BOR: - Mike Conaway

GOP Rep. Mike Conaway Very Pro-Spending When it Comes to George W. Bush's Childhood Home

Ben Sherman — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 18:24:35 GMT

ThinkProgress revealed yesterday just how much Rep. Mike Conaway of Midland loves government spending when it's for his friends. He's trying to get the Department of the Interior to fund the George W. Bush childhood home as part of the Park Service:

A ThinkProgress review of legislative correspondence with the U.S. Department of the Interior revealed that on September 11, 2012, Conaway wrote Secretary Ken Salazar to request a "reconnaissance Survey" of a potential new national park location. According to the log, Conaway's letter asked that the National Park Service "look at the possibility of adding the George W. Bush childhood home as a unit of the Park Service."

The Midland congressman was the chief financial officer of George W. Bush's Bush Exploration oil company that managed to fail in the thick of the 1980's Texas oil boom. Naturally, he was elected to Congress in 2004 on a platform of fiscal responsibility. Since then, he's been a rank and file Republican calling for lower government spending on everything except for corporate subsidies. In 2006, Rep. Conaway introduced the Fuel Consumption Education Act to "appropriate $10 million for U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to create a public-private partnership with industry and launch a TV, print and Internet advertising campaign" including "[a]utomotive, gas refining and oil companies".

In response to President Obama's State of the Union this month, Rep. Conaway said: "Halting the rise in borrowing isn't enough; we must learn to live within our means and break our dependence on deficit spending." Apparently to Rep. Conaway, the government starting to spending money every year on George W. Bush's childhood home would be "living within our means." It's not as though Park Service units are cheap; Josh Israel of ThinkProgress notes that the John F. Kennedy National Historical Site receives more than $500,000 every year and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site receives more than $4 million annually.

George W. Bush is one of America's least popular presidents in history, and his Midland home was never in the public eye. Bill Clinton, on the other hand, made his background in Hope, Arkansas a central part of his political story and his childhood home is now part of the Park Service. So what's the case for adding the George W. Bush childhood home to the Park Service? There isn't one.

Friday Wrap: Joe McCarthy, Septic Wards, Strong Mayors, and the GOP's Perception Problem

Burnt Orange Report — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 16:48:38 GMT

It's time for the Friday Wrap, where your Burnt Orange Reporters comment on all the news that fits in a blockquote.

It was a great week for consumers as Senator Elizabeth Warren attended her first Senate Banking Committee hearing. The gentlewoman from Massachusetts had a few questions for regulators that were long overdue. Upworthy has the video:

Senator Elizabeth Warren, y'all!

Below the jump, get caught up on Ted Cruz, Jerry Patterson, Annise Parker, Steve Munisteri, and religious fervor in Texas.

It didn't take long for Ted Cruz to be compared to one of the most extreme characters in American political history. Democratic senators compared him to Joe McCarthy this week. Wow.
--Michael Hurta

According to the Texas Tribune, Jerry Patterson said yesterday: "The First Amendment kills as many as the Second, or is as dangerous."
So, then, what exactly would he mean by bans on magazines?
--Edward Garris

Republican State Senators Bob Deuell, Donna Campbell and Charles Schwertner are trying to shut down abortion clinics by requiring them to follow administrative code for surgical centers, even though most of the code has little or nothing to do with abortion services. Currently only 5 clinics in Texas meet this standard.
No word if they will include additional funds for hospitals to construct new septic abortion wards to handle the likely consequences of such a law.
--Katherine Haenschen

At the University Democrats meeting this week, speaker Annise Parker mentioned how great a strong mayor system is. I wish we could experience that accountability in Austin.
--Michael Hurta

Texas unsurprisingly was ranked as one of the more religious states in the nation according to a new Gallup poll, with 47% of Texans characterizing themselves as "very religious." But Texas actually falls short of the top ten list and comes in behind most of the Deep South and Utah, with Mississippi taking the lead at 58%. As a comparison, most New England states' "very religious' percentages are in the 20s.
--Emily Cadik

Republican Party of Texas chair Steve Munisteri told a group in West Texas, "we have to get over a perception that Republicans dislike Hispanics or African Americans."
Meanwhile, Midland's Congressman Mike Conaway supports ending birthright citizenship, which Munisteri agrees with -- after all, Republicans can't have those terror babies growing up and voting in Texas.
Republicans appear to still have a ways to go on that "perception" problem.
--Katherine Haenschen

Weak Tea? Primary Challengers to Texas Republicans Bringing The Heat

Katherine Haenschen — Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:14:00 GMT

As I noted in a post on Pete Session's lackluster NRCC efforts last Friday, many of our incumbent Texas Republican Congressmen are facing primary challengers this cycle, from Tea Party folks. Let's take some time to get to know the folks who are doing their best to make Congress even less functional, and think about what this means for the Republican party.

