For all the past criticism of the local Democratic establishment for not investing in lower statewide races, it seems someone has listened. With about a week and a half to go, the Texas Democratic Party has decided to invest $800,000 into television advertisements for the small slate of Texas Supreme Court candidates.
The Texas Democratic Party has committed $800,000 to a statewide ad buy pushing the Democratic slate of candidates for the Texas Supreme Court, QR has learned.
The ad criticizes the Court, which doesn't have a single Democratic justice, for excessively favoring insurance companies in its decisions as well as overturning jury verdicts more than 80 percent of the time. They began airing yesterday and could be seen yesterday evening, for example, during local newscasts in Austin.
TDP spokesman Hector Nieto said that the intent is to run the ad in major markets across the state. "The TDP has purchased ad time to help promote our candidates," he said. "The buy is significant enough to be seen throughout the state of Texas."
[Thanks to Nate Wilcox for bringing this to our attention--VL]
Many of you will remember Richard Morrison, who became a Netroots cause celebre back in 2004 when he ran an excellent campaign to unseat then U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Sugar Land). This year, Richard is running for Precinct 1 County Commissioner in Fort Bend County.
Wednesday night, a tent put up by Richard and the Fort Bend Democratic Club was mowed over by an unknown vehicle on at the Houston Community College Sienna campus--one of the busiest early voting sites in Fort Bend County. Check out this photo below the fold:
Despite some goofy voter fraud allegations, early voting is underway and high turnout has the Hustle going bananas. Featuring U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega, Texas Rep. Dawnna Dukes, and other sundry politicos.
In 17 generalelectionendorsements so far, the Daily Texan has endorsed 13 Democrats. Of half the endorsements going to non-Democrats, no Democrat is running (CD 21, CCA 9).
Here are the endorsed Democrats:
Rick Noriega, US Senate
Larry Joe Doherty, US Congressional District 10
Lloyd Doggett, US Congressional District 25
Brian Ruiz, US Congressional Districct 31
Valinda Bolton, TX House District 47
Donna Howard, TX House District 48
Mark Strama, TX House District 50
Diana Maldonado, TX House District 52
Eddie Rodriguez, TX House District 51
Jim Jordan, TX Supreme Court Chief Justice
Linda Yanez, TX Supreme Court Place 8
Susan Strawn, TX Criminal Court of Appeals Place 3
Jim Coronado, 427th District Judge
Perhaps the oddest endorsement is Criminal Court of Appeals, Place 4. With a Republican incumbent and a Democratic challenger, the Texan decided to endorse the Libertarian, Dave Howard. Apparently he "has strong criticisms of the court with which we could not agree more."
Citizens understand that this year's presidential election is as critical as any in U. S. history. But it is no exaggeration to say that there is one race that's every bit as critical to Texans. Southeast Texans will decide a race that will affect all of Texas and its future.
The State Board of Education is in a mess and is doing harm to Texas children. This elected body is under the control of a radical rogue faction. They recently passed a set of English Language Arts and Reading standards that is so flawed educators say it will damage Texas children. And the Texas House Committee on Public Education has intervened.
Michael Skelly's campaign has raised enough money this cycle that it can now give politicians shiny awards. For absolutely stinking, of course.
In "Award," Michael Skelly blatantly tells voters what ABC News recently reported about Culberson's desperate attacking. Basically, it stinks. It's not a very good logical argument by Representative Culberson's campaign, and the candidates' real aggregate experiences should matter more than singular votes and circumstances.
Look at the ad for yourself:
Two weeks remain left until election day, and voters are already at the polls. It's crunch time, and this ad tells viewers what John Culberson is like...at crunch time.
Prosser went to the polling place at Randall's near Ben White and Manchaca in South Austin. She says a nicely dressed man in his 30's, clipboard in hand, was stopping people on the way in asking if they support Barack Obama. He then gave erroneous voting instructions.
"He was clearly letting younger people walk by him and he was pulling aside older women," Prosser said.
Prosser says the man was telling people to select both a straight party ballot, and vote for Obama.
"The instructions he's giving them will cancel their vote for their candidate and he's deliberately giving misinformation," Travis County Clerk Dana DeBeauvior said.
After an election judge confronted him the man left in an older model red Chevy Impala that witnesses say was covered in republican stickers.
Texas voters -- you have to stop this. You have to be vigilant at polling places, and if you see anyone spreading misinformation, report him or her immediately.
Texas Republicans know they are in trouble this election. Don't let them wreck trouble at the polls.
From Sherman to El Paso and all points in between, voters withstood long lines, a handful of voting machine issues, and--in some cases--were lined up waiting for the polls to open yesterday for the first day of Early Voting by Personal Appearance in Texas.
(This is ridiculous. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
In western Hays County, at around 8PM Sunday night 19 October, thugs trashed my car while I was having dinner with some friends.
My "Obama 08" bumper sticker was torn off the right rear bumper, a 20-lb rock was dropped through the back window, 2 stolen Obama yard signs were shoved through the gaping hole in the window, and a cryptic almost "OBAHA" (or something...) was scrawled in orange spray-paint on the drivers side front and back doors and windows.
I am considering driving it around Austin town just like this until election day as a political statement. What say you?
While the major urban counties like Dallas, Harris, Travis and Bexar got the majority of the media's attention today when it came to early voting, I ran across a story from a Sherman television station that shows that the long lines were everywhere--even in Grayson County. Check out the video:
What was particularly interesting to me is that the lines were snaking up stairs and basically winding their way through the entire courthouse.
