Victory for the American people!! Now we can begin again to fight terrorism rather than feed it!

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The American peole are no longer captive to the fear of terrorism and are ready to take command of their nation again. With Democratic leadership in the House and Senate, now our nation can move forward rather than backward.

GROUND ZERO FOR TOM DELAY Congressional District 22, with Clear Lake, Pearland, League City, Sugar Land, parts of Galveston County and many other communities, is Tom Delay's GROUND ZERO. In a democracy, the people, not corrupt businesses and money-hungry politicians, will make or break office holders. Tom Delay knows now that the voters in this area, citizens that Delay has ignored for years, will make this his GROUND ZERO in 2006. Then, Tom Delay will meet his makers, the angry voters of Congressional District 22! Perhaps now, thanks to the public's growing knowledge of Delay's many ethical, no doubt illegal, actions, his party will make him step down! Map of the 22nd district

Armies on the Ground at Ground Zero for Tom Delay This may actually be Tom Delay's blog, but I think it is just be a hoax. Great fun nevertheless! Sadly, this really is Tommie's web "O.J." like blog. Nick Lampson's Official Website Check HAWKEYE'S MASH the political blog of the Bay Area of Texas in Congressional District 22. The Bay Area New Democrats (BAND) is a fantastic group in Delay's district. They work across the Clear Lake area from Galveston County through Harris County up to the Houston Ship Channel. Harris County Democrats (Houston region) Harris County Young Democrats North Brazoria County Democrats is a great Democratic organization in north Brazoria County including communities of Alvin, Camp Mohawk, Iowa Colony, Manvel, Pearland and Sandy Point. Brazoria County Democratic Party The Fort Bend Democrats is a local grassroots club that is committed to getting democrats elected in Fort Bend County. Fort Bend Democrats, PO Box 785, Richmond, Texas 77406. Fort Bend Democratic Party (Home of Sugar Land and Tom Delay) Neighborhood Democrats of Galveston County Don't Tread on Me Discussion Group for Houston region political issues Juanita's - the World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY Tom Delay MUG SHOT Tom Delay's BLOG

GOP forced to turn to nemesis: John McCain Posted by Pete on Sunday, May 11, 2008 - 04:44 PM (1219 Reads) Republicans forced to turn to their nemesis: John McCain By Albert R. Hunt Bloomberg News Sunday, May 11, 2008 The Republican political establishment is looking to the devil to deliver them, the man many have depicted as the incarnation of evil: John McCain. Republicans in the U.S. Congress are petrified about a November debacle, a fear stoked on May 3, when they lost their second straight special election in a district held by Republicans. The party's fundamental situation is terrible: Republicans are saddled with an enormously unpopular president, a war, a troubled economy and a Democratic opposition that's being energized by important constituent groups. "The generics are as bad as anytime since I have been here," said Representative Tom Davis, a Virginia Republican and one of the most politically astute members of Congress in either party. Davis, a 14-year veteran, is retiring this year, frustrated with his party's long-term prospects. Read more... (5524 bytes more) comments?

Leininger lying low — for right now Posted by Pete on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 11:58 PM (1452 Reads) Jan. 20, 2008 Houston Chronicle AUSTIN — James Leininger, the $5 million gorilla in legislative races two years ago, is so far a shadow of his former self as the new election cycle prepares to heat up. The emphasis is on "so far" because there still is time for the wealthy San Antonio businessman and advocate of private school vouchers to shower favored candidates with about as much money as they can spend. But reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission suggest Leininger may be off to a slower start than in 2006, when in the Republican primary he helped unseat two House members who had voted against a voucher bill the previous year. He spent nearly $5 million in the 2005-06 election cycle, only to see vouchers not even come to a vote during the 2007 session. Leininger contributed $203,000 to Republican officeholders and causes during 2007, more than enough to impress mere mortals. Half of that amount, though, went to Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and Attorney General Greg Abbott ($50,000 apiece), neither of whom is on the ballot. Read more... (3800 bytes more) comments?

