The Umpire

Guiliani Finally Comes Clean

2007-05-11T13:10:00.000-05:00

Deciding that the recent heming-and-hawing and the rhetorical rumba he had been dancing on the topic of abortion was starting to wear thin, it appears that Rudy has now decided to come clean.

The problem is, for those hoping he would emerge as the party's standard-bearer next November, his recent statements make that significantly less likely. (My prediction: He will not be the GOP Nominee in 2008.)

At a meeting at Houston Baptist University (of all the places to affirm his pro-choice stance, he chooses a Baptist university), the Houston Chronicle reported the following about his remarks:

"Saying he believes abortion is "morally wrong," Republican presidential hopeful
Rudy Giuliani told an audience at Houston Baptist University this morning that
he respects a women's right to choose to have the procedure."

Notice the delicate and euphemistic language being used... it's not "her right to kill her baby", nor her "right to terminate her pregnancy", it's a "right" to have a "procedure".

Let's not get into the details of what that "procedure" would entail or what the result would be... that's just not polite. What people with this distorted view on abortion like Guiliani holds don't seem to do is take their comments to any rational conclusion. For example, if he really thinks abortion is "morally wrong", why is it morally wrong?

If the reason is because it kills a child, well, do you really think that people should be able to "choose" to "have a procedure" to kill their own child? And why else would it be "morally wrong"? Anyway... but I digress...

This was the kicker for me to finally post again to this blog that has gone ignored for so long...

"In a stump speech outlining his plans to battle terrorism and tackle
economic and social issues, Giuliani urged listeners to find common ground with
him even though they may disagree with him. Tolerating differences makes the
country what it is, he said."

"We understand how to respect each other's difference," he said. "It's in our DNA."

Really, Mr. Guiliani? It's in our DNA? Maybe it's in yours, but it's not in the genes of at least 40 million babies because they are dead -- because their moms chose to kill them. Oh, wait, I'm sorry... "to have a procedure."

Not a Bad Call!

2006-11-13T09:57:00.000-06:00

There are very few who read this blog, and that's OK because it's really more as a vent for my own opinions more than anything else, but I do feel a need to point out that my take on the outcome of the TX governor's race was pretty darn close.

Towards the bottom of a post about the Houston Chronicle's attempt to perform CPR (Chris (Bell) Political Rescusitation) on the Chris Bell campaign, I wrote this:

"The problem is, this is not a "very basic" race. If it were, he wouldn't have polling numbers that show him less than 20%. Rick Perry is virtually guaranteed 35-40% just by virtue of the being the lone "R" on the ballot. Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn Jones is a lock in at least the 15-20% range. Kinky is good for perhaps 10-15%, and the Libertarian is probably good for 3-5%. That leaves 20-37% left for Bell. And do we really think he's going to land on the high side of those numbers when recent polling shows him at 18%? Yeah, I don't think so either."

The outcome? Rick Perry - 39.0%, Chris Bell - 29.8%, Carole Strayhorn - 18.0%, Kinky Friedman - 12.6%, James Werner (L) - 0.6%.

The only "missed call" in those numbers was the poor performance by the Libertarian candidate. Yeah, it's a fan club of one, but for an amateur political prognosticator, I say, "Good call, Ump!"

Every Once In a While, the GOP gets it Right

2006-11-10T10:14:00.000-06:00

I think I just wet my pants: (via the Washington Times)

RNC asks Steele to replace Mehlman

Not only did they pick the right guy, but according to various sources, he's accepted the job!

I can't wait to see him head to head with the Deaniac himself!

Looking to the Future in a Rear-View Mirror?

2006-11-10T08:23:00.000-06:00

So much for the Democrats claims of a "new direction"... particularly with regard to the war in Iraq. It seems everything old is new again...

[George] McGovern to Meet With Congress on War

If the Dems are looking to a politician whose peacenik policies were resoundingly rejected by the American people thirty-four years ago for answers on the future of Iraq, they're really starved for new ideas.

From Wikipedia: "In the 1972 election, McGovern ran on a platform that advocated unilateral withdrawal from the Vietnam War in exchange for the return of American prisoners of war [White p. 122] and amnesty for draft evaders who had left the country [White p. 360], an "anti-war" platform that was presaged, in 1970, by McGovern's sponsorship of the McGovern-Hatfield amendment, seeking to end U.S. participation in the war by Congressional action."

Too bad Harry Truman is dead...

It will be a "Merry Christmas" at Wal-Mart!

2006-11-09T10:51:00.000-06:00

Well, this was a nice thing to read after all the disappointing political news...

Wal-Mart: We're not afraid to say Merry Christmas
No. 1 retailer has decided to abandon its generic 'Happy Holidays' greeting in favor of 'Merry Christmas.'

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Wal-Mart has told its employees that it's OK to once again greet shoppers by saying "Merry Christmas" this holiday season instead of the generic "Happy Holidays."

(snip)

"We, quite frankly, have learned a lesson from last year," Wal-Mart spokeswoman Linda Blakley told USA Today in a separate report. "We're not afraid to use the term 'Merry Christmas.' We'll use it early, and we'll use it often."

Here's hoping that other retailers will follow suit... but I'm not holding my breath.

An Exercise in Futility

2006-11-09T10:23:00.000-06:00

You knew it was possible, and, as Michelle Malkin points out, some Dems are going to grab the reins of government toward what noble task? That's right: Impeachment!

The impeachment drumbeat begins

Apparently, some former Representative from Brooklyn is putting out a book that gives four possible issues by which Bush could be impeached:

1. Lying about weapons of mass destruction to justify invading Iraq (except that witnesses who will be called to testify that their belief at that time that Iraq had WMD's will include Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Al Gore, John Kerry, Tony Blair, etc...)

2. Allowing the torture of prisoners (unless making people feel sad, uncomfortable, or frightened is torture, this approach is a non-starter)

3. Leaking classified information (on what? who? Is this a dig at the long-disposed of and discredited Valerie Plame incident? Either way, there's no "there" there, as it were. And I'm aware of no allegation that even suggests that GWB was himself behind any such real or imagined act.)

4. Botching the federal response to Hurricane Katrina (while I have no first hand knowledge of how well or how poorly the federal government "responded" to HK -- although it should be pointed out that there are some people who are still living in government-provided housing -- "botching" something is hardly a criminal act. If incompetence were a crime, Jimmy Carter would be serving a life sentence!)

It's number 4 in particular that makes me realize the person who put forward these suggestions is a particularly unserious individual and borderline kooky.

But, we knew it would happen... and even though it would be an exercise in futility, it can at least be said that exercise is good for you!

An Interesting Turn of Events

2006-11-08T09:03:00.000-06:00

Nationally, there was a "cleaning of the House", one might say. Not anything out of the ordinary, however, as the number of seats changing hands was right in line with the average for a six-year mid-term election -- but the change is significant nonetheless. The Republicans broke their 1994 Contract with America and paid the price for their breach. A painful but necessary punishment.

Locally, in Katy and Fort Bend County, it was business as usual -- Republicans swept all but one FBC race (Dem County Comissioner Grady Prestage was reelected as expected), and the Katy ISD bond passed as expected. Despite some lackluster and/or questionable GOP condidates, the Dems couldn't manage to put anyone else on the ballot that was compelling or qualified enough to overcome the fact that Dems are still a minority party in FBC.

But there was an interesting contradiction that emerged nationally that I put out there for your thoughful and introspective consideration:

Overwhelmingly, voters (where such issues appeared on their ballots) affirmed the traditional view of marriage by an average vote in favor of 63.6%. Meanwhile, voters also chose to raise their state's minimum wage by an overwhelming majority average of 65.5%.

Here's the breakdown by state with the winning percentage in parentheses:

Affirming Marriage ___Raise Minimum Wage
AZ (rejected - 51%)_______AZ (66%)
CO (56%) _____________CO (53%)
ID (63%)______________MO (76%)
SC (78%)______________MT (73%)
SD (52%)______________NV (69%)
TN (80%) -Wow!_________OH (56%)
VA (57%)
WI (59%)

Now, it's no national referendum - and the fact that there is overlap in only two states makes it exceptionally unscientific, but it makes you wonder about the nature of the electorate that a traditionally liberal issue (raising the minimum wage) should pass just as easily (actually, with even a stronger margin of victory) as a traditionally conservative issue (affirming marriage).

And just a brief comment about Arizona: talk about a strange place... the same place that narrowly rejected a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage (51-49), approved an increase in their minimum wage (66-34), and overwhelmingly established English as their official language (74-26). No wonder this is the land of Senator John McCain!

Overall, a very interesting turn of events, indeed!

Help us, John Kerry!

2006-11-01T13:26:00.000-06:00

You don't need the details from me... suffice it to say that John Kerry is an idiot.

If only John Kerry would listen to our "uneducated" troops...

Boy, who needs an "October Surprise" when you have good 'ole John Kerry!

The Houston Chronicle Performs "CPR" on the Bell Campaign

2006-10-24T09:59:00.000-05:00

Not that there was much life in the Chris Bell for Governor campaign, but the Houston Chronicle is certainly doing all it can with this article to revitalize this flagging campaign that has never seen 25% support in the polls when all current candidates are factored in...

Bell's political revival harder than imagined

The secondary headline reads: "Donation and debate showing revitalize effort".

Let's do a little cut and paste commentary, shall we?

"Chris Bell's political career was in the dumps by Christmas 2004."

(And for the last two years, it hasn't gotten much better...)

"...the road has been steeper than Bell could have imagined. Democratic leaders and financial donors dodged his calls. The news media cast him as an underfunded also-ran."

(...isn't he still an underfunded also-ran? Except for John O'Quinn's taxpayer-funded tobacco money, of course... I mean, he is a major party candidate in one of the largest states in the nation.)

"...The July campaign finance reports showed Bell keeping up with independent Kinky Friedman. Polls had him running about even with Friedman and independent Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, while incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Perry was vulnerable. Libertarian James Werner trailed badly."

(When the "psychological turn" in your campaign is that you are "keeping up" with a guy whose political slogan is "Why the Hell Not?"... a guy who has the backing of no major political party and no political experience ... how far down do you have to be that to look to Kinky is to look up?!?)

"...Then Bell made an impressive showing in the only gubernatorial debate of the fall, followed by a $1 million campaign donation from Houston trial lawyer John O'Quinn with a promise of more. Bell's campaign got a new burst of life with television advertising that moved beyond cable."

(An impressive (to whom?) showing in a gubernatorial debate that no one watched... and the polling showed that his performance only bumped him to the high teens. That might impress political prognosticators looking to pump up a flat campaign, but it certainly didn't impress the few political die-hard voters that were watching. ... And are you really sure that having to publicly and visibly have your campaign rely on taxpayer-funded tobacco money from a trial lawyer is a good thing?)

"(after mutliple paragraphs of bio background)...In the current race, Bell's campaign is counting on getting a very basic Democratic turnout. The Democrat who did the worst statewide in 2002 got 1.4 million votes, or 33 percent of the turnout. If Bell could match that, his campaign believes it would put him in the running to dislodge Perry in a five-way race."

(The problem is, this is not a "very basic" race. If it were, he wouldn't have polling numbers that show him less than 20%. Rick Perry is virtually guaranteed 35-40% just by virtue of the being the lone "R" on the ballot. Carole Keeton Rylander Strayhorn Jones is a lock in at least the 15-20% range. Kinky is good for perhaps 10-15%, and the Libertarian is probably good for 3-5%. That leaves 20-37% left for Bell. And do we really think he's going to land on the high side of those numbers when recent polling shows him at 18%? Yeah, I don't think so either.)

"...Steen said the fact the contest can be won through a plurality has kept everyone associated with the Bell campaign saying: "This is not impossible. That's been our war chant all along: This is not impossible.""

