Texas

teDCruz Ruse #6: Ted Cruz deceives about being a fighter @DavidHDewhurst for Texas

Description of a fighter and doer, vs. a talker, from the Dewhurt for Texas website:

In his early 20s, his son, David Dewhurst, entered the United States Air Force. In his early 20s, Ted Cruz was the 1992 North American Debate Champion while matriculating at Ivy League universities.

In his mid-20s, David Dewhurst entered the Central Intelligence Agency, serving abroad during the Cold War. In his mid-20s, Ted Cruz began his career as a lawyer and bureaucrat in Washington, where he has spent nearly half of his career.

In his 30s, David Dewhurst founded Falcon Seaboard from scratch, a company that created hundreds of American jobs. Ted Cruz spent the overwhelming majority of his 30s as a bureaucratic staffer or running for public office. One of the most significant “fights” that Ted Cruz lost as a result of his incompetence was Kennedy v. Louisiana, which gutted Jessica’s Law. When his ineptitude was discovered by the New York Times, his first instinct was to find excuses so he did not “look silly.”

In his 40s, David Dewhurst continued growing his successful business located in Houston, Texas. In his 40s, Ted Cruz began running full time for political office and recruiting reprehensible yet highly lucrative clients across the globe, and enabling a foreign company to destroy jobs here in America.

Not until his 50’s, after a very successful business career that David Dewhurst entered public service. After years in Washington, Ted Cruz refused to pledge to limit himself to two terms in the U.S. Senate, and seeks to spend the rest of his life as an elected official in Washington, D.C.

Ted Cruz may claim to be a fighter, but David Dewhurst knows that freedoms aren’t defended in the court rooms. They are defended by the men and women serving our country in the Armed Forces.

NYT Article on @DonnaCampbell (Texas Senate District 25)

“We have a great grassroots movement, and that’s what did it.” Texas Tribune, June 22, 2012

That article by the TT was also published in the New York Times. Take a look!

The author points out that Dr. Campbell was out-spent by both of her opponents, but she garnered enough votes to win her place in the July 31, 2012 runoff against incumbent Jeff Wentworth.

Senator Wentworth is quoted in this article as saying he wants to consolidate support from those who don’t want SD 25 leadership to leave Bexar County, while at the same time he hopes to win over voters from outside of Bexar County.

The dichotomy is not that hard for Wentworth, who calls himself “pro-life” because he doesn’t approve of abortion in the 3rd trimester.  24 weeks or 6 months? During second trimester, abortion is just fine with Jeff.

Petition: “Fire Eric Holder” via @DavidHDewhurst 4 #TxSen

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst first called for the resignation of Eric Holder last Fall because one of Texas’ sons was killed  with guns in the hands of criminals, due to “Fast and Furious.”

Now, he has this excellent video and a petition up on Dewhurst for Texas demanding that President Obama not only answer Congress’ subpoenas for information on F&F, but that Eric Holder be fired.

teDCruz Ruse #5: Attack @GovernorPerry for endorsing @DavidHDewhurst

Governor Rick Perry released the following statement last night in response to Ted Cruz’s false attacks:

“Earlier this evening Ted Cruz falsely characterized my rationale for endorsing my friend and conservative colleague David Dewhurst for the US Senate. David Dewhurst championed and passed multiple tax cuts, billions in spending cuts, major tort reform and strong pro-life measures. David will build on that Texas conservative success in the US Senate to overhaul Washington, block President Obama’s socialist agenda and restore the 10th amendment of the US Constitution. Making false statements about my motives or David Dewhurst’s conservative record is a disservice to Texas voters.”

via teDCruz Ruse #5: Ted Cruz attacks Gov. Rick Perry for endorsing David Dewhurst | Dewhurst for Texas.

Together, Governor Rick Perry and Lt. Governor David Dewhurst worked to:

• Defund Planned Parenthood
• Pass 51 tax cuts for a savings of over $14.5 billion for Texas taxpayers
• Pass the largest tax cut in Texas history
• Pass Photo Voter ID
• Pass landmark tort reform to make the trial lawyer agenda obsolete

Governor Perry, integrity, Texas Senate Race

That doesn’t sound like a man who is being “expedient.” He isn’t just praising Texas’ success in general. No, Governor  Perry is giving credit to Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst for his conservative leadership.

And yet, Ted Cruz, “fighter,” believes he knows the Governor’s real motive.

From the press conference after the debate:

DALLAS — U.S. Senate candidate Ted Cruz is questioning Gov. Rick Perry‘s support for opponent David Dewhurst, saying Perry only supports Dewhurst to “get him out of Austin.”

Cruz saved his sharpest comments for reporters after he and Dewhurst exchanged words in an hour-long KERA/Channel 13 debate, dominated by Cruz’s criticism of Dewhurst for “negotiating” and “cutting deals” with Democrats in 10 years as the presiding officer in the Texas Senate.

First, Cruz told reporters the “Texas political establishment” is opposing him because “there are a lot of folks in Texas who would very much like to get him out of the state legislature and send him to Washington.”

Later in the press conference, Cruz named Perry, saying Perry and Dewhurst “have fought tooth-and-nail” over state budgets but “It is in [Perry’s] political interest to get rid of David Dewhurst and get him out of Austin and send him somewhere else.”

Compare Dewhurst and Cruz as Candidates for Senate

My husband received this in the mail yesterday from a fellow Texas Republican and his wife. The only problem I can find is the description of the law firm as “Democrat.” Cruz calls it a “global law firm.”  I might have added a comparison of their charity giving, but maybe some of that is covered in the “Republican Activity.”

Ted Cruz spin, spin, spin

At work on Monday morning, I received a call on my cell phone from Jessica with the Ted Cruz campaign, stumbling over “Mrs. Nuckols” and offering me the chance to be a “host” at their fundraiser next week.

I guess someone didn’t get the memo that I switched my support to Texas’ Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst for Texas Senator months ago. Or that after being invited by several emails and phone calls – two on my cell phone, a couple at home – I challenged Mr. Cruz at a “meet and greet” here in New Braunfels back in May. Jessica’s call inspired me to revive this post I’ve been editing, on and off, since June 1.

Why would I change from one candidate to the other, even after donating money?

It comes down to principles.

As I’m sure is true for many of you, I don’t just listen to what candidates and those who endorse them say.  I look at how candidates make their decisions and conduct their campaigns.

The Conservative reveals his principles by how he reaches his conclusions every bit as much as  by his decisions and the end results of those decisions. Evaluating the decision process is especially important when the candidate has no voting or legislative history to back his rhetoric.

Ted Cruz’ problem is not only that he can’t match David Dewhurst’s solid record of Conservative victories in the Texas Senate. It’s that he hasn’t demonstrated that he acts from solid principles. In fact, rather than basing his campaign on a solid ground of philosophy, talent and plans for reform that would have strengthened the Conservative movement, Cruz set out to destroy the reputation of a good Conservative Texas Legislator by spinning half-truths and lies into campaign issues.

Mr. Cruz doesn’t even take responsibility when proven wrong or when called out for trying to cheat.

