Lubbock DFA

Ugh.

2006-08-29T12:41:00.000-05:00

"Defense boss has few friends left"
Several high-profile former military officers have called for Rumsfeld's resignation, including a number of retired generals who led troops in Iraq. More recently, Rumsfeld was harangued by the Alaskan families of soldiers whose tours in Iraq were extended for four more months of combat duty in Baghdad.
In an interview during his flight to Fairbanks, Rumsfeld told The Associated Press he saw no reason for the soldiers or their families to be angry at him.
"These people are volunteers," he told reporters Saturday. "They all signed up. They all are there doing what they're doing because they want to."
Rumsfeld's admirers adore such frankness, but it doesn't sit well with everyone. Among the immediate critics of Rumsfeld's comments about the recently extended soldiers was Karen Meredith, of Mountain View, Calif., whose son Kenneth Ballard was killed in Iraq in May 2004.
"This arrogant, pathetic excuse of a man has once again disrespected and shown how little he regards the military that he supposedly leads," Meredith
wrote in her blog, ''Gold Star Mom Speaks Out.''

I Have Nothing to Say About This

2006-08-18T16:59:00.000-05:00

Brave New World of Benign Corporate Oligarchy?

2006-08-08T05:31:00.000-05:00

Here is something to think about from Sebstian Mallaby in the Washington Post. Some years ago I sat through a Market Lubbock presentation where one of the featured speakers asserted to the congregated businessmen that business should be setting the political agenda and not the other 'way round. At the time, it made my blood run cold. Mallaby's thoughts at least are less suspicious and gloomy than mine when it comes to corporate responsibility, which tend to government of, by and for, corporations . . .

If political accountability is reduced to brand accountability what happens to the rest of the human universe outside consumerism?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/08/06/AR2006080600841.html

A New Brand of Power
By Sebastian Mallaby
Monday, August 7, 2006; Page A15

"The rising power of brands has implications for public health, globalization and the environment. It may even be changing the political equation."

"As brands have grown bigger, they have also grown more vulnerable. . . . It almost doesn't matter how much America Online spends on advertising. A blogger recently recorded a company salesman refusing to cancel an account when asked repeatedly to do so. The Monty Pythonesque result is all over the Internet, ruining whatever might be left of AOL's brand."

"If brands are both valuable and vulnerable, political consequences follow. Mighty companies have so much riding on their corporate image that they quiver in the face of customer opinion. And if they are mass-market companies, customer opinion is the same as public opinion, so corporate bosses become as sensitive to political and social shifts as elected officials."

"The next stage may be for companies not merely to outpace government but to pull government along. Howard Schultz, the chairman of Starbucks, broke the mold by offering comprehensive health benefits to part-time workers, but now he's even more ambitious: He's lobbying Congress to fix the health system. Meanwhile, companies such as BP and GE have enhanced their brands with enviro-friendly policies, and perhaps may now nudge governments to become greener as well."

"But whether or not we get to that, something big is going on. At a time when Washington seems incapable of tackling serious policy challenges, brands are creating a sort of shadow government. They cannot replace the real one, not by a long shot. But they are better than nothing."

NY Daily News: "I'm not Bush,' pleads trailing Lieberman before vote..."

2006-08-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

"Look at me, folks - I'm not George Bush," Lieberman said, pointing to his 18 years in the Senate.

"Saul and Jonathan—
in life they were loved and gracious,
and in death they were not parted.
They were swifter than eagles,
they were stronger than lions....
"I grieve for you, Jonathan my brother;
you were very dear to me.
Your love for me was wonderful,
more wonderful than that of women."
2 Samuel 23 & 26

Oh, you sad little man. Just go away.

Democrats will take back the house in 2006

2006-07-27T15:51:00.000-05:00

I've been waiting for a poll like this one.
-Synthesis

Texas Politics

2006-07-10T17:32:00.000-05:00

Tom DeLay just might be forced to run for congress this year. This is bad news not only for GOP hopes in the TX-22, but for all GOP candidates around the country who have ties to Tom DeLay--candidates like Randy Neugebauer.

Randy Neugebauer refuses to return the $15,000 he received from Tom DeLay's shady PAC. He voted for rules that would have made it easier for DeLay to remain in power, despite DeLay's corruption. Randy Neugebauer even contributed to the Tom DeLay Defense Fund. Randy Neugebauer did these things because he is in thrall to Tom DeLay. This is why Randy Neugebauer voted however Tom DeLay wanted him to, instead of voting in the best interests of West Texas.

The Texas-19 deserves a real representative. Robert Ricketts is the real deal. He is a true West Texan, and an honest man. The Texas-19 would be much better represented by Robert Ricketts than by a Tom DeLay stooge like Randy Neugebauer.
-Synthesis

Ouch.

2006-07-05T19:04:00.000-05:00

Hybrid cars for all: good business sense

2006-06-24T22:50:00.000-05:00

My father came up with the following idea, and has been sending it around to as many people as possible. Good plans like this one reinforce the idea that environmentally friendly hybrid cars could be made available to everybody at a reasonable price without breaking any current business models.

Without further ado:

---------------------------------------------

I wanted to mention an idea to everyone, for what it is worth.

As far as I can find out, it would be a complete no-brainer, off-the-shelf, ready-to-go-today caper for one of the US automobile manufacturers to design, produce, market, and sell a car with the following properties and capabilities:

* Is a hybrid (small internal combustion engine and an electric motor, as in Ford Escape Hybrid);

* Can be plugged into a home AC socket for charging (Toyota Prius or other hybrids can be easily modified to enable this: it gives more miles as an electric, extends gas mileage greatly);

* The internal combustion engine is a Flex engine (this means it can burn gasoline or gas/ethanol mixtures from 10% E/90% G known as E10, to E85 which is 85% E - this requires really minor mods to contemporary engines, such as changing the fuel lines so the ethanol doesn't melt the line - flex engines are nowadays common and they automatically adjust to the type of fuel in the tank - just fill it with whatever and go).

Imagine how you would operate such a car. Plug it in your house, then drive it around town as a pure electric. Go on a long trip, burn only gas or some ethanol mix. Run it as a hybrid when your plug-in battery juice is over and you don't want to stop for another plug-in session. Auto manufacturers would sell cars, gas and ethanol producers and distributers would continue in the manner they now use with virtually the same equipment, repair facilities already handle these technologies, less oil is consumed which will aid the environment. And we could come close to energy independence very quickly which would literally save lives.

This is completely do-able right now with existing inventions, manufacturing techniques, and fuel distribution systems. We would not have to wait X number of years, as the manufacturers have said before, for technology to catch up with manufacturing.

I intend to send this idea around to several other persons and ask that they send it to anyone who might be interested in encouraging implementation. It seems to me this is an idea that would end our famous oil addiction, and would have a very beneficial impact on our national defense posture. This could be done in a year.

---------------------------------------------

Hybrid cars work now, and they don't put anybody out of business. Spread the word!

Hutchison: no to minimum wage increase

2006-06-21T13:15:00.000-05:00

Today the Senate voted not to have one of those infamous "up or down" votes on raising the minimum wage, something that Democratic senators bring to the floor every single year. Texas's own Kay Bailey Hutchison was one of the NAYs.

I guess that increasing the minimum wage to a liveable amount might make her millions of dollars in big corporate stocks go down a little bit.

MoveOn Progressive Potluck

2006-06-17T21:21:00.000-05:00

Capsule summary: success!

Thanks to Jenn and the MoveOn group here in Lubbock for a wonderful potluck tonight that brought a good cross-section of Lubbock progressives together -- and half of our candidates as well! I met a lot of new people and had a great time.

I've always admired MoveOn's ability to bring an army of activists out of the woodwork at just the right time on just the right issues. This potluck and their announcement of "Operation Democracy" are the latest examples of their winning formula.

Onward!

Hutchison: Charity Queen?

2006-06-15T11:13:00.000-05:00

From an A-J article about disclosures:

------------------------------------

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's 1997 appearance in the television series "Walker, Texas Ranger" continues to benefit charity.

She reported $153.73 was given to charity from two reruns of the show in which she played herself. Congressional members cannot accept fees for such appearances or speeches, so the fees are sent to charity.

Hutchison's investment holdings, valued between $2.2 million and $6.1 million, include stock in General Electric, Halliburton, Procter & Gamble, Wal-Mart and Reliant Energy. She made seven purchases of Wal-Mart stock valued between $7,007 and $105,000.

------------------------------------
(emphasis mine)

Way to make corporate charity your #1 priority, Kay.

Apology to Our Youth

2006-06-13T14:33:00.000-05:00

The following is an open letter from my friend Ed Hinders of Canyon, TX. The hard copy version includes tables and charts showing just how bad our nation's economic situation has become.

---------------------------------

I aplogize to the Youth of America for the failure of my generation to be responsible stewards of our financial status, as we are transferring our debt to you with less ability to pay for it. This is indicated by the rapid deterioration since 1982 of the twin deficits, which are: 1) gross federal debt / gross domestic product (GDP), and 2) international trade deficit.

At the end of the Carter administration and the beginning of the Reagan administration, our debt was $995 billion, and the GDP $3.061 trillion (or 32.5% of GDP). This was the lowest and best debt/GDP ratio since WWII.

Today, our debt is $7.905 trillion, and the GDP is $12.290 trillion (or 64.3% of GDP). This is the result of our debt increasing much faster than the economy during the Reagan, Bush 41, and Bush 43 administrations.

In the 12 years of the Reagan and Bush 41 administrations, the debt grew 437% while the economy grew only 214%. During the 1st term of Bush 43, the economy grew 123% while the debt grew 137%.

During the 8 years of the Clinton administration, the debt grew 133% while the economy grew 153%. The debt/GDP ratio declined during the clinton years as the ecenomy grew faster than debt.

In 1982 our international trade surplus was over $225 billion and we were the world's largest creditor nation. By 1986 we were the world's largest debtor nation, and today our cumulative trade deficit is $5.2 trillion. In 2005 our trade deficit was a record $782 billion.

Do these deficits matter? Yes. By the end of this decade it is estimated that our national interest cost will be more than all discretionary spending combined, meaning less government services and increased taxes. If we do nothing about our trade deficits, others will claim our assets and incomes. This means they will increase control over politics and our freedoms will be reduced.

Is this a moral issue? It should be. Why have many Christians been AWOL on this issue? It is high time that the American People regained control of America. We need to get the facts, get involved in politics, and vote for candidates who have the vision to honor, rather than burden, our Youth.

Our Youth are depending on us.

Ed Hinders
Canyon, TX

Online Coverage of TX Dem Party State Convention

2006-06-13T02:35:00.000-05:00

There have been a lot of bloggers posting things about the TX State Dem convention, and I will join in with a thorough discussion soon. For now, here's a YouTube account with videos of most/all speakers:

http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=TXDemocrats&page=1

And here's a good analysis/summary of the race for state Party Chair, with great maps:

http://www.mydd.com/story/2006/6/12/131446/201

Personally, I am still recovering from the whole thing. Things didn't go quite how I wanted, but the struggle needed to happen. Now I turn my attention back to Lubbock.