No, it's not impossible... but it's not likely or probable, either. Chris (Bell) Political Rescusitation efforts notwithstanding.

Reagan's Right Again

2006-08-15T09:22:00.000-05:00

(Yeah, I've been gone for a while... sorry, but I've been swamped with work. So for the few of you who actually read my musings from time to time, I apologize...)

One of the dictum's that Ronald Reagan is known for is "Trust, but Verify". Now, that was written in the height of the Cold War when Reagan suggested that we trust the USSR, but still insist that we verify that they live up to their agreements.

Now along comes Glenn Reynolds on the heels of the latest controversy in the lame-stream media: Don't Trust If They Won't Verify. Hmm... a dictum once used for the USSR is now applied to the MSM. Hmmm.....

He begins:

Once again, fake news is in the news, as it turns out that many moving stories of carnage in Lebanon were not only moving, but, well, fake. This raises major questions about the future of the news business, and offers a significant threat to free expression.

He then proceeds to slap the MSM around a bit:

We've seen this kind of fakery before, of course, and not just where Israel is concerned. The Boston Globe ran fake rape photos purporting to show U.S. troops raping Iraqi women. The photos turned out to come from a Hungarian porn site. Nor does the fakery stop with photos. Rutten's own L.A. Times ran a nasty piece about Paul Bremer's departure from Iraq, saying that he didn't even give a farewell speech and suggesting that he was afraid to look Iraqis in the eye. In fact, Bremer had given a speech that was nationally televised in Iraq. As columnist John Leo observed in response to this bit of bogosity: "What's new about the press is that so many
people who follow it with a critical eye now have an outlet to howl about inaccuracy and partisanship. The big media used to be able to shrug off critics like this. Now they can't."

He then concludes thusly, in a statement that I just might be convinced to agree with:

"It's not too late for the press to save itself yet. But it's getting close."

But when you see much a masterfully crafted and excellently timed summation of the more high profile propaganda lies recently surrounding the conflict in Lebanon, it's hard to swallow. This short video is a must see for anyone interested in Truth: http://www.aish.com/movies/JP/PhotoFraud.asp

Complex Issue - Simple Argument

2006-07-18T16:52:00.000-05:00

Senate Approves Embryonic Stem Cell Bill

Without getting into all the minutiae of all the arguments revolving around stem cell research, I just wanted to recognize and applaud this statement on the issue from White House Press Secretary Tony Snow (an inspired choice for the job if ever there was one):

"The simple answer is he thinks murder's wrong," said White House spokesman Tony Snow. "The president is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking
something living and making it dead for the purposes of scientific research."

I would add that it's not just something living, but someone... but the point is right on target. How anyone could have supported the bill in question and still consider themselves pro-life is beyond my understanding.

Word of the Day: "Mondegreen"

2006-07-07T10:51:00.000-05:00

While looking up the expression "safe as houses", I came across this interesting word:

Mondegreen - (noun) "a word or phrase resulting from a misinterpretation of a word or phrase that has been heard"

Here's the origin according to Random House's "The Mavens' Word of the Day" feature:

This word was coined by the author Silvia Wright in an article in Harper's in 1954. The poem in question was an old Scottish ballad called "The Bonnie Earl of Murray," which contains the couplet, "They hae slain the Earl o' Murray/And laid him on the green."
Ms Wright heard this as a child as "They hae slain the Earl o' Murray/And Lady Mondegreen," and went through life in sorrow for poor Lady Mondegreen until she encountered the ballad in written form and realized her error.

This phenomenon is relatively common, and it's useful to have a name to apply to it. A classic example is "Gladly the cross-eyed bear," for the hymn actually going "Gladly the cross I'd bear." Fans of the genre are referred to Gavin Edwards's book Scuse Me While I Kiss This Guy, the title a mondegreen from the line in Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" that actually goes "Scuse me while I kiss the sky." The book, to which there have been several sequels, contains several hundred examples of song-based mondegreens, of which perhaps the best is "The girl with colitis goes by," from "the girl with kaleidoscope eyes," the real line in the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds."

One of my other favorite mondegreens is "Bingo Jed Had a Light On" -- a mangled rendering of Steve Miller Band's "Big Old Jet Airliner". What is your favorite (or memorable) mondegreen?

"Just when I try to weasel out, they pull me back in..."

2006-07-06T11:05:00.000-05:00

With apologies to "The Godfather" for the above, and with a hat-tip to M.C. Hammer for the below:

"Oh-oh oh-oh oh-oh... Here comes the hammer!"

Judge Sparks has apparently put the kibosh on "former Congressman" cum "current candidate" Tom DeLay's attempt to run from the political consequences of his, um, "questionable" dealings while in office.

Via Chron.com: Judge's ruling keeps DeLay on ballot

Although the article states that "Details of Sparks ruling were not immediately available," it does summarize the ruling that "...Republicans cannot replace former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay on the ballot for the 22nd Congressional District race."

"Sparks ruling halts the process of replacing DeLay on the ballot, but the GOP is expected to appeal the decision to the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals."

Having not read the justification for the decision yet, I have no idea how likely the GOP may be to prevail on appeal, but if the judge's decision stands, it sure throws a nice "wrench" into the "Hammer's" engine.

"If the Republicans lose on appeal, DeLay will have to decide whether to campaign for an office from which he already has resigned."

But who will staff the office?

"Oh, what a tangled web we weave..."

Ken Lay, R.I.P.

2006-07-05T09:37:00.000-05:00

I was never much of a fan of Ken Lay... to the contrary, I was disappointed and shocked that a man who had contributed so much to the community would preside over such an (ultimately) immoral and egregious organizational collapse.

Nevertheless, I was a little bit shocked and saddened to read this via the Houston Chronicle:

ENRON'S KEN LAY DIES: 'HIS HEART SIMPLY GAVE OUT'

"Convicted Enron Corp. founder Ken Lay suffered a massive coronary Tuesday and died, according to Dr. Steve Wende, of First Methodist Houston. He was 64."

A more detailed bio/obit can be found here.

He was in Colorado awaiting sentencing when he died. Thus, despite being found guilty on all six counts that related to Enron fraud -- including conspiracy to commit wire fraud, perpetrating wire and bank fraud, and making false and misleading statements to employees at a company meeting, as well as to banks, securities analysts and corporate credit-rating agencies -- Mr. Lay never served a day in jail for those crimes.

By passing on July 4th, Ken Lay joins such other notable Americans as John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and James Monroe. Granted, he did not contribute as greatly to the American experiment as these men, but he will certainly go down in history -- unfortunately not as the corporate giant he once was, but as an icon of corporate greed, manipulation and excess.

R.I.P., Mr. Lay. May the Lord have mercy on your soul.

A Mixed Decision

2006-06-28T09:31:00.000-05:00

UPDATED: To include link to Supreme Court's decision...

The ruling from the Supremes is in... Read the actual decision here.

Via AP: Court Nixes Part of Texas Political Map

"The Supreme Court on Wednesday upheld most of the Texas congressional map engineered by former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay but threw out part, saying some of the new boundaries failed to protect minority voting rights."

Yeah, this is the kind of race-based politics that really chaps my hide... you know, when you read stuff like this:

"Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, writing for the majority, said Hispanics do not have a chance to elect a candidate of their choosing under the plan."

Uh, I'm sorry, Mister Justice, but where in the US Constitution does it say that a racial group is entitled to "elect a candidate of their choosing"?!? Does that mean that the Blacks, Asians, Native Americans, etc. get their own representatives as well?

Does that mean that members of Congress are elected to serve the interests of a particular race -- or for all the citizens of a district?!? Arrggh!

But, the decision isn't all bad... (You know the one about blind squirrels and nuts, right? The one about stopped clocks? You get the point.) After all, it did say this:

"...the court ruled that state legislators may draw new maps as often as they like - not just once a decade as Texas Democrats claimed. That means Democratic and Republican state lawmakers can push through new maps anytime there is a power shift at a state capital."

That might bring some nasty fallout to the GOP in some areas of the country, but it's good for Texas (at least for the near future). The bottom line of this, though, was that they ruled that the recent redrawing of the boundaries in Texas was acceptable, vindicating Republican claims to that fact. It only disagreed with how some of those boundaries were drawn.

The technical legalese is summed up by Justice Kennedy thusly: (via SCOTUSBlog)

"In sum, we disagree with appellants' view that a legislature's decision to override a valid, court-drawn plan mid-decade is sufficiently suspect to give shape to a reliable standard for identifying unconstiutitonal political gerrymanders. We conclude that appellants have established no legally impermissible use of political classifications. For this reason, they state no claim on which relief may be granted for their statewide challenge."

Read some soon-to-be great commentary on the decision (which the bloggers there have not posted on yet, but will soon) at National Review's Bench Memos.

It may not be good news for Congressman Henry Bonilla, but it's good news for Texas Republicans.

Now this is a 5-4 I can support!

2006-06-26T10:10:00.000-05:00

With the changes in the members of the US Supreme Court, it's nice to see that Roberts and Alito have helped keep the Court on the "right" side of most issues -- particularly this most recent ruling by the Court released today:

New justice breaks tie to uphold Kansas death penalty law

Rather than get into the minutia of the decision -- like most Supreme Court cases, the technical issues at hand are a lot more complicated than the way reporters make them out to be -- it's at least comforting to know that this guy will still have a death sentence hanging over him:

"Marsh was convicted in the June 1996 killings of Marry Pusch and her 19-month-old daughter, M.P. Marsh confessed that he had been waiting in Pusch's house when she and her child came home. Pusch was shot, stabbed and her throat was slit. Her body was set on fire. M.P. died several days later from severe burns."

How his lawyer can look at himself in the mirror after trying to get such a barbaric and merciless killer off death row on an alleged technicality is beyond my understanding.

And if Kansas has trouble finding time to get Mr. Marsh on the docket for an execution, just send him to Texas. We'll take care of him.

Oh, and yes, I am just a little nervous about this Court when we have to count on Justice Kennedy for vote #5...

Dominoes, anyone?

2006-06-20T09:10:00.000-05:00

The first domino in the Jack Abramoff scandal takes a fall... the first of many, I would imagine.

Former Bush administration official found guilty

Seems there was this little trip to Scotland that David Safavian went on that was paid for by Jack Abramoff when Abramoff had pending business with the General Services Administration while Safavian was its chief of staff... anyone know anyone else who took a similar trip???

But are you ready for this? You want to know who his wife is?

Her name is Jennifer Safavian -- and she is Chief Counsel for Oversight and Investigations on the House Government Reform Committee.

You can't script these serendipitous circumstances, my friends... but that doesn't mean someone won't try. This is a movie waiting to be written.

Tom DeLay, call your agent.

En América, hablamos inglés

2006-06-15T14:40:00.000-05:00

And it's not just me that thinks so...

According to Rasmussen: 85% Support English as Official Language Of U.S.

"Eighty-five percent (85%) of Americans believe that English should be the official language of the United States. The latest Rasmussen Reports survey of 1,000 adults found that only 11% disagree and 4% are not sure."

Wow. I knew there was pretty strong support for such a measure, but 85% is overwhelming. And it's not a partisan issue, either.

"Making English the nation’s official language is favored by 92% of Republicans, 79% of Democrats, and 86% of those not affiliated with either major political party."

There's not much of an age gap.

"It is supported by 91% of those over 40 and 78% of those under 40. "

Or a gender or income gap.

"There is little difference in the views of men and women or across income categories."

And it's not a race issue, either.

"Eighty-eight percent (88%) of white Americans support English as the official language along with 76% of non-white Americans."

I bet you more than a few illegal immigrants are talking among themseves and saying: "You know, my friend, maybe those protests were not such a good idea after all."

Or, "Tu sabes, mi amigo, esas protestas no era quizá una tan buena idea después de todos."

