Seems like the Republicans have a really bad problem with homes and where they live. John McCain is either to stupid or senile to know how many homes he ownes- or how many his rich trophy wife hyas bought for him. This is the man who thinks America is having a great economic time right now as thousands of Americans lose thier homes and jobs. Just what America needs is a senile old man who still thinks he is living in the 60’s.
Here in Texas, Rep. Frank Corte list an empty lot as his residence on his campaign filing and ethics reports. I know we have many homeless people in Texas but some how I doubt a Republican State Representative could get elected if he was homeless. This past weekend, Corte and his son built a mail box post at the empty lot they own. I guess he is planning on living in a mail box or buying a trailer.
Frank Corte at Work
Frank Corte's Home
Frank Corte has broken Texas Campai9gn Law by claiming an empty lot as his residence to qualify to run for his seat. I am usre nothing will be done as Greg Abbott only cares about protecting Republuicans.
It’s Monday. Do you know what the Texas Progressive Alliance blogs and bloggers have been up to this week? Well, our weekly round-up will tell you. This week’s round-up was compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.
Two White guys in Houston want each others’ jobs. Former Gov. Mark might run for for mayor, and current Mayor Bill may run for governor. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has the Frick-and-Frack report.
Prepare yourself for a shock when you visit Bluedaze and see the BILLIONS in handouts given to Big Oil. TXsharon shows how these handouts, paid with our taxes, enable Big Oil to buy influence, work against our best interest, blatantly ignore laws and keep the US dependent on hydrocarbons rather than moving forward.
After you’ve gotten your Obama/Biden sticker, please forward this email to your friends. The stickers are perfect for everyone, and for everywhere: your car, your laptop, your window, or anywhere else.
And the more of us who put these stickers in visible places, the stronger message we’ll send about our support for the Obama/Biden ticket this November.
These Obama/Biden stickers are the latest addition to our massive Obama visibility campaign. MoveOn members have already ordered more than 2.5 million Obama buttons and bumper stickers, and are already showing communities across the nation that regular folks sincerely support Barack Obama.
Let’s take it to the next level. Get your sticker today, then tell your friends:
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Here is the email I received at 3:50 am from Barack Obama:
I have some important news that I want to make official.
I’ve chosen Joe Biden to be my running mate.
Joe and I will appear for the first time as running mates this afternoon in Springfield, Illinois — the same place this campaign began more than 19 months ago.
I’m excited about hitting the campaign trail with Joe, but the two of us can’t do this alone. We need your help to keep building this movement for change.
Please let Joe know that you’re glad he’s part of our team. Share your personal welcome note and we’ll make sure he gets it:
John McCain is either completely out of touch with reality or in the first stages of senility. It is hard to believe that anyone could possibly forget how many Homes they or their rich wife owns. When McCain was asked how man homes he owned, he answered “I’ll have my staff get back with you.” I guess when you own 7 or more homes and think only people who make over 5 million dollars are rich you are completely out of touch with reality.
Dean Rindy had this to say (bold added for emphasis):
The Senate race in Texas has been bland and quiet lately, so we decided to have some fun and launch our own ad. We want to puncture the myth of conservative machismo. For years the Republican leadership has perpetuated a false myth of strength and character, whereas in reality they have a record of weakness and failure. From Bush and Cheney on down, they’re sad little John Wayne wannabes. Democrats need to hammer at that. We have to reverse the media dialogue on the so-called “strength” factor in American politics—the false image of Democrats as hapless wimps and the GOP as mighty warriors. Swing voters tend to vote on the basis of values and personal character, not issues and five-point plans. This year, as always, Republicans are trying to win by claiming they are strong and Democrats are weak. The time has come to burst that bubble. We need to connect issues to values and values to character. We need to attack. Values are weapons. We need to understand that.
Rindy is right. Republicans argue all of their ridiculous proposals in value arguments. Thomas Frank highlights this time and again in his books. Vouchers. Death Penalty. Energy and the Environment. Name a Republican stance that isn’t a value laden argument?
Voters almost universally agree with Democratic positions. Yet, they also tend to vote against their own self interests. Mike Skelly is prime example of how to do this. He is turning the budget into a moral argument.
Now we need to hold Cowboy John accountable for his vote for the Bush’s Economic Plan, Housing Plan, Health Care Plan, Energy Plan, etc. etc. etc.
He has shown he has voted against Texans for 6 long years. It just seems like he doesn’t value Texans.
Honestly, Rep. Noreiga is doing the right thing. He is fundraising. But the gloves need to come off. We can’t let Cornyn take the road often traveled by Republicans. Let Noriega make the case for Noriega, but it is time we all rally around to attack John Cornyn’s ineptitude and total lack of leadership.
The campaign sprint is about to start. From Labor Day to Election Day, every hour matters. Voter Registration deadline. Early Vote. Election Day. They are all here before you know it. Now is the time to do the hard work.