Ya Basta!!

DFA Night School Training

2006-05-24T17:07:00.000-05:00

Thanks to everyone who came out to our DFA Night School training program last night! The event went very well, the comments were great, and it was nice to see so many activists in one place, working to improve their skills. We covered four areas:

Moving Our Message
Building Our Grassroots Army
Rules of the Road: Canvassing
How to Make Phoning Fun

If you missed your chance to get all of the videos and pdf files of the DFA Night School training program on CD, leave me a note in the comments of this post and I will get you one!

Our next regular meeting is Thursday, June 1 at 7PM at Lubbock Democratic Party HQ, as usual. We have exciting things planned!

HA!

2006-05-08T11:57:00.000-05:00

Hilarious, and a perfect metaphor for the Bush presidency.

from Kos:

Jesus. H. Christ. Is Bush even capable of telling the truth?

Bush says the highlight of his presidential career was catching a 7.5 pound perch in his lake. Except that...

The only problem is that the world's record for the largest freshwater perch caught is 4 pounds 3 ounces.

So Bush either doubled the world record, and didn't report it, or he's a liar.

Incidentally, see how three presidents answered the question, "What was the best moment of your presidency?"

Apparently, since Bush didn't have any "best moments", he had to invent one.

-Synthesis

Credibility Gap

2006-05-04T08:49:00.000-05:00

How are they going to spin this?

Secret Service records of Abramoff visits to White House will be incomplete
WASHINGTON — The White House said Tuesday the list the Secret Service has been ordered to release concerning convicted lobbyist Jack Abramoff's contacts with the Bush administration will be incomplete.
But spokesman Scott McClellan declined to say what is wrong with the Secret Service list, why it is inaccurate and whether it includes far fewer meetings than took place.
"I don't know exactly what they'll be providing, but they only have certain records and so I just wouldn't view it as a complete historical record," McClellan said.
Tom Mazur, a Secret Service spokesman, declined to comment on why the agency's records might be less than complete.
McClellan previously has said that Abramoff's only contacts with the administration were "a few staff-level meetings" and attendance at Hanukkah receptions in 2001 and 2002.
U.S. District Judge John Garrett Penn of Washington announced yesterday that he has given the Secret Service until May 10 to give the list to Judicial Watch, a public interest group that went to court to get the records.
Judicial Watch believes the records "could show the frequency and length of Abramoff's White House visits, thereby shedding some light on the nature of the relationship between Jack Abramoff and Bush administration officials."
The group plans to post the records on its Web site. Tom Fitton, its president, said he expects the Secret Service records to "tell a part of the story" of Abramoff's contacts with the White House.
"And it will certainly be more of the story than the White House has currently told us," Fitton said, adding he hopes the records provide information that would force the White House to release more details.
"Maybe Abramoff is telling the full story to the grand jury and the prosecutors," Fitton said, noting that Abramoff has agreed to cooperate with prosecutors.
Bush has said he does not know Abramoff, once among Washington's most powerful lobbyists. Abramoff raised more than $100,000 for Bush's 2004 re-election campaigns and had boasted to clients about his links to the administration.
Abramoff, who told Washingtonian magazine this year that he had nearly a dozen meetings with Bush, pleaded guilty in January to charges linked to his ties to Congress and the White House. He later pleaded guilty in Miami to fraud charges stemming from the 2000 purchase of a fleet of gambling ships.

Media, want to avoid Colbert's criticism next year? Then do your jobs!
-Synthesis

Stephen Colbert @ WH Correspondents' Dinner

2006-04-30T17:53:00.000-05:00

Mr. Colbert really took it to the president and the White House press corps (and others!) at the White House Correspondents' Dinner Saturday Night. Here is a transcript and links to the video. (DailyKos)

And, of course, the media doesn't want to cover it's own lampooning as such. But! This transcript and clip are circulating the internet at an incredible speed.

I, for one, am hungry for the days when big media will take a permanent back seat to people-powered media. Continuously pointing out the terrible job that big media has done in the past 6 years is a great start.

--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---

Also: yay for us! The Lubbock DFA blog has now been online and active for over a year!

It's beginning to look a lot like Fitzmas

2006-04-26T15:36:00.000-05:00

There is substantial buzz that Karl Rove has been served a "target" letter very recently. This would mean he is about to indicted by special prosecutor Fitzgerald.

Nothing is confirmed yet. I can see it happening. He was recently demoted from Dep. Chief of Staff to his role of all-politics-all-the-time. He's also been called back to testify for the 4,937th time.

I hope he goes to prison.
-Synthesis

File under "should have seen it coming"

2006-04-26T15:08:00.000-05:00

Bush's new press secretary?

Former Fox News anchor and talk show host Tony Snow.

He's off to a great start:
"Neither Bush nor Snow took questions from reporters during the brief announcement."

*snicker*

"W"iretap

2006-04-16T16:49:00.000-05:00

http://www.cafepress.com/mayafrommer

:)

Budget Hawk

2006-04-14T09:46:00.000-05:00

Clinton didn't balance the budget, that was the Republican congress. I've heard this argument a lot recently. I don't buy it.

Clinton had pretty much the same Republican congress that we currently have. If the budget was balanced by the Republican congress, with the timid approval of Clinton, surely that congress would be able to duplicate their results? We have a president that will sign into law whatever congress puts in front of him. The ball is firmly in the court of the Legislature to balance our budget. Instead of a balanced budget, we have record deficits.

Clinton's success, Bush's failure, combined with the lasting effects of the Dean campaign are transforming the Democratic Party into budget hawks. Good thing too, because someone needs to clean up the mess this Republican congress has made.
-Synthesis

p.s. this sounds like an op-ed when I read it. Think I should send it to the AJ?

A good point

2006-04-11T17:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a random thought I captured from the ethereal fog of the internet that deserves some attention:

"Democracy as a government relies upon the ability of factions to compromise on divisive issues through rational debate instead of violence. The current political power brokers have figured out how to short circuit this process by focusing national attention on issues which are based on differences of non-negotiable, irrational moral sentiment, and are thus not subject to resolution through rational reconciliation. They've broken democracy."

How can we fix this short circuit?

Yes

2006-04-11T10:14:00.000-05:00

I want more leadership like this. This from a Howard Dean e-mail:

"Today, all around the country, hundreds of thousands of people of every race, color and ethnicity are marching peacefully for immigration reform that is tough and smart, comprehensive and compassionate. Democrats are proud to join these marches. Democrats in the Senate have led the fight for immigration reform that reflects our values, but neither President Bush nor Bill Frist were willing to stand up to the far right wing of the Republican Party to move it forward."

Today's peaceful marchers put a human face on this important issue. Immigration reform is about strengthening our borders, but it's also about families. Unfortunately, it's the American people who will have to deal with the consequences of the Republican Party's failed leadership. Republicans are not just alienating Latinos with their surrender to the far right, they're alienating Americans of every background who know that scapegoating any group of people is wrong. And they're alienating every American who knows we need real solutions to strengthen our borders, protect U.S. workers and their wages, and make it possible for immigrants who earn it the opportunity to apply for U.S. citizenship. Together, America can do better."

OK, I really don't like the new slogan. I'd easily replace it with "Yes we can." That aside, I am glad to see Democrats aren't waiting for Republicans to implode over this. Yesterday, I saw Kennedy of all people proudly speaking to the gathered in D.C.

The world went crazy this weekend, but for a change it got better instead of worse.
-Synthesis

Lubbock County Democratic Party Resolutions

2006-04-09T17:21:00.000-05:00

Better late than never: I have here a list of the resolutions passed in committee at the Lubbock County Democratic Party convention two weeks ago. There were also two resolutions passed on the floor - one about education reform, and one about parks.

I am posting these here because I did not find them online at the Lubbock County Democratic Party website, and I think it's important to get the word out about what's on Democrats' minds.

Without further ado, here are the titles of the resolutions:

1) Support for Contraceptive Equality in Health Insurance, Health Agencies, and Increase Funds for Family Planning

2) Support for Stem Cell Research as a Means of Lessening Effects of or Curing of Certain Deadly and Chronic Diseases

3) Personal Privacy Protection

4) Public Support for Voter Verified Paper Audit Trail

5) Call for a Moratorium on Executions

6) Call for Independent Counsel Investigation

7) Opposition to a Federal Marriage Amendment

8) Supporting Foster Care and Adoption

9) Supporting Non-Discrimination Legislation

10) Support of a Voter Persuasion Campaign

11) Support of Rural, Small Towns

12) Call for State Income Tax Vote

13) Support of Jury Trial

14) Opposition to Offshore Management of U.S. Ports

15) Opposition to School Voucher System

16) Concern for Elderly

17) Recognition of Increase in Disparity

18) Resolution to Protect Women's Right to Choose

19) Resolution to End the Armed Conflict in Iraq

20) Resolution in Support of Unions in Texas

21) Resolution to Honor Irma Guererro

22) Resolution to Honor Dorothy McLarty

23) Resolution to Honor Tom and Pansy Burtis

The convention was great, and I think we ended up with a wonderful batch of resolutions. I brought 3 from my precinct. Here's hoping the state party listens to what's going on in West Texas.

Summary of Senate Compromise on Immigration

2006-04-06T16:39:00.000-05:00

-Synthesis

know your English

2006-04-06T08:56:00.000-05:00

...from the Bill Frist backed Immigration Bill:

Those who have lived in the country at least five years would be put on a path toward guaranteed citizenship, provided that they remained employed, paid fines and back taxes, and learned English, a senior Republican aide said. The aide said this group accounted for about 7 million of the roughly 11 million illegal immigrants believed to be living here.

I have lived enough of my life in Los Angeles and Miami to know that people manage just fine without speaking the "native" language. Indeed, this very group has apparently managed for 5 or more years. I have dozens of students right now with poor command of spoken English, and they are getting Masters degrees.

Spoken English is not a guarantee of success in America, it is not even a prerequisite. Thousands of English speakers were so poor that they couldn't clear the path of a catastrophic hurricane.
-Synthesis

News round-up

2006-04-04T16:34:00.000-05:00

The times are busy.

Early voting for run-off elections started. Make sure to get out and vote, especially Radnofsky for Senate. I met her and she's awesome.

Tom Delay announced he is retiring from public "service." Good riddance.

I was accepted to the University of Oregon Law School. I'll be moving out there this summer.
Many thanks to Johnnie Jones, who was kind enough to write a letter of recommendation for me.
-Synthesis

Move it on over

2006-03-31T14:16:00.000-06:00

"...cause the Big Dog's moving in." (Hank Williams)

There is a pretty big rumor that Bill Clinton will soon begin openly pushing for Howard Dean and the DNC's 50-State Strategy with the big-dollar donors. This very well could be symbolic of the kind of Institutional sea change we've been hoping for since Dean was elected chairperson.

