PROceedings: Political Research Online

Someone Gets It!

washingtonpost.com: Election Is Now for Bush Campaign

Bush's campaign has an e-mail list totaling 6 million people, 10 times the number that Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean has, and the Bush operation is in the middle of an unprecedented drive to register 3 million new Republican voters. The campaign has set county vote targets in some states and has begun training thousands of volunteers who will recruit an army of door-to-door canvassers for the final days of the election next November.

Click2Houston.com: Driver Crashes Into Highway Divider

HOUSTON -- A man unfamiliar with a west Houston road crashes into a Katy Freeway median early Friday morning.

An official told News2Houston a man become lodged on top of a cement divider after he got lost.

Yet another Squeeze fan site

One of the things I'm thankful for is that George W. Bush is president. Even though I disagree with with him sometimes, God bless him. I hope this boosts morale over there.

Thanks, but something's missing....

This will be my first Thanksgiving without my beloved grandmother, Margie to the world, but "Nana" to me. It all kind of came together in my head on Sunday when we were buying our groceries at Wal-Mart. We were searching for rolls, and I remembered the picture of Nana making biscuits.

We put it up as a display at her funeral. It was the most accurate picture of her ever taken. She's standing in the kitchen of her house in Salem, Virginia with a big smile as she pulled biscuits from a tray. That was the one thing she loved above any material thing in the world, having family over and cooking for them. We spent many a Thanksgiving and Christmas there, gorging ourselves as she bustled around cooking enough to feed an army.

We lost Nana back in February. Her last words to me were incredibly appropriate, "Are you hungry?" She hadn't been able to cook for a few years by that point, but every time she saw me that's what she asked. If I had ever said yes she would have gotten up to fix me something.

So there will be something missing tomorrow. But whenever I feel bad for myself about anything, I remember this story and I know that I should give thanks for being as lucky as I've been.

One of my favorite bands too - Rock 'N Roll Case Study: Doctors Mob

Sam!

Politics1 is showing Sam Texas running for Congressional District 7, currently represented by John Culberson. Off the Kuff has blogged on him before, he likes to run for office.

Thanks for the link!

Gobble Gobble!

This is one of those stupid photos that's going around on e-mail. I love it.

Blogs for Bush has updated their site with a better look and some pretty interesting entries about Gov. Dean and the draft. I personally don't mind draft dodgers. I'm all in favor of the volunteer military and frankly, as a former petty officer, I can tell you I would have had no interest in leading a group of whining cry-baby liberals who would rather be skiing than serving.

I don't like people who lie about it, though.

HoustonChronicle.com: Proposition 12's health care promises turn to dust

The malpractice insurance company that insures about one-third of Texas doctors will lower its malpractice rates by 12 percent...

Congressional Candidate Panders to Slightly Rough

Brenham Banner-Press Online Edition: Candidate No. 6 seeks District 10 position

Devine said 'In Congress, I will be more than a vote, I will be a voice for what is good and what is right. I want to join the ranks of Texas congressional leaders like Tom DeLay, John Culberson, Ron Paul and John Carter so I can bolster their cause and do everything I can to make sure that the future of our children is a bright one -- a future of peace, freedom and prosperity.

I worked as an interpreter on a trip like this once: Russian Sailors Take Time to Enjoy Pearl Harbor's "Spirit of Aloha"

Cook will Not Run for 5th Term in House

Austin- In a statement issued by his office today, Representative Robert L. “Robby” Cook ( D-Eagle Lake) announced his intention to serve out the remainder of his term but will not run for re-election to the Texas House of Representatives. Cook’s current term expires in January 2005 when the 79th Legislature convenes.

“This has been one of the toughest decisions I have ever made.” Cook stated. “I have enjoyed serving in the Texas Legislature and representing the interests of the people of rural Central Texas. I have had the privilege of serving many counties, including Bastrop, Brazos, Burleson, Colorado, Fayette, and Lee Counties and formerly Wharton County.”

"I am proud of the accomplishments we have made over the last 8 years.” Cook continued. “I have had the privilege of working on groundbreaking water legislation on behalf of my constituents including Senate Bills 1 and 2 and the historic LCRA/SAWS legislation that I believe will be a model for the future.”

