The past 5 days TexBlog PAC has been raising money for Dan Barrett. Barrett won a plurality in this Fort Worth House seat against Republican Mark Shelton, and momentum is on the Democratic side.
We have already raised $764 of our $1200 goal and we still have until Wednesday to raise the rest. But don't support Dan because we tell you, let's talk about the race for House District 97 in Fort Worth. The importance of this runoff extends far beyond the districts boundaries.
Mark Shelton is Tom Craddick's guy. A candidate willing to sacrifice the needs of his district to protect a man who believes the Speaker has absolute power over the House. Just last Thursday, Tom Craddick had an afternoon fundraiser for Shelton at the Austin Club. While we are raising small donations from every Texan, Shelton only seems to be raising large donations from Republican lobbyists ready to pay to play.
As if to show the stark differences between the candidates, the United Educators Association has already endorsed Dan Barrett. So Shelton has support from one of the most corrupt Speakers in Texas history and Barrett has the support of Texas teachers. The release puts it simply:
The United Educators Association announced today their endorsement of Dan Barrett for Texas House of Representatives in District 97. The United Educators Association is an independent association representing more than 16,000 Texas public school employees in North Texas.
"Dan Barrett earned the endorsement of UEA through his commitment to the students, teachers and the Texas public education system" said Executive Director of UEA Larry Shaw.
Democrat Dan Barrett was the top vote getter in the November 6th Special Election to replace retiring State Representative Anna Mowery. He is facing Republican Mark Shelton in a run-off election expected to be held December 11th. Support of public education is expected to be a major issue in the election, with Barrett supporting public education and opposing vouchers and Shelton endorsing the use of public tax dollars to support a voucher program for private unregulated schools.
"We have to improve our public education system so it is second to none," stated Barrett whose mother was a secretary in the public school system for many years.
Other groups appear to be lining up to support Barrett as well. Rumors are circulating that many big name PACs, unions and organizations will be joining TexBlog PAC and UEA once the Election Date is set.
While education groups are lining up to support Barrett in the Fort Worth special election, Dr. Mark Shelton shows how naïve he is about public policy and his own profession. In a recent forum, Shelton talks about chips… not sure what chips is (other than what I eat during the game on Thanksgiving). As a doctor and a pediatrician, you would think Shelton would know that SCHIP (not chips) is a program designed to help uninsured children get the medical attention they need. Shelton opposes the State Children's Insurance Program saying the incentives are "wrong and perverse".
This is one of the few times you really need to click a link. So please watch the League of Women Voters forum here.
Here are some of the highlights that show that Shelton is just plain wrong:
That he has it exactly backwards, CHIP creates incentives for children to see their doctor before getting so sick they end up in the emergency room;
That CHIP has nothing to do with Medicaid, principally because working families (who can't afford private insurance) are actually buying insurance while Medicaid is a benefit for the needy;
That the man he backs for Speaker is behind all the cuts and mismanagement that cost 200,000 children their access to health care;
That it's amazing, of all people, a pediatrician is, as he might put it, so "wrong in the perverse."
Shelton is clearly bad for his district and the state of Texas. He plays dirty political tricks to win elections and has no clue about the biggest issues of our day.
After Robby Cook announced he would not run for re-election last night, there is a strong sense that the sky is falling. Before that gets too out of control let's take a breath and a step back for one second.
The current strength of the Democratic Party and successes in rural Texas should give any political naysayer pause.
Over the past 4 years, Democrats have won difficult seats and have learned valuable lessons. Democrats like Chuck Hopson, David Farabee, Joe Heflin, Juan Garcia, Allen Vaught, Stephen Frost, Mark Homer, Jim McReynolds, and others have all won in Republican regions.
In fact, we have seen this scenario play out before. In 2004, Speaker Pete Laney was targeted by Craddick again and won the election 58% to 41% with a tad over 43,500 people voting. When Speaker Laney retired after the 79th session, pundits and activists both wrote House District 85 off as dead. It was a lost cause and the pro-Craddick, pro-voucher, anti-family Jim Landtroop was the heir apparent. Instead, Joe Heflin won 49% to 48% with only 25,000 people coming to vote.
Now the anti-Craddick sentiment has been solidified and the Republican parties schizophrenia and out of touch public policy objectives give Democrats reason for hope in HD-17.
Just one day after Robby Cook announced he would not seek re-election candidates already began to pop up. From Capitol Inside:
Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald is one of the first names to emerge in Democratic circles as a potential replacement for Cook on the ballot next year. McDonald, who's been county judge for almost nine years, considered a race for the House four years ago when Cook appeared to be on the verge of switching parties while being wooed by Governor Rick Perry and other high-level Republicans. But McDonald decided to stay in his current position after Cook spurned the GOP and filed for re-election as a Democrat.
