Special Election: Tom DeLay's bitch

In honor the "Mo Fo" and his special election. Tom made him do it.

Shelley Sekula Rodriguez Gibbs vs. Shelley Sekula Rodriguez Gibbs

As things were getting quite here in CD-22, Rick "Mo Fo" Perry pulled what he thought was brilliant move by calling for a special election on the same day as the general election on November 7. Not! Perry figured by calling such an election would give poor ole' Shelley the name recognition she so badly needs for a zero of a chance write-in campaign. This turns out to be another debacle for the sappless republicans who for some reason keep making so many bad decisions.

Here why? Democrat Nick Lampson and Libertarian Bob Smithers have both distributed a press release stating they will not participate in the Perry slash DeLay, general election sham. What does this mean? It means Shelley Sekula Gibbs will run against herself which makes this whole general election nothing but a joke and she's dab smack in the middle of it.

Lampson press release:

Houston, TX -- Nick Lampson, candidate for Texas' 22nd Congressional District, released the following statement today in response to reports from the Texas Secretary of State's office that three candidates had already filed for the special election in Congressional District 22 - none of whom were Nick Lampson. Should these multiple candidates become involved in a run-off election in December, the district will be holding an election for a term that could possibly no longer exist as Congress would be leaving session. And the people of this district would end this Congress with no representation.

"I have decided against running in the special election," Lampson said. "This entire process has become a mess thanks to Tom DeLay's attempts to manipulate the system. If the Governor and Tom DeLay had truly been concerned about the interest of Southeast Texans, we would have had this special election back in May. Now we are looking at four special election candidates if I were to run and possibly more by close of business tomorrow. That raises the possibility of run-off that would drag the process into December. Enough is enough. I am not going to put voters through that extra confusion. I am going to focus my attention on the general election and the next full term of Congress. Vote once for Lampson and you're done."

More on the Libertarian press release here.

Mistaken Identity

I guess the Washington Post has a hard time distinguishing one creep from another. He's always given me the creeps after viewing his mug on the tube and now I'm starting to wonder.

Help Fort Bend Democrats get comercial on air

Bryan tells us that the Fort Bend Democrats have a comercial they are trying to get on a television tube near you. So click on over to their site and throw them a little spare change. Money well spent if you ask me.

Had Enough...Vote Democratic

Turning Fort Bend dark blue this week

Thanks to Kuff for this very good news.

CQ Politics has updated its rating of the CD22 race from "No Clear Favorite" to "Leans Democratic", which makes it "the first House seat being defended this year by the Republicans in which the Democratic nominee is rated as having a clear edge". That's a step in the right direction.

Good news yes, but this means the Lampson people will have to work just as hard now that the GOP is running as the underdog. Now, when will the so called promised 3 million arrive from the Washington folks to slime Lampson. My bet is never.

I know all you Fort Bend and District 22 Republicans are just itching to leave the dark side and come over to the party of civility. But just how do you do it without the 'W' sticker people throwing eggs in your face. I say screw them and head on over to a little gathering of good down to earth people on Sunday, Sept 3. So come meet good people and hang out with future State and local Democratic candidates such as Nick Lampson, Shane Sklar, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, Chris Bell, David VanOs, Hank Gilbert, Jim Sharp, Dora Olivo, Rudy Velasquez, Farhan Shamsi, Albert Hollan, Veronica Torres, and Neeta Sane...what more could you ask for?

Coulter has a big nose

There are moments where I just absolutely hate Blogger. The technical problems on my end are now resolved but it did frustrate the hell out of me. But there is more to life than Blogging, isn't there?

Truth Serum is about the truth and countering the deception and flat out lies from the other side. Today I am posting this queen bitch of fabrication and distortion graphic. I fell out of my seat when Scamitty wouldn't come to the rescue of Ann Coulter on that crappy Fox show. She evidently walked off the show in disgust. This little right winger's wet dream obviously has an fan base with a low IQ because a little feedback from a couple good libs and she whines like a friggin' four year old. She is definitely on the list for Truth Serums Liar of year, but she's in for some tough competition. I can guarantee you that!