Karl Rove Will Be Your Graduation Speaker Posted by Pete on Monday, January 21, 2008 - 11:58 PM (1314 Reads) January 21, 2008 The Huffington Post Imagine you're a high school senior, or the parent of one. Imagine that the principal of your school -- or the headmaster, if it's a prep school, a renowned century-old elite New England boarding school, say, that sends its graduates to all the best colleges -- announces that the commencement speaker this June is going to be "somebody who has dedicated a significant portion of his life to service, and has been an extremely influential person," someone who "played a vital role in the major policy decisions made during the Bush Presidency." Somebody named Karl Rove. I suppose you're supposed to feel grateful that Jack Abramoff isn't available. Scooter Libby, Alberto Gonzales, Donald Rumsfeld, Harriet Miers and Paul Wolfowitz also fit Choate Headmaster Ed Shanahan's description of Karl Rove's credentials for inspiring the class of '08, but I guess Rove, what with his Newsweek column and all, is a bigger get. The job of a commencement speaker, explained Choate's head to his community, is "someone [who] comes in with a message for graduating students about the world that they are about to engage in." In Rove's case, you don't have to wait until June to figure out his message about the world; all you have to do is tote up the principles that have long guided his career: Read more... (3126 bytes more) comments?

Departed Hastert should butt out Posted by Pete on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 10:51 PM (1304 Reads) Chicago Herald Jan. 14, 200 Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert has projected himself as an active participant in the selection of the Republican candidate to run in the two primary elections next month and a budget-breaking special election caused by his recent resignation. Is he ill and therefore unable to serve the full term for which he ran in 2006? Hopefully not. Did he resign to do so under current law requiring an elected official serving in Washington wait only one year to register as a lobbyist? If he had finished his term, legislation effective Jan. 1 would have required a two-year wait. Just wondering. Read more... (1824 bytes more) comments?

Delay Fakes Death to Avoid Prosecution Posted by Pete on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 10:51 PM (1399 Reads) by Dood Abides Unconfirmed Sources Satire Sugarland, TX (APE) - Police arrested and later released disgraced Texas representative Tom Delay yesterday, accusing him of trying to fake his own death to avoid prosecution. Thomas Dale Delay, 58, had a relative call the local court yesterday and report that he had died earlier in a fight in Washington, DC, authorities said. The call came less than a month after he attempted to escape from charges of bribery and money laundering brought by prosecutor Ronnie Earle. He was captured Wednesday morning and jailed, and now owes taxpayers more than $300,000 in court costs, authorities said. "Tom Delay is the ultimate deadbeat Republican politician, faking his own death in order to avoid prosecution," a sheriff's department spokesperson said. Read more... (644 bytes more) 2 Comments

Tom DeLay Slams GOP Presidential Hopeful John McCain Posted by Pete on Tuesday, January 15, 2008 - 10:51 PM (1360 Reads) Conservative Rag January 09, 2008 by Jim Kouri - When Attorney General Janet Reno deployed federal law enforcement agencies to Waco, Texas to arrest the Branch Davidian leader David Koresh, one of the the tactics used was to constantly blast loud music 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Eventually, men, women and children died from a brutal attack by their own countrymen. And, except for a few Republican lawmakers, the GOP and Democrat senators and congressmen displayed no outrage. And Senator John McCain was among those who remained silent. However, in the new millennium McCain has become the protector of imprisoned terrorists and enemy combatants and fights for their constitution rights. Read more... (1252 bytes more) comments?

State of the Anti-Establishment Groundswell Posted by Pete on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 12:15 AM (1322 Reads) Courant.com The Start Of An Anti-Establishment Groundswell? Bill Curry January 6, 2008 News seldom means what you think. New Hampshire may upend expectations this week just as Iowa did last week. Come November, I may be pretending to know how Fred Thompson stormed from behind to catch Bill Richardson at the finish. But I doubt it. The caucuses left the country giddy, and with good reason. Who recalls the last time young people made a difference in politics? The big news out of Iowa is that despite corruption and gridlock in government, we still believe in democracy and may even have managed to pass it on to the next generation. Like every TV talking head, I'm convinced it all signals some sort of revolution, though I probably don't know any better than they do exactly what sort. Like most uprisings, this one's clearest about what it's against — namely everything our politics has become. Read more... (3780 bytes more) comments?

