(Glenn is being challenged by VaLinda Hathcox (former candidate for Land Commissioner) in the primary for TX-4. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
Texas families deserve a Congressman who fights for their interests, not for corporate special interests. Today I’m officially announcing my candidacy for the United States Congress, Texas Fourth District. I’ll work for Texas families. I need your support. Together we can change Washington one incumbent at a time.
You deserve a representative who knows the needs of working families. I live in Sherman with my wife Jackie and two sons, Chris and Alex. I’m a history professor, Boy Scout leader and church volunteer. Unlike like many Washington politicians, I’m not a banker or a lawyer. I’m running for Congress to fight for the average American.
(Glenn is running for Congress in Texas 4th Congressional District. - promoted by Karl-Thomas Musselman)
As a child I was raised to believe that Christmas is a time of comfort and joy. Jesus, the Prince of Peace, arrived in the world preaching a gospel of love.
It’s time for us to stop this childish behavior. Our children will NOT be used to steal oil.
We can do better. We must do better.
Please join me this holiday season and renew the true meaning of Christmas. No more wars for oil. No more torture. No more worshiping at the altar of crony capitalism. America has always been stronger, prouder and more secure when we’ve exported hope and inspiration.
As Americans we have many reasons to give thanks this Thanksgiving Holiday. We've benefited from a country built upon shared prosperity and the courage to face our problems head-on. The story of the first Thanksgiving celebration reminds us why we must act now to preserve and protect our quality of life.
In November 1620 the pilgrims arrived in a new world confident of their success. Believing God had blessed them, they thought that they couldn't fail. But the pilgrims soon discovered that they didn't know how to survive in this new environment.
Humbled, they turned to their neighbors, a people that the pilgrims considered heathens and savages. The Wampanoag taught the pilgrims how to change direction and survive. The Native Americans taught the pilgrims how to grow corn and hunt local game. In November 1621 these two peoples sat down together and broke bread, celebrating the pilgrims' first successful harvest.
Bountiful harvests became the foundation for America's shared prosperity. Today climate change threatens our quality of life. Rising temperatures, caused by greenhouse gases, could devastate Texas agriculture. If carbon emissions remain unchecked we could see Texas agriculture decline by more than 25%.
We must learn the lesson of that first Thanksgiving celebration and change our direction.
Washington politicians like Ralph Hall have been promising fiscal responsibility for the 30 years. They've failed to deliver. One of their favorite schemes is privatization.
It sounds so good-all you have to do is follow three simple steps: (1) cut a public service, (2) pay a private business to deliver the service, and (3) you'll save taxpayers' money. Unfortunately this fairytale ends badly.
Privatization forces you to pay more, and you get less.
Most of the recent national scandals involve private contractors. Walter Reed, Blackwater, Halliburton, and the rebuilding of the Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita have cost taxpayers more money than promised. Just as important, privatization has failed to deliver the much needed results.
Veterans suffer from substandard health care. America's brave fighting men and women pay the ultimate price after mercenaries destabilize Iraq. The hardworking families of the Gulf Coast remain homeless and without jobs even after Washington threw billions of dollars at private contractors.
Living in a "Red" state, I'm often asked, "Why are you a Democrat?" or "Wouldn't it be easier to win if you were a Republican?" For me the answer is easy. I'm a Democrat because I believe in "we," not "me."
Our founding fathers started the Constitution with the word "We" for a purpose. Our individual liberty rests upon how justly we treat those around us. As Martin Luther King said in his Letter from the Birmingham Jail, "Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
A bipartisan group in the House of Representatives took an important step on March 15, 2007. They decided to change the way the federal government conducts business, passing the “Accountability in Contracting Act" (Vote 156: H R 1362). Ralph Hall was one of a small minority of Congressional dead enders to vote against accountability.
Please help me send a message to Washington. The people of the Texas Fourth District want results, not empty rhetoric. We demand an end to the practice of borrow and waste.
So the first quarter of fundraising is over and while the focus was mostly on the presidential candidates, let's not forget about our incumbent members of Congress. In order to do that, I've compiled data for all 32 members in Texas and sorted them in four categories: 1Q Raised, 1Q Spent, Cash on Hand, and their Burn rate (calculated as spent/raised so the higher the number the more spent).
Click on the different tabs below to see the totals. Democrats in bold but all are marked by party. Al Green has not yet filed (not uncommon). If it's not displaying below, click here.
Glad to see Chet (D), Lampson (D), and Ciro (D) high on that list, though I'm sure Lampson would like a bit more knowing that he will have the toughest re-election fight in Texas. Six of the seven worst fundraisers were Republicans.
But what is up with Ron Paul (R) and Ralph Hall (R)? I know Paul is running for President (as a Republican, not Libertarian) but Hall pulled in a meager $2000. Hall is old (84) but hasn't announced any plans to retire. Could this be a sign? He also used to be a Democrat until he switched parties after the DeLay redistricting forced him into a more Republican district. Might be be convinced to switch back? Under House rules he'd retain his seniority and seeing as he's been in congress since 1981, that's a lot of rank he could pull.
In terms of Cash on Hand, Austin's Lloyd Doggett (D) is #1 with $1.95 million. But after that it's mostly Republican, though some notably lower than 2 years ago like Lamar Smith (R) and Pete Sessions (R). That's one nice side effect of the campaigns of John Courage and Will Pryor.
As to the burn rate- anything over 1 indicates more money being spent than raised. Texas Democrats did very well in this category holding 10 of the 14 best spots, holding on to their cash and building up their warchests. Paul (R) is the worst burner but his attention is elsewhere so no surprise. Hall (R) takes the number 2 spot- further hints at potential retirement?
Anything else of note? Add your thoughts and analysis in the comments.
Occasionally, Congress will vote on a resolution urging another country to take action on a particular matter--in this case, asking the U.K. for an independent inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, a human rights lawyer who was killed in his home by pro-British loyalists in 1989.
On Tuesday, Chris Smith (R-NJ) introduced a resolution supporting an inquiry into Pat Finucane's murder, and the resolution passed with 364 voting yes, and only 34 voting no. That's right--34 voted no, including 5 Texas Republicans...
The poll -- which was overseen by two local professors, political science professor Nathan Bigelow and sociology professor Janet Huber Lowry -- notes that Hall has gotten a minimum of 58% of the vote in the last five straight elections. But the numbers it finds this time around are different. It surveyed 400 registered voters without providing descriptions of the candidates, and found the above-mentioned 48%-41% spread among those who say they will "certainly vote."
The Herald Democrat paper has the first of a series of articles in discussion the issues between candidates for TX-4. Though they spell Glenn Melancon's name wrong through the entire piece (Melanon), it's refreshing to see local papers give equal coverage to candidates this early.
Melan?on said the law is the best protection for American freedom.
"The Congress and the president have to follow the law, it’s that simple," Melan?on said. “The Constitution provides a system of check and balances so the Congress works with the president and the president works with the Congress. But the Patriot Act and the president’s domestic spying program violate those principles of checks and balances.
"History tells us that freedom has never been protected by breaking the law or casting aside our values. So if we want both security and liberty, Congress and the president have to follow the law.
And Rep. Hall touches on his opinion of the President's power to wiretap.
Hall said that Congress gave the president the power to conduct the type of surveillance he has engaged in after the terrorist strike, Sept. 11, 2001.
Said Hall, "We authorized, by statute because we couldn’t do the Constitution, and these are the words we used, we authorized him ‘to use all necessary and appropriate force against those nations, organizations or persons he determines planned authorized or committed an attack against the U.S."