Ralph Hall vs. Jerry Ray (Tea) Hall, TX-4

Hall faces tea party challenger Jerry Ray Hall (no relation to Ralph or Mick Jagger's ex), who submitted his ballot application with the word "Tea" after his middle name. Challenger-Hall also has been passing around a photo of himself with Rep. John Culberson as an implied--and erroneous--endorsement. That link is also entertaining because "Jerry Ray (Tea) Hall" mixes it up in the comments... With himself.

Also interesting about this race: Congressman-Hall is the oldest member of the House, at 86 years. He would take over the Science Committee should the Republicans regain control of the lower chamber. Notably, would-be Science Chair Hall is actually older than the Big Bang Theory, the Heisenberg Uncertainty principle, penicillin, the material nylon, radiocarbon dating, treatment for leukemia, the radio transistor, and the polio vaccine. I'm not trying to imply anything... Well, really, I'm just saying, the dude is too old to be in charge of the Science Committee.

Michael McCaul vs. Joe Petronis, TX-10

Michael "#7 Water Waster in Austin" McCaul is facing a primary challenge from the self-proclaimed "RINO Hunter" Joe Petronis. In fact, he has an entire page on his website dedicated to his RINO Hunting. Click on the link. You need a giggle.

This is interesting, because unlike some of the districts mentioned here (the 4th, 11th) which are mind-numbingly Republican, the 10th (and Sessions' 32nd) have the potential to flip. Unfortunately, the highly-anticipated challenger to McCaul, Jack McDonald, did not file for the race, leaving 2006 challenger Ted Ankrum to pick up the slack. It will be interesting to see, however, what effect the primary challenge has on a Republican base that doesn't have too much to praise in the lackluster McCaul's performance in D.C. After all, McCaul is clearly better at wasting water at home than he is fighting for jobs or hewing to "conservative principles" in D.C.

Mike Conaway vs. Chris Younts, TX-11

Conaway, from Midland, is a big-time Bush crony, working for Bush's various failed business ventures until being appointed by then-governor Bush to the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy. He later had the luxury to run for a district again redrawn by DeLay to include Midland and Odessa. TX-11 is widely considered to be one of the most Republican, with a PVI of R+28. (Only the 13th, much of the Panhandle held by Mac Thornberry, is more Republican, at R+29.)

Conaway is being challenged by Chris Younts, an insurance salesman from San Angelo. Of his candidacy, Younts stated, "Contrary to opinions on both sides, the Tea Party movement was never intended to play the role of an infatuated, doting cheerleader of all players with an 'R' on their jersey, regardless of past indiscretions."

Kenny Marchant vs. Frank Roszell, TX-24

Marchant will face a primary challenge for the district he basically drew for himself during the 2003 Congressional gerrymander, during which time he was a member of the Texas House. He is squaring off against Roszell, a developer and tea party supporter from Grapevine. Roszell may win the "best quote on a campaign website" contest, which is pretty stiff amongst the Tea Partiers: "No one will jerk my chain but my wife." Unclear how his views on chain-jerking relate to partisan line-drawing.

Pete Sessions vs. David Smith, TX-32

As I noted last Friday, the head of the entire NRCC is facing a primary challenger in the form of David Smith, a corporate financial analyst and tea party activist determined to rid the Republicans of the D-minus Sessions.

Smith expects to receive significant grassroots support from the Tea Party denizens, telling TPM "I anticipate that those will be the most active supporters of my campaign, those are going to be the people who will go out for my campaign and wear out shoes, and make phone calls to people in the district."

This ought to be interesting. While pundits and political "soothsayers" are already predicting death to Democratic victories this cycle, there's clearly a fomenting Tea Party movement on the Right that sets the stage for post-primary strife, and may enable third party or independent candidates to step up to the plate and capitalize on this discontent.

Let's also not count out the role of Debra Medina in this, whose gubernatorial campaign may draw out Republican primary voters who seek to support the "Tea Party" challengers in their local Congressional primaries. However, the national Republicans seem largely unwilling to address the growing frustration amongst Tea Party activists, suggesting that everyone will mend fences after the primary and work for the status-quo Republican incumbents that are likely to survive the vast, vast majority of their primary challenges.

A New York Times piece on the recent Republican retreat to their favorite foreign nation of Hawaii illustrates this. Michael Steele, RNC chairman, stated:

"If a Republican incumbent or a Republican candidate is running and a Tea Party candidate is in the race and the Republican wins, my expectation is that the Tea Party guy is going to support the Republican. ... Because we would support the Tea Party guys."

Ok, let me get this straight: RNC Chair Michael Steele says that his party would support Tea Party activists should they win a primary. However, that's the exact opposite of what happened in NY-23, where moderate Republican Dede Scozzafava endorsed Democrat Bill Owens over certified nutjob Doug Owens after Tea Party folks pushed Scozzafava out of the race for being insufficiently ideologically pure. The comments of the challengers above suggest that this might not be so true, and that Tea Party activists may not let themselves be taken for granted by the Republican Party.