Ronnie Earle to Back Successor Posted by Pete on Tuesday, January 08, 2008 - 12:12 AM (1336 Reads) Earle to back successor, raise money on Web By Laylan Copelin Ralph Barrera AMERICAN-STATESMAN Monday, January 07, 2008 Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle may not be seeking re-election on the 2008 ballot, but he's hardly getting out of politics. Earle, who is retiring after more than 30 years in office, has scheduled a news conference this morning to endorse a candidate in the four-way race to succeed him. He said Sunday that he also is close to lending his name for Democratic fundraising on the Internet, a move that would tap his national profile to help Democrats across the country and could tip the fundraising scales in the local district attorney's race. The beneficiary of the endorsement and Earle's expected fundraising prowess on the Internet is expected to be Rosemary Lehmberg, his first assistant, who has worked in the district attorney's office as long as Earle has. The other candidates, all Democrats, also work for Earle: Gary Cobb, Rick Reed and Mindy Montford. Read more... (2960 bytes more) 1 Comment

Travis County DA not running again Posted by Pete on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 11:59 PM (1328 Reads) Dec. 15, 2007 DeLay nemesis Ronnie Earle says he'll stay in office until end of 2008 By R.G. RATCLIFFE Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau AUSTIN — Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle announced Friday he will not seek re-election after a 31-year career that gained him national attention for prosecuting politicians such as former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay and for bringing capital murder charges against an 11-year-old girl. Earle issued a statement calling the years he spent as district attorney "the best job in the world." He will remain in office until Dec. 31, 2008, when his term expires. Throughout his career, Earle, 65, was driven as much by his personal sense of right and wrong as by the law, according to criminal defense lawyers who know him. Earle considered himself the "conscience" of the community, they said. "He has a philosophy that has less to do with the law than most lawyers," said defense attorney Roy Minton. "If he considers it wrong, it's wrong. He's a different cat." Read more... (4594 bytes more) comments?

Prosecutor in DeLay Case Says He Won’t Seek Re-election Next Year Posted by Pete on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 11:44 PM (1308 Reads) December 15, 2007 New York Times By RALPH BLUMENTHAL HOUSTON — Ronnie Earle, the long-serving Texas district attorney who has been leading the criminal prosecution of the former House majority leader, Tom DeLay, said Friday that he would not seek a ninth four-year term next year. Instead, he said, he may run for governor in 2010. Mr. Earle, 65, a Democrat who since 1977 has been the chief prosecutor of Travis County, which includes Austin, the capital, said that if the DeLay case was not resolved by the time he left office, “I will offer my assistance on those matters on a pro bono basis to my successor.” In a statement announcing his decision, he did not mention Mr. DeLay by name but cited “particular cases pending that are enormously important to this state, this country and democracy itself.” The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in September upheld the dismissal of one of three charges against Mr. DeLay, a Republican who resigned from Congress last year, and two co-defendants: conspiring to violate state election laws by disguising the corporate source of campaign contributions for legislative races in 2002. Read more... (2922 bytes more) 1 Comment

