Is Kesha Rogers ineligible to run for TX-22 as a Democrat?

by: derby378

Thu Mar 04, 2010 at 00:54 PM CST

Radnofsky Nails Abbott for Mounting Legal Loser Challenge

by: Libby Shaw

Mon Jan 04, 2010 at 02:34 PM CST

The Texas Attorney General is wrong on the law of his challenge of the senate version of the health care bill. He is wasting taxpayer resources on a loser challenge.

Attorney General Abbott challenges the constitutionality of a law that does not exist, promising to use the office of the Texas Attorney General to "explore all legal options" to dismantle federal legislation. Ironically, Texas would receive subsidies and benefits of greater magnitude than most of the nation, in the $7.5 to 10 billion range.

There they go again. Not only are Republicans willing to burn precious taxpayer resources on a frivolous lawsuit that has no legal basis, but they are also hell bent on thumbing their noses at extraordinary financial subsidies and benefits for Texans.  Texas, as we well know, has the highest number of uninsured.  Folks don't have health care insurance because they can't afford it or they have pre-existing conditions that no insurance company will cover.  The federal health care reform bill would make health insurance more affordable and it would prevent insurance companies from denying coverage for pre-existing conditions.  It would also put a stop to insurance companies that cut patients loose when their health care needs become too costly.  

These benefits and consumer protections are what Abbott wants to kill. Abbott, like all Texas Republicans is more concerned about the interests of insurance companies than he is the people of Texas.  It should also be noted that the Party that rails 24/7/365 against trial lawyers and frivilous lawsuits has no problem with either when Republican lawmakers are the ones doing the suing.  

If Getting Rid of Craddick is Good for Texas, It's Good for Democrats

by: Glenn Smith

Thu Jan 08, 2009 at 04:54 PM CST

Should Democrats have helped unseat such an unpopular speaker as Craddick in favor of a youngish, polished, urban moderate like Straus? That's two questions really. The first's about Craddick; the second about Straus.

My answer to the first:  Political opponents are not deer. They don't get fatter and grow bigger antlers next season. You have to defeat them when you can, because you don't know what tomorrow holds. It's too cute by double to believe you can out-think all of tomorrow's political uncertainties. Anyone remember progressives voting for John Tower in the 1961 special election for the U.S. Senate, under the assumption he'd be easy to beat in a general? Good guess, that.

My answer to the second -- what about Straus -- has to do with why I'm a Democrat in the first place. Maybe Burka's right and he turns around the Republican Party. I doubt it, because that party is simply on the wrong side of history.

But I'm a Democrat because I care about children's health, about public and higher education, about jobs, about the availability of health care, about the quality of Texas air, water and soil, about safe communities, about fair and open elections in which scandalous, artificial barriers to voting are removed.

I don't know where the new prospective Speaker is on these issues. But I believe he will certainly be better than Craddick. Democrats are one vote shy of demanding a Democratic speaker. Republicans chose Straus. I'm for change.

Burka was wrong when he implied some Democrats would game the system for future political advantage. That would be bad politics. And I don't know how it could be explained to today's eight-year-old Texan who can't get to a doctor, is stuck in a going-nowhere education system, whose father lost his job and whose mother is still treated as a second-class citizen.

Who among us could look that eight-year-old in the eye and say, "Just wait 'till your 12. We promise."

Senator Cornyn's Raw Deals for Texans

by: Libby Shaw

Fri Oct 03, 2008 at 04:37 PM CDT

As predicted, John Cornyn voted for the Wall St. bailout the other night.  I never doubted for a moment that John Cornyn would ever in a day let down his buddies the fat cats. After all, the Republicans enabled Wall Street's financial melt down by voting for deregulation and lifting all "shackles," as they would call it, from their beloved soul mates on Wall Street.

Deregulate, Baby, Deregulate.

And boy did they ever do that big time.  

Republicans dumbly believed Wall St. would police itself. Indeed, this is what a recently retired professor at the London School of Economics has to say about the U.S. financial melt down:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/bus...

We need strong tech in our state party

by: Azulita

Sat Jul 19, 2008 at 03:17 PM CDT

Many of us in the grassroots movement came in through the Obama web site long before we met our first staff person. In fact, the weeks leading up to the campaign offices opening were intense times of organizing, setting up list groups, and meet ups.