Donna Keel is running for TX-HD 47. Does Travis County really need another keel in the legislature or any elected office? The last name alone is enough to make any thinking person in the Austin area cringe. Let’s not forget that Donna would be under her father-in-law’s thump, actually Tom Craddick’s from the get go. Her family name and politics have been so tied to the worst extreme in Texas Republican Politics that there is no doubt where she would stand on any issue or who she would support for speaker of the house.
Driving through South Austin yesterday, I saw Donna’;s signs everywhere and wish I had had a camera. She is so sure that people will not support a Republican that she doesn’t even list herself as a Republican on her signs. Then you go to Donna’s campaign site and on the issues page we see this jewel:
Voter Integrity – As an auditor, I know that proper internal controls must be in place to preserve the integrity of the voting process. Not only does Texas not require photo identification to vote, we do not verify citizenship, age or felony status when registering voters, despite the fact that these are legal requirements. I want to safeguard elections by ensuring that only qualified U.S. citizens are allowed to vote.
When you click on the link to go for more information, you see how many people have been removed from voter files but of course doesn’t mention how many were removed in error. Donna also talks about the 11 cases of voter fraud referred to the Texas Attorney General but fails to mention most were thrown out as bogus. The rest of her issues statements seem more Democratic than Republican but we all know what happens when a Craddick Republican or a Keel gets in office- Texans get screwed.
TX-HD47 is lucky to have Valinda Bolton as their representative.
Serving with distinction in the 80th Legislative session, Representative Valinda Bolton was awarded the 2007 Freshman of the Year Award by the Legislative Study Group for her commitment and dedication to sound public policy for Texas families.
Guided by her experience, strength of character and faith Valinda came to the House of Representatives and listened to all sides, stood firmly for the best interests of the people of her district and Texas, and worked across partisan lines to find common ground to meet the challenges facing Texas.
As a freshman legislator she authored 18 pieces of legislation and successfully guided 6 bills through the legislative process and into law. With only 6.6% of all bills filed making it into law, that is considered quite an accomplishment for a freshman legislator.
Supporting Valinda Bolton for reelection is an easy decision. Valinda is dedicated and a true leader willing to work for the good of all Texans. Support Valinda Bolton for TX-HD 47!!!
John McCain says he has an energy plan. His Energy plan is like the rest of his policy statements. Just more of the same old mess we have seen from him since he became a Senator. He wants to take care of his lobbyist and screw America.
In his current campaign he is taking his lead from his hero George W. Bush. He stages photo ops and says nothing while doing no work as a Senator.
The DNC Rapid Response Team says it all:
Yesterday, John McCain staged a photo-op on an oil rig partially owned by ExxonMobil to promote his Big-Oil-First energy plan.
This rig was a perfect metaphor for his plan, since it took 10 years to produce a single drop of oil.
That’s the same 10-year lag that non-partisan energy experts and scientists say it may take before McCain’s “Drill here! Now!” energy plan produces any new oil.
So why does McCain want an energy plan that puts Exxon first?
How about two million bucks in campaign contributions from Big Oil?
For nearly 30 years, Exxon John has stood with Big Oil and voted against alternative energy.
Just months ago, John McCain was the only Senator who skipped a vote on an energy bill to channel $13 billion in tax breaks for Big Oil into alternative energy development. The bill came out one vote short — but Exxon John’s friends in Big Oil came out one vote ahead.
John McCain is still playing energy politics the way they’ve been played for decades in Washington. Well-connected lobbyists and special interests get everything they could want while hardworking families get left behind.
Let’s make sure the public knows John McCain really puts Big Oil first. Pass the Exxon John video on to your family and friends today:
It is time for America to have a new direction and that direction will never come with a dinosaur like McCain in charge. McCain, when he can remember, is still living in the 60’s. It is past time to have a new person in charge in DC and with McCain we would only have a 3rd bush term. America deserves better.
I had the pleasure of introducing the readers to Annette Taddeo a few weeks back. Now we have a chance to vote for Annette and help her become the next Progressive Patriot. Here is the email I received from Sen. Russ Feingold and the Progressive Patriots Fund.
The Progressive Patriots Fund is hard at work to ensure victory in November. It is essential that we elect a Democratic President and increase our Democratic majority in Congress. Don’t forget to cast your vote today and help us determine which campaign receives a $5,000 contribution from the Progressive Patriots Fund.
Keith Olbermann says it all when he takes Sen. McCain to task for his childishness in the 2008 campaign.
Read the transcript at CountDown with Kieth Olbermann. Keith does a great job of calling McCain on his lies about supporting our troops and our veterans.
Peter Brown needs to decide what party he supports. If he is a Democrat, he needs to apologize to Sherrie Matula and Kristi Thibaut as well as the rest of the Democratic Party in Texas.
Brown attended and was recognized at Rove fundraiser in Houston for Democratic women’s opponents
Peter Brown owes an apology to Kristi Thibaut, Sherri Matula, and other Democrats after attending and being recognized at a Harris County fundraiser featuring Karl Rove, the “Republican mastermind”. The event had the exclusive purpose of raising funds to beat these Democratic women.