Political Clippings Posted by Pete on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 12:54 AM (1111 Reads) Dec. 14, 2007 Political Clippings Congressional Quarterly The Jackson Clarion Ledger reports that former Mississippi Attorney General Mike Moore said Thursday he would not seek to replace Sen. Trent Lott , R-Miss., in next year’s special Senate election. Moore was one of the top potential Democratic contenders for the seat; the GOP nominee is likely to be whoever Gov. Haley Barbour nominates to replace Lott, who has said he would resign by the end of the year. “I am happy doing what I am doing, my family is happy, and I look forward to making a big difference in my state and nation,” Moore said in a statement. “I have seriously considered the U.S. Senate vacancy as my friends urged me to do, but I have always known that what I am doing now is good enough for me.” Houston television station KHOU reports that power struggles among Republicans in Texas’ Fort Bend County are threatening the GOP’s chances of retaking the House seat once held by former Majority Leader Tom DeLay. Nine Republicans are seeking the seat and a 10th is considering a run against Rep. Nick Lampson , D-Texas. Meanwhile, key GOP leadership posts are vacant and the last two local party chairmen have resigned. “They’ve lost focus of who they are and what their responsibility is,” DeLay told the station. “I’m concerned — very concerned.” The Peoria Journal Star reports that Rep. Ray LaHood , R-Ill., said he won’t take sides in the race to replace him next year. LaHood, who is retiring at the end of his current term, noted that his son, Darin LaHood, is running as a Republican for Peoria County state’s attorney against incumbent Democrat Kevin Lyons. “I don’t want to do anything to hurt Darin’s chances for state’s attorney and make people mad,” the elder LaHood said. LaHood wrote all three candidates on Nov. 5 asking them to seek his permission before using his name or image. 1 Comment

DeLay nemesis Travis County DA Ronnie Earle to retire Posted by Pete on Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 12:54 AM (1129 Reads) December 14, 2007 Associated Press and KHOU.com staff report AUSTIN—Travis County District Attorney Ronnie Earle on Friday announced he won’t seek re-election next year. The 65-year-old Democrat was at the center of the criminal investigation of Republican former U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay. DeLay quit Congress last year. Earle’s term has one year remaining, and his resignation will bring to an end to his three-decade reign in which he battled some of the biggest names in Texas politics. Earle has been criticized by DeLay and other Republicans, who say some of his prosecutions of elected leaders are politically motivated. "This is a no-brainer for him. He never had any intention of finishing off his revenge on Tom DeLay and is scared to death of being Nifong-ed while still in office,” DeLay spokeswoman Shannon Flaherty said in a statement, comparing Earle to the disgraced district attorney in the Duke lacrosse team rape case. "Good riddance to another corrupt DA." But Earle points out that he prosecutes Democrats as well as Republicans. DeLay and the Republican fundraisers who were indicted with him are still awaiting trial in Austin. Earle also tried to prosecute U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in 1994, but he dropped the case during trial. Hutchison was acquitted of official misconduct and record tampering charges. Some Democrats prosecuted by Earle and his Public Integrity Unit were former Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis, former Texas Attorney General Jim Mattox, former State Treasurer Warren Harding and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Don Yarbrough. 1 Comment

‘Wicked Witch’ targeted over a dinner in Waikiki Posted by Pete on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:13 AM (1202 Reads) By Kevin Bogardus and Mike Soraghan The Hill December 05, 2007 Jack Abramoff called her the Wicked Witch of the West. “WWW” for short in his e-mails. And he wanted to burn her. Joan Plaisted, a career foreign service officer, was ambassador to the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) in 1998, when the island nation hired Abramoff and his firm to battle the United States on a multibillion-dollar aid agreement. Over dinner at a hotel overlooking Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach, his new clients dished out gossip on Plaisted. She wore a revealing dress to a Halloween soiree, they told him. She brought a bottle of wine to a party and didn’t share. “She’s a disgrace to the United States government,” Abramoff declared, according to an attendee. “And I’m going to do something about it.” That started a remarkable lobbying campaign to persuade members of Congress to discredit a U.S. diplomat by way of speeches on the floor of the House of Representatives. Foreign service experts said it would have been an unprecedented public attack on a diplomat serving overseas. The campaign was ultimately scuttled when the republic’s president, Imata Kabua, canceled a 1999 visit that was to coincide with the denunciations. But the hard charge at Plaisted wasn’t the only way Abramoff’s work for RMI pushed the lobbying envelope. More than 40 pages of e-mails obtained by The Hill and documents filed by the firm with the Justice Department showcase the emerging take-no-prisoners style that would later land Abramoff in prison and help end Republican control of Congress. Read more... (15160 bytes more) 1 Comment

