Tag Archives: Democratic politics

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Texas governor’s race about to get interesting

OK, here we go. Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis made official Thursday what most folks knew already, that she wants to become the next governor of her state.

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/10/03/wendy-davis-finally-jumps-governors-race/

I’m waiting now to hear more about what she thinks about issues other than a woman’s right to end a pregnancy, which is what vaulted to national fame earlier this year.

She talked in Haltom City about education and about restoring some sense of trust among Texans in their government, that Austin is as interested in rank-and-file Texans as it is in corporate donors and political action groups.

Davis is the one Democrat right now who can wrest control of the governor’s office from Republicans. I’m not suggesting she’ll win in November 2014; she’s just the best Democrat in the field at the moment.

Davis will face a formidable challenge against The Republican Candidate, whether it’s state Attorney General Greg Abbott (the current GOP favorite) or former state GOP chairman Tom Pauken (who’s running as the “true conservative”).

The smart money is pretty smart so far, thinking that Abbott is the prohibitive favorite. Davis now is virtual a shoo-in to be the Democratic nominee.

It’s been a good while since Texans have had an interest-grabbing race for governor. We have one now.

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Impeachment is near? He must be delusional

What in the name of all that is holy is U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., talking about?

Coburn said this week that the U.S. House of Representatives may be close to impeaching President Obama. The president’s policies, said Coburn, have moved him close to the legal requirements needed for impeachment.

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2013/08/22/coburn-obama-a-friend-but-his-actions-nearing-grounds-for-impeachment/

As has been the case with some of the lunacy spouted by Republican members of Congress on this subject, Coburn offered no specific allegation — let alone evidence — of any “high crimes and misdemeanors” that the Obama administration has committed.

Perhaps just as strange as the impeachment talk has become is the source of the latest mutterings, from Tom Coburn, who calls himself a “personal friend” of the president. Indeed, I recall learning once that when Barack Obama entered the Senate in 2005, the grizzled veteran of the place — Sen. Coburn — took him under his wing and showed him the ropes.

Now this kind of talk?

Impeachment never — not ever — should become a political blood sport. And yet the open talk of this activity is emanating from the fruitcake wing of the Republican majority in the House of Reps. One GOP lawmaker, Kerry Bentivolio of Michigan, recently declared that a House vote to impeach the president of the United States would be a “dream come true.”

What utter crap.

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The Donald is back in the political arena

He’s baaaack.

Donald Trump showed up this weekend on the ABC-TV news show “This Week,” and yep, started talking like someone who wants to run for president in 2016.

http://thehill.com/video/campaign/316533-trump-would-spend-whatever-it-takes-to-win-gop-nomination-in-2016

I almost cannot add to the video attached to this blog.

It’s hard to understand why a serious news show would interview someone who is likely to do exactly what he did in 2012: sound like someone who wants to run for the White House but who couldn’t give up his lucrative TV gig, “The Apprentice.”

The Donald is a lot of things: showman, successful businessman, egomaniac … to name just three.

A serious public policy expert he is not.

He said in the interview with ABC that the Republicans have to nominate “the right candidate” to be someone such as Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016.

The Donald is not — and never will be — that candidate.

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Oops not a big deal, for now

Gov. Rick Perry had another one of those ā€œoopsā€ moments this week.

He said he was glad to be in Florida, when in fact he was speaking in New Orleans, the city in, um, Louisiana.

Heā€™s been drawing some of the expected barbs. The lame-duck Republican Texas governor deserves most of the jabs that get tossed his way. This one counts.

http://blog.chron.com/texaspolitics/2013/08/another-rick-perry-oops-moment-on-video/

The problem here is that Perryā€™s campaign for the presidency ā€“ if heā€™s planning another one in 2016 ā€“ hasnā€™t yet gotten off the ground. He hasnā€™t yet officially declared his candidacy. This was a one-stop appearance. It would be different if he were in the midst of a whirlwind campaign, stumping from state to state.

I can recall the 1968 Democratic presidential primary campaign. U.S. Sen. Robert Kennedy launched his campaign in March of that year and began a frenetic 80-day run for the party nomination. He covered a lot of territory in a very short period of time.

