A Texas Monthly Article Featuring Bill White

Houston Mayor Bill White, pictured left, has been in the running for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat -- when, and if, she ever resigns her U.S. Senate seat to run for governor -- during most of 2009.

Mayor Bill White is strongly considering a run for the governor's office now that it is looking far less likely that Kay Bailey Hutchison will resign her senate seat.

A Texas Monthly article featuring Bill White hit the news stands last week. The article presents both a picture of Bill the Mayor and Bill the man:

The Great White Hope

Democrats haven’t won a statewide race since 1994, so why does this middle-aged guy with a bald head and big ears think he's the fresh face of the party? Because outgoing Houston mayor Bill White has a record that makes some Republicans envious, he can raise a ton of money, and he will kiss as many babies as it takes (whether they want him to or not).

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Conservatives Find No Sympathy For Tiny Tim Cratchit

At a town hall held by Rep. Lipinski (D-Ill.) on November 14th, Dan and Midge Hough spoke about the death of their daughter-in-law and her unborn child:

Twenty-four-year old Jennifer was not receiving regular prenatal care and she did not receive immediate medical care when she first got sick -- because she was uninsured. Jennifer's illness worsened and she eventually went to a hospital emergency room.

By then, Jennifer's illness had turned into double pneumonia. Complications from the pneumonia then resulted in septic shock. That further complication caused a heart attack, a brain bleed and then a stroke. Jennifer lost the baby and she died a few weeks later.

As the grieving Midge Hough told her story she was heckled by conservatives attending the town hall to protest against health insurance reform. Ms. Hough told the conservatives, "You can laugh at me, that's okay," she said, crying, "But I lost two people, and I know you think that's funny, that's okay." Catherina Wojtowicz, an organizer for the conservative Chicago Tea Party Patriots, who oppose health insurance reform, said the audience was exasperated by stories of these "isolated tragedies" that cloud debate about health insurance reform.

Clearly, conservatives can find no sympathy for the "isolated tragedy" of A Christmas Carol's Tiny Tim Cratchit. Can conservatives find any fault at all with Ebenezer Scrooge's character - before his spiritual reclamation?

About 44 million people in this country have no health insurance, and another 38 million have inadequate health insurance. This means that nearly one-third of Americans face each day without the security of medical care for them and their families, if and when they need it.

Research released in the American Journal of Public Health in September 2009 estimates that 45,000 deaths per year in the United States are associated with the lack of health insurance. [reference one and two]

Many of those who feel satisfied with their health insurance coverage and who reject the need for health insurance reform, in fact, aren’t “insured” from the financial burdens of rising health care costs or an unexpected high cost illness.

“Under-insurance is the great hidden risk of the American health care system,” says Elizabeth Warren, a Harvard law professor who has analyzed medical bankruptcies. “People do not realize they are one diagnosis away from financial collapse.”

A national study released this year found that while medical debt contributed to 62 percent of the bankruptcies in 2007, 78 percent of those bankruptcy filers had health insurance but “still were overwhelmed by their medical debt.” No government agency keeps an official count of the under insured.

LATIMES: The public and employers are staggering under the cost of the present system -- rising at more than twice the rate of inflation and expected to surpass $2.2 trillion this year.

[From Rep. Lipinski's town hall] HuffPost Editor Roy Sekoff Discusses The Heckling Of Hough Family On MSNBC's 'The Ed Show'

Schieffer Drops Out And White (Maybe) Switches To Govenors Race

Two Democratic candidates have been in the running for Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat -- when, and if, she ever resigns her U.S. Senate seat to run for governor -- during most of 2009. Those Democrats are Houston Mayor Bill White, pictured left, and former State Comptroller John Sharp, pictured right.

Hank Gilbert Mark Thompson Tom Schieffer

Democrats previously lined up for the 2010 Governor's race included Hank Gilbert, right, Mark Thompson, middle right, Tom Schieffer, bottom right. Former Independent, Kinky Friedman, has also announced plans to have his name added to the Governor's position on the Democratic primary ballot.