Congress Pushes Controls Over Marianas Posted by Pete on Sunday, December 09, 2007 - 12:12 AM (1282 Reads) AP By JIM ABRAMS WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress is trying again to exert more control over the Northern Marianas, this time minus the interference of jailed lobbyist Jack Abramoff, who for years dissuaded lawmakers from tinkering with the troubled Pacific islands. Legislation that could clear the House in December would apply federal immigration and labor rules to the U.S. Commonwealth of The Northern Mariana Islands, which in the past three decades of local control has been tainted with charges of sweatshop and human trafficking abuses. The bill is opposed by commonwealth Gov. Benigno Fitial, who says it ignores recent improvements in labor standards and could cripple attempts to revive the islands' depressed economy. Over the past decade lawmakers have introduced several dozen bills addressing the Northern Marianas' immigration and labor practices and its right to use "Made in the USA" labels on garments made in factories employing poorly paid, poorly treated Chinese, Philippine and other Asian workers. The lawmakers have little to show for their efforts. The lack of success was partly the work of Abramoff, now serving a six-year prison term on unrelated fraud charges. Read more... (4315 bytes more) 3 Comments

Film Maker Robert Greenwald Posted by Pete on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 12:22 AM (1082 Reads) Progressive States Network Whether shining his eye on the rightwing media in Outfoxed, on corporate greed in Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price, or on corrupt politicians in The Big Buy: Tom DeLay's Stolen Congress, Robert Greenwald uses the art of film to tell stories about way our society is being taken over by corporate greed. His firm Brave New Films is rewriting the book on how movies are made and dsitributed. Greenwald agreed to chat with a couple of us from Progressive States about corruption, his films, and what Americans can do to take their country back. Joel Barkin: Tell us a little bit about what inspired this film [The Big Buy] and what you hoped to accomplish out of the organizing that you’ve done around it. Robert Greenwald: The film The Big Buy was actually -- I’d been reading the articles about the DeLay stuff and all the corruption. I heard that there was a movie two guys in Texas were making. I’d just finished the Wal-Mart film, so I reached out to them. I hadn’t really thought about it because up to that point we had never thought about distributing. I didn’t know why I was asking, but they sent me a copy of the film. It was very good. But it had turned out that they hadn’t figured out a way to distribute the film. And so talking to people at Brave New Films, we realized we had a way to take Tom DeLay and the corruption and the redistricting. And I didn’t know all the details until I saw the film. And when I saw it, I got further excited because it connects the dots with everything that David talks about in his book [Hostile Takeover].... Read more... (5366 bytes more) 1 Comment

Mr. Blackwell and The Hammer Posted by Pete on Friday, November 30, 2007 - 12:22 AM (1179 Reads) Bill Berkowitz November 28, 2007 media transparency.com Two rejected Republican politicians form new "grassroots" organization aiming to challenge Democrats and regain control of Congress When he was not out bashing the leadership of the Republican Party, expressing a desire to "*****-slap" New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, attending David Horowitz's annual Restoration Weekend, promoting his book "No Retreat, No Surrender," or claiming he no longer is interested in holding public office, Tom DeLay made time to meet up with Ken Blackwell and found a new "grassroots" organization aimed at retaking congress in next year's elections. The disgraced former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-TX) who is waiting to stand trial on a number of charges, and former Ohio Secretary of State Kennneth Blackwell who is currently a Senior Fellow for Family Empowerment at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C., a contributing writer for Townhall.com and is the Ronald Reagan Distinguished Fellow for Public Policy at Ohio's Buckeye Institute (website), have launched The Coalition for a Conservative Majority (CCM - website). According to the Washington Times, the CCM "will establish chapters in all 50 states, which will be used to lobby lawmakers, coordinate political messages and influence members of the press." Read more... (5632 bytes more) 2 Comments

