One of our segments will be dedicated to the net neutrality debate that we are having in America right now. I've invited Sanford Nowlin of the San Antonio Express-News to be on the show (and he accepted).
I've also extended an invitation to Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-TX) to be on the show. They haven't declined but they are wary of appearing on the show becuase of my position in the net neutrality debate. I understand their concerns. But I think I've made it very clear through this blog and my many, many radio appearances that I am most interested in having a fair, open and honest debate. So, I want to have Rep. Gonzalez on the show to give his side of the story as to why he opposes net neutrality.
Why won't he come on the show? He can call in or come into the studio and sit with me face to face. I'll clear out the whole hour to have the debate if he wants. Give his office a call and ask him to appear on the show: (202)225-3236 or local (210)472-6195.
So, it is my hope that Rep. Gonzalez will accept my invitation onto the show and prove that he is a good faith actor in this debate.
A lot of rumors have been floating around that Chris Bell changed the night of his speech to the state convention because of a.) a possible floor fight over the candidacy of the new state party chair and b.) to disenfranchise rural and distant delegates. The Agonist did a little reporting on this today and yesterday and here's what we found out.
Rumors abounded throughout the weekend, chief among them being that former candidate for Governor Bob Gammage was about to endorse Carol Keeton Rylander for Governor. Seeking confirmation, one of Gammage's few former supporters on the SDEC called to confirm or get a denial from the defeated candidate and when the conversation was over, Gammage would not deny that he would endorse Strayhorn.
(Point-counterpoint-counter, counterpoint - promoted by Damon McCullar)
Phillip's description of FISA is largely correct, except for one significant error: warrantless searches can be conducted if a warrant is requested and issued within 72 hours, not 48. Other than that, the first two paragraphs of Phillip's post I do not dispute.
It is the final two grafs that I have a problem with. First Phillip writes:
What's gotten everyone upset lately hasn't been FISA, but President Bush's circumventing FISA. He's started seeking wiretaps on domestic calls (instead of just international calls), and is hiding under the cover of FISA. That's what everyone -- including Republican Sen. Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee -- has a problem with.
Ed. note: below is a journal entry written by a BOR reader. If you sign up for a user account, you'll also be allowed to post on our "journals" page. Then, if your post merits unique and interesting enough research, commentary, or controversy, you might even end up on the BOR front page. So sign up for those user accounts! -- Phillip Martin
Did Bob Gammage, a candidate for Texas governor, vote to give any president the unfettered authority to invade innocent citizen's privacy? Did Bob Gammage vote against the original FISA bill? In conference no less? Did he vote against fundamental constitutional checks and balances? This document (from The Agonist) indicates that he did.
