Burnt Orange Report
News, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas
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Burnt Orange ReportNews, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas |
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September 30, 2005Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This WeekBy Damon McCullar
Barbara Radnofsky Chris Bell Calling all DFW area progressives! Chris Bell will be a special guest as the Dallas Air America affiliate, KXEB 910 AM, throws a party on October 6th at the FunAsia Theater in Richardson. Come on out to meet Chris, hear him say a few words about the governor's race, and then sit back and enjoy a screening of the new HBO documentary "Left of the Dial." More details are available on the KXEB website. Chris Bell is proud to be a featured guest as the Denton County Democratic Party presents DonkeyFest 2005 on Saturday, September 8. This fundraiser for the DCDP runs from 5 PM to 9 PM and will be hosted by Mary Begis, 806 Stowe Lane in Lakewood Village. The event costs $25 per person, and $5 for kids under 6. All attendees are encouraged to bring a blanket or lawn chairs to enjoy entertainment from the String Theory Band, Phil & Elizabeth France, and Members of The Dallas Opera And Dallas Symphony Chorus. For more information, or if you need transportation to this event, call 940.566.1165. Chris will be in Brenham on October 11 to speak to a meeting of the Washington County Democratic Club. The meeting starts at 5:30 PM and is being held in the Blinn College Student Center on Blinn's Brenham campus. For more information, contact Duane Olney at 979-836-9354. Chris will be speaking at the University of St. Thomas in Houston on Thursday, October 13 at 12:30 PM. The event is being sponsored by the St. Thomas More Political Science Club and is open to all students. Chris's speech will take place at 12:30 pm in the Crooker Center's Ahern Room. A Q&A session will follow at the Political & Social Science House. A campus map is available here. For further information, contact Cameron Waldner at moreposc@stthom.edu. Felix Alvarado Felix Alvarado will be in Denton tonight (October 3rd.) speaking to the UNT Democrats at 7:00. On October 8th, he is scheduled to be at the Wise County Democratic Fundraiser in Greenwood. He is also scheduled to appear October 10th at Donkey Fest in Denton. Maria Alvarado is running for Lt. Governor. David Van Os Hank Gilbert David Harris On October 2nd, the campaign will attend the Civil Rights 2005 Conference in Addison to hear lectures covering the Patriot Act and Prisoner's Rights, with speakers that include David Van Os (for more information contact sackblair@sbcglobal.net). Block walking continues on Tuesday and on Thursday, David will be visiting with the Waxahachie chapter of Drinking Liberally (www.drinkingliberally.org). On Saturday, October 8th, the Greater Arlington Mansfield Democratic Women [http://www.tdw.org/GreaterArlingtonMansfieldTDW.html] will be hosting David at their Mansfield Hometown Festival Booth which was rescheduled because of Hurricane Rita's arrival in Texas. David will be at the booth from 9-12 collecting signatures and talking to voters about our district paying more for a gallon of gas everyday while our Representative cycles those profits back into his pocket through oil and gas PAC's Shane Sklar John Courage Friday, Sept. 30, 2005 - San Antonio Saturday, October 1, 2005 – Dallas Tuesday, October 4, 2005 – Austin Wednesday, October 5, 2005 - Austin Nick Lampson Henry Cuellar Richard Raymond Ciro Rodrigez Kirk Watson Mary-Beth Harrell Mary Beth will be speaking to the Salado Democratic Party on Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m in the Salado Communty Center. Also, Mary Beth's Official Campaign Kick-Off and Announcement will be held on Oct. 11, 2005. You can meet the candidate at both events. Join us at the Killeen Civic and Conference from 11:30 am to 1:30 pm. Refreshments and Food will be served. Then we'll be in Round Rock at the Louisiana Longhorn Cafe on Main Street. More refreshments and food will be served. A good time will be had by all. Andy Brown Andy Brown will be blockwalking this weekend. Come meet Andy, talk to West Austin voters, and work on your tan! Contact Marc at 636-4345 or at marc@voteandy.com for more information. Donna Howard is seeking the nomination for State Representative in District 48. Dan Barrett Fort Worth Democracy for America meeting - Wednesday, Oct. 5 @ 7:00 pm - Ol' South Pancake House. Paula Hightower-Pierson Judge Jim Coronado (site under construction) Tuesday 10/4: SAD Yellow Dawg fund-raiser 5:30-7:30 p.m. AFL-CIO Diane Henson Bree Buchanan Mina Brees Charles Baird Charlie is having a fundraiser on Thursday, 10/13, at 5:30 at Saengerrunde Hall, 1607 San Jacinto Blvd, Austin. Special guest Richard "Racehorse" Haynes and State Rep Dawnna Dukes as mistress of ceremonies. Suggested contributions $35.00 but everyone is welcome. Sponsorships available. Contact Nancy Williams at Nnwilliams@aol.com for more info. Kinky People on CampusBy Damon McCullarYou'd think with this being the Univ of Texas, that would go without My travels around campus did take me past the west mall where I did see the crowd and heard Kinky prattling on. First, the crowd was typical of any crowd on the west mall. Anytime anyone is speaking in that venue, there is usually a