Perhaps one of the most out of control moments of Cruz’ spin – at least until the recent attack on a veteran by one of his supporters – was the day last September 9, 2011 when he exchanged snide remarks about Dewhurst with the Texas Tribune’s Evan Smith.  Both ignored the fact that the Lt. Governor was Acting Governor dealing with the wildfires in Bastrop   and in other areas of Texas. Evidently, lost lives and homes don’t trump campaign ops or opportunities for Mr. Cruz.

At that meeting in New Braunfels, Cruz gave us example after example of his spin:

• Cruz told the group that he had raised more money than David Dewhurst, forgetting that we had known the rest of the story for a week: “The Cruz campaign later clarified to the Dallas Morning News that the $6.1 million included money raised in the nine days beyond the May 9 deadline, which was the cut-off date for Dewhurst’s numbers.”
• Several times he claimed that the Dewhurst campaign had called him a “yellow Chinese Communist” because one email from a Dewhurst staffer called him “Red Ted.” (This was repeated in his speech to the Republican Party Convention. Mr. Cruz ought to talk to my friend, “Red Sonja.”)
• He once again claimed that Lt. Governor Dewhurst had proposed a fictitious State “income tax” that never was (although, when confronted, he admitted to our group that the tax was actually a business franchise tax that was “a hundred years old”) and made the false charge that the Lt. Governor “killed” both the TSA Anti-Groping Bill (passed in the Senate June 27, 2011) and the Sanctuary Cities Bill (passed by the Senate June 15th) in 2011.
•  He doubled down on his ads’ claim that Jordan Fishman is not an “American manufacturer,” and then criticized Mr. Fishman for not paying enough taxes, as though the money he earns belongs to the American government.
• He charged that endorsements and donations from Texans to Dewhurst were due to fear of retaliation.
• Perhaps worst of all, he made a dramatic show of cupping the microphone and speaking in a breathy voice when claiming that the “Austin” Republicans had determined that “no one with a ‘z’ in their name” would be elected to State-wide office.

Don’t we get tired of the combative political campaign spin that’s all jargon and no judgement?  The way out of the stall that causes a plane to spin is to turn out of the spin and regain thrust, rather than continue to corkscrew into the ground.

Moran, Pierson, and Twitter

Have y’all been following the insult to Former Marine Dan Moran by Katrina Pierson? She called him “deformed” and said he is being exploited because he endorsed Lieutenant David Dewhurst for Texas Senate. Here’s the archived page.

(I received the whole thing through retweets, since I blocked Pierson on Sunday, before all of this happened.)

Follow @danmoran on Twitter to see his side of the conversation. Pierson deleted the “offening” comment on her account.
The Twitter debate continued for a few hours, and caught the notice of Texas’ press, including the Austin American Statesman and the Texas Tribune, where Cruz is now demanding that the Dewhurst campaign apologize to Pierson. He posted similar comments on his website, claiming that it’s paid staffers, rather than those of us who are voluntarily supporting Dewhurst. Like Captain Moran and Katrina, we are all independent agents able to decide what we do, without being “exploited.”

Here’s Dan’s tweet: “”Daniel Patrick Moran ‏@DanMoran_ My face might be “deformed” but not my character & honor! MT“@KatrinaPierson: Dewhurst exploits deformed disabled vet in intro video”#txsen””

Here’s Katrina’s “apology:” “”Katrina Pierson ‏@KatrinaPierson @DanMoran_ I apologize if my comments toward Dewhurst offened you. This is not about you, however. Have we lost the 1st amendment? #txsen “”

2010 RPT (original) Platform “Strengthening Families, Protecting Life and Promoting Health”

Here is the original 2010 platform – I’ve only copied the section that was disputed. The 2010 Platform was used by the 2012 Temporary Platform Committee as a beginning for our new 2012 Platform of the Republican Party of Texas. (At least for now, the entire 2010 document is online at the Tarrant County Republican Party website. The 2012 Platform is here at the RPT website.) (Thank you Tarrant County Republican Party!)

I’ve noted amended portions in red and deleted wording in blue. You can see the final version of this section here and the version proposed by my sub-committee is here.

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, PROTECTING LIFE AND PROMOTING HEALTH

PROTECTING INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE

Party Candidates and the Platform on Protecting Innocent Human Life– We implore our Party to support, financially or with in-kind contributions, only those candidates who support protecting innocent human life. Further, we strongly encourage the State Republican Executive Committee to hear and recognize the longstanding and overwhelmingly consistent voice of the grass roots and revise its by-laws to make this action binding on our Party.

Partial Birth Abortion– We oppose partial birth abortion. We recommend that Congress eliminate from all federal court jurisdictions all cases involving challenges to banning Partial Birth Abortion.

Right To Life – All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We affirm our support for a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution and to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection applies to unborn children. We support the Life at Conception Act. We oppose the use of public revenues and/or facilities for abortion or abortion–related services. We support the elimination of public funding for organizations that advocate or support abortion. We are resolute regarding the reversal of Roe v. Wade. We affirm our support for the appointment and election of judges at all levels of the judiciary who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We insist that the U.S. Department of Justice needs to prosecute hospitals or abortion clinics for committing induced labor (live birth) abortion. We are opposed to genocide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. We oppose legislation allowing the withholding of nutrition and hydration to the terminally ill or handicapped. Until our final goal of total Constitutional rights for the unborn child is achieved, we beseech the Texas Legislature in consideration of our state’s rights, to enact laws that restrict and regulate abortion including:

1. parental and informed consent;
2. prohibition of abortion for gender selection;
3. prohibition of abortion due to the results of genetic diagnosis
4. licensing, liability, and malpractice insurance for abortionists and abortion facilities;
5. prohibition of financial kickbacks for abortion referrals;
6. prohibition of partial birth and late term abortions; and
7. enactment of any other laws which will advance the right to life for unborn children.

Sonograms – We urge the Texas legislature in its next biennial session to enact legislation requiring a sonogram be performed and offered as part of the consent process to each mother seeking an elective abortion.

Harassing Pregnancy Centers– We urge legislation to protect pregnancy centers from harassing ordinances to require pregnancy centers to post signs in violation of their Constitutional rights. We further oppose any regulation of pregnancy centers in Texas which interfere with their private, charitable business.

Choose Life – We ask the Legislature to provide Texans opportunity to purchase “Choose Life” license plates.

Parental Consent– We call on the Legislature to require parental consent for any form of medical care to minors. We urge electoral defeat of judges who through judicial activism seek to nullify the Parental Consent Law by granting bypasses to minor girls seeking abortions. We support the addition of a legislative requirement for the reporting of judicial bypasses to parental consent on an annual basis to the Department of State Health Services and such reports shall be made available to the public. Further, we encourage the Congress to remove confidentiality mandates for minors from family planning service programs operating under Title X of the Public Health Services Act and Medicaid.