I hope this rumor is true.
-Synthesis

County Convention

2006-03-27T08:47:00.000-06:00

After hours of work and tweaking, Lubbock Democrats have settled on some great resolutions and delegates to send to the state convention. If someone would send me a list of all the resolutions, I'd be happy to post them here.

In other news, I'll be leaving Texas in late spring. My most likely destination is Oregon, as I've been accepted to my second choice law school. My first choice is also in Oregon. If some of our Lubbock readers would like to give blogging a try, they should let me know.
-Synthesis

Note

2006-03-14T09:02:00.000-06:00

I will not tolerate foul language or foul arguments (i.e. racist, sexist, homophobic, etc.) on this blog. This goes for liberal and conservative commentors.
-Synthesis

Rolling Stone Article

2006-03-13T15:43:00.000-06:00

It is about Senator Brownback. He is every bit as crazy as you think, plus a whole lot of extra crazy.

However, I recommend reading the article for the insight it gives into the organization of the right-wing. In it's own twisted way, it is awe inspiring.

Despite being within the mainstream of America, Democrats have not held majority power for 12 years. We are nowhere near as organized as the other side, and we have lost bitter elections as a result. Real political power lies outside just the 537 elected officials in D.C. and it is well past the time when we need to recognize this. It will take a lot of time and money, and we should be willing to give both.

Thankfully, we have begun building the machine that will take back the country from extremists like Brownback. Groups like DFA are the first cogs in the machine. Though we may not be able to elect the next president, we can still be very influential in matters like electing Glen Maxey to chair the Texas Democratic Party. The stubborn existence of DFA, and the refusal of former Dean supporters to just "go home" might be the very first steps of turning the tide. We'll have defeats, of course, possibly decades of them. Republicans took 30 years to build the machine they have now, and they are still refinining it. We've been building our own for about 2 years. Think of how strong we'll be 4 years from now. A decade from now.

Rome wasn't built in a day.
-Synthesis

Racism

2006-03-10T16:46:00.000-06:00

I immediately bristle when white people talk about any race issue (the worst being immigration). It doesn't matter whether they agree with me or not, my response is the same. It comes from having experienced very explicit (violent) and latent racism throughout my life. Sometimes I wonder what percentage of Americans actually are racist.

Racism is systemic in our society, pervading much of what we do and how we live. Though a white man may harbor no prejudice toward anyone, he is still incredibly likely to benefit from institutionalized racism. His opportunities are luxuries I can only imagine.

I face a double-edged sword. Because I am Hispanic, I am more likely to be offered a position in a school or a job. However, I must perform exceptionally well to escape the guilt of Affirmative Action, or the stereotype of the lazy Mexican.
-Synthesis

Primary concern

2006-03-08T12:01:00.000-06:00

My precinct had a total of 38 Democratic voters. I have set the bar for the next precinct chair pretty low.

A big article on Abramoff will be featured in Vanity Fair of all places. Pigeon that he is, Jack names names. A PDF of the article can be found HERE.
-Synthesis

They are certainly arrogant

2006-03-03T09:10:00.000-06:00

Our Executive branch has been replaced with an autocratic one.

I don't really know the details of this whole Dubai-Ports thing, but it has certainly made a lot of people upset, on both sides of the political spectrum. I am inclined not to trust the administration, if only becauce he has been so consistently wrong on almost every issue for the past 5 years. Were I the betting type, I'd wager good money that state-owned companies from the U.A.E. taking over 6 of our big ports is a catastrophe. Our ~~president~~ tyrant is going to go through with the deal anyway.
-Synthesis

Get out of Iraq

2006-02-23T09:23:00.000-06:00

Apparently, the American Military is no match for crazy people.

Seriously, the situation in Iraq is really bad. "Get the troops out ASAP" is moving from a progressive policy to a vast majority policy. Good.
-Synthesis

In response

2006-02-09T09:22:00.000-06:00

Mr. James took the time to disagree with what I wrote. I will return the favor.

You can go look at his blog, his most recent entry charged that Islam is a faith of "hate, intolerance, and violance" and that it is "Satanic, vile, and evil." He also seems to think that Ann Coulter is attractive. He is lucky he didn't say anything about "poor taste" because he obviously has none.

What follows is in response to his comment.

I actually meant the statements of people like Katie O’Beirne were racist. They suggested that black people don’t know how to behave at funerals and don’t know how to act in general. It was demeaning, insulting, and racist. I stand by what I said. I didn’t hear what the president actually said; though I am sure it was very nice.

1. During the Civil War, it was actually the South that seceded from the Union. They were not successful. All of these states now reliably vote for Republicans. There are eerie similarities between the electoral maps of 2000, 2004 and the maps of Union and Confederate States. Mississippi, a former confederate state and currently Republican dominated state, still flies the stars and bars over its state capitol.

2. It was racists who formed the KKK, not Democrats. Certainly, at the time many of them voted for the Democratic Party. The KKK and their ilk are no longer part of the Democratic coalition, and it is laughable to suggest they are.

3. Again, it was mainly the south that fought for continued segregation. You imply that the Democratic Party was monolithic at these times. It wasn’t. Northern and Southern Democrats disagreed on this issue in particular.

4. Again, this was done by southern racists.

5. There is no evidence that these southern racists spoke for the Democratic Party. Indeed, people like “Bull” Connor differed sharply from the party on the Civil Rights issue alone. He actually led a group of Democrats in protest of a Civil Rights plank during a 1950 convention (many years before the Democratic Party was able to pass a comprehensive Civil Rights bill).

Strom Thurmond splintered from the party to mount a presidential campaign as a Dixiecrat. He ended his life as a member of the Republican party. Senator Byrd was a member of the KKK, and there is no way to explain that away. I have no idea how successful a Senator he’s been, but the people of West Virginia seem to love him. I’ve read portions of his book, specifically where he expresses regret for his past behavior. I cannot tell if he was sincere. If he is sincere, then the guilt that still haunts him is more than anything you might bring up.

You forgot to mention that MLK was spied upon at the order of Robert Kennedy, a Democrat. And that FDR had Japanese-Americans put into internment camps. Both of these actions are unforgivable. The Democratic Party is not perfect; there are many skeletons in our closet. That said, the party is very different than it was in 1940 or 1960. There are obvious reasons why the black community votes overwhelmingly for Democrats. Your party ignores them to its detriment.

The most recent Civil Rights accomplishment (by the Republican Party) that you mention dates back to 1964, when Republicans “accomplished” voting along with a sweeping Democratic bill. Most of their other accomplishments predate the Depression era. Perhaps politics have changed since then?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed to the detriment of the Democratic Coalition. It was this bill that has lost the vast majority of the South to Republican control. To ignore this is to ignore the most obvious and sweeping electoral trend of the 20th century.

You never suggest how Jimmy Carter and Rev. Lowery are hurting the black community, but you suggest later it has to do with Democrats assuming everyone non-white is “disadvantaged.” You go too far here. There is no evidence that either of these men assume that all blacks, women, etc. are disadvantaged. There is compelling evidence that they believe that as communities, they are disadvantaged. There is compelling evidence to suggest that white males (as opposed to say, black females) are substantially more likely to succeed in life, due to better access to good schools, pre-natal health care, safe neighborhoods, etc. As a liberal, I believe strongly in the idea of equal opportunity. I am a member of the Democratic Party because it is they who are trying to “level the playing field.” They try many different ways (raising the minimum wage, making taxes more progressive, affirmative action, head start, etc.) of doing this. They all seem to arise from the belief that Americans don’t start out on equal footing, but they should.

The Republican Party, it seems, believes either that all Americans are on equal footing already, or that equal opportunity is an overrated idea. They seem to operate under the certainty that the poor deserve to be poor. For my entire political life they have actually exploited preconceptions of entire communities (Welfare Queens, Willie Horton, Illegal Immigrants, etc.) to further their cause. It is only recently that they seem to be (at least in part) realizing that operating as the white man’s party is a dying proposition. They have made mere gestures to minority communities. I find it deeply amusing that Republicans are shocked, shocked that moves to make Colin Powell and Condoleeza Rice Secretary of State hasn’t moved black voters in their direction. These moves don’t actually benefit the black community.

I believe all Americans are entitled to certain inalienable rights. Currently, America fails to provide one of these (that of equal opportunity under the law). It is fantastic that you had such a good upbringing and that you are not “uncapable” of providing for yourself.

Though I am of Mexican heritage, I was lucky (among Mexican-Americans) to have access to a safe home, good parents, good health care, good schools etc. I know that I began life with a leg-up over most people. The only adversity I’ve ever faced concerned some small-minded policemen and a few racists (I grew up in a border state). This doesn’t mean I should handicap myself. I would much rather “bring up” those Americans who have been less fortunate than I have been.

The Democratic Party doesn’t deem anyone to be inferior. Your penultimate paragraph is such a clear case of projection that I actually refuse to delete your comment. Let everyone see the shameful workings of your subconscious.
-Synthesis

When I die

2006-02-08T15:51:00.000-06:00

I find the attacks (concerning the funeral of Coretta Scott King) by the punditocracy to be disgusting. Their statements are so obviously racist and incredibly insulting. To suggest that a funeral of a prominent political civil rights figure should be apolitical is an absurdity I cannot wrap my mind around.

So many Republicans seem to be able to seperate their political beliefs from their daily lives. What is wrong with them? Every conscious decision I make is shaped by my values. The food I eat, the places I shop, the cars I drive, the people I call friends, the things I read, the charities I donate to, etc., all of them are consistent with ideals I hold. I would act exactly the same way if there were no Democratic Party.

The work I do reflects this. I want society to change for the better, I want it to be a lasting and sustainable change. I expect the vast majority of this change will be enjoyed by future generations, long after I am gone. I want the world to be better for my children's sake.

Should I die soon, in a way that my death can be used to force the issue of change, I expect you all to make such use. If you should have a captive audience (like a president who has shown no interest in our cause) I expect you to speak truth to power. They might accuse you of trying to make my funeral "political." You have my permission. How dare they try to make it apolitical?
-Synthesis

Democratic Solutions 2006

2006-02-07T10:17:00.000-06:00

Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m.

Mahon Library Community Room

1306 9th Street

Featuring

Robert Ricketts

U.S. Congress District 19 Candidate

John Miller

Texas House Districe 83 Candidate

Susan Barrick

Lubbock County Judge Candidate

Justin Martin

County Commisioner Pct. 2 Candidate

Aurora Chaides Hernandez

Justice of the Peace Pct. 3 Incumbent

Sponsored by
Lubbock Democracy for America

SOTU

2006-01-31T22:08:00.000-06:00

All times are Central time zone

8:02 internet is not working; I’m going to have to put all this stuff up after the fact.

8:03 a1337o haX0rs the Supreme Court

8:05 people are shaking hands; the pundits are talking about how “so much” hinges on this speech (at least for the president.

8:06 Man! The people who run our country are really quite ugly.

8:07 Octagonal logo above the entrance door really looks like the Umbrella logo (Resident Evil indeed)

8:08 President opts for a blue tie. Damn! Roy Blunt is an ugly, ugly man.

