Disclaimer: The contents of this post are the author’s personal opinions and should not to be considered legal advice for any purpose.
On Wednesday, the Court of Appeals for Sixth Appellate District of Texas ruled on case affecting a blogger's right to remain anonymous.
The Sixth Court of Appeals in Texarkana ruled that the operator of The-Paris-site blog has a First Amendment right to anonymity in a defamation lawsuit unless the company that owns the Paris hospital can prove it has suffered actual financial losses due to his blog postings.
This is an issue bloggers have started to concern themselves with as their influence and reach increases. This is a fight that bloggers must be prepared to have as there is always those who wish to stifle free speech.
This case what decided on a relatively unsexy reason: procedure.
Best: Anchia, Sen. Carona, B. Cook, Sen. Deuell, Hochberg, Kolkhorst, Madden, Sen. Ogden, Turner, Sen. Williams.
Worst: Burnam, Chisum, Speaker Craddick, Lt. Gov. Dewhurst, Sen. Fraser, C. Howard, Sen. Lucio, Sen. Patrick, Gov. Perry, Riddle.
Honorable mention: Eissler, Sen. Eltife, Gattis, Hill, Sen. Hinojosa, Smithee, Solomons, Strama, Thompson, Sen. Whitmire, the Insurgents (Dunnam, Talton, et. al.).
Dishonorable mention: Flores, Haggerty, Harper-Brown, S. Miller, O'Day, Quintanilla, Zedler.
Furniture: A. Allen, Alonzo, Christian, Sen. Estes, Farias, J. Jackson, Sen. M. Jackson, Macias, A. Martinez.
Riddle represents the largest gap between sincerity and talent in the Legislature. She wouldn’t harm a fly, but she is lethal to bills that require a depth of understanding. I can’t imagine who thought it was a good idea for her to manage the floor debate on Jessica’s Law.
Watts wanted to ward off the notion that Texas Democrats should conserve their efforts for statewide races in 2010, rather than 2008 — a presidential election year.
"I do not buy, for one second, that we have to sit around on our hands and knees, and wait for 2010," Watts told the gathering of about 100 Democrats. "There are more of us in the state of Texas than there are of them."
During the next week, Watts plans on traveling to border communities and cities including Eagle Pass, Laredo, Brownsville, McAllen, Del Rio and El Paso. We all know it is vital to turn out the vote in traditionally Democratic districts. I think Texas really could be blue state if we would turn out more voters overall.
"We have got to convince the people in the southern half of the state, the folks along the border, that they are the key," Watts said. "They are the reason we don't have to wait until 2010."
It nice to see that one of his first visits is to the border. The 'colonias' of the border are examples of the neglect by our government. The border has many tough challenges that needs better leadership than what it has with Cornyn.
This is how you can make a campaign about the issues and not the incumbent's war chest. Just like with Carlos Uresti and Juan Garcia, Watts has just closed the gap with Bush apologist John Cornyn.
San Antonio trial lawyer Mikal Watts has launched his bid for the Democratic U.S. Senate nomination by donating and loaning his campaign fund a total of $3.8 million — an amount equal to Republican incumbent Sen. John Cornyn's cash on hand.
"I took John Cornyn's first-quarter report and matched it to the penny," Watts said. [emphasis added]
"We're going to start with a level playing field, and then we're going to start raising money and see what the people of Texas have to say."
Watts, 39, donated $1.9 million to his exploratory committee and loaned it another $1.9 million. He formed the committee June 1, and its paperwork was available Wednesday.
You can't buy this election. In fact, I doubt Watts has that kind of money. This election is won buying taking it to the voters and giving them a better vision. This is really stepping up and being serious about winning. Cornyn may be playing coy but this has to have gotten his attention.
Let's not forget how John Cornyn has $3.8 million in bank. Anyone remember the culture the corruption the Republicans have created in Washington D.C. and across our country?
As many have been discussing in earnest the last the few days, Mikal Watts has announced the creation of an exploratory committee to look into challenging Texas’ junior U.S. Senator. I think it is safe to say that the Democratic wins in Texas and the country as a whole has fostered a sense of hope that our government can be lead by mainstream American values as opposed to the dogmatic and closed regime that has failed us.
