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December 31, 2007

Yes, Debbie, you're stupid

You folks in Tomball are seriously going to have to get rid of Debbie Riddle. She's embarrassing the hell out of y'all...

One defender of ghost voting is Rep. Debbie Riddle, R-Tomball, who was shown on the KVUE video voting for fellow members and justified it on grounds that the pace of House business is so demanding.

That might be a little easier to swallow if Riddle were not such an enthusiastic supporter of a Voter ID law, which would require ordinary voters to prove their identity before casting ballots. Political hypocrisy is nothing new, but seldom is it this raw: Riddle thinks it’s OK for her to cast votes for colleagues as they make laws the rest of us have to obey.

Posted by mcblogger at 03:18 PM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

The impossibility of a kinder, gentler politics

Krugman has a great piece up about just how different the parties really are this cycle.

On one side, the Democrats are all promising to get out of Iraq and offering strongly progressive policies on taxes, health care and the environment. That’s understandable: the public hates the war, and public opinion seems to be running in a progressive direction.

What seems harder to understand is what’s happening on the other side — the degree to which almost all the Republicans have chosen to align themselves closely with the unpopular policies of an unpopular president. And I’m not just talking about their continuing enthusiasm for the Iraq war. The G.O.P. candidates are equally supportive of Bush economic policies.

Why would politicians support Bushonomics? After all, the public is very unhappy with the state of the economy, for good reason. The “Bush boom,” such as it was, bypassed most Americans — median family income, adjusted for inflation, has stagnated in the Bush years, and so have the real earnings of the typical worker. Meanwhile, insecurity has increased, with a declining fraction of Americans receiving health insurance from their employers.

And things seem likely to get worse as the election approaches. For a few years, the economy was at least creating jobs at a respectable pace — but as the housing slump and the associated credit crunch accelerate and spill over to the rest of the economy, most analysts expect employment to weaken, too.

All in all, it’s an economic and political environment in which you’d expect Republican politicians, as a sheer matter of calculation, to look for ways to distance themselves from the current administration’s economic policies and record — say, by expressing some concern about rising income gaps and the fraying social safety net.

In fact, however, except for Mike Huckabee — a peculiar case who’ll deserve more discussion if he stays in contention — the leading Republican contenders have gone out of their way to assure voters that they will not deviate an inch from the Bush path. Why? Because the G.O.P. is still controlled by a conservative movement that does not tolerate deviations from tax-cutting, free-market, greed-is-good orthodoxy.

Issues matter and this cycle, it's the Democrats who have the strength. It's also creating a deep contrast between the parties that will play to Democratic advantage. The interesting thing is that many bloggers and some pundits have been talking for years about creating just such a contrast.

There’s a fantasy, widely held inside the Beltway, that men and women of good will from both parties can be brought together to hammer out bipartisan solutions to the nation’s problems.

If such a thing were possible, Mr. McCain, Mr. Romney and Mr. Giuliani — a self-proclaimed maverick, the former governor of a liberal state and the former mayor of an equally liberal city — would seem like the kind of men Democrats could deal with. (O.K., maybe not Mr. Giuliani.) In fact, however, it’s not possible, not given the nature of today’s Republican Party, which has turned men like Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney into hard-line ideologues. On economics, and on much else, there is no common ground between the parties.

So much for Obama and the idea that there is some magical common ground we can all come together on. The reality is, the Republicans are not going to let it happen.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:53 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Exxon drops itself in the grease

Stop me if you've heard this one before... large oil company opens and exploits a producing field over a period of decades. When the economics no longer work, they shut in production and give up the lease. A new company comes in, negotiates a new lease and attempts to reopen the wells that should be profitable for them since they don't have the large company's overhead and can take advantage of a new tax break.

Only problem is, the large oil company, in violation of state law, dumped trash and other materials down the well to make it very difficult or impossible to reopen. Further, in one case, they killed a producing formation.

The large company? Exxon who has been sued by both the land owner (Exxon lost) and the new company (Emerald... Exxon lost against them as well). All this went to trial years ago. Now, it's with the TX SC which should rule in the next few months. However, while this little legal drama plays out, what the hell has the RRC done? Specifically, what has Republican Michael Williams of the RRC, who's up for re-elect next year, done?

Absolutely nothing. Basically, what Exxon wanted him to do. He should have known for years that Exxon violated their lease AND state law, yet he's done NOTHING. Which is business as usual for the lazy and incompetent Williams who revels in triviality and fails, time and again, to protect Texans. If he didn't know, then he's negligent and should be removed from office.

Damn good thing we have a choice this cycle... Dale Henry.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:49 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 30, 2007

So sad to see you go...

Ric Williamson, Chair of the Texas Transportation Commission, died last night of a heart attack. He will, no doubt, be missed by friends and family.

I am not among them.

In point of fact, most Texans who stand adamantly opposed to the plans he helped advance, like tuition deregulation and infrastructure privatization, will be happy he no longer serves on the Commission. While we would have preferred his exit be through a letter of resignation, his departure removes a serious and malevolent obstacle from the TTC. Hopefully now we can have a true, honest and open discussion about transportation finance. One that creates real, long lasting solutions that don't leave the citizens of this great state in the slow lane.

Burka points out that he had an 'inventive' mind. Inventiveness can be used for bad or good and what Burka refers to as inventive was in large part a singular fixation on privatization to the benefit of foreign interests and at the expense of the people of the State of Texas.

Speculation now turns to whom 39% will appoint as Williamson's replacement. I've talked to a number of people today who feel it will be none other than Rep. Mike Krusee which would set up a special election in HD 52. With Krusee as Chair, we should not expect any substantial policy changes which means the fight against privatization and for rational solutions will continue unabated.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:51 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Saving al-Maliki

You remember that military funding bill that all the Kucinichites were all pissed as hell about? Bush vetoed it on Friday. As it turns out, there was a provision within the bill that would have allowed American military personnel held and tortured by the Hussein government in Gulf War I to sue the current Iraqi government.

