Oh, and don’t forget to vote early!

The Texas Cloverleaf helps spread the truth about ACORN.

McBlogger takes a look at our own Congressman from Clear Channel, Mike McCaul, and discovers that he is indeed different.

jobsanger points out the dysfunctional aspect of this year’s Republican campaign, first in Palin Disagrees With McCain, and then in Repubs Can’t See The Reality.

BossKitty at TruthHugger is sad to recognize that while America’s Foreign Policy Suffers - Unemployment Soars - Religion Goes Toxic America’s short attention span has been grabbed by personal survival and courted by political and religious philosophies.

As early voting begins Eye On Williamson charts the early voting numbers in Williamson County. HD-52 Democratic candidate Diana Maldonado continues to rack up the endorsements and launches her latest ad, taking on the insurance companies and high homeowners insurance.

Neil at Texas Liberal posted the second part of his Who I Would Have Supported For President series. The latest entry covered the years 1824-1852.

Gary at Easter Lemming Liberal News is keeping the early voting info up for the voters who need it but did notice that all the PUMAs have come home to Obama.

Vince at Capitol Annex notes that the Texas Association of Business has finally pleaded guilty in connection with its 2002 violations of Texas’ campaign financing laws and that State Rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake) and State Sen. Kim Brimer (R-Fort Worth) have taken big bucks from a company the TCEQ fined more than a quarter million dollars last week for polluting.

CouldBeTrue from South Texas Chisme has some hints about how to get your specific sample ballot. Be prepared!

Off the Kuff analyzes the high level of early voting in Harris County so far.

XicanoPwr analyzes the GOP attack on ACORN and the disenfranchisement of thousands of voters carried out by Paul Bettencourt in Harris County.

John McCain describes the economy as a drive by shooting. The Texas Cloverleaf calls it a whack job.

North Texas Liberal reports on Sarah Palin’s $150,000 shopping spree at Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue, and discusses why it could signal the end for her and John McCain’s faltering campaign.

As Democrats in Harris County appear on the verge of something historic, the trends in the extraordinary early voting turnout portend the same blue surge that the rest of the country
is about to experience. PDiddie at Brains and Eggs has the deets.

refinish69 at Doing My Part For The Left wants everyone to say thanks to Barbara at Avenue Gallery- NOT!!!

nytexan at Bluebloggin points out just how McCain and Palin are alike with their FEC violations. We’ve gone from 8 years of the “emperor has no clothes” to “the empress has new clothes.” The GOP is priceless. Palin is following in McCain’s footsteps for FEC violations, what a pair of mavericks. CREW Files FEC Complaint Against Palin. And, for McCain, apparently he and Palin have an affection for Russia; McCain’s New FEC Violation: Asks Russia For Campaign Money.

George at The Texas Blue wants you to know your job’s not over just because you voted. We look at the early voting excitement across the state and remind you that it’s critical
to tell your friends and family to vote as well!

Tired of having Obama signs stolen from their neighborhood, they decided to make one that can’t be (easily) taken; and spray-painted a giant 14-foot Obama logo on their front yard. If your yard sign is stolen, report it to the police. It is a crime. Set a camera or video recorder with a trip wire to your sign. Place a sign underneath your sign saying you will make another donation to the Obama Campaign if your yard sign is stolen.

Barbara, who is not the owner of Avenue Gallery, took it upon herself to complain nonstop because I was on the sidewalk selling Obama Stuff.  The first weekend I was there Barbara came out and said I was blocking her shop even though I was not in front of her store but I moved the table further down to try and keep the peace.  On Saturday October 25th, Barbara called the police on me but would not come out and say anything to me in person while the police were there.  On the 26th, Barbara again called the police and when they arrived I offered to shut down the site.  Once Barbara, the police officer, and some of the staff from Uncommon Objects discussed the situation, it was decided by all (including Barbara) that I could continue to be on the sidewalk as long as I moved to the other side of Uncommon Objects doorway.  Barbara then started making calls and complaining about the situation to the President of the South Congress Merchant’s Association so that they called the police.  The police officer returned and told me of the situation and I agreed to close down immediately.

I want every Democrat in Travis County to make a point of thanking Barbara at the Avenue Gallery for her support by stopping by and saying Thanks but No Thanks, I will do my shopping elsewhere on South Congress.