I can name that tune in... C-notes!

2006-06-14T12:10:00.000-05:00

(Good ol' "Name that Tune"... I wonder what ever happened to that perky gal who hummed those catchy tunes? (Yes, I know what happened to Kathie Lee Gifford!) )

Seems our (arguably, at least in this case) morally tone-deaf Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives just doesn't get it. No wonder people think politicians are just about money and power... the cushy corporate jets, lavish family vacations paid for by lobbyists, $500 lunches, treated like royalty, and then this from the AP via the Houston Chronicle:

$700,000 donated to fix up Craddick apartment

"Businessmen, a lobbyist and a major corporate foundation have donated almost $700,000 in the past eight days to pay for the renovation of Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick's [nearly 2,000 square foot] apartment inside the Capitol, according to documents obtained today by The Associated Press."

I agree with this guy:

"Special interests shouldn't be lined up to give the Craddicks a personal gift of a new apartment," said Craig McDonald, director of Texans for Public Justice. "If it's in need of repair or if it's in need of renovation, then it should be paid for by the people of Texas.""

and this guy:

"But Alex Winslow, executive director of the consumer advocate group Texas Watch, said the way the project is being handled "creates a sense of impropriety.""

Not to mention the sheer extravagance of it all. ("The carpets in the apartment and the speaker's office also are being replaced with carpets made of 100 percent New Zealand wool at a cost of nearly $37,000.") I mean, it's a frickin' 2,000 square foot apartment and the "renovations" (which seem rather minor) cost $700,000!

Well, maybe it's old and run down right? Nope!

"The apartment was extensively renovated in the mid-1990s during a sweeping $187 million Capitol restoration project. And three years ago, the Craddicks spent at least $25,000 in private donations refurbishing the unit."

That's a lot of renovations for such a small place. What kind of parties and party-goers are they entertaining that it should need so many fixes?!?

I mean, I certainly appreciate the sentiment expressed here by Craddick's spokes(wo)man -- "the speaker and his wife don't think it would be appropriate to use public money for the renovation project" -- but it just doesn't pass the smell test.

And not even Kathie Lee could sweeten this deal any more... does this bother anybody else, or is it just me?

Blame Game

2006-06-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

Random thought that's been mentioned by a lot of different people in a lot of different places:

If you are at all upset, dismayed or distraught over the whole CD22 mess, you only have one person to blame.

His name is Tom DeLay.

Period.

Patrick Kennedy says, "OUI"!

2006-06-13T12:34:00.000-05:00

"Oui!"

As in O-U-I -- "Operating Under the Influence"

As I previously blogged about here: ("I'm not as think as you drunk I am..."), U.S. Representative Patrick Kennedy (D - R.I.), 38, wrecked his car into a barricade near Capitol Hill at 2:45 one morning. His explanations varied as to the what/why/how of the accident, but there was no doubt it shined a bright light on his substance abuse.

Now it is reported that he is heading to court today to plead guilty to one charge in order to avoid prosecution for additional charges...

"Kennedy is slated to appear in court this afternoon where he is expected to plead guilty to the charge of operating under the influence. Charges of reckless driving and failure to exhibit a drivers permit will be dismissed as part of the deal, which was worked out behind closed doors."

Kennedy was not reported to have said, "Please help us! Please help stop our family before we drive again!" At least we have one Kennedy who is willing to take at least some blame for his vehicular misadventures.

As usual, Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

Picking your fights

2006-06-09T12:27:00.000-05:00

One of the more important things a campaign can do is to "frame the debate" -- to pick the key issues where your vision/experience/results differ from your opponents vision/experience/results and to make them a focus of the campaign.

After reading this article in the Houston Chronicle which implicitly referred to Chris Bell as conservative, I shook my head a bit. I mean, come on -- Chris Bell??? Conservative???

Then I thought, well, let's just check out his website. So I did.

I thought perhaps he'd hit on some good liberal issues like abortion or affirmative action. To my surprise, it was rather tame. His "issues" page highlights these topics:

Rebuilding Public Education
Reducing Barriers to Higher Education
Honoring our National Guardsmen
Protecting Kids
Fighting for Rural Texas
Healing the Sick
Expanding Home Ownership
Finding Common Ground

Not "conservative" issues, but certainly not "lefty" ones, either. A nice, safe assortment of "America, Mom, & Apple Pie" topics. (I mean, really, who would rationally be against any of these things?) Rather than poke into each one here, I'll just highlight one in particular: "Expanding Home Ownership".

Now, remember framing the debate is usually about highlighting your opponent's weaknesses and showing your strong alternative. Not only does Mr. Bell set up a false straw man based on things that haven't happened and don't exist, the reality flies in the face of his allegations.

Perhaps Mr. Bell's team didn't run across this little nugget:

Governor Rick Perry Proclaims June Home Ownership Month in Texas: Home Ownership Makes a Vital Contribution to Building and Strengthening Texas Communities

In that article (press release), we find out that:

"While Texas is among the states with the 10 lowest home ownership rates in the
nation, Texas' home ownership rate is steadily increasing, facilitated by
homebuyer programs like those offered by TDHCA."

See the article for other details about what Texas (under Gov. Rick Perry) actually does regarding home ownership.

Again, this topic was considered so important by the Chris Bell campaign that it is highlighted on his website. If this is the best he can do, this is just one example of many why Chris Bell will not win this election.

Catfight! (H.C. vs. A.C.)

2006-06-07T21:43:00.000-05:00

Me-OW! Granted, Ann Coulter didn’t exactly “win friends and influence people” with her insensitive and ill-advised attack on some liberal 9/11 widows – writing in her latest book, “I've never seen people enjoying their husbands' deaths so much.” So she should have expected these remarks from resident NY alpha-female Hillary Clinton who lashed out at Ann Coulter for her "vicious, mean-spirited attack".

And then came the smackdown from Ann (via Drudge):

“Before criticizing others for being ‘mean’ to women, perhaps Hillary should talk to her husband who was accused of rape by Juanita Broaddrick and was groping Kathleen Willey at the very moment Willey’s husband was committing suicide.”

OUCH!

(I would add his illegal release of classified information on Linda Tripp, his use and abuse of Monica Lewinsky in the Oral – er, Oval – Office, that flight attendant, oh – and then there’s THIS excellent summary.)

It's About Time!

2006-06-06T11:08:00.000-05:00

UPDATE: Just as an FYI, I found this nice little factoid via Conservative News Service (from data provided by the Congressional Research Service) -- "From its modest $1 billion budget in 1966, the Medicaid program’s cost has rocketed. It now costs taxpayers approximately $300 billion a year."
--------------------------
Let's see.... Medicaid has been around for over 40 years, and they are finally getting around to ensuring that illegal immigrants cannot legally receive benefits. It may not be much, but it's a start. After all, it's estimated that here in Texas we spend around $100 million a year on Medicaid for illegal immigrants.

First, there was this article via AP: Medicaid Recipients Will Need Citizenship

"The requirement that beneficiaries provide proof of citizenship goes into effect July 1. It's designed to root out cases of illegal immigrants getting their health care paid for by the government."

By the way, did you catch that at the end? You know, where it said "paid for by the government" as if the government has its own little bank account that doesn't consist of taxes forcibly extracted from workers' wages? So don't worry -- it's not your money paying for these services -- it's the government's money!

The next day, the Houston Chronicle rounded up the usual "groups" who had this to say about it: Groups say change in Medicaid will do little

"The Bush administration's plan to make Medicaid applicants show proof of U.S. citizenship will have little impact on illegal immigrants because few of them apply for the low-income health benefit, Houston immigrant advocates said Monday."

Inside the article was this unintentionally amusing quip:

"However, advocates say that illegal immigrants have always been wary of applying for a government benefit that requires citizenship, especially when lying on the application is a federal offense that could lead to criminal prosecution and deportation. "

Yeah, because illegal immigrants are so concerned about upholding the integrity of our laws. And, plus, they are extra concerned because we are so ruthlessly efficient in our "criminal prosecution and deportation" of illegal immigrants.

The Bush Administration has fumbled this immigration issue since day one, but here's at least one thing they got right!

Just checking

2006-06-01T23:15:00.000-05:00

Did you do your first assignment of required reading?

I hope so, because here it comes...

Bush to Back Gay Marriage Ban Amendment

It's just a sop to appease the social conservatives, but it signals the beginning of the fight for the integrity of our social fabric. Are you ready? There are no sidelines in this game. Everyone has to take a side...

Required Reading for the Coming Culture Clash

2006-05-31T09:35:00.000-05:00

If you're involved in, interested in, or like to stay informed about politics -- and particularly if you are a Christian and politically conservative like I am -- this article linked to below by Stanley Kurtz should be required reading for the culture clash that is to come.

The issue: The institution of Marriage

Words and phrases you will soon need to become familiar with (if you aren't already): polygamy, polyamory, patriarchy, counterpatriarchal, nonsexual group partnerships, LGBT, multipartner unions, antipolygamists, complex marriage.

Important court cases to know: Lawrence v. Texas, Reynolds v. United States

The link to the article: Polygamy Versus Democracy: You can't have both

The clash is coming. Stanley Kurtz has provided us with some excellent reading with which to inform ourselves. Time to suit up!

What's in a name?

2006-05-25T21:37:00.000-05:00

(UPDATED TO ADD PHOTO)

Yeah, now that we finally have a verdict, it's about time to consider a name change to the good ol' "Ken Lay" YMCA.

Board to consider if Ken Lay YMCA needs name change

Before the Enron debacle, "Ken Lay" used to be in fairly large letters on the street sign. Then, shortly afterwards, his name was reduced so that it looked like this (that's the Executive Director of the Ken Lay YMCA in the picture):

I don't care what they change it to, but it certainly shouldn't bear the name of one of the most infamous corporate criminals of our time.

"Look for... the Union label..."

2006-05-23T16:44:00.000-05:00

Remember those commercials back in the day? Yeah, that was back when unions comprised a much greater percentage of the workforce and people took great pride in union membership.

Well, there are a few union workers who have turned their membership into a welfare program.

Sound kooky? Check this out: Killing the jobs bank is needed for survival

Here's an interesting snippet:

Anyone with a lick of economic common sense knows that paying people not to work is bad for business. So-called jobs banks at the Big Three and their suppliers with United Auto Workers contracts cost hundreds of millions of dollars a year to maintain with zero return for the companies.

(snip)

It is estimated that companies spend between $100,000 and $130,000 a year for wages and benefits on each employee who sits idly in various company jobs banks. U.S. auto companies will spend up to $2 billion this year on jobs bank employees, many of whom have been reporting to the job to read, watch movies and do crossword puzzles for years.

And we wonder why American auto companies are taking it on the chin these days... Man, where do I sign up for that gig?!?

Colleyville, Texas: We Trust in God (but not if it hurts your feelings)

2006-05-23T08:28:00.000-05:00

It seems the lunatics have taken over the asylum at one local elementary school in Colleyville, Texas.

The school in question: Liberty Elementary in Keller ISD (near Fort Worth).

As the Houston Chronicle reports: Colleyville parents offended 'God' striken from yearbook cover

COLLEYVILLE — A yearbook cover that omits the words "In God We Trust" from a picture of an enlarged nickel has angered some parents.

Liberty Elementary, a new school in suburban Fort Worth, chose the coin because the nickel's new design prominently features the school's name in cursive.

The coin also has "In God We Trust" along the right edge, but the phrase was removed from the yearbook. Instead, the $16 book came with a sticker that gave students the choice of putting the phrase back on the nickel.

Some parents say the school's decision was political correctness gone too far.

"I think it's really ridiculous," said Debi Ackerman, who has a 10-year-old daughter at the school. "Now it has come to this. ... When is it going to end?"