Protection of Women’s Health– Because of the personal and social pain caused by abortions, we call for the protection of both women and their unborn children from pressure for unwanted abortions. We commend the Texas Legislature for the passage of the Woman’s Right to Know Act, a law requiring abortion providers, prior to an abortion, to provide women full knowledge of the physical and psychological risks of abortion, the characteristics of the unborn child, and abortion alternatives. We urge the state government and the Department of State Health Services to ensure that all abortion providers are in compliance with this informed consent law and to ensure that all pregnancy centers and other entities assisting women in crisis pregnancies have equal access to the informational brochures created by the Department of State Health Services.

Alternatives to Abortion– We urge the Department of State Health Services to provide adequate quantities of The Woman’s Right to Know Resource Directory to anyone that works with pregnant women.

RU 486 – We urge the FDA to rescind approval of the physically dangerous RU-486 and oppose limiting the manufacturers’ and distributors’ liability.
Morning After Pill– We oppose sale and use of the dangerous “Morning After Pill.”

Gestational Contracts– We believe rental of a woman’s womb makes child bearing a mere commodity to the highest bidder and petition the Legislature to rescind House Bill 724 of the 78th Legislature. We support the adoption of human embryos and the banning of human embryo trafficking.

Unborn Child Pain Protection – We support legislation that requires doctors, at first opportunity, to provide to a woman who is pregnant, information about the nervous system development of her unborn child and to provide pain relief for her unborn if she orders an abortion. (Language added here to prohibit abortions after 20 weeks.)

Unborn Victims of Violence Legislation– We urge the State to ensure that the Prenatal Protection Law is interpreted accurately and consider the unborn child as an equal victim in any crime, including domestic violence.

Abortion Clinics – We propose legislation that holds abortion clinics to the same health regulations as other medical facilities and that subjects clinics to the same malpractice liabilities. We oppose any public funding for Planned Parenthood or other organizations/facilities that provide, advocate or promote abortions.

Abortion Requirements for Hospitals– We propose legislation that entitles hospitals to refuse to perform abortions because government has no moral authority to require such an abortion.

Conscience Clause– We believe that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, any employees of hospitals and insurance companies, health care organizations, medical and scientific research students, and any employee should be protected by Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs, including but not limited to abortion, the prescription for and dispensing of drugs with abortifacient potential, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, eugenic screenings, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. We call on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation to strengthen and clarify the current conscience clause in the Occupational Code to include the above-mentioned persons and practices. We further encourage legislation that requires hospitals and clinics to inform all health care personnel of their right to refuse to become involved in abortion or euthanasia, and their protection from prosecution and retaliation under Texas law.

Fetal Tissue Harvesting – We support legislation prohibiting experimentation with human fetal tissue and prohibiting the use of human fetal tissue or organs for experimentation or commercial sale. Until such time that fetal tissue harvesting is illegal, any product containing fetal tissue shall be so labeled.

Stem Cell Research– We oppose any legislation that would allow for the creation and/or killing of human embryos for medical research. We encourage stem cell research using cells from umbilical cords, from adults, and from any other means which does not kill human embryos. We oppose any state funding of research that destroys/kills human embryos. We encourage the adoption of existing embryos. We call for legislation to withhold state and/or federal funding from institutions that engage in scientific research involving the killing of human embryos or human cloning.

Human Cloning– Each human life, whether created naturally or through an artificial process, deserves protection. We confirm that somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process by which a human being is cloned, and that SCNT creates a unique human being with the same properties of a human embryo created through the union of sperm and egg. We seek a ban on human cloning for reproductive purposes (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is implanted in a womb and the human clone is birthed). We also seek a ban on research cloning (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is created, grown in the laboratory, and then destroyed when its stem cells are extracted for research purposes). Furthermore, criminal penalties should be created and experimenters prosecuted who participate in the cloning of human beings. No government or state funding should be provided for any human cloning.

Patient Protection– We support patients’ rights by calling on the state legislature to amend the Advance Directive Act to establish due process of law and ensure that a physician’s decision to deny life saving treatment against the patient’s will or advance directive is not due to economic or racial discrimination or discrimination based on disability. We also support the passage of legislation to amend the Advance Directive Act by requiring hospitals intending or threatening to withdraw life-sustaining treatment against the patient’s wishes or their advance directive to continue all treatment and care for such patients pending transfer to another facility.

Gene Manufacturing – We support a ban on research that alters human DNA in living human beings at any stage of life, including the altering of artificial, manufactured, and natural genes and chromosomes.

Legion II: “Liberty Movement” Monitored RPT Committee Members, Votes

My WingRight post about a group of delegates and the odd actions of one particular boy at the Republican Party of Texas 2012 Convention was published at Texas GOP Vote, also. There were interesting comments at both sites.

While I wasn’t surprised that there would be objections to my report, I was surprised to find that one man from SD 25/ CD 21 (where I cast my votes), who posted at Texas GOP Vote, claims that I was “monitored” by “the Liberty Movement” and/or Ron Paul supporters, along with “all” my votes on the Platform Committee. It seems I was good enough not to be challenged in my SD for Permanent Platform Committee member.

The group that wanted to video-tape the meetings weren’t quite so transparent themselves, were they?

If any group wants to make changes in the conservative Republican Party of Texas, they will have to do it the same way as all of the rest of us: make contributions of time and energy in order to build up and support, rather than tear down and undermine. The “Liberty Movement,” if it includes any move to change the legal definition of marriage or dismisses the scientific definition of the beginning of all organisms that reproduce sexually, is not Conservative.

“Expect us” to object to call for change in our core beliefs.

RPT Platform SubCommittee Proposed Language for “Protecting Innocent Life.”

The final language from the 2012 Platform is posted here. The portions in red are the amendments I came prepared to present to the Committee. The amended and substituted 2010 language can be found here for comparison.

PROTECTING INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE

Right To Life – All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life, which cannot be infringed.

Roe v. Wade – We are resolute regarding the reversal of Roe v. Wade.

Human Life Amendment – We affirm our support for a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution.

Natural Life – We support the sanctity of human life and therefore, oppose genocide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide.

Abortion – We support the elimination of public funding or the use of public facilities to advocate, perform or support elective abortions.

Abortion Legislation – Until our final goal of total constitutional rights for the unborn child is achieved, we support laws that restrict and regulate abortion including, but not limited to :

1. parental and informed consent;
*Add #2 . Prohibition of elective abortion in the second trimester in light of the ability of the unborn child to feel pain and current viability at 21 weeks.
2. prohibition of abortion for gender selection;
3. prohibition of abortion due to the results of genetic diagnosis
4. licensing, liability, and malpractice insurance for abortionists and abortion facilities;
5. prohibition of financial kickbacks for abortion referrals;
6. prohibition of partial birth late term abortions
7. the prohibition of the manufacturing and sale of abortifacients;
8. new causes of action for so called “wrongful birth” or “wrongful life”; and
9. enactment of any other laws which will advance the right to life for unborn children.

Candidate Support – The Republican Party of Texas should provide financial support only to those candidates who support the right to life planks.

Alternatives to Abortion – We urge the Republican Party of Texas to assist in educating the public regarding alternatives to abortion.

