Sausage! Music! Football! Democrats! - This Saturday in Elgin

by: Robert Ryland

Thu Sep 25, 2008 at 06:14 PM CDT

Come out and support our candidates in important swing races with the Bastrop County Democratic Party this Saturday (9/27, 11am-3pm) as we  hold our Precinct 4 Tailgate Rally in Veteran's Memorial Park (a.k.a Elgin City Park), at Main and Depot Streets in historic downtown Elgin . In addition to local vendors hawking our famous hot sausage, drinks and homemade treats, we'll have live local music and fun for the kids - and of course, the chance hear and meet face-to-face with Democratic candidates on the Bastrop County ballot this November.

In response to the influx of visitors fleeing natural disasters of late, we're also asking folks to bring non-perishable food items to donate to the Elgin and Bastrop Food Pantries who have done heroic work assisting evacuees and their hosts, and need supplies replenished.

Headliners are Larry Joe Doherty (CD-10) & Donnie Dippel (HD-17). Plus everyone's favorite regional down-ballot judicial candidate, the venerable Woodie Jones (for 3rd Ct. Appeals), and the extremely bright, hard-working Chris Duggan (for 423rd Dist. Judge). Sheriff candidate Wayne Smith along with Dock Jackson (for Pct 1 Commissioner) round out the confirmed list of local office-seekers.

Loyal local yellowdawgs Ernie Bogart (longtime Elgin attorney) and Lee Dildy (Pct 4 Comm.) will serve as Honorary Hosts for this event.

Folks are encouraged to bring coolers, chairs and TVs, and set up camp next to the park for Texas-Arkansas game-watching after the rally activities finish just about kick-off time.

Plus, we'll have some of these nifty Obama-Biden things for a small charge....

We'll also feature a special guest - local delegate to the National Convention Michael Flowers, profiled recently in an excellent Texas Observer article by our favorite Gal-With-the-Obama-Plates-Whose-Resolve-Is-Only-Strengthened-When-Punks-Slash-Her-Tires...

Wanna get away from the craziness? Hop on US 290 and go counter-flow Saturday morning!

Mike McCaul Drills Voters at the Pump

by: Matt Glazer

Thu Aug 07, 2008 at 03:05 PM CDT

McCaul has been going pump to pump drilling voters about soaring gas prices and our dependence on foreign oil.  

Let's go over some facts real quick:

• What Republican Congressman McCaul fails to note, however, is that he has taken over $107,000 in political contributions from the oil and gas special interests to maintain and strengthen that dependency.
• McCaul has voted against legislation making oil price-gouging a crime.
• McCaul has voted against providing tax incentives for the renewable-energy industry.
• McCaul has voted against higher average fuel economy standards in the auto industry.
• McCaul has voted against repealing tax breaks for the currently highly profitable oil industry

How did environmental groups score McCaul?  Here are the quick scores off of Project Vote Smart:

2007  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 10 percent in 2007.

2007  Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to League of Conservation Voters's position, Representative McCaul received a rating of 10.

2007  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 20 percent in 2007.

2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 17 percent in 2006.

2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 25 percent in 2006.

2005-2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Lands Alliance 11 percent in 2005-2006.

2005-2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 16 percent in 2005-2006.

2005-2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Comprehensive US Sustainable Population 24 percent in 2005-2006.

2005-2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 6 percent in 2005-2006

2005  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 0 percent in 2005.

2005  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 0 percent in 2005.

Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Republicans for Environmental Protection 0 percent in 2005.

He has only received one public score card on energy issues, and it isn't any better.

2005-2006  Representative McCaul supported the interests of the Campaign for America's Future 17 percent in 2005-2006 on energy legislation.

That is a dozen failing scores in a little over three years.

One reader of our site noticed another surprise in the Observer about McCaul's press stunt, it involved a locally elected Republican leader posing as a random person on the street.

One driver was suspiciously on-message. Without prompting, the woman began profusely thanking McCaul and the Republicans for their efforts. She even wrote a snappy note to Pelosi on her receipt: "Dear Nancy, Hope you enjoy your vacation. Get back to work." The local TV guys were eating the made-for-TV moment up. But, as it turns out, the "random" driver was Rosemary Edwards, the chairwoman of the Travis County Republican Party and occasional donor to Republican candidates. Edwards said she just happened to be driving by and saw McCaul.

To recap, McCaul has been bad on both environmental and energy legislation and he has to get the Chair of the local Republican Party to come by just so somebody knows who he is and says something nice about him.  Way to lead Congressman.