8:09 $20 says Tom Delay is in the cheap seats. Another $20 says I don’t see his face on T.V. tonight

8:10 pundits talk about how there is already criticism to the SOTU. They fail to mention that everyone who would be so interested already has advance copies of the themes the president is going to be talking about. They also fail to mention the spin rooms they have set up immediately following the SOTU, necessitating advanced talking points by BOTH sides. F--- them. I hear this same criticism every year.

8:12 President honors Coretta Scott King. Applause all around.

8:15 September 11^th

8:16 John McCain isn’t buying this shit.

8:17 Digging the right-side of Denny Hastert’s face.

8:20 The phrasing the president is using suggests that the War on Terror is being fought not to keep America safe, but to spread Democracy to the Oppressed. The results suggest that neither goal is being met.

8:24 The President just admitted that Iraq is no where near capable of keeping itself safe. In his own words, leaving now would “turn the country over” to the like of bin Laden.

8:26 Fah-loo-ja

8:26 Much respect for Dan Clay’s family. I hope his death will not be in vain, but I worry with the people we have in charge.

8:29 For the last time, wishing for something won’t make it happen

8:30 Liberty in the middle-east won’t look like the way we define liberty. For 5 years, Bush has been the leader of lowered expectations.

8:31 *speaking directly to Iran* We respect you, please don’t blow Israel up.

8:32 I don’t remember Bush saying “The State of the Union is strong.” Did he?

8:33 Patriot Act, cause our law enforcement is awesome and that is how to respect him.

8:34 President lies

8:35 President lies

8:35 There has never been an explanation of how the secret wire-taps are making us any safer. The fact that any evidence the program might turn up would be inadmissible in court actually makes us less safe.

8:37 Hillary looks nonplussed.

8:38 The President actually thinks this economy is good. I hope he repeats this argument again and again. No one in the middle and working classes is going to buy it because THEY CANNOT AFFORD IT.

8:39 Oh snap! President told the truth. Our economy depends on immigration. Republicans gave a very reluctant standing ovation.

8:40 I caught Condoleeza Rice picking her nose.

8:41 Perma-tax-cuts, followed by president actually claiming to have cut spending. Absurd! This president loves legislation almost as much as war.

8:43 President lobs a soft-ball to Democrats. We stomped his a-- on Social Security.

8:44 The problems of the Baby Boomers, including Social Security, will not be solved by this president.

8:45 President throws protectionists a bone on Immigration.

8:46 Michael Chertoff is a zombie, or addicted to heroin.

8:47 This President is penny-wise and pound-foolish.

8:48 Clean, safe, Nu-clear energy! The word “nuclear” is so heinous, that he had to preface it with “clean” and “safe.”

8:50 I would love if the future he painted came to pass. But I feel this is just empty rhetoric on Energy. I’ve been burned by this guy before.

8:55 2 new SCOTUS justices, it’s too early to know how they’ll turn out. History will have to judge their tenure. I fear they will be as bad as their previous records suggest.

8:57 Barrack Obama is in the good seats.

8:59 The response to Hurricane Katrina was the moment I went from disgust to anger with G.W. Bush. He failed in every possible way to fail. For that, I will never forgive him.

9:03 wrapping up. I was expecting more about his Health Savings Accounts. There is actually very little new material here. He spent the vast majority of his time on defense, especially regarding Iraq and the NSA spying program.
-Synthesis

42

2006-01-31T02:02:00.000-06:00

There were 42 Senators who did not think Alito should be confirmed as a justice of the Supreme Court. Only 41 votes were needed to stop him from ascending to the Supreme Court.

Yet only 25 Senators voted to extend debate. If you do the math, you will find that many Senators acted very, very cowardly.
-Synthesis

Letter to the Today show

2006-01-27T14:27:00.000-06:00

The Abramoff scandal is entirely Republican, and it is shameful that in the interest of “fairness,” you are equivocating the scandal between Republicans and Democrats.

You purposefully make it seem as though the Indian Tribes involved in this story are agents of Jack Abramoff. The opposite, in fact, is the truth. The Indian Tribes gave money to Democrats of their own accord, never at the prompting of Abramoff. In fact, Jack Abramoff actually advised them to reduce the contributions they gave to Democratic candidates. All the charges, of which Abramoff pleaded guilty, were concerning the literal buying of votes, by Abramoff, from Republicans in congress.

The story here should be Abramoff and his ties to the Republican Party. You are suggesting guilt by association through 2 degrees of separation: Abramoff to Indian Tribes, and then Indian Tribes to Democrats. If guilt were to extend 3 degrees, I would be caught up in this scandal, through my membership in the Democratic party. That sentence is equally as absurd as your insistence that this scandal is somehow bi-partisan.
-Synthesis

p.s. feel free to write your own letter and send it to today@nbc.com

Bushspeak

2006-01-26T10:30:00.000-06:00

More nefarious than any Orwellian dialect.

Seriously, I think the president is acting like an 8-year child. But instead of opposite-day, he's celebrating opposite-decade. It is getting to the point where one can count on whatever he says to be a 180-degree reversal of the truth. When he says something like this, the subtext has become "now I know you all know the truth, but here is my total bald-faced lie, please understand that my total lie must be accepted as truth."
-Synthesis

MLK

2006-01-17T07:52:00.000-06:00

As we come back from our 3-day weekend, let us reflect on the accomplishments of the 20th century's greatest citizen.

Though he was never elected to any office, King changed our country. Through the power of his words and personality, he was able to make a better future for us all.
-Synthesis

hey, remember when...

2006-01-10T09:31:00.000-06:00

Remember when the president nominated Harriet Miers for the SCOTUS? Liberals were LOL and Conservatives were all OMG. No one could make any sense of such a politically stupid move.

Perhaps the president knew this "spying" story was going to break, sooner or later. Perhaps he wanted a friendly body on the nation's highest court. Perhaps he thought he could make his illegal actions legal after the fact.

Maybe that was why he was willing to take the hit on all the issues that Social Conservatives so desperately wanted.

This is all speculation, but they really seem like the actions of a criminal.
-Synthesis

Why we must raise the minimum wage

2006-01-06T16:41:00.000-06:00

I'll try to convince you with numbers.

The minimum wage has not been raised since September of 1997, more than 8 years ago. It was raised twice during Bill Clinton's 8 years in office, against the will of many in the Republican-controlled congress. George Bush has been in office for a bit more than 5 years now, most of that time with a congress completely under his thumb. No movement at all.

I don't think he'll raise the minimum wage in the next 3 years either.

Over a long period of time, America has had an inflation rate of about 3%. This means that something you buy today for $100 will cost you (more or less) $103 in a years time. Periods of rapid recession or inflation will skew this numbers, but over time, we tend to even out at about 3% inflation. Indeed, some people are lucky enough to receive "inflation" raises every year.

In 1997, $5.15 would buy you $5.15 worth of stuff (in 1997 dollars)
In 2006, that same $5.15 will only buy you $4.07 worth of stuff (again, 1997 dollars)

To have the same purchasing power of the 1997 minimum wage, the 2006 minimum wage should be raised to roughly $6.50 . I would advocate it be raised even higher, but $6.50 is, at least, a good start.

Without a raise, those earning the minimum wage are effectively getting a pay-cut every single year. Over an 90-hour work month, they have lost nearlly $100. Over a year, that is well over $1000 dollars. Progressives don't need to be told this, but that $1000 ($1166.40 to be exact) can mean the difference between getting by and not.

They must get their money back.
-Synthesis

this is mandatory

2006-01-05T13:37:00.000-06:00

It is only the 5th day of the new year, yet Glenn Greenwald has already written the best article you'll read all year. The argument was so compelling that I actually felt it self-evident by the end.

It is a bit lengthy

It is that deeply irrational, fear-driven view of the world which has to be undermined in order to make headway in convincing Americans that this Administration is engaged in intolerable excesses and abuses of its power. The argument which needs to be made is the one that we have seen starting to arise in the blogosphere and elsewhere: that living in irrational fear of terrorists and sacrificing our liberties and all of our other national goals in their name is the approach of hysterics and cowards, not of a strong, courageous and resolute nation.

-Synthesis

Happy New Year

2006-01-02T14:52:00.000-06:00

Looks like we survived another round of the War on Christmas. Phew.

I was raised Catholic, so I usually say "Merry Christmas" out of habit. I got a smattering of Happy Holidays, Merry Christmases, Merry Capitalism Days, and a few others.

I find it very difficult to believe that anyone could be so petty and small as to wield their preferred Holiday as a weapon. I find it absurd that anyone's sensibilities could be so delicate that any attempt at December inclusivity could prompt such strong injury.

Apparently they survived too.

We have a new year, an election year--my favorite kind of year. It is 2006 now, and we have a lot of work to do.
-Synthesis

meta-post

2005-12-22T10:52:00.000-06:00

Just a quick update on the blog. Sometime back, we pushed through 1000 unique page visits. We're somewhere past 110 now.

Keep on reading, and tell your friends.

Also, we still need people to write.
-Synthesis

voting results in Iraq have been horrendous (for the West)

2005-12-21T08:58:00.000-06:00

The results show fundamentalist hardliners winning big.

Sometimes it really bothers me that a lot of Americans do not take the time to just look at little deeper, and see through the gossamer thin propaganda coming out of Bush's mouth.

I cannot judge what would be better for Iraq, but things would have been better for us if these elections never happened. We have, in effect, legitimized a new Taliban. This is the great noble cause we've worked so hard and lost so much for.

Years from now children will study the years 2000-2008 as the stupid ages.
-Synthesis

DNC fundraising

2005-12-20T14:10:00.000-06:00

The DNC raised 5.3 million dollars in November. The RNC raised a bit more, about 5.95 million.

It wasn't very long ago that "legendary" money-man Terry McAuliffe was being outraised 3-1 by the Republicans. That was the norm. For Dean to be outraised 2-1 would be great. Those November numbers are fantastic. Heck, I'm thinking of starting an office pool over which month we'll actually BEAT those guys.

I wish I had some internal numbers to see how much of that money was in increments of $100 or less.
-Synthesis

p.s. I didn't mean to bag on Terry. Before Howard, he was actually the best fundraiser the DNC had in decades.

for torture

2005-12-15T15:37:00.000-06:00

Randy Neugebauer, he's for Torture.

The house approved a measure in symbolic support of the Senate backed ban on torture. I say symbolic because it was a non-binding vote. It was procedural.

Approved 308-122, the procedural vote puts pressure on House leadership (but does not require them) to include the ban and another provision standardizing interrogation techniques used by U.S. troops in a final wartime military spending bill.

Of those 122 reps. who wanted to keep on with the torturing, fully 121 of them were Republicans. One of them was our own embarassment, Randy Neugebauer. Even when the vote is non-binding, Randy loves torture so much, that he can't bring himself to vote against banning its use.