The Texas Republican Party seems to have a fundamental inability to understand the internet. Today, the TRP bashed the netroots again, but this time they ignored the simple fact that we have achieved our goals… again.
During their last attack on the TexBlog PAC, we outperformed. Now they are attacking the netroots for supporting Lt. Col. Rick Noriega.
Today the Republican Party of Texas questioned Democratic Senate wannabee Rick Noriega and the commitment of his "Netroots" community in his quest for the Democratic nomination for the United States Senate seat currently held by Senator John Cornyn. Noriega challenged his "Netroots" community to step up and donate to his campaign to counter the successful events featuring President George W. Bush on behalf of Senator Cornyn.
"Rick Noriega has requested online money help to kick start his anemic campaign from the most liberal left leaning donors of the national Democratic Party. Apparently with a whopping three day total of $2,045 via the internet these liberal donors don't find his candidacy viable," stated Hans Klingler, Spokesman for the Texas G.O.P.
Well let's clear the record really quick. We have raised a couple thousand on other sites, but Team Noriega, has received the endorsement from Democracy for America, General Wes Clark, and apparently another impressive endorsement is on the way. At the same time, 885 people have donated $45,689. Rather than doing a little research, the Republican party has just made a huge assumption, and we all know what happens when you assume.
Klingler, has already attacked the TexBlog PAC calling it "an echo chamber" and called us a "majority in the virtual world". Now he is attacking a man who has defended our country, helped Katrina evacuees in Houston, and passed the first teacher pay raise since 2003.
Maybe if the top down Republican Party would empower people as opposed to mocking and doubting them, then they would be able to raise money and activate volunteers online.
Instead, the TRP is interested in protecting the culture of corruption Perry, Dewhurst, and Craddick have established. Rather than a party of people, the Republicans blindly attack what they are scared of. Clearly Klingler and the Republican Party is afraid of you and what you have the power to do.
Cross-posted from the ActBlue Blog. This was a really awesome piece to write and I'm glad that the Texas bloggers made this possible. -KT
There is a rising force in the online community, often forgotten by the mainstream media because of their niche audience and dispersed nature. With over half a million readers a week they are on the front lines of grassroots battles. Their ears to the ground and their footsteps echoing in the halls of their capitals, they are often the first to report on issues and breaking news that eventually bubble up to the national discussion.
This force is the vast and ever growing community of state and local blogs, both those in the 50-state blog network and beyond. These blogs and their nearly 1000 authors are both a part of the national Netroots and unique local communities unto themselves.
In some states with more established blogging traditions, networks of bloggers have created communications tools to facilitate the sharing of best practices and to coordinate messaging campaigns. Other blog networks have worked to grow readership and develop true community-oriented sites. This year has seen some of the most interesting developments as these blogging communities started flexing their fundraising muscle in state and local races. Even better, some have gone a step further by leveraging their online presence into offline action. This maturation of state blogging is truly exciting.
I've gotten in touch with some of the organizers of this new breed of activism in hopes that by sharing their experiences, we might inspire others to similarly innovative action.
Last night was an incredible success for TexBlog PAC. Over 150 individuals, candidates, elected officials, and bloggers attended the inaugural fundraiser at the home of Austin attorney Amy Clark Meachum. Our friend and fellow TexBlog PAC board member Vince Liebowitz drove in to town to celebrate with us, and there is a lot to celebrate.
TexBlog PAC is less than two months old, and already we can say that it is an overwhelming success.
In less than two months over 5,000 people have signed up to take back the House. We have raised over $10,000 from a little over 100 donors. We have a working coalition that includes our largest supporter to date, the Texas Democratic Party, the Lone Star Project, the House Democratic Campaign Committee (who's board includes Rep. Jim Dunnam, Rep. Pete Gallego, and Rep. Garnet Coleman), and Democracy for Texas. This doesn't even begin to cover the more than a dozen Democratic State House Members that have given generously.
A very special thanks to the 7 Democratic House members who took the time to attend the event last night-- Pete Gallego, Lon Burnam, Elliott Naishtat, Eddie Rodriguez, Tracy King, Mark Strama, Valinda Bolton.
All this and we are just getting started. Not a single person on the board is getting paid for their efforts, and still, every blogger across the state is devoting their personal time and energy to this project. We are uniquely committed to taking back the State House, and it appears you are too.
Last night, my former boss, Rep. Gallego spoke to the crowd and told them we are at a crossroad. In 2001, we had 78 Democrats in the House. In two short years that number fell to 62 because of Tom DeLay and Tom Craddick. Over the past 4 years, we have increased our numbers from 62 to 70 Democrats in the House. It is our turn to join with groups like DFT, HDCC, TDP, and local counties and organizations to help win the next 6 seats.