Yeah, I don't see anything wrong with it either. But apparently, it would have resulted in close to $1bn being paid to veterans and their families. The Iraqi's for their part, threatened to pull $28bn from US banks if the bill passed. Uhm, wait a sec... WE ARE THE FINANCIAL BACKING FOR IRAQ. US taxpayers have been happily subsidizing the puppet government in Iraq and now it wants to threaten us? Apparently, it worked with Bush the Weak who caved in like a horny teenage girl after sucking three Zima's through a straw. Screw the troops who fought in Daddy's war! We gotta help our Iraqi friends.

The Democrats, for their part, have been on heavy offense...

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, criticized the president's decision.

"The defense bill passed both houses of Congress by overwhelming bipartisan margins and addresses urgent national security priorities," including the pay raise and money for veterans' health care, Pelosi and Reid said in a written statement. "It is unfortunate that the president will not sign this critical legislation."

The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Michigan, also expressed dismay at the president's decision.

"This bill is important to our men and women in uniform," Levin said. "It is unfortunate that the administration failed to identify the concerns upon which this veto is based until after the bill had passed both houses of Congress and was sent to the president for signature.

"I am deeply disappointed that our troops and veterans may have to pay for their mistake and for the confusion and uncertainty caused by their snafu."

The disputed legal claims provision in the defense bill prompted the Iraqi government to threaten to withdraw $25 billion in Iraqi assets from U.S. banks, White House officials told CNN.

You mean the Iraqi's have been storing OUR money in our banks? Well, that's awfully big of them. As for threatening a withdrawal, that's some bullshit. We're still holding frozen Iranian assets. We could easily add Iraqi assets as well.

It should be clear, even to the most ardent Republican voter, that Bush is a useless piece of shit who is thoroughly incompetent. It should also be clear that he is the archetype of a Republican elected official. Which means, if y'all want this country to endure, you better start voting Democratic. Republicans certainly can't do the job.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:04 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Guys With Armored Cars Get All The Chicks

Focus groups found this 78% more effective than the Royal Navy's old recruiting slogan "Rum, Sodomy and the Lash!"

If you think that was enticing, you should see the video marketing has whipped up for the Ukrainian pizza delivery service.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 09:30 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 29, 2007

Obama, Lameness and Voter Turnout

Last night I had an interesting conversation with a guy who is an ardent supporter of Obama. He was the most persuasive Obama supporter I've ever encountered and I made a comment to the effect that he should be on Obama's payroll.

I was not, however, persuaded. In fact, I came away more convinced that ever that Obama is precisely what the Democratic Party and the US don't need.

Support for Obama hinges on whether you accept the premise that there are voters 'turned off' by hyperpartisan politics and clear choices. The idea that Americans want to vote for the nice guy. Sure, some people might want to vote for the nice guy, but usually the other (the mean son of bitch) makes the nice guy look so bad that he ends up winning. This is why I think Hillary and Edwards can take the White House and why Obama will, like Kerry in 2004, come up short.

Basically, people WANT clear choices and the Republican electoral success since 1980 has depended on making the differences clear and turning it into a life and death decision for American voters. It's worked well. The bottom line, for all of you running polls, is that your samples are wrong for the same reason they are wrong when talking about charitable giving. People always like to say they give to charity, but they usually don't. They also say they want things nicer and less coarse in terms of politics. They are lying through their goddamn teeth.

EOW has more detail on turnout since partisan sniping reached a new level. It's up, not down, since partisan media began to be appear. The reality, no matter what you may see anecdotally, is that Americans want to see candidates clash. They want clear, delineated choices and elegant messaging. And just at the point where Americans are finally starting to see it from Edwards and, to a limited extent, Hillary, Obama pops up. The perfect Democratic Primary candidate who won't be able to win the general. Why? The same reason he'll do well in the primary... he's LAME.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The Rise of Fascism (New Orleans Style)

This video pretty much speaks for itself. Frankly, I don't give a damn about the reason...there is no reason to lock citizens out of a city council meeting.

Lets just say, if this were to happen in Austin, I would probably end up in jail for disturbing the peace, although were things to get this bad in Austin, there really wouldn't be much peace!

You can read the full story from truthout.org here.

Posted by Closet Purist at 01:10 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 28, 2007

Looks like hard work to me...

The Republicans have wasted a lot of time and oxygen complaining about 'how little the Democrats in Congress have done'. ELLN posted a brief list of exactly what they've been up to and what the Republicans have fought so hard against.

We're not fooled by the rhetoric. Neither is the rest of the country. You Republicans want to know why hating you has become so fashionable? It's the bullshit.

Posted by mcblogger at 04:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

It's nice when smart people act, well, smart

The AAS comes around on the gas tax...

We talked about all this before and frankly, it's good to see the folks at the Statesman finally pull head out of ass and come to the same conclusion we and EOW reached more than a year ago. Here's some of the fun...

The refusal of most state political leaders to even consider raising taxes, no matter how popular the use for the revenue or how obvious the need, is costing the state dearly. There’s no better example than local highways and the testy holiday exchange between state Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, and the Texas Department of Transportation.

No one who travels the state’s highways, especially in and around its growing, prosperous cities, is unaware of the need for rebuilding and expanding existing roads, as well as building new ones. Central Texas is no exception.

How to pay for that, though, has been a problem.

Governors and most legislators since 1991 have refused to raise the 20-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax , even as inflation each year ate away at its value. In 2006, revenue from the state gasoline tax grew 2 percent, but highway construction costs leaped 25 percent, according to the transportation department.