Shame on him. I don't know who that lone Democrat was. Shame on him too.
-Synthesis

Lieberman is on the outs

2005-12-09T09:55:00.000-06:00

We all know and (to some degree) dislike Senator Lieberman. Somehow, whenever Democrats are making headway in the media and American consciousness, he is there to undercut our efforts. He has become the go-to-guy for Fox News to spin its "Democrats don't know what they stand for" mantra.

The other day, Lieberman said:

It is time for Democrats who distrust President Bush to acknowledge that he will be commander in chief for three more critical years and that in matters of war we undermine presidential credibility at our nation's peril

Noted hawk and recent Democratic hero, Jack Murtha responded:

Undermining his credibility? What has he said that would give him credibility?"

Then we get this from a subscription only Roll Call article:

Up until now fellow Senate Democrats have declined, at least publicly, to criticize Lieberman, although privately many acknowledge there is growing frustration with the conservative Democrat. But in what could be a sign that Reid's patience is growing thin, the Minority Leader Tuesday all but rejected a Lieberman proposal for a new "war council" made up of military and Congressional leaders similar to the one used by former President John F. Kennedy during the Vietnam War.

While saying "I think the world of Joe Lieberman," Reid nevertheless panned the council proposal as useless until the White House fully engages Congress on Iraq policy decisions.

"Frankly, until we get some direction from the White House, we can have all the meetings in the world, but until we get the commander in chief involved we're not going to get anywhere," Reid said, adding that his statement was a "very, very, very qualified no" as to whether he would support the formation of a war council.

There is a political myth that the right has been perpetuating for the last few years. It says that one cannot be critical of the president in times of war because criticism of the president is tantamount to criticism of the war itself, of the troops, and of giving aid and comfort to the enemy. Lieberman's statements give truth to this wretched lie, and I am glad it seems like the leadership within the party is slapping him down.

Howard Dean today says this:

"I think that's mostly press gobbledygook," he said. "The press wants to focus on the differences. The differences are pretty small, perhaps Senator Lieberman excepted."

The title of the article I read cannot get much better--"Dean: Democrats have United Plan." The party seems to be coalescing around the Murtha plan, or at least one that is very, very similar. We already know that Nancy Pelosi was on board, and it now seems like Reid will be too.

Dean's mouth may get away from him some times, but he isn't stupid. He knows how good Reid has been in the Senate, and understands how vital it is for all of our leaders to be singing in harmony. He has worked with the party for the past year and I am guessing he had a good conversation with Reid sometime last night over exactly how to craft the Democrats message on Iraq. That slight against Lieberman was no slip of the tongue. It was retribution.

Lieberman, it seems, is out. Everyone else is in.
-Synthesis

A day that will live in infamy

2005-12-07T08:40:00.000-06:00

Today is the anniversary of the Japanese sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. We of course responded by declaring War on Japan. It never crossed our mind to instead invade a nearby and uninvolved country.

My, how the times have changed.
-Synthesis

no more of this

2005-12-02T14:26:00.000-06:00

an author over at myDD got me so upset, I actually stopped lurking and registered a user name, just so I could tell him he was being so stupid.

The thread in question.

All my responses were under the same name I use here. Go shake your web-fist at him if you can find the time.
-Synthesis

Thursday

2005-11-24T22:38:00.000-06:00

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.
-Synthesis

50-State Campaign Strategy

2005-11-23T15:29:00.000-06:00

Last week's 50-State Campaign Strategy Kickoff at Sue W's house was a great success! The national Democratic Party website has pictures of house parties from around the country (we are 24/33). You can also read some of Sue's encouraging words about the event here and here.

I'm thrilled at the new life that Howard Dean and the the thousands of grassroots activits who believe in him are breathing into the Democratic Party.

One last encouraging anecdote -- Barbara Radnofsky, who was in town a couple of weeks ago, said that the Democratic leadership in the US Senate has taken notice of her campaign. 9 Democratic Senators, including Harry Reid, threw her a fundraiser in Washington DC. For the established Democratic leadership to take interest in a Senate Race in Texas so early in the election cycle shows that they mean business about the 50-state strategy!

website

2005-11-23T13:41:00.000-06:00

The DCCC got on the ball and posted a map with every congressional district and the people who are running for office.

Including the Texas-19, which a little less than a year from now will elect Robert Ricketts.
-Synthesis

a stunning admission

2005-11-21T13:56:00.000-06:00

Maybe Dick Cheney was telling the truth here. That would certainly be frightening. His words:

Those who advocate a sudden withdraw from Iraq should answer a couple simple questions. Would the United States and other free nations be better off or worse off with Zarqawi, Bin Laden and Zawahiri in control Iraq?

The Vice-President is actually using the utter incompetance of this administration as the reason American forces cannot withdraw from Iraq. Assuming what he says is true, the situation is so horrendously bad in Iraq, that any Iraq forces we left in power would be immediately overwhelmed (or welcomed?) by Osama, Zarqawi, Al-Qaeda, et al.

This is their defense of the Iraqi War. "We can't pull-out because we've botched things up so badly."

Can we honestly expect this same group to turn things around? No. I wasn't on board until recently, but I honestly think America needs to begin withdrawing from Iraq. I don't think it is possible to fix this broken pot. Sorry Pottery Barn, but you will be better off if we leave the store. You already knew it, and now I do too.
-Synthesis

**CONFIRMED** Pottery Barn (Iraqi Leaders) want us to leave the store (Iraq).

today

2005-11-17T10:11:00.000-06:00

Today is Howard Dean's 57th birthday.
-Synthesis

Nov. 15 kickoff party

2005-11-16T10:36:00.000-06:00

Our great and gracious host Sue W. received mention on the DNC blog. I just want to remind everyone that out of the 3 questions posed to Gov. Dean, Sue and Lubbock, TX got to ask the very first!

Sue's house was, as always, amazingly beautiful. I'm excited that our 50-state strategy kicked-off in such dramatic fashion. It was great to meet all the candidates we have running for local office and to feel that we really are making a difference.

I'm still working on the LSAT and law school applications, but some time early next year, I'd like to launch phase 2.0 of Lubbock DFA. I always hoped this could be a place that all democrats in the greater Lubbock area could come together to meet fellow Dems, plan events, work together, and vent the frustrations that must come with being so progressive in such a regressive place. In addition to the blog, I'd like use to have a lively forum, and an intelligent front page/portal to all groups that are natural allies and partners of DFA.

Consider this a place to post your thoughts and feelings about the party and conference call.
-Synthesis

Hey!

2005-11-14T09:54:00.000-06:00

We had a very, very small mention on the Washington Post's website. Behold:

You can still view the page here if you are interested.
-Synthesis

Result!

2005-11-09T08:38:00.000-06:00

Democrats win big in 05

Both of our candidates for governor won last night, and won decisively. President Bush had staked his credibility on Kilgore pulling out a win. The President has no credibility, so he really didn’t lose much when Kaine (D) whomped Kilgore (R ). Corzine (D) similarly clobbered Forrester (R ).

It looks like California (my home state) defeated every single proposition, including all 4 that Ah-nold had tied his future to. Los Angeles County (my home county) is what finally “flipped” 75, the union dues one. Ah-nold is toast and will not be reelected.

Bloomberg won in NYC, but that is no surprise. NYC is a city where Democrats are Democrats and Republicans are Democrats.

Unfortunately, it looks like the Reform Ohio Amendments were all defeated. And it looks like Prop 2 passed here in Texas. I can’t be quite clear from the wording, but it looks as though all marriages in Texas are now semi-illegal. That’s OK for me though, if I had to do it all again, I’d still marry my wife.

Maine actually defeated their right-wing backed no-gays getting married amendment. What kind of water are they drinking up there? Can we get some?

We didn’t win them all, but I think that Democrats clearly have the Big Mo’ heading into 2006.
-Synthesis

I need to make stickers out of these

2005-11-03T18:16:00.000-06:00

I was messing around with photoshop the other day, feeling good about what Harry Reid had done in the Senate. I came up with this:

It mimicks the style of a very famous piece of pop-art which you can learn about here. Does anyone know how to make stickers out of images?
-Synthesis

Ideology is (and should be) in play

2005-11-02T08:27:00.000-06:00

If the Miers fiasco didn't reveal to everyone that ideology of judges actually matters, well, then I don't know what will.

It matters, and Alito's ideology is nowhere near what America actually wants.

-He believes that women and children should be subject to unwarranted bodily searches, because (in practice) they are much like property.
-He believes that women should not have the final say over what goes on in their own wombs.
-He believes that the family and medical leave act is unlawful, and he voted to overturn it.
-He believes that job discrimination on the basis of race, sex, or disability should be allowed.
-He believes that people infected with the AIDS virus should be subject to unreasonable job discrimination.
-The list goes on like this, each belief more twisted and strange than the last.

There is a reason Republicans are mad we are calling him "Scalito." It is because Americans know the original Scalia, and we know he is bat-shit insane.

There is a reason Luntz has a job. Republicans need names like "Healthy Forrest Initiative" to hide their true intentions. If it was actually called, truthfully, "hey, let's cut down some trees for lumber initiative", no one would support it.

The conservative philosophy is actually the minority one. Only through lies and obfuscation have they gained power. Yet, after 2004, those crazy conservatives became convinced they were in a majority (perhaps Bush shouldn't have said "mandate" so many times). They want their coming out party. They want Alito to get a bullhorn and tell the whole country exactly how he will "fix" the Supreme Court. They expect him to be embraced by at least 51% of America, and they want to rub our liberal noses in it.

I say let them speak. Let America know exactly who killed of Miers. Let America know why they are so excited about Alito. Let America know who actually runs the Republican Party.

There was a Gallup poll recently. One part really stood out:

If it becomes clear Alito would vote to reverse Roe v. Wade, Americans would not want the Senate to confirm him, by 53% to 37%.

This Alito nomination is not something to wring our hands over. It is a tremendous opportunity for progressives and liberals to show just how far to the extreme right the Republican Party has run.

There is little we can do to sway the minds of Senators. Our task is to simply tell the truth, and tell it to anyone who will listen. If America is made aware of Alito's beliefs, he can be stopped. We are a purple country, not a crimson one.
-Synthesis

the true value of Lubbock DFA

2005-10-25T16:26:00.000-05:00

My blog is worth $2,258.16.
How much is your blog worth?

I'm a bit surprised. I kind of wish I knew how that was calculated. Try looking up your favorite blogs.
-Synthesis

Iraq 2000

2005-10-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

We have reached a very unfortunate milestone. Let us now turn back, and abandon this road to destruction.
-Synthesis

Big Box Mart

2005-10-14T16:28:00.000-05:00

You'll probably enjoy this.
-Synthesis

This stops now.

2005-10-14T09:02:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading this: http://www.mydd.com/story/2005/10/13/17128/734#comment_top

Really, I think the Democrat’s "win" on Social Security was much more important than people realize. Not only have we protected the system from thieves until at least 2009, the president really made himself look terrible on domestic policy. It was a very solid win for our side, and I'll always remember writing letters to the editor and visiting with Neugebauer's staff to make our opinions known. In a way, I feel that at least a little piece of the victory is mine, because I wanted it and I worked for it.