crowd of 50-75 gathered around the steps listening to whoever is talking. This was no exception. Contrast that with Chris Bell speaking at the UDems meeting a week ago Wednesday. There were few vacant seats available in GAR 1, a room that seats 230 souls. I would estimate there were 150-175 there. The notion that Kinky has a bigger presence on campus is a fallacy. There was a point when I was open to Kinky, but the flippant way he talks about issues that a lot of Texans take very seriously really has turned me off (post the "Ten Suggestions" in classrooms,). In addition, the fact that he would consider posting the Ten Commandments in public schools (an unconstitutional practice that has already decided on by the US Supreme Court) and re-establishing prayer in public schools (another point already decided by the Supremes) is a galling notion. Government has no business in religion and religion has no business in government. That should be taught by parents and churches, not on the public dime. Also, he wants to build a big fence between the Texas and Mexico. What's up with that? Kinky's campaign has about as much substance as the smoke from his cigars. Buzbee for Lt. GovernorBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanWord from high level sources in the Texas Democratic Party has it that prominent Galveston attorney and former Galveston County Democratic Chair Tony Buzbee is moving closer to running for Lieutenant Governor in 2006. Buzbee, a Marine veteran and so called "legal genius type" has been rumored to be able to self finance his campaign. The Fort Worth Star Telegram ran a piece on him back in August and had this to say...
Dobbs also had some comments back then on this post. I feel that this is great news if it pans out, because right our nominee is the Alvarado sister half of the Alvarado team, assuming they end up on the ballot. Let's round out the rest of those statewide spots as we ask Texans to Step Up. So prepared to get buzzed about Buzbee. (And maybe you too can be those high level sources over at the TDP.) Delay's Attorney is a Kinky Campaign AdviserBy Phillip MartinHere's something interesting: a campaign adviser for Kinky Friedman also happens to be Tom Delay's attorney. Back on August 11, Kinky Friedman, the independent candidate for Governor, hired Dick DeGuerin as a staff adviser. This came with little fanfare, but was noted in both the Houston Chronicle and on Kinky's blog as evidence that he's running a fairly conventional race:
Dick DeGuerin also happens to be Tom Delay's attorney, and has spent most of the last few days speaking up for the indicted (former) majority leader:
Looks like Mr. Independent isn't quite so independent after all. Ronnie Earle has received tremendous support from many in the Kinky camp for his fight against corrupt officials; yet, a man who has spent the last 48 hours attacking Ronnie Earle is on Kinky's payroll. What do you all think: would DeGuerin be paper or plastic? Shall we blame Mack Brown, or shant we?By Jim DallasThe Wall Street Journal (subscription required) says Texas A&M's football team is smarter than ours (their boys averaged a 21 on the Wonderlic test; ours 19.7). This is in addition to their higher graduation rate for their football team. (The population average is around 20; the WSJ says the "broader population" of job-seekers scored 21 -- although one might assume that including non-job seekers would probably lower the average for the entire population by a point or two). September 29, 2005Austin Capitol VigilBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI attended the No Nonsense in November vigil tonight at the capitol where hundreds of Austinites encircled the capitol in a silent march before heading over to a volunteer appreciation party at Mother Egan's. An interesting story, I was trying to get up inside the Capitol to someone's office that faced out over the crowd to take some shots from above and the only place open was the Governor's Press Office. So I went in and asked of course. Two very nice young women smiled at me and seemed somewhat helpful. One went off to get her superior, a bland looking white guy who came out and said they couldn't really open up the window for me to take pictures. Of course, I didn't need the window opened up, I could shoot through clear glass any day of the week, but he proceeded to say that he'd have to decline my request. Not that I was surprised, but it was worth the exchange. Especially since the House Floor was open and I just went over to that chamber and shot pictures out of their windows. So you can see that picture here. And I got a ground shot here and one shot that somewhat gets across the line we made around the Dome. But my favorite shot of all is in the extended entry.  