“In addition to the many things we have accomplished together, I have made great friendships during my tenure in the Texas Legislature and will always cherish the years I have spent in service to the great State of Texas and it’s people. However, as I see my children growing older, I know that I need to concentrate on my family and that is where my time should be spent”

Representative Cook has been a public servant for over a decade, first as a City Council member, then as Mayor of Eagle Lake and finally as State Representative.

“I would like to sincerely thank the citizens of my district for the opportunity they have given me to serve them.” Cook concluded. “My heartfelt thanks to my staff for their dedication and professionalism in their service to the people of District 17. Finally, I cannot thank my family enough for their continuing love and support.”

Rob Note: Story via Quorum Report - This is a possible R pickup in the state House.

The picture at this link uses a word that my mother won't like. But Bob will think that it's funny. So Bob, you go look. Mother, don't!

Conservative Crack-Up

Brenham Banner-Press: Fifth GOP files for U.S. House seat

Welcome to Houston

If you're new to Houston, good to have you here. One thing you should know, the feeder road (service road) on Beltway 8 going under I-10 floods. It's a retention pond, it's meant to flood. Don't try to drive through it. That flood gauge that says there's 10 feet of water there, it's not a mistake. There's really 10 feet of water there.

Update: Now there I go again, relying on the ChronicBile for facts. Silly me. I think that's actually Old Katy Road/River. The feeder is the next road up, then the main lanes of Beltway 8.

And oh yeah, if anyone ever suggests to you that you build something below ground level in Houston, it's not a good idea. There's a reason we don't have basements.

ESR's back...

...from writing The Art of Unix Programming. Now he's blogging again: Armed and Dangerous

Thanks to Instapundit for the link.

Yee Haw!

Man, maybe I'll be getting on the Dean bandwagon! Any Democrat with the guts to stand up to the PC establishment and celebrate his Confederate heritage is ok by me.

Huh? Oh, the poster was fake. Never mind.

Sidenote: It's funny, I remember when it wasn't PC to display the Confederate flag. Now it isn't PC, I guess, to even mention the Confederate flag. For the record, my great-great-grandfather Charles Wesley Moses fought in the Confederate army. I don't own a proper rebel flag, nor do I have a decal on my window, but I did at one time have a "Keep It Flying" bumper sticker with a small picture of the Stars and Bars. I'd have no problem putting it on my car, because I know what I mean by it. I'm proud of my family and their service. I probably have Union soldiers on the other side of the family and I'd be proud of them too.

I Need Sleep

Not being able to think of anything clever or poetic today, I typed in "random
idea" into Google. It brought back a Random Idea Generator:

http://www.situationnormal.com/randomidea.html

Here's the random idea for today:

Super

Pancake

Entangled

At the Diner

Which goes along nicely with this picture posted previously:

Hey You! Don't Read That, Read This!

Thanks to one girl's life for leading me to Bloglines. Now, go read what I like.

Beancounters, Halt!

Commissaries and the Defense Department’s stateside schools are in the crosshairs of Pentagon budget cutters, and military advocates, families and even base commanders are up in arms.

About face! Forward march!

Go back to DC. Go back to your cube in the Pentagon. Negotiate orders for Minot, or Korea, or Diego Garcia. That's your penance.

And lower the price on cigarettes in the commissary, while you're at it. Mr. Secretary, you're in the commissary business and the school business because, in a nutshell, you care for US government indentured servants. Be nice to them.

Thanks for the link, venomous one.

Jon Matthews Update

Southwest Sun: Jon Matthews case report reaches DA

Who Spilled the Beans?

Houston Press: Send in the Election Clowns, Don't worry, they're here

Stevens, ever the gentleman, gracefully conceded after the election, while dyed-in-the-wool anti-rail fanatics are already plotting new schemes to blow up the tracks.

Finally, Some Good News

HoustonChronicle.com: Petition plugs up Brown's drainage fee plan

Exposure?

OK, judging by my referrral logs, lots of folks are finding me when they search for info on the Jon Matthews indictment. There's something that I don't quite understand:

"There was exposure, but not contact with the child, hence the difference between what is alleged as third degree felony indecency with a child by exposure of the genitals and not second degree indecency with a child by contact," said Healy.