The exchange was the one between Watson and TXDOT regarding the lack of funds since the legislature killed the sale of public roads to private companies. Williamson and the other Transportation Commissioners are playing a dangerous game since public private partnerships are roundly hated by the public and the electeds know that. What's it all mean? There are some changes coming in the next session.

Still, one thing did catch my eye. That bit about the 25% increase in construction costs last year. That number's from TXDOT. Which means it's highly suspect. But let's give the folks at TXDOT the benefit of the doubt (for now) and assume it's right. Exactly what does that mean? Maybe private subcontractors are bleeding the state dry? Maybe it's time for TXDOT to start doing it's own construction again? It's pretty damn clear that private companies are incapable of holding down costs.

What TXDOT needs is some balls at the top, not people who'll bend taxpayers over and let them take it up the ass, courtesy of Zachry Construction. Which means the new Legislature, which convenes in January, 2009, better work on replacing the leadership at TXDOT AND finally fix transportation funding.

EOW has some additional details on how Sen. Watson got screwed by TXDOT. While we feel bad for Kirk, we also think he shouldn't have made the deal in the first place. It was class A stupid and very politically inept. However, maybe my expectations were too high... it's pretty clear it's amateur hour at Kirk's office.

Posted by mcblogger at 02:06 PM | Comments (5) | TrackBack

Help Maldonado

Dig deep, my friends. Annie's List has agreed to match $15,000 raised by the Maldonado campaign by the end of the year. Go help her out!

Posted by mcblogger at 12:54 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Kill Them All

The asassination of Benazir Bhutto neatly points out just how miserably Connecticut native and President George W. Bush has failed in the war on terror. Word has just now crossed Bloomberg that a Taliban leader with links to al Qaida is responsible for the death of Bhutto yesterday.

Now, my question is, why are these people still alive? Because, Bush got focused on invadin' Iraq and got distracted from his real job, killing extremists. Which brings up an important side note, one we'll address later... the US never formally declared war because there is no state we're fighting. It's a collection of individuals. One has to wonder about the Administration's claims invoking the Constitutional war powers of the Presidency. We'll come back to that another time. Now, I just want to know why these people aren't dead.

We've asked that question every time Bin Laden pops up with another of his dumbass videos or tapes. We've asked it when there is news out about how swimmingly everything is going in Afghanistan. Now, we're asking it again.

WHY HAS BUSH NOT KILLED ALL THESE PEOPLE??!?!? The only way you can deal with an extremist is to kill him. So where are the roving teams of assassins? Why are we hellbent on invading countries?

There are two ways to win the hearts and minds of people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Kill all the troublemakers they can't bring themselves to kill (because of fear or religious beliefs) and dump money into rebuilding the countries.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:25 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb, Dumb

A funny thing happened last week... Paul Burka jumped the shark. Then he ate it.

Burka, while a fabulous writer, has recently been a pretty lame reporter and commentator. Over the last 15 years, as the Republican Party rose to dominance in Texas, he's come to depend on Republican operatives for information on races and what's really going to happen in the Lege. It's been a good move for him since the Democrats were acting like a bunch of retards and the Republicans were definitely bringing their A game. Now that things have changed and the Republicans are disintegrating day by day, it's been a pretty bad bet.

Take some of the recent crap on his blog. From the top in chronological order.

Damn, Burka. Quit talking to politicos and start talking to people. It'll give you better idea of what people are really thinking.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:52 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 27, 2007

A joke welcomes another joke to the primary

Ray McMurrey is running for the Democratic nomination to be our candidate against Junior John Cornyn. McMurrey's a teacher and we hope he's good at that because he's a lousy candidate focused more on criticizing Rep. Rick Noriega than on actually campaigning for the nom. He's also an idiot for sending out a press release welcoming GENE 'THE SA SHITHEAD' KELLY to the race.

I guess no one told Ray that Gene is a recurring spoiler and last year caused a runoff with Barbara Radnofsky that required her to spend $1mln to beat him in a runoff. The man's death will be celebrated by hundreds of thousands of Democrats around Texas. Including Charles Soechting, who's making sense again, who writes in a letter to William Pate who runs McMurrey's campaign (via Carl Whitmarsh's list)...

Let me see if I get this right. A candidate for the Senate welcomes to the Democratic Primary someone who communicates with the press via messages in a potted plant (yes, that's right, a potted plant), someone who files and then does nothing to secure the nomination but causes other candidates to spend money to counteract the name ID associated with a famous dead dancer. Mr. Pate, anybody can run but the time to get serious about what is happening in this country is long past. Welcoming someone who has caused more problems than any four legged rodent could ever hope to is not the answer. The Democratic Party is inclusive, but inclusion in my book stops when the person doesn't want to be in the race for any reason---and that's where Gene Kelly fits in. As for Rick, he is tried and tested in many ways that of us have not. He is a good, decent and honest man and someone who could step right into the job that our current Senator has failed at.

For someone who calls himself 'the heart and soul of the Democratic Party', you'd think Ray would know all that. You'd also think he'd know that it's grassroots, not institutional, support that brought Noriega into the race. Every time you criticize him, you're stabbing the very people you claim to want on your side. In the eye.

As soon as you decide to really talk about issues and run a serious campaign, come on and talk to us Ray. Until then, take us off your retarded mailing list.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:43 PM | Comments (9) | TrackBack

Consumer Alert

Better check your checkcards, boys and girls...

I have three accounts I spend money out of. Two checking and one savings. I have one checking account with Compass here in Austin. I rarely check the online system, so things can go for days before I notice something is up. Last week someone called WWW.VOIPAX.DE KAARST charged me for $15.60. Not knowing who they were, I went down to Compass and asked about it. They didn't know, but gave me a wonderful slip of paper detailing out how to talk to their 'un-authorized transaction' dept. I just got off the phone with them since there have been 6 charges today from someone called WORLDWIDE GLUCKSMANN T VENEZUELADEBIT. Which brings the total to $500 that is now missing from my checking account here in Austin.