Keller ISD spokesman Jason Meyer said a parent's group at the school approved the decision before the book was published. Liberty Principal Janet Travis wanted to avoid offending students of different religions, Meyer said.

"It's not always easy to make everybody happy when we are making decisions," Meyer said.

Now, the racial makeup of Colleyville is approximately 93% white. The 2005 median household income in Colleyville was $124,675. Why is this relevant? It's relevant because it means that Colleyville (where over 20% of the families earn $200K or more annually) is a town filled with rich, white kids.

Translation: Not a lot of "non-monotheists" around to get offended, methinks.

I know it's "not always easy to make everybody happy when we are making decisions." But, rather than offend the (oh, let's be charitable here) approximately 10% of people who would take grave offense to finding the words "In God We Trust" on their child's yearbook, these mental giants disguised as educators (and the equally astute parents who 'approved' this buffoonery) instead chose to offend the remaining 90%.

Even if you wouldn't agree that the other 90% would be offended, I'm guessing that a lot more are offended by the omission of the phrase than would have been by its inclusion.

Once again we witness the tyranny of the minority and the capitulation of common sense. Ugh!

Oh, but I imagine it was OK to pay for the yearbook in cash, despite the "offensive" phrase on the currency, right?

I almost feel bad for Alabama Democrats...

2006-05-16T07:55:00.000-05:00

...for having to deal with this guy:

Alabama attorney general candidate denies Holocaust

Oh, you mean you didn't hear all about the racist Democrat running for statewide office in Alabama? Hmm....

(I bet if he were running as a Republican, you sure would have!)

Denied!

2006-05-15T07:17:00.000-05:00

Not too long ago, when a basketball player would go for a shot and that shot was blocked -- and not just blocked, but smacked into the stands with the intensity of a spike in volleyball -- the expression some would cry out was.... DENIED!

Yeah, the rejection of the Katy ISD bond election was something like that. Read the detailed results from the Katy ISD website here. The bottom line: 3990 (53%) against / 3528 (47%) for.

Don't let the "narrow" margin of victory (or defeat, depending on how you look at it) fool you -- this was a resounding loss for the powers that be in Katy ISD. With the amount of "information" they were churning out via e-mails, letters, information sent home with the students, etc. (with some of those advocacy letters and e-mails being sent without the proper political disclaimers), this should have been a slam dunk.

Instead, the voters of Katy ISD shouted: "DENIED!"

The details are interesting. The schools with the highest "denial" rate were usually the "wealthier" schools while those with the more narrow margins or ones that voted in favor of the bonds were generally the more "financially-challenged" schools. I haven't thought that one through yet to figure out the what or why on that, so it's just an observation at this point.

So what is the district going to do now? Well, prior to the defeat, they had this posted under their bond FAQ:

"What is the district’s contingency plan if this bond election doesn’t pass? Katy ISD will make short-term accommodations for growth and facilities using money from the maintenance and operations budget, a measure that will reduce the amount of revenue available to fund the day-to-day activities of the district. (emphasis mine) For 2006-07 alone, the district will purchase 25 buses and approximately 30 portable buildings at a cost of $4.2 million to handle a projected increase in student enrollment of 7.18%."

For those of you who might be troubled that Katy ISD will pull from the General (M&O) budget to pay for things that the bond was going to pay for, don't worry. That is how they were going to pay for the bond in the first place. Read all about that here.

And newly re-elected Katy ISD Board Member Robert Shaw isn't willing to let the ink dry on this election defeat before giving it the ol' college try once again:

"Position 6 incumbent Robert Shaw, who defeated bond opponent Fred Hink by a vote of 3,415-2,891, wants the district to try for another bond election in November.
"I see us trying to bring it back in November. I think we need to regroup and find out what the problem was," Shaw said."

While it sounds a bit premature, I think if they do get the bond back on the ballot in November, I think it will pass. More on the reasons why in a future post.

But for now, congratulations to Katy Watchdogger Tom Law on his election victory, regrets to Watchdogger Fred Hink on his election loss, and congratulations Katy taxpayers!

...and don't let the door hit you...

2006-05-12T11:45:00.000-05:00

It seems Congressman Disgrace -- um, I mean Congressman DeLay -- has finally set a date. Sort of.

DeLay to bow out on June 9

Well, all I can say is goodbye and good riddance. He lost his moral and conservative bearings years ago. The fact that his unconventional departure from public office creates a wake of political flotsam is only salt added to the wound (as opposed to icing on the cake).

The CD-22 GOP is in disarray, the Dem challenger is rightfully decrying the propriety of the whole matter, and now we're faced with the prospect of a potential spoiler candidate who is just chomping at the bit to regain his faded spotlight.

What is it with Fort Bend Republican officials and their ungraceful exits lately? (*sigh*)

Only in America?

2006-05-12T10:02:00.000-05:00

The way some people talk, you'd think America was the moral nadir of the world community - where sex, drugs, and rock-n-roll (which should really be replaced with the cacophonous noise known as rap/hip-hop) is not just for celebrities anymore, but a contemporary way of life for our youth.

Well, seems our trip across the pond didn't give us the exclusive on moral depravity... (choosing not to wade into the waters of American Puritanism, etc.) ... let me introduce you to Exhibit "A":

Girl, 11, will be Britain's youngest mother

When I first began to read this, one of the first thoughts that ran through my head was (once it became clear that the baby was not a product of forced rape and that the girl "consented" to intercourse) -- "Oh, her mother must be so proud!" (with dripping sarcasm, of course)

Turns out... she is:

"Her 34-year-old mother, who gave birth to her youngest child eight months ago, said she was 'proud' of her daughter." (snip) "Her mum said: "I'm not ashamed of my daughter at all - in fact, I'm proud of her for keeping the baby."

The other details contained within the article are quite telling:

+ She began smoking at 9 and has continued to smoke throughout her pregnancy - as much as a pack a day! But don't worry, it's OK, because...

"She claimed her cigarette habit was not harming the health of her unborn child. She said: "I can give up smoking at any time, but I don't find it affects my pregnancy.""

+ She started drinking wine & vodka at age 10

+ She conceived at age 11 after having unprotected sex with a 15 year-old boy "on a drunken night out with friends"

You might ask yourself: "Well, she's certainly screwed up and her mother doesn't seem to care. What does her father have to say about all this?!?" It should be no surprise at all:

"The girl, whose parents split up several years ago..." (emphasis mine)

(Let this serve as example #3,259,417 of how divorce negatively affects children...)

But, despite this child's morally-challenged lifestyle, she at least plans to keep the baby.

"The social worker suggested I got rid of it but I'd never do that."

Where there is life, there is hope.

"I'm not as think as you drunk I am..."

2006-05-04T16:32:00.000-05:00

UPDATE #2: Um, now he says he can't remember a thing and is checking himself into the Mayo Clinic! Rep Kennedy seeks drug abuse help

UPDATE: Read his explanation (which really doesn't help his cause much) here: Kennedy Blames Accident on Sleep Medicine

Seems these Kennedy boys just don't know how to drive... as Roll Call reports, and as Drudge highlights with his trademark flashing siren: KENNEDY CAR CRASH COVER-UP?

This time, it's Congressman Patrick Kennedy (D-Rhode Island).

After nearly crashing into a police cruiser and then smashing into a barricade,

"“The driver exited the vehicle and he was observed to be staggering,” Baird’s letter states. Officers approached the driver, who “declared to them he was a Congressman and was late to a vote. The House had adjourned nearly three hours before this incident. It was Congressman Patrick J. Kennedy from Rhode Island.”"

Baird wrote that Capitol Police Patrol Division units, who are trained in driving under the influence cases, were not allowed to perform basic field sobriety tests on the Congressman. Instead, two sergeants, who also responded to the accident, proceeded to confer with the Capitol Police watch commander on duty and then “ordered all of the Patrol Division Units to leave the scene and that they were taking over.”

Apparently this is nothing new for Rep. Kennedy as the article reports: "This morning's incident comes just over two weeks after Kennedy was involved in a car accident in Rhode Island."

As usual, Mary Jo Kopechne could not be reached for comment.

With Friends Like These...

2006-05-04T09:57:00.000-05:00

Once again, Chris Elam has some great scoop on the CD-22 race from Harris County via Kathy Haigler: CD-22 Update - Harris.

Here's Ms. Haigler's list of "PROBABLY IN":

PROBABLY IN (not all have formally announced):
Tom Campbell
Charlie Howard*
Mike Jackson*
Andy Meyers*
Shelley Sekula-Gibbs*
Robert Talton*
Tim Turner*
David Wallace
Brad Wright*

*BOLD = scheduled for a May 6th interview at the Forum.

Oddly enough, you might note that TWO candidates who have been on the
“probably in” list all along are not participating in the Harris County
forum.

(Hmm... those "TWO" candidates need to step up, methinks, if they want to be seriously considered!)

When reviewing that list, I had a few thoughts run through my head. But one kind of nagged at me when I read "Shelley Sekula-Gibbs".

I thought, "Is she really running? Does anybody really take her seriously?"

Maybe it's just me, but ever since she got elected on the coattails of her late husband, respected Houston reporter/anchorman Sylvan Rodriguez, with little else to justify her victory, I have always regarded her with a bit of casual disdain (however undeserved it might be).

Apparently, others are taking her potential run for Congress quite seriously so I figued I should check her out.

Now, you can usually evaluate someone by the type and quality of their friends. So, when perusing her website, whom did she list as her supporters/friends?

Organizations like: AFL-CIO, Greater Houston Area Tejano Democrats, Houston Black American Democrats, among other local unions and PACs.

I have nothing against those organizations, per se -- although I don't support their ideology or political positions, there's nothing "bad" about them -- I don't exactly think that the type of person that gets support from those types of groups will perform particularly well in a conservative GOP district.

To meet the "givens" one would expect from a Republican from CD-22, Sekula-Gibbs would have to be pro-life, pro-death penalty, pro-"right-to-work", anti-quotas, etc. -- not exactly the policy agenda that the "supporters" listed above would endorse.

So, it's nice for Ms. Sekula-Gibbs to suit up for the game, but The Umpire has called this one: She's out!

CAVEAT: She is the only woman in the "PROBABLY IN" category, though, so she just might squeak through for two reasons: 1. She's a woman, and 2. She has union support which could be vital to this race. But I still predict she will NOT be the GOP nominee in November for the new 2-year term.

It's Actually a Pretty Simple Question

2006-05-03T12:43:00.000-05:00

Here in good 'ole Katy ISD, we've got a great group of guys calling themselves the Katy Citizen Watchdog$ whose main aim is to serve as a check on the actions and antics of Katy ISD, its administrators, and its Board. More information on who they are and what they are about can be found at their website. Their persistence is not only needed to keep the Katy ISD board in check, but vital to keeping the taxpayers of Katy ISD informed.

They are pretty busy promoting their cause these days, what with the impending bond election (early voting has already begun - go vote!) and board election and all. Recently, they have gotten a couple of opinion pieces published on the excellent Fort Bend Now website.

One recent piece mentioned Katy ISD's school construction costs and can be found here: Katy Watchdog$ Question School Building Costs In Proposed Bond Issue. The thrust of the article is that Katy ISD's school construction costs are above the average when compared with other similar-sized districts and are, therefore, suspect.

To that editorial, I posted the following comment on April 27th:

"Here’s a question for the Watchdog$:
How do Katy ISD construction costs compare when square footage and student capacity are taken into account? Katy ISD says that their per square foot costs are actually below the average compared to other districts in Region IV.

(And, of course, you realize that if your argument falls short in this regard, it doesn’t bode well for your cause, right?)

So, what say you, Watchdog$? Batter up!"

As of 1:00pm, Wednesday, May 3rd, no response has been posted by the Watchdog$.