By utilizing a similar web based model with social networking aspects, our job on the ground would be a lot easier. Right now, some people aren't doing anything. Others are using their own web sites and list groups to organize. The problem is that the party has no control (which might be okay) and there is a higher skill level expected of community volunteers. Let's be honest, there are a lot of precinct chairs who do not actively use a computer and certainly would not know how to set up a web site.

If the state made sure that it had the infrastructure for each county and then precinct, then individual pages would feed onto a master calendar or you could look up activities based on radius from your home like the Obama site.

I know the state has some of that now, but it seems either under developed or maybe just under used. So, those who have the skills to create a more dynamic, interactive based site for the state are encouraged to post their ideas so we can move forward and put our candidates in office.

The Texas Misstep…

by: liberaltexan

Mon Jul 07, 2008 at 06:53 PM CDT

This has been a difficult issue for this blogger to take a firm position on, in part because that the caucus system is one of the reasons that I became involved in Democratic politics. However, it would be disingenuous of me to ague a position without honestly examining the system and giving an honest assessment. Which has led me to this position: the Texas Democratic Party primary system of caucuses and ballet voting is a flawed misstep.  

Photos from Today's State Democratic Executive Committee Meeting

by: PDiddie

Thu Jun 05, 2008 at 11:12 PM CDT

More here. 

Attention SDEC candidates

by: PDiddie

Wed May 28, 2008 at 10:32 AM CDT

Proceed to the Campaign for Change website ...

http://www.followtxdemocrats.org/

and complete the questionnaire there for endorsement purposes.  If you have a photo suitable for the Web and a short bio, upload it as a part of the survey and we'll include it in your endorsement.  When the Campaign for Change endorses you we will also post your information on the website, which you may download, print, e-mail or otherwise use to advance your candidacy and campaign.

The sooner you submit the questionnaire, the sooner we can endorse you, and the sooner we can help you publicize and win your race!

Individuals selected for endorsement will be given an opportunity to speak at the Progressive Populist Caucus on Friday June 6, from 10:30 until noon, Level 3, Rm. 9, A-B-C.

C for C endorsed candidates include:

Dingus files suit

by: Bill Dingus

Thu May 15, 2008 at 09:31 AM CDT

Why it is necessary that I sue the Texas Democratic Party.

From the beginning of this campaign, I have said that I am running to give the people of House District 82 a choice in who represents them in the Texas House.

And from the beginning, the Republican Party - with Tom Craddick operating in the background - has worked to deny the voters a choice.

As you may recall, when I filed to run for State Representative an attorney advised me that I could continue to serve on the Midland City Council because a federal court ruling superseded provisions of the state constitution.  However, a federal judge later issued an order counter to this attorney's advice.  The judge's ruling did not remove me from the ballot, but it has left my campaign in legal limbo.

After the ruling came out, the Texas Republican Party issued a press release crowing about its "victory." In my book, denying the voters a choice is not a victory, but a suppression of democracy.

Believing the judge in error, the Texas Democratic Party appealed that decision last Friday.  However, my campaign is still in limbo and it is now clear that I can only resolve this issue by going to court.

I must act quickly, as there is a deadline looming - August 22.  If the Republican leaders were to succeed in kicking me off the ballot after that date, the Democratic Party would be unable to replace me, and the Republican Party will have succeeded in denying the people a choice.

I am not going to let that happen.  

Taking Part in the Party

by: sccs

Thu Apr 17, 2008 at 04:11 PM CDT

After lurking and commenting for ages, I finally have my first diary on Burnt Orange Report.  Hi, everybody!

In 2006, I had reached a point in my life where just voting wasn't enough.  Reading the League of Women Voters Guide to learn about the candidates wasn't enough.  Telling my friends and family to vote wasn't enough.
I was appointed to a vacant Precinct Chair slot after calling the Travis County Democratic Party to volunteer for something, anything...  I hadn't expected to become a precinct chair, but when I was told that there was a need for one in my precinct, I stepped up.  

The more involved I become, the more involved I want to be.

When I found out that there was a Senate District level of government in the Texas Democratic Party, I decided to check it out.  I have been going to the meetings since January of 2007.  What I've learned is, in a nutshell, I can, and want to do this.  
I'm Susan Shelton, and I am running for the SDEC Committeewoman for Senate District 14. I'll explain why after the jump.