Avenue Gallery

1510 1/2 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-3600

At the same time, please be sure to stop in at Uncommon Objects and thank the owners and staff for their great support and friendship.  We need to support shop owners who support us.

Uncommon Objects

1512 S Congress Ave
Austin, TX 78704
(512) 442-4000

In Orlando, Florida yesterday, Hillary Clinton announced the new theme for the Obama Campaign and the Democratic Party while campaigning with Barack Obama. This is our year to speak out against the corruption and cronyism of the past 8 years under the Shrub Regime and elect Democrats from the White House to the Courthouse. We can also let them know in Arizona, California, and Florida that we do not agree with the divisive politics of hatred and bigotry that is the corner stone of the Republican Party.

Early Voting in Texas is having recor breaking turn out. Check out some of the totals for some counties:
Denton 9,165
Harris 38,000+
Travis 24,000+

These numbers are much higher than have been seen in any previous election in Texas. We need to keep the heat on and get as many people to vote early as possible. Email or call your friends to remind them to vote early!!! We can all vote early and then get busy helping make sure that others vote early by volunteering to make phone calls or block walk for candidates in our respective counties. Many campaigns need our help. We can assist people in Arizona, California and Arizona to defeat the marriage Amendments that the religious wrong are trying to pass. We can make calls to swing states for Obama. This our time to shine as Democratic Activist who care and want to take our country in a new direction.

Some of the great Texas candidates who need our help are:

Barack Obama

Rick Noriega

Larry Joe Doherty

Diana Maldonado

Valinda Bolton

Sherrie Matula

Donna Howard

Woodie Jones

These are some of the great candidates from other states who need our help:

Annette Tadeo

Kay Hagen

Glen Nye

Al Franken

Scott Kleeb

There are many other great candidates who need our help- way too many to list in a single blog post.  Your best bet is to get involved in the campaigns in your area and work as hard as you can during these last two weeks.  If you are in an area where the results are clearly in your candidates favor or they have no opponent, then you need to get busy helping the candidates in other areas.  We can make a difference and we have to do this.  This is our election season to set the tone for the next 4 years on the national level.

Sherrie Matula is running for Texas Legislature from District 129. Sherrie is the right choice to help take back the majority in the Texas Ledge and actually represent all Texans and not just special interest.

Here is a chance to meet Sherrie and some of the other great Democrats from the Houston area.

Voter registration in Texas ended with record numbers of voters being registered. Early Voting starts on October 20th and goes through October 31st. Getting out the vote is one of the most important things we can do to make sure our voices are heard in November. We cannot allow another election to go by and not speak out for the change our country and our state so desperately needs.

South Austin Calls is just one of many events planned for the next couple of weeks to encourage voters to vote early. This is not just about the race for the White House but every Democratic candidate on the ticket. As they said at the Texas State Democratic Convention, we are electing Democrats from the White House to the Courthouse. We have a chance to send a message to the world by electing Barack Obama as our next President but we also need to work hard to elect Rick Noriega as our next US Senator from Texas. We can help keep great Democrats in office here in Texas such as Valinda Bolton, Donna Howard, and Mark Strauma. We can elect Woodie Jones to the 3rd Court of Appeals, Jim Coronado as the first Latino Judge in Travis County, and Sherrie Matula and many others to the Texas Legislature to take back the majority.

Please list in comments what your county is doing to turm out the early vote!!!!

October 6th is the last day to register voters for the 2008 elections.  It is time for everyone to get involved and make a difference.  Anyone in Texas can be sworn in as a deputy voter registrar and register voters.  All you have to do is go to your county Tax Assessor office and be sworn in.  Voter registration is at an all time high across the nation but we can do better with your help.

Follow me below the fold to find out all the ways you can help register voters and help make this the most historic election in Texas history.

Once you have been deputized, you can then take voter registration cards with you to any location and register voters.  It would be fantastic if concerned citizens were in front of every restaurant, bar, music venue and gathering place all weekend registering voters.  You can then explain early voting, inform people who are off parole and probation that they have their citizenship rights back and can vote and make a difference in Texas.

Check with your county party to see if they are doing a voter registration drive this last weekend and volunteer for a shift.  Block walk your neighbor hood and ask people if they are registered to vote where they currently live.  Go to your favorite hangout or coffee shop and register people.  In Travis County, we are doing a Voter Registration Marathon on October 6th from 8 am till midnight.  We will be at over 50 locations around the county and still need people to volunteer for shifts.  The shifts are 8-12, 12-4, 4-8, and 8 till midnight.  Anyone in Travis county can be sworn in as a voter registrar at the Travis County Coordinated Campaign Office at 1107 North IH-35.  You can pick up cards to register people from now until Monday and then volunteer for a shift for Monday.