6 charges in one day from the same source and the nice folks at Compass didn't get a teensy bit suspicious?

Compass says it will be 7-10 days before it's resolved. I have money (in other acounts) and credit, so I'll be OK. HOWEVER, there are many out there who don't. So, you might want to take a peek at your checkcard transactions online.

Oh, and doesn't Compass suck, yo? Methinks I need to find a new bank.

Posted by mcblogger at 06:48 PM | Comments (4) | TrackBack

Obstructionists!

Here's something interesting that shows exactly who the obstructionists in the Senate really are...

Posted by mcblogger at 03:44 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

H*ly F*ck*ng Sh*t!

You know this is big.

Olbermann Back To Countdown Tonight

Keith Olbermann will be cutting his vacation short to cover the assassination of Benazir Bhutto as he returns tonight to anchor Countdown. The Bhutto breaking news resulted in some anchors on Fox News coming in from vacation tonight as well.

However, the Leader of the Free World will remain at his vacation home near Crawford, Texas, playing Wii.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 01:38 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Oh, TinaFish

This is pretty cheesy. TinaFish, the ridiculous leader of the Republican Party, is calling on Texas Monthly Editor Evan Smith to resign. Because some paper in Midland erroneously reported that Smith has been encouraging Midland City Councilman Bill Dingus to run against CradDICK.

Now, it's true I've never been a big fan of Evan's (it's the hair) but this is just stupid. Even for TinaFish who prides herself on saying retarded things while watching over the dramatic decline of her moribund party.

You're pathetic, Tina.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:30 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Now is the time to fight

Krugman nails it...

I like to remind people who long for bipartisanship that FDR's drive to create Social Security was as divisive as Bush's attempt to dismantle it. And we got Social Security because FDR wasn't afraid of division. In his great Madison Square Garden speech, he declared of the forces of "organized money": "Never before in all our history have these forces been so united against one candidate as they stand today. They are unanimous in their hate for me—and I welcome their hatred."

So, here's my worry: Democrats, with the encouragement of people in the news media who seek bipartisanship for its own sake, may fall into the trap of trying to be anti-Bushes—of trying to transcend partisanship, seeking some middle ground between the parties.

That middle ground doesn't exist—and if Democrats try to find it, they'll squander a huge opportunity. Right now, the stars are aligned for a major change in America's direction. If the Democrats play nice, that opportunity may soon be gone.

We've got to start doing things at the grassroots that start shifting the debate from labels to issues. For example, when a Republican asks if you support socialized medicine, tell them you support universal health coverage and ask them why they don't. The only way we're going to win is by turning the arguments around at the ground. Otherwise, our 'leaders' are going to continue to lose their balls in tragic polling accidents.

The reality is that, labels aside, we ARE the majority in this country. It's high time we act like it and stop trying to compromise with a bunch of mindless lunatics.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The clueless and their delusions

Bush is happy about the economy. He thinks the prospects are great!

The White House is betting that the steps it has taken to address the housing and financial crises will be enough to avert a recession without resorting to a major tax cut or new spending, as leading economists in both parties have urged, senior administration officials said.

In a news conference yesterday, President Bush said he is considering various measures to stimulate the economy but made clear his belief that it is not time to pull the trigger. "My view of the economy is that the fundamentals are strong, that we've had strong growth for a reason: that we're competitive, we got flexible workplace, that we kept taxes low, exports are up," Bush said.

Bush's comments reflect a consensus among his economic advisers that it is still possible to avoid a recession and that their efforts should focus on executing the programs they have already announced for containing problems in the mortgage markets -- such as the plan to freeze interest rates on certain subprime mortgages or an initiative to pay for mortgage counselors who would advise people at risk of losing their homes.

Bush is talking about FHA Secure which can help as many as 80k people. A drop in the bucket for the 3 million currently at risk. But, at least 80k would be something. They announced the program in August and I know a lot of people would want to jump on it. What may surprise you is that only 266 have closed.

That's right. Two hundred and sixty six homes have been refinanced to FHA Secure.

A program unveiled by U.S. President George W. Bush in August that is trying to save tens of thousands of homeowners from foreclosure has aided just 266 borrowers so far, according to government data released on Monday. The initiative, which helps high-risk or low-income borrowers win better loan terms by insuring mortgage payments, targets recent homeowners whose loans have a built-in interest-rate spike that made them miss a payment. More than 1.8 million borrowers could face mortgage rate spikes by the end of next year, according to the Federal Reserve Board, with the mortgage costs rising $350 a month. Until Bush relaxed the rules, borrowers who missed a payment would not have been eligible to refinance under the Federal Housing Administration -- a program from the Depression era designed to make home ownership more affordable. Officials behind the new initiative, called FHA Secure, said it is on track to move 60,000 delinquent borrowers into stable, fixed-rate home loans. But between September and mid-December, only 266 such borrowers have cleared all FHA hurdles, according to data compiled by the Department of Housing and Urban Development that was provided to Reuters.

At that rate, it'll only be 80 years until all them are done! Greenspan and Lawrence Summers think that we need to expand benefits. That might actually help someone like this.

Griffin, 49, like hundreds of thousands of homeowners across the country, is in foreclosure. Recently, she sat at the dining room table where for six years she has served holiday meals to her large, extended family of 19 brothers and five sisters, where they all hope to gather again this Christmas, and shook her head. "What will I do if I lose this house? What will I do? I think about it all the time."

