Recently we messaged you about the mess of an embarrassment Ted Cruz has shown himself to be. Senator McCain is even calling him a "wacko bird," and the Washington Post said he's like an inmate running an insane asylum.
One good thing about Cruz is that he reminds us daily about how important it is that we work to get ready for the next election, and to return Democrats to power in Texas.
We know that you're a partner in that work, and so we want to let you in on an exciting new program the TDP is to launch.
The way we Turn Texas Blue is by building a grassroots infrastructure that can turn out votes and convince our best candidates to run for office. The Texas Democratic Party is going to lead in this work by sending organizers out across our state, to build up local parties and to create a winning program from the ground up.
We know that there are numerous counties in Texas that are full of eager Democrats, but they haven't had the support needed to turn out the vote. We're about to get out on the road and give them that support.
Our twenty field organizers will work with twenty counties at a time, spending four months in each county. While visiting a county, grassroots organizers will lead intense trainings with local leaders, create long term organizing plans focused on voter registration and turnout, and build up the local communications infrastructure.
Wherever you live in Texas, the TDP will be closer to you than we've ever been!
We can't just campaign during election season. Turning Texas Blue requires a full time focus every day of every year. You and your communities have the power to Turn Texas Blue, and our new field program will give you the tools to lead in this work.
This is how we win. This is how we make Cruz a footnote in history. This is how we protect women's rights, fund public education and give more Texans healthcare.
And this is how you play a role in making history. You can say that you were there. That you supported the work back when it first started. That you were one of the Texans who returned our state to Democratic power!
But we need your help to fund this program. We're asking that you give what you can so that we can hire our organizers and get them started on this work.
Thank you for all that you do. Long before others believed we could Turn Texas Blue, you knew it was possible. Now is the time for us to lead in that work!
'Sequester' is an ugly and ill-defined word, seemingly picked by the Washington elite to divert attention from the disastrous cuts imposed upon the American people last week. Burnt Orange Report's own Emily Cadik explained how the sequester hits Texas viciously, from $67.8 million in education funding losses to $8.7 million in environmental protection funds especially for water.
The Texas Democratic Party is working to expose these devastating cuts to our state in an effort to corral Washington into reversing course.
Texas Democratic Party Chair Gilberto Hinojosa to Hold Press Conference Call on Devastating Effects of Sequester in Texas
Will Call on Congressional Republicans to Stop Playing Politics, Start Working with President Obama and Democrats on Balanced Approach to Our Debt and Deficit
Austin, TX - Gilberto Hinojosa, the Chair of Texas Democratic Party will hold a press conference call on Friday, March 8th at 10:00 AM CT to talk about the devastating effects that the Republican sequester is having on Texas.
He will call on Texas Congressional Republicans to end the political gridlock and work with President Obama and Democrats on a balanced approach to our debt and deficit and put the interests of our economy and middle class families ahead of tax breaks for the rich.
Sequestration, a series of indiscriminate, debilitating spending cuts will weaken our economic recovery and hurt job creation, the middle class, and military readiness.
WHAT: Press conference call on negative effects of sequester and Texas Republicans refusal to work on a balanced compromise to reduce our deficit.
WHO: Gilberto Hinojosa
Texas Democratic Party Chair
Think you've got what it takes to play a key role in turning Texas blue? Then step on up and get your skin in the game.
The Texas Democratic Party is currently hiring several full-time positions at the headquarters in Austin: Communications Associate, Finance Director, Finance Assistant, and Office Manager.
This is a big opportunity, and I strongly encourage everyone who's got the drive and talent to apply. Got a job? Then help spread these listings around. Let's get the best applicant pool we have and make sure we have the skilled operatives we need to turn Texas blue!
The Texas Democratic Party, in its new Hinojosa-led strategy of strength and conviction, is taking on Lubbock Judge Tom Head today. Yesterday, Head claimed that if President Obama is re-elected, Americans will launch an insurrection. In response, Head claimed, President Obama will give away U.S. sovereignty to the United Nations to quell the mass, violent uprising. This will lead to a "civil war," Head claimed, and that's why he's pushing for a local tax increase to boost law enforcement. You know, to keep UN troops out of Lubbock.