If you had told me that Jon Matthews got drunk and had sex with an underage girl, well, I could believe that. The "she told me she was 18" defense is pathetic, but we men are weak when it comes to matters of the flesh. So, he would have to pay the legal consequences of that and should lose his job. But that's not what's alleged...

If you told me Jon Matthews got into an argument with some neighbors and mooned them, well that would make some sense. It's juvenile and stupid, but heck, I was in the Navy and saw plenty of grown men behaving like morons. I was even one of them. But I don't think a grand jury would be brought in for allegations of a mooning...

They want us to believe that Jon Matthews exposed his "genitals" to a child. That's just plain bizarre. I know there are people who get off on that sort of thing, but if Jon was one of them, wouldn't he have been caught before this? So, he decided to do this for the first time in his life at the age of 59? Or he's been doing it for years and got away with it? That's just weird and none of it makes sense.

Finally, he lives in the city of Sugar Land. His street was published previously and that whole street is within the city limits. Why is the Fort Bend County legal structure charging him and not city of Sugar Land? A lawyer might know a good answer to that one, but this layman doesn't see one.

Thanks for Visiting My Site!

RCWDP.RU

Now get back to work! You're on my taxpaying dime! (PS - Cy doesn't still work there, does he?)

This is an inside thing that most of you all won't get. Bob will.

Hell Hath No Fury...

http://www.congressmanswife.com

King Jon

HoustonChronicle.com: Radio's Matthews charged with child indecency

I've been a loyal listener to Jon Matthews ever since I moved back to Houston and have had the good fortune to meet him. I still cannot believe that this is true and I've got to stick by my guy. If loyalty is a character flaw, then I'm guilty. King Jon, if you're reading this, when you're found not guilty, I'll trumpet it all over these pages.

Click2Houston.com - Editorials - Metro Vote (11/10/03)

Congressman John Culberson meddled with the ballot language to make passage of the bonds tougher. He also asked for a federal investigation into Metro's financial projections.

1. He compelled Metro to let us know what we were actually voting on (and wasn't that a surprise!?).


2. He asked a federal attorney if there is a law that protects voters from fraud by government officials.

You Wanna Filibuster? Fine.

A site devoted to the upcoming marathon to try and get some judges confirmed: JusticeForJudges.com

Election Law Links

http://www.txed.uscourts.gov/

Votelaw

electionline.org Home Page

Election Law

Reading these is almost as much fun as sticking needles in your eyes!

It's a Process Question

HoustonChronicle.com: ESlate voting proves smooth, not flawless

These two incidents reported in the paper as being ESlate-related are not exactly ESlate problems.

Greater True Light Baptist Church, a northeast Houston polling site, did not open until about 9 a.m. An election worker there had difficulty setting up the equipment, and did not call for help quickly enough, Kaufman said.

Workers were entering incorrect information into the machines that assigned the wrong ballots to voters. David Puckett, who showed up shortly after 7 a.m., at first registered his vote on a piece of paper, but returned later to cast an eSlate ballot, concerned his initial vote might not be counted.

So True...

From Campaign War College

“Every morning in Africa a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the fastest lion… or…it will be killed.

Every morning a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle… or… it will starve to death.

It doesn’t matter if you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up… you better be running.

Slightly Rough Exclusive! Shocking News!

Light Rail Actually Defeated!

Well, in Montgomery County...

Good Game

I was taught by every coach I ever had that after the game you went and shook the other guys' hands and said "good game." I was taught not to be a sore loser or a sore winner.

That's hard to do with regards to yesterday's METRO vote. We had the local daily distorting the truth and attacking my friends. The taxpayers (like me) funded a lot of the pro-METRO advertising. We had yard signs stolen on a large scale.

However, that's the sore loser in me and I'll get over it. I'll hope you'll forgive me venting. We got beat because we didn't work hard enough or smart enough. So, to the folks on the other side, here's my hand. Good game.

Light Rail Thought

Just a quickie, I'm putting up Vote NO on Metro signs at different locations around town.

How many of you all knew that the METRO proposal was for 73 miles of rail before Congressman Culberson took action? How many thought we were voting on 22 miles, or 35, or some other number?

Note: I had typo'd earlier and written 77 miles. My defense? It's awful hard to keep track of what the proposal actually is.