DNC Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine To Be In Dallas Wednesday

Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Gov. Tim Kaine will hold an informal meet and greet with Organizing for North Texas (Dallas/Ft. Worth) volunteers and supporters on Wednesday, May 20th between 3PM and 4:15PM at the Iron Cactus, 1520 Main Street, Dallas.


The event is free and open to the public but please RSVP to gillianpar@gmail.com.

Luke Hayes, OFA's Texas Director, will also be in attendance and will speak briefly about the President's upcoming focus on health care reform and future plans for OFA in Texas.

Organizing for North Texas is a grassroots group that works with Organizing for America (OFA) in the DFW area.

Commemorate The Service of U.S. Armed Forces Members And Veterans

The Democratic Party Of Collin County Is Sponsoring A Memorial Day "Pot-Luck" Picnic to salute all active and veteran members of the U.S. armed services.

Where: Frisco Commons Park at 8000 McKinney Road in Frisco, TX (map) When: Saturday May 23 from 3-6 PM.

You will enjoy great food and conversation with friends and neighbors by the park's beautiful veteran's memorial. The Democratic Party will provide grilled hot dogs. The DPCC asks that attendees with last names beginning with 'A - M' bring a covered dish or vegetables, chips, etc., and attendees with last names beginning 'N - Z' bring desserts. Also everyone should bring the beverage of their choice.


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Mark Thompson (D) Joins The Race For Governor

KXAN is tweeting that Mark Thompson, 2008 Democratic candidate for Railroad Commissioner, has announced he will run for Governor in 2010.

Thompson received 44.6 percent of the vote in 2008 when he ran against Republican incumbent Michael Williams for the Railroad Commission seat.

Thompson joins Tom Schieffer (left) and humorist Kinky Friedman (right) as the line up for the Democratic primary ballot next March.

Friedman, who received 12 percent of the vote in 2006 when he ran as an Independent in the four way race for Governor against incumbent Republican Governor Rick Perry, Democrat Chris Bell and Independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn, is still in the exploratory phase.

So far, the Republican primary ballot choices will be Texas Gov. Rick Perry's (R) and Texas Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, pictured left.

House Legislator Kuempel (R-Seguin) In Intensive Care

Texas House legislator Rep. Edmund Kuempel (R-Seguin) was found unconscience Tuesday evening from an apparent heart attack in a capitol building elevator by the House Sergeant at Arms Jennifer Irvy. Emergency medical services personnel used a defibrillator to restore heart activity before Kuempel was transported to Brackenridge Hospital where he remains in remains in the intensive care unit.

From Quorum Report: He is on a ventilator in a medically induced coma and will be so for the next several days as physicians monitor his condition. They will know more as they bring him back up.

Physicians reportedly feel good about his prospects. They believe he was found and resuscitated in time. But nothing will be certain for several more days.

The 81st regular session of the Texas Legislature is scheduled to adjourn on June 1, 2009.

Gov. Perry Hosting Tea Party 2.0 Tele-Town Hall On Thursday

Texas Gov. Rick Perry so incited participants of three conservative anti-tax (and largely anti-Obama) "tea party" rallies with his anti-Washington and states' rights rhetoric on April 15th that the audience began to shout, "Secede!"

Perry has further sparked approval of the Texas hard-right Republican base with his secessionist talk and fiery anti-Washington rhetoric on his support of a Texas sovereignty resolution in the Texas legislature.

Perry's anti-Washington secessionist rhetoric and pandering on a range of right-wing social issues is clearly working with the Texas Republican base Perry is trying to woo away from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) who will oppose Perry in the 2010 GOP primary next March.

An internal poll from Perry's campaign finds Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX) beating him in a Republican primary now by just 45% to 39%. A more recent Rasmussen poll shows Perry passing Hutchison 42% to 38% in the last month. Hutchison was far ahead of Perry just a few months ago.

Hoping to build on his fiery “tea party” anti-tax, secessionist and anti-Washington rhetoric momentum of the last month, Perry will host a “Tea Party 2.0” tele-town hall with Republican Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina Thursday. 30,000 people are expected to dial into the teleconference town hall. This is an excellent way for the incumbent governor to gather phone numbers and email addresses he can later use to solicit campaign donations and volunteer support in his campaign against Kay Bailey Hutchison.

More. . .

Before the Storm - Barry Goldwater

Part 1 Part 2

Back in the 1960's, the GOP ran a candidate that was so out of touch with society and full of some of the worst ideas in political history that he lost the 1964 election in a landslide.

But Barry Goldwater's legacy is still alive in the GOP, and many believe that it was his right-wing fringe ideas that helped boost Ronald Reagan into the White House.

Today, the Republican Party is so desperate for a new direction that they're trying to resurrect the failed Goldwater ideals to breathe new life into their party.