The best part? TDP is tying Head to Ted Cruz - an excellent and accurate attack. Ted Cruz believes the United Nations plans to force Americans to live in "hobbit homes" and will shut down golf courses. Head Cruz.
Check out the video of Head on local television offering his insane theory and read TDP's statement below the jump. Then breathe a sigh of relief that Democrats are fighting back smartly and strongly in Texas.
Yesterday, the "Hispanic Leadership Network" held a summit in San Antonio featuring Rick Perry and Quico Canseco.
They're trying to mobilize conservative Latinos...
The Texas Democratic Party reminds us that it should be too little, too late. Hispanic voters ought to look at the actions of these politicians, and then they will see where priorities truly lie. We already know about Rick Perry's exploitation of Hispanic Texans for political purposes.
The TDP also outlined some of the problems with Canseco and the Republican Congress:
o The House Republican budget supported by Congressman Canseco ends Medicare and replaces it with an inadequate voucher to buy private insurance even though 3.3 million Latinos rely upon Medicare for health care. [Congressional Hispanic Caucus, 10/4/11]
o Congressman Canseco has expressed opposition to the DREAM Act that would benefit 285,000 kids in Texas. [Migration Policy Institute, 7/8/10]
o Canseco supports privatizing Social Security which would have a particularly damaging impact on Hispanics who rely on Social Security as their sole income more than any other group.[Canseco Interview, 7/13/10; Washington Post, 2/01/10]
o Among Hispanic seniors, 36% of married couples and 62% of unmarried seniors relied on Social Security for 90% or more of their income in 2009. [SSA]
o As many as 30 percent of Hispanics escape poverty each year because of the monthly Social Security check they receive. [AARP]
Canseco is the representative in CD23, where BOR endorsed State Representative Pete Gallego. It's an important primary on Tuesday, because knocking off Canseco is our best chance to get rid of an enemy and put a friend of constituents in Congress.
Texas Democrats have a strong new leader in TDP Chairman Gilberto Hinojosa. Today, he sent out this no-holds-barred email to Texas Democrats about the truly evil, wholly political decision that Rick Perry made to refuse to implement Obamacare. His decision leaves millions of Texans uninsured - and Chairman Hinojosa isn't about to let it slide.
Dear Democrat,
Rick Perry is refusing $112 billion in health care money for uninsured Texans for three reasons. First, it doesn't allow for kickbacks to his political donors. Second, he needs to feed his radical rightwing base some red meat. And third ... oh heck, he forgot the third.
Now we know why the Texas Republican platform calls for an end to teaching critical thinking skills. Any thinking makes it obvious that Perry's bullheaded refusal of funding to expand Medicaid is wrong for Texas and deadly for Texans. Rick Perry is playing cute while a teenager never makes it to prom, a father never gets to walk his daughter down the aisle, children are dying from the lack of simple preventative care, and a mother won't live to see her children to adulthood.
Perry's decision will cost lives, and it will cost Texans and local governments much needed dollars in a tight economy.
Texans have to wonder how many lives and how much of your money Rick Perry is willing to sacrifice for his political career.
Texas is in 51st place among the 50 states - we are even behind Washington, DC - in delivery of health care to its citizens. But, Rick Perry is turning down these funds, because he believes that Texans know what's best. Texans do, but their career Republican politicians don't.
Texas Republicans, including David Dewhurst, Greg Abbott, and Joe Straus hide under the bed in fear of the Tea Party's irrational wrath if they speak up. Texans will continue to die far before their time while Rick Perry and the Republican Party pander to people who applaud the thought of watching people die in pain at the emergency room door.
Enough is enough. Politicians who call themselves "pro-life" while blithely turning down money to help the living need a swift kick to the rear end and a ticket out of the State of Texas. Help Texas Democrats get this message out.
