn out of two interesting stories over the last couple of days. First, a story yesterday that half of the kids in this country under five years old are minorities. By far, the greatest number are Hispanic. You know what that means? Twenty-five years and the majority of the population is Hispanic. Why is that? Well, Hispanics are having more kids than others. Notably, the ones Hispanics call 'gabachos' -- white people -- are having fewer." [5/11/06] Nationally syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh, blaming America's "obesity crisis" on "the left," "liberal government," and "food stamps": "Because we are sympathetic, we are compassionate people, we have responded by letting our government literally feed these people to the point of obesity. At least here in America, didn't teach them how to fish, we gave them the fish. Didn't teach them how to butcher a -- slaughter a cow to get the butter, we gave them the butter. The real bloat here, as we know, is in -- is in government." [8/29/06] CNN Headline News host Glenn Beck to Rep.-elect Keith Ellison (D-MN): "OK. No offense, and I know Muslims. I like Muslims. ... With that being said, you are a Democrat. You are saying, 'Let's cut and run.' And I have to tell you, I have been nervous about this interview with you, because what I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies.' " [11/14/06] May I suggest that Rush gets a guided tour of a) a butcher shop and b) a dairy farm? For Gibson and Beck, I suggest cozying up by the fireplace with the story of the Good Samaritan. Read all 11 outrageous comments in the Salon article plus a stocking chock full of honorable mentions. If Santa came to visit these commentators, then what mom told me about Santa only visiting good boys and girls was a vast right wing conspiracy.

A Christmas Eve Miracle

It wasn't a virgin birth, but it was just as infrequent. The Texans beat the Colts, 27-24, on the last play of the game with a Kris Brown field gold. A 48-yarder. Carr made a 17-yard pass to Andre Johnson from the 50 to get the Texans in field goal range and a chance to win.

This is the first Texans win against the Colts in Texans history. Poor, poor Peyton Manning was not happy. And, rightfully so. His numbers were good; the Colts defense sucked. The Colts are in the playoffs, as the NFC South champs, but they could have clinched a first round bye with a win here in Houston today. Again, Peyton Manning was sad, sad, sad. I'm not a huge Manning fan.

The Texans brought their offense with them today with Carr passing for 163 yards (16 out of 23 passes complete, 0 interceptions, 1 touchdown) and Dayne rushing for 153.

Carr gets to take a few days off from all of the talk about "worst game ever", "Texans are a joke if Carr suits up next season" and all of the other Christmas tidings he received after last week's joke of a game.

Lots of close games today. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas with all of the good football to watch.

An Alternative To Craddick

According to the Houston Chronicle, Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) is expected to announce his candidacy next week for Speaker of the House in opposition to incumbent Speaker Tom Craddick (R-Midland). The following is a letter that McCall sent to House members when he ran as an underdog against Craddick for Speaker in 2002. It sounds to me as if it could have been written this week. In less than 30 days, Texans will be making a momentous decision about the make up of the Texas House. In less than 90 days, we will be making an equally important decision about whom we elect as our Speaker. All understand the arithmetic that will have to come into play for there to be the first Republican Speaker in 128 years. The time has come now to frankly discuss the other criteria important to the decision we will be making as we determine who will preside over our Chamber. If the math is there for the Republicans, you may have the opportunity to choose between the current Republican frontrunner and me. As a small David to a big Goliath in this Speaker's race, I have the responsibility to tell you why I believe that you should cast your vote for me and to contrast what I believe the differences to be. The person elected to preside over the House in 2003 will be leading this Body in a time of delicate balancing needs. In order for us to do our jobs, the order of the day should be consensus-- not partisanship. We will not reach wise decisions and avoid legislative gridlock by implementing the agendas of the few and the powerful, (thus creating partisan debts); but rather, by allowing debate and facilitating negotiations between many. Contrast that. Texas has moved from a state where rural/agrarian and petroleum-based economies were the driving force to one where urban/new economies are the dominant factors. Not only do I best understand the problems of the urban/suburban economy and have the constituent base to support me in that understanding (and having grown up in a ranching family), I am the candidate that is better able to bridge the gap between the former agenda, and the agenda of the future. Contrast that. My leadership style is based on a history of inclusiveness, knowing all the members of our House and making an effort to get to understand them for who they are and the unique challenges of the areas they represent. My record is one that demonstrates my ability to lead to solutions and decisions from which we can all walk away with dignity. Contrast that. The economic and social priorities of our various districts are vastly different. A capable Speaker must be able to address each member's concerns and needs without a partisan political agenda, yet firmly guide the process to resolution with fairness and respect. Contrast that. I have never given a wink and a nod to those little groups who would through rumor and misrepresentation seek to defame any member of the Legislature. Instead, I've stood up to them, defended my peers (regardless of party or position), and taken my own hits. I take no comfort from the fire set to burn "them" in order to warm "us". In any legislative body, "us" and "them" are in constant flux. Contrast that. I am indebted to no one in my efforts to be our Speaker. There are no big funders, members of Congress, or party operatives who have made calls or implied consequences to those unpledged to my candidacy. There is no predetermined "team" that will require me to divert from what I believe is best and most fair for decisions that reflect the best interests of the House. Contrast that. You know me. You know that this is a difficult letter for me to write to advocate my election as Speaker. But the time has come to draw the differences. To those uncommitted (and to those who are feeling they have leaned their ladder against the wrong wall), my message is plain. If -- between Tuesday, November 5th, and Tuesday, January 14th -- it becomes apparent that a historical change is in the offing, I urge you to consider whom you can trust to best lead the House to bring about understanding and solution through a period where truly a House divided will not stand . . . I would value your support and appreciate your trust. With highest regard, I remain Very truly yours, Brian McCall

Anybody But Craddick

Rep. Brian McCall (R-Plano) plans to step into the Speaker's race against Tom Craddick next week. More on McCall in another post, but suffice it to say this is very good news as McCall is a fair person who plays well with others. Craddick plays well - at partisan politics. He instills fear in the lege by promising to send recalcitrant members of both parties to "Siberia", aka immensely undesirable committee assignments, if they don't follow him lockstep, taking away access to big money donors, and, if you are a moderate Republican, running someone more cooperative against you in your primary. The vote for Texas Speaker of the House on Tuesday, January 9th will be the most important vote taken at the Legislature this session. It's the first order of business for the House. If Craddick wins, there will be no increased funding for education, no expansion of children’s health insurance, no ethics reform and continued corrupt, reactionary special-interest rules. If he loses, which seems more likely with McCall announcing for the race, then these and other good things are likely to happen. Who is willing to risk the wrath of Craddick and bolt? Most Austin insiders believe that at least 10, perhaps 15, moderate Republicans are willing throw their support to someone besides Craddick. They've already been "sent to Siberia" and had money poured into their opponent's race in their primaries, so what to they have to lose? Very little. 76 votes are needed for Speaker and there are 69 Democrats and 81 Republicans. If 65 Democrats hang tight against Craddick, he loses. However, Craddick is being propped up by 6-10 Craddick Democrats, especially House committee chairs, who are going to support Craddick for Speaker so they can remain committee chairs unless they hear from Democratic activists that voting for Craddick is unacceptable. We need to shame these Craddick Dems with a stern warning that we WILL run someone against them in their next election if they have anything to do with returning Craddick as speaker. The shaming will begin in subsequent posts. The hard-core Craddick Democrats (and their Committee chair assignment) include: Robert Puente (San Antonio, Chair Natural Resources) Kino Flores (Pharr, Chair Licensing) Norma Chavez (El Paso, Chair Border and International Affairs) Helen Giddings (Dallas, Chair Business and Industries) Harold Dutton (Houston, Chair Juvenile Justice) Kevin Bailey (Houston, Chair General Investigations) Sylvester Turner (Speaker Pro Tem; Appropriations Committee) The sad thing is all these “Democrats” represent low income, people of color districts and supporting Craddick and his agenda directly harms their constituents! There is very little time to make a difference in this race. I encourage other bloggers and activists to do their part to make sure we get Anybody But Craddick on January 9th.

same musings, new template

You are at the right place. This is the same musings, just a new template thanks to "new blogger".

I like this a lot better - more white space and it looks more "me".

Tell me what you think in the comments or at museblogger@gmail.com. Remember what your momma said about saying something nice or not saying anything at all. Seriously, if you have any tips or anything, let me know!

Happy Holidays!