Read MY Lipstick: White Woman 4 Obama! Join me in this action.

Are you as sick as I am of hearing the media say that white women won’t vote for Obama?

Are you as sick as I am of hearing white women say that Palin is just an ordinary mother, just like them?

Do you remember when white men were saying they could have a beer with George Bush?

ENOUGH!

Please join me in this effort to prove the media wrong! Send me pictures of your windshield!

If I can drive around in the reddest county in Texas with this on my car, surely you can join me.

If you are not a white woman, please feel free to edit appropriately.

White Black Woman 4 Obama.

White Latina Woman 4 Obama.

White Brown Woman 4 Obama.

White Woman 4 Obama.

And etc.

I loved Sharon’s idea so much that I created a design for this campaign.

Read My Lipstick

2008 is the year for Democrats to take back the majority in the Texas Legislature and actually represent Texas Families.  Tom Craddick and his cronies have had their time at the helm and have taken Texas oni a course of destruction.  They are more concerned with concentrating their power and shoving a bible down everyone’s throat than in governing.  This cannot be allowed to continue. There is a way you can help change the course of Texas and help Texas become the great state it can and should be.  You can volunteer to help out the candidates running in your area, register voters, talk to your family and friends.  You can also donate to help make Change possible.

The following email was sent by Rep, Trey Martinez Fischer:

The other day I saw State Senator Kirk Watson’s $5,000 “Adopt a Candidate“ match program and it made me think — How can I help Democrats take back the Texas House?  I liked his $20.08 idea and thought how can we really show our commitment to putting Democrats back in control…

So, what did I decide to do? Create a match program of my own.

For every contribution to the Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee(HDCC), I will match dollar for dollar up to $20,000.08. That means OVER $40,000 will go to our Democratic House incumbents and challengers and, more importantly, will help Democrats take back the Texas House.

Today, I am challenging you to help me take back the Texas House and Turn Five Red Seats Blue!

Why am I doing this? I have seen the polls. I have talked to our Democratic candidates. And I don’t know if you have noticed, but the Austin insiders are paying much more attention to our side of the aisle. But, what they don’t know is that this election is not about them, it’s about restoring our faith in government. This election is about every Texan’s desire for more comprehensive healthcare, less expensive college tuition, and better performing schools.  We have a rare and unprecedented opportunity to take back the Texas House of Representatives. I know that we can win these races, but we need your help.

We can take back the House, and I am doing my part to make that happen.

Some people like to talk a big game, but actions always speak louder than words.  So, I will put my money where my mouth is and hope you will do the same.  Moreover, I hope after you make a contribution that you will contact your nearest Democratic State Representative and challenge them to get involved.  I will certainly be calling them because this election is too important to sit on the sidelines.

I could have given my money to any candidate, to any organization, but I chose to give it to the HDCC. Here’s why:

• As you may know, the HDCC is the only organization in the state dedicated solely to winning back a Democratic majority in the Texas House of Representatives.
• Since 2003, the HDCC has been instrumental in protecting incumbents and electing new Democratic members to the Texas House. In 2006 alone, all 13 endangered incumbents won re-election, plus Democratic challengers defeated 6 Republican incumbents.
• The HDCC targets their resources effectively, spending their money on polling, direct mail, staff support and GOTV.
• Most importantly, the HDCC knows how to win hard races.

Right now we are just FIVE seats from taking back the majority in the Texas House. We can only win them with your help.

Show me that you’ll put your money where your mouth is, too. Click here to give $250, $100, $50, $25, or whatever you can to the HDCC today. Remember, I will match it dollar for dollar.

Together, we will walk the walk and talk the talk and do our part to take back the Texas House.

Sincerely,

Trey Martinez Fischer
State Representative, District 116

Join Rep. Fischer and help take Texas Back!!!!

As a blogger and political observer, one of the greatest moments of this election cycle has been watching Sherrie Matula’s campaign down in House District 129. Sherrie is a people-powered, grassroots candidate that has exceeded the expectations of “the establishment” and is in an excellent position to defeat incumbent State Rep. John Davis (R-Clear Lake).