We need your help to take to the airwaves to demand that Rick Perry and his fellow Republicans quit pandering and start leading. Donate $5, $10 or $50 to help us get the message to the airways that Rick Perry is pigheaded, mean, and financially irresponsible.
I can't tell you how often I'd roll my eyes and sigh in exasperation when reading about political leaders in our party deciding to go to the right, to stop selling progressive issues that make sense to voters, and to capitulate in favor of consultants that don't know their asses from a hole in the ground.
Which is why I yelled and clapped my hands in happiness when reading about the new Texas Democratic Party Chairman, Gilberto Hinojosa, saying that moving to the right and compromising on liberal issues hasn't worked out for Texas Democrats. He said, "The role of the Texas Democratic Party is to deliver the base."
To win, Hinojosa said Democrats must address other liberal issues that motivate core supporters, something the party hasn't always done in the past. Hinojosa admits he was one of the party leaders who thought pushing centrist positions was the way to win back independents and attract Republican moderates.
"They have left - not to return," Hinojosa said, adding that hard-core Democratic supporters lost interest and stopped voting.
The party will no longer hesitate to embrace issues important to the base, such as abortion rights, decriminalization of marijuana and equal marriage rights for nonheterosexuals, Hinojosa said. The party's platform takes liberal stances on many issues, and Hinojosa did not try to backpedal.
It all comes down to turnout. And getting the base to turn out in higher numbers than in the past would help turn Texas blue. It'll take lots of hard work, and contacting voters over and over again, but it's possible.
It's time to stop talking like Republicans and using code words to try to appeal to moderates. This is about elections, and getting people to turn out for our guys. We can't get that done if the language we use ends up depressing the base.
After all in 2008, we came damn close to reigniting the Democratic base. Even though John McCain won by 12 points in Texas, more than 3.5 million voters voted for President Obama. As the article says, that's 1.4 million more Democrats voting in 2008 than in 2010, and twice the number Bill White needed to beat Perry.
I'm with Gilberto Hinojosa on this, and will do anything I can to help him out. I love Texas, and I've been born and raised here for much of my life. I still believe that Texas will turn blue within my lifetime.
Democrats in Texas may not always have a reason to celebrate but that won't stop them from partying like its 1999. Those were the good old days when Democrats still controlled the house and were just one shy of the Senate.
Thursday, June 7
6:00pm - 2012 State Convention Kick-Off Reception Hilton of the Americas, Grand Ballroom 1600 Lamar St Houston, TX 77010
*Tickets are available in advance or at the door for $65.
7:30pm - Legislators & Labor Unite for the Democratic Party Reception at CWA Hall (1730 Jefferson, Houston, TX)
8:00pm - Sen. Royce West & Rep. Senfronia Thompson Reception (Grand Ballroom KL)
8:00pm - HDCC Reception at St. Arnolds Brewery (2000 Lyons Ave, Houston, TX)
Friday, June 8
11:00am - Capital Area Democratic Women and the National Women's Political Caucus honoring Sissy Farenthold (the ladies room hospitality suite Hilton Americas hotel)
9:00pm - Keynote After Party at House of Blues with Special Guests Mayor Julián Castro and State Representative Joaquin Castro (1204 Caroline St, Houston, TX).
Last night, the Texas Democratic Party help a webinar to help explain some of the key changes to the delegate selection process as a result of delays in the calendar caused by redistricting litigation. While 288 delegates and 22 alternates will still be headed to Charlotte, NC to represent Texas at this September's Democratic National Convention, the beginning of this process will be somewhat different.
Outlined below are changes to the delegate selection process. These are focused on the changes caused by redistricting, not those created by TDP committees in reaction to the 2008 Texas Two-Step process.
No Precinct Conventions: Because of redistricting delays, the May 29th primary will occur too close to the Texas State Democratic Convention for that to serve as the start of the delegate selection process. There will be no precinct conventions this year- not on May 29th or any other date.