Mike Papantonio of Air America's Ring of Fire talks about why this might be the worst idea the GOP's had in a long time with Rick Perlstein, author of the book "Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus."

Kinky Friedman Looking To Democratic Primary In March'10

Humorist and political satirist Kinky Friedman announced the names of two more well known Texans, Houston lawyer Richard "Racehorse" Haynes and former Austin councilman and UT regent Lowell Lebermann, to advise him on his possible run for governor on the Democratic primary ballot next March. Already advising Friedman are former Ag Commissioner and pundit Jim Hightower and San Antonio lawyer Abel Dominguez. Friedman finished fourth and netted 12 percent of the vote in his independent run for governor in 2006. DMN trailblazersblog.

Long time Texas Democrat Tom Schieffer is also exploring a run for the Texas governor's office. (website)

Tom Schieffer is a former State Representative, former partner in the Texas Rangers, brother to Face the Nation moderator Bob Schieffer, and Bush-era Ambassador to Australia and Japan.

Schieffer, a lifelong Democrat, did endorse G.W. Bush for the offices of both Governor and President, but he supported Barack Obama for the 2008 primary and general election, and he supported Democrat Chris Bell in the 2006 Governor's race. Conventional wisdom suggests that Schieffer can attract not only Democrats, but Independents and even some moderate Republicans.

• Todd Hill of the Burnt Orange Report sat down for an extended interview with Tom Schieffer in March. (D)

Politics 101 Seminars By The Texas Democratic Women of Collin County

On Monday, May 11, from 7-9 p.m. the Texas Democratic Women of Collin County are hosting the first of the organization's planned series of "Politics 101" seminars. The purpose of these seminars is to promote increased political awareness, activity and influence of Democratic women in TX politics and government.

In the first seminar Bill Baumbach and Victor Manuel, former candidates, will explain the workings of the Collin County Court of Commissioners.

All are welcome. . . Please plan to attend on Monday, May 11, from 7-9 p.m. at Collin College in Frisco, Founders Hall, Rm F148 to learn about the County Commissioners Court.

	VICTOR MANUEL 2008 Candidate For Collin County Commissioner, Precinct 3 www.victor4collincounty.com

The Texas Constitution vests broad judicial and administrative powers in the position of County Judge, who presides over a five-member Commissioner's Court.

Four Commissioners, each elected to a commissioners precinct representing approximately a quarter of the county's population, serve with the Presiding County Judge on the Commissioners Court. Click the map.

Members of the Collin County Commissioners Court also serve as Trustees of the Collin County Health Care Foundation, Collin County Housing Finance Corporation, and the Collin County Substance Abuse Foundation.

In addition to assuring that county roads are maintained, commissioners vote with the county judge to set the budget for all county departments and adopt a tax rate. The County Commissioners Court also:

• Sets the yearly property tax rate and approves the budget and employment level for the county;
• Sets commissioners and justice of the peace precinct boundaries;
• Calls, conducts and certifies elections, including bond elections;
• Sets employment and benefit policy;
• Establishes long-range thoroughfare, open space, land use, financial and law enforcement/jail needs plans;
• Acquires property for rights-of-way or other uses determined to be in the public's best interest;
• Reviews and approve subdivision platting and wastewater treatment for rural areas;
• Provides rural ambulance services and subsidizes rural fire protection;
• Oversees the construction, maintenance and improvement of county roads and bridges;
• Appoints non-elected department heads and standing committees;
• Supervises and controls the county courthouse, county buildings and facilities;
• Adopts a county budget;
• Determines county tax rates;
• Fills vacancies in elective and appointive positions; and
• Has exclusive authority to authorize contracts in the name of the county.

Your Collin County Commissioner's Court Precinct Number can be found on your 2008 Orange Voter's Registration Card within the box titled "Com."

Voter Photo ID Bill Up For House Committe Vote

Update - House Committee on Elections did indeed vote the voter photo ID bill (SB 362) out of committee in a 5-4 vote on Monday May11th. Even though the committee is divided 5 Republicans to 4 Democrats, one Democrat voted for the measure and one Republican voted against. Elections Committee Democratic State Rep. Joe Heflin (D-Crosbytown) voted with four committee Republicans on Monday to help the measure get to the House floor. Republican State Rep Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) first took a pass on the committee voice vote, allowing Democrat Heflin to vote aye, before then changed his "pass" vote to no. The entire House can now debate and vote on the bill before it adjourns.

The Austin American-Statesman reports Chairman Smith as saying, "I believe to the bottom of my heart, if I was putting on my partisan Republican hat, the best thing that could possibly happen would be for this legislation to be narrowly defeated, so Republican candidates could go into these marginal (could go either way) districts and blame Democrats for elections being less secure than they could be."