My Friend John Edwards Wants To Know If I Think He Should Run

He's been sending me emails for quite a while, calling me his friend. Now, John Edwards wants to know if I think he should run for President. Hmmm. This is sort of a new twist - getting a ton of emails from all around the country to show early support. What do you think? Should he run? Dear Muse, For the past two years, we've worked together to build an America that lives up to its promise -- one where we all share in prosperity at home and one that shows real moral leadership around the world. I'm proud of our successes fighting poverty, supporting working families, and standing up for what we believe. Now, we have a big decision to make -- and I do mean we. I'm getting ready to take this effort to the next level - to bring Americans together in all fifty states to tackle the big challenges facing our country, from poverty and lack of health care, to energy and global warming. But this is our effort, and we can only succeed if we're all in it together. So before I make a final decision, I need to hear from you: Are you ready? If you're ready to take this to the next level, and launch a renewed national effort to change America, send me a note and let me know: JohnEdwards@readytochangeamerica.com If you have friends or family who share this vision, I want to hear from them too. Please forward this on to anyone you know who might want to join this big new effort. I believe we can run a totally new kind of endeavor -- one that puts our ideals into action, and puts the hopes and dreams of the American people above the personal ambition and play-it-safe strategy of traditional politics. I can't promise you where this will ultimately lead. But I can promise you this: if you're on board, we'll launch a renewed commitment to change our country from the bottom up. We'll always speak from the heart. And together, we'll reach out to millions of people to let them know it's still okay to dream big dreams, and do everything we can to make them real --because that's what America is all about. So the only question is: Are you ready? If you want to take this effort to next level, send me an e-mail and let me know: JohnEdwards@readytochangeamerica.com Stay tuned: I'll let you know what we decide early next week. Happy holidays, and may it be a bright new year for all. Your friend, John

A Message From Nick Lampson

Dear Friend, In the coming days we will gather with family and friends to share in the holiday spirit. I would like to take this opportunity on behalf of my wife, Susan, and myself to wish you our very best for a happy and safe holiday season. This past year has truly been a remarkable one and each of you have made that possible. Susan and I are so grateful for all that you did to make 2006 such a special year. I also wanted to take this opportunity to let you know how I am doing. As you may have heard I recently made a visit to the hospital when after attending a dinner at a friend's house I began to feel a little faint. Fortunately, I had a great team of doctors, nurses and technicians to take care of me at the hospital. I am back home, feeling much better, and looking forward to enjoying the upcoming holidays in the company of my family. I would like to thank everyone for keeping us in their thoughts and prayers. Thank you for your continued support. Susan and I wish you and yours the very best for a joyful holiday season. I look forward to working with you in the New Year! Sincerely, Nick Lampson

Lampson Undergoes Angioplasty

According to the Houston Chronicle, Congressman Nick Lampson underwent an angioplasty today for a blocked artery. A stent was also placed in the artery to open it. He was awake during the procedure and was talking and joking afterwards, although he was tired. He will probably go home Saturday. Lampson is expected to make a full recovery and will have no restrictions other than a low cholesterol diet. Read the entire article, here. My personal best wishes to my congressman for a very speedy recovery and a happy holiday with his family. Washington Post story here. Fort Bend now covers it here.

What WAS That Sound, Houston?

That boom you heard about 4:18 pm was the sonic boom from the space shuttle about a minute after it flew just north of Houston on its way to landing at Kennedy Space Center just a few minutes ago. I was outside. I heard it. That was very, very cool.

People Are Talking: Is Lampson An Endangered Species?

The members of the new Congress haven't even been sworn in and the buzz is all about who among the freshman Democrats will be able to retain their seats in 2008. Obviously, my congressman, Nick Lampson, will be a target for Republican takeover. On the heels of the New York Times piece on the incumbent retention program, The Washington Post has a column on endangered freshman. Here's what they have to say about Lampson: * Texas's 22nd District (D): In a presidential year, Republicans would likely have kept this seat despite the resignation of former Rep. Tom DeLay (R) and the ballot problems that forced the GOP to run a write-in candidate in the general election. As it was, Rep.-elect Nick Lampson (D) beat Houston City Councilwoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs (R) 52 percent to 42 percent. Sekula Gibbs and any number of other Republicans are eyeing the race in 2008. President Bush carried the district by 22 points in 2004, and it should perform up to its Republican roots in 2008 with the presidential race on the ballot. A very tough hold for Lampson. I am not at all convinced this seat would have been kept in the R column if 2006 had been a presidential year. Maybe that would have distracted people from the Republican circus that went on all summer, but I think a longer ballot in a presidential election would have made the write-in process just that much more confusing. How in the world would Shelley have brought more attention to herself while competing with the presidential contenders at the top of the ballot? It's not like the Republicans in TX-22 would have been able to get her in on a straight ticket vote. I think her vote total might have even been worse due to undervoting. Plus, how dumb would that campaign song of hers have been in a serious presidential election? Anyway, I also think Nick Lampson can retain his seat. I believe that he will lead on key legislation, get funding for important projects in our district and provide excellent constituent services. The entire WP article is a good read, but it doesn't hint at how Pelosi, Emanuel and Company have a plan to retain the Democratic freshman, and that they are already working that plan.

Lampson Retention Program

The New York Times has an interesting article up about the "incumbent retention program" in the U.S. House: It is the “incumbent retention program,” a detailed plan worked out after Democrats gained control of Congress to fortify the most politically shaky with plum committee assignments, prized bill sponsorship and an early start on fund-raising — all in preparation for their 2008 re-election campaigns. The 110th Congress has not even been sworn into office. But in a measure of the determination not to surrender the majority in two years, Representative Nancy Pelosi, the presumptive speaker, has instructed aides to begin acting immediately to help Democrats who won by small margins in districts where President Bush did well in 2004 or who coasted in because their opponents were mired by controversy. Those new members are methodically being given coveted spots on high-profile committees, in particular the Financial Services Committee, a magnet for campaign contributions, and the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, a platform from which to send money for projects back home. Their names will be affixed as co-sponsors atop big-ticket measures on ethics and stem cell research that are to be voted on in the first 100 hours of the new Congress, Democratic leaders said. You can see what I'm getting at here. Nick Lampson is part of this special incumbent retention program. No wonder he hasn't had a day off. Nick is expected to help lead the debate on ethics reform. Those of us who know our congressman, know he is serious about getting rid of the corruption in Washington, changing the tone of the the debate and really getting things done for TX-22 and our country. Lampson got a seat on Transportation and Infrastructure and we are eager for him to get to work in January for our district. Have a restful holiday, Congressman Lampson!

Nick Lampson Checks Into Hospital For Routine Tests

From the Houston Chronicle's website as of a few minutes ago: U.S. Rep-elect Nick Lampson, D-Stafford, was taken to the hospital this evening after eating dinner and complaining to his wife, Susan, that he wasn't feeling well, according to Lampson spokeswoman Carrie Chess.

Lampson had not eaten all day and had not had a day off since the election last month, Chess said.

He was preparing to start his vacation Friday. He walked into St. John Hospital in Clear Lake on his own and was taking routine tests to make sure he was OK, Chess said late tonight.

Wishing you good health for the holidays, Congressman Lampson!

And The Winners Of The Reader's Choice Awards Are . . .

The winners of the Capitol Annex Reader's Choice Awards are up and musings won best regional blog! Thanks, everyone, for your vote. I got an honorable mention in the write-in category as best new blogger, and I am honored (and surprised) at the recognition. I enjoy writing this blog, it's fun for me, and I'm happy others enjoy it. See all of the winners here!

The best thing about being a blogger this political season was working as a team with the other TX-22 bloggers. We shared tips, story ideas, blog strategy, and ideas for real grassroots activism.

Some of our blogging successes:

• Doggedly staying on Tom Delay, his resignation and the Texas Democratic Party lawsuit against him (good-bye and good riddance, bug man!)
• Lampson, Lampson, Lampson - we wanted a Democratic congressman in TX-22 and we got him!
• Shelley Sekula-Gibbs - who knew she was the gift that keeps on giving? From her wardrobe to her hilarious stay in D.C., we were grateful for the material Shelley gave us
• Andy Meyers and his sign wars - we blogswarmed this one. Photos, calls into the mainstream media, help from all over the state - those signs came down
• Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert - we caught him endorsing candidates, a violation of the judicial code of conduct, which caused him to lurch into defensive mode by responding publicly to our allegations and change his own job description on his website. We love screen capture, by the way.
• We covered our Fort Bend candidates and blanketed the county with Had Enough signs
  
• Fort Bend adopting Sherrie Matula on the Clear Lake side of TX-22 as the rep we most wanted to see in office - we didn't quite make it this year, but we gave her opponent, John Davis, some real hell

Bloggers on both sides of TX-22, from Clear Lake to Fort Bend, worked together in a way that we think made a difference in this election cycle and will build toward a BLUE future in more of our races in TX-22. Our team:

Kiss My Big Blue Butt (formerly Juanita's) - Fort Bend
Bay Area Houston - Clear Lake
The View From 22 - Fort Bend
Half Empty - Fort Bend
Bryan's Blog - Fort Bend

If you read one of us, you need to read all of us! Again, I appreciate the recognition, and thanks to my fellow bloggers for helping to make this blog a success. A big congratulations to my friend Charles Kuffner of Off the Kuff for winning in the Best Blog category. Kuff helped us out in a big way, by frequently blogging on Fort Bend and TX-22.

Final Day To Vote In Capitol Annex Reader's Choice Awards!

Who doesn't want to be a winner? Vote before midnight today, Wednesday, December 20th in the Reader's Choice Awards over at Capitol Annex. Results will be up Thursday morning. Besides voting for your best and worst in candidate categories from this past political season - candidate gaffes, commercials, political gimmicks, etc. - you get to vote for Best Blog and Best Regional blog. Musings is nominated in both categories, in good company with other terrific Texas and Fort Bend blogs. Thanks to all of you who took the time to "write me in!" during round one. In this round, you don't have to do a complicated e-slate dial the wheel thing to write in your choices, it's multiple choice and will take you all of a couple of minutes, if that. Vote today! Make yourself a little "I voted" sticker and wear it proudly. Vote here.