Good to know the President thinks things are going well! If only he could translate his wishes to reality.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 26, 2007

I'm frustrated when I can't sue

I'm not really a litigation-happy person. Personally, about the only thing I care about in regard to lawyers is that they are back in their coffins by sunrise. I kid, I kid... well, at least I am about the 'care' part of that sentence. Attorneys have a nice way of fucking things up. Still, they are useful when you're threatened with 'legal action' or when you feel like making some asshat's life miserable. Which I wanted to do on Saturday.

Unfortunately, the weak sister's over at Wiki have declined to supply me with an IP address. Bitches.

So, whoever you are, you got a free skate this time. Enjoy it. If I ever find out who you are, you're going to want to spend the rest of your life looking over your shoulder. Paybacks are a motherfucking bitch.

Posted by mcblogger at 07:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Lemme get this straight...

First, Sharon Keller violated an unwritten policy that one judge can't act on a case assigned to another judge, in effect ruling on a case that was out of her domain. Now she expects a Federal judge to let her out of a wrongful death suit filed by the family of the guy she, in effect, killed.

That's some fucking balls, Sharon. And I totally hope the Federal judge votes against you and you end up losing that shitty strip club on Northwest Highway.

Gee, Sharon, why not countersue them? You know for causing you all this pain and suffering by actually taking you task for killing their relative and all.

Posted by mcblogger at 04:07 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Air Force One and other dumb things

I'm just back at the office from Dallas and boy oh boy what a trip. Nice drivers today and the only time traffic came to a complete stop on the freeway was at the point in Jarrell where it goes to six lanes. Go figure.

This morning I saw on GMA (which my parents, inexplicably, watch) that President Bush was coming down to Crawford for the remainder of his break. I actually saw Air Force One coming in for a landing at the sad little airport in Waco. Luckily I got through Waco before the motorcade carrying the Connecticut native was on it's way to the pig farm.

It's damn good to be back in the 512.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:57 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 25, 2007

The Ghost of Christmas Cards Past...

...forwarded these Huckabee family greetings from when they were living in the Arkansas Governor's Mansion.

Was there a three-for-one sale at the Big and Tall Outlet that year?

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 01:19 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 24, 2007

In The Beginning God Created The Heaven And The Earth

I was outside a little while ago, looking up at the Moon and remembering looking up at that very same Moon on Christmas Eve in 1968. The Moon was a little bit different that night, shining in the frigid Virginia sky as we went to Midnight Mass because for the first time in human history mankind had made its way there. Apollo 8 was in orbit, and that night the astronauts made a broadcast which served as a coda of sorts to a year packed with more history than any twelve year-old should have to take in.

I remember reading about the Siege of Khe Sahn in Time Magazines my English teacher had brought in and learning the astonishing fact that America might be losing a war. I recall LBJ withdrawing from the Presidential race after Gene McCarthy's surprisingly good showing in the New Hampshire Primary. The murder of Martin Luther King... and the stories of people who had been to Washington who said you could see the smoke from the fires from the Beltway. Waking up on the second to last day of school to the news that Bobby Kennedy has been shot, and the next morning that he had died. Listening to the funeral on the radio that weekend as we drove up to Granny's house in Connecticut; a news bulletin interrupting the singing of The Battle Hymn of the Republic to say that James Earl Ray has been arrested in London. Thinking that somewhere along our drive north we had crossed paths with RFK's funeral train heading south. Even later, Gestapo tactics in the streets of Chicago almost coincident with Brezhnev's verdict to the Czechs that socialism could not have a human face.

And through it, we lived our own lives. My favorite uncle died that summer, my first experience with death. We housebroke our puppy and broke him from the habit chewing up newspapers. Laura, the cute girl in my seventh grade class decided she liked my friend Corey and not me.

Well, does all this have a point? No, not really, just a flood of memories brought on by seeing the Moon looking much as it looked way back then. So I'll just wish you all a Merry Christmas, all on the good Earth.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 10:20 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Profiles in Dumb : Cornyn The Author (part 1 in a series)

It's no secret that we at McBlogger don't have a lot of love for Junior John Cornyn. However, what may surprise you are the reasons we don't love him. Frankly, we think he's pretty lame. Sure, we could spend hours writing about how he hates the kids by voting against SCHIP, refuses to acknowledge the reality of illegal immigration and has basically spent his entire term in Congress not fighting FOR the people of Texas but instead actively working against them by being little more than a rubber stamp for President Bush.

We could do that but we're not. In point of fact, we've already gone through most of that (just google 'Cornyn' on the sidebar). What really gets us is just how embarrassingly lame he is. Like that time we took him to a drinks party being thrown by some great friends of mine. He spent the entire party drinking Natty Light (he brought his own) and asking people to pull his finger. Frankly, I'm surprised my friends even talk to me.

Let's not even get into that time I fixed him up with his scorching hot chick I knew from work. She still won't return my calls.

Of course, this is all just a bunch of buffoonish behavior from someone who is seriously socially retarded. It's kind of excusable. However, his lame ass, feel good editorials are another matter entirely. The first one I noticed was this one about Blue Bell Ice Cream. Like all Texans, I love me some ice cream. I also have a lot of respect for the folks in Brenham who have turned what was a small, regional brand into a nationally known and respected ice cream. My only bone of contention with them is that they never make enough lemon. Seriously, it would kill you to make some more for the Randall's on Mesa here in Austin?

Cornyn doesn't have a problem with having enough ice cream because he likes the omnipresent Pecan Pralines and Cream. At this point you're probably wondering, "Who gives a fuck what kind of ice cream Junior John likes?". If so, you're not alone. Basically, our esteemed Senator, who some of you elected to work for us in Washington on serious issues, is taking time to write about Blue Bell Ice Cream. If that doesn't piss you off, maybe this will. Texas, even though we've had a Congressional delegation in the majority for most of the last 10+ years, is always getting shortchanged on federal highway funds. We send more to Washington than we get back.