Where's the Relief for College Students?By John PruettHurricane Katrina relief and rebuilding efforts (read no-bid contracts to Halliburton and other Republican donors). Ongoing war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Corporate giveaways to oil companies. No increase in taxes; or, more accurately, tax-breaks for the wealthy. Result: record deficit spending by the federal government. Everyone knows the federal budget is out of control and unsustainable. But, how can Congress balance it with so many priorities on the table? Well they have one solution: cut financial aid spending for college students. You see, for Republicans, social spending to improve people’s lives equals “big government,” whereas things such as war and corporate subsidies fall under “economic growth” and “national security.” Further infuriating my "bleeding heart," these financial aid cuts, if passed, will be the largest for higher education in US history. The House bill proposes $9 billion in financial aid cuts, while the Senate bill includes up to $14 billion in similar cuts. If passed as they are, these would be the largest college financial aid cuts in our nation’s history. Congress must fail to see the sick irony of their own legislation. As if Hurricane Katrina’s devastation of New Orleans didn’t do enough to point out the inequities of poverty in this country, Congress could be effectively stripping away the opportunities that allow the poor to escape their desperate situation. Many of those left behind in New Orleans either did not have the means to get out, or, if they could evacuate, did not have the resources to sustain themselves elsewhere. How many of the Katrina victims from 9th Ward had college degrees, professional jobs, and owned cars? How many of those who got out before the storm had these things? I leave it to you to decide. An editorial in the Star-Tribune states:
And, to make matters worse, the problem with providing college opportunities for low-income children is not a new one. No surprise there. It’s not as if federal financial aid budget has been adequate up until this point. Here’s an excerpt from a Seattle Post-Intelligencer article:
Today the struggle to attend college extends beyond the poor, now threatening many middle-class families. Need-based aid typically goes to students from the poorest families first, whereas many middle-class students unable to depend on their parents’ incomes for support are left out. With tuition costs rising at universities across the nation, the federal government should consider extending aid to middle-income families, not cutting the limited funds that already exist. Have state governments done anything to fill the gap? Well here in Texas, the legislature has relied on universities to offset rising tuition costs with increased financial aid. However, a recent report by the State Auditor’s Office found that this system isn’t going far enough. The Houston Chronicle sums it up:
Hmm…62,000 students. No small number. Where shall they turn for help? I’m disgusted by conservative politicians who twist the language of “hard work” and “pulling yourself up by your bootstraps” to justify stripping away needed social programs. Have we as a country learned anything from the Katrina disaster? Education is one of the primary means of social progress and of improving people’s lives. Without it, the poor stay poor while the rich get richer. What’s happening to the American dream? Left/Right Oppose Amendment #2By Karl-Thomas MusselmanThe Log Cabin Republicans of Texas will work to defeat Prop 2.
The AFL-CIO will work to defeat Prop 2.
Vigil Tonight, Party TomorrowBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanWant to help defeat Proposition 2, the Texas Marriage Amendment? Then come take part in these activites here in Austin and the UT Campus over the next couple of days. Check out our UT- Campus Alliance Against Inequality website for more detail and future events or to get on our listserv. #1 Equality Vigil Join thousands of other Austinites in the city's first big show of public support for the No Nonsense in November campaign. #2 Discussion with Rep. Warren Chisum Author of Amendment #2, Rep. Chisum will square off with NNN campaign representative Anne Wynne and our very own CAAI Chair, Marti Bier! Please come support our side during this sure to be lively and professional exchange. #3 Party on the Patio Join the Campus Alliance in kicking off the countdown to election day with live music, a conference call with Glen Maxey and a special guest, as well getting up to date on upcoming campus actions and how you can help defeat Prop 2. #4 Neighborhood Block (Walking) Party You heard the word now spread it to West Campus! Join your foot soldiers for equality as we get trained and head into West Campus for some good old fashioned political footwork and spread our message. Please RSVP to Peter (peter_clark22@hotmail.com) so we can have enough food and supplies! Kinky on CampusBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI didn't have a chance to attend because of class, but I hear and read that the Kinky Spirit walk on campus yesterday was as fun and well attended as as say a food fight at the Goodall Wooten. In any case, the Texan and Kinky blog have some coverage of the 150 or so people that turned out so give them a read. Also, be sure to watch Chris Bell on Hardball, the campaign has a file of yesterday's exchange. "As long as I'm speaker, we're not going to do it."By Phillip MartinQ. Which of the following should be done to fix our public schools? If you answered D, you must be House Speaker Tom Craddick, who is quoted in an article in Sunday's Midland Reporter Telegram as saying not to expect more money for our public schools anytime soon. In his own words: "As long as I'm speaker, we're not going to do it." Touting Perry's 65% plan and the need for increased accountability, Speaker Craddick insisted that the state cannot afford to put more money into the "bottomless pit" of public education. However, as