With the announcement of the first serious candidate to consider challenging John Cornyn, the battlefield is being set for next great fight to return this country back to be the shinning light of the world. I still have hope that we can save our country because the 2006 election has finally begun to pry the chokehold off our country's neck.
The Speaker's race is over. What was once an improbable dream turned possible returned to sand. There were a few that stood up and said into the blackness that is Speaker Craddick "I stand against your corruption and ruined soul."The following Democrats voted "No" against the sole nominee for Speaker. Roberto Alonzo, D-Dallas Lon Burnam, D-Fort Worth Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio Garnet Coleman, D-Houston Yvonne Davis, D-Dallas Jim Dunnam, D-Waco Craig Eiland, D-Galveston Juan Escobar, D-Kingsville Joe Farias, D-San Antonio Jessica Farrar, D-Houston Pete Gallego, D-Alpine Juan M. Garcia, D-Corpus Christi Ana Hernandez, D-Houston Abel Herrero, D-Corpus Christi Terri Hodge, D-Dallas David Leibowitz, D-San Antonio Barbara Mallory Caraway, D-Dallas Trey Martinez Fischer, D-San Antonio Borris Miles, D-Houston Paul Moreno, D-El Paso Rick Noriega, D-Houston Dora Olivo, D-Rosenberg Solomon Ortiz Jr., D-Corpus Christi Richard Raymond, D-Laredo Eddie Rodriguez, D-Austin Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston Marc Veasey, D-Fort Worth
Are the relegated to some obscure committee? Probably but who cares? They know that they will be retaliated against and it just doesn't matter. They care more about the right thing to do.
There is one that deserves a little more notice.
Before the final vote for Speaker, Rep. Richard Raymond stood at the front mic in opposition and said the following:(click on There's More for the speech)
The new Chance-for-Success Index, developed for the report by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center, provides a state-focused perspective on the importance of education throughout a person's lifetime. The index is based on 13 indicators that highlight whether young children get off to a good start, succeed in elementary and secondary school, and hit crucial educational and economic benchmarks as adults.
The report notes that Virginian children have the best chance of succeeding in life. If you want proof of that, just visit our Austin-based Virginian transplant, Eileen. Tell me she is not a success (ok maybe not a dancing but she is always good for a laugh and you don't need to be able to dance to be successful).
Chris Swanson, who conducted the research, says in the case of the worst performers, it's not just family factors at work. " It's just a steady stream of early disadvantage followed by ineffective schools followed by limited opportunities in the labor force."
Hot September day, free ice cream advertised for weeks in local papers, large convention center rented, and an opportunity to meet CondoGate superstar Gene Seaman.
Any guess on how many people show up?
If you answer is around 15 people then you are right!
Seaman had a 'ice cream social (if you don't know what that is ask your grandparents) at the Paws and Taw Convention Center in Fulton, TX yesterday and almost no one showed up. My God, I could flag down more people off the street than that.
After being on the front cover of the Caller Times threedifferentdays for illegally claiming two homestead exemptions and laundering campaign contributions through your wife, who can blame people for not showing up. Seaman will want to blame everyone (including his wife) for this scandal. However, let's be clear, the only person to blame for this is Gene Seaman himself.
He claims to be a land developer so he cannot plead ignorance to homestead laws. He's been in the Lege for almost ten years so he cannot plead ignorance to knowing that you CANNOT use campaign contributions for personal enrichment.
Incompetent or Corrupt or Both. You decide.
Let's see what people in the Coastal Bend are saying today:
Bad sign I remember the time when Clayton Williams refused to shake Ann Richards' hand and made the statement that women "should lay back and enjoy" a rape. My first thought was: "He just lost the election," which he did.
Rep. Gene Seaman's contention that his payment of $44,000 to his wife and the "misunderstanding" about the double-dipping on the homestead exception was his wife's fault gave me the same feeling. He just lost his re-election bid.
He is probably not too concerned, since he stated a few days ago that "for the $600 a month he gets as a state representative he might as well go back to selling insurance." If that's what he wants to do, I am sure Juan Garcia can accommodate him.
Just a suggestion to future male politicians, if you doing something illegal or crooked, own up to it and don't throw your wife under the bus. It makes you look like a coward and crappy husband.