An assassin ended that effort, tragically, on June 6.

But I recall one campaign appearance in which he mistakenly said he was in Nevada when he actually was speaking in Nebraska ā€¦ or maybe it was the other way around. Whatever, he got his states mixed up. The crowd corrected him on the spot and he laughed it off with typical RFK good humor.

Rick Perry will need to keep his compass dialed in if heā€™s going to seek the big prize in three years. This first little hiccup doesnā€™t bode for well for what might lie ahead.

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Filner needed to be taught about sexual harassment?

I’ve decided the mayor of San Diego, Calif., who’s already a poster boy for a number of “causes” — such as boorish behavior, juvenile locker room conduct and mistreatment of women — has earned a special place in the Unmitigated Gall Hall of Shame.

His Dishonor, Bob Filner — through his lawyer — says the city needs to pay for his legal defense and his rehabilitation because it failed to provide him with adequate training on how to avoid committing acts of sexual harassment.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/01/bob-filner-sexual-harassment-training_n_3686032.html

When I first heard about that, I thought it was a joke. I thought it might have been a Stephen Colbert gag line, or perhaps something from The Onion — the noted online satire publication. But oh no. It’s the real thing.

Filner, the former Democratic member of Congress and now mayor of the America’s eighth-largest city, says he wasn’t taught about sexual harassment. This grown man doesn’t know that it’s not right to grope female staff members, or tell them they would get along better in the work place if they didn’t wear undergarments, stroke their faces and other body parts in a fashion that women would feel threatened sexually?

Filner faces lawsuits from 10 women and the number may still grow. He needs to quit his job as mayor, but so far says he won’t do that. Instead, he’s entering a two-week rehab — as if a fortnight is enough time to rid him of the demons that cause him to commit such egregious acts against women.

This guy is one sick individual — who doesn’t deserve an ounce of sympathy. He instead deserves to be hounded out of public office.

Hit the road, Mr. Mayor.

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This slug should slither away

Bob Filner is a slug.

Don’t take my word for it. The San Diego mayor has all but described himself that way.

http://www.politico.com/story/2013/07/bob-filner-announcement-sexual-harassment-94815.html?hp=l12

He’s admitted to groping women, saying unbelievably crass things to them, accosting them, making their working lives miserable. He needs to resign his office. But he won’t.

Filner, the former Democratic congressman from southern California, instead says he’ll enter two weeks or rehabilitation to cure himself of theĀ demons that drive him to do these horrible things.

The man doesn’t get it. He doesn’t understand that he no longer can represent his fine city.

Filner is just the latest pol to get himself into some serious political trouble. The other, of course, is Anthony Weiner, the former congressman who’s now running for mayor of New York. I’ve already declared my desire for Weiner to stay in the race and let voters cast him aside — which they should do.

Filner needs to take another course. He’s already in the office. He’s already betrayed the trust of everyone who’s supported him.

Filner needs to go to rehab as a private citizen, try to fix what ails him and perhaps try to reassemble what’s left of his life. And it’s going to take a lot longer than two weeks.

Ā 

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Let the NYC voters decide your fate, Mr. Weiner

Dear Anthony Weiner,

Don’t exit the New York mayoral race because you’ve been caught “sexting” someone after you quit your congressional seat after doing, um, the very same thing.

Yes, you had said you’d changed your ways. You had sought forgiveness from your lovely — and very smart — wife, Huma, who in turn had forgiven you for your naughty behavior.

So here’s the deal, Anthony: Let the voters have their say.

This new revelation about your handle “Carlos Danger” ought to become part of the dialogue among the candidates running for mayor. Why not let character become an issue? You are, after all, seeking to become mayor of arguably the most important city on the planet. The character of the city’s chief executive should be part of the debate.

In my view, NYC voters deserve better than you. But that is their call to make, not mine. I live out here in Flyover Country. However, I do care what New Yorkers think of their mayor.

Let them decide whether they want you to be their city’s public face and risk the possibility of become a laughingstock because they chose someone with your particular proclivity for naughtiness.