the Waco Tribune-Herald recently noted, Governor Perry's decree that the state should be allowed to micromanage every school in Texas not only defies local control, but arrogantly presumes that the needs in cities are the same as those in rural areas across Texas. That 65% doesn't factor in teacher aides, transporation, or nurses, just to name a few of the many "non-classroom" needs of our public schools. What's more, the increased cry for accountability is the worst of political rhetoric. As one rural Superintendent from Jacksonville recently noted, superintendents already administer 48 different tests to their students every year, not to mention countless other accountability measures placed on them by state and federal mandates. Why, then, do Republicans continue to push for meaningless reforms that will do nothing to help our schools? Two recent editorials give us some direction: First, a recent Houston Chronicle editorial (it was archived, so the link is to a Texas education blog that posted it) titled "Perry's order on spending says more about own failings than about school districts'" talks about how foolish the 65% order is, and how its primary aim seems to be preventing school districts from suing the state:
Secondly, a Fort-Worth editorial points out that maybe, just maybe, the Republican's want our schools to fail. In fact, Superintendent Kyle Collier of Pottsboro even bluntly accused state officials of trying to "de-emphasize public schools and make us fail so much that they have to pass vouchers." Can we ever expect the Republican leadership to stop failing our schools and start investing in real reforms for our public schools? In Craddick's own words: "As long as I'm speaker, we're not going to do it." On DeLay's CaseBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanKuff has a great roundup and analysis. Head over and read it. Scandal got your panties in a wad? Then express it and donate to John Courage before tomorrow's fundraising deadline for the 3rd quarter to show DeLay's Texas Shadow Lamar Smith that we're not fond of his stench either. September 28, 2005BORed: Aggies Boarding Up For A StormBy Matt HardigreeI thought it was important to interject a little bit of levity into a day whose news has left us sorrowful. This photo is courtesy of stirman.
Kay Bailey Hutchison was GUILTYBy Andrew DobbsIf you've been watching the coverage of the DeLay indictment today, you've seen plenty of GOP talking heads whining about how mean and partisan ol' Ronnie Earle is (on CNN you've also seen a mention of our very own BOR!). To prove their point, they trot out the fact that he once indicted Kay Bailey Hutchison--that sweet ol' girl--and lost the case. This seems to prove that he's more interested in getting Republicans than enforcing the law, but they are wrong. 11 years ago today, believe it or not, Ronnie Earle handed down several indictments for destroying evidence and tampering with government documents. In 1994 the Dallas Observer's Miriam Rozen gained access to grand jury documents in the case against Kay Bailey Hutchison. I can't find the article online, but I managed to find a contemporaneous Texas Monthly article that quotes largely from the piece. The testimony starts with employees, former coworkers and others noting her abusive behavior around the office. She literally threw a book at a subordinate and kept her office in a state of fear while she was Treasurer. These employees testify that when she told them to start destroying documents that showed her using state-paid staff, offices and other taxpayer-funded resources for her own political activities, they made copies behind her back. These documents proved damaging, but a technicality through most of the evidence out of the case. Many are still baffled by Earle's decision to drop the case, a decision many felt he didn't have to make. The judge, equally surprised, quickly selected and swore in a jury and instructed them to acquit her, rather than simply dropping the case. As a result, the charges died and most Texans have forgotten that Kay Bailey Hutchison was a prime suspect in a large-scale political corruption scandal. Ronnie Earle had KBH dead to rights in that case, and a technicality saved her from the slammer and let her rise through the ranks of the US Senate (to the point that she is a possible candidate for President or Vice President). He had her cold, just like he did the other THREE Republicans he had indicted (as opposed to the 12 Democrats) so when DeLay's defenders talk about that case, they are splitting hairs in the name of defending America's most corrupt politician. Roy Blunt Elected New Majority LeaderBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanThough some duties are apparently to be shared with other Reps, Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO) has been elected the new Majority Leader by the Republican Caucus by a unanimous vote. Rep. Dreier of California may share some duties, but has not been selected as the actual leader, contrary to other reports. The Family Research Council is happy and released this statement, and I would imagine they are quite thrilled that Drier likely will not have the influence to moderate the GOP's position on their favorite non-issue, the Federal Marriage Amendment.
Chris Bell Responds To Today's IndictmentBy Damon McCullarChris Bell had this to say about today's indictment.