Bell files lawsuit over campaign donation to Perry Posted by Pete on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 11:59 PM (1184 Reads) Nov. 15, 2007 Governor's rival in '06 election says it violated state law By R.G. RATCLIFFE Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle AUSTIN — Former Democratic gubernatorial nominee Chris Bell on Thursday sued Gov. Rick Perry's political committee, treasurer and the Republican Governor's Association, saying they violated state law when the RGA gave Perry's campaign $1 million last year. A Perry spokesman called the lawsuit "sour grapes" because the governor would not give Bell a job lobbying Congress. An RGA official said the lawsuit is "political posturing." The lawsuit was filed just weeks before the RGA is scheduled to meet in California. Missouri Gov. Roy Blunt is in line to become RGA chairman, but because he faces a tough re-election campaign next year the chairmanship is expected to pass to Perry. Likened to DeLay Bell claims the $1 million donation from the RGA was a part of a scheme to hide donations to the governor from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry. The lawsuit claims the RGA could not legally make the donation because it is not a political action committee and because it had no Texas reporting arm. Read more... (2775 bytes more) comments?

Republicans, Christians and the All-American Politics of Adultery Posted by Pete on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 11:59 PM (1741 Reads) November 17 / 18, 2007 Republicans, Christians and the All-American Politics of Adultery The Scarlet Hypocrites Counterpunch.org By DAVID ROSEN Christian conservative leader Pat Robertson recently endorsed Rudy Giuliani's presidential candidacy. The announcement gained media attention and provoked considerable commentary, but quickly dissipated as Giuliani's protégé in strong-arm deception, Bernie Kerik, faced a 16-count federal indictment. Today, Robertson's endorsement has all but evaporated from public discourse, reflecting its inherent meaninglessness. Robertson's endorsement of Giuliani drew much attention due to the odd-couple nature of their alignment. It was a political marriage few anticipated and exposes the deeper crisis faced by the Republican Party in the wake of the ongoing debacle of both the Bush administration and the Christian right. Robertson's endorsement represents a pragmatist's bet on "who can beat Hillary," thus dropping any pretense to the higher moral calling that, for more than a quarter-century, fueled his opportunistic career. Most remarkable, the two old-time artful dodgers skillfully sidestepped any mention of abortion and gay rights, issues that for Robertson and the Christian right, let alone the other Republican presidential candidates, have been cornerstone concerns during the last two presidential cycles. Equally surprising, no mention of Giuliani's adulterous past found its way into their orgy of backslapping political revelry. The Seventh Commandment states: "Thou shalt not commit adultery." [Exodus 20:14] Nathaniel Hawthorne published "The Scarlet Letter" in 1850. In this classic American gothic tale, the central character, Hester Prynee, gives birth to Pearl, her out-of-wedlock daughter, and refuses to name the father. Set against a grim background of the later-17th century New England witchcraft trials, Hester is found guilty of adultery and forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her chest. One can only wonder why, as the electoral season gets underway, Giuliani and other Republican worthies are not being forced by their devout Christian supporters to wear Hester Prynee's scarlet "A"? Read more... (10022 bytes more) 4 Comments

He's taken on politicians, criminals with mixed success. Posted by Pete on Sunday, November 18, 2007 - 11:59 PM (1386 Reads) Travis DA Earle has spent decades jousting with powerful, dangerous He's taken on politicians, criminals with mixed success. By Laylan Copelin AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF Sunday, November 18, 2007 The question is put to Ronnie Earle: In his 31 years as Travis County's district attorney, what was his finest moment? The phone line goes silent. Uh-oh. This might take awhile. Earle, who's known to ruminate over decisions great and small, has been thinking a lot about the past three decades and what's next for him. At 65, Earle is weighing whether to pursue criminals and investigate politicians for another four years or to retire, possibly to a life of writing, relaxing and speaking. Possibly a run for governor in 2010. Retirement keeps his options open; running for re-election is a four-year commitment because resigning in midterm would let the governor, not the voters, name Earle's replacement. Would-be successors are lining up in the wings, as they did four years ago. (Three of his assistants — Gary Cobb, Rick Reed and Mindy Montford — plus U.S. Magistrate Robert Pitman and First Assistant County Attorney Randy Leavitt are mentioned.) In the past, the wannabes grew old waiting for the popular — and resilient — Democrat to move on. "I never knew he was running for re-election," said Steve McCleery, a longtime chief assistant now in private practice, "until the day after he filed." Read more... (11966 bytes more) 2 Comments