Contrary to Roll Call, Democrats Are Optimistic in CD-07, CD-10

by: Matt Glazer

Sat Aug 02, 2008 at 00:00 PM CDT

A recent Roll Call article focuses on two races we have had our eyes on for a long time- Larry Joe Doherty vs. Mike McCaul and Mike Skelly vs. John Culberson.

Roll Call over simplifies to the two races saying:

Culberson's 7th district encompasses much of Houston's western suburbs and is among the most conservative in a state that remains a Republican stronghold. But Culberson's opponent, businessman Michael Skelly, has attempted to position himself as a conservative Democrat and has vowed to spend $1 million of his own money on the race. As of June 30, he had nearly doubled the incumbent in cash on hand.

McCaul's 10th district, stretching from greater Houston's solidly conservative Harris County in the east to the Austin region's Democratic-leaning Travis County in the west, has the potential to be politically problematic for Republicans.

The Republican Party and President Bush are incredibly unpopular (even in Texas), and both McCaul and Culberson like to highlight their close ties and friendships with this administration.  The Republican's are losing control of the Texas House.  They are losing more down ballot races than ever before.  Their most vocal advocated tell voters their economic woes are all in their head.

Democrats on the other hand are better funded than they have been in nearly a decade.  There is more passion and focus on the Democratic Party than there has been in years.

Maybe that is why "Republican operatives who follow Texas Congressional races concede that neither the 7th district nor the 10th will be the easy ride they've been for the Republicans since being redrawn in 2003 as part of the redistricting of Lone Star State House seats engineered by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Texas)."

While Julie Shutley, the spokes person for the National Republican Congressional Committee argues that McCain helps McCaul and Culberson, I am at a loss to figure out how.  Barack Obama received more votes in the primary than John Kerry or Al Gore received in the 2004 or 2000 general election.  We have more candidates running down ballot in both districts, which will encourage Independents and disenfranchised Republicans to vote for one or more Democrat and prevent them from voting straight ticket.

"Even in Texas, one of the reddest states in the country, people are fed up," DCCC spokeswoman Kyra Jennings said. "Combine this desire for change with the strong campaigns both Michael Skelly and Larry Joe Doherty are running, and it offers Democrats unique opportunities in Texas this year."

[...]

But Skelly's team believes a district whose economy relies heavily on the energy industry will respond favorably to a candidate with his background, and they predict that fiscal conservatives disappointed with Congress' record on spending and the deficit could help him win an unexpected victory. Skelly, on cable television with his second ad, is already courting voters; Culberson intends to wait until after Labor Day to launch his air war.

At the end of that sentence, read, "Skelly is already on TV because he has the money, support, and network to be able too... Culberson doesn't so he is forced to leave Skelly on TV by himself."

While CD-07 is decidedly moderate or leans conservative, the 10th district is one of the Tom DeLay fajita strip districts.  It is a "classic gerrymander" district drawn up as a "majority Republican seat by cobbling together a collection of conservative-leaning rural counties and anchoring them on either side by portions of growing counties."

The district is less Republican today than it was yesterday and is probably the most rapidly trending seat in Texas.

Doherty's optimism is [anchored in] the increasing number of Democratic voters in Travis County, which is a liberal enclave in an otherwise sea of red, and the fact that McCaul's Democratic opponent in 2006 garnered 40 percent of the vote while being outspent by the incumbent $1.1 million to $65,000.

Doherty's strategy is to court moderate voters who are most interested in a change in Washington, D.C., while maximizing turnout in Travis County and working for a split in the rural counties. His campaign believes McCaul has not developed a close relationship with his constituents, and it plans to exploit that. McCaul's campaign vehemently denies that contention.

Again Roll Call gets it wrong.  Travis County is not a island of blue in a sea of red anymore.  Hays County, Williamson County and Bastrop County are all purple counties turning rapidly blue.  People are fed up with Tom Craddick's pay to play model and Tom DeLay's unconstitutional Republican protection plan.  Texans understand that the do nothing Culberson and Mike McCaul, the son-in-law to Clear Channel mogul Lowry Mays, don't represent them.

While Roll Call thinks it can't be done, it is clear that together, we can win two more congressional seats in Texas.

TCDP Issues & Policy Meet Up: A Visit from Larry Joe Doherty

by: MeanRachel

Tue Jul 22, 2008 at 09:59 AM CDT

After a weekend of national netrootsing, I felt somewhat like a fried green tomato sitting in a crowd of about fifty people eating homemade cookies and listening to locals discuss issues that are not exclusively local but are national problems reverberating throughout Travis county.