Human Embryos– We support the adoption of human embryos and the banning of human embryo trafficking.

Conscience Clause – All persons and all entities have the right of conscience and should be protected under Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs.

Fetal Tissue Harvesting and Stem Cell Research – We support legislation prohibiting experimentation or commercial use of human fetal tissue,which requires or is dependent upon the destruction of human life. We encourage stem cell research using cells from umbilical cords, from adults, and from any other means that does not kill human embryos.

Human Cloning – We seek a ban on human (cloning).

Patient Protection – We support patients’ rights by calling on the state legislature to amend the Advance Directive Act to allow more time for families to prepare an participate. We also support the passage of legislation to amend the Advance Directive Act by requiring continuing current treatment for patients pending transfer to another facility.

The “Legion,” Anarchists at the RPT Convention

I’m working on a couple of blog posts concerning the controversies that occurred at the 2012 Republican Party of Texas  held in Fort Worth last week, but thought I’d report on the oddest event of the week, which happened during the last few minutes of the Convention.

All week a small group of young men and women who claimed to represent college and high school students testified in several subcommittees (including the one I served on, the “Family, Life, and Health” subcommittee) and then at the full Rules and  Platform Committees.

For the most part, the group members were super-serious and neatly dressed in suits and skirts or dresses. They all used very much the same language, telling us that we shouldn’t run off all the young people with our platform. They testified that college-aged voters have ‘moved on” and that we were dividing the party by making statements about life, marriage and homosexuality. They also were part of the group that wanted to record videos of all meetings and persuaded the Rules and Platform Committees to allow video and audio recording of our meetings. (I voted for this change, since so many people have the equipment on their phones and we wouldn’t refuse the local TV station if they asked to video tape us for the news.)

One young man, Ian Quisenberry, who calls himself “the Cynical One” on Facebook, appeared to be learning to wear his green suit and to translate his debate club experience to action in the real world.  The 18 year-old, soon to be 19 year-old, red-headed delegate testified to the Family, Life and Health Sub-Committee and then to the larger Platform Committee on Wednesday. When encouraged by the Chairman of the Platform Committee and commended for his talent in speaking, Ian explained that he was a new high school graduate, about to turn 19, and heading for college.

During the last few minutes of the very last General Session, Ian twice attempted to get the attention of the Chair, Steve Munisteri by approaching the microphone and hitting the light switch indicating that he had an “interrupting action,” under Robert’s Rules of order.  Each time Ian stood at one of the microphones asking to make a motion, Steve explained that there were no motions that would be appropriate, but allowed him to speak the second time.

The boy introduced himself by name and then said, “I’d like to motion for ‘We are legion, expect us,'” before turning to leave the Arena. You can watch the video, here. Ian’s statement is at about 14 minutes in.

That quote is a slogan used by anarchists, most notably the Anonymous group that “hacks” into the websites of its supposed enemies.

Now, I don’t know why these people didn’t spend their time at the Libertarian Convention, held nearby this weekend.They should know that we Republicans are conservatives and we respect laws and facts. We understand that the “egg” ceases to exist when fertilized, just as the sperm does. What exists then is an embryo, an organized organism. We know that “marriage” can’t be redefined for a political fad or social “eugenics.” We grow weary of their implication that the young are are better prepared to lead than the older, wiser, and more experienced. We certainly don’t want a tent big enough to include same sex unions or redefined marriage.

But how disturbing is it that an 18 year old boy would identify with a group whose symbol is an empty suit and whose motto came from the story of demons that committed suicide after Jesus cast them into pigs?

28And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,^e two demon-possessed^f men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. 29And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” 30Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. 31And the demons begged him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away into the herd of pigs.” 32And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters. 33The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. 34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.

 Many of us suspected that they were Ron Paul supporters, but it appears that at least one identifies with anarchists.

Republican Party of Texas 2012 Final “Protecting Innocent Human Life”

Here is the final 2012 section containing the substituted 2010 language and the amendments made in the whole Platform Committee on Thursday night, June 7, 2012

STRENGTHENING FAMILIES, PROTECTING LIFE AND PROMOTING HEALTH

PROTECTING INNOCENT HUMAN LIFE
Party Candidates and the Platform on Protecting Innocent Human Life – We implore our Party to support, financially or with in-kind contributions, only those candidates who support protecting innocent human life. Further, we strongly encourage the State Republican Executive Committee to hear and recognize the longstanding and overwhelmingly consistent voice of the grass roots and revise its by-laws to make this action binding on our Party.
Partial Birth Abortion – We oppose partial birth abortion. We recommend that Congress eliminate from all federal court jurisdictions all cases involving challenges to banning Partial Birth Abortion.
Right To Life – All innocent human life must be respected and safeguarded from fertilization to natural death; therefore, the unborn child has a fundamental individual right to life which cannot be infringed. We affirm our support for a Human Life Amendment to the Constitution and to make clear that the Fourteenth Amendment’s protection applies to unborn children. We support the Life at Conception Act. We oppose the use of public revenues and/or facilities for abortion or abortion-related services. We support the elimination of public funding for organizations that advocate or support abortion. We are resolute regarding the reversal of Roe v. Wade. We affirm our support for the appointment and election of judges at all levels of the judiciary who respect traditional family values and the sanctity of innocent human life. We insist that the U.S. Department of Justice needs to prosecute hospitals or abortion clinics for committing induced labor (live birth) abortion. We are opposed to genocide, euthanasia, and assisted suicide. We oppose legislation allowing the withholding of nutrition and hydration to the terminally ill or handicapped. Until our final goal of total Constitutional rights for the unborn child is achieved, we beseech the Texas Legislature in consideration of our state’s rights, to enact laws that restrict and regulate abortion including:

1. parental and informed consent;
2. prohibition of abortion for gender selection;
3. prohibition of abortion due to the results of genetic diagnosis
4. licensing, liability, and malpractice insurance for abortionists and abortion facilities;
5. prohibition of financial kickbacks for abortion referrals;
6. prohibition of partial birth and late term abortions; and
7. enactment of any other laws which will advance the right to life for unborn children.