Oath of Affiliation: Since this year's process begins will not be preceded by voting in a primary, voters who participate in the convention process to select delegates will have to sign their name to the following oath.
"By signing this document, I hereby affiliate myself with the Texas Democratic party. I understand that by signing this document, I become ineligible to vote in a primary election or participate in a convention of another party, including a party not holding a primary election, during the voting year in which this primary election is held. I further swear/affirm that I will support the nominee for President."
April 21st County/Senate District Conventions: This is now the beginning of the delegate selection process. (Caveat- you don't have to actually be elected as a state convention delegate to serve as a national convention delegate.) Democrats interested in participating in the delegate selection process just need to show up at their County or Senate District convention on April 21st, sign with their presidential preference, and sign an Oath of Affiliation with the Democratic party.
State Delegate Election: Delegates to the state convention will be awarded at the ratio of 1 delegate per 300 votes for Bill White in the 2010 general election in your precinct (or group of precincts if combined). After signing in at the County or Senate District convention, voters will group by precinct to elect among themselves delegates and alternates to the state convention. This year's process calls for each person to cast one vote, with the tallies ranked in order, filling all available delegate and then alternate seats available to the precinct. Delegates or alternates to the state convention do not have to be in attendance at the County / Senate District convention to be elected.
National Delegate Statement of Candidacy Form: Any Democrat wishing to run for a National Delegate seat at the state convention must file this form by mail or hand delivery to the Texas Democratic Party in Austin between April 16th and May 15th at 5 PM. Often overlooked because it is so early in the process, this form MUST be filed if you have any intention (even if you ultimately decline) to run for National Delegate. This isn't a change cause by redistricting, but it's worth highlighting.
To read a more detailed outline of the process, check below the fold where you can find the Texas Democratic Party's "How to be a Delegate" guide for this year's process. It goes into more detail about how the various national delegates are allocated by type and senate district. Fun Fact- Austin's SD-14 will elect 10 national delegates, more than any other Senate District; you can check out how many yours has on the 3rd page of the embedded file below.
Today, the Texas Democratic Party filed an advisory with the San Antonio court in response to Friday's opinion from the Supreme Court that threw out the interim redistricting maps. SCOTUS basically said it wasn't right for the San Antonio panel to draw maps based on the districts we used in the 2010 elections, rather than the racist gerrymander drawn by the Legislature in 2011. Now, we all wait for the DC Circuit to rule on whether the Legislature's maps do indeed fail to garner pre-clearance. If so, the San Antonio panel will likely get instructions on how to revise their interim maps. Long story short, we may still be weeks away from actually knowing what our 2012 maps look like. Thanks, Republican legislature and your desperate attempt to disenfranchise minority voters!
In any case, an April 3rd primary looks less and less likely--at least for Congressional and Legislative races--which brings us back to the issue of one primary or two. TDP weighed in today in support of one primary through an advisory submitted to the San Antonio panel.
The advisory reads as follows:
The Texas Democratic Party has and continues to support a unified primary insofar as is possible. Nonetheless, the Supreme Court ruling in this case seems to require substantial additional work from counsel to this case and from this Court, in particular. The members of the Court are best able to determine what and when they can accomplish in terms of reviewing the evidence, preparing interim maps and issuing opinions to support each interim map. TDP is prepared to work with all parties with respect to the preparation of an election schedule once it is known when districts maps will be available.
The Democratic party is doing everything they can to keep one primary date. That's what's best for our county governments in terms of saving money and minimizing confusion. It's also what's best for maintaining high turnout -- a second, later primary for districts impacted by the redistricting process would have lower turnout, not to mention the increased confusion of potential new precinct lines.
None of this would have happened if Republicans hadn't decided to blatantly stifle minority populations' voting power through their partisan, racist gerrymander.
Think you've got what it takes to play a key role in turning Texas blue? Then step on up and get your skin in the game.