A Runoff In HD 29

Well, Weber and O'Day, two Republicans are in the runoff. Final results here. KT called this almost right on the money just before the final returns were posted. DiNovo is still in a great mood. He definitely wanted to win, but I think I've figured out that he is one of those people that is pretty much always upbeat. Lots of thanks are being passed around for all of the hard work everyone put into this campaign. Tammy Koczur, DiNovo's campaign manager, stated that she is concerned about the low voter turnout which indicates apathy about this important race. In her opinion, voters did not look at the candidates and their qualifications. Many voters probably voted for who they were told to vote for and unfortunately, DiNovo voters from Nov. 7th did not come back in the same numbers for this special election. Congratulations to all of the talented, hard working campaign staff and the terrific volunteers - especially my fellow bloggers who made up almost half of the phone banking effort today! Hal, K-T and John - we had fun! And, a quote from Brian Pendleton with the Texas Democratic Party: "Write something nice about me!" Seriously, Brian did a great job and was terrific to work with. Brian, I'll be seeing you around. Thanks, TDP for being so involved in this race!

Photos From DiNovo Election Night Party

Photos from the election night party at Dr. Anthony DiNovo's house! The candidate is on the left in this photo and is in a great mood. Karl-Thomas Musselman from Burnt Orange Report is blogging in the background on the left!


The spare laptop is a popular place to see the latest election returns on the SOS site:


Food!


More food! Beverages!

Following DiNovo Election Returns

Karl-Thomas (Burnt Orange Report), Hal (Half Empty) and I are at Dr. Anthony DiNovo's house for the election night party. The mood is upbeat, everyone is having a great time and chowing down on some good food. The bloggers are popular with this crowd! They recognize our GOTV efforts and the influence of our blogs. We are superstars! OK, back to the returns. Follow K-T's great reporting at BOR (who is sitting by me on the couch!) Full election reports at the Secretary of State site. Note: the SOS incorrectly has Weber's name last on the list. That should be O'Day and those are his vote totals. (It looks like the SOS is correcting that as I type.) All early votes are in: DiNovo 16.20% Gorman 1.1% Weber 29.82% O'Day 52.88%

On The Ground At The DiNovo Campaign HQ

Nine phone bankers are calling right now. Here are some of them. Block walkers are out, also! All the GOTV efforts are going great! Dr. DiNovo is in an upbeat mood. Voters are glad to hear from us and are expressing their intention to vote before 7 p.m. A little over four hours to go until the polls close! Dr. Anthony DiNovo at campaign headquarters this morning:

Free Smoke Alarms

Congratulations to San Antonio attorney Wayne Wright and his firm for purchasing 25,000 dual-ionization smoke alarms (the kind I recently got for my home) that will be free to the public. Wright became concerned about the recent string of home fire related deaths, including the late Senator Frank Madla, who Wright knew. Not only that, but he's working out a deal with the San Antonio fire department to install the alarms. The installation is pretty simple, but the instructions are very confusing. It's one of these deals where it's easier to just figure out how to get the thing on the wall yourself, instructions be damned. I can definitely see where some people would just let their new smoke detector sit around the house without installing it. But then again, I am just a girl blogger and not a manly man. What do I know about using a drill?

Election Day For HD-29

Election day in HD-29 is finally here. It feels like "finally" because although the run-up to this special election has been short, the campaign activities have been compressed and it's been a fast ride. Dr. Anthony DiNovo is the lone Democrat among a field of three Republicans. The GOTV for the DiNovo campaign has increased immensely in the past several days with lots of volunteers making phone calls to voters, block walking and putting out signs. The Chronicle has a good write-up about each of the candidates. It's important for Democrats to turn out for this important election as DiNovo's chances for an out right win or a spot in a run-off is very good. The winner of the "special" has to get 50% + one of the vote and with four candidates in the race, a run-off is likely. Polling locations for today's election can be found on the homepage of DiNovo's website. I'll was at DiNovo headquarters yesterday making phone calls and will do the same today. A couple of my blogger friends will be there, as well, from Bay Area Houston and Burnt Orange Report. Capitol Annex has a good post up about the early voting returns in Brazoria and Matagorda counties, the two counties involved in this House District race. While early voting was low overall compared to early voting in the Nov. 7th general election, at the East Pearland early voting location, voters turned out in the same numbers as for the general. The massive GOTV efforts by several of the campaigns is credited for this turnout.

Science Museum Coming To Sugar Land

The Houston Museum of Natural Science (HMNS), the City of Sugar Land and Telfair subdivision have signed a letter of agreement for the old prison building that is on Telfair property to become a satellite branch of HMNS. The Museum is exceeding capacity at its current location and has looked at Sugar Land in the past as a prime location for a satellite facility (they looked at Sugar Land Town Square as a possibility during the initial developmental phase of that property). This is a good deal for the Museum as Telfair will finish renovating the exterior of the building and then deed the site and building to the City. Usually it's the museum that has to raise the money (through a capital campaign) to secure a site and build the physical plant. In this case, the City of Sugar Land will "spearhead" efforts to raise $6 million for the construction needed to improve the interior of the building. That's a sweet deal for the HMNS. The Museum commits $3 million to complete the interior build-out with cases and the other museum requirements that allow for exhibits and programs. The Museum will also pay for all on-going operations and administrative costs. I'll be curious to see the mix of exhibits and programs that HMNS decides is right for our community. I wonder what the extent of the education programs will be in the Sugar Land Museum. Providing a great field trip experience to school children will be key to a successful financial model. Will there be space dedicated for traveling exhibits that are there on a limited run basis? The building is 40,000 sq.ft., and that's pretty tight for an ideal mix of exhibit, program and office space, but it can be done successfully . Also, how much property is involved? Is there room for facility expansion in this deal? Expected opening is in spring 2008, which is a quick turn around for a new museum, but with a building already in place, that is doable. I'll be eagerly watching this one. Fort Bend Now has more.

Spending Campaign Cash: When You Are Out Of Office

So, we've made it clear that there are some Texas legislators sitting on huge piles of campaign cash. It comes in by the wheelbarrow full and goes out for things like country club dues, private planes, art work, jewelry, tons of gas and meals, etc. So, what happens to this stash when an office holder leaves office for good? Charles Kuffner asks this question in a great post this morning that wraps up the Dallas Morning News article yesterday on how Dallas area legislators spend their campaign cash. The Texas Ethics Commission rules are clear. You have six years to dispense of your campaign cash and you CANNOT spend it on personal use. These are the only legal ways you can spend your campaign cash during that six year period: 1) the political party with which the person was affiliated when the person’s name last appeared on a ballot; (2) a candidate or political committee, subject to the reporting requirements of §20.243 of this title (relating to Contribution of Unexpended Political Contributions to Candidate or Political Committee); (3) the Comptroller of Public Accounts, for deposit in the state treasury for use in financing primary elections; (4) one or more persons from whom political contributions were received, with contributions to a person not to exceed the aggregate amount the former candidate accepted from that person during the last two years that the candidate accepted political contributions; (5) a recognized, tax-exempt charitable organization; or (6) a public or private post-secondary educational institution or an institution of higher education, as defined by the Education Code, § 61.003(8) (concerning Definitions), solely or the purpose of assisting or creating a scholarship program. I can only imagine that these rules are being broken left and right. My reading of the TEC rules on this is that past officeholders only have to file a final report at the end of the six years. Obviously, any contributions to candidates, political organizations or political parties should show up as donations on their TEC reports. The complete Texas Ethics Commission Rules for officeholders (past and present) can be found here.

Spending Campaign Cash: Mainstream Media Style

We've been looking into how Texas legislators spend their campaign cash, which has apparently prompted another mainstream media outlet to do the same. First it was channel 2, KTRH, here in Houston looking at our area lawmakers (their report can be viewed here), and now it's the Dallas Morning News doing the same. Are legislators using campaign cash to bankroll a cushy lifestyle? My answer is many of them appear to be doing just that. One way to get away with this is by hiding behind mysteriously described "reimbursements" to all sorts of people, including themselves, and unidentified credit card expenditures, often in tens of thousands of dollars. The credit card problem is particularly troubling. This is straight from the Texas Ethics Commission (TEC) Rules: If the expenditure was by credit card, enter the name of the vendor who sold you the goods or services, not the name of the credit card issuer. Why is this so important? Transparency. This from Tim Sorrel, TEC spokesman (in the DMN article): The ethics commission "says somebody reading the report should be able to know what goods or services were purchased or leased," Mr. Sorrell said. And all reports of expenditures by credit card must identify the actual vendor, not just the credit card company, he said. It's not enough for legislators to say that the TEC rules are confusing. The rules on credit cards are among the clearest of the Texas Ethics Commission rules. Rafael Anchia, a Democratic representative from Dallas, had this to say in the DMN article about his over $18,000 in credit card expenditures improperly reported over the past two years: Mr. Anchia, who paid off Visa bills, gave specific information about what the purchases were for but listed the credit card company instead of the actual vendors. He said he intends to file a bill this session to provide mandatory ethics training for state legislators to prevent other such "innocuous mistakes." "There are a lot of little rules that people have trouble keeping track of, including people who spend a lot of time on it, like me," Mr. Anchia said. Mistakes are one thing, and I agree legislatures need training on the TEC rules, but the point is that if someone is simply putting Visa or American Express as the vendor, then it can certainly appear as if they are using campaign cash for personal use, via their credit cards. Rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake) corrected many of his campaign finance reports after complaints were filed against him, and indeed took out many expenditures that must have been for personal use (what other explanation is there?). Rep. Anchia is in a crowded field of legislators who we've blogged about for incorrectly reporting credit card expenses: Rep. Buddy West, Rep. Vicki Truitt, Rep. Allan Ritter, Rep. Peggy Hamric, Sen. Craig Estes, Sen. Jane Nelson, Sen. John Whitmire and Speaker Craddick. Just this small subset of legislators have over $200,000 in credit card expenses with no vendor revealed over the past two years. I'm not accusing any of them of hiding behind their credit card expenditures to finance a cushy lifestyle, but by breaking the Texas Ethics Commission rules, there is no way of knowing. And, this is the tip of the iceberg. Trust me on this. We blog. You get mainstream media story ideas from us.