Harassing Pregnancy Centers – We urge legislation to protect pregnancy centers from harassing ordinances to require pregnancy centers to post signs in violation of their Constitutional rights. We further oppose any regulation of pregnancy centers in Texas which interfere with their private, charitable business.
Parental Consent – We call on the Legislature to require parental consent for any form of medical care and/or counseling to minors. We urge electoral defeat of judges who through judicial activism seek to nullify the Parental Consent Law by granting bypasses to minor girls seeking abortions. We support the addition of a legislative requirement for the reporting of judicial bypasses to parental consent on an annual basis to the Department of State Health Services and such reports shall be made available to the public. Further, we encourage the Congress to remove confidentiality mandates for minors from family planning service programs operating under Title X of the Public Health Services Act and Medicaid.
Protection of Women’s Health – Because of the personal and social pain caused by abortions, we call for the protection of both women and their unborn children from pressure for unwanted abortions. We commend the Texas Legislature for the passage of the Woman’s Right to Know Act, a law requiring abortion providers, prior to an abortion, to provide women full knowledge of the physical and psychological risks of abortion, the characteristics of the unborn child, and abortion alternatives. We urge the state government and the Department of State Health Services to ensure that all abortion providers are in compliance with this informed consent law and to ensure that all pregnancy centers and other entities assisting women in crisis pregnancies have equal access to the informational brochures created by the Department of State Health Services.
Alternatives to Abortion – We urge the Department of State Health Services to provide adequate quantities of The Woman’s Right to Know Resource Directory to anyone that works with pregnant women.
RU 486 – We urge the FDA to rescind approval of the physically dangerous RU-486 and oppose limiting the manufacturers’ and distributors’ liability.
Morning After Pill – We oppose sale and use of the dangerous “Morning After Pill.”
Gestational Contracts – We believe rental of a woman’s womb makes child bearing a mere commodity to the highest bidder and petition the Legislature to rescind House Bill 724 of the 78th Legislature. We support the adoption of human embryos and the banning of human embryo trafficking.
Fetal Pain – We support legislation that requires doctors, at first opportunity, to provide to a woman who is pregnant, information about the nervous system development of her unborn child and to provide pain relief for her unborn if she orders an abortion. We support legislation banning of abortion after 20 weeks gestation due to fetal pain. *
Unborn Victims of Violence Legislation – We urge the State to ensure that the Prenatal Protection Law is interpreted accurately and consider the unborn child as an equal victim in any crime, including domestic violence.
Abortion Clinics – We propose legislation that holds abortion clinics to the same health regulations as other medical facilities and that subjects clinics to the same malpractice liabilities. We oppose any public funding for Planned Parenthood or other organizations/facilities that provide, advocate or promote abortions.
Abortion Requirements for Hospitals – We propose legislation that entitles hospitals to refuse to perform abortions because government has no moral authority to require such an abortion.
Conscience Clause – We believe that doctors, nurses, pharmacists, any employees of hospitals and insurance companies, health care organizations, medical and scientific research students, and any employee should be protected by Texas law if they conscientiously object to participate in practices that conflict with their moral or religious beliefs, including but not limited to abortion, the prescription for and dispensing of drugs with abortifacient potential, human cloning, embryonic stem cell research, eugenic screenings, euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the withdrawal of nutrition and hydration. We call on the Texas Legislature to pass legislation to strengthen and clarify the current conscience clause in the Occupational Code to include the above-mentioned persons and practices. We further encourage legislation that requires hospitals and clinics to inform all health care personnel of their right to refuse to become involved in abortion or euthanasia, and their protection from prosecution and retaliation under Texas law.
Fetal Tissue Harvesting – We support legislation prohibiting experimentation with human fetal tissue and prohibiting the use of human fetal tissue or organs for experimentation or commercial sale. Until such time that fetal tissue harvesting is illegal, any product containing fetal tissue shall be so labeled.
Stem Cell Research – We oppose any legislation that would allow for the creation and/or killing of human embryos for medical research. We encourage stem cell research using cells from umbilical cords, from adults, and from any other means which does not kill human embryos. We oppose any state funding of research that destroys/kills human embryos. We encourage the adoption of existing embryos. We call for legislation to withhold state and/or federal funding from institutions that engage in scientific research involving the killing of human embryos or human cloning.
Human Cloning – Each human life, whether created naturally or through an artificial process, deserves protection. We confirm that somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is the process by which a human being is cloned, and that SCNT creates a unique human being with the same properties of a human embryo created through the union of sperm and egg. We seek a ban on human cloning for reproductive purposes (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is implanted in a womb and the human clone is birthed). We also seek a ban on research cloning (where a cloned human embryo, created through SCNT, is created, grown in the laboratory, and then destroyed when its stem cells are extracted for research purposes). Furthermore, criminal penalties should be created and experimenters prosecuted who participate in the cloning of human beings. No government or state funding should be provided for any human cloning.
Patient Protection – We support patients’ rights by calling on the state legislature to amend the Advance Directive Act to establish due process of law and ensure that a physician’s decision to deny lifesaving treatment against the patient’s will or advance directive is not due to economic or racial discrimination or discrimination based on disability. We also support the passage of legislation to amend the Advance Directive Act by requiring hospitals intending or threatening to withdraw life-sustaining treatment against the patient’s wishes or their advance directive to continue all treatment and care for such patients pending transfer to another facility.

Note that some of the 2010 language was removed and that the * the portion that I’ve printed in red was an amendment made after the substitution.

Donna Campbell recognized by Governor at RPT Convention

You can watch the video at WFAA
Then, from my hometown paper, the New Braunfels Herald-Zeitung:

Perry salutes Campbell at convention

From staff reports | Posted: Friday, June 8, 2012 11:25 pm

FORT WORTH — On Thursday, New Braunfels’ Donna Campbell made her first public appearance since her strong finish in the primary election, attracting the attention of Gov. Rick Perry at the Texas Republican Convention, her campaign said.

In a spontaneous exchange, cameras caught the governor, with reporters in tow, giving a congratulatory hug to Campbell after his keynote address.

“Donna, congratulations. Well done,” Perry told the New Braunfels physician and tea party favorite.

Campbell has received a lot of attention ever since her grassroots campaign upset Elizabeth Ames Jones in Senate District 25, her campaign said. She faces longtime incumbent Sen. Jeff Wentworth in a runoff on July 31.

“It’s exciting,” Campbell said of the experience. “To know people are rooting for you because they believe you can change the political culture and bring fresh ideas to government.”

Campbell received another warm welcome later in the day when she addressed the delegates of District 25 at a caucus meeting, her campaign said.

 

Comal County Republican Stars at Republican Party of Texas Convention #RPTCon

Comal County Republicans leading our State and Party, again!

We have two Delegates and two Alternate Delegates going to the National Republican Convention to represent Congressional District 21.

Out of three Delegates and three Alternate Delegates elected by CD 21, Larry Nuckols has Delegate Place 1, Lisa Allmon Roper has Delegate Place 3 and Sonja Harris will go as Alt. Delegate 3. Our Mary Lou Erben was selected by the National Delegate Committee as one of the Alternate Delegates At Large, representing the CD 35 part of Comal County.

In addition, Patti Johnson was elected to the College of Electors to go to Austin in the Electoral College for our Congressional District’s Presidential candidate, as chosen in November.

For our County to be recognized by the election of so many of our stars in a meeting of the entire CD21 delegation to the RPT (seven Counties!) and by the National Delegate Committee for CD 35,, shows the strength of our Comal County Republican Party. It is the fruit of the labor of all of you who spend hours and days fighting the Conservative fight!

Susurrus – Or, “How to divide a Party”

Okay, I’ll admit it: I like the word, “susurrus,” and look for excuses to use it. A better term would be “whispers from the crowd that are going around” or . . .

There are rumblings that the 2012 Republican Party of Texas Platform is “pro-amnesty.”  the ones saying this have a history of assuming the worst and getting attention because they accuse.