Things are so bad that TXDOT is even reneging on their bloody agreement with CAMPO (Congrats, Kirk!) because they may not even have the funds to build toll roads. So, in short, we'll have no roads built and the bottlenecks we have now all over the state won't be fixed. Because federal highway dollars are drying up. And we have Junior John to thank for that.

While Cornyn writes about how great Blue Bell is, our infrastructure is getting older and far less capable of accommodating the ever growing numbers of Texans that he supposedly serves. But that doesn't bother Cornyn.

Maybe the next time you're stuck in traffic getting more annoyed with each passing minute at the endless field of lit brake lights in front you, you can think about how much Cornyn likes Blue Bell. In fact, think also about replacing him next November with Rick Noriega. He's the kind of Texan that actually gets things done.

Cornyn's too busy eating yet another bowl of Pralines and Cream to get anything accomplished. Other than writing about how much loves the little creamery in Brenham.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:30 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 23, 2007

Will No One Rid Me Of This Meddlesome Loser?

Gene Kelly, who has made a political career of sorts by filing for races he has no intention of making an effort to win, has once again filed for the US Senate. In 2006, in conjunction with a another idiot "candiidate" who refused campaign contributions Kelly forced the hapless Barbara Ann Radnofsky into a primary runoff election. Hopefully, in 2008 Rick Noriega should be able to squash both Gene Kelly and neophyte googoo Ray McMurrey like bugs; if not, I'd have to seriously doubt his chances of sending John Cornyn home to the boxturtle he left behind him.

And in the meantime, why can't you ever find a chupacabra when you really need one?

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 04:58 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

The New Phone Books Are Here!

I still haven't finished last year's.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 01:23 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 22, 2007

OK. Now you pissed me off...

You know, other than the occasional (read : RARE) post or my comments at BOR on the subject, I've mostly stayed out of the race for Travis County Tax Assessor Collector. I've not done it out of an overabundance of respect for Nelda (frankly, I don't think she's anything special) or a dislike for Glen (the person for whom I'm more than likely going to vote). I did it because frankly the race is a bit like high school. I mean, come on... we're turning a county office into a life and death matter for voters. The reality is that Nelda's performance as collector has been more about the powers of the office, the excellent staff and technological improvement than anything Nelda's done. Glen would accomplish the same thing. As for handling voter registration and elections, she's pretty crappy. Not trying to be a dick, she's just not done nearly enough with that part of the office. I mean, we have less people registered to vote in Travis County NOW than in January, 2005. Almost three years ago and with more than an additional 80k people moving into TC.

That isn't the mark of someone who takes voter registration seriously.

Nelda's campaign would like you to think the world will end if their candidate isn't re-elected, mostly because it won't. They are operating under the assumption that people will be motivated in the race by fear (apparently having forgotten that this Travis County and we laugh at those campaigns). They tried something similar with Soechting, who came across like a retard writing a letter about a possible Republican win in Travis County if Glen is our candidate. I should have rained far more poop on poor Charles for that one. What a stupid thing to get dragged into.

Then there was the op/ed piece in the Statesman Captain Kroc and I took a swipe at long ago.

Needless to say, over the last six months, that's been the limit of our involvement in the race. That's the way it would have stayed had some douchebag not gone to Wikipedia and edited an entry on Glen as me. Don't worry, Wiki will be getting the IP for the impersonator and whoever did it will be seeing a process server soon. I wasn't kidding about having an attorney on retainer. I'll drag this out for years just to watch you bleed.

A word to the wise for all the budding and established politicos out there... don't pull me into your bullshit. I'm way meaner than you and I'll cut you off at the goddamn knees.

For now, I leave you only with this... if Nelda has done such a great job, then why the fuck is her campaign so goddamn scared they're going to Wikipedia to try to embarrass Glen with things that are patently untrue and libelous.
Further, why be such a dumbass about it by using me? Seriously, you could have used Pink Lady or Pink Dome and they never would have been the wiser. Instead, you used me.

And this is where things get really nasty.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:37 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Afghanistan and what went wrong...

President Bush and the Republican Neo-Cons failed pretty miserably in Afghanistan. That we should have invaded goes without saying. That we lost what was a golden opportunity to really strike a crippling blow to international terrorism is well known. That they continue to fuck up is crystal clear. Now comes word that Gates has a new strategy.

U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates will push NATO members meeting in Scotland today to provide more troops and equipment and reorganize the mission to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Rebel attacks have more than doubled in southern Afghanistan in the past year and NATO's international force is short of three infantry battalions, 20 helicopters and about 3,000 instructors to train the Afghan army and police, the Pentagon says.

``The numbers are not that big, which, frankly, is one of the sources of frustration for me in terms of our allies not being able to step up to the plate and meet these needs,'' Gates told the House Armed Services Committee in Washington this week. ``I am not ready to let NATO off the hook.''

And now we know, he new strategy is to BLAME SOMEONE ELSE. Way to go, Bob. Good to see that accountability is alive and well in Republican circles.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:53 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 21, 2007

Gerry gets a D opponent

Gerald Daugherty has finally drawn an opponent, Karen Huber. A SW Travis County resident who has grown more and more disgusted with Daugherty and his bullshit, Karen recently filed to run as a Democrat and will more than likely go on to mop the floor with Daugherty who richly deserves all the negative mailers she can send out.

The man is a corpulent douchebag, shortsighted as hell and someone who frequently ignores his constituents, not to mention working diligently to make life hell for everyone else in Travis County.

Good luck, Karen. Everyone here at McBlogger wishes you well. At the very least, you'll make the Commissioners Court more aesthetically pleasing.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:39 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Rarely Is The Question Asked, Is Our Presidential Candidates Learning?

Or even reading at an age-appropriate level? Reports the NYT:

“Who is your favorite author?” Aleya Deatsch, 7, of West Des Moines asked Mr. Huckabee in one of those posing-like-a-shopping-mall-Santa moments.