Is Congressman Dreier the Next Larry Craig? Posted by Pete on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 11:52 PM (1189 Reads) Tothecenter.com Opinions By LIONEL ROLFE Is it really possible that California Congressman David Timothy Dreier's 28 year career in the House of Representatives will end next year? Maybe even sooner? Maybe it's only that Hoyt Hilsman, the 57-year-old Pasadena screenwriter who was the first Democrat to decide to run against Dreier, is dreaming. Or is the 55-year-old incumbent, who perhaps dresses like a dandy because he began his working life as a flack for the very conservative Claremont Colleges, really having nightmares that his nearly three decades long politics career is about to end? Is there even a chance that Dreier will go the same way as fellow Republican Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho -- down if not out because his Republican colleagues decided to jettison him? Dreier has not returned any of several calls over the last couple of weeks, so it’s impossible to say what his nightmares are. And Hilsman admits that on the face of it, his challenge is an "uphill battle." The 26th district was gerrymandered specifically for Dreier so that it is 55 percent Republican to 45 percent Democrat among those who state a preference -- and the independents amount to about 20 percent of all the voters in the district. Yet Hilsman is confident he will emerge victorious over Dreier, as well as other Democratic opponents -- a second one, a conservative businessman, has just announced his intentions to run against Dreir as well. Hilsman took $100,000 from his bank account and gave himself a loan when he announced his candidacy. The New York Times announced that as a result, he has more money than any other likely Democratic contender. Read more... (20964 bytes more) 1 Comment

Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches From a Rotting Empire Posted by Pete on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 11:52 PM (1111 Reads) Animal Farm Matt Taibbi Runs With The Wild Beasts Who Run The Country&Mdash;and Other Upstanding Citizens City Paper On-Line Tom Chalkley by Matt Taibbi Matt Taibbi's last book, Spanking the Donkey, with its on-the-campaign-trail first-person narrative and interviews with John Kerry while tripping on mushrooms, rightfully earned him comparisons to Hunter S. Thompson and P.J. O'Rourke. But there's nothing gonzo about the Rolling Stone editor's new collection of political essays, Smells Like Dead Elephants: Dispatches From a Rotting Empire. In fact, if there's any writer whose laurels Taibbi is snatching at, it's Baltimore's own dear H.L. Mencken. His jabs and swipes at the modern-day booboisie are merciless and incisively written, and a pleasure to read from start to finish-as visceral as political commentary gets. Taibbi is very much a disciple of the Russ Smith School of Disgust for the Media Establishment. He spent more than a decade of his salad days living in Central Asia, writing for the Moscow Times, expatriate rag the eXile, and playing pro basketball in Mongolia. When he returned to the States in 2002, he held a few permanent positions before writing a column at Smith's New York Press, a conservative alternative to The Village Voice, that lashed out regularly at the editors of Newsweek, The New Yorker, and other New York media outlets that it saw as cliquish, irresponsible, and too liberal, to put it nicely. Read more... (5547 bytes more) comments?

A Recipe For Republican Recovery Posted by Pete on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 - 11:51 PM (1121 Reads) Nov. 7, 2007 National Review by Jim Geraghty Gloom hangs over Republicans when they think of next year’s elections - but it shouldn’t. The sea change in political fortunes between 2004 and 2006 should not remind Righties only that the winds can change quickly - from a supportive breeze at your back, to a gale-force wind in your face - they should also be reminded that the political landscape can get better fast, too. Next year could be a surprisingly good one for the GOP, though it’s clearly not guaranteed. The party will need good candidate recruitment, message discipline, a clear, unifying agenda, and a bit of good luck. But on a wide variety of fronts, there are pieces of good news that are overshadowed by the mainstream media’s preferred “Democratic-Tsunami Part Two” narrative. Presidency The Democratic party faces a choice: Their field includes one of the most charismatic and likeable figures to come along in politics in a long time, who attracts thousands at every campaign stop, and has generated enormous enthusiasm among young people. It also includes a smooth-talking populist who could go to any red-state district and campaign with the Democrat and help that candidate, whose wife has the rare ‘two-fer’ appeal of being beloved by the hardcore antiwar base, and simultaneously the subject of enormous public sympathy for her fight against cancer. Naturally, the Democrats appear set to nominate the woman who can’t top 50-percent in a head-to-head match-up against Ron Paul. Can Hillary Clinton win a red state? In spite of Howard Dean’s insistence that the party needs a 50-state strategy, and that Democrats should contest as many states as possible, it’s unlikely she’ll put more than a handful of states that voted for Bush in play. Read more... (11335 bytes more) 2 Comments