GOP netroots love their Notorious Adulterers

Giuliani 24%
Gingrich 21%
Romney 13%
Allen 12%
Tancredo 7%
McCain 6%
Brownback 3%
Hagel 3%
Huckabee 2%
Frist 1%
Pataki 0%

The GOP Netroots have spoken and Gingich is picking up steam. I can see it now Giuliani/Gingrich 08...the Family Values tour or the 'Notorious Adultery' fundraiser. The presidential dream team soccer moms have been waiting for with a motto of, "It's OK to have more than one divorce and damnit, count on it if you ever get sick".

"Gingrich's most recent ex-wife says he ditched her eight months after finding out she had multiple sclerosis. Marianne Gingrich, 48, shopping a book proposal "both personal and political" about how women are treated in D.C., says the ex-speaker of the House told her on Mother's Day 1999 that he wanted a divorce, after learning she had a neurological condition that could lead to MS. In 1981, the former congressman told his other ex-wife, Jackie Battley, that he was dumping her, after she had been hospitalized with cancer. Newt, 57, will wed ex-congressional aide Callista Bisek, 34 -- with whom he had an affair while still married to Marianne -- on Aug. 18. "

That oughta scare them terrorists away.

Hackett rips Van Taylor again on the Young Turks

Paul Hackett, as a guest on the Young Turks radio show had some choice words for Chris Matthew's new bitch, Van Taylor. I grabbed to best part of the interview for you to read.

Cenk Uyger: Another beautiful thing is when you were on Hardball last night and you ripped Van Taylor apart. This is the guy running against Chet Edwards in Texas.

Paul Hackett: You know how can you help but do that. Van Taylor is nothing more than an apologist for a failed administration...the liar in chief and his chuckle head friends, Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld. Van Taylor...he couldn't find his ass with a compass and a map. He is an absolute... It is pathetic. What I wanted to say to Van Taylor, you still have enough time to be on the right side of history instead of being just another ?? puking sound bite regurgitating numb nut.

Cenk Uyger: He fought in the same war you did and he is also a veteran. How does he come out of that war and have a completely different experience and talk stuff that doesn't really make any sense. I mean we all saw the tape. He is regurgitating talking points. Do you think he saw something different or he doesn't care and he just trying to get elected?

Paul Hackett: That's a tough question. I don't really know.

I am a little bit skeptical in actually believing that based on some of his behavior that he is nothing more than an opportunist. He moved to Texas...He move to the 13th District in order to qualify to run in that congressional race. So to me that immediately sends up the BS flag that he is an opportunist and that he's not what he portrays himself to be. He inherited millions and millions of dollars from daddy so what does that tell us so far? He moved to a part of Texas to be a politician and he inherited a ton of money from his mommy and daddy. Who does that remind you of?

The only thing I could say good about Van Taylor he's part of one of the greatest organizations...we share that in common...the Marine Corp but there has to be something decent about him, but I think he has been slightly misguided.

You can listen to the interview here.

America needs a face lift

Van Taylor pummeled on Hardball

Thanks to HP and C&L for posting this beauty.

It was Republican Van Taylor, who's running against Democrat Chet Edwards in TX-17.

He's one of a tiny number of challengers the NRCC says they're supporting, and they're already going low against Edwards -- you'll hear Taylor accuse Edwards of not "supporting the troops" even though Edwards is beloved by the military community for work on national veterans issues and his work with the local vets community on things like PTSD. It's a big part of why he survived Tom DeLay's redistricting garbage.

Anyway, you'll see in this clip why so many Iraq vets jumped into politics as Democrats this time around while Van Taylor is the lone Iraq vet running for Congress as a Republican. The contrast between Taylor's regurgitated Ken Mehlman talking points and Paul Hackett's heartfelt, passionate outrage is just shocking. And you'll see the same kind of sincerity from Tammy Duckworth and Patrick Murphy on our side. If you've never seen Paul Hackett before, you're in for a real treat and will soon realize why he instantaneously gained so much respect in the blogosphere.

Crooks and Liars has the video. You have to see this.

Support Chet Edwards today.

dday has more.

Just wanted to expand upon what happened. Matthews started by going to Taylor, asking him about Iraq. Taylor says that we must stay in Iraq because we have to stop Al Qaeda. He walks right into Matthews' trap, saying that Al Qaeda made a decision to go to Iraq, leaving Matthews to say "so if we didn't go into Iraq, they wouldn't be there." Matthews then hits him, wondering why what we're seeing on our TV screens (even though we're not really seeing it), where 3,100 Iraqis are dying a month, and no more than 5% can be attributed to Al Qaeda. Taylor couldn't respond. Hackett jumps in with "what you're seeing is a civil war. The US military has done every single thing they can do from a military standpoint. Hackett then asked "Where's the six-foot-two, left-handed guy with the flowing white robe and the kidney problem? (Taylor) doesn't understand the war on terror." It just got worse from there.