But I think, it was more than a self-contained victory. We really drew "first blood" on the issue on this second Bush term. It was really the first time we spoke truth to power in complete unison. It worked. And after that, the president knew he couldn't just roll us over anymore. He's a much weaker president now.

Sure, we've lost some battles, significant ones (the bankruptcy bill stands out), but I think we've "won" more often in the few months of this second term than we did in the entire first term.

I put win in quotations because an opposition party can't really pass it's agenda, it can only stop the agenda of the other side.

I'll take stopping the president. The way things are now, the loyal opposition is cruising toward a crushing victory in 06. We just might get W. to veto something.
-Synthesis

Are you kidding me?

2005-10-13T12:12:00.000-05:00

A while back, I held-off on blogging about the racial fall-out of Hurrican Katrina because I thought the horrible reality of it all was much worse than any spin could ever make it.

NBC/WSJ has a new poll out. The president's approval is at 39%, no surprises there. There was a bombshell hidden in the analysis:

Washington - Support for the majority Republican party in the United States is sagging as President George W. Bush's popularity continues to slide, according to a poll released on Wednesday.
A plurality of Americans, 48%, said they would prefer the Democrats to control Congress compared to 39% who want the Republicans in power, said the poll commissioned by United States television channel NBC and the Wall Street Journal.
The gap between the two parties was the largest recorded since the NBC/Journal poll started asking the question 11 years ago.
The Republicans hold a majority in both houses of Congress and face mid-term elections next year amid growing public concern over the war in Iraq and high energy prices.
The poll showed Bush's approval ratings dropping to 39%, the lowest of his presidency in the NBC/Journal surveys. Other polls have shown a similar decline with Bush's ratings falling below the 40% threshold in recent weeks.
Anxious about Bush's plunging poll numbers, Republicans in Congress have begun to break ranks and defied the White House on important issues.
The poll also revealed overwhelming opposition to Bush among African-Americans. Only two percent said they approved of his performance as president, the lowest level ever recorded in that category, NBC television reported.
According to the survey, US voters are anxious about rising gas and energy costs, with a majority saying they expected prices to increase further.
Investigations of prominent Republican lawmakers also appear to pose a threat for Bush's party.
Sixty-five percent said charges against Bush ally and former majority leader of the House of Representatives, Tom DeLay, suggested potential illegal activity.
A majority of 57% said an investigation into possible insider trading by the majority leader in the Senate, Bill Frist, indicated possible wrongdoing.
The poll, based on interviews with 807 adults, was conducted between October 8 and October 10 and had a margin of error of 3.4 percentage points.

2 percent? Two? I'll go on record right now and say that if this poll is not an outlier, we will win a crushing victory in 2006. Ken Mehlman can sing and dance all he wants, they can continue to believe that somehow having Condi around proves they will do more for blacks than Democrats. After Katrina, 98% (jeez, that's an insane number) of African-Americans know better.
-Synthesis

What farmers are thinking, USDA web link

2005-10-08T07:17:00.000-05:00

It's not that often we get to hear what's on the mind of the agricultural community when they are trying to speak truth to power. The transcript of Sec. of Agriculture Mike Johann's recent "listening session" in Lubbock should be a treasure-trove when it is posted at www.usda.gov/farmbill. If it's like the others posted from previous sessions elsewhere, the speakers' names and hometowns and affiliations with producer and marketing associations with be given. Watch for the transcript to be posted at www.usda.gov/farmbill.

Here are the questions Johann is asking at these "listening sessions" - the issues as framed by irresponsible taxcutting multi national corporate minions. Watch for straw men arguments - ha ha.

Question 1: The challenges facing new farmers and ranchers as they enter agriculture.

Some observers note that while farm policy has served agriculture and the country well in the past, there are "unintended consequences" that should be addressed, such as the capitalization of program benefits into land prices. These higher land prices are cited as a barrier to entry into agriculture for new farmers; a factor in reduced profit for existing farmers; and a cause of weakened competitive position on the part of U.S. farmers compared with farmers in countries with lower-priced land.

How should farm policy address any unintended consequences and ensure that such consequences do not discourage new farmers and the next generation of farmers from entering production agriculture?

Question 2: The competitiveness of U.S. agriculture in global and domestic markets.

As bilateral, regional, and multilateral trade negotiations continue to result in reduced barriers to international trade, exports and imports of agricultural products are expected to become increasingly important factors in U.S. and global agriculture. Obtaining ever-greater access to growing foreign markets and being increasingly competitive in these and in domestic markets is essential for farm economic growth. One key factor in our ability to be competitive depends on the types of products demanded around the world in the next 10 to 20 years and our ability to produce products that meet this world demand.

How should farm policy be designed to maximize U.S. competitiveness and our country's ability to effectively compete in global markets?

Question 3: The appropriateness and effectiveness of the distribution of farm program benefits.

A longstanding goal of farm policy has been to enhance and stabilize farm prices and incomes. Current farm programs, including crop insurance, distribute assistance based on past and current production levels. Some argue that the current farm support system encourages increases in farm size and results in the disproportionate distribution of program benefits to large farms. It has also been suggested that program incentives lead to increased production and lower market prices.

How should farm policy be designed to effectively and fairly distribute assistance to producers?

Question 4: The achievement of conservation and environmental goals.
While producing food and fiber are essential functions, agriculture also plays a major role in natural resource stewardship. Some have suggested that future farm policy might be anchored around the provision of tangible benefits such as cleaner water and air. Such an approach may be consistent with future World Trade Organization obligations on domestic support to agriculture, while also expanding farm programs to extend more broadly across agriculture, including private forest lands.

How can farm policy best achieve conservation and environmental goals?

Question 5: The enhancement of rural economic growth.

Farming and rural America once were almost synonymous. Over the years, the demographic and economic characteristics of rural areas have changed, as has farming's role in the rural economy. This raises the issue of whether more Government attention should be focused on investing in the infrastructure in rural America (for example, investing in new technologies).
How can Federal rural and farm programs provide effective assistance in rural areas?

Question 6: The opportunities to expand agricultural products, markets, and research.

Changes in farm and market structure over past decades have led to suggestions that farm policy could be more flexible by enabling greater support for a broader range of activities helpful to agriculture market expansion. Examples are: attention to product quality and new attributes; organic and specialty crops; value-added products, including renewable energy and bioproducts and new uses for farm products generally; expanded basic and applied research; domestic and foreign market development; and similar activities.

How should agricultural product development, marketing and research-related issues be addressed in the next farm bill?

John Cornyn - he's for torture

2005-10-06T08:42:00.000-05:00

A amendment to a defense bill that would "bar cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody" has passed with 90 YES votes. 9 Senators boldly staked out a moral high ground, voting NO and in effect, endorsing the pro-torture policy that the Bush administration has relied on for the last few years.

They no-brain nine are:

Wayne Allard - Colorado
Kit Bond - Missouri
Tom Coburn - Oklahoma
Thad Cochran - Mississippi
John Cornyn - Texas
James Inhofe - Oklahoma
Pat Roberts - Kansas
Jeff Sessions - Alabama
Ted Stevens - Alaska

John Cornyn, our Senator, has voted NO. John Cornyn, he's for torture.

You can call his office at (DC) 202-224-2934 or(LBK) 806-472-7533
You can email him at this website.

Ask his staff to explain why Sen. Cornyn voted NO on a bill that would "bar cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment of prisoners in U.S. custody." He will need a better excuse than the one he gave for being pro-lynching.
-Synthesis

Federal Election Fund

2005-10-05T08:07:00.000-05:00

What is it with Republicans and suppression of public opinions?

Our representative, Randy Neugebauer has proposed eliminating the Federal Election Fund. This is the $3 question on a typical IRS form, all citizens have the option of selecting "NO" on their tax form, in fact "NO" is the default answer. I have never paid into the fund myself, but I think it is ridiculous that average Americans would be denied the right to have a mechanism that forces presidential candidates to at least rely in part on non-corporate moneys. Just to spite Randy, I'll probably check "YES" next time on my IRS forms.

Randy is trying to make it seem as though the tax is some great injustice; but in fact, it is completely voluntary. I might feel much greater injustice if I felt my purposefully earmarked dollars was instead going to pay the contract of a Halliburton-Katrina project.

If he was really serious about cutting spending to pay for Katrina relief, he might be inclined to target the large pork giveaways to massive Agribusiness interests who day by day make small-scale and family farming unprofitable.

But what can you really expect with Randy? He's nothing special, just a tool of Tom DeLay, soon to be a tool without a user. He's a small man with a small solution to a Big Problem. At best, his proposal could "offset" some 500 million dollars, for short of the 200+ BILLION dollar Katrina problem.
-Synthesis

I can't believe it's Miers

2005-10-04T07:43:00.000-05:00

As you are probably aware by now, the president selected Harriet Miers to be his nominee for Supreme Court. It is a pick that is ridiculously good for Democrats, and I will explain why.

-Among all the candidates that were on the president's short list, there is every indication that Miers is the most moderate. She does not rabidly hate gays, nor is it likely that she wants to overturn Roe v. Wade. She does not find international law to be anathema. Of course, there is much we still need to learn about her. She is very smart, but it seems not as brilliant as John Roberts so clearly was. Expect her to have a more difficult time in her hearings.

-Miers was apparently "selected" by none other than Harry Reid, our leader in the Senate. I am confident in giving him the benefit of the doubt.

-Miers is a close friend of President Bush. This means we get to club them over the head repeatedly with the "cronyism" meme that has been working so well for us ever since Mike Brown really messed up as the head of FEMA. The president values loyalty over competence and we get to say that every time this comes up in the news.

-Miers used to run the troubled Texas Lottery Commission. This will let use club Republicans with the "corruption" meme that is working so well. We have Tom Delay and the bloated Republican Machine in Texas to thank for this one.

-Miers was the president's legal counsel, the same job that Alberto Gonzales once held. Miers was in part responsible for crafting the "legal" maneuvering into the war in Iraq. Last time I checked, that war was not very popular. Yes, we will club them over the head with this meme. Furthermore, how close to our war policy was Miers? Was she in any way responsible for our pro-torture stance? With the second batch of torture photos and videos recently ordered released by a federal judge, this could end up being a very explosive question.

-The Miers pick has really, really upset the crazy conservatives. They really wanted this pick to be their moment in the sun. They wanted Scalito, or Janice R. Brown, or Luttig, or someone with a proven pedigree of radical conservative philosophy. They wanted a fight and they expected to win. The president has just proven what we've known all along. The Republican Party (and Bush in particular) uses social conservatives to win elections, but it has no intention of ever rewarding them with their prize. They will not get to see Roe overturned. In many ways, this was the sweetest plum of all.

-How likely is it that those same conservatives will turn out to vote in 06? In 08? This will certainly put a damper on their spirits. Time will tell if it has a lasting effect. In the short term, the Miers pick will probably mean that Bush's poll numbers drop; he'll lose support with his base.