The deadline for Senate-originating bills to be taken up on the House floor is midnight May 26th. It could very likely be scheduled for floor debate next week, but it depends on the House Calendars Committee. The Calendars Committee is made up of 8 Republicans and 5 Democrats with Republican Brian McCall in the chairman's seat and Democratic Eddie Luio III in the Vice-Chair seat. No doubt this Republican heavy committee will vote the voter ID bill to the House floor by May 26. (Track progress in the legislature -- Check House Calendar)

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Rep. Todd Smith, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Elections, has scheduled a committee vote on the Senate's voter photo ID bill (SB 362) as originally passed by the Texas Senate on Mar 17, 2009 in a party line vote. The Senate's bill requires voters to present a photo ID such as a driver’s license or two documents indicating their identity at the polls.

Smith rewrote the voter ID bill three times during April and Early May to add less restrictive compromise language to the legislation in an attempt to pull in a few votes from House Democrats.

After Smith's Republican colleagues blocked those compromise attempts Smith told the Austin American-Statesman last Friday that he is halting his attempts to rewrite the bill and will simply attempt to pass out SB 362 out the elections committee in time for the full house to vote on the bill this session. Assuming the bill does pass out of committee in the expected five to four Republican vs. Democratic party line vote, a clean version of the Senate bill will ultimately be taken up on the House floor.

There is a chance the bill will not pass in a House floor vote given Republicans hold only a slim 76-74 majority in the House and two of those Republicans, Reps. Tommy Merritt of Longview and Delwin Jones of Lubbock, sided with Democrats against a similar bill in the 2007 legislative session. Neither Republican has announced a change in position this year.

It is notable that only 71 of the 76 House Republicans recently signed a "statement of principles" letter calling for the restrictive photo ID measure. To date, most of the 74 House Democrats oppose a restrictive voter photo ID requirement, but Rep. Joe Heflin, a Democrat who sits on the elections committee has reportedly said he is leaning toward supporting a photo ID law.

Big Government Conservatives and the Supreme Court

By Glenn Melancon 2008 Democratic candidate U.S. House of Representatives, TX 4th Congressional District

Washington politicians and lobbyists are already lining up for a Supreme Court confirmation fight. The buzz words are flying fast. Their jargon is meant to rally activists for or against any nominee. As citizens, however, we need to take a step back and look at the issues more closely. Who is pushing for “big government"? Who wants less?

Conservatives will make the abortion debate at the center of the confirmation process. How much control should politicians have over a pregnant woman? The 1973 Supreme Court Case Roe v. Wade limited state and federal control. Ever since then, conservatives have been fighting to reinstitute a larger role for government.

According to Roe v. Wade, legislators had to take into account two separate interests when regulating abortions—the right of a woman to make medical decisions and the potential for human life. The court reached a compromise. In the early days of pregnancy the government has to leave the woman alone. In the later stages of pregnancy the government can outlaw abortion to protect the unborn as long as a woman is free to defend her life and health.

The debate centers on the right to privacy. Do Americans have the right to make medical, moral and personal decisions free from government interference? Or, do the federal and state governments have the authority to make medical, moral and personal decisions for us? “Strict constructionists” say there is no right to privacy. “Activist judges” say there is.

Strict constructionists rightly point out that the word “privacy” does not appear in the constitution. The founding fathers didn’t list—nor enumerate—it in the Bill of Rights. Activist judges, however, point to the Ninth Amendment. It states that the people retain rights even if the Constitution doesn’t enumerate them. Our founders knew some future politician would try to expand the power of government over the people and wrote the Ninth Amend to protect us.

The right to privacy extends beyond surgical abortions. In Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965), the Supreme Court ruled that the states cannot outlaw birth control pills. The Court declared that women had an expectation of privacy in their doctors’ office and the state needed to stay out unless it had a compelling reason.

Conservatives argue that there is a compelling reason—the preservation of life. If life begins at conception, then the state can, and should, outlaw the pill. Not only does it impede ovulation, but the pill also hampers a fertilized egg from implanting on the wall of the uterus.

Should states and the federal government have the power to outlaw the pill? Is this a matter of individual conscience or a matter for the police? Conservatives want to surrender this power to the government; liberals do not.

The right to privacy also keeps the government out of our bedrooms. Most of us never really think about this issue very much. It just seems so unreasonable that the government could control what happens behind closed doors. In fact, however, the government had the authority to regulate all forms of sexual relations until Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003).

The state of Texas had made it “a crime for two persons of the same sex to engage in certain intimate sexual conduct.” The US Supreme Court, dominated by Republican jurists, decided that Texas overstepped its authority and couldn’t punish two consenting adults for behavior in the privacy of their own home.

Roe, Griswold and Lawrence are the prime examples of “judicial activism.” In each case, the Court limited the authority of the government and held that individuals have the right to exercise their own moral judgment. In the coming Supreme Court debate, big government conservatives are sure to fight against allowing people to make their own moral decisions.