Capitol Annex has the transcript of the interview.

Update: BOR has uploaded the video to YouTube.

Bob Barr, Sam Houston, Bob Smithers and Republican LUNACY

Bob Barr, Sam Houston, Bob Smithers and Republican LUNACY. Yes all ties together. How may you ask? Go see Juanita if you dare.

61% or America apposes war but are they all democrats?

By the one and only Helen Thomas...

President Bush is confident of ultimate success in Iraq, and he is patiently waiting for its achievement. I'm certain that unicorns exist, and I'm willing to hang around till they show up in my yard. We may both be deluded, but my delusion is a good deal less costly than his.

America has woken up to the big lie...

Just 35 percent of 1,033 adults polled say they favor the war in Iraq; 61 percent say they oppose it -- the highest opposition noted in any CNN poll since the conflict began more than three years ago.

The poll number falls even further every time bubbleboy opens his mouth...

Bush served notice at a news conference that he would not change course or flinch from debate about the unpopular war as he campaigns for Republicans in the fall congressional elections. In fact, he suggested that national security and the economy should be the top political issues, and criticized the Democrats' approach on both.

Many Democrats want to leave Iraq "before the job is done," the president said. "I can't tell you exactly when it's going to be done," he said, but "if we ever give up the desire to help people who live in freedom, we will have lost our soul as a nation, as far as I'm concerned."

61% of America opposes the war in Iraq. Our prez seems to think Democrats are the only opposers (opposers=Bushism)of the war. If you take his logic, for what it's worth, 61% of the country are true and blue Democrats. I'll take that any day.

Mayor Dave calls it quits in CD-22

I just left the David Wallace decision press conference and as I predicted on Sunday he will be removing his name as a write-in candidate for CD-22. I got there a little late so I missed the meat of the press conference. With wife and daughter at his side, the conference with a few staff and news reports was a small affair. Where were all his supporters? In summary this is what I heard:

He is withdrawing from the race to unify the party.

He received no outside pressure from the party chairs.

When asked what happened last Thursday and why he wasn't selected his answer was simply, "I don't know".

He will donate the maximum amount allowed to Shelley Sekula Gibbs campaign.

Again and again he said he did not receive outside pressure to withdraw.

So in short he calls it quits just like his ole' pal Tom DeLay. See ya in 08, Mayor Dave.

Juanita has the press release and the other reason he's leaving...a promised 3 million form the GOP if there is only one.

A special song dedicated to David Wallace - Should I Stay or Should I Go?

A little bit about Lampson: Part One

You have been hearing a lot in the past week on who the fearless Republican leader will or will not be to replace Tom DeLay. We'll know more tomorrow as well. With all that, I thought it only fitting to tell you about the man that will be the next Democratic congressman from District 22.

Nick has a long family history in Texas's 22nd congressional district. His grandparents came to this country from Italy and settled in Stafford, Texas nearly 100 years ago, where they had farms and were founding members of their church. Nick's parents grew up, met and married in Fort Bend County, and the Lampson children spent a great deal of time on their grandparents' farms working the fields and learning what it meant to be part of a community larger than themselves.

Nick was one of six children born to a welder and a homemaker. His father passed away when he was 12 years old, and Nick took his first job at that young age sweeping floors to supplement the family's income. Nick's mother received $19 dollars per month from Social Security, as long as Nick stayed in school. This money helped his family stay together in those difficult years, and Nick has been a steadfast voice for protecting Social Security throughout his time in government. Nick is married to wife, Susan. They have two grown children, and three grandchildren.

Visit Lampson.com to learn more of his campaign on how to become a volunteer.

The big Question: What will David Wallace decide at his press conference on Monday?

A little late night scoop regarding our little want to be famous Mayor from Sugar Land. Texas Safety Forum has posted that the Republican Party's favorite person will hold a press conference on whether he will continue his run for CD-22 as a write-in to replace Tom Delay.