“If Peter Brown wants to hob knob with Karl Rove, that is his prerogative, but attending a Republican fundraiser for the explicit purpose of defeating Democratic candidates is way over the line. At the very least he owes Kristi Thibaut and Sherrie Matula an apology and an offer to contribute or raise an equal amount of money for them,” said Annie’s List Communications Director Erica Prosser.
Billed as a fundraiser for both Thibaut and Matula’s opponents along with two other Republicans, the event was headlined by the architect of George W. Bush’s administration, Karl Rove. Rove appeared even while he is ignoring a summons from the United States Congress to testify before them. Last week Congress voted to hold him in contempt, yet instead, Rove has been running around Texas raising money for state Republican candidates. In attending the Harris County event, Peter Brown helped legitimize this “fugitive fundraising tour,” as termed by Texas Democratic Party Chair Boyd Richie.
Brown, a Houston City Councilman and 2009 candidate for mayor, ignored calls from the state party and thousands of voters around the state who signed petitions calling on Rove to heed his subpoena from Congress and return to Washington, D.C. to testify. Instead of joining these voters and his own party, Brown chose to attend a fundraiser for Republicans running against Democrats in his own area. Brown perhaps owes Democratic House Candidate Kristi Thibaut the biggest apology, as she was his campaign manager in his City Council race.
Brown needs to decide whose side he is really on and make that clear to his constituents. He can’t have it both ways, and Thibaut, Matula and others deserve to know if he is really on their side. Annie’s List calls on Brown to apologize to these Democratic women and other Democrats whose campaigns were hurt by this fundraiser and asks him to support his fellow Democrats at all levels between now and November and beyond.
With a strong network in Harris County and across the state, Annie’s List is one of the largest political action committees in Texas. Since being created five years ago, Annie’s List has played a critical role in electing eight new Democratic women to the Texas House of Representatives. Work which recently earned Annie’s List the title of “Best Texas Political Action Committee” by Capitol Inside magazine.
WHAT: Rick Noriega to bring his plan for health care for Texas families to Houston, calling for improved access, affordability and accountability to get rid of the waste, inefficiency, and bureaucracy that plague our current health care system.
While John Cornyntold the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club last week that Texas is a national model for improving access to health care, the fact is Texas has the highest rate of uninsured people in the nation. Lisa Falkenberg wrote in the HoustonChronicle, “If Texas is a model, the crisis in this country is deeper than any of us realize.”
Rick Noriega’s plan addresses the failures of our current health care system and will curtail the skyrocketing health care costs that Texas families struggle with each day.
John Cornyn is totally lost when it comes to health care in Texas. It is time to elect a Senator who actually cares about Texans and knows what is going on in health care today. .
Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation. He did this to avoid impeachment hearings. He has been a big Ally to George W. Bush and supposedly the United States. I wonder where he will retire and on who’s dime?
Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation Monday, ending an eight-year tenure that opponents said was hampering the country’s labored return to democracy.
An emotional Musharraf said he wanted to spare the nation from a perilous impeachment battle and that he was satisfied that all he had done “was for the people and for the country.”
“I hope the nation and the people will forgive my mistakes,” Musharraf said in a televised address, much of which was devoted to defending his record and refuting criticisms.
Musharraf said he will turn in his resignation to the National Assembly speaker on Monday but it was not immediately clear whether it would become effective the same day. The chairman of Pakistan’s Senate, Mohammedmian Soomro, will take over as acting president when Musharraf steps down, Law Minister Farooq Naek said.
It also was not clear whether Musharraf, a stalwart U.S. ally, would stay in Pakistan.
Mike Thomas of Rhetoric & Rhythm looks at a week’s worth of opinion columns from the San Antonio Express-News and determines there is a nearly three-to-one imbalance of conservative/Republican columns compared to liberal/Democratic ones.
On Bluedaze, TXsharonbusts the myths that Natural Gas is cleaner, that shale drilling will make us safer, and that Domestic Drilling can make us Energy Independent.
It has been a few months since the Cheese Tray Awards have been handed out but it is past time to awards these beautiful mementos to the Biggest Whiners. Nothing goes better with Whine than a Cheese Tray.
1st Cheese Tray Award
The first Cheese Tray is awarded to Hans Klinger and the Texas Republican Party who are so worried about losing the majority in the Texas that they have contacted the Libertarian Party to beg them not to run for office as it could hurt Republicans and now are saying that money given to Annie’s List by Fred Baron is tainted money. Now the Republicans have no problem with taking money from any PAC or contributer no matter what they have publicly said or done but have a problem with Fred Baron’s money going to a PAC that endorsed Diana Maldonado for Texas House District 52. They seem to forget that the Republican, Bryan Daniel, running against Diana broke campaign and IRS law by having his office in a Charitable Foundation. office.