The most recent one was more of a catch-all, alleged myth-busters type piece and can be found here: Clearing Up Misinformation About Katy ISD. And here they go again:

"If Katy ISD was so fiscally responsible, why are the projected construction costs under the proposed bond running, on average, $7 million more than some of our neighboring school districts?"

So, again, I posted the following comment:

"Since my question on this matter, in response to a previous “Watchdog$” editorial, was ignored, I guess I’ll have to ask it again.

What is the average per square foot construction cost for schools in Region IV and how does Katy ISD compare to that average?

Also, how many students does the “average” school serve and how many students are the Katy ISD schools designed to serve?

If you can’t answer these questions, your whole argument on this matter re: construction costs is bogus.

Once again, The Umpire calls out to the Watchdog$: “Batter Up!”"

My guess is that they will continue to ignore me. After all, with the election already begun in earnest, they would just as soon keep riding their argument right on through until the election is over. Nothing like being able to trot your arguments out there and ignoring sincere, reasoned, and thoughtful challenges....

Jabs are funny only when they are true...

2006-04-25T12:39:00.000-05:00

... Unfortunately, Miss Juanita down at "The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc." didn't get the memo.

As a stab at the "soon-to-be" vacancy in Texas' Congressional District 22, she graces her homepage with the glaring headline (in green, no less):

"News from the ONLY Congressional District in America without a Congressman"

You see, anytime you use those tricky "absolutes" (like "ONLY"), you best better do your homework. Apparently, the dog ate Miss Juanita's "homework".

Not only does Texas' CD-22 still have the living, breathing Mr. Tom DeLay representing them in D.C. (much to Juanita's chagrin, I'm sure) -- after all, he hasn't stepped down yet -- but there are two current Congressional districts without representation.

One is New Jersey's 13th Congressional District.
The other is California's 50th Congressional District.

It took me less than a minute on Google to figure it out, but perhaps they don't have that down at the "Beauty Shop". So another attempt at a humorous attack comes up a little short on the facts. (Those darn, stubborn things...)

But, it would have been pretty funny if it was true! Nice try, Juanita!

Anyone in Katy ISD for some "Three-Card Monty"?

2006-04-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

It's the latest craze... right up there with the shell game they are pulling on the taxpaying residents of Katy ISD.

You see, it turns out with their latest $261MM bond proposal, they tell you that it won't result in an increase in your taxes -- but, of course, what they neglect to point out is that it's because they *can't* increase your taxes as they are already up against the cap!

The reason they can then pull off this trick of increasing debt without increasing taxes is that they are instead pulling the money from the General (Maintenance & Operations) budget.

See, Katy ISD taxes are made up of $1.63 for M&O, and $0.37 for debt service. In order to pile on more debt, they are pulling 3 cents from the M&O -- and it would then breakdown as $1.60 for M&O and $0.40 for debt. Got it?

But, you may ask, how are they filling that 3 cent gap in M&O? Well, my friends, that's going to come out of the rainy day fund.

So they take from M&O, put it into debt, and take from the rainy day fund and put into back into M&O. Nice trick, eh?

You remember what happens to people after they've beaten the "dealer" at 3-card monty and then walk on down the street, right? Yep, there goes your wallet!

It's about time!

2006-04-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

It's one of those headlines that you read, scratch your head, and then wonder: "Why is this news? Shouldn't they be doing this all the time anyway?!?"

At least, that's what I thought when I read this in the Houston Chronicle:

Immigration officials raid Houston business

"Immigration officials made a surprise visit to a Houston business this
morning and questioned dozens of workers at two different worksites."

Well, all I can say is: It's about time! I feel bad for those who will inevitably suffer (the illegal immigrant and his/her family), but we are a nation of laws, not of men -- and no one is above the law.

After reading in the papers all the time about those who flout the law so frivilously, it's nice to see "the law" asserting itself for a change.

An Amusing Irony

2006-04-17T16:28:00.000-05:00

I usually find irony, so long as it isn't tragic, to be quite amusing. I realize that not everyone gets the irony sometimes, much less finds it funny, but, well... it's my blog so here it is...

I was perusing the Katy Times online this afternoon and came across this article:

Survey calls Katy one of the best for music education

My first thought was: "By Golly, we better be with the amount of money we have been spending for facilities in the past several years!"

My thoughts then went to the good 'ole Katy Watchdogs and how they have undertaken the Sisyphean task of opposing the most recent Katy ISD Bond election.

But here's the irony...

The online ad that popped up right next to this article was for AXA Advisor Steven Flodder, a financial consultant. The "headline" for the ad?

"Help them Graduate with Honors - Not With Debt"

The next sentence? "Did you know nearly 25% of students graduate with loan balances greater than their annual income?"

Let's see.... currently Katy ISD has around $1.5 billion in debt. There are, say, approximately 45 thousand students. Crunching the math gives Katy ISD a current "per student" debt of $33,333.33. Now, granted, with the turnover of students, it's kind of fuzzy math, but I think you get the picture.

So, then, why should we be shocked that students these days complete college with so much debt when we have saddled their families with debts to pay just getting them to graduate from high school?!? Give the students credit -- at least they are following our example!

Am I the only one that finds such irony amusing?

Texas wins the lottery!

2006-04-17T16:02:00.000-05:00

With the loophole-ridden, convoluted tax system we have here in Texas, hoping to come up with the right amount of money for the state budget can be considered somewhat of a game of chance.

Well, according to Texas State Comptroller Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn (whew!), as reported in the Houston Chronicle:

Strayhorn: Lawmakers have $8.2 billion surplus

So, ya know, apparently we're kinda rollin' in it! Talk about a gift to the Texas Legislature! But:

Strayhorn, like Perry, said it would be a mistake for legislators to simply use the surplus to pay for property tax cuts and then go home. But the fact that she nearly doubled the surplus from her previous forecast of $4.3 billion is likely to increase the temptation of many Republican lawmakers to do just that.

As the article mentions, though, the Lege is somewhat limited in what areas of school finance and proprety taxes they will be allowed to address:

The governor issued a proclamation today, officially limiting the session's agenda to cutting school property taxes, the higher state taxes he has proposed and appropriations to the Texas Education Agency.

In other words, appraisal tax caps are again off the table - for now. (*sigh*)

The Umpire's call? My initial prediction (subject to change based on facts and/or whim) is that the Lege will:

1. Tweak Perry's recommended tax "enchancements" but otherwise adopt them almost as-presented.
2. They will use the surplus to "fund" the "property tax reduction" (ignoring the fact that the lack of caps will negate the "tax reduction" in just 2-4 years)
3. Declare victory and go home thinking that they have performed some great and noble service for the future of Texas.

Arrgh!

"Nothing good happens after midnight"

2006-04-17T07:49:00.000-05:00

My mother used to tell me when I was in high school, "What do you want to be able to stay out until 2:00 am for??? Nothing good happens after midnight."

She meant that anything you might want to do or engage in after midnight would not be something she would approve of. But, since my goody-two-shoes older brother got a 2am curfew, I got one, too. But, uh... um.. well, let's just say Mom was right.

Now, it seems some poor life choices have had irreversibly tragic consequences:

"Hit-and-run kills pregnant teen outside strip club" (Houston Chronicle)

"An early morning hit-and-run accident killed a pregnant teenager overnight in southwest Houston, according to a report this morning by KHOU-TV. The incident happened in front of Playmates Cabaret at Bissonet and Southwest Freeway around 2 a.m.

The 17-year-old, who was reportedly six-months pregnant, was struck and killed by a pickup truck, according to KHOU. The teen died at the scene and the truck fled the scene."

Now, let's make sure we have these details right: She's only 17, 6-months pregnant (not married), and -- where was she? -- in the parking lot of a strip club at -- what time? -- 2:00 a.m..

I don't mean to suggest that this girl deserved what happened to her, or that she somehow "had it coming" by any means. But when a 17 year-old girl who is six months pregnant is in a strip club parking lot at 2:00am, "nothing good" can come of it.

Unfortunately, the article doesn't report on the condition of her unborn child, which suggests that the baby died as well. What a sad and preventable loss.

Balks and Ballots

2006-04-14T10:19:00.000-05:00

A balk in baseball is when the pitcher acts like he's going to pitch to the batter, but really plans on trying to throw out the runner who may be leading off the base just a little too far. But he does so in a way that doesn't conform to the rules.

In other words, the pitcher is signaling one thing to the runner on base and the batter in the box (Hey, here come the pitch!) while the infielder knows to expect the ball will be thrown to him. It's basically a fake out -- signaling one thing but doing something else -- but done against the rules.

What does this have to do with ballots? Well, let The Umpire tell you.

As Bob Dunn gamely points out on his Fort Bend Now website, "Endorsements By Wallace, Thode Fuel Fire From GOP Chair Candidate Howell". It seems when it comes to the most recent runoff election (the ballots), Sugar Land Mayor (and potential candidate for CD22) David Wallace was engaging in a little duplicitous action (the balk).

"Wallace acknowledged to Howell that he had endorsed Gillen in the primary, but wasn’t going to take sides in the runoff. “I have been friends with you and I have been friends with Gary,” she said the mayor told her. “And I want to remain neutral in this. I am going to be sending Gary an email asking him not to use my name anymore.”

Instead, he sent out the above letter a few days later, Howell said, along with a similar email that went out to Fort Bend County Chamber of Commerce members.
“And then he sent [an] email twice,” [Ms. Howell] said, “and it had a link to Gary’s web site.”"

As I commented on the article on Mr. Dunn's website, it sure would have been nice to be able to start fresh with a new CD22 rep and a new Chair free of ethical concerns, but perhaps these days that is asking just a little too much.

As Ms. Howell stated in the article: "““That was the biggest bunch of crock I have ever heard of in my whole life,” she said of Wallace. “How in the world can we have someone we can trust in Congress if we can’t trust them locally?”"

How, indeed, "Lovey"...

Refusing to go gently into that good night...

2006-04-13T14:11:00.000-05:00

Oh, my! I'm sorry to say that "upon further review," The Umpire was right again...

Once upon a time, I made this comment about Mr. Gary Gates in reference to his third election loss to Glenn Hegar:

"The resounding defeat should send a message to the Gates campaign (like, uh, stop running), but I doubt his ego has ears."

Well, it seems he just can't let it go... via Quorum Report:

"TEXANS FOR LIMITED GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCES STATEWIDE RADIO CAMPAIGN"
Read the press release here.

I mean, hey, all power to him. It's not that I disagree with the premise behind the organization, and I certainly applaud anyone's efforts expended as an advocade of limited government, but I have a feeling it's just an additional vehicle to keep the perpetual Gates campaign afloat.

The Umpire sez: "Um, I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Gates, but three strikes is an out. You are going to have to go back to the dugout now."

"And the office goes to..."

2006-04-12T08:11:00.001-05:00

Find the Fort Bend County Republican Primary Runoff Election Results here.

(And if anyone cares, even though it doesn't really matter because they won't get elected in November anyway, the FBC Democratic Primary Runoff Election Results are here.)

Well, at least it's finally over. No more campaign mailers, campaign commercials, or campaign phone calls -- at least until October, anyway.

So who was left standing? Here's my two cents on the FBC GOP results:

HD-28 // Zerwas vs. Melanson -- It was certainly a lot closer than I expected (53% to 47%), but the winner was no surprise. I'll have to look at a county by county breakdown to see why it was as close as it was, but the tight margin of victory was unexpected.

Judge, County Court at Law #1 // Childers vs. Schaefer -- As best I could tell, it was better name vs. better qualifications and, as usual, the better name won out in a squeaker (51% to 49%). I haven't been involved in FBC politics long enough to know any backstory to this race, but this seemed to be exceptionally tight. I will say this, though: I read a mailer where Childers went on record as a "Reagan Republican" and Schaefer listed her preference for "George H.W. Bush." Next time, Ms. Schaefer, in a GOP primary, don't ever pick the "Read-My-Lips President" over the "Mr.-Gorbachev, tear-down-this-wall President". In a race where the margin of victory was only 138 votes, you better believe that picking the mod-President over the conservative, iconic President was bound to backfire.