Odds are he out of this race and after the tongue lashing he received on Conservative radio KSEV on Friday I can imagine the heat he is receiving from his own party. His database comment will kind of make you wonder but a "poor me" press conference on Monday just may be the strategy to kick off his 2008 campaign for this exact seat. Beacause you know, it's all about Dave.

His new camapign theme song ought to be The Clash's, Should I Stay or should I Go Now which fits him perfectly.

Should I stay or should I go now?
Should I stay or should I go now?
If I go there will be trouble
An if I stay it will be double
So come on and let me know

Which will it be? Stay tuned Monday.

Shorter vacations for Americans except one...kind of

Found in NY Times today

About 25 percent of American workers in the private sector do not get any paid vacation time, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports. Another 33 percent will take only a seven-day vacation, including a weekend.

Found in NY Times a few weeks ago.

With an eye on political reality, President Bush is spending just 10 nights at his ranch, rather than the whole month of August.

More like GOP pin-up on ecstacy

No ID you go to jail says Shelley whatever

Do you ever leave your home and happen to forget your ID? It could happen to anyone of us I'm sure. But if Shelley, the blonde mexican, got her way she would throw you in the slammer.

Thanks to KOS for reminding me of the letter written by her in which she is calling for support to allow law enforcement officials the ability to ask for immigration status and arrest people if they have no identification.

...some politicians fear that asking people who have no ID about their legal status might intimidate all illegals into not reporting crimes. This policy of appeasement must be stopped. Police need the authority to hold persons who do not have proper identification until federal immigration authorities can check them out and warrant checks can be run.

My wife sometimes complains that I'm a bit forgetful and the fact I'm hispanic concerns me. I guess I could purchase a wallet chain but then she would never go out with me in public. But then again, I'll just make sure Nick Lampson wins!

Cook Political Report: TX-22 leans Dem

Charlie Cook has changed TX-22, Delay's former seat, from a toss up to leans Dem.

RATINGS CHANGE: TX-22 Open (DeLay) moves from Toss-Up to Lean D. Winning a write-in campaign is hard enough, but squabbling among Republicans in the district means that there may not be a consensus candidate for the national and state party to rally around. While this district retains a good Republican advantage – and there’s always room to be surprised in politics – the benefit of the doubt now goes to Democrat Nick Lampson.

The Cook Political Report is a non-partisan, online analysis of electoral politics.

In the meantime, let the cat fight begin.

Give up CD-22 GOPers - Smithers is the one?

Cancel all GOP selection committees and give it up...David Wallace. The Libertarian Party has put a press release out to District 22 GOP voters and to their base with the message that Bob Smithers has a strong chance of winning the congressional against Nick Lampson. Thier contention is Ron Paul owned a piece of CD-22 before Delay's redisctricting sham. So why can't Bill own it all!

Before redistricting, parts of District 22 were held by Congressman Ron Paul. Paul once ran for president as the Libertarian Party candidate. While currently elected as a Republican in the 14th District, Paul’s libertarian ideology and Libertarian Party association are well known. As there is significant overlap between the former and current district boundaries, many voters in the 22nd District have already voted for a candidate who runs on a libertarian platform.

Huh? The problem is Ron Paul ran as a Republican and didn't have Libertarian next to his name in the polling booth.

The hot topic on this site was not whether he would win but what to do with his crappy campaign website. Take a look at it for yourself.

I know HTML and CSS, but that’s it (no PHP, no Javascript, no Flash). I could rearrange his current content better and make it look cleaner, but that’s about it. I suppose that would be a start.

Nick Lampson has flash and integrated video and his pages aren’t static HTML (they use Javascript and probably other stuff I don’t understand). A page like this should be the ultimate goal, I think.

Chris from the Libertarian Party had this remark though...

What we really need is to ship in Libertarians into CD-22 to walk prectincts and convince then that people are going to get more by having Smithers in Congress than Lampson or a write-in candidate. The Republicans and Democrats do this effectively…we should too!

The future of CD-22

Federal Court rules warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional

The constitution belongs to us, Mr. Bush. Don't mess with it.

A federal judge ruled Thursday that the government's warrantless wiretapping program is unconstitutional and ordered an immediate halt to it.

U.S. District Judge Anna Diggs Taylor in Detroit became the first judge to strike down the National Security Agency's program, which she says violates the rights to free speech and privacy as well as the separation of powers enshrined in the Constitution.