Recently, Annie’s List has taken notice of Sherrie’s campaign and is matching every contribution made to her campaign dollar-for-dollar up to $10,000 until Saturday, September 13.

Since the match is a $10,000 match, we thought we would give readers 10 Good Reasons To Give To Sherrie Matula. However, the more we thought about it, the more we realized that it would be more fun to give our readers 10 Reasons To Give John Davis The Boot. (Believe me, if we had time, we could give you 10,000).

So, please read the below, and help Sherrie meet her matching funds goal by contributing today.

1. John Davis Thinks a 44 percent increase in college tuition for Texas families is “reasonable.” Yes, John Davis actually said that. He said that the spike in tuition costs to Texas public colleges and universities of almost 50 percent was reasonable. Of course, when you illegally spend $1,500 on a pair of boots with campaign cash, that probably is reasonable to you.

2. John Davis Voted For The Trans-Texas Corridor, Tolling Existing Roadways, Allowing Private Toll Roads, And Double-Taxing Texans. John Davis voted for every piece of legislation in the quartet of bills passed over two sessions which created, authorized, and set up the funding mechanisms for the Trans-Texas Corridor, and also allowed for the tolling of existing roadways already paid for by taxpayers, as well as private toll roads. [House Journal, 67th Day, 78th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 608, pp. 2963-2964; House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, 76th Day, p.3500; House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, 77th Day, p. 3557; House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, Day 75, Record Vote 446, p. 3333].

3. John Davis Voted To Create An Entire State Agency To Protect The Business Interests Of One Of His Big Contributors. John Davis voted to create the Texas Residential Construction Commission by voting for House Bill 730, which helped provide cover and protection from lawsuits for Houston homebuilder Bob Perry, one of Davis’ major contributors. [House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, Day 56, Record Vote 364, p. 1950].

4. John Davis Puts Corporate Welfare Above Human Welfare. John Davis voted for legislation which created the Texas Enterprise Fund [SB 1771, 77th Texas Legislature], a giant corporate welfare fund administered through the Governor’s office. [House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, Day 80, Record Vote 778, p. 4559]. But, he voted against helping keep kids out of institutions and voted to continue roadblocks that prevented the elderly and disabled persons from getting Food Stamps. Davis voted against Amendment 25 to CSSB 1, 77th Regular Session, which would have provided appropriations (tied to HB 1213) to establish family-based alternatives to the institutionalization of children who could not remain with their birth parents. This amendment also included a measure to “kill” electronic finger printing for Food Stamp applicants. Electronic finger printing, which cost the state more than $3 million a year is a huge hurdle that the elderly and disabled must overcome to get Food Stamps. And, the program has uncovered relatively little duplication or attempted fraud for the money it costs. [Amendment 25, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, Day 40, Record Vote 126, p. 1065].

5. John Davis Took Money From Lobbyists For Accenture And Passed Legislation To Help Them Privatize Health And Human Services Call Centers. John Davis voted FOR House Bill 2292, the sweeping re-organization legislation that combined 12 HHS agencies into five. [House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, Day 57, Record Vote 367, p. 1981]. The legislation also: (1) brought about cutbacks in Medicaid benefits and coverage; (2) brought about full-family sanctions to TANF; (3) mandated the use of call centers to determine eligibility for HHS programs, and required private contractors to operate those call centers; (4) gutted the requirement that children in schools and child care facilities must be immunized; (5) defunded the Medically Needy program; (6) provided for “estate recovery,” meaning that the assets of deceased Medicaid patients could be taken by the state to pay for those patients’ care; (7) eliminated income disregards for CHIP; (8) established an asset limit for children in families above 150% FBL within CHIP; (9) provided for a shorter coverage period for CHIP; (10) reduced benefits packages and increased premiums and co-pays; (11) provided the potential for privatization of state schools and state hospitals; (12) eliminated mental health professional services for adults on Medicaid; (14) created a “healthy marriage development program” for TANF recipients.