Mr. Huckabee paused, then said his favorite author was Dr. Seuss.

In an interview afterward with the news media, Aleya said she was somewhat surprised. She thought the candidate would be reading at a higher level.

“My favorite author is C. S. Lewis,” she said.

Mike is careful not to boast
He's the one Iowa loves the most
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost
If he wins our world is toast

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 11:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

What about 39%'s property tax cut?

Yeah, I didn't get mine, either much like Coby over at BAH. Of course, unlike the assholes who voted for 39%, I knew I'd never get it.

It's because I'm smarter than y'all.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:25 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dodd for Majority Leader?

Would it be so bad? HuffPo doesn't seem to think so and I can't help but agree after the leadership he showed Monday.

"I like Harry Reid enough, but it's clear that we live in a climate in which the type of leadership we need is better provided by Chris Dodd," Markos Moulitsas of DailyKos told the Huffington Post. "Republicans have been laughing at us all term, refusing to compromise because they know the inevitable capitulation on any given issue is always just a couple of days away. Those Republicans need to be re-taught how to negotiate, and step one is to have a Democratic caucus that will tighten the screws when necessary. Yesterday, that person wasn't our leader, it was Chris Dodd."

Posted by mcblogger at 09:06 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 20, 2007

Scratch Another Poopyhead

Did anyone catch the news that Tom Tancredo was running for President? Apparently not many people did, since the immigrant-hating Coloradan has now dropped out of the contest. Tancredo threw his support to Willard Romney, which has got be worth dozens of votes.

The five-term congressman announced plans to spend more time with his family, complaining about having to press "1" for English.

Posted by mayor mcsleaze at 05:47 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Sign Wexler's impeachment petition

Rep. Wexler has been working hard to give some traction to the move to impeach Cheney. As of last night, his petition was over 100k signatures. Go here to add your name to it. Let the Speaker know unequivocally that it's time to hold the hearings and see where things take us.

Ed. Note - I originally posted that there were 100m signatures which means ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND. The Mayor informed me that some of you were, in fact, too dumb to understand that. So, in the best traditions of the broadcast media, I'm dumbing things down to the lowest common denominator by changing it to K. To me, that means 'kilometer' but he informs that most stupid people read that as thousand. Retards.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:32 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Dale Henry rolls ahead!

It all comes down to water, which is apparently a mixer I'm mostly unfamiliar with. Dale's had a busy two weeks pulling in endorsements from Rep. Coleman and others around the state. He's also made his campaign official with his announcement on Tuesday. The reality is that we have several excellent people running for this office, but only one who actually knows enough about the oil and gas industry (which the RRC regulates). That person is Dale Henry.

Check out his new (and very well done) website and see what the RRC is really all about. Find out why I think he's our best bet to pull an idiot Republican out of the RRC.

BOR has a post up by Dale regarding what really matters in this race. Go take a look!

Posted by mcblogger at 12:00 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack

Noriega update

I know it's a little late in coming, but we've been busy... plus, Noriega's campaign seems to be on autopilot to victory. I seriously don't see much on the horizon to derail him. To wit

With the news out of HD 97 last night, it's pretty clear that the R's are about to lose some serious headway. The funny thing is how much in denial they are about it. Do they honestly not realize when the hatred starts the only thing that can stop it is burn out? If you're looking for an explanation or a reason for Noriega to win, here are two simple ones...

1) Wage growth has been non-existent - The economy isn't good for the vast majority of Texans
2) Gas is $3 per gallon.

Mark my words. As long as gas stays over $2.25/gal, there is no way Cornyn can win. People are too pissed. At ALL Republicans. Hell, CradDICK himself shouldn't think he's out of danger.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:20 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

And the Tina Fish speaketh

Via Political Junkie comes TXGOP Chair Benkiser's comments on the Barrett win in HD 97

This is a temporary victory for the most liberal wing of the Texas Democratic Party as the victor will never get to cast a single vote. It will also serve as a rallying cry for the entire Texas Republican community to work together in November to fight these liberal incursions with one positive, conservative voice and vision.

Come on, Tina. A 'rallying cry'? No one gives a fuck about you, your party or your tired old rhetoric, useless ideas and manifold failures. Working together? You're assuming any Republican in this state wants to work with you or CradDICK. The ones I know are sick to death of you.

Conservative voice? Go sell that to the people who are about to lose their home to the TTC or some other toll road that 39% wants to sell off to a European company. Or go sell it to the kids who can't afford college. Actually, they're already focusing their hatred on Bush and all things R. But that really shouldn't keep you from opening your gimp mouth as often as possible. It always helps.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 19, 2007

Damnit! We just can't have nice things!

Someone dented the solar system.

The data was gathered by the craft on its 30-year journey into the edge of the solar system when it crossed into a sweeping region called the termination shock, they said.

It showed that the southern hemisphere of the solar system's heliosphere is being pushed in or "dented."

Voyager 2 is the second spacecraft to enter this region of the solar system behind Voyager 1, which entered the northern region of the heliosheath in December 2004.

The termination shock is a turbulent area far beyond Pluto's orbit where the solar winds emanating from the sun are significantly slowed as they run up against the thin gas of interstellar space. Solar winds blow in all directions from our sun, and shape what was once thought to be a bubble around the solar system called the heliosphere.

"Voyager 2 entered the termination shock almost 1 billion miles closer within the southern hemisphere of the heliosphere of the solar system than Voyager 1 previously had," said Voyager Project scientist Edward Stone of the California Institute of Technology.

And no, it wasn't me.

Posted by mcblogger at 01:55 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Burning down the EEOB

Apparently, the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, which houses the losers in the President's administration who don't get to have offices in the West Wing of the White House, is on fire. Not surprisingly, no one really cares if a bunch of back benchers go up in flames.