-Ultimately the president will not be able to use Miers to turn away all the bad news cycles that have been damaging and weakening his position. It is very, very easy to fit Miers into the "Iraq" argument, or the "Cronyism" argument, or the "Corrupt" argument. The list goes on.

-Will Miers be filibustered from the right? Not likely, but it is very bemusing to see how quickly the crazies have called for their Senators to filibuster their own president's pick. It proves just how silly that "up-or-down-vote" rhetoric is. The filibuster IS part of an up-or-down-vote, we govern by consensus, not majority.

-With the president so clearly weakened, maybe more Democrats will feel emboldened and excited. Perhaps those wishy-washy leaders we all bemoan just might grow a spine. Imagine the entire Democratic Party as an army of tough-talking, hard-fighting Howard Deans. Yes, that is what I want.

Of course, Miers just might turn out to be a Scalia in sheep’s clothing. I'll be plenty upset with Reid and myself if that turns out to be the case. I don't think that is likely.

In the short term though (and this extends all the way to the 06 elections) I believe that this has been a big political win for Democrats.
-Synthesis

Booyaka! Tom Delay indicted by Grand Jury

2005-10-04T07:42:00.000-05:00

You can read the still developing story here.

You might also want to send a few bucks to the soon-to-be U.S. Representative from Texas district 22.
-Synthesis

UPDATE: Dopey me. It was Chris Bell who first brought an ethics complaint against Tom Delay. He deserves some credit for today as well.

BIG UPDATE: Tom DeLay has been served a second indictment. This time for money laundering. People might have been confused about the conspiracy charge. The charge of money laundering is crystal clear. Tom DeLay is a criminal and so are many of his friends.

give 'em hell harry

2005-09-28T10:22:00.000-05:00

Despite being a pro-life moderate, Harry Reid has very quickly earned my trust as a hard-fighting, take-no-crap Democrat. Despite being dealt one of the smallest minorities in a long time, Reid has fought Republicans to a draw or even victory on numerous occasions. He took all the wind out of Bill Frist's sails as leader of the Senate, preserved the filibuster, completed incapacitated John Bolton, and held together to reject the partisan investigation into Hurricane Katrina's foul-ups. I don't agree with him every time, but he has been a big plus for our side.

He has a new blog up, obviously connected to someone at the DNC, cause the style is almost exactly the same. When our leaders reach out to the activists and new netroots this way, I think it is only fitting that we return the favor.

Thank you Sen. Reid, and welome to the Blogs.
-Synthesis

People who will definitely not be president

2005-09-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Bill Frist will not be president. If the big compromise or his flip-flop on Stem Cells didn't kill his chances, this Martha Stewartian diversion definitely will.

I believe this makes Republican leadership 3 for 3 in terms of corruption. We have the president fighting an illegal war and filling posts with all his inept cronies. We have Tom Delay in the house literally selling his influence. And now Bill Frist in the Senate, caught red-handed for insider trading. Republican governance is massively corrupt and ineffective.

I'd be willing to bet that in 2006, we will run our campaign as one to end corruption. And thankfully, the Republicans will keep shooting themselves in the foot.
-Synthesis

what you are seeing on TV

2005-09-22T10:07:00.000-05:00

This is, in all honesty, the first time I can actually applaud the president's behavior. His handling of Hurricane Rita looks to be as cautious and extensive as possible. No doubt, hurricanes must hit somewhere once they enter the Gulf Coast. Bravo to the president and to Governor Perry; they are at the very least, doing all they can to coordinate a mass evacuation of the likely target areas.

The "pre-sponse" to Rita, however, is directly contrasted to the piss-poor response to Katrina (just a few weeks ago!). Everything they are doing right now should only reinforce how poorly they fumbled last time.

It is inexcusable that it took over 1000 deaths for the federal government to learn this lesson, but at least they have. At least they are doing the right thing this time.
-Synthesis

The post-Bush era

2005-09-20T08:36:00.000-05:00

The veil has been lifted. Anyone who has watched any decent coverage of Hurricane Katrina has no doubt seen George Bush for what he really is: weak, incompetent, stupid, phony, fraudulent, a miserable failure. He's a lame duck now, his plan for Social Security is dead, his plan for the Estate Tax is dead, and Iraq is dying almost as quickly as our soldiers. What can he accomplish with a Democratic leadership finally united against him? John Roberts. That is it.

We are seeing the absolute failure of conservative governance. How will they fix the Gulf Coast, with so much already invested in Iraq and Afghanistan, with so much invested in ridiculous tax cuts for the obscenely rich? How will they trim fat out of a budget that Tom Delay called very lean already? You expect Republicans to actually trim it out of that transportation bill? Or maybe their bloated and ineffective Medicare-drug package? Maybe out of the leviathan Defense budget?

Not these Republicans, they'll pass the debt on to our children and our children's children (or die trying). In what should be the largest domestic recovery package since the New Deal, the president has appointed Karl Rove to oversee Katrina Recovery. They will use our tax dollars to fatten the coffers of (yes) Halliburton, just like they've done in Iraq. Americans will not accept this. Republicans cannot even be counted on to do the right thing in plain sight.

It is time for Democrats to show America what we really stand for. In the post-Bush era, the future is for us to make.
-Synthesis

The Presiden'ts Katrina Speech

2005-09-20T08:28:00.000-05:00

7:55 Still waiting for the president.

8:00 Flipped over to Fox (ehh) they pointed out how this is a long-term issue. Very astute, those guys.

8:01 Here he comes! Seriously, he picked a really pretty place to hold this speech. HAHAHA! "I'm speaking to you from the city of New Orleans." I wouldn't have known otherwise. Thank you W.

8:03 Very positive so far. No complaints.

8:04 Ah! The argument emerges. He's doing his darndest to tie himself to the private citizens of America. They did their job beautifully, the president did not.

8:06 We will rebuild New Orleans. Good.

8:07 I cannot explain his expression. It is as if he wants so hard to make his failure right. He looks eager, anxious even. I hope maybe this will change the way he governs.

8:10 Red shirt guy in Mississippi looks really mad at the president. This speech takes me a bit by surprise. It seems more like a round-up of news stories as opposed to political spin.

8:13 This is the sort of speech a real leader would have made that Monday morning. It is sad it has taken this long.

8:14 Gulf Opportunity Zone, GOZ, will be this president's Tennesee Valley Authority. We'd be lucky if it was even half as good as the TVA was.

8:16 A lottery based free zoning district for low-income housing?? Someone please explain how this would be a good idea.

8:17 Curse you, curse you for gutting the funding of the Army Corps of Engineers and levees. I'll never forgive him for that, even if he makes them ten times better.

8:19 This speech is making me realize just how much the American people have stepped up to fill the vacuum that our federal leadership had left. We really are a great country, and we deserve better representatives.

8:20 Here it comes... I know the president wants the so called "bi-partisan" investigation. Not good enough. WE NEED AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION.

8:21 woot! 9/11. My hat is safe.

8:22 the president must back an Independent Investigation.

8:23 biblical tones, which means the president is wrapping this up.

8:24 and he's finished. The speech was remarkably concilliatory and free of politics. In all honesty, it really was one of his better speeches. That said, it will not fix his anemic poll numbers. Indeed, I believe the tone of this speech reflects just how weak the President's position has become. The one political issue that came up was the President's push for the investigation currently in the works in Congress. There is ZERO chance Democrats will accept the set-up, it is little more than criminals prosecuting their own trial.
I would like to see us make a concerted push for an Independent Investigation. It is overwhelmingly popular (something like 75% approval, with distinct preference over a partisan investigation). The complications of Katrina are massive. At some point, I believe, Republicans must capitulate to an Independent Investigation (it's a talking point, get out there and spread it).

Eventually, we will have a real picture of just how many people lost their lives (the number will be big and horrible), and just how much money we will need to overcome this. It will become obvious how wrong-headed Bush's policies have been, from Iraq, to Tax-Cuts for the very wealthy, and refusing to take budget deficits seriously.

As a president, I think Bush couldn't be quacking any louder. I hope he realizes this and instead use this opportunity to become a better person. Accept responsiblity, and all the consequences that come with it, and redeem your soul. Fix this situation and you will at least have some of my respect, and not just the begrudging type
-Synthesis

UPDATE: There will be no joint-congressional investigation. Democratic leaders have effectively killed that. I saw this coming, but I still think Reid and Pelosi deserve credit for enforcing such a rigorous point. Go read all about it over at Kos, cause the LATimes is subsricption only.

Live-Blogging tonight

2005-09-15T08:43:00.000-05:00

I just want to preface this by saying I am not at all satisfied by the president's response to the recent disaster. At the very least, he could have directed his Republicans to sign on to an independent investigation into exactly what went wrong. He didn't, and every last Republican voted against a measure that is not only overwhelmingly popular (somewhere around 70% approval), but also overwhelmingly the right thing to do.

This should be a campaign issue. Radnofsky will have another weapon with which to take down Hutchison.

Anyway, tonight the President will be doing some damage control. Not actual damage control mind you, that would be truly bizarre, but damage of the political type. I'll be live-blogging during his speech tonight. Tune-in, log-on, and let us hear what you think.

Last time we did this, I ended up having to eat my hat. It wasn't that bad. This time, I'll eat my new hat if the President manages to NOT say 9/11.
-Synthesis

TTU Democrats, Katrina overload

2005-09-08T23:26:00.000-05:00

Synthesis and I attended the Texas Tech University Democrats meeting tonight and were very impressed at the turnout -- somewhere around 50 people!

Check out their website for information on their upcoming meetings and activities. And, to any TTU students who stumbled onto this blog, welcome!

-------- -------- --------

I don't know about y'all, but this 2005 Katrina coverage is overloading me, much like the 9/11 coverage in 2001. Only now, the media is pushing back against the spin machines just a little bit harder than before. That cheers me up.

Dr. John Barkdull, one of our own Lubbock DFAers, has a blog with a good summary of how things stand in the aftermath of Katrina, along with a call for Bush to resign. Good stuff, John!

Way to go Pelosi and Reid

2005-09-08T13:17:00.000-05:00

So here's how it is- Republicans wanted a "bi-partisan" committee to "investigate" the "failures" of what happened during Hurricane Katrina/Aftermath.

Here's what the Republicans actually did-

They locked out any Democrats from forming the rules of the committee.
They made the panel to purposefully include more Republicans than Democrats.
The panel would purposefully have very weak subpeaona power.

Democrats naturally rejected this.

For the record. I would much prefer a trully independent investigation than a bi-partisan one. Let's find out the truth, who really botched things and how we can improve for future disasters. If such an investigation implicates Democrats along with Republicans, I say hold them all accountable.
-Synthesis

A LubbockDFA first

2005-09-03T10:09:00.000-05:00

Yesterday marked the first time our blog got mentioned by another blog.

We also got a lot of traffic last night, mainly from www.leftyblogs.com. I didn't know about them until right now. All in all, we got more than 50 unique visits, which is a lot considering that it is a part-time, un-advertised endeavor.