The full post is available on his blog For those who haven't had the chance to meet Chris or here him speak, he will be on Hardball at 4pm CDT on MSNBC, and then Hannity and Colmes later tonight on Fox News. Tune in and check him out, let us here at BOR know what ya think. Now on the issue of disclosure. A friend of mine and fellow blogger was called out as being subcontractor on the Chris Bell campaign and, therefore impartial, for being paid $300 for some web set up work he did. I've never hid the fact that I work on the campaign as a volunteer. It was mentioned on this blog here and here that I do work for the Chris Bell campaign, so there ya have it. Am I impartial? I try to just report what's going on and try not to inject my personal slant into things. I will admit that I've done it from time to time. This is a blog though. You, the readers, are free to disagree with me, you have let know on several occasions that you don't agree with me and I respect your opinion. So there ya have it. Homosexual Man Chosen As Next Majority Leader?By Damon McCullarUpdate: Rep. Roy Blunt has been elected Majority Leader. When it rains, it pours... According to Blogactive.com the new "temporary" Republican Majority Leader is a homosexual.
There is also a story that ran in LA Weekly about the same subject, There is an excerpt from the article after the jump. I have zero problems with a homosexual man being in Congress, but with the Republicans current strategy of using homosexuals as a wedge in campaign politics, I wonder if change is in the air? Could it be that now that DeLay is out of power "temporarily" the Republican party is going to have a shift on it's policy toward homosexuals? One could only hope. From the LA Weekly story metioned in the main post: Rogers' campaign against Dreier got a major boost when it was taken up by Raw Story, the hot new liberal gadfly newsblog. Raw Story, which is edited out of Cambridge, Massachusetts, by 23-year-old John Byrne, who is also gay, last week published an interview with Dreier's Democratic opponent in 1998 and 2000, Dr. Janice Nelson, who said she was aware during her 2000 campaign that Dreier was living with his chief of staff, Brad Smith. "Brad was like an invisible presence," she said. "They really have the routine down slick." Nelson, a professor of pathology, says she came forward when she read on Raw Story that Hustler, the Larry Flynt magazine, was working on an expos of Dreier's secret gay life. Mark Cromer, the mag's features editor in charge of its outing of Dreier, is a former reporter for a string of Valley newspapers in Dreier's district, including the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, the San Gabriel Valley Tribune and the Pasadena Star-News. Cromer said his mags expose on Dreier, part of a package on sexual hypocrisy by Republican spear-carriers in the culture wars, will be published in November. And he accuses the papers in Dreier's district, all of which spout a conservative, anti-gay editorial line, of having a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy toward the congressman and his relationship with Smith. These papers are all owned by Media News Group (MNG), whose CEO, Dean Singleton, is a major contributor to Republican campaigns. Opinion pages editor Steve Scauzillo said he could not comment on the Dreier matter without the approval of MNG higher-ups. DeLay Steps Down as Majority LeaderBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanApologies for the incorrect headline earlier- Speaker instead of Majority Leader. I guess it's just that I didn't think of DeLay as much of a leader of anything and simply as a voice for corruption. -kt From Quorum Report, Earle's statement (doc) and the indictment (doc). From the Statesman:
I hope that there is some blowback to our own Rep. Lamar Smith for being part of the crew that tried, while a sitting member of the ethics committee, to force through those rule changes. Let's not forget that Smith gave $10,000 to DeLay's legal defense fund. Though maybe he'll need to pony up some more to his "good friend of his" in his hour of need.  John Colyandro and Jim Ellis, associates of DeLay who were indicted previously were re-indicted as part of the conspiracy charge. And fyi...
Though we got DeLay, we didn't see anything happen to Craddick or his (lack of) leadership team. It's not too late, but it's quite unlikely that the following will come to pass. Then again, few people say DeLay being fingered even as late as a week ago.
But regardless of Craddick, the money laundering allegations tie Todd Baxter into all of this as he received those monies in his 2002 election. We already knocked out Stick here in Austin, now it's time for Baxter. And after all this, maybe having Jason Earle, son of Ronnie, challenge in Rep. Keel's open seat will trigger thoughts of Republican scandal in the minds of HD-47 voters. BREAKING NEWS: Tom DeLay Indicted On One Count Of ConspiracyBy Damon McCullarCNN is breaking the news. More to follow as information comes available. DeLay's Fate in Grand Jury's Hands TODAY!By Damon McCullarFrom today's Austin American Statesman:
Hot damn! Looks like the rat is finally getting his due. September 27, 2005Donna Howard Launches WebsiteBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanDonna Howard, candidate for the Democratic nomination for HD 48 against Todd Baxter, has launched her official campaign website: That makes two of our three announced candidates who have their web operations up and running early in the game, which is good for our party. Give it a look over to read up on her positions. Challenger Andy Brown's site is here for comparison. Kinky on CampusBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanAfter Bell visited campus last Wednesday, Kinky will join us tomorrow with a reprise of his "Spirit Walk". Details are as follows, though if you are a student, you should have seen the extensive flyering operation today, those signs are everywhere.