County Attorney // Cordes vs. McDaniel -- To be honest, I'm surprised this vote was as close as it was, despite the convincing victory (62% to 38%). Good to see that we got this one right. See my take on Ms. McDaniel's doomed campaign here and here. But I'm sure she lost just because all the voters of FBC are sexist pigs who elect Nazis.

And last but not least on my hit parade this morning...

FBC GOP Chairman // Gillen vs. Howell -- I must admit to being torn about whom to support in this race. Clearly, I am not necessarily a fan about how Gillen ran his race (see here and here) and I have doubts about his campaign finance reports (see here), but there were no doubts about his qualifications. As for Ms. Howell, she ran an admirable race, but in a primary runoff, the voters are a lot more grassroots-minded and ideologically pure. I'm certain that her lack of "Precinct Chairman" experience (despite her other substantial qualifications) hurt her, and her excuses for not serving in that role were not convincing. Ultimately, though, it was a very close race (51.2% to 48.8%), and Mr. Gillen should not assume any mandate. When the hand-picked successor with the heavy-hitter endorsements only wins by 2.44% or 192 votes, it's not a tremendous show of support.

And that's The Umpire's call!

"The People" have spoken!

2006-04-12T07:49:00.000-05:00

.... well, at least 1.77% of the people! Wow, Fort Bend County GOP -- we should be so proud of ourselves for this dramatic and overwhelming "voice of the masses!"

(sarcasm off)

9,099 votes out of 514,492 registered voters in Fort Bend County. I wish there were a more politically sensitive word I can come up with, but all I can muster up is: pathetic.

Yes, I know... it's only a primary... and a runoff, too... and it could also be seen as 3.18% of "District Voters" (pleading ignorance as to whatever that means), but it's still pathetic.

So don't let anyone in this election talk about a "mandate" or how the people were "sending a message". I'm thinking that you need a little bit more than a 3% voter turnout to make that claim. The only "message" they (the registered voters of Fort Bend County) were sending is that they hate politics, politicians, and apathy reigns supreme. I dare you to disagree.

I'm Sure It's Just a Coincidence...

2006-04-11T08:18:00.000-05:00

Prompted by Chris Elam's semi-cryptic post here regarding (most likely) the FBC GOP Chairman's race and Mayor Wallace's (first - private, now - public) endorsement, I made a few comments:

Unfortunately, in politics, whether a post-DeLay, pre-DeLay, or-whatever-DeLay world we find ourselves in, friendships and relationships are not so much “bonds” but “relationships of convenience” borne out of temporary alliances based on transitory needs.
As I've said here and on my blog on this issue (Wallace's 'endorsement' of Gillen), Mayor Wallace was a man with “the cowardice of his convictions.” Perhaps he has finally stepped forward in that regard, emboldened by his recent elevation within the Party. Sorry, Chris, but as you know by now in politics, “If you want a friend, buy a dog.”

I then reviewed my previous post on this issue and saw where I made this suggestion (among others):

2. Have a phone conversation with Mayor Wallace and (quietly, nicely, and privately) ask him to either publicly come forward with his endorsement or just shut up about it and stop the back-channel endorsement effort. It’s not really much of an endorsement if one isn’t willing to go public with it, is it?

Now, in campaign mailers and advertisements, Mr. Gillen is indeed touting his endorsement from Mayor Wallace. I'm sure it didn't have anything to do with my advice, but I'm still glad Mr. Gillen / Mayor Wallace took it!

Now, Mr. Gillen, about my suggestions #1 and #3.... it's never too late to make wrong things right!

When Good Curmudgeons Go Bad

2006-04-10T07:52:00.000-05:00

I don't mind a good dose of invective disguised as righteous indignation every now again, and the woman I have characterized as one of my favorite local misanthropic curmudgeons never hesitates to dish it out, but every once in a while she goes too far.

In her most recent post, she writes:

Madam Swami Juanita predicts the winner in each race in the GOP primary run-off will have one thing in common with every darned other GOP elected official in the county --- they will all be fluffy white boys! I ain’t kidding. When you go to a swearing-in ceremony in Fort Bend County, it looks like Germany won the damn war. (emphasis mine)

So not only are we all sexist pigs, but we elect Nazis!

Gee, uh, it couldn't have anything to do with the quality of their campaigns, or their lack of heavy-hitter endorsements, would it? You mean to tell me if Terese Raia were running for party chair she wouldn't have sailed through without a runoff? And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Faye Dettling a Judge? And a woman? *gasp!*

Sorry, "Juanita," but your Nazi schtick was just a little too over the top. Demand a refund from your Emily Post classes, post haste.

The Umpire sez: "Bad Sportsmanship!"

You can lead a Candidate through a race, but you can't make her Think!

2006-04-10T07:08:00.000-05:00

Perhaps some people are too smart for their own good. Or, their genius in some areas is paired with shocking incompetence in others. You know, kind of like how Einstein flunked English class.

Exhibit A: Candidate for Fort Bend County Attorney Carolyn McDaniel

Maybe you read this post where I highlighted the numerous simple spelling errors in her campaign materials. Of course, you can read some of them for yourself which remain on her campaign website here and here. My personal favorite is "forfiture".

The thing is, if her credentials are to be believed (and I have absolutely no reason to doubt them), this woman is no dummy: A biology degree, former NASA researcher, member of the Bar, etc.

And yet, "there she goes again"...

She fixed one or two errors, but her recent ad in the FBC GOP April Newsletter still highlights her "ACCESSABILITY" and her desire to "Improve Transparance".

I have another semi-amusing item worth pointing out, but it would just seem like piling on... :)

She says we should elect our County Attorney as the one who has "Consistently Campaigned on the Future." I'm sorry, Ms. McDaniel, but I'm going to vote for the candidate who knows how to use spell check. It's not asking too much to insist on a County Attorney that knows how to spell, is it?

Thar' She Blows!

2006-04-06T15:25:00.000-05:00

After seeing this headline online at the Houston Chronicle, I just know someone is gonna blow a gasket...

Perry: No special election, unless DeLay resigns by Friday

AUSTIN - Gov. Rick Perry said today that he will not call an election to fill the congressional seat to be vacated by U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay before November if DeLay doesn't resign by Friday.
...(snip)...
Perry can call an emergency special election at an earlier date than November, but spokesperson Kathy Walt said the governor, at least for now, sees no reason to do so. She left the door open, however, for Perry to change his mind.

I found this paragraph particularly amusing:

Lampson said the special election should be called so that the area has representation during the next few months. Lampson supporters were carrying tea bags, which they described as symbols of taxation without representation, a reference to the American revolution.

Gee, uh, I wonder who might have given them that idea??? (Check out the bottom middle of the post.)

Hoo-boy! CD22 Fort Benders were already worked up hotter than a two-dollar pistol-- I can't imagine the seething rage that's boiling at this very minute!

The Umpire Sez: Time for a T.V. timeout! Simma down now! Mellow..... Mellloooowwww....

Springtime's Here! Time for flip-flops!

2006-04-05T09:07:00.000-05:00

Get them liquored up enough with the potent elixir of PAC money, and shoot them up with enough adulation and encouragement so that they are drunk with power, and politicians will happily "flip-flop" on political issues of the day.

The issue: Immigration Reform

Back in 1993, this Senator was sponsor of Senate Bill 1351 - The Immigration Stabilization Act of 1993. The goal of the bill was to:

"...curb criminal activity by aliens, to defend against acts of international terrorism, to protect American workers from unfair labor competition, and to relieve pressure on public services by strengthening border security and stabilizing immigration into the United States."

Sounds great, huh? It gets even better. According to Mark Krikorian, a press release from the Senator's office about this bill said,

"Our borders have overflowed with illegal immigrants placing tremendous burdens on our criminal justice system, schools and social programs. The Immigration and Naturalization Service needs the ability to step up enforcement. Our federal wallet is stretched to the limit by illegal aliens getting welfare, food stamps, medical care and other benefits often without paying any taxes. Safeguards like welfare and free medical care are in place to boost Americans in need of short-term assistance. These programs were not meant to entice freeloaders and scam artists from around the world. Even worse, Americans have seen heinous crimes committed by individuals who are here illegally."

You're ready to vote for this guy, aren't you?!? Are you ready for this? The bill even states that children born to illegal aliens would not be granted automatic citizenship under Section 1 of the Fourteenth Amendment!

Unfortunately, if this person were to put forward this legislation today he would be run out of town! Just who is this "flip-flopper"?

None other than U.S. Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (D - Nevada)! It's OK, though... I'm sure he would just chalk it up to a "youthful indiscretion".

EXCELLENT UPDATE!::: Drudge has the text of the original 1993 press release here.

"Pride cometh before destruction...

2006-04-04T08:29:00.000-05:00

...and a haughy spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18)

It seems like just a few months ago that Majority Leader Tom DeLay was on top of the world. Sure, that pesky Travis County DA was nipping at his heels, but it was all just partisan politics and it didn't keep "The Hammer" from making the backroom deals, twisting the arms, and doing whatever it took to advance his agenda.

Then, he stepped down from the Majority Leader position and was just 1 member of the House among 434 others. Soon, he'll be just plain 'ol Tom DeLay from Virginia. Granted, he'll have more money than he'll know what to do with, but at least now he'll be paying his own way for the lavish trips and fancy gourmet dinners.

The immediately-famous Time interview is here.

In that article, I found this interesting question that the interviewer posed to DeLay:

"My mother used to say: You're known by the company you keep. Another way of saying that is: If you lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Is that part of your problem?"

Just a few days ago, in my post titled, "The Hammer has Fleas", I wrote this:

"There's a saying that if you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas. There's also a saying that you will be known by the company you keep."

Should I sue for plagiarism? :) Nah... I'll just chalk it up to a little prescient prognostication. (And you can look that up in your Funk & Wagnall's!)

Some excellent views from the local blogosphere can be found at Texas Safety Forum and DeLay vs. World.

(psst.... "The World" won!)

The Lesson of Carolyn McDaniel (or, "How to Succeed in Campaigning without using Spell-Check")

2006-04-03T10:22:00.000-05:00

When I first heard about the three candidates vying for Fort Bend County Attorney, I must admit that I knew very little about them and even going into the primary had no clue for whom to vote. So, I voted anyway -- knowing there would be a runoff and I could better sort through the remaining candidates then.

Well, here we are coming up on the runoff election and although I can't say for certain that I will be voting for Roy L. Cordes, Jr., I do know that I will not be voting for Carolyn McDaniel. Here's why...

When I saw her pushcard at the SD18 convention, I noticed some glaring misspellings. Not "typos" -- manifestly obvious misspellings. Despite the overwhelmingly unprofessional pushcard, I was willing to consider chalking it up to trying to put something together in a hurry to have something to pass out at the SD conventions.

Then, just yesterday, there they were again in an ad in a "Fort Bend County Conservative Voters Guide": gems like "ACCELLERATION", "ACCESSABILITY" and "TRANSPARANCY".

Surely that was just an oversight, right? They took the pushcard material and put it into the ad without checking, but otherwise she knows how to spell, right?!?

WRONG! (As good 'ol John McLaughlin would say...)

Direct from her campaign website are these examples of "creative spelling" and "grammatical license"...

"Both myself and my opponent..." "...fast and efficeint..." "intutive" "avaliable" "buinesses" "implimented" "goverment" "handeling" "forfiture" "forfitures"

She also tells us that, "As your County Attorney, I will effectively and efficently run the department so as to save the tax payers money." (emphasis mine)

Well, she will certainly "efficently" (or is it "efficeintly"?) save time and money by not using that superfluous "Spell Check" feature on important FBC legal documents!