Help Get One More Democrat Elected To The Texas House!

I'll be at DiNovo campaign headquarters off and on now through Tuesday, helping to get out the vote in the special election in HD-29 (Pearland/Alvin area). Details about how you can help GOTV:

Blockwalkers Needed: Volunteers Paid and Unpaid Now through the 18th! We absolutely need people to blockwalk in Matagorda County! Blockwalkers needed to walk West Pearland also.

Phone Banking: We only have 3 lines at the HQ, but ask to get a copy of the precinct numbers! Phone Banking at Pearland Family Medicine on the Weekend: they have 6 lines Shifts from 10am, 2pm, 4pm-6pm on Sat. 10am-4pm on Sunday. Also, after business hours during the week, phone banking will occur at the Pearland Family Medicine office.

Stop By!! Grab a Coke and some walking lists or phone numbers and HELP GET A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE

The address for the Pearland HQ 3536 Broadway Pearland, TX 77581 The phone #281 412-0990

Thanks! Can't wait to see you all!!!

Tammy Koczur Campaign Manager Dr. Anthony DiNovo for State Rep.

Bloggers will be at DiNovo headquarters doing GOTV - John (Bay Area Houston), Hal (Half Empty), Karl-Thomas (Burnt Orange Report) and me. I know that is a real draw - meeting bloggers. :) This special election is required because the voters in HD-29 elected their former legislator on Nov. 7th, who had died before the ballots could be reprinted. In this special election, Dr. DiNovo is the only Democrat running against three Republicans. I've helped with his campaign some already and he is a great candidate! We need him in the House! Think about taking off work all or part of Tuesday, the day of the general election and help us get another WIN! Otherwise, come out and help this weekend!

Vote In The Final Round Of Capitol Annex Best & Worst Reader's Choice Awards!

The final round of voting is happening at Capitol Annex to determine the best and worst in Texas politics for 2006. You get to vote for things like the best and worst political commercial, biggest upset of 2006, best political news story, biggest political bomb, dumbest statement uttered by a political candidate and other intriguing categories. This final round is easy, because you don't have to think stuff up! There are 4-6 choices per question (based on the most submitted responses in round one). And, the cool thing is that there are best blog awards and musings is in the finals in two categories! This blog is up for both Best Political Blog and Best Regional Blog! Wow! What a nice surprise. Thank you to all of my readers who voted for musings in round one. I'm in very good company with the other nominees. In the best regional blog category there are FOUR Fort Bend blogs in the final! This is a fun, quick weekend activity, so take a minute and vote. Voting ends December 20th. Vote here.

Fort Bend GOP Threatens Legal Action - Against Each Other

To continue where I left off, the Grinch, Fort Bend GOP Chair Gary Gillen, is trying to steal Christmas from the Party. Well, the February Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser, anyway. Gary, who is an exterminator, secretly formed a PAC in July to take control of the dinner, which the Fort Bend GOP executive committee only found out about recently. There has been a lot of public finger pointing, hollering and all around good old fashioned family holiday time hatefulness over this issue. My gosh, you would think Gillen had hired Nancy Pelosi to run the dinner! They all suited up and met on the field last night at called meeting of the executive committee. Bob Dunn of Fort Bend Now has the color commentary: The Fort Bend County Republican Party Executive Committee acted to assert control of the coveted Lincoln Day fund-raising event on Thursday night, giving the party vice chairman authority to hire a lawyer to protect the party’s interests – possibly from its own chairman.

In a remarkable meeting that began with more than a dozen impassioned speeches and ended only after several votes overruling procedural decisions by Fort Bend County Republican Party Chairman Gary Gillen, the party’s executive committee approved a series of resolutions intended to thwart Gillen’s recently stated intent to operate the Lincoln Day Dinner event through a political action committee.

Gillen was defiant in the face of the actions by the executive committee – which is made up of Fort Bend County’s elected Republican precinct chairs – and said after the meeting the resolutions aren’t legally binding and won’t change his plans to proceed with the event under the control of Fort Bend Republican P.A.C.

-----

Gillen appeared unshaken by the night’s events.

“We have an excellent speaker in Fred Barnes, and we have an excellent location. A committee is in place, I have signed the contracts, and we are going forward with the event,” Gillen said after the meeting. “This is simply an example of the mean-spiritedness of this group of individuals.”

And, there is this hilarity: Hrbacek then approached the microphone, saying he was seeking clarification. “My understanding is…you executed the contract as Gary Gillen, chairman.” “I don’t believe so,” Gillen said. Hrbacek then unfolded what appeared to be an enlarged copy of a contract document, saying “let me refresh your memory.” A copy of the contract obtained during the meeting, which appeared to be with the Marriott, bore Gillen’s signature and was dated July 10, 2006. Under “title,” Gillen had apparently printed “chairman.” After looking at the paper Hrbacek held in front of him, Gillen then told precinct chairs he had made himself chairman of the fund-raising event, which is why he printed “chairman.” Numerous audience members hooted at the explanation. Gillen just won't stop with the "I'm a little man in charge of a big event" attitude: Gillen began reading an agenda item, when a precinct chairman asked him if we were not going to answer questions other chairman had asked him. “I’ve made my statement just as you all have made yours,” Gillen replied Another precinct chair stood and asked why Gillen wasn’t providing names of the members of the committee he had selected to serve on the PAC. “Two members of the committee asked me not to reveal their names until after Christmas,” Gillen replied, to numerous jeers from the crowd. The final resolution that the executive committee passed is going to provide the Christmas gift that keeps on giving: That Vice Chairman Linda Howell is “authorized and directed to retain special legal counsel to advise the party on measures necessary to protect its name, reputation, rights and property.” And, Howell is authorized to “implement actions” the special counsel deems necessary “to protect the party’s Lincoln Reagan Dinner scheduled for Feb. 17, 2007, at the Sugar Land Marriott.” You'd really think that after this summer, this group would be tired of legal battles. I guess they got a taste of being beat in court and liked it.

Joe Jaworski For Texas

If you haven't heard of Joe Jaworski, you'll be hearing more about him soon, on this blog and elsewhere. It's no secret that Jaworski is more than considering a run for the Texas Senate District 11 seat in 2008 currently held by Mike Jackson (R). Jaworski served three terms on the Galveston City Council and stepped down in May of this year because of term limits. I know Joe and he's smart, talented, well versed in ethics and is eager to make a difference on issues such as health care and education in our state. I received the following holiday message from Joe Jaworski today and wanted to share it with you. Be sure and check out his website to learn more about him. Dear Friend: Shortly after the holiday season, the Texas Legislature will convene in Austin to try once again to tackle the critical challenges facing our state — public schools, public health, public safety, public integrity. Will lawmakers live up to the values we celebrate at this time of year? Will they demand that things get better this time? Or will they give into the special interests and settle for the knowledge that things could be worse? There is growing evidence that more of the same just won’t do. Yet another national study shows that Texas still ranks last among the 50 states when it comes to investing in ourselves — $3,442 in public spending per person per year, about 30 percent below the national average. Meanwhile, we rank:

• First in uninsured children and last in population with health insurance of any kind
• Fourth in the percentage of children living in poverty and seventh in overall poverty
• 50th in high school graduation rates
• 45th in home ownership rates
• 48th in per capita spending for parks and recreation.*

Meeting these challenges makes social and economic sense. Hiding from or continuing to shortchange them makes no sense at all. The holidays remind us that no matter how far we have come — and we have come a long, long way — we still have farther to go if we want Texas to reflect the spirit of this season: generosity and compassion. Seasons greetings from my family to yours. And let us use this season to rekindle our faith and renew our commitment for making a positive difference in the lives of those around us when lawmakers convene at the State Capitol in January. Sincerely, Joe Jaworski P.S. Don’t forget to visit my web site to learn more and sign up for regular updates: www.jaworski.com * Texas on the Brink, Sen. Eliot Shapleigh