This should also be a huuuuge warning sign to moderate Republicans and independents, that the RNC establishment says publicly that they're willing to get on board with Tea Party extremists should they win the primary.
However, former Texas Congressmember and one-man Dick Armey seems to see the handwriting on the wall:

"This is not a situation where the grass-roots activists are saying, 'What can we do to make ourselves attractive to the Republicans?'" he said. "It is 'What can we do to help the Republicans understand what they must do to be attractive to us.'"

Armey admits it: the Tea Party is the new activist base of conservative politics. To win over their support and enthusiasm in November, Republican candidates may have to swing even harder to the right to pacify the folks who are currently holding the megaphone in the Republican party. What this will do to moderate and mainstream voters remains to be seen, but thanks to the Tea Party this may shape up to be a more intriguing election season than we expect.

Democrat to Run in TX-11

Matt Glazer — Fri, 25 May 2007 13:44:46 GMT

The Texas 11th has a Democrat in the Race. Dr. Brad Vincent of Snyder Texas has unofficially entered the race against Republican Mike Conaway.

Vincent is a dedicated educator who has spent his life working for Texas students and their families, and his issues seem right in line with the Midland based district.

Conaway was elected entirely because of DeLay and Craddick's redistricting scheme. The same redistricting plan that was overturned by the US Supreme Court during the last election cycle.

His first run for elective office came in 2003, when he ran in a special election for the 19th Congressional District, which came open after 18-year Republican incumbent Larry Combest stepped down shortly after winning a 10th term. Conaway lost by 587 votes to fellow Republican Randy Neugebauer. A few months later, the Texas Legislature redrew the state's districts in an effort engineered by then-House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Three brand-new districts were created, one of them being the 11th, which was based in Midland.

Check out Dr. Vincent's website for more information. We will keep our eyes on the race as it develops.

Conaway's Runaway Spending Fiasco

Xpatriated Texan — Wed, 21 Jun 2006 02:29:54 GMT

It would be funny if it weren't true (okay, it's still a little bit funny).

Remember when Republicans used to make fun of Democrats spending "your money"? Let's see, that was way back in ---- well, every day for the last thirty years. Well, take heart, we now have a Republican who can out hairbrain the most hairbrain idea ever concocted for throwing away tax dollars.

Meet Mike Conaway of Midland (yeah, he's a Republican). He's introduced the "Fuel Consumption Education Act".

When you stop laughing, I'll meet you on the other side of the flip.
The Act:

would appropriate $10 million for U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman to create a public-private partnership with industry and launch a TV, print and Internet advertising campaign. Automotive, gas refining and oil companies will be included.
Recommended tips will include combining trips, accelerating slowly from stoplights, keeping vehicle tires aired up and carpooling, a Conaway spokesman indicated.

What's worse is that other Texas Republicans actually think it's a good idea to tell people that driving less (which is what the above tips amount to) will use less gas.

A spokeswoman for Rep. Ralph Hall of Rockwall said the chairman of the subcommittee on energy and air quality expects the bill to be approved by the full committee this week and come to a floor vote next week. "Mr. Hall is for anything we can do to bring down energy costs, education being one," she said.
"We need everything -- more production in new areas of the Gulf of Mexico, on-shore areas and more conservation and alternative fuels. Mr. Conaway's bill will fit in with those goals and I haven't heard of any opposition to it."

It's just another attempt to turn the Wayback Machine back into a time that never existed:

State Rep. G.E. "Buddy" West of Odessa, chairman of the Texas House Energy Resources Committee in Austin, said the bill will encourage practices like those commonly used in the 1940s and '50s, when people planned their trips "and you didn't get to go somewhere every time you had a whim.
"We need to do all we can to educate the public on how to reduce the use of fuel," said West. "One thing is learn to cut our trips down and try to get everything done at one time."

Or, maybe, the Republicans are just trying to totally change the meaning of language used to discuss our ongoing fuel fiasco:

Introduced last Saturday, the bill's preamble says, "Today's gasoline prices are taking a serious toll on the pocketbooks of all Americans and nearing a level of national emergency.
"A large number of factors contribute, including worldwide demand for crude oil, taxes, international conflicts, regional supply chains, environmental regulations and refining capacity. Increased driving efficiency will lower demand and thereby prices in the short term."

"driving efficiency"? WTF, over? Is this an attempt to subvert fuel efficiency standards? If so, that would only be the first lie contained in the bill. Carpooling doesn't alter efficiency, it just lowers consumption. Your car gets the same crappy mileage it always did.

Here's another nice little dirty trick tucked away in a choking amount of fluff, though:

The legislation also will instruct Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao to terminate the federal Job Bank program.

Uh, is eliminating a job search program supposed to save gas, too?

Note: Texas Democrat Gene Green is listed as supporting this effort. How about letting him know how dumb this idea is - and how dishonest?