Monday Roundup: TexVAC Success and other news
Mon, 04/30/2007 - 8:15am
The TexVAC Rayburn-Johnson dinner was a rousing success on Saturday night, and it included an incredible speech by Paul Begala. Not only was the speech stirring and a source of encouragement and excitement for those in attendance, but he did probably the best Bill Clinton impression I've ever heard. The event was executed very well, and could serve as a model for similarly motivating other regions in Texas.
The Chron has yet another story about Fred Thompson's possible candidacy. This has to be the third or fourth week in a row with a story specifically about how Republican state lawmakers love Fred Thompson. Isn't anyone doing op research on this guy? Or is he squeaky clean, and that's why everyone is enamored with him? I suppose we'll find out if he ever officially announces he's running.
The Chron also has yet another story about yet another GOP Presidential candidate who's picking up some help in Texas: John McCain. He's engaged Tom Loeffler to help him out with finance, and continues to attract people from Texas to help him despite his uneven showing in the first quarter.
Here's something I wouldn't have imagined: the State Department is initiating a program to hire over a hundred Border Patrol agents away from their duties along the US-Mexico border. They will be sent to the Iraq border essentially to do what they were doing here. The number of agents State wants won't make our borders any more porous than they already are, but still, it just seems a little strange.
Roads aren't normally all that exciting to talk about, but the impending battle over toll roads between the Lege and Governor Perry may end up being a spectacle. The Senate acted to place a two-year moratorium on some private toll road contracts recently, as a response to some of Perry's designs. It puts Dewhurst in a weird position, since the backlash legislation means he's lost control of the store, which is bound to make the boss mad.
I'm pretty sure this has been covered before, but it bears repeating, and not just because the Star-Telegram brought it up: Texas will probably pick up three additional seats in Congress after the next census, maybe even four. This story details the importance that Katrina evacuees will play in that tally. Houston is likely to get one of the new ones, and I can't believe that DFW wouldn't get one as well, what with how fast everything is growing up here.
Former CIA Director George Tenet has a new book out, and it has made his former employees angry. Apparently, they feel like he is as much to blame for the Iraq War junk as the people he lambastes in the book, and they recommend he give back his Medal of Freedom. Olbermann will no doubt spend some time this week examining why Tenet didn't say something way back in the way back when things were going south to begin with.
Finally, a suspicious package was discovered at a women's clinic in south Austin last week, and after some investigation, authorities determined it was an IED, made with materials bought from a hardware store. The guy accused of placing it has a rap sheet, and he's been arrested. No one was hurt, but it should serve as a reminder that terrorism doesn't always look like what they tell you it does on TV. Domestic terrorism is a threat which is very real, and which gets little attention.
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I hope he runs
By George Nassar
Mon, 04/30/2007 - 9:08am
If Thompson doesn't run, I'm going to have to pretty much overhaul my guesses for the GOP primary.
Dirty Old Man
By Josh Matlock
Mon, 04/30/2007 - 9:30am
I’m curious how a man married to a woman 25 years his junior will play among the Republican base. Do you think Christian conservatives will be impressed or disgusted?
At least it's not an F...
By George Nassar
Mon, 04/30/2007 - 9:36am
You know how kids sometimes set their parents up for bad grades by making them out ahead of time to be much worse than they actually are? Then when their actual grade comes in, "well, you got a D, but at least you didn't flunk..."
In that regard, Giuliani would be the F to Thompson's otherwise unseemly D in Appropriate Marriage Habits 101. I think Christian conservatives will be more relieved than anything. Besides, they know that's not exactly something Democrats are likely to attack.
Dashboard Conservatives
By Patrick M McLeod
Tue, 05/01/2007 - 12:21pm
"True believers," aka Bush Republicans, have displayed an amazing ability to pivot in any direction on any issue at a dizzying speed depending on the direction the White House sets out on regarding an issue. Look at Iraq, for example. Bush Republican pundits once derided the military professionals for saying that we needed more troops in Iraq; now many of those same Bush Republican pundits are questioning the patriotism of anyone who thinks we shouldn't put more troops in Iraq.
In my observation of the true believers and social conservatives who make up the core of the Republican "movement conservatives" at the present time, I've found that it's never a winning proposition to expect them to adhere to their own ideas. While they expect all of us to adhere to their ideas about marriage, for example, they're going to jump through whatever cognitive hoops they need to in order to line up behind the candidate who will give them the best chance at winning in 2008.
In summation, it's not about ideological purity. It's about retaining power.
If its like that
By Josh Berthume
Wed, 05/02/2007 - 8:21am
and they're going to line up behind the candidate with the best chance of winning, they probably need to find another candidate.
Hence the enthusiasm
By George Nassar
Wed, 05/02/2007 - 2:36pm
Why do you think Thompson's doing so well in the polls without having even declared yet?
Ten gets you twenty he's vetting and then nailing down his campaign platform before declaring, so he can come in as the top-tier candidate with the *real* straight talk.
Thompson
By Josh Berthume
Thu, 05/03/2007 - 8:28am
I am still mystified. I think I counted McCain out too early.
Too early?
By George Nassar
Thu, 05/03/2007 - 9:31am
Frankly, it's probably too early for *any* real credible predictions. Everybody making projections, including us, is pretty much just engaging for the purposes of personal amusement. We can't really know much right now.
So what the heck: I say the Republican ticket goes Thompson/KBH. Ditka by 3!
Border Patrol to Iraq
By CenTexDem
Wed, 05/02/2007 - 1:24am
CenTexDem
I wonder if former Austin Police Chief Stan Knee had any role in suggesting that Texas Border Patrol agents be sent to Iraq? Isn't he in Afghanistan?
Yeah, the ability to speak Spanish should come in real handy in Iraq. Of course, serving in Iraq might be safer than being assigned to Nuevo Laredo.
The effort along the Texas border needs more officers, not less. The drug gangs are now using "the invasion" to distract and redirect the border patrol while they send their growing number of drug shipments across at unprotected points. This was thoroughly documented this week by the Associated Press in an excellent article.
If reporters look at this, they should first establish how many empty positions the Border Patrol now has along the Texas-Mexico border. The Austin Statesman reported recently that suspects in more than 25 murders in the Central Texas area are believed to have fled to Mexico.
But...not to worry....they'll be back.
Does anyone know if the Mexican government has contributed any soldiers to the "coalition of the willing?" Aren't they supposed to be one of our strongest allies?
Wonder why no Texas reporter has ever asked Tony Garza about this?
According to Wikipedia
By Josh Berthume
Wed, 05/02/2007 - 8:24am
Mexico is officially opposed to the Iraq War.