Lampson on Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

And, on Wednesday, Ciro Rodriguez was put on Appropriations. Lampson's committee assignment was made the same day, after the other members of Transportation had been in place for a day or two. The timing is not an accident. If Rodriguez had not won on Tuesday, then Lampson and Ruben Hinojosa (D-Mercedes) would have been considered for Appropriations. Lampson made no secret during the campaign that he wanted Appropriations, but was interested in Transportation, also. Appropriations is in charge of billions in federal spending and committee members can and do steer money to their home districts. Why Rodriguez as a shoo-in for Appropriations? Well, for one thing former Congressman Henry Bonilla was on Appropriations. His assignment is in part a "take that, Republicans" triumph for Pelosi. Also, this from the San Antonio Express News: Rodriguez, a staunch Pelosi ally, served in Congress for eight years in a neighboring congressional district. He was defeated in 1994 by Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, in the Democratic primary for the 28th congressional district. Although Rodriguez will not retain his seniority, the appointment to the Appropriations Committee will give him clout to secure funding for his new congressional district. and this: "Texas will pick up an appropriations slot and Congressman Rodriguez will get it,'' said Rep. Gene Green, D-Houston, a member of the Democratic Steering Committee which doles out committee assignments. A post on the Appropriations Committee gives Rodriguez a seat at the table where the purse strings are pulled on federal spending. "It means projects will get appropriations support, and the one big industry in San Antonio is government and military,'' said Adam Segal with the Hispanic Voter Project at Johns Hopkins University. Nick's comment about the Transportation assignment (from the Houston Chronicle): "The transportation and infrastructure issues that face this rapidly growing region are paramount and I will work to promote projects that are essential to continuing the successful growth and development of the 22nd congressional district." I have a question. If Ciro Rodriguez didn't retain his congressional seniority, did Lampson not retain his? The SAEN article says Rodriguez lost his congressional seat in 1994, but it was actually in 2004. So, Lampson and Rodriguez served the same amount of time in Congress and lost their seats in the same year. A big deal about Lampson's eight years of seniority - that he would retain - was made during his campaign. I'd really like to know.

Henry Bonilla, Thanks For The (Comedy Central) Memories

I had forgotten all about this, although I saw it when it first aired. Jon Stewart messes with Bonilla's head and tells him, "I am not retarded" and "with the spinning and responses, I am a sad little man." Watch Bonilla try to spin on Kerry and Stewart take him apart - here.

You'll Like This Map! Turning Texas Blue

The new Congressional District map featuring the Ciro Rodriguez win in TX-23! Bright blue means a Democratic take over of a Republican seat. See that little bit of bright blue for Lampson's TX-22 win?! Cool. Click on the map to make it larger. Thanks to Swing State Project for this map and to BOR for pointing me to it.

Reaction to Ciro's Win

Richard Langlois, chairman of the Bexar County Republican County, blamed Bonilla's fall in Bexar County on his supporters staying home Tuesday. “Obviously, it was voter apathy,” Langlois said. “Obviously, something happened.”

"It is never easy to defeat a sitting Republican incumbent with a financial edge in a special election, but tonight, Ciro Rodriguez's victory proves that voters want more than Henry Bonilla's rubber stamp support for failed Republican policies," said Texas Democratic Party Chairman Boyd Richie.

"Voters sent a message in November and they sent another one tonight, that change is coming to Washington," said DCCC Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). "Henry Bonilla staked his career on ruthless and unethical Tom DeLay politics rather than working to earn the trust of voters. As result, voters sent him to join DeLay in a shameful retirement." Matt Angle, Project Director, Lone Star Project

(Former Congressman Henry) Bonilla blamed his defeat partly on the court-ordered changes in a speech Tuesday night to about 75 supporters in the lobby of the building housing his North Side campaign headquarters. "They moved the goal post on us further down the field, and we couldn't score again and again," he said.

"I think we have a real mandate," he said. "We needed to make sure we worked on raising the minimum wage. We're also going to take care of prescription drug cost. And, by God, we're going to do the right thing by our veterans," said Ciro Rodriguez.

Ciro Wins!

I just gotta say right off the bat, Karl-Thomas Musselman has the best comment on this at Burnt Orange Report: "Take that Tom DeLay". And, take that all Republicans everywhere. Texas has another Democrat in the House! DeLay redistricting be damned! The photo is from the San Antonio Express News. Good article about there about how Ciro won. Thank you DCCC (and their nearly $1 million!). Thank you Ciro volunteers!! And LULAC, you rock!!!!!! The early voting had a lot to do with this win and we have LULAC to thank for the extended early voting time! I'm reveling in Bonilla's concession. This from that SAEN article: U.S. Rep. Henry Bonilla conceded defeat to former congressman Ciro Rodriguez in a stunning upset that completed the Democratic takeover of Congress. The Republican incumbent lost Bexar County for the first time in his political career Tuesday night, and trailed Rodriguez, his Democratic challenger, in total votes across the sprawling Congressional District 23. The Associated Press called the election for Rodriguez shortly before 9 p.m. Bonilla telephoned Rodriguez to concede around that time, according to his spokesman, Phil Ricks. The election sends Rodriguez back to Congress after a two-year hiatus after the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature re-drew the state's congressional districts in 2003. Rodriguez arrived after 9 p.m. at the Harlandale Civic Center, which was packed with more than 300 screaming supporters. After slowly working his way through the crowd to the stage, he declared victory -- which came on the heels of two Democratic defeats in 2004 and this year in the neighboring District 28. "I think we have a real mandate," he said. "We needed to make sure we worked on raising the minimum wage. We're also going to take care of prescription drug cost. And, by God, we're going to do the right thing by our veterans." Bonilla lost at least four counties in his West Texas stronghold that he won just five weeks ago. He carried Dimmit, Culberson, Presidio and Brewster counties in the seven-way special election on Nov. 7, but lost all four to Rodriguez on Tuesday. Onward to 2008!

Ciro-Bonilla Special Election Returns Are Coming In!

The polls closed at 7 pm, so it's time to watch the returns for this TX-23 special election! Go to the Texas Secretary of State site and refresh frequently. Ciro leads in the very early returns with 10% of the precincts reporting! Also, Burnt Orange Report promises to bring you up to the minute coverage all night. Take a look! To get in the Ciro mood, watch the Clinton and Cisneros rally clips again! Check out the Ciro election day pictures courtesy of B and B.

Spending Campaign Cash: Rep. Eddie Lucio III

Welcome to the Texas House of Representatives, Eddie Lucio, and welcome to Spending Campaign Cash! It's painful to include Democrats in this group of Texas Ethics Commission violators, but when you stumble across some rather startling stuff, you just feel like it needs to see the light of day. Eddie Lucio III is the son of State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr. He's 27 years old (and cute - photo evidence here) and just graduated from UT law school. Not only does he have interesting campaign spending habits, but he's got an eye opening list of donors to his campaign. Out of the $337,392 in total donations, $109,500 of it was contributed by Bob Perry ($25K) or Bob Perry supported PACS ($23,000 from Hill Co PAC and $60K from Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC). Andrew Wheat, with Texans for Public Justice, wrote an insightful article for the Texas Observer about donations to both Lucio campaigns. 38% of the son's donors also funded his dad's campaign, while 64% of the dad's funders also gave to his son. Make of that what you will, but Lucio III is promising not to side with the Republicans, while his dad is known for doing just that. Oh, and right off the bat, Rep. Lucio appeared on Craddick's list of supporters for his continuing as Speaker of the House. The Perry donations (and others from conservative sources), plus his supposed pledge to Craddick are enough for Democrats to keep a watchful eye on him. On to the fun stuff. Spending campaign cash! Would you believe that Rep. Lucio spent $16,669 in meals over the course of 14 months? That's $1191 per month! These are described as "meetings with supporters" or "meetings with volunteers". And yes, some of the meetings with supporters were at Hooters. (What? The volunteers don't get to go to Hooters?) A LOT of times there were multiple meals on the same day, sometimes three or four on the same day. For example, on April 27, 2006 this is reported: Antonio's Mexican Village Brownsville $24.32 Rudy's Country Store and Bar-B-Q Brownsville $37.62 Sahadi Cafe McAllen $51.14 Chili's Grill & Bar Brownsville $67.26 This is not an isolated occurrence. Maybe this is what he did all day and all night long - meet with supporters in restaurants - but we sure don't see this in other campaign finance reports. It looks like Lucio learned a thing or two about buying gas with campaign cash from Rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake). Davis edges out Lucio on average expenditures per week on gas, but just barely. Davis clocks in at $142/week on gas while Lucio is close behind with $132/week. Lucio spent $8841 on gas over 14 months of the campaign. He calls all of this "travel expense". Let's see if he can keep this up over the course of 2007. We'll be watching. What about obvious TEC violations? Well, that would be the common problem of reporting reimbursements to others incorrectly to the tune of $25,966 over the 14 months of his campaign. He lists the person's name (correct), the amount of expense (correct) and for description he puts "Reimbursements for out of pocket expenses. Receipts on file" (WRONG!). Arghhh!! The TEC rules say you have to put what the expense was for. This is about transparency in what you are spending your campaign money on! Bay Area Houston kindly fills us in: The rules of the ethics commission are clear. Section 20.219 (15) states:

(15)for political expenditures made during the reporting period that total more than $50 to a single payee, other than expenditures reported under paragraph (10) of this section: (A) the full name of the person to whom each expenditure was made; (B) the address of the person to whom the expenditure was made; (C) the date of the expenditure; (D) the purpose of the expenditure; and (E) the amount of the expenditure

By the way, Lucio obviously didn't spend his campaign cash for a terrific website. Yikes. In the winning is everything and winning is the only thing category, Lucio is definitely a winner, ugly website and all. We blog. You think twice before you donate to a candidate ever again.

