Happy Mother's Day 2012

May 29 Democratic Primary In Collin County

As the May 29 Primary Election looms, 2010 U.S. Congressional candidate John Lingenfelder and County Chair incumbent Shawn Stevens are seeking the office of Democratic Party of Collin County Chair. In this presidential election year, the Democratic Party's County Chair contest is about the only county wide primary contest that anyone is talking about in Collin Co.

Other than the Collin County Democratic Chair contest, there are four statewide Democratic presidential candidates on the countywide ballot - Barack Obama, and three unknown would-be spoilers, who few voters, if any, even know are listed on the ballot.

May 14-25 Early Voting Locations & Hours for May 29 Election.

May 29 Election Day Polling Locations & Sample Ballots.

The Voter Photo ID Law Isn't In Effect.

Find your election precinct number on your new yellow Voter Registration Card.

Find information about statewide candidates in the LWV Voter's Guide.

Houston PBS - Conversations with Candidates for U.S. Senate: Parts One, Two, Three, and Four

Four statewide Democratic candidates, including former state Rep. Paul Sadler of Henderson and Sean Hubbard, are also on the countywide ballot running for retiring Kay Bailey Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat. Hubbard is a first-time candidate who worked on Barack Obama's presidential campaign in 2008. But, regrettably, Sadler, Hubbard, and the other two Democratic candidates for Hutchison's U.S. Senate seat are not widely known, so voter interest is low on that ballot position, too.

Katherine Savers McGovern and Walter Hofheinz are on the ballot for congressional district 32. The winner will challenge Republican incumbent and Tea Party favorite Pete Sessions in the general election this November for his congressional seat. District 32 encompasses election precincts in northern Dallas County, plus six southeastern area Collin Co. precincts.

The remainder of the five Democratic primary ballot styles, tailored to the county's 202 election precincts, are made up of uncontested single person ballot positions and three ballot proposition survey questions. The Collin Co. Republican Party has 36 primary ballot styles since that party has primary candidates running for every local and statewide elected office.

As Matt Taibbi said in a Rolling Stone article, "The apathy factor in American presidential politics this year has seemingly never been higher."

Tx State Sen. Ellis: Make Clear The Voter Photo ID Law Isn't In Effect

State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, on Friday asked the Texas Secretary of State to make clear that the voter photo ID requirement will not be in effect for the May 29 primary.

Legislation passed in 2011 (SB 14) requires that voters present one of a select group of government issued photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport or military ID, before casting a ballot.

The U.S. Department of Justice rejected the state’s application for preclearance of the law in March, claiming the state did not prove that the law would not have a discriminatory effect on minority voters.

The voter photo ID law is currently tied up in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with the earliest possible trial date, according to court proceedings, not until July – and that is only if the State of Texas makes certain discovery document available this week.

A statement, as specified by the Texas Secretary of State, concerning identification requirements on the back of new 2012-13 Voter Registration Cards can be misinterpreted to mean that voters must present select government issue photo identification, as specified in SB14, in order to vote in the primary election.

Related:

• Voter Registration Card 2012-13
• Texas Voter Photo ID FAQ

When Same-Sex Marriage Was a Christian Rite

Contrary to myth, Christianity's concept of marriage has not been set in stone since the days of Christ, but has constantly evolved as a concept and ritual.

Prof. John Boswell, the late Chairman of Yale University’s history department, discovered that in addition to heterosexual marriage ceremonies in ancient Christian church liturgical documents, there were also ceremonies called the "Office of Same-Sex Union" (10th and 11th century), and the "Order for Uniting Two Men" (11th and 12th century).

These church rites had all the symbols of a heterosexual marriage: the whole community gathered in a church, a blessing of the couple before the altar was conducted with their right hands joined, holy vows were exchanged, a priest officiated in the taking of the Eucharist and a wedding feast for the guests was celebrated afterwards. These elements all appear in contemporary illustrations of the holy union of the Byzantine Warrior-Emperor, Basil the First (867-886 CE) and his companion John.

Read the full story @ Anthropologist Live Journal

Listen to NPR's interview with Pew Research Center's Andrew Kohut about the steady shift toward acceptance on the same-sex marriage social issue, May 11. (4:12)

President Obama announced his support for gay marriage this week after a long consideration saying his views were "evolving." The public's view of gay marriage has changed over the past several decades, with growing support.

In 1996, Americans opposed gay marriage by 65% to 27%, but today the public is more evenly split, with 47% in favor and 43% opposed.

Related:

• Pew Research Center's Michael Dimock on "The Diane Rehm Show"
• Andrew Kohut: The Electorate and Gay Marriage