People who live in white houses shouldn't throw stones.

I received an email from John Kerry today and he is right on target with his message.

George W. Bush, Dick Cheney and Karl Rove should know better, but it's no surprise they don't. For almost five years now, every time they've got their backs to the wall politically, they play "the fear card." The latest example: Dick Cheney claiming that Democratic candidates who dare to challenge the Bush White House on Iraq are "emboldening terrorists."

What's worse, and startling, is that in Connecticut Joe Lieberman is now echoing their intolerable rhetoric attacking the Democratic Senate nominee.

It won't work. We won't let it work.

See, I told ya so.


Here lies the problem!


Update: I call it desperation.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, who continuously decries the bitter partisanship in Washington, implied this week that Democratic success in November's election could result in terrorist attacks on America.

Hatch was quoted in Tuesday's Tooele Transcript Bulletin as saying Middle East terrorists are "waiting for the Democrats here to take control, let things cool off and then strike again."

Now I know why he decided to "cut and run"

Unconfirmed sources report that disgraced political veterans Tom Delay and Jack Abramoff have announced their intention to make a run for the presidency in 2008. The pair has already launched an exploratory campaign committee and is incredibly well funded. Do these two have a tough up hill battle, yes, but smart political types would never count Tom Delay out until the cell door slams

A right wingers dream come true! I wonder if David Wallace will announce as a write-in candidate here as well. Go David Go!

Things to come

BOR: Shane Sklar is running the most important congressional race in Texas

BOR explains why Shane Sklar is running the most important congressional race in Texas. Beginning this week Phillip Martin look at one of our Texroots endorsed candidates, Shane Sklar. Later this week, we'll feature an interview with Sklar, a look at his opponent, Ron Paul, and more.

If we want to send another Republican packing on Election Day, our best opportunity here in Texas will be in the 14th Congressional District, and the man we need to put in office is our own Texroots candidate, Shane Sklar.

He knows the issues. He knows the people. He knows what it takes to win. Over the course of the next week, I hope to convince you that Shane Sklar is running the most important congressional race in Texas. So let's get started.

Visit BOR this week to learn why Shane Sklar is running the most important congressional race in Texas

District 22 "You're On Notice!"

White House and GOP use Terror for political gain

"It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America," he said. "We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously we still aren't completely safe."

His remarks came a day after the White House orchestrated an exceptionally aggressive campaign to tar opposition Democrats as weak on terrorism, knowing what Democrats didn't: News of the plot could soon break. More here.

Rather sick!

America Blog and the Philly Daily has more.
"I don't take anything he says seriously anymore. I think that he has been a very counterproductive even destructive force in our country and I am very disheartened by the failure of leadership from the president and vice president." by guess who?

Regret for Bush voters

Turn off the Faux News sheeple and wake up!

An Associated Press-Ipsos poll conducted this week found the president's approval rating has dropped to 33 percent, matching his low in May. His handling of nearly every issue, from the Iraq war to foreign policy, contributed to the president's decline around the nation, even in the Republican-friendly South.

More sobering for the GOP are the number of voters who backed Bush in 2004 who are ready to vote Democratic in the fall's congressional elections - 19 percent. These one-time Bush voters are more likely to be female, self-described moderates, low- to middle-income and from the Northeast and Midwest.

Two years after giving the Republican president another term, more than half of these voters - 57 percent - disapprove of the job Bush is doing.

Sore Loserman

Fill in the blank in District 22

If you read the post below, everything is falling exactly in place for the feared "write-in"!

Indicted former U.S. House of Representatives Republican leader Tom DeLay said on Tuesday he will not run for his former seat in Congress even though federal courts have ruled his name cannot be removed from the November ballot.

"Earlier this year I resigned from the U.S. House of Representatives and became a resident of the state of Virginia, to establish my new business, and where I now legally reside, pay taxes and vote," DeLay said in a statement.

"This decision was and is irrevocable, which I made clear from Day One," DeLay said.

DeLay said he would act to remove himself from the race for the 22nd Texas congressional district in suburban Houston and encouraged the Texas Republican Party to offer up a candidate to challenge the Democratic nominee ex-Rep. Nick Lampson.