I'm sorry if this comes off as nit-picking or trite, but can a genuinely intelligent and serious candidate (for County Attorney, no less) continuously put out campaign materials that are this grossly larded with errors?

The Umpire's call? Ms. McDaniel, yer out!

"The Hammer Has Fleas!"

2006-03-31T10:39:00.000-06:00

How many more "former" or "ex-" DeLay aides/staffers will suffer through this headline?

"Former DeLay Aide Pleads Guilty"

Today, it's former DeLay Deupty Chief of Staff Tony Rudy.

It was only a couple of days ago (March 29th) we were learning about the 70-month sentence of the man DeLay would once describe as one of his "closest and dearest friend[s]," Jack Abramoff.

And shortly before that (March 26th), we were reading about DeLay's former Chief of Staff Edwin Buckham: Former DeLay Aide Enriched by Non-profit. DeLay's wife also figures into the mix of this scandal.

And lest we forget these other aides/staffers/associates who have come under indictment and/or intense scrutiny within the last year: Michael Scanlon, Jim Ellis, Drew Maloney, Todd Boulanger, and Jessica Boulanger. (Google the names yourselves to find relevant links)

There's a saying that if you lie down with dogs, you'll get up with fleas. There's also a saying that you will be known by the company you keep.

So is Congressman DeLay just a really bad judge of character and a victim of a series of unfortunate circumstances with shady characters who took advantage of his better nature, or ..... ???

Un retrato vale un mil palabras

2006-03-29T15:29:00.000-06:00

Translation: A picture is worth a thousand words

If you want a perfect illustration of the irony, sadness, and meaning behind the whole "pro-illegal-immigration" parades and protests, here it is, taken from a "protest" in Dallas:

A few things worth noting here:

1. This girl jumped into a fountain and apparently was drowning and needed to be rescued.

2. She appears to be either unconscious or, at least, totally unaware of the predicament she is in.

3. "American" paramedics, likely trained in "American" schools and using "American" technology, know-how, and safety precautions, have come to her aid.

4. She has "Mexico" tattooed (although likely a temporary one) on her chest.

Intelligent people can draw all the irony and symbolism they need on their own. If I have to explain it to you, I can't help you. I wonder if she would have received this type of aid in her "homeland"? The fact that non-citizens are not even allowed to protest in Mexico just makes it all the more ironic.

If ignorance is bliss, this young lady must be ecstatic.

For more outrageous pictures that also effectively illustrate the real motive behind this madness, click here. (hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

Caspar Weinberger, R.I.P.

2006-03-28T13:37:00.000-06:00

Caspar Weinberger has died. He was 88.

In March of 1983, Berkeley Breathed authored a Bloom County strip that still bounces around my headfrom time to time… In this particular strip, detailed nicely by Radley Balko (found after googling “jasper wine and sugar”),

Opus and Milo Bloom are sitting on grassy hill, and Opus begins to recite some poetry:

How I love to watch the morn with golden sun that shines,
up above to nicely warm these frosty toes of mine

The wind doth taste of bittersweet, Like jasper wine and sugar.
I bet it's blown through others' feet, like those of...

(Struggles to think of a rhyme...)

Caspar Weinberger.

At which point Milo, who was enjoying the verse, shouts, "Start over!"

The strip elicited the following response on official stationery from the Department of Defense:

Dear Mr. Breathed,

Many a morn I've longed to see
A comic strip be kind to me.
On 30 March, before my eyes
A penguin watched a warm sunrise.
In this land of so much bounty
Could I have that great Bloom County?

Sincerely,
Caspar Weinberger

R.I.P., Mr. Secretary.

"And you wanna be my latex salesman?!?"

2006-03-28T11:11:00.000-06:00

The 21st century continues to be in the throes of an information revolution that has changed the nature of American life: How we watch TV, where we get our news, holding politicians accountable, etc.

Gary Gillen wants to lead the FBC GOP during this technological explosion.... but apparently his campaign is still stuck with nuttin' but a pencil and a "Big Chief" tablet. As one of my favorite local misanthropic curmudgeons reports, Gary Gillen is filing his Texas Ethics Commission reports on paper.

She notes that this is perfectly acceptable under the law. As she points out, the law states in pertinent part:

Under the new law, a filer may claim an exemption from electronic filing only if the filer does not use a computer to keep current records of contributions, expenditures, or donors AND if the filer does not exceed $20,000 in political contributions or expenditures in a calendar year.

Hmm... so Gary Gillen is tracking all this information by hand? No "early adopter", this Gillen fellow. And just to make sure he's not just trying to get out of filing electronically, he further has to:

"...swear or affirm that I do not use computer equipment to keep current records of political contributions, political expenditures, or persons making political contributions to me.

I further swear or affirm that no person acting as my agent or consultant, and no person with whom I contract, uses computer equipment to keep current records of political contributions, political expenditures, or persons making political contributions to me. "

Nice bunt!

Where's Rodney King when we need him in FBC?

2006-03-27T11:37:00.000-06:00

Why can’t FBC GOP’ers just get along? Why does there have to be so much animosity and acrimony – particularly in the race for FBC GOP Chairman?

I have to, unfortunately, plead ignorance as I have only been on the fringes of FBC politics since joining the fray, but what’s the deal? Particularly with regard to Mr. Gillen and his (seemingly) significant disdain for Mrs. Howell. (You thought of “Lovey” from Gilligan’s island just now, didn’t you? You didn’t? Hmm… well, I did.)

Why can’t he just take his ill-gotten promotion of his endorsement from Eric Thode, his smoke-filled-back-room endorsement from the man with the cowardice of his convictions, Mayor Wallace, and just play nice on his road to victory in the runoff? Is it really necessary to tear down Mrs. Howell in campaign speeches just to build himself up?

Here are a few ideas Mr. Gillen will never read, but would ignore even if he did:
1. Go on record thanking Mr. Thode for his endorsement, but gently disagree with the manner in which it was advertised.
2. Have a phone conversation with Mayor Wallace and (quietly, nicely, and privately) ask him to either publicly come forward with his endorsement or just shut up about it and stop the back-channel endorsement effort. It’s not really much of an endorsement if one isn’t willing to go public with it, is it?
3. Apologize to Linda Howell for the pathetic and feeble attacks, and go back on the campaign trail saying nice things about your opponent and her years of service to the party – but add why you think your service, experience and vision would be more beneficial to the future of the FBC GOP.

But I will guess he won’t do these things. Civility has long since been abandoned in politics by partisans on both sides of the aisle, regardless of the nature of the opponent. And, admittedly, I’m regrettably one of the perpetrators from time to time.

Technical foul, Mr. Gillen.

Abdul Rahman UPDATE

2006-03-23T13:28:00.000-06:00

Michelle Malkin has the latest and greatest all wrapped up for us in the matter of Mr. Abdul Rahman...

My two cents take: The White House had a lame, tepid response and should be ashamed of their flaccid rhetoric. The leaders of Afghanistan (and the judge in the case) will likely use the "excuse" that, "Well, we can't kill him because he's insane". Both are pitiful, but both are better than the alternatives (saying nothing; execution).

It's a strange precendent for Afghanistan to set... expect the levels of "mental illness" in the former land of the Taliban to increase significantly -- and not just the kind brought on by "post-traumatic stress disorder". I wonder what they'll call it... and what they will do to those "afflicted" with it.

Gee, uh, I'm so glad we "liberated" Afghanistan

2006-03-20T09:08:00.000-06:00

It sure didn't take a long time for them to revert back to their Islamist ways:

Via VOA News: Afghan Man Faces Execution After Converting to Christianity

"Under Afghanistan's new constitution, minority religious rights are protected but Muslims are still subject to strict Islamic laws.
And so, officially, Muslim-born Rahman is charged with rejecting Islam and not for practicing Christianity.
Appearing in court earlier this week Rahman insisted he should not be considered an infidel, but admitted he is a Christian. He says he still believes in the almighty Allah, but cannot say for sure who God really is. "I am," he says, "a Christian and I believe in Jesus Christ."

(Hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

His Muslim family turned him in... nice.

WHY ISN'T THIS ON THE FRONT PAGE OF THE NYT AND THE WP?

Oh, yeah... the religions aren't reversed... And you can't blame George W.Bush... Got it.

But GWB should be getting involved. If he's not, it's inexcusable.

The president would have to sign the papers authorizing Rahman's execution, a move that could jeopardize Mr. Karzai's standing with human rights groups and Western governments.
....
But political analysts here in Kabul say he will be under significant pressure from the country's hard-line religious groups to make an example of Rahman.

Let's see, kowtowing to "hard-line religious groups" (a.k.a., "murderous thugs") or listening to the American cash cow... Decisions, decisions.

The Umpire insists you make the right call, Mr. Karzai. Regardless, may God bless the courageous example and steadfast faith of Mr. Abdul Rahman. (Daniel 3:16-18)

How's that for "perspective", Mr. Feinberg?

Constitutional Confusion

2006-03-14T16:16:00.000-06:00

It just gets curiouser and curiouser…

On the one hand, here in Texas we now have a federal challenge to the constitutionality of a state law allowing a moment of silence in Texas public schools. On First Amendment grounds, of course: "Parents challenge moment of silence in schools"

On the other hand, over in Pennsylvania, a man with a different take on the First Amendment: "Man Says Obscene Gesture Is Free Speech"

So, under these assumptions, it's constitutionally permissible for Johnny to give someone "the finger", but constitutionally prohibited to ask Johnny to keep quiet for one minute. Huh?!?

It's not my point here to debate the merits of either case (although one party is clearly wrong, the other just might prevail), but I found the juxtaposition quite amusing.

"Or, we have no idea what we're talking about..."

2006-03-14T13:12:00.000-06:00

The AP has an article today which just highlights the myopic and ignorant views of certain members of Congress when it comes to "Big Oil"...

"'Merger mania' blamed for soaring gas prices"

Lawmakers told oil executives today that a "merger mania" in their industry has significantly diminished competition and allowed soaring oil and gasoline prices.

Gee, uh, it couldn't have anything to do with fuel taxes (paid at the pump), corporate taxes, excessive governmental regulation, the fact that we haven't built a domestic refinery in 25 years, inflation, multiple designer "blends" of gasoline that can vary by state and by region, or the high cost of capital required to discover, extract, process, transport, refine, transport again, and deliver petroleum products to the final consumer -- all for less than the cost of bottled water.

Learn all about it here and here.

No, it's just that kooky "merger mania" - not the fact that some super projects can cost anywhere from $2 to $10 billion dollars. Idiots.

Primary Wrap-ups & Match-ups

2006-03-08T08:00:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: Fort Bend Now has a good article on the runoff match-ups here.
-------------------------------------------

Well, well, well... another primary has come and gone but not without some fireworks of the shot heard 'round the state. Here's my quick two-cents take on some of the races I care about...

State Senate District 7
From Channel 11 pariah to businessman to radio station owner/operator and talk show host, Dan Patrick proved that when a dynamic personality is combined with a passion for the primary voters' hot-button issues, it creates a steamrolling-juggernaut that eats experienced and seasoned politicos in its wake. And while his ownership of the bully pulpit called KSEV had an influence in this race, the results showed something else at work here: the wrath of the frustrated GOP primary voter. With Dem opposition in November only a formality, it's nice to welcome State Senator-elect Dan Patrick to the political stage.

State Senate District 18
With his transparent bid to model his campaign after Congressman Ron Paul, (right down to the campaign slogan and the 2-3 year-old picture with Dr. Paul) Gary Gates spent the better part of the last two years campaigning for this seat -- and was up against his two-time political nemesis, State Rep. Glenn Hegar. He ran an exceptionally clean race up until the very last day when, it seems to me, he got a bit desperate and needed to go negative on Hegar. It was to be expected, though, as various other organizations of dubious conservative bent tried to smear Gates.