I have been trying to get to the Travis County Democratic Campaign Headquarters for the last few weeks, but my company's westward offices and a hectic schedule hasn't allowed it. I was impressed by the crowd when I walked in -- a mixed demographic across the board was gathered in a circular-shape, listening intently to David Kobierowski, who is the TCDP Issues Committee Chair. We went through the issues -- one of the people who was in charge of commenting on the energy crisis said "It reminds me of high school debate class," referring to the three-minute timed discussions for each issue -- and then it was time for Larry Joe Doherty to speak.

McCaul Relapses on McEarmarks

by: MeanRachel

Fri Jun 27, 2008 at 11:09 AM CDT

Back in March, shortly after the Democratic primary and when for perhaps the first time he realized that he will have some serious competition in November, Congressman Michael McCaul decided that it was time to put on the pork patch and end his addiction to earmarks.

As the Houston Chronicle reported, McCaul sponsored or co-sponsored nearly $20 million in earmarks between October 1, 2007 and March 28, 2008 alone.  The Chronicle also produced a full list of his McEarmarks, detailing the breakdown of the projects and names of the co-sponsors (fellow addicts like Congressmen Culberson and Sessions, equally-vulnerable Republican incumbents who will have some 'splaining to do in the fall).  At the time, while also making it clear that he would not seek earmarks if elected in November, Democratic challenger Larry Joe Doherty told the Chronicle, "Michael McCaul has gone into rehab over earmark addiction."

Now, like most recovering addicts, McCaul is out of rehab and has been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

As the Chronicle's Texas on the Potomac reported on June 13th:

New Poll Shows 10th Congressional Within Reach

by: Matt Glazer

Mon Jun 16, 2008 at 02:10 PM CDT

Our recent poll results indicate that voters in Texas' 10th Congressional District may be willing to head in a different direction in 2008.  Democratic candidate Larry Joe Doherty has a compelling personal narrative, incumbent Republican Mike McCaul is vulnerable because he has failed to make any meaningful connection with his constituents, and Democrats have a real chance to take this district in November.

This poll shows that the initial trial heat for Republican incumbent Mike McCaul gets only 43% of the vote and Democratic challenger gets 34% of the vote (down 9%).   The main point here is that McCaul fails to get even close to the 50% plus 1 benchmark.  In a generic Dem vs. Rep the Democrats gets 41% and Republicans get 45%.  This indicates two points, one McCaul underperforms the straight Republican ID which means McCaul is actually underperforming the straight Republican ticket and two, LJD will see a huge bounce among both Democrats and Republicans once he begins outreach.

The poll also indicates that Doherty could move voters rapidly if they have the opportunity to hear his message.

After hearing one positive statement about Doherty and nothing critical of McCaul, voters are quickly able to reevaluate the congressional race, preferring Doherty over McCaul by 46% to 38%.  After hearing considerable information about both candidates voters prefer Larry Joe Doherty by a 50% to 36% margin over McCaul.  This again underscores how potentially fluid this electorate is.

The other scary point is how negative CD-10 feels about native son, President George W. Bush.

Bush's job rating is 70% negative here (in Texas) and 69% of C.D. 10 voters think the country is seriously off on the wrong track.

These numbers are good news for Democrats in Austin, Houston, and the counties in between.  What we need to remember though is McCaul is independently wealthy and has strong family ties to the Clear Channel conglomeration.  If LJD can't get both small and large donations, this will be a hard race to win.

To read the full polling memo, click here. The 400-person survey of likely voters in the 10th Congressional District was conducted May 27-31.

Make sure to donate today and volunteer at the Travis County Democratic Coordinated Campaign.

CD-10: Larry Joe Doherty Podcast with The Texas Blue's "Who's Blue"

by: MeanRachel

Thu May 22, 2008 at 10:01 PM CDT

The interview highlights some of Doherty's comprehensive knowledge of and innate compassion for the environment.  This to me has always been one of Doherty's major strong suits, since water and land conservation have been important to him since before they were an inconvenient truth.

Doherty also touches on the economic as well as societal factors of the quagmire in Iraq, and the travesty of the current CD-10 Congressman really hits home when McCaul's voting record comes into play.  

Rep. Mike McCaul: Having His Gas and Guzzling It, Too.

by: MeanRachel

Mon May 05, 2008 at 11:58 PM CDT

As with millions of Americans, I am shocked by the cost of filling up with gasoline. In Texas, the average cost of gasoline is $3.53 per gallon. A number of factors contribute to the soaring gas prices. Regardless of the reasons, working families are being hit hard by record prices at the pump.