While the Republican Party cannot replace DeLay's name on the ballot, they can organize a campaign to write in another candidate. Reuters

I wonder how many of the edumacated in District 22 will still write Tom DeLay? I predict allot. It I had a vote I would:

DeLay “More Likely Than Not” To Support Write-In

Chris over at Texas Saftey Forum has posted that DeLay will “More Likely Than Not” step aside and support a write-in for the Disctrict 22 seat. I seem to agree that a write-in would be a dreadful move for the local GOP and such an action would most definitely put a nail in the coffin and destroy any chance they may have had of winning this seat. Who remembers a write-in?

Do you ever step on a cockroach and the damn thing won't die? If you havn't this is a perfect example of such a situation. I wonder if Tom has anymore of that bug killer stuff left around to put this damn thing to bed. But for the sake of our damn intertainment watching our friends to the right...I hope not.

The write-in candidate has not been chosen, but Republican officials in Washingtonsaid they have a good chance of retaining the seat if it is a credible candidate like a mayor, judge or state legislator. Sugar Land Mayor David Wallace has expressed interest in running. Write-in candidates have until Aug. 29 to apply for a slot on the ballot. National Republicans are prepared to put money into the write-in campaign if a promising candidate is found. "You can buy name ID," said a Republican official, using campaign shorthand for making a candidate well known in the district.

But the notion of a write-in campaign drew a different reaction in Texas. "This would be met with ridicule and scorn," said Bill Miller, a Republican consultant with close ties to the state's GOP legislative leadership. "This strategy would be like handing the seat to the Democrats on a silver platter," Miller said. "Tom Delay will be remembered for the craziest end to his political career."

Miller said it is arrogant to think voters will support a write-in gambit. "Anointing a candidate never works," Miller said. "Voters are likely to say, 'The hell with 'em' and write in their own name, their kid's name." Plus, if his name remained on the ballot,it is likely DeLay would attract some of the vote away from the write-in candidate.

Will Ney be like DeLay?

Nice!

In an interesting twist, a law passed last year by a Republican-controlled state congress designed to hamstring Ted Strickland may prevent Joy Padgett from replacing Bob Ney on the ballot.

Hat tip to OH-12.

Bush's morning prayer book

GOP quits on the quitter

It only get better and better in District 22.

WASHINGTON -- Texas Republicans on Monday abandoned their court fight to replace former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay on the November ballot after being turned back at the Supreme Court.

The decision came after Justice Antonin Scalia rejected Texas Republicans' request to block an appeals court ruling saying DeLay's name should remain on the ballot.

"I think all our legal avenues are exhausted," said lawyer Jim Bopp, who argued the GOP case to allow party officials to substitute another candidate.

Ney DeLay in a nutshell

Ney quits due to ties to disgraced Washington lobbyist Jack Abramoff. His pal DeLay quits for the same similar reasons a few months ago. They say Ney may actually help his party with such a move. His pal DeLay pretends to move to a different state to get his name off the ballot. This may help his party. The courts tell him he must stay on the ballot because he never really moved and because of GOP mistakes. His GOP friends are appealing to make sure he stays away. Meanwhile, Delay contiplates staying in the race against Lampson. The Dems say fine with them cause who wants to vote for a corrupt candidate. Meanwhile, DeLay's party in in a whole heap of shit trying to fugure out what to do next. Meanwhile Ney and DeLay remain under investigation...

Texroots endorsed! Sklar - Garcia - Gilbert

The Texas Progressive Alliance today launched ‘TexRoots,’ an online fund-raising campaign designed to raise funds for Democratic candidates in Texas via the internet. The launch of ‘TexRoots’ is the first major coordinated fund-raising effort by Texas blogs of its kind.

The Alliance, a group of blogs and bloggers united to promote Democratic and progressive candidates and causes, launched ‘TexRoots’ Monday with solicitations for three Texas candidates: Hank Gilbert, candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture, Juan Garcia, candidate for the Texas House of Representatives in District 32, and Shane Sklar, candidate for the U.S. House in Congressional District 14. TexRoots works with the nationally-recognized fund-raising tools of ActBlue.com.

The candidates were selected by over 20 member blogs of the Alliance and comprise the first set of candidates the Alliance will promote prior to the November general election. The Alliance hopes to have as many as five total groups of candidates before November 7. Candidates selected for this and future TexRoots solicitations were picked after a considering a number of factors, including the strength of the candidates and their Republican opponents, the candidate’s use of the internet and blogging, and the demographics of the candidates’ districts.