6. John Davis Took Money From Companies That Run Privatized State Mental Hospitals, And Then Led The Charge To Make It Easy To Privatize Texas’ State Schools And Hospitals. John Davis took contributions from Joey Jacobs, CEO of Psychiatric Solutions, and contributions from PSI’s federal and money from PSI’s lobbyist, Marsha M. Jones. He then led the charge to make privatizing state schools and hospitals easy. John Davis introduced Amendments 137 and 138 to House Bill 2292 [House Bill 2292, 78th Texas Legislature, Regular Session] which would have allowed the state to privatize state schools if they could be run at a mere ten percent cost savings [Amendment 137, CSHB 2292, (2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, Day 56, p. 1923] and privatize state hospitals if they could be run at a mere ten percent cost savings [Amendment 138, CSHB 2292, (2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 78th Texas Legislature, Day 56, p. 1924]. As we’ve seen with Accenture, privatization doesn’t work with health and human services.

7. John Davis Voted To Allow Radioactive Waste To Be Buried In Texas. Davis voted for HB 1567 [House Journal, 77th Texas Legislature, Day 53, Record Vote 316, p. 1713-1714] which allowed for the disposal of low-level radioactive waste from Texas, Maine, and Vermont, within Texas. [Bill Analysis, CSHB 1567, 78th Texas Legislature].

8. John Davis Thinks The Air In Harris County Is Great! John Davis has voted several times against clean air. And, as a matter of fact, Davis actually thinks that air quality in Houston is better than it was 30 years ago: “It’s much cleaner than it was 20-30 years ago. I believe we are on the right track. I don’t want to choke off industry,” he noted in a debate in 2006. John Davis voted against funds for daily “fence-line” monitoring emissions pursuant to Title V of the Clan Air Act. Davis voted to TABLE the amendment, meaning he cast a vote AGAINST clean air. [Amendment 16, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 44th Day, 79th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 228, pp. 1453-1454]. John Davis voted to TABLE an amendment to the General Appropriations Act which would have funded Diesel Emissions Reduction Programs. John Davis voted FOR dirty air and AGAINST clean air. [Amendment 98, CSHB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 46th Day, 80th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 242, pp. 1344-1345]. John Davis Voted Against Clean Air And Against Helping Non-Attainment Areas Improve Air Quality. John Davis voted to TABLE an amendment to the General Appropriations Act which would have required the installation and operation of ambient air quality monitors in non-attainment areas . John Davis voted AGAINST cleaning up the air in his own district! [Amendment 100, CSHB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 46th Day, 80th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 243, pp. 1346-1347]. All the while John Davis was voting against clean air, he was taking money from Texas’ top polluters, including $9,000 from TXU and its PACs. TXU planned to build at least half a dozen smoke-belching coal-fired power plants in Texas, which resulted in a protracted environmental battle before the TXU/KKR merger. Additionally, TXU’s existing Texas power plants rank among the top 50 in the nation in terms of overall pollution and specific pollutants. Davis has also taken money from AEP, which runs the nation’s dirtiest power plant in terms of mercury emissions and is situated in Texas.

9. John Davis Killed Responsible Sex Education. Davis MOVED TO TABLE an amendment to CSSB 1, 79th Texas Legislature, which would have allowed the Department of Health to contract with agencies that provide abstinence-based sexuality education that included information about contraception which was age-appropriate and medically accurate. Davis’ motion resulted in responsible sex education being scuttled. [See House Journal, 79th Texas Legislature, 44th Day, Page 1464]. Davis is also against accountability for abstinence-based sex ed programs. During debate on the General Appropriations Act in 2005, an amendment was proposed which would have required that agencies receiving state funds for abstinence education report back on the programs’ successes at reducing teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases/infections to the Department of Health. That amendment was amended to stipulate that general revenue funds could not be used to compile the reports. Rep. Davis voted AGAINST the amendment as amended on final passage. This was a vote AGAINST accountability in abstinence-based sex education programs. [Amendment 38, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 44th Day, 79th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 233, pp. 1464-1466]. John Davis also voted against requiring that family planning service agencies receiving state money be required to abide by federal regulations. Davis voted to TABLE an amendment which would have required any provider receiving a grant of state funds appropriated under the GAA to comply with the Family Planning Policy Manual for Federal Titles X and XX. [Amendment 45, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 44th Day, 79th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 234, pp. 1467-1468].

10. John Davis Voted Against Texas Veterans. Davis voted to TABLE an amendment which would have ensured that veterans, their dependents, and survivors, receive all due benefits from the Texas Veterans Commission. [Amendment 23, CSSB 1, (Hse. 2nd Rdg.), House Journal, 44th Day, 79th Texas Legislature, Record Vote 231, pp. 1458-1459].