The wording in the RPT 2012 platform (on page 21)  titled, “The Texas Solution” plank isn’t “pro-amnesty.” It is a little wimpy and *too easily interpreted* to allow amnesty –  especially if someone  or some group chooses to interpret it that way.

I, too, wanted to see changes in the wording of “The Texas Solution” that would ensure that no one claimed that we in the RPT approve amnesty of any kind.  The term “illegal alien” should have been used instead of “undocumented individuals” and the plan should specifically require guest workers to return to their country of legal residence to apply for guest worker visa.

However, the most important fact is that the Platform was passed after the Delegates had plenty of time and warning to read the planks and even some advance warning about what to read and why. The amendments failed in Sub-Committee, in the larger Platform Committee (on both Wednesday and on Thursday) and then, at the General Session when voted on by the Delegation.

The good news is that the Platform isn’t law. It is a list of those things we in the RPT believe. We do believe in “solutions,” not just complaints and criticisms. We will insist that our elected officials not –  in any way, shape or form –  promote “amnesty.”

spelling change 6/10/12 “Susurrus”

The RPT Platform Committee

For most of the last two days, the Temporary Platform Committee (the Permanent Platform Committee won’t be elected formally until the individual Senate Districts meet on Thursday) of the Republican Party of Texas has worked as separate Sub-Committees dealing with the broad outlines of the 2010 Platform.As the representative from SD 25 appointed by the SREC to the Temporary Committee, I was on the “Strengthening Families, Preserving Life and Promoting Health” Sub-Committee which worked from 1 PM until after 10 PM on Monday and from 9:30 until 6:30 PM on Tuesday.
The first decision of the Committee was to proceed using the 2010 Platform as a place to start. Our Committee spent the first long day going over the wording of the Section of the 2010 platform. On the second day, we re-evaluated the language we decided on the first day and reviewed the pertinent resolutions that came from this year’s County Conventions.
The Platform Committee agreed on the goal to consolidate and streamline the Platform of the RPT to a more concise document stating our core values rather than a long document consisting of wish lists and editorials from every special interest group in the Party. In fact, we received proposed resolutions from County and SD’s. (Since some Counties have more than one Senate District, so there were 164 files to review, some with poorly handwritten resolutions.)
Today, we met as the whole Committee, beginning at 9 AM. We will review the previous two day’s work by the Subcommittees and the 2010 Platform Preamble and Principles. In order to print the proposed 2012 Platform for Thursday’s Convention meeting, we must cover all of the reports by 11 PM tonight.
This morning, we began with a hearing to decide whether or not to allow video and audio recording of our meetings. The Committee agreed to allowing both live streaming and archive recording.
We then heard two hours of testimony from Delegates and Alternate Delegates who had concerns about the Platform. As of 5:30 PM, we had spent 3+ hours discussing the first 1/3 of the proposed platform, indicating that the Committee has little or no chance of reviewing everything.

The full Committee voted to re-criminalize sodomy, apparently unaware that the legal definition (look it up) does not only address homosexual acts between men.  And then — Under pressure from people (who should probably be elected to a permanent Permanent Committee for a life term) substituted the entire 2010 form of the “Protecting Innocent Human Life” (p. 14) section for the two day’s of work of the 2012 Temporary Sub-Committee (my Committee), although that 2010 section  is poorly worded, rambling and required removal of two or three planks where the objective (Sonogram Law and the “Choose Life” license plate) had been achieved.

From there, the process deteriorated. As of now, at 8:15 PM, the various special interests are inserting proposals promoting the expansion of government, rather than limited government.

I’m beginning to understand Ron Paul’s “No” votes.
More tomorrow! (Unless I decide to become a Libertarian in the meantime.)

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst: A Record of Results

Why do I support David Dewhurst for Texas Senator?

From the Preamble to the 2010 Platform of the Republcan Party of Texas: The embodiment of the conservative dream in America is Texas.”

The result of conservative government in Texas is clear. Our State’s direction with the leadership of Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and Governor Rick Perry is a Conservative example for the Nation. Their policies and achievements demonstrate the results of action based on the belief that true liberty is Pro-life, Pro-Family, Pro-business, holds the line on taxes, spending, torts, and Washington, DC interference and regulation.

Texas leads the Nation in the creation of jobs. Our unemployment rate went down to 6.9% in May, in spite of legal US immigrants that average close to a thousand a day. Lt. Governor Dewhurst has balanced our budget in Texas, even when it meant cutting $10 million in 2003 and $15 million in 2011. In fact, the 82nd Legislature  cut Texas’ dollar amount spending below the previous biennial amount for the first time since WWII. Adjusted for inflation and population, Texas spends less than when Dewhurst took office.

And there is no contest when it comes to legislative victories on social issues. Texas’ Defense Of Marriage Act was passed not once but twice under Lt. Governor Dewhurst; the second time amended our State Constitution. Thanks to his leadership, Texas passed our own Prenatal Protection Act and the “Woman’s Right to Know” informed consent law in 2003. This year, we not only added sonograms to the informed consent law, we also managed to move all of our State health care funding away from abortion providers and any of their corporate affiliates. Yes, that’s right, Texas de-funded Planned Parenthood.

The 2011 Texas 82nd Legislature was also incredibly effective on protecting our State’s borders and Sovereignty;  banning drivers’ licenses for illegals, getting Voter ID, allocating $400Million for border security, and changing the law to allow Texas authorities to turn illegal aliens over for timely deportation after they’ve served their jail time. And yet, Lt. Governor Dewhurst’s opponents ignore these victories, claiming that the Lieutenant Governor “killed” two Bills in 2011: the Transportation Security Agency Anti-Groping Bill and the Sanctuary Cities Bill. However, both the TSA and Sanctuary Cities Bills were passed by the Senate at different times. The problem was coordination with the House, where the Speaker refused to allow timely consideration of the Bill and opposition by some strong conservatives, including Steve Hotze and Norm Adams.  In the Special Session, the TSA bill was passed by the Senate, along with the biennial budget and a landmark omnibus medical finance bill.

In fact, even the “failed” passage of the TSA Bill in the Senate during the 82nd Legislature’s Regular Session was an example of the power of Dewhurst. He is said to have “twisted arms,” along with Governor Perry, to get the vote to the floor, even going so far as to try to “suspend the rules” to bring it up out of order. The Democrat Senators block-voted to prevent the 2/3 vote necessary while every single Republican voted for it. It is likely that had the Lt. Governor not pushed for the suspension of the rules on the TSA Bill, the budget would have passed in the Regular Session if it hadn’t come down to the midnight filibuster by the Dems.

Finally, I support Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst because he’s proven that he believes that  “The government has no money, it’s the people’s money.”

Conservatives respect experience and history

Contrary to what many seem to believe, the Founding Fathers didn’t spring full grown from the Liberty Bell on July 4, 1776. They had served in their various Colonial legislatures for years before the Declaration and held other offices, both elected and appointed. George Washington served in the Virginia House of Burgesses for 15 years before his two terms with the Continental Congress. Jefferson served 7 years alongside Washington in the Burgesses, two terms as Virginia’s Governor, two terms on the Continental Congress, body and then became the “establishment”  Secretary of State, Vice President, and President for two terms in the nascent United States.