Courage Wins DFA EndorsementBy Karl-Thomas Musselman
From the Courage Campaign...
From the DFA release...
September 26, 2005The FlyerBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanA big thank you to Abram at Casual Soapbox for getting a scan of the flyers that have been finding their ways onto parking lots full of cars around Austin. This one appeared at Central Market South, which followed the two cases I wrote about earlier at Barton Creek Mall and a Chuckie Cheese.  Vote No on Prop 2. UPDATE: An interesting photoshop of the flyer. Get Galvan-ized?By Karl-Thomas MusselmanOdd Online Video award goes to Houston City Council Candidate for Place 3 At Large James Partsch-Galvan. His website, www.galvan.org forwards to the City of Houston site for some reason, but click here to get weirded out by the video ad and get 'galvanized for the revolution'. Slightly less odd, though with his own pair of blackened glasses, the Kinky ad for those that somehow missed it (I never realized we didn't front page that one). Oh, and check out http://www.dcdebate.com/ which just launched. I note that they are using WordPress which I'm a big fan of and using on a site that is almost ready for linkage here. ACL Fest AwardsBy Phillip MartinAs most all of you know, last weekend was the 4'th annual Austin City Limits Music Festival. After a weekend of music, sun, and 20+ bottles of water, my girlfriend, Kaiba, and I have sat down and created an arbitrary award list for the performers that impressed us for whatever reason. All winners will receive an e-mail from me, and will be asked to send me free tickets to their future concerts (except Mates of State, for whom I am filing a restraining order to ask that they never come within 100 yards of any music show I may attend in the future). For those who know more about the bands I mention here, or feel like I short-changed and/or didn't properly acknowledge other acts, feel free to destroy me in the comment section. I don't pretend to know everything about all bands -- I only know what I like, and I loved this past weekend. So, for a mix of traditional and not-so traditional awards, as well as a unique reflection on the best ACL Fest yet, click on the jump and see just how much work I didn't do over the weekend. Best Group Performer (tie): Wilco and Coldplay. Is it a copout to give the last two acts of the festival the best group nod? Not when they played the sets they did. For the first time in their years of playing the ACL Fest, Wilco seemed to thoroughly enjoy themselves, and they mixed together a set that showed why they are the best-known, best-sounding "indie" band there is. Coldplay, meanwhile, surpassed the joke made about them in the movie Forty Year-Old Virgin to enormous lengths. I'm not gonna lie -- I thought they would just be OK. But between their connection with the audience, a killer setlist, and managing to upstage a weekend's worth of unbelievable music, I can understand why they're the biggest band in the world right now. As the English blokes in front of me screamed, "they're f***ing brilliant, mate!" Best Male Performer: John Prine. I'm probably the only person who would give Prine this award, but you got to understand -- I've been hearing these songs since I was in the crib. Watching him play, you would have thought he was in a 10-person bar, and not in front of thousands and thousands of people. From classics like "Samstone" and "Angel From Montgomery" to the crowd pleasers "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore" and "Some People Ain't Human", Prine shined high above the rest. Best Female Performer: Ruthie Foster. Untouchably the most soulful person I saw the entire weekend, she impressed the hell out of me. Appearing on the Gospel and Blues stage, her voice stirred even the most dispassionate of folks to hand-clapping, feet-stomping, arm-waving good fun. An amazing artist, one you have to catch sometime in the very, very near future. Best Stage: Capitol Metro Gospel and Blues Stage. From deSol and Grupo Fantasma to the Dirty Dozen Brass Band and Ruthie Foster, this stage continues to be the best the ACL-Fest has to offer. Underneath a tent-structure that provides ideal shade, the stage features artists that aren't darlings of Rolling Stone or the indie-OC crowd. And that's a good thing. This stage featured artists filled with soul and spirit that perfectly embody everything that Austin City Limits is about. Best Artist I'd Never Heard: Aqualung. Going solely on my sister Amy's recommendation, these guys rocked. For those who don't know them, think Radiohead, circa "The Bends" album -- only happier. I'm going to Waterloo when I get my next paycheck to buy their album, though I imagine I won't ever get to hear their killer cover of Queen's "Somebody to Love" again. One of those great moments you can only experience if you're there. Speaking of covers, that leads me to my untraditional awards.... Jimi Hendrix's "All Along the Watchtower" Award: "Ring of Fire" by Coldplay. Given to the best cover song of the festival. While Oasis did a show-defining cover of The Who's "My Generation", Coldplay's cover of this Cash classic was funny, surprising, and enjoyable. An