URGENT! Election Official At HD-29 Early Voting Site Is Turning Away Democrats!

The Dr. Anthony DiNovo campaign just called me and they are having problems at an early voting site - the Alvin Library. An election official there is telling voters that it is "a Republican voting location only." Democrat voters are being turned away. Turnout is low in this special election for House District 29 and DiNovo, the only Democrat running against three Republicans, needs EVERY vote he can get. Early voting is through this Friday. The regular election is next Tuesday, December 19th.

The campaign will pay $8/hour for someone to go pollwatch at that location the rest of the week.

Call the DiNovo campaign manager, Tammy, at 832-950-0956 or email her at tams_k@yahoo.com if you can take advantage of this opportunity to help.

Clinton and Cisneros Stir It Up For Ciro!

Oh, to have been in San Antonio today. The Big Dog and Henry Cisneros were there to stir up Ciro Rodriguez supporters for that final GOTV push before Tuesday's special election. Thank goodness for YouTube. I get to see Cisneros and Clinton in all of their . . . goodness. First off, Clinton: Here's the real treat. Henry Cisneros! He goes after Bonilla and his voting record which is against the interests of the people in his district. Ya basta! Ya acabo! Ya vete! My loose translation: We are done with that idiot Bonilla! Show him the damn door!

Another Sunday, Another Texans Loss

This time it was at least fun to watch! Seriously, everyone watching knew that Vince Young was going to make that touchdown to win the game in overtime. On a rushing play. Beautiful. And, I laughed out loud thinking of what might have been. You have to hand it to the Texans. They didn't totally collapse this week. But really, this ending was preordained.

Watch The Skies For A Shelley Flyby

I thought lame duck Shelley was flying straight home to Clear Lake for the holidays, but perhaps not. In today's Chronicle: Sekula-Gibbs pointed out that although her time in the legislative session ended, she still has weeks left in her term, which she will finish from her district office. That's in Stafford. Over on my side of congressional district 22. Great. If you haven't watched Shelley's speechifying to an empty Congress, you have a short window of opportunity while her congressional website is still up. Three of her speeches are up in the multimedia section and it's interesting to note that the Nov. 15th one doesn't make a whole lot of sense in places. This was Day 1 without Tom DeLay's staff that she had run off. First off in that speech, she lumps all of her constituents in one big red bucket: I am Dr. Shelley Sekula Gibbs, and I am the newly elected Member of Congress from Congressional District 22. The people in my district are hardworking individuals who believe in conservative principles, such as the sanctity of life; traditional marriage between one man and one woman; the right to bear arms; smaller, more efficient government; making tax cuts permanent; winning the war on terror; and opposing a cut-and-run strategy; and stopping illegal immigration while streamlining legal immigration. Then the nonsensical stuff creeps in: One of my district's primary ways in which to prevent a terrorist attack is to be a hard target. and this: We rely on the 147th Texas Air National Guard with its squadrons of F-16s at Ellington Field to maintain our air defense and make us a hard target. I don't get it. Am I reading this wrong? It's like she is saying we are a target for terrorism and that's how we are going to prevent a terrorist attack. Scarily, the Chronicle alerts us to more "Shelley Gone Wild" behavior: But after two weeks of legislative business on Capitol Hill, Rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs learned what being a lame duck really means: She could give speeches but not deliver all of the goods.

The Houston Republican spent the past week — Friday was her last official day on the Hill — delivering one speech after another on the House floor.

Her soliloquies, aimed at the House television camera as the chamber was virtually deserted, could have been judged plentiful even in a place where performance art often passes for good politics.

Beside casting one of the 367 votes in favor of a tax bill that would, among other things, extend the sales-tax deduction on itemized federal income tax returns for Texans and residents of six other states, Sekula-Gibbs leaves a legacy mainly of C-SPAN video.

"District 22 had been without a representative for many months and it was important to have a voice on the floor of the House of Representatives again," she said.

She indeed held forth on Medicare and immigration (a subject that eluded agreement by Congress) but didn't confine herself to the major issues of the day. Among her other topics:

• A welcome to the first lady of Azerbaijan during her visit to Washington. • Giving nonprofit athletic organizations immunity from being sued. • Declaring the first week in April "Plan Ahead with an Advance Directive Week." • Requiring abortion providers to give women the option of receiving anesthesia for the fetus.

It will be interesting to see the clips from these speeches in the 08 Republican primary fight for the TX-22 seat. Someone remind me in about February of 2008 to stock up on popcorn and make sure I have fresh batteries in my TV remote control.

Shelley Quietly Quacks

That very, very faint quacking noise you hear is from the lamest of lame ducks, Congresswoman Shelley Sekula Gibbs. She is grasping at straws, trying to create a record of reforming immigration and overhauling the tax system, as she promised. She signed onto a letter, along with 48 other members of Congress, asking Bush to pardon two border patrol agents. The agents, Ramos and Compean, were sentenced to 12 and 11 years for shooting an unarmed fleeting suspect, which is against the law. It was impossible for me to find a credible news source for the sentencing story, as freeper land has all of the google hits covered. If you find a hard news source for the story, please send it to me. Capitol Annex has more on this. On tax relief, Congress has a chance today to pass a bill allowing Texas and six other states to continue deducting sales tax from their federal income tax returns. This is important to me because I have been saving my receipts all year! Shelley, do your thing and represent me well on this! Shelley quacks softly and carries a pink suit. Then, she flies home to Clear Lake.

GOTV For Anthony DiNovo, Texas House District 29

Dr. Anthony DiNovo is the only Democrat running against three Republicans in HD-29 (Brazoria area). This is a special election, as the person who won this on November 7th is deceased. It takes 50% or more of the vote to win. You can help turn out Democrats to vote! See the details below. Join me at DiNovo headquarters on Saturday! Learn more about Dr. DiNovo at his website. He is a physician and is deeply concerned about healthcare in our state. Hey, he also has a blog that you can access at that link! Early voting: December 11-15 Election Day: December 19 GOTV Activities: This Weekend, December 9th and 10th: Block walking · Saturday Shifts at 10 AM and 2 PM (options to fit your schedule!) · Sunday at 2 PM Meet at: Dr. Dinovo’s HQ (formerly the Brazoria County Democrats HQ) 3536 Broadway Pearland Phone banking · Saturday Shifts at 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM · Sunday Shifts at 2 PM, 4 PM Meet at: Pearland Family Medicine (Dr. Glenn Orsaks Office located in the corner on the right side) 3223 Broadway St Pearland, TX 77581 Next week, December 11-15th: Block walking Come in any time after 3 PM Meet at: Dr. Dinovo’s HQ (formerly the Brazoria County Democrats HQ) 3536 Broadway Pearland Phone banking More info soon on phone banking hours and location! I'll post this info as soon as I get it.

Parent PAC Voted Texan Of The Year!

That's Carolyn Boyle on the left (Chair, Parent PAC) and Dinah Miller (Secretary) in the photo with endorsed Parent PAC candidate Sherrie Matula in the middle. I had the opportunity this fall to meet Carolyn and Dinah over lunch in Houston. We had a great discussion about public education and politics! Today, the Texas Progressive Alliance, consisting of over 25 progressive bloggers, named Carolyn Boyle and Parent PAC "Texan of the Year" for 2006. The blogs involved in selecting the award are: The Agonist, Annatopia, Bay Area Houston, Brains & Eggs, Burnt Orange Report, Casual Soap Box, Capitol Annex, Common Sense, District Sixer, Dos Centavos, Eye on Williamson County, Greg’s Opinion, Half Empty, In The Pink Texas, The Jeffersonian, Just Another Blog, Kuff’s World, McBlogger, Marc’s Miscellany, MindSpeak, Musings, North Texas Liberal, Off The Kuff, People’s Republic of Seabrook, Pink Dome, The Red State, South Texas Chisme, Texas KaOS, Truth Serum Blog, and Wyld Card. From the press release announcing the award: Boyle and Texas Parent PAC were among more than 40 individuals and organizations initially nominated for the honor by the bloggers. The race for Texan of the Year was very close due to the many influential organizations and candidates that played a role in Texas politics during 2006. Other finalists who were neck-and-neck with Boyle and the Parent PAC included the Dallas County Democratic Party (for their transformation of the political landscape in Dallas County) and State Rep.-elect Juan Garcia (D-Corpus Christi), for the high quality campaign he waged leading to his defeat of Rep. Gene Seaman (R-Corpus Christi) in a tough district. The selection of Boyle and Texas Parent PAC recognizes the tremendous impact both Boyle--individually--and the PAC had on Texas politics in 2006. Texas Parent PAC was founded in 2005 by Boyle, a former public relations executive who is well-known in the Texas Capitol as an advocate for Texas public schools. In the midst of an overly-partisan, anti-public education atmosphere that has engulfed the Texas Legislature since its takeover by Republicans in 2002, Texas Parent PAC has had in one election cycle as a great an impact as groups such as The Texas Association of Business, Texans For Lawsuit Reform, and Texans for a Republican Majority did in 2002. My favorite Parent PAC accomplishment? Playing a key role in Kent Grusendorf's primary defeat in HD-94. He was the chair of the House Public Education Committee and was anti-public education, Speaker Craddick's lap dog and widely disliked by the education community. Parent PAC endorsed winners this election cycle: H.D. 32: Juan Garcia, D-Corpus Christi (defeated Rep. Gene Seaman) H.D. 47: Valinda Bolton, D-Austin (open seat) H.D. 48: Representative Donna Howard, D-Austin, (special election victory against Ben Bentzin in Feb.) H.D. 54: Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen (open seat) H.D. 71: Susan King, R-Abilene (open seat) H.D. 72: Drew Darby, R-San Angelo (defeated Rep. Scott Campbell in the primary) H.D. 85: Joe Heflin, D-Crosbyton (open seat of former Speaker Pete Laney) H.D. 94: Diane Patrick, R-Arlington (defeated Grusendorf in the primary) H.D. 101: Thomas Latham, R-Sunnyvale (defeated Rep. Elvira Reyna in the primary) H.D. 107: Allen Vaught, D-Dallas (defeated Rep. Bill Keffer, another House Public Education Committee member) H.D. 118: Joe Farias, D-San Antonio (open seat) H.D. 134: Ellen Cohen, D-Houston (defeated Rep. Martha Wong) Read the entire Texan of the Year press release over at Capitol Annex. Learn more about Parent PAC and their Guiding Principles regarding public education in Texas, here.