For Retiring Republicans, Several Explanations Posted by Pete on Wednesday, October 31, 2007 - 12:01 AM (1138 Reads) October 30, 2007 The NewYork Times By CARL HULSE WASHINGTON, Oct. 29 — Deborah Pryce said she was fed up with ugly politics and being separated from her 5-year-old daughter. David L. Hobson is reaching the end of his time at the top of a powerful subcommittee. Ralph Regula will turn 83 in December, and he said he wanted to pass on his political wisdom to students and drive the flashy Thunderbird he had just bought. None of these senior Republicans from Ohio, all of whom have announced plans not to seek another term in the House next year, cite their reduced status in the minority as a major factor in deciding to join the exodus of their party members from Congress. Nor do they mention the bleak prospect that running for re-election could mean spending millions of dollars and toughing out a difficult campaign, only to lose anyway. Yet those factors are there, just beneath the surface, and make it easier to give up a job that they acknowledge is exceedingly hard to quit despite the travel, constituent complaints, constant demands of fund-raising and the all-but-permanent campaign to remain in office. “Obviously, I would rather be in the majority,” said Mr. Regula, who has spent almost 50 years in public service, considering his state and federal offices. “But it is just time.” While the time might be right for Mr. Regula to leave Congress, it is not particularly opportune for his party, which already has an uphill fight to regain control of the House next year. Read more... (5829 bytes more) comments?

Blunt picks fight with chatty House Dems Posted by Pete on Monday, October 29, 2007 - 11:43 PM (1124 Reads) The Hill By Jackie Kucinich October 30, 2007 Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) is criticizing House Democratic leaders for doing what most politicians do best: talking. Blunt has accused Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) of exploiting a longtime House custom that allows senior lawmakers extra time to speak on the House floor during important debates. “In recent months … this privilege has been used not for the rarest of circumstances, but with great frequency,” Blunt wrote in a letter sent to Pelosi and Hoyer on Oct. 23. “It is my hope that this rare courtesy is restored to its original intent in accordance with the customs of the House.” Blunt specifically cited their speeches on the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP), during which Hoyer and Pelosi clocked nearly 30 minutes between them. The rule governing the debate had stipulated a half-hour for each side of the aisle. “The notes of the Parliamentarian do not anticipate the comparatively ‘limitless’ time now used by the Majority nor the frequency of its use,” Blunt wrote. Read more... (2358 bytes more) comments?

DeLay energizes GOP faithful Posted by Pete on Sunday, October 28, 2007 - 06:26 PM (1227 Reads) By Justin Vellucci Pittsburgh TRIBUNE-REVIEW Friday, October 26, 2007 Former Republican House Majority Leader Tom DeLay stood in front of some of Allegheny County's top GOP donors Thursday night and delivered a blunt message appropriate for a man dubbed "The Hammer." "There still is a Republican Party in this country," DeLay said. "And we've got to get our act together and move forward." DeLay told about 85 Republican donors and elected leaders at the Omni William Penn Hotel, Downtown, they need to build a coalition to help a Republican win the White House in 2008 and fix what he called a "busted" judiciary. "If we are going to survive as a party, we have to understand ... it takes social conservatives," he said. "It takes fiscal conservatives. It takes national security conservatives. It takes judicial conservatives." Read more... (2030 bytes more) 2 Comments