Texas Bloggers will only be as successful as you allow us to be. Your donations will allow us to build a movement and elect good Democrats next November.
To all of you who made it last night, a huge thank you. To those who have supported us, thank you. We have one year to work together and take back the people's house. Help TexBlog PAC achieve that goal.
Last night we proved we were more than an echo chamber.
Most of you know by now that the Texas progressive blogosphere has put together and launched TexBlog PAC. The inaugural fundraiser is September 24th in Austin and the sponsors are a who's who of Texas luminaries from all over the state.
With sponsors like Jim Dunnam, Pete Gallego, Lon Burnam, Eddie Rodriguez, Valinda Bolton, Mark Strama, the Texas Democratic Party, House Democratic Campaign Committee, and Texas Progress Council PAC, blogs are taking online action offline. We are ready and prepared to shake up the '08 election cycle.
What does the Republican Party think of this? In a Fort-Worth Star Telegram article out today, Hans Klinger the political director of the Texas Republican Party dismisses anyone working to take back Texas.
Hans Klingler, the political director of the Texas Republican Party, is not convinced. Texas voters have not elected a Democrat to a statewide office since 1994, and Republicans have been steadily whittling down the Democrats' advantage at the county level, the one stage in Texas that they still control, Klingler said.
Klingler also suggested that the Democratic bloggers are less of a grassroots movement and more of an echo chamber, where the handful of writers and readers talk almost exclusively to one another.
"Maybe they're a majority in the virtual world," he quipped.
When September 25th hits the number one question bloggers will get is, "so how much did you raise?" There is no way we can let the Republican Party get away with calling us an echo chamber and a virtual majority. In the last four years we have worked for candidates like Carlos Uresti, Juan Garcia, Valinda Bolton, Boris Miles, Ellen Cohen, and many many more.
House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam already knows we are an agent of change.
"I think the blogosphere is giving voice to what a lot of ordinary Texans are thinking, and that is that we need a change of leadership in Austin," said Dunnam, of Waco. "I think they are really helpful in spreading the message that it's Democrats who are going to be the agents of change in 2008."
Prove Jim Dunnam right and come by the home of Kurt and Amy Clark Meachum on September 24th. We are going to be celebrating the beginning of TexBlog PAC's journey to help win back the Texas House at 5103 Cedro Trail Austin Texas 78731 from 6 to 8 p.m. and saying thank you for your support.
We are sick and tired of being sick and tired. Republicans have seized control of every branch of state government. Slick Rick Perry slithered into the Governor's Mansion again with the support of a pitiful 39% of Texas voters. A gerrymandered redistricting map created an overwhelming Republican majority in the Texas Senate, where corrupt right-wingers with multi-million dollar campaign accounts force voter suppression laws down our throats by day, and live high on the lobby-funded hog by night. The Texas House has a Republican Speaker who has declared himself an "auto-Craddick" dictator, the first time any presiding officer of a democratically elected body has ever had the nerve to make such an absolutely ludicrous claim.
We are ready to do more than complain about the Republican era of corruption and cronyism, we are going to end it! We are prepared to elect a Democratic majority to the Texas House of Representatives, and forever put an end to the Tom Craddick reign of "absolute" power.
We are proud to announce that we have joined forces to create a vehicle for change; the TexBlog PAC. The PAC is a diverse and organic organization working to rebuild the Democratic Party and win a majority in the state House.
I am sitting here in McCormik Convention listening to about the "Agony and Ecstasy of State-Local Blogging" and it is clear how well we are doing in Texas.
We are networked. We are influential. We love our media contacts and political allies. And, at the end of the day, we are not satisfied.
A few weeks ago we set up TexBlog PAC to change the way people look at Texas and help win back the Texas House. Talking with bloggers and techies from across the country about how we are empowering you to change our state and country.
We are talking to presidential campaigns, state and local bloggers, diarist, and web developers. The point is clear, together we can make a difference.
This event is incredible and you all made it possible for us to be here. Now will you make it possible for us to turn the State House blue? We are 7 seats away from a Democratic majority. We are 7 seats away from ending the era of absolute power in Texas.
Your enthusiasm for change has made it possible for Texans to talk about how we are changing the Texas political landscape.
Today, Burnt Orange Report will sit side by side with TexasKaos to talk about the purple south. Today from 3:30 to 4:30 we will be in room 10a talking about issues like surrounding the Texas House, and how candidates like John Courage go from netroots darling to champion of ethics with TCAN.