Spending Campaign Cash: Senator Jane Nelson

Have you been following the whole "spending campaign cash" phenomenon over at Bay Area Houston? Well, my "interest" in Representative John Davis has led me to look into the spending habits of some other Texas legislators. Senator Jane Nelson, District 12 (Tarrant and Denton counties), certainly is a big spender! I told a friend of mine recently that every little boy and girl should have the goal of being a Texas State Senator when they grow up. It's practically guaranteed that you'll end up sitting on a huge pile of cash! Over the past two years, she has spent $3300 to lease space at Capital Center II in Sacramento, California. What is that about? It's described as an "office campus". There's $16,475 for lodging, $23,500 for transportation and travel. $15,460 of that is to American Airlines. There's $46,300 vaguely descibed as "supplies". This includes everything from $4000 at the Texas State History Museum store, Starbucks, Pottery Barn, Premier Galleries ($2400), Dallas Morning News, HEB, Office Depot, Capital Gift Shop ($4835) and Circuit City ($3055). Oh, and there is the $1744 in "supplies" from A Plus Jewelry By Charles. She's spent $58,000 on professional services, a lot of that to individuals with no description of the service they provided. If I gave you $1000 for "professional services", wouldn't that be a little mysterious? There's $10,700 in meals. She's eaten at two of my favorite restaurants - Rosario's in San Antonio and Z Tejas in Austin. And, the $6123 for The Fort Worth Club (pictured above). You should check out that link. Very swanky. What's "Twin Star"? She pays $2000 per month to them. Sounds like a plane, but I'm not sure. The Lexus. Can't forget about the Lexus lease ($8509 in 2005). There are tens of thousands more in expenses - communications (lots of different phone bills), donations to Republican causes ($79K), memberships and dues, $60K in salaries, etc. She has a lot of cash and she spends a ton of it. Remember, all of this is for the past two years only! She's got a couple of ethics violation problems. She spent $2500 of her own money on stuff for the campaign, but failed to report it on Schedule G. The rules say she will have to pay that back to her campaign. She reimbursed others from campaign cash to the tune of over $12K with loose descriptions. The point of Schedule F (where expenses are itemized) is that you are supposed to be transparent and accurate in your descriptions of what the payment is for. You can see all of her campaign finance reports here. We blog. You wish you could afford Nelson's spending habits.

Get A New Smoke Alarm

I got freaked out by Senator Frank Madla's tragedy - he and his granddaughter and mother-in-law died in a fire at his house Thanksgiving night. According to the San Antonio Express news, Madla did not have a smoke alarm. Everyone who has died in a house fire in San Antonio this year did not have a smoke alarm. Yikes. This sent me to the internet to research smoke alarms. I wondered if there were new and improved ones on the market that I should get to replace mine that I've had forever. One of the things I learned is that smoke alarms should be replaced every 5-10 years. That right there convinced me pretty quickly that I should run out and buy new ones. Also, indeed, there is new technology that is an upgrade from what I had. I got a dual action smoke alarm that detects two kinds of fires. It has a photoelectric sensor to detect slow burning, smoldering fires and an ionization sensor to detect fast flaming fires. This is a not very expensive way to give you some peace of mind. I've seen one house on fire and it was one of the most shocking things I've ever witnessed. Never mind the flames, the smoke that poured out of that house EXTREMELY FAST (think Niagra Falls) - black, thick and in copious amounts - made me realize why people die so quickly of smoke inhalation if they can't get out of their home. There have been stories in the Houston Chronicle about house fires nearly every day for the past week. Look into a new smoke alarm, OK?

Oh Come All Ye Faithful: Fort Bend GOP Christmas Party Tonight!

This should be fun! The Fort Bend Republican Party is having their Christmas party tonight - at a bank. I'm pretty sure lots of people there would like to roast Gary Gillen, Fort Bend GOP Chair, on an open fire. Or, perhaps, lock him Away In A Bank Vault until the date of the Lincoln Day Dinner has passed. Details: The Republican Party of Fort Bend County’s Christmas party will be held from 6:30 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 5, at Prosperity Bank in Sugar Land. For more information please contact Gary Gillen, GOP Chairman, at 281-313-8686. Gifts accepted at the door: wheelbarrows full of cash and choo-choo train ornaments for John Zerwas.

David Wallace In-A-Box

I thought this was a joke, and you will think it is too, but no. There's a new game in town - Sugar Land In-A-Box - dreamed up by the Exchange Club. According to the Chronicle, it features Sugar Land businesses, organizations and public officials (cough! DeLay?). There is some sort of obsession with Chick-fil-A. Not only is it the start spot, but one of the six player tokens is the Chick-fil-A cow. WHY? (Oh, hello! Businesses sponsored the game. Big bucks from Chick-fil-A!) Other player tokens are an Exchange Club of Sugar Land pin, First Colony Mall shopping bag, Sterling McCall Lexus car, Sugar Land Airport plane and Sugar Land Ice & Sports Center ice skate. I am so embarrassed. A Lexus is a symbol of Sugar Land. It gets worse. Locations on the board include the First Colony Mall, the Fluor Corp. and the Sugar Land Fire Department. Fluor?! I certainly hope Tom DeLay's house is on there. Super Target should be included. Good grief, I am there all the time. Otherwise, what else? Thoughts, anyone? Who are the public officials featured? Charlie Howard, maybe? Ugh. Wallace said, "I am honored to be affiliated with the Sugar Land In-A-Box project." I bet his face is featured on there somewhere. It's for a good cause - proceeds go to youth projects. It's still OK to make fun of it, though. Really. Join me.

Rep. Charlie Howard Steps Into Fort Bend GOP Doo-Doo

It's time to point and laugh again, my friends. We return to the three ring circus known as the Fort Bend Republican Party. Their Chair, the always entertaining (some would say inept) Gary Gillen, has wrested control of the Jewel in the Crown, the Lincoln Day Dinner fundraiser, out of the hands of the Party and formed his own PAC to run the thing. I was there on May 18th at their out of control first meeting of the year where they practically came to blows over new by-laws for the Party (yes, PDittie, I was indeed embedded in the Lampson campaign, at that time). I reported on that here, mostly focusing on the by-laws commotion, Gillen's inability to run a meeting and, oh, yeah, Eric Thode's candidate survey. But, the Lincoln Day Dinner did come up. I didn't recognize it as the "Big Damn Deal" that it was. And, is. Gary told everyone right then and there that he had already booked the location and the speaker for the dinner - prior to taking the office of Chair. This caused some major discontent because this thing is apparently supposed to be run by a committee. But, they couldn't even figure out how to appoint committee members at that first meeting because of all of the drastic by-laws changes. I haven't given that Dinner another thought since then. But, now it's raised it's ugly head causing State Representative Charlie Howard to say (from Fort Bend Now): "Right now we’re a laughing stock. Right now we’ve lost a lot of shine, and here we are with another diversion going on.” Indeed. Of course, Howard doesn't exactly help suppress the laughing stock reputation: On Monday, state Rep. Charlie Howard, R-Sugar Land, said he spoke with several elected Republican officials attending the Fort Bend Women’s Club membership and eggnog social event at lunchtime, “and everyone I talked to was of the same persuasion.” "Same persuasion"? OK, that's just about the funniest thing I've heard in awhile. That "persuasion" for the women in attendance is pink suits and pink shoes, blue suits and blue shoes, yellow suits and yellow shoes . . . you get the picture. Oh, and big hair. So, what's happening is that Fort Bend Republican elected officials are commenting like crazy (pun intended) and are going to ask Gillen to give control of the Lincoln Day Dinner back to the Party. This is all about money, folks. This has the potential of being a $200,000 fundraiser. Let's visit with a few of our old friends, well known to readers of this blog for their clown acts. PAC Man, County Judge Bob Hebert: “I believe that’s ill-advised,” said Fort Bend County Judge Bob Hebert, adding that “I speak now as a Republican, not a county judge.”