I really enjoy this medium, and hope it can become something akin to what Talk Radio has been for conservatives. The words and ideas of Lubbock Democrats are spreading out into the ethers.
-Synthesis

Help Katrina Victims Locally

2005-09-02T14:04:00.000-05:00

Do you want to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in a local way? There are a few things you can do:

* Offer a room for displaced victims to stay - www.hurricanehousing.org

* Donate money to the South Plains Food Bank, which is coordinating with other food banks around the nation - www.spfb.org

* Help out - the Salvation Army (765-9434) and Red Cross (765-8534) are looking for money and volunteers.

The consequences of a failed presidency

2005-09-02T08:08:00.000-05:00

The other day I was talking with my wife about how important an event Hurricane Katrina is and how it will probably be the #2 event of this decade (9/11 being the first). Well, that was days ago, and I’m bumping the Hurricane up to #1.

I’ve never been angrier with the President and his Administration than I have been the last few days. He might be politically brilliant, but he cannot govern his way out of a paper bag. He has failed the people on the Gulf Coast and thus failed America. We could have been better prepared for this. One of my Bush Apologist friends asked what I would have done, if I were in the President’s shoes. I promptly rolled out the Ian Barba plan:

-I would have left Vacation Sunday.
-I definitely wouldn't have been in Arizona and California on Monday or Tuesday.
-I wouldn't have started the war in Iraq, and thus I'd have 20 thousand Nat'l Guardsmen ready to roll. I'd pump that up with 50 thousand US soldiers.
-I wouldn't have cut 44% out of a budget (Army Engineering Corps) designed specifically for handling these situations.
-I'd have signed the Kyoto Agreement, and worked my butt off to curb green house emissions.
-I wouldn't have privatized so much of FEMA.
-I'd make a direct appeal to the American People in Prime Time, asking them to please open their hearts and wallets.

This is just part of a common sense course of action that any reasonably informed American could have come up with. Our president miserably failed to enact any of these actions. We are seeing the results of his failed presidency play out so horrifically.

There are consequences for voting for this man. There are consequences for his policies. He didn’t have to gut FEMA, but he did. He didn’t have to reverse Wetland Policy, which would have made the flooding much more marginal, or prevented it entirely. But he did. He didn’t have to fight the stupid war in Iraq, thus making us less secure at home. But he did. He didn’t have to eat cake on Monday, and play guitar on Tuesday. But he did. So many of his policies have direct consequences to how bad the Hurricane damaged these areas, and how piss-poor our response has been. Nero played his fiddle while Rome burned. Bush plays guitar while New Orleans drowns. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

People are dying. Dying. I want this president, to summon his whole administration, his precious department of Homeland Security, and fix this mess. I want him to lead, to save lives, to make all of this OK. I’ll help, we’ll all help. But we need the federal government to lead. I don’t think Bush can do it, I think it is too late now.

Please, Mr. President, prove me wrong.
-Synthesis

www.dfalink.com/lubbock

2005-08-31T17:42:00.000-05:00

www.dfalink.com/lubbock

That's our new organizational home as we transition away from meetup.com. If you have not done so already, please take a minute to create an account there and join our group!

www.dfalink.com/lubbock

Another way in which Pres. Bush has weakened us

2005-08-30T08:06:00.000-05:00

In 1992, responding to the worst natural disaster in American History (Hurricane Andrew) Pres. H.W. Bush activated 30,000 troops and 6,000 national guardsmen.

In 2005, Louisianna is only able to activate 3,500 troops for a Hurricane likely to thoroughly beat Andrew in damages and deaths. I don't believe for a second that we have 30,000 troops to send to the area.

Where's the President? In California of all places.

Let me be very clear. I am not blaming Bush for Hurrican Katrina. I am angry because his stupid, stupid, stupid war in Iraq has made us unable to properly respond to this terrible disaster.
-Synthesis

Ed Lavandera is so lazy

2005-08-29T09:37:00.000-05:00

He's either lazy or deliberately mischaracterizing Cindy Sheehan. From his CNN piece today:

Sheehan, of Vacaville, California, wants to question Bush about the U.S. invasion and to urge an immediate withdrawal of U.S. forces.

That's not actually what Sheehan wants. She has a question, not a statement.

The question being, "For what noble cause, Mr. President, did [her] son Casey die?"
-Synthesis

Quick word about Hurricane Katrina

2005-08-29T08:33:00.000-05:00

If you are the praying type, now is the time.

If you have a few spare bucks, the Red Cross would probably do very will with them.
-Synthesis

The 3 laws of roboti... err Iraq

2005-08-29T08:25:00.000-05:00

I cannot make this stuff up. This is, word for word, the english translation of Iraq's fledgling constituion (the one passed without Sunni-bloc approval).

1): The Republic of Iraq is an independent, sovereign nation, and the system of rule in it is a democratic, federal, representative (parliamentary) republic.

Article (2): 1st Islam is the official religion of the state and is a basic source of legislation:
(a) No law can be passed that contradicts the undisputed rules of Islam.
(b) No law can be passed that contradicts the principles of democracy.
(c) No law can be passed that contradicts the rights and basic freedoms outlined in this constitution.

Much like the Holy Bible, the Koran is directly contradictory to the "principles of democracy." I'm not saying they aren't both great texts which much to teach us; I'm saying the they are not natural fountains of democratic ideals. The treatment of women as second class citizens is un-democratic.

Given these new developments, I think it only fitting we change Iraq's name to "Iragmire."
-Synthesis

DemocracyFest 2006

2005-08-25T16:25:00.000-05:00

Looks like the next DemocracyFest will be in either California or Florida. I don't know if this is in addition to one in Austin or in place of one in Austin. Maybe the event has gotten too big for Austin, who knows.

Anyway, check out details and voting between the two proposed locations if you're interested!

Radnofsky gaining in polls

2005-08-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

Looks like soon-to-be-senator Radnofsky has made a dent in Hutchison's approval rating. This is really impressive given how early it is in the campaign season. It's even more impressive when you break it down demographically (left as an exercise to the link-following reader).

The fundraiser for her last Friday was terrific! As usual, she lit up the room with her speaking and answered all questions simply and directly. And, as usual, she blogged about it.

What a great candidate!

The Bottom Drops Out! Bush BELOW 40% approval

2005-08-22T12:18:00.000-05:00

Come-a come-a down doobie-do down down.

George W. Bush's overall job approval ratings have dropped from a month ago even as Americans who approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president are turning more optimistic about their personal financial situations according to the latest survey from the American Research Group. Among all Americans, 36% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 58% disapprove. When it comes to Bush's handling of the economy, 33% approve and 62% disapprove.
Among Americans registered to vote, 38% approve of the way Bush is handling his job as president and 56% disapprove, and 36% approve of the way Bush is handling the economy and 60%disapprove. (American Research Group - August 22, 2005)

When reached for comment, Mr. Muntz had only the following: HA-HA!
-Synthesis

Bush to America: "I'm better and more important than you"

2005-08-19T13:03:00.000-05:00

Ripped from TheDailyPick.

Heartfelt congratulations to President Bush, who on Friday August 19th breaks Ronald Reagan's all-time record for most vacation days. The old record was 335 days, though Reagan took his sweet time of eight years to accomplish this feat. President Bush did it in nearly half the time. And with another two weeks of vaction on tap, he's obviously not content with simply breaking the record, he's going to smoke that record right out of the hole.Great going, President Bush! We knew you could do it!

Apparently, its not hard work.
-Synthesis

This is ridiculous

2005-08-18T13:05:00.000-05:00

As a college student, I have become very conscious of residency establishment clauses, rules and whatnots. It seems that these laws are purposefully designed to NOT work in students' best interest. The difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition can be in excess of 10 thousand dollars a year. It is one of the great failings of our public institutions and no one seems to care how limiting that difference can be. It is the major reason why students (especially lower and middle-class) seldom leave their state for higher education.

If I had my way, higher public education would be affordable for every student, in every state, whichever state that may be.

If I get accepted to a Law School outside the state of Texas, I face the very real possibility of deferred enrollment (waiting the necessary amount of time, living and working, in order to establish residency). It is either that or praying to God that I get enough financial aid to make the problem moot.

This story is flat-out ridiculous. It is a clear example of how residency laws have FAILED. This man is a Texan, he deserves a Texas education. If he is good enough to drive here and vote here, he is good enough to learn here.
-Synthesis

The feedback call

2005-08-18T12:41:00.000-05:00

I just finished a delightful 30-minute phone conversation with my contact at the national DFA. I passed on all of our group's feedback from the meeting on the 4th as well as the feedback from the blog comments.

One good suggestion that came from passing on Johnnie's "DFA Red State Caravan" idea was for us to call up Jim Hightower or Molly Ivins and get them up to Lubbock for a speaking gig sponsored by our local group. I say we give this idea some serious thought.

I am still trying to get a meeting set up with Neugebauer's staff about the Downing Street Memo. I know we anticipated having our meeting today, and I apologize for the delay in setting this up. I am pushing now for a meeting at the end of next week.

September's meetup agenda looks absolutely wonderful for our group.

Thank you Gayle

2005-08-17T16:08:00.000-05:00

I won't be able to go, as I'll be celebrating my 3rd Anniversary and the event was full anyway.

If anyone is attending the Cindy Sheehan vigil organized by Gayle Dixon, tell her thank you and that DFA stands with her and Sheehan's question.

What noble cause did Casey Sheehan, along with thousands of others, die for?
-Synthesis

The way it is

2005-08-16T16:09:00.000-05:00

So all the prepared, blocked-out, time bracketing for sharpening my logical acumen has actually given me more focus on getting things done, both related and unrelated to my studies.

Heck, I may have been way-off about possible hermitage. If anything, I'll need DFA and all my wonderful friends even more, if only to unwind.

I tend to write about non-local politics because Lubbock news is deader than W's brain. Seriously, the AJ can be just awful. I've heard that Randy Negeubauer's office has been difficult to reach. They may be on the same 5-week super-vacation that our president is currently (not) enjoying. Thank you Cindy Sheehan. Your actions are the most powerful and effective protest seen in my political lifetime.

I installed a site-meter at the bottom of the page, just to get an idea of who's reading and when they read. We recently passed 100 unique visits. Yaay! I'll let you know when we hit a thousand.
-Synthesis

Conservatives are so lazy

2005-08-15T09:05:00.000-05:00

Bob Lang must have been conserving energy when he failed to google John Roberts' kids.

Geez, reactionary NY Times bashing aside, even I know that Roberts has 1 son and 1 daughter.
-Synthesis

Studying for December

2005-08-14T23:31:00.000-05:00

I'll be taking the LSAT in early December, so I will be spending a lot of my spare time studying until then. I'll have to cut back on everything else--work not included.

I took a practice test yesterday to see where I stand right now. I scored a 162, which is good, but still 8 points off my 170 goal. With a score like that, I would stand a very good chance of getting in wherever I wanted to go. It will be really tough though, so I'll need to work very hard.

Wish me luck, and I hope you'll forgive me for being a bit hermitic.
-Ian