all acoustic rendition followed a well-done tribute to the Man in Black, it was a new take that worked perfectly and gave the tens of thousands watching a real treat. Damn, He Brought it Award: Robert Randolph. Given to the performer who you can't help but think, "damn, he brought it." I've heard about him for years, and finally got to see him. Randolph, during one song, jumped from steel guitar to drums to bass, all the while screaming and playing as if the music would burn him alive if he didn't get it all out. Bringing the 100-degree, sweat-soaked crowd to roaring ovations throughout his hour-long performance, Robert Randolph is officially the hardest working man in the music business. Period. Seinfeld Award: Robert Earl Keen. Given to the best ACL performer that continues to please no matter how many times you've seen them. REK always plays the classics, and this set included such staples as "Feelin' Good Again," "The Road Goes on Forever," and "Gringo Honeymoon." However, his new album, "What I Really Mean" is his best since "Picnic," and the songs he played proved it. No matter how many times you see him, Robert Earl Keen is always going to make you smile, make you sing, and make you glad you came to see him. We Understand and Actually Care Award: Dirty Dozen Brass Band. Given to the band who made the best New Orleans tribute. The Dirty Dozen played a long medley for New Orleans that culminated in an off-the-charts version of "When the Saints Go Marching In." After a week's worth of watching politicos roll up their sleeves and try their best to seem empathetic, watching the most prolific New Orleans brass band around sing this song was a refreshing, caring tribute. Miller Lite Award: Built to Spill. Given to the act who sounded great, but didn't fill me up and satisfy me as much as other acts (Great Taste, Less Filling). They had a nice sound, good crowd and all...but nothing to write home about. Adios, MoFo Award: Mates of State. Given to the band that needed to be run out of town on a rail. If some of you guys like them, great, have fun. Not at all for me. Imagine having an 8-year old brother and a 7-year old sister , and for Christmas your parents gave them a drum set and keyboard, respectively. Full of pierced screaming and repetitive pounding, I felt like the whole set was about who could out-quirk the other. Hey Jude Award: "Champagne Supernova" by Oasis. Given to the best anthem/sing-a-long song of the festival. While most of Coldplay's songs could be here (most noticeably, "Yellow" and "The Scientist"), Oasis didn't have to ask anyone to sing along. In fact, right before the song, Noel Gallagher shouted "this is the one you wanted, right?" While Oasis wasn't as crowd-friendly, this song sure was. Tom Petty "You Don't Know How it Feels" Award: Widespread Panic. Given to the band you most want to get high to listen to. All that burnt grass wasn't just on the ground, and those smoky clouds weren't just from the dust flowing through the air. Long jams that are undeniably repetitive, Widespread Panic's music remains endlessly pleasant and enjoyable. If you wanted to chill, relax, and embrace Matthew McConaugehy's Austin spirit, they were the band to see. That's all, folks. See you next year for the 5'th Annual ACL Fest. The most perfect closing act we could hope for? Van Morrison. Talk about a show everyone would go to see! Bell Campaign PR BoondoggleBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI'm glad to say that I'm not the only one on this blog that read this article by John Kelso today in the AAS and thought it was a serious misstep by the Chris Bell campaign. (Please read the article before reading this post).
So let me say right now this isn't me continuing some quest against the Bell campaign (I've held back my fingers a number of times this month), but it has forced me to write. So let's start bluntly. Chris Bell for Governor Campaign- stop being fake. You are not the Kinky Friedman for Governor campaign. You will never be as funny, as colorful, or as entertaining. Attempting to do clever creative press maneuvers such as this- 1) comes across as simply bizarre, 2) shows how desperate the campaign is for any media, and 3) makes your campaign look like a joke, almost Kinky-esque. At the same time that your campaign operatives' message about the Kinky campaign is "he's not serious, you can't take him seriously, he's a joke, can you imagine him in office," you pull a stunt like this. How does becoming more like the campaign you deprecate (one with a unique media angle) make you more appealing to anyone? No one wants Kinky-lite, just like they don't want Perry-lite. Be who you are, not what consultants try to make you. Just be who you are, don't tell us who you plan to be. I've heard enough of that from so many candidates running for office who spend half an hour going off on what 'we as Democrats should be saying'. That might have been needed in the dark years of Bush's first term, but now is the time to just be those people and let each candidate’s personality and strengths shine through. Run against Perry, he's the enemy. The closest that article got to that was the incredibly bizarre quote...