We are proud of our endorsements! So please read their bios below and we encourage you to donate money through the new Texas-based ActBlue page -- for the following candidates:

Shane Sklar
Fourteenth Congressional District of Texas - US Senate
[Opponent: Ron Paul (R-Surfside), Incumbent]

Shane Reese Sklar is a fourth-generation rancher who grew up in the heart of the 14th Congressional District. He's an energetic, nationally known leader in agriculture who has fought hard for Texas cattlemen and traditional small town values.

For the last four years, Sklar has served as the Executive Director of the Independent Cattlemen's Association of Texas (ICA) and has earned a reputation for innovation and hard work.

Under his leadership, ICA's membership doubled at a time when most agricultural groups saw their numbers shrink. Sklar also played a key role in making sure the 2002 federal Farm Bill required country-of-origin labeling for retail beef.

Recently, news reporters from across the country turned to Sklar for accurate information and knowledgeable opinions regarding the outbreak of mad cow disease in Texas.

Prior to joining ICA, Sklar was a key member of the staff of Congressman Chet Edwards, who represents a Central Texas district. As Edwards' Field Representative, Sklar traveled throughout the district updating constituents about important issues and representing the Congressman at district events. Sklar also served as the Field Director for Edwards' successful 2000 re-election campaign.

Sklar is a 1994 graduate of Edna High School, and earned a B.S. in Agriculture Business with a minor in Political Science from Sam Houston State University. He is a member of Sigma Chi Fraternity and a member of Saint Agnes Catholic Church in Edna. He is married to Jill Turner of Anahuac, Texas.


Juan Garcia
Texas House of Representatives, District 32
[Opponent: Gene Seaman (R-Corpus Christi), incumbent]

Juan M. Garcia III is a second generation naval aviator with multiple deployments to the Persian Gulf. He graduated with honors from UCLA, where he gave the 1988 commencement address. He earned his law degree from Harvard and his master's degree in public policy from Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

After completing his naval officer and flight training, Garcia received his "Wings of Gold" at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi. Lieutenant Commander Garcia flew 30 armed missions in the Persian Gulf, including an emergency landing in a sandstorm, served as a top aide to the deputy Commander in Chief of U.S. Naval Forces in Europe, and served in Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. He served on the aircraft carrier USS Constellation in support of the enforcement of the no-fly zone in Iraq. His military awards include the Joint Commendation Medal, the Naval Commendation Medal, and the Naval Achievement Medal.

In 1999, Garcia was one of 16 Americans selected to serve as a White House Fellow, the nation's premier leadership development program whose alumni include Henry Cisneros and Colin Powell, and worked as a special assistant to the U.S. Secretary of Education.

Garcia left active duty in 2004 and continues to serve as an instructor pilot at Naval Air Station Corpus Christi with the Naval Reserves.

A practicing lawyer, Garcia has chaired the Board of Citizens for Educational Excellence, and serves on the Board of Governors for Leadership Corpus Christi.

Garcia and his wife Denise, who met while classmates at Harvard Law, have four children, including twin seven-year-old sons, a five-year old daughter, and a two-year old son. They live in Corpus Christi.

Hank Gilbert
Agriculture Commissioner
[Opponent: Todd Staples, (R-Palestine), open seat]

Hank Gilbert's agricultural career began on the family ranch—a 150 head commercial cow/calf operation in rural Smith County in northeast Texas. In high school and in college, he was active in Future Farmers of America as Area President. He was instrumental in forming the collegiate FFA chapter at Tyler Junior College, and was the FFA Representative to the Student Council at Texas A&M University.

After graduation, Hank taught high school agriculture for 13 years at LaPoyner Independent School District and in Pittsburg ISD, both in East Texas. After leaving the teaching profession, Hank has continued to work with agricultural youth both as a volunteer 4-H leader in his community, as well as a volunteer with the local FFA chapter. He believes that the future of Texas agriculture, as well as our country, depends upon the quality of today's youth.

Hank has served as a director of the Texas Simmental/Simbrah Association and currently serves as the President of Walnut Grove Water Supply, a member-owned cooperative. As the president, he has been able to cut operational expenses and reduce the member’s water rates by 35%, while still making the necessary improvements to the system.