However, the anti-establishment cry to “throw them all out” –  that men and women who have served the public for years should be replaced with untried political neophytes for no other reason than that they have served for years and are now considered “establishment”  – has become an emotional, knee-jerk reaction that has nothing to do with any other quality or qualification of the candidates.

For example, my email is full of pleas to help Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, who faces a recall election this week, alternating with demands to defeat Lt. Governor David Dewhurst of Texas in his race for US Senator. The complaint against Dewhurst is that he is “establishment” and a “professional politician.”  There are no similar complaints against Governor Walker who has been in political office of one sort or another most of his adult life. In contrast, Dewhurst served in the Air Force, worked for the CIA, and built a very successful business before running for office in his 50’s.  In addition, he’s no more “establishment” than Governor Walker, having led the Texas Senate to passage of the Defense of Marriage Act, Voter ID, de-funding Planned Parenthood, Jessica’s Law, defending our State and Nation’s border and cutting relative and actual dollars from the State budget.

When all the newly political activists got tired of yelling at their TV’s and jumped up off their couches and recliners to join our Taxed Enough Already (TEA) Party over the last 4 years, who welcomed them and gave them somewhere to start? It was the more seasoned of us in the Republican Party, since, at least until recently, virtually every Conservative was a Republican.  If you look at the Tea Party, you will see the Conservative foundation, the remnant that have opposed “centrists”  and “moderates” for years. We are the ones who have known all along what the Dems re-learn each election cycle, but some of our own never seem to: Americans are conservative, to the right of center.

In politics, as in the rest of life, “new” is not always “improved.” New candidates are not better than the incumbent just because they’re new any more than the old guys earn their promotions by merely sticking around.  By the same token, long time Conservative leaders may or may not be more able to judge policy and candidates than newer or younger members of our group. But a record of experience and training is – or should be –  considered an advantage, not a “dissed”-advantage.

Or, as my husband says, “Age and cunning trump youth and enthusiasm.” Every time.

Dewhurst listens to South Texans @teamdewhurst #texsen

Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst was the only Republican candidate for US Senator willing to meet with Texas Border Volunteers and South Texas citizens who live with the threats posed by illegal border crossings.

An ad hoc consortium calling itself the Tea Party Coalition of Texas invited the top-tier candidates — Dewhurst and Cruz, plus former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and former ESPN analyst Craig James — to a South Texas ranch to talk to Valley farmers and ranchers who feel threatened by illegal immigration. Dewhurst was the only one of the four to accept the invitation.

The Cruz camp told Art Bedford, one of the organizers of the event, that scheduling conflicts made it impossible for the candidate to attend. Bedford said Cruz’s people told him that if there was a runoff, the candidate would be happy to come down and talk to border-area farmers and ranchers.

Ted Cruz, Pit of Vipers, and the Council on Foreign Relations member in his family. (Updated)

Clarification, June 15, 2015  Please note: This article is about the disingenuous nature of several rants by the then-candidate in which he called the CFR “a pit of vipers” and “a pernicious nest of snakes,” without mentioning that his wife was a 5-year member of the Council until June, 2011 as part of her job for the Bush administration. The point is not the CFR or Mrs. Cruz’ job, but rather Mr. Cruz’ theatric performance, which would have been more honest if accompanied by more information.

I was researching a rumor that I read that Ted Cruz’ wife was a member of the Council on Foreign Relations until June, 2011 and that she was a Vice President at Goldman Sachs. I was curious how such a young woman could become a member of the CFR, an organization that I assumed only admitted (old) heads of State and incredibly powerful business interests.

I found this CFR Task Force report, “Building a North American Community,” which lists Heidi Cruz as a member of the Task Force which “applauds the announced ‘Security and Prosperity Partnership of North America,’ but proposes a more ambitious vision of a new community by 2010 and specific recommendations on how to achieve it.” The news release also notes that Mrs. Cruz worked for Condyleeza Rice in the Bush White House National Security Council and had been a banker at Merrill Lynch and J. P. Morgan.

Just wow! Mrs. Cruz is much more accomplished than I’d imagined.

Further searching yielded this bit of video from Ben Smith’s October 27, 2011 blog at Politico. (There’s a break in the middle, indicating editing and the source is not “conservative,” but that’s Ted saying what he’s saying. The title is also Politico’s.)

Smith comments,

Ted Cruz, the former Texas solicitor general and tea party favorite for the Republican nomination for Senate, has been focusing some of his harshest campaign trail rhetoric on that longtime villain of those suspicious of U.S. internationalism: The Council on Foreign Relations.

The New York-based group, Cruz said at a speech to a Republican women’s group in Sugarland, Tex., last week, is “a pit of vipers.”

When asked about the Council at another event in Tyler, Tex., on Oct. 15 — Texas, home of Ron Paul and Alex Jones, is the sort of place this comes up a lot — Cruz called the organization “a pernicious nest of snakes” that is “working to undermine our sovereignty,” according to video provided by someone who opposes his candidacy.

Well, Cruz should know: The candidate’s wife, Heidi S. Cruz, was an active member of the Council on Foreign Relations until this June. She was a member until June on a 5-year “term membership” program, an official at the organization confirmed.

The video and Cruz’ comments are commented on in several news and blog sites on the ‘Net, so I don’t know how I missed it and Cruz’ play-acting for his East Texas audience.

Interviews with (Lt. Governor) David Dewhurst for Texas Senate (video @davidhdewhurst )

“The government has no money, it’s the people’s money.” April 10, 2011 interview with Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst Part 1

If you haven’t already voted – tomorrow, Tuesday, May 29th, is the Primary Election Day. I hope you will look at these videos before casting your vote for Texas’ next Senator.

This is not the man you’ve seen portrayed in his opponent’s ads. You will see the thought processes of the Lt. Governor and the lessons he’s learned.

Part 2 is here,  “I’ve been living by the same principles since the Tea Party was formed! That is to keep spending as low as possible, to reduce your taxes, to have Free Market reforms.”

Part 3 is here. “Since 2008, 80% of all the jobs in the country have been here.”

(Unfortunately, You-tube has to make some money, so the videos may have commercials at the first. There’s even one of the harshly negative “Club for Growth” ads against the Lt. Governor that showed up the first time I re-visited Part 1, today.)

New “Dr. Donna Campbell for Texas Senate District 25” Ad

Saw this on the New Braunfels/San Antonio Time Warner cable, on Fox Sunday

Devore: How California’s budget blunders led to my divorce from the Golden State | Fox News

Chuck DeVore, former California Assemblyman has moved to Texas and sings our praises, while pointing out the pitfalls of statist California:

Texas’ bureaucracy, excluding teachers, is 22 percent smaller as a portion of the population than is California’s, with every Texan paying about $467 a year for government retiree benefits, compared to California’s $1,105 in pension costs. Sky-high benefits for bureaucrats may soon cause the bankruptcy of Stockton, California’s 13th-largest city.