Huh? Texans don't have to take Kinky seriously, they never started to take Alvarado seriously, but with PR boondoggles such as this, it makes it hard for us to tell others to take Bell seriously either. I'll let Kelso end this post.
September 25, 2005Houston Chron Goes No on Amendment 2By Karl-Thomas MusselmanColor me suprised. The Houston Chronicle in an op-ed piece today endorses a NO vote on Proposition 2 (the discriminatory texas marriange amendment).
Now, I know that Houston has some city council races going on and I'll leave that to Greg and Charles to say how that will affect the Yes or No votes, but I can say that it will be one of the highest turnout urban counties simply because Municipal elections draw out more voters than drawn by constitutional ones. Austin has some environmental bonds on the ballot on November 8th which should help our turnout as well. Anyone else have some various proposals up for a vote that will alter turnout? Pro-Prop 2 Flyers DistributedBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanDo you remember Rep. Chisum claiming that Glen Maxey would be bussing in voters from other states to defeat Prop 2? Apparently there are still fliers going around claiming this to be the case. A LOT of fliers. According to Austinites, one Chuckee Cheese parking lot was covered (she removed them) and the parking lot at Barton Creek Mall was hit as well (tried to remove as many as possible, "but there were zillions.") Here is the text... (I'm trying to get a hold of a scan).
Why is it that these crazy right wingers never can put normal flier together and have awful grammar usage? Following was my response which was not actually printed in the Statesman after they accepted it.
Remember, join the No Nonsense in November campaign. Coalition BuildingBy Karl-Thomas MusselmanI've been paying attention to the ongoing stalemate of who is to lead Germany after the most recent round of elections in which the ruling SPD-Grune Coalition lost its majority though pulled back from a crushing defeat to more or less tie the Conservative opposition. Because of German election laws, neither major party has an outright majority and cannot reach it with either of their traditional minor party partners. This has led to the possibility of odd major-minor partnerships which have mostly all been rejected now, leaving a grand coalition as the only remaining option- a union between the two major parties. And it seems like that is exactly what will end up happening, but it does not decide the big question of which Party gets the chancellery. While the CDU/CSU does have 3 more seats than the SPD, Gerhard Schroeder is more popular personally than the conservative Angela Merkel. I know this has nothing to do with Texas politics, but I'm half German and many of our Hill Country readers might be interested. If anyone has some thoughts on where this might end up, leave a comment. John Courage Leads DFA's Grassroots All-Star Balloting Going into the Final CountBy Damon McCullarBalloting closed on Saturday in the Democracy For America (DFA) Grassroots All-Star contest with John Courage in the lead. The final ballots are being counted and the winner will be announced later this week in an email sent from DFA. The Courage for Congress Campaign had this to say via email: "John Courage and the Courage for Congress Campaign wants to thank everyone for all their energetic support in our effort to win the Democracy For America Grassroots All-Star poll. It has been a very exciting and challenging effort, one in which many people have stepped forward and done some remarkable things to make this a successful effort. We know we can't thank everyone enough and there are many people who did so much that we do not even know about, but we want to express our appreciation to the following people and groups; Charles Soechting, Chair Democratic Party of Texas DFT/Austin and all its members and officers including: Jeff Hewitt, Hewitt Campaigns Burnt Orange Report Trei Brundrett, w/Handwire.com and a host of Texas Bloggers including: Sally Bolster, Chair Bexar County Democratic Women David Van Os, Candidate for Texas Attorney General And especially Zada True-Courage, State Democratic Executive Committee SD25 We know there were many others who emailed to countless hundreds of people on their lists and we will remain in their debt. We can win in November 2006 and with that win change the direction of this country and get us back on the right track to restore honesty and integrity in government, to restore American's confidence in our governments ability to meet their needs and to restoring the reputation of the United States as the world's leader for freedom, justice and democracy, which this Republican administration has nearly destroyed. Now we just have to wait until next week to get the results.." September 24, 2005Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls This WeekBy Damon McCullar
Barbara Radnofsky Chris Bell Chris Bell has suspended campaign activites until the destruction of Huricane Rita has been assesed. Felix Alvarado Maria Alvarado is running for Lt. Governor. David Van Os Hank Gilbert David Harris |
It's time for this week's installment of Where To See Your 2006 Democratic Hopefuls! This post has gotten long due to the number of candidates in the field. Use the extended entry to see what's going on this week and who is running for what! If anyone has any leads on candidates or knows of someone I'm leaving out, please 
Soon to be announced by Democracy for America, I'd like to let y'all know that 