Hebert said he has supported and continues to support efforts to raise money in support of the Republican Party of Fort Bend County, “but I draw the line at any individual’s PAC, no matter how well-intentioned it is. It’s more philosophical with me.”

Hebert said the fund-raiser, officially known as the Lincoln-Reagan Dinner, was put on for many years by the Fort Bend Republican Women’s Club, and then a few years ago former county GOP chairman Eric Thode “took that away to make it a party thing.”

But now, if the event is to be put on by a private PAC, “I wouldn’t go there,” Hebert said. “I’m afraid if they try to hold a Lincoln Day Dinner as Gary Gillen and A.D. Muller, they better have deep pockets, because I’m not going to go and help fund it.”

And, from our good buddy, County Commissioner Andy Meyers (who keeps his paternal eye on us all):

Along those lines, Meyers acknowledged he had a recent conversation about the Lincoln Day event developments with Mandi Bronsell, who works in his office and also has assisted with the Lincoln Day Dinner in the past. Meyers said he gave Bronsell some “fatherly advice” that he and many other elected Republican officials oppose the dinner being run through a PAC. “This is a messy situation,” he said he told Bronsell, “and does she want to be in the middle of it?...She decided not to do it.” Who wants to join me for popcorn?

If It's Sunday, It's Time To Make Fun Of The Texans

I don't really care if the Texans win at Oakland today or not. It's Sunday, the day we make fun of the Texans at my house. I'm watching the New Orleans game and am mystified all over again why we didn't draft Reggie Bush. The guy just scored his fourth touchdown of the game. It's, you know, FUN to watch the Saints play and see Reggie tear down the field. And, I just found out that Vince Young and the Titans beat the Colts. Good God. It's impossible to be a Texans supporter. Well, maybe it's possible for the criminally insane or three year olds. UPDATE: The Texans won, which shows how awful the Raiders are (2-10). Total Texan offense? Negative five yards. Ridiculous.

Shelley's Last Week In Congress

According to the Washington Post, I am right that Congress is going to shut down early without dealing with the approprations bills that are needed to pass the federal budget. They may shut things down this week, making Shelley's time as our TX-22 congressswoman, what, two weeks total? And, why are the Republicans jumping off the Hill Ship so fast? From the WP: "There is a lot of battle fatigue among members, probably on both sides of the aisle," said Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.), usually a reliable conservative firebrand. "Contrary to popular belief, members of Congress are human beings. They have a certain shelf life and a certain amount of energy to be drawn on. We're tired." Well, I learned something new there. Members of Congress are human beings. Huh. I had no idea. "Do nothing" is a term that has been applied to this Congress over and over. Also, I like "cut and run." This Congress has been in session for the least amount of time of any Congress in 50 years. All they've done in the lame duck session is elect new leaders, make committee assignments and move offices. They have to pass a measure to keep the government open until February since they are abandoning their responsibility to pass the federal budget before the end of the year. They have some dumb stuff on the schedule for this week, including a fetal pain bill. Won't pass. I don't see a Shelley Sekula-Gibbs immigration bill on the schedule. What is Shelley going to run on in 08? "I was in Congress for two weeks and my biggest accomplishment was that I ran off my staff on Day 2"? or "I earned over $27,000 for my two weeks in Congress. Sweet!" Oh, and I found this piss-offed-ness about decreased office space for the lame ducks pretty hilarious: Much of the problem is as prosaic as office space, GOP aides said. Lawmakers were forced to vacate their offices on Friday, and few of them want to hang around Washington with no place to sit. Retiring House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Thomas (R-Calif.) got angry during a meeting of committee chairmen, demanding to know how he was supposed to complete work on the business tax extension bill without an office, according to one GOP aide present in the meeting. No place to sit on their asses. How appropriate for the "do nothing" Republicans.

Representative Aaron Peña's Blog

If you have tried to get to A Capitol Blog lately - the blog written by State Representative Aaron Peña - you noticed that it's obviously been hijacked and doesn't exist at the old link anymore. Well, there is a new link, so bookmark it and go to it frequently. This is the blog to read during the legislative session. I discovered Peña's blog during the special session this year and it had all of the inside scoop. Plus, he is a seer. No really, he is! He predicts things and they come true. I'm NOT kidding.

Go Vote For Best And Worst Of 2006!

Vince at Capitol Annex has a fun survey up letting you give your input on the best and worst of Texas politics this year. Go here and voice your opinion! FYI, you have a chance to add your own Best and Worst category at the end and I added worst dressed. Guess who I put for that?

Texas Ethics Commission And Ignorance: Mixed Messages

Is the Texas Ethics Commission toothless and worthless? Or, are the commissioners finally stepping up to the plate and enforcing the ethics laws? You can view the entire three hour, 41 minute meeting from last Monday, November 27th here and get some clues. As I watched, I kept waiting for the part where they debated and wrestled with the whole reporting of gifts thing. You know, the "Ceverha problem" where he got a $50,000 check from Bob Perry and simply reported it as a "gift" without disclosing the amount. The TEC had to rule if this was acceptable under current statute. This issue is huge and the common sense answer is that on the reporting form where it says "amount of contribution", well, that should make it pretty plain and obvious that you should put the amount of the gift right there. Instead, the Commission ruled by a vote of 5-3, that the law was unclear as to what "description" meant when reporting gifts. So, as it stands now, elected officials and state appointees can put "check" as the description, with no dollar amount, or as Ronnie Earle, Travis County District Attorney, suggested "wheelbarrow" as in "wheelbarrow full of cash." Back to that recorded meeting that I watched. Finally at 3:08:39, the gift issue came up for discussion. The commisioners get recommendations from staff on everything they deal with at their meeting. There was absolutely NO discussion - zero, zip, nada, instead there was an immediate move to adopt the staff recommendation. The chair asked twice if there was any discussion. There was not and they launched right into voting. Over and done with, 5-3. Five commissioners claimed ignorance on the definition of "description." The ruling was ignorant and non-sensical in the opinion of most thinking people. They threw the issue over to the Republican controlled Legislature to define "description." Royce West, D-Dallas, immediately filed Senate Bill 129, requiring the amount of the gift on TEC filings. On the other hand, the commissioners fined the second of two lawmakers $1000 for not reporting a gift to a committee chair his TEC reports. Legislators are pleading confusion on this one, saying they don't understand the law and don't know they have to report these legislator to legislator gifts. The TEC said that ignorance of the law is no excuse and the gifts must be reported. The tricky thing is that if committee chairs ch0ose to go back and self-correct their past filings, they WILL be fined and the violation will go on their record. Since these gifts are not part of the public record until they go on the TEC filing, it would be difficult for a citizen to file a complaint against a legislator and force the issue. What are some of the gifts legislators give committee chairs? The Dallas Morning News reports: a $600 gift certificate and the other a pair of cowboy boots emblazed with the state seal Rep. Ismael "Kino" Flores, D-Palmview, received an $850 shotgun; Rep. Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie, got a $2,000 metal bench. House Natural Resources Chairman Robert Puente, D-San Antonio, who also didn't report his iPod, said: "You can count me in with the ignorant people." House Speaker Tom Craddick, who received a crystal eagle and a bronze Indian head statue last year from all members, said the fines were the first time the ethics panel has indicated that the disclosure law includes legislator-to-legislator gifts. Only one chairman out of 55 in the House and Senate reported his gift last year. Rep. Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita, got two cows from the redistricting committee. Hmm. Cash cows? A fitting image for the November Texas Ethics Commission rulings.

Sekula-Gibbs Moves To Her Closet Office Today

December 1st. Office cleanup day on Capitol Hill for all of the lame ducks (come on Shelley, quack for us) and retiring legislators. According to the Washington Post:

So that they can still handle constituent services and other basics, the lame ducks each will be temporarily assigned one desk, one phone line and one computer in a room across from the kitchen in the basement of the Rayburn Building.

The buzz is that the Republicans are going to leave the 9 appropriations bills that have been left undone to the Democratic Congress when they convene in January. It's the old "cut and run" strategy that the Republicans are always harping on. The whole lot of them seem resigned to their lame duck status and are just giving up in light of their loss of power on the Hill. But, I don't know about Shelley Sekula Gibbs. She's PROMISED all of us in TX-22 in her Thanksgiving email that she is: "working hard and trying to do more with less taxpayer money. I am fighting for immigration reform, improvements to medicaid and true fiscal responsibility." Plus, she has Filegate to contend with and, as one of her constituents, I really, really want a resolution to this so that we know a) what files DeLay's staff deleted and b) more details about her lunatic behavior that brought that on. Holiday Barbie, R-Clear Lake, has a lot of quacking and egg laying ahead in the next week or so make good on her promises, as I really do think Congress will shut down early and Shelley will be flying back to Clear Lake to roost.