In the end, though, this over-achiever with a slight inferiority/persecution complex just didn't resonate with voters. What is interesting is that Gates' numerous lawsuits was not made more of an issue in this campaign. I think it was wise to keep it out, but I'm sure it was considered.

Split David Stall's votes 50/50, and this was a 60-40 victory for Glenn Hegar. Gates campaigned two years and Hegar campaigned a little over two months. The resounding defeat should send a message to the Gates campaign (like, uh, stop running) but I doubt his ego has ears.

State Representative District 28
Too many men with too much money to spend and without an outlet to validate themselves, this race quickly became the land of opportunists and opportunity when State Senator Ken Armbrister decided not to run for reelection and State Rep. Glenn Hegar vacated his seat to run for Armbrister's.

With the exception of party activist and SREC member Michael Franks, and the recent Commissioner's race election with Mike Baldwin, this was a field filled with men who were neither active in the party nor familiar with the primary voting booth.

Nevertheless, the results in this race showed it was all about the money... the hit pieces on Showalter clearly kept him out of the runoff, Michael Franks couldn't fill our mailboxes, and Randy Smith withdrew from the race. The top vote getters? Dr. Zerwas with his dozens of glossy, full-color mailers, and the Jim Adler of politics, David Melanson.

It shows all you need to do is blanket peoples homes with pandering palatitudes and you can get elected. Lack of Republican party activism and loyalty can effectively be overcome with slick marketing.

The run-off should be a doozy. An umpire shouldn't call the game before it's played, but this one is Zerwas' to lose.

Tom in Trouble?

2006-02-27T14:02:00.000-06:00

UPDATE: Seems it was all much ado about nothing... Congressman DeLay easily bested his challengers with 62% of the primary vote. He thanked his supporters at his local campaign headquar-- er, uh, -- He celebrated at a DC fundraiser thrown by lobbyists. Mr. Campbell should demand his money back from "One Net Info"...

-------------------------------------------------
We've got big trouble right here in CD22... with a capital T that stands for TOM!

Could there be a strange upset a-brewing in CD-22... home district of "The Hammer" himself?

Fort Bend Now is on the beat: Endorsements Go DeLay's Way, But Opponents Say The Polls Don't

Tom Campbell, one of Tom DeLay's primary opponents,

brushed aside the endorsements and instead emphasized a poll he had conducted by something called OneNet Info, showing him with 47.7% of the votes in the Republican primary, to 38.4% by DeLay and 13.9% to “other.”

But, as the article points out:

But the poll has a margin of error of 9% (it looks like they reached fewer than 200 Republican voters), which is pretty far out there. Thus, if 9% swung one way, DeLay could have 47.4% of the vote to 38.7% for Campbell, if you believe the numbers.

Even if the polling is 100% off, an under-50 number for DeLay's reelection in a primary can't be good news for the incumbent. And if DeLay's camp had better numbers, you better believe that they would be plastering the walls with them.

But the aren't...

Because I don't think they do...

And the DeLay camp is in crisis mode.

It's the bottom of the ninth for Congressman DeLay. The only problem is that this is a double-header with the sequel in November.

Batter up!

Can't We all Just Get Along? ...Apparently Not.

2006-02-02T16:27:00.000-06:00

Some people just can't help themselves... the rage and hate within them can't help but bubble up to the surface and spew out of their mouth.

Via World Net Daily: NAACP chairman compares GOP to Nazis

A little snippet:

"The Republican Party would have the American flag and the swastika flying side by side," he charged."

At least one family had the courage to walk out of the vitriolic hate-fest...

"He went on and on name calling," said Lee Wilson. "I walked out in the middle of his speech with my wife and three kids"

Gee, and they wonder why President Bush doesn't show up to their annual convention...

Master Thief or Oblivious Idiot

2006-01-31T15:51:00.000-06:00

Poor, misunderstood Ken Lay.

Ken Lay failed, but failure isn't a crime, attorney says

As far as The Umpire is concerned, Ken Lay is either incredibly ingenious (well, until he got busted) or woefully inept. Either he is guilty of conspiracy, fraud, etc. or he is guilty of gross negligence.

Neither choice makes Kenny look very good.

But it still cracks me up every time I drive by the Ken Lay YMCA in Cinco Ranch. That's right, they actually changed the sign in front of the building to reduce the size of his name down to about 2" tall letters.

The Clerk who Couldn't File

2006-01-28T07:29:00.000-06:00

(*Cue the fat lady*)

Seems the "Glory" days in the Fort Bend County District Clerk's office are over... Glory Hopkins will not be on the ballot for FBC District Clerk.

Wrong ZIP zapped incumbent off ballot
"[Texas] Supreme Court's decision ends Fort Bend County district clerk's 19 years in office"

See also here... and some history here and here.

It bears repeating:

1. Her staffer used one of SEVERAL e-mails that FBC GOP Chairman Eric Thode sent out with the addresses to send campaign filings.

2. The one e-mail that was used was addressed specifically to PRECINCT CHAIRS and was the ONLY e-mail sent that had an incorrect zip code. (Funny, not one precinct chair missed the filing date.)

3. She met for lunch with Thode for the express purpose of giving him her filing papers and filing fee. She didn't bring them both with her.

4. She had her forms/fee mailed in late December (like she didn't know a month before that she was going to run again?) and then went on vacation without verifying they were received.

5. She oversees the filing of documents FOR A LIVING. If she can't tend to her own filings, maybe this just isn't the right position for her.

It's regrettable, and it's unfortunate, but the Texas Supremes made the right call.

The Umpire says: "Yer OUT!"

YCT Endorses Zerwas? Swing and a Miss!

2006-01-24T07:23:00.000-06:00

Young Conservatives of Texas has issued its endorsements for the 2006 Primary.

Of note:

SD18 - Glenn Hegar
HD-28 - Dr. John Zerwas

I was a little perplexed because I thought Dr. John Zerwas leaned just a little to the left.

And yet YCT states that one of its main things is to: "[hold] interviews of all candidates in a primary and issuing an endorsement of the most conservative candidate." (emphasis mine)

After reading the good doctor's website (which is finally up), I can see why he may have them convinced he's the right guy.

But let's be honest... is there any GOP candidate in this primary that wouldn't agree with the generic palatitudes he puts forward as policy positions?

Come on, YCT. Are you sure he's "the most conservative candidate"? Did you check his political contributions? Swing and a miss, YCT.

And to think people get paid to come up with things like this...

2006-01-20T08:03:00.000-06:00

John Zerwas is a candidate (1 of 7!) for Texas State House District 28… the district I live in.

He has now (finally!) put up a website.  It’s really just a web-placeholder, really, but an interesting comment was made about the logo:
“Would you be more or less likely to vote for a candidate who has placed Texas crookedly on their official logo? Doesn't that just leave the door open for all sorts of jokes and innuendo?
Such as the fact that the Texas in this logo leans to the left, instead of to the right?”

When I found out he was running, I did a little check on the Federal Election Commission website and made the following comment on another blog:

“Zerwas is going to have to explain why he gave Ken Bentsen $500 in April 2000.

And why he gave $6000 to his American Society of Anesthesiologists PAC who has recently donated money to the likes of Harry Reid, Jeanne Shaheen, Max Baucus, David Bonior, Barbara Boxer, Carol Moseley Braun, etc.

I realize it might be politically expedient in one's profession to donate to their profession's PAC, but if I knew my money was going to the types of individuals named above, I would stop giving to that PAC.

Either you are a Republican and you support Republican causes, or you do not. In a conservative district like HD28, we don't take too kindly to those who like to “ride the fence.”

How about it, Dr. Zerwas? The voters of HD28 will not let this one slide by without a response...”

A left-leaning logo, huh?  Hmm….

Professing to be Wise, They Became Fools

2006-01-19T10:33:00.000-06:00

Michelle Malkin has all the details on the miraculous progress Haleigh Poutre has made towards a recovery from her “virtually brain dead” “vegetative state” with “no hope of recovery”.

The nerve of that 11-year old girl!

Those perverse “right-to-die” advocates who now dance on the grave of the tragic and alarming case of Terri Schiavo have had a bit of a wrench thrown in the engine of their drive toward euthanasia for the elderly, infirm, and inconvenient.

“And a little child shall lead them…” indeed. God be with you, Haleigh!

Money, Money, Money, Mo-NEY! MO-NEY!

2006-01-19T07:32:00.000-06:00

Looks like Gov. Perry's got some 'splainin to do!

"FORMER DELAY CHIEF OF STAFF FUNNELING TEXAS TAXPAYER DOLLARS TO REPUBLICAN POLITICIANS"

From the release (via Quorum Report):

"Yesterday, House Democratic Leader Jim Dunnam wrote and asked Governor Perry to immediately cancel the contract with Washington D.C. lobbyist Todd Boulanger (and his lobby firm Cassidy and Associates) that Governor Perry approved through the Texas Office of State Federal Relations (OSFR). Today, Representative Dunnam wrote Governor Perry and asked the Governor to immediately cancel the lobby contract with Drew Maloney and his K Street lobby firm, The Federalist Group. "Governor Perry should not continue to waste huge sums of taxpayer money to fund the unnecessary ... Mr. Maloney is the former chief of staff to former Majority Leader Tom DeLay and one of his closest confidants."

The Houston Chronicle's tale on it is here.

Simply stated, the problem with government (whether national, state, or local, these days) is that it spends too much money and it controls too much money.

Spending $180,000+ on something our state and federal legislators are already being paid to do (be an advocate for the interests of their consitituents) is not only wasteful, but - particularly in this instance - it just doesn't pass the smell test.

It stinks so much that even Craddick and Dewhurst (no strangers to the grease that drives the political engine) are distancing themselves from it as fast as they can.

(And the connection to DeLay makes the story even more noteworthy... does Congressman DeLay hire anybody that doesn't end up causing controversy???)

Time Wounds All Heels

2006-01-18T09:43:00.000-06:00

Has it really been five years?!?

Bill Clinton can re-apply for his lawyer license
"5-year Arkansas suspension related to Lewinsky scandal ends Thursday"

[snip] "Clinton settled the Arkansas case three days before he was due to answer
42 questions posed by the committee [The Arkansas Supreme Court's Committee on
Professional Conduct]-- including several on whether he gave false or misleading
statements over his relationship with Lewinsky."

My guess is that he won't apply for reinstatement becuase he just might have to answer those 42 questions...

"Um, I really meant 'Neopolitan'"

2006-01-18T07:24:00.000-06:00

Giving further legs to his ill-advised and racist comment about New Orleans rebirth as a "chocolate" city, Mayor Ray Nagin has now apologized for his comments. I guess he realized that the diversity of workers (not to mention the federal funds) necessary for the rebuilding of the city would not exactly be quickly forthcoming in the racially-charged atmosphere he has created.

But contained in the article was this little nugget from N.O. City Councilman Oliver Thomas:

"Even if you believe some of that crazy stuff, that is not the type of
image we need to present to the nation."

He didn't say to believe such a thing was inherently wrong, racist or utterly moronic, but just that you shouldn't say such things in public. Nice...

Unfortunately, there is a growing minority within the black community that not only believes Mayor Nagin's original comments, but is more than willing to say such things in public. And the resegregation of America continues...

Truth be told, I'm more of a Cherry Garcia fan. Make it a Cherry Garcia city, Mayor, and I'll come runnin' with a spoon!

Play Ball!

2006-01-17T14:00:00.000-06:00

I don't know how regular my posts will be, but The Umpire has come out on the field and it's time to call 'em like I see 'em. No instant replay -- no "coach's challenge". Just balls and strikes.

Batter up!