Democratic candidates for the Senate and Governor races are quickly lining up differently after news broke a week ago that Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison had flip-flopped on her promise to resign from the U.S. Senate to focus on her gubernatorial campaign against Gov. Rick Perry.

Hutchison officially announced last Sunday that she won't resign her U.S. Senate seat until after the March 2010 Republican primary election. Hutchison's announcement strongly implies she will not resign from the U.S. Senate if Perry defeats her in the March primary.

Hutchison backed away from her commitment to resign from the Senate after a new Rasmussen poll of Texas GOP Primary voters showed Perry with 46% while Hutchison trails with only 35% of the Republican primary vote.

So, today, the Texas Tribune reports that the Tom Schieffer is dropping out of the race. A bit later in the day the Houston Chronicle breaks a story that Houston Mayor Bill White is going to switch races and make a run for the Governer's office rather that wait for a now very uncertain chance to run for KBH's Senate seat.

In remarks last June to an audience of Collin and Denton county Democrats, Mayor White made the point that, "TX needs leadership that is more interested in seeing the state succeed, rather than scoring partisan points and constantly looking for wedge issues - leadership who is more interested in the educating Texas children than in seceding from the union."

Here's a statement from Bill White, posted Monday Nov. 23rd on his campaign website:

"Since Friday a week ago Texans from all backgrounds and all regions have asked me to consider running to be our next Governor of Texas. Today I agree to consider running for Governor, and shall make a decision by Friday, December 4th.

Before then I invite the citizens of Texas to weigh in on this decision by visiting this page and emailing me at billwhite@billwhitefortexas.com."

Mark Thompson dropped out of the Texas governors race in early November and endorsed Hank Gilbert.

Last week Houston hair care magnate Farouk Shami (picture right) also announced for the Texas governors race. Shami has stated he will spend $10 million of his own money before the March 2 primary, plus he has hired veteran Democratic political consultants. Shami is on record saying he is a "Democrat all the way to the bone."

Fort Worth teacher Felix Alvarado has also announced for the Texas Democratic primary governors race.

Any Legal Status Identical Or Similar To Marriage Can't Be Recognized By Texas

Remember the so called "same-sex-marriage" amendment (PDF) to the Texas State Constitution approved by voters in November 2005? The wording of that amendment may have effectively nullified all marriage in Texas!

That amendment to the Texas Bill Of Rights said, "SECTION 1. Article I, Texas Constitution, is amended by adding "Section 32 MARRIAGE" to read as follows:

1. Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.
2. This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports that, Barbara Ann Radnofsky, a Houston lawyer and Democratic candidate for attorney general, is saying that section (b) effectively “eliminates marriage in Texas”:

She calls it a “massive mistake” and blames the current attorney general, Republican Greg Abbott, for allowing the language to become part of the Texas Constitution. Radnofsky called on Abbott to acknowledge the wording as an error and consider an apology. She also said that another constitutional amendment may be necessary to reverse the problem.

“You do not have to have a fancy law degree to read this and understand what it plainly says,” said Radnofsky.

This isn’t the first time the reach of the second section has been questioned. Before the amendment passed, a group called Save Texas Marriage warned that a judge could potentially void all marriages in the state if the language became part of the Texas Constitution.

Star-Telegram story continues: Radnofsky acknowledged that the clause is not likely to result in an overnight dismantling of marriages in Texas. But she said the wording opens the door to legal claims involving spousal rights, insurance claims, inheritance and a host other marriage-related issues.

"This breeds unneeded arguments, lawsuits and expense which could have been avoided by good lawyering," Radnofsky said. "Yes, I believe the clear language of B bans all marriages, and this is indeed a huge mistake."

In October, Dallas District Judge Tena Callahan ruled that the same-sex-marriage ban is unconstitutional because it stands in the way of gay divorce. Abbott is appealing the ruling, which came in a divorce petition involving two men who were married in Massachusetts in 2006.