Apparently, they found a new cache of documents they forgot to burn related to everything from the 9/11 conspiracy (it WAS an inside job) to who REALLY impregnated that Spears girl (Hucakbee's The One). Speaking of...

Jamie Lynn Spears, the 16-year-old "Zoey 101" star and sister of Britney, told OK! magazine that she's pregnant and that the father is her boyfriend, Casey Aldridge.

"It was a shock for both of us, so unexpected," she said. "I was in complete and total shock and so was he."

That wasn't shock, hon. That was the sudden realization that HE'S the new K-Fed.

On a more serious note, Sen. Wyden on Monday during the debate on FISA and Telecom Immunity made a reference to documents detailing the legal rationale for immunity and called them weak. He said they were at the EEOB. One has to wonder if maybe those documents are really the ones going up in smoke.

Posted by mcblogger at 11:14 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Edwards leads in Iowa (first and second choice)

Via SPR comes word that Edwards and Obama are neck and neck, with Edwards leading overall and Obama leading in most-likely caucus attendees. More importantly, Edwards has a commanding lead as the second choice, which puts him at just over 42% of the total vote if it's limited to just Clinton, Obama and Edwards.

Edwards leads with 30 percent in a poll of Democratic voters who said they intend to participate in the Jan. 3 presidential caucuses, followed by Clinton with 26 percent and Obama with 24 percent. When the sample was narrowed to the most likely caucus-goers, based on several questions, Obama leads Edwards by less than a percentage point with 27 percent, with Clinton in third place at 24 percent.

Edwards holds a significant advantage, however, among a group who could be key to the first contest of the presidential year: those who say their first choice is someone other than the top three. Under Iowa Democratic Party rules, candidates who poll less than 15 percent in the first vote at each caucus around the state are eliminated, and their supporters get a second chance to vote for another candidate.

Under both screens, Edwards leads as the second choice of these voters, with Clinton trailing Obama.

“If Edwards is the second choice at this stage of those who intend to vote for other Democrats, then it would not be surprising if he produced a bit of a shock in Iowa,” said InsiderAdvantage CEO Matt Towery.

Towery said the firm employed the same methodology with regard to asking the second choice of those who were voting for candidates other than those in the top tier, and obtained an accurate picture of John Kerry’s lead.

Posted by mcblogger at 10:03 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Thompson announces in HD46

With all the excitement about Dan Barrett's win up in Fort Worth, I forgot to mention I went to Brian Thompson's kickoff last night at Vivo. Great event, very well attended and the crowd looked like the district, thoroughly mixed, which goes to show that he is in fact drawing support from the major ethnic groups in the district. Ran into a few people I didn't expect to see and in general had a fabulous time thanks to the heavy pouring bartender.

The speech... Well, he's got great delivery skills and set the tone of the campaign last night. He's running against Dawnna's lackluster, also ran, legacy. Which is great because most of the people in 46 have no idea exactly what Dawnna's been up to and they really need that information. His fundraising is still going well and he's loaned his campaign enough money to match Dawnna's cash on hand.

Thompson hit on some good points last night...

1) We need to make major improvements to schools and curricula (had a nice chat with Richard Franklin about that same issue Monday night)
2) Fully funding CHIP
3) Enough with the toll road nonsense

Basically, a broadside against Dukes who has failed the district on all those issues and has, on many occasions, actually carried water for the other side.

On a lighter note, Elise Hu at KVUE did a report on Dawnna's spending habits last night. I missed it because I was in transit to the announcement party. However, the video is there when you click the link so you won't cry about not being able to see it. Here's one tasty morsel...

"We're just going to go back and clarify because I feel it's important to do so," Dukes said.

Nah... see, that's not really true. You are really correcting the reports because you got busted and, as filed, your current reports violate campaign finance laws. Over a period of six years no less.

Oh, and of all the staff and volunteers working on the campaign, Stephanie displayed a "unique selflessness in her decision to bravely man the table, even while the others moved inside to hear Brian's speech". So if you see her you should totally buy her a drink.

Posted by mcblogger at 08:56 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack

December 18, 2007

Welcome another newly elected Democratic State Rep

Please put your hands together for Representative-elect Dan Barrett (HD97)!

I can't wait to hear what Hans has to say about this... come on, Hans! Spin us some bullshit we can write about!

UPDATE: This really should be a wake up call for every elected official, especially the Republicans, in the State of Texas. WE'RE WATCHING EVERYTHING AND WE'RE PISSED AS HELL.

Posted by mcblogger at 09:05 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

That's suprising coming from her

You know, I've always thought celebrities were kind of simplistic and rather stupid. I did, at least, think that Whoopi Goldberg wasn't irredeemably stupid since she's mostly right on issues. But this is some bullshit.

Whoopi, seriously, do you even HAVE enough money to be affected by the Estate Tax? Eh, even if you do, it stays. Paris Hilton shouldn't get a free ride through life, and neither should your kid. That's just unAmerican.

Posted by mcblogger at 12:59 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Roundup time again

Enjoy this week's Texas Progressive Alliance Blog Round-Up compiled by Vince from Capitol Annex.

Fred Thompson couldn't make the ballot in Delaware because of FIVE HUNDRED
SIGNATURES. Mayor McSleaze at McBlogger thinks that's pretty pathetic. You will as well.

Eddie at Burnt Orange Report writes about a precedent-setting case in the Sixth District Court of Appeals which gives helps a Paris, Texas blogger preserve his or her anonymity.

How I became a "far-left-radical with a socialist agenda" etc. On Bluedaze by TXsharon

While Gary at Easter Lemming Liberal News had a sick mouse the world moved on.

Choo choo!! That is the sound of cleaner air at