California has more government paper-pushers but Texas has 17 percent more teachers per capita, with educational outcomes favoring the Lone Star State. In fact, Texas K-12 schools perform consistently above the national average across age, racial, and subject matter areas, while California schools perform well below the national average.

To support its bloated government, California asks more of its taxpayers who pay 10.6 percent of their income to state and local government, above the U.S. average of 9.8 percent. Texans pay only 7.9 percent.

via How California’s budget blunders led to my divorce from the Golden State | Fox News.

“I can’t write millions and millions out of my pocket.”

So went Ted Cruz’ lament on the Mark Levin radio show. Perhaps Mr. Cruz should go to work at a real job and build his own successful business and fortune before he runs for office – and begs for our hard-earned dollars – again.

(If you missed it, as I did, you can listen on the Internet, here.  The ten minute segment begins at about 92 minutes into the May 15 program archive.)

You would think that the author of Liberty and Tyranny and Ameritopia would be celebrating David Dewhurst as the living example that free markets and the American work ethic do work, and as the Citizen Legislator that he is.

Sadly, Mr. Levin didn’t do his homework. Without giving any examples or sources for the broad accusations he made during the radio spot, he proved himself clueless about the strong Conservative credentials of Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst. He did note that Lt. Gov. Dewhurst is worth “a quarter of a billion dollars” but falsely claimed that Dewhurst – who first ran for office 13 years ago,  when he was about the same age that Levin is now – is a “pretty much a career politician.”

Neither Cruz nor Levin give Lieutenant Governor Dewhurst credit for being the self-made man that he is. They ignore the fact that Dewhurst served our Nation in the Air Force and CIA before going to work to build that “quarter of a billion dollar” business from the ground up, and only then successfully running for office to serve Texas as Land Commissioner and then Lieutenant Governor.

Cruz has never been in business, made a payroll or held an elected office. After Harvard Law School, where he founded the Harvard Latino Law Review, he held only government jobs until he decided to run for Attorney General of Texas – before he even turned 40 years old. After withdrawing from that race in 2009, rather than face current Attorney General Greg Abbott, Cruz began his run against Governor Dewhurst for Kay Bailey Hutchison’s Senate seat. In the meantime, he’s been working for a large legal firm, once again proving that he’s a successful staffer, but not a policy maker, and certainly not a decision maker.

If spending a career working at government jobs and running for office for the last four years isn’t the definition of “pretty much a career politician,” then what is?

Revised grammar, 5/16/12, BBN.

Governor Perry: “David Dewhurst is a conservative fighter.”

Governor Rick Perry has made a “Straight Talking” radio ad endorsing Lt. Governor David Dewhurst. Of all the people you might be hearing from or reading, Governor Perry should know the facts.

And this is what he has to say:  “You know the DC insiders are scared when they spend millions of dollars attacking Texas Conservatives. . . David Dewhurst is a Conservative fighter. . .  David is the one candidate best prepared to make Conservative change happen in Washington!”

Voter Recommendations for All of Texas

Texas Alliance for Life has its Pro-life Voter Guide up and running. Enter your address program will produce a printable list of State and Federal Candidates that you can print and take with you to the polls or email to your friends. The site doesn’t capture your name or other identifying information, so you won’t end up on some list, somewhere. No annoying phone calls, etc.

(Yes, I’m a Board member of TAL. And yes, the organization is pro-life and pro-family. But have you noticed that the most fiscally and Constitutional Conservative politicians are also pro-life and pro-family?)

Here’s what happens when I put in my address:

The following pro-life candidates will appear on your 2012 Primary Election ballot and are endorsed by Texas Alliance for Life.* (Click on the candidates’ names below for more information at their campaign websites.)

It is your legal right to print and take this page into the booth when you vote.

United States Senator — David Dewhurst (R)
United States Representative, District 21 — Lamar Smith (R)
Railroad Commissioner — Warren Chisum (R)
Railroad Commissioner, Unexpired Term — Barry Smitherman (R)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 2 — Don Willett (R)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 4 — David Medina (R)
Justice, Supreme Court, Place 6 — Nathan Hecht (R)
Presiding Judge, Court of Criminal Appeals — Sharon Keller (R)
Member, State Board of Education, District 5 — Ken Mercer (R)
State Senator, District 25 — Donna Campbell (R)
State Representative, District 73 — Doug Miller (R)
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 2 — Jeff Rose (R)
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 3 — Scott Field (R)
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 5 — David Puryear (R)
Justice, 3rd Court of Appeals, Place 6 — Bob Pemberton (R)
County Republican Chairman — Larry Nuckols (R)
For your reference, here is your county and district information:
County: Comal
U.S. Representative District: 21
State Senate District: 25
State Representative District: 73
State Board of Education District: 5

Joe Pags forces Ted Cruz to answer

Joe Pags – WOIA radio afternoon drive time host in San Antonio –  exposes Ted Cruz for his early attack ads and aggressively challenges him when he refuses to answer questions.  Jump to 9 minutes or so in to listen: May 9, 2012 Joe Pags interview with Ted Cruz  He dances all around the question, until Pags gets irritated.

You can read the legal brief that calls Cruz the  “Counsel of Record,” here.  Wouldn’t that make him the “lead” lawyer for the appeal?

And here’s the 2005 Wall Street Journal opinion piece that Cruz claims “proves” his accusations against Dewhurst.  There is no other “proof.”

(The real story on the “wage tax” comments is nowhere in this editorial: there was discussion about the best way to levy the franchise business tax that was being updated to include businesses across the board, some of which were exempted up to that time. Should the tax be on gross receipts before taxes and expenses were deducted or should it be on profit? The question was never whether employees would be taxed, but whether their employers would be given credit for employing them, paying their wages and giving benefits. Dewhurst was in favor of allowing employers to deduct the wages and benefits given, and then only assessing the tax on profits. In other words, he was against any “wage tax.”)

“CPR” for Texas from Dr. Donna Campbell

Donna Campbell for Texas Senate District 25,  has a new TV ad about her campaign, pointing out her plan for CPR for Texas: Conservative Principled Republicans.

There’s also a radio ad playing out there, somewhere, and this interview with Jack Riccardi on KSAT radio, 550 Am. 3464449.mp3

Wentworth and Jones voting records: “virtually indistinguishable” | Texas Politics | a mySA.com blog

Vote Dr. Donna Campbell, the true conservative:

According to Mark P. Jones, chairman of Rice University’s political science department, state Sen. Jeff Wentworth and former Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones’ House voting records are not just “virtually indistinguishable.”

They’re also “in the center (with a modest leftward tilt) of the Texas House Republicans.”

His analysis is in today’s Texas Tribune, you can read all the GOP candidate comparisons here.

This won’t be news to supporters of Dr. Donna Campbell, but it might come as a surprise to those supporting Jones because she’s selling herself as more conservative than Wentworth.

(More trustworthy, too, but that’s a different story…)

via Wentworth and Jones voting records: “virtually indistinguishable” | Texas Politics | a mySA.com blog.