First of all, "filling up with gasoline?"  Are you eating gas now?  You're missing a noun in there. Secondly, that last sentence makes no sense. Fire your communications director, Congressman. "Working families" (we could say "all families" but let's move on) are being hit hard by record prices at the pump precisely because of the reasons that you are so quick to disregard. And since when is it acceptable to glaze over the actual issues that are causing these prices to go up? These "working families" would probably rather have their Congressman address those very "factors" rather than once again hearing the usual "drive slower" and "carpool" suggestions that McCaul segues into.

And how about those "working families." Do you mean the ones who work in labor and industry, Congressman McCaul? Because it seems to me that in the very same hot minute that it took you to compose your newsletter, you also voted against the Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Act (H.R. 5522) which your colleagues (at least on the D side) voted for in a 247 to 165 vote.

This act would, as McCaul mentions in his Minute, "require [the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's] OSHA to issue an Interim Final Rule (IFR) within 90 days of enactment, which covers every facility 'in which combustible dust presents a hazard.'"

McCaul goes on to say that he opposes the "preemptive legislation" because:

"OHSA should complete its investigation first and also because an expedited interim standard is unrealistic, confusing and creates a one-size-fits all standard, which ultimately fits no one, making workplaces more unsafe."

Hm. Okay. However, a March press release announcing this bill being introduced states:

In 2006, following a series of fatal combustible dust explosions, the [US Chemical Safety Board] CSB conducted a major study of combustible dust hazards. It identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers, injured 718 others, and extensively damaged industrial facilities. Nearly a quarter of the explosions occurred in the food industry, including several at sugar plants.

Seems like if the CSB has had enough time to review 25 years' worth of dust incidents, it might be time to act. Another sentence from the press release points out something McCaul failed to mention in the minute he took to review what he's been up to:
 

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration already has the authority to issue such a rule without Congress passing new legislation, but the agency has failed to act despite the fact that the dangers of combustible dust have been well known for years.

Congressman McCaul, you should be worried. You should be worried and ashamed. You are a Congressman who preaches about "working families" paying more at the pumps but you choose to disregard the reasons why. You endanger these same "working families" in their workplace and then try to convince them that you did this because the safety measures are too "confusing" and "preemptive." Too bad for you that these "working families" are the ones who are going to be voting for someone with their best interests in mind in the fall. Your opponent Larry Joe Doherty isn't afraid to get to the root of the "reasons" why gas prices are soaring and isn't daunted by "confusing" safety standards that might be unpopular with your Republican cronies.

It's never too soon to start planning for your retirement, Congressman. In fact, you're more than a minute late.

Skelly, Doherty Continue to Show Competitive Nature

by: Matt Glazer

Thu May 01, 2008 at 02:42 PM CDT

Recently Swing State Project ranked the 75 most competitive non-open seats in the country and Texas had a strong showing.

The rankings were determined by dividing the challenger's cash on hand (CoH) by the incumbent's CoH to arrive at a "competitiveness" percentage for each race. David articulated a clear reason why back in 2006 when he said:

If you've got $500K, that's all well-and-good - but your opponent has $2M, then you've got a lot of ground to make up.

Under this equation the second most competitive non-open seat in America is CD-7 between Michael Skelly and Republican John Culberson with Skelly's race having a 246% competitiveness rating.  The other high profile challenger in Texas, Larry Joe Doherty, makes the cut.  LJD ranks a respectable 42 with a 38% competitiveness rating after a hard fought and expensive primary.

As for the Republican challengers, well, Lyle Larson and Pete Olson don't even crack the top 75, due to their primaries draining their campaign accounts.

It probably goes without saying, it's a good time to be a Democrat in Texas.  

Larry Joe Doherty Becomes Part of Blue Majority

by: Matt Glazer

Sat Apr 19, 2008 at 01:01 PM CDT

Crooks & Liars, Firedoglake, Digby, and Down With Tyranny have added Larry Joe Doherty to their fundraising efforts for Democratic challengers.  This means the national folks are helping raise money for two Texans, Rick Noriega and LJD.

Read Howie Klein's introduction of LJD to the nation at Down with Tyranny and participate in the liveblogging going on at Firedoglake today from 1 to 3 p.m.

Also help democratic challengers in federal races by donating to Blue Majority or help Texas Democratic challengers by donating to TexBlog PAC.