Hank, his wife Karla, two sons, Peyton and Cody, own and operate Peyco's Land & Cattle. They raise and market registered Simbrah cattle on ranches around the Tyler area of northeast Texas. His sons exhibit their cattle at fairs and show throughout Texas and the southern U.S.

His affiliations include: Texas State Teacher's Associations, Texas State Simmental/Simbrah Association, Vocational Agriculture Teacher's of Texas, The Association of Former Students, Texas A&M University, Texas Farmers Union, Texas 4-H, American Simmental/Simbrah Association, Texas Young Farmers, Southern Baptist Convention, and East Texas Farm & Ranch Club.

Pretty cool, huh? So please donate now.

Adopt a Democratic yard sign

The Fort Bend Democrats have new signs and they look wonderful. Juanita has a cool thing going with her "Adopt a Sign" initiative.

This is a yard sign. It needs adopting. For a mere $10 donation to Fort Bend Democrats, I will write your name and hometown on the bottom of this sign with a felt-tip marker and plant it safely in the yard of a local Democrat. For many people here, it's the first time they've seen the word "Democratic." For a $20 donation, I will plant the sign, take a picture of it and email you the picture and name of the street where the sign is.

Also available is the 4 foot by 4 foot highway sign which is definitely going up at my business. Muse and Hal have more. Bryan explains why the democrats will win this year. Good work all!

Rummy's frog march

Ok, I'm comfused...Is Hillary with us or against us? Make up your mind already!

lock your doors, Jon Matthews on the loose

Jon Matthews, former morning radio host on bible thumping ultra-consersative KSEV in Houston is back in trouble with the law again for violating his probation for indecency with a child by exposure. Yikes. This is a guy who praised the moral high road only to fall like so many of his type.

The Fort Bend County district attorney said Matthews violated his probation in three specific ways -- excessively drinking, not completing a counseling program and using the Internet in a manner inconsistent with conditions of his probation.

*****

Restrictions for Matthews' probation included:

to register as a sex offender
to have no contact with the victim or any other children
to keep at least 1,000 feet away from schools, playgrounds and any other place children gather
to perform 160 hours of community service

Matthews resigned from KSEV AM shortly after his indictment.

Lie and Die

The ad features lies by Bush, Cheney, and Lieberman. Each lie is separated by a photo of an Iraqi child who has died because of these lies. It then quotes John Kerry as he declares, "Our policy is not 'cut and run.' Their policy is 'lie and die.'"

And it concludes with a simple question about Joe Lieberman: "6 More Years?"

That's the choice Connecticut voters will make on Tuesday. And it will be a truly historic choice.

It's that time of year again...and again...and again

Is this really us?

Here it is... just some of what is awfully wrong with the Bush White House policies buy our good friend, John Conyers.

The Constitution in Crisis; The Downing Street Minutes and Deception,
Manipulation, Torture, Retribution, and Coverups in the Iraq War,
and Illegal Domestic Surveillance.

Takin' it to the Supremes

and no not the music group...The Texas GOP goes off it's rocker and are appealing to the Supreme Court to make certain DeLay is as far away as possible.

"The Republican Party of Texas intends to expeditiously appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court," said party Chair Tina Baker in a release, "the 5th Circuit's decision to force Tom DeLay, an ineligible candidate for Congress, to stay on the ballot in Texas Congressional District 22 as the Republican nominee."

Grab the popcorn because this may take a while. Just what are they thinking.

A bloody civil war mess

Now have we not been saying this for months?...the only problem with their comments is that Iraq is now already in a civil war situation. Come on get with the program. Why can't they just tell the American people the truth or can they?

Two of the Pentagon's most senior generals conceded to Congress on Thursday that the surge in sectarian violence in Baghdad in recent weeks means Iraq may descend into civil war.

"Iraq could move toward civil war" if the violence is not contained, Gen. John Abizaid, the top U.S. commander in the Middle East, told the Senate Armed Services Committee.

"I believe that the sectarian violence is probably as bad as I have seen it," he said, adding that the top priority in Iraq is to secure the capital, where factional violence has surged in recent weeks despite efforts by the new Iraqi government to stop the fighting.

In the meantime, Rummy continues with his deception to the few who still believe him. Remember this:

Feb. 7, 2003: “It is unknowable how long that conflict will last. It could last six days, six weeks. I doubt six months.”

The funny thing is (not), this man still has his job. Just when will he get his medal of honor?