Texas Kaos - Front Page

Will Republicans Wear White Sheets

Libby Shaw — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 04:47:27 GMT

to the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee Hearings for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor tomorrow? Based on the questions posed to Ms. Sotomayor by Republicans, when coupled with the hateful right wing ad below, I believe my question is completely legitimate. Senator John Cornyn is indeed in total lock step with Senator Sessions' right wing racist fringe of the GOP. Cornyn continues to beat Ms. Sotomayor's comment about "Latina woman" like a dead horse. And yet, during the...

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There they go again. Those racist, sexist, anti-intellectual Republicans

Libby Shaw — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 03:45:47 GMT

Ok folks, I've had it. I am so over Republican double-talk, double standards and not so thinly veiled racism, sexism and anti-intellectualism. I am completely fed up with the Republican raking of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor over the coals for ridiculous non-existent nonsense. First of all I would like to point out at least one level of hypocrisy and double standard where Sotomayor's Republican naysayers are concerned. Sonia Sotomayor's academic...

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Fourth Estate Falling

liberaltexan — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 00:15:36 GMT

Journalism is an important piece of our democracy: the fourth estate. However, over the last several years both the economy and the rise of technology have had a negative effect on the backbone of journalism: newspapers. Around the country more and more newspapers are in danger of shutting down, even in large markets such as San Francisco. It is also possible that a large city could be without a newspaper in the coming years. Newspapers in major cities have been able to switch to an online only...

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Rally for a robust "public option" in health care reform at Senator Cornyn's office in San Antonio

Blue_in_Guadalupe — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 04:14:36 GMT

If you believe that the "public option" must be included in health care reform then you can make your voice heard to Senator John Cornyn by joining us at his office at the corner of Navarro and Houston at 10am on Thursday, July 23. We are looking for several organizations to participate in this rally for a robust "public option". Last week's event brought out the press from 4 TV stations, a couple of radio stations and the SA Express News. Now is the time to keep the pressure on....

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Midland Hexavalent Chromium Contamination Spreads. Hydraulic Fracture Giant Still Prime Suspect.

TXsharon — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 22:12:33 GMT

Hexavalent Chromium contamination is spreading in the groundwater used by some Midland, Texas residents and environmental investigators say the mounting evidence points to the oil and gas industry. Affected residents say they have proof that hydraulic fracture giant Schlumberger is responsible. Imagine waking up one morning and having no safe water at all. In a recent radio program about Peak Water, Maude Barlow said: The day will come--mark my words--when every single thing we do will be...

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Beginning of the End of Don't Ask Don't Tell

liberaltexan — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:46:15 GMT

Could House Resolution (HR) 1283 end the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" (DADT) policy that has discriminated against gays by not allowing them to serve openly in the military? Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) believes that it should and that it will. HR 1283, which is entitled the Military Readiness Enhancement Act of 2009, would replace "the current policy concerning homosexuality in the Armed Forces, referred to as `Don't Ask, Don't Tell', with a policy of nondiscrimination on the basis of sexual...

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Uh Oh! Our Governor to Campaign with Palin the Quitter

Libby Shaw — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:30:22 GMT

There they go again. The Republicans must be going through an identity crisis b/c the Party's Chair Michael Steele wants Sarah Palin to disappear for awhile. Go fishing, Sarah, please. Apparently some think Sarah has too many personal issues plaguing her right now. Others likely think she's too thin skinned for the foundry called national politics. But our Guv Rick not only wants Sarah to hang around, he said he'd let her campaign with him. Look out Texas!...

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There They Go Again! Those Family Values Republicans

Libby Shaw — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 17:41:06 GMT

can't seem to stop sinning. The husband of U.S. Senator Ensign's (R-NV) mistress tells all. This one is a humdinger. It seems that Ensign's torrid affair started right in his own home with his family around. I'm telling you folks, these Republicans know no shame when it's all about them. If they can show such contempt and disregard for their very own families, how do you think they feel about those they represent? To make things even more...

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Fox News and "Racial Purity"?? Yes They Went There!

lightseeker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 16:19:03 GMT

The Morning Pretty People were discussing a study done in Finland and Sweden which concluded that people who stay married are less likely to suffer from Alzheimer's. Co-host Kilmeade questioned the results, though, saying, "We are -- we keep marrying other species and other ethnics and other ..." Well, see the rest for yourself....

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Wing Nut Alert ! Students Endangered by Religious Right "Experts" UPDATED

lightseeker — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 04:26:54 GMT

Vince over at Capitol Annex has a must read posting about former vice chairman of the Texas Republican Party, wingnut David Barton. Yhis self-educated "historian" has been appointed to the social studies curriculum "expert" panel. Apparently, not satisfied with 'fixing' Science Education back into the dark ages, now our state school board wants to 'fix' the Social Studies Curriculum. I'll let Vince do the line by line rebuttal of the errors, flat out falsifications and general wing...

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Compassion Free Conservatives

Libby Shaw — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:49:14 GMT

Throughout the years, from the Reagan Administration through 2008, we've heard a lot of talk about compassionate conservatism. According to conservative conventional wisdom, it is entirely possible for a state and/or federal government to be fiscally conservative without, at the same time, disenfranchising those who are economically disadvantaged and others who are vulnerable, like the children of the poor. The reality? When conservatives talk about compassion they are...

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The Quarterback I Never Had

liberaltexan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:56:09 GMT

Steve McNair was drafted by the Houston Oilers in 1995 after the worst season since 1982, and the 2-14 record was the worst that I had experienced as a fan. As a kid who was born in Houston, despite also being a fan of the more successful Houston Rockets and the Houston Astros, the Oilers were always my first love. Being a fan of the Oilers built character, or at least that is how I look at it now. Before that losing season every season that I can remember before that the Oilers finished with a...

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Big Insurance Wants YOUR help to Block Competitive Reforms!

lightseeker — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 04:18:24 GMT

A brother blogger sent this along for our consideration. I post first the original email. Seems that BCBS is spending some of its obscene profits to protect future obscene profits. Voice Your Opposition Now to a New Government-Run Health Insurance Plan Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a division of Health Care Service Corporation (HCSC), strongly supports thoughtful health care reform that controls costs, provides all Americans with access to health insurance coverage, and improves the...

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Going With the Flow, Swimming Upstream, or Flopping on the Shore?

liberaltexan — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 23:55:06 GMT

Less than a year ago it was reported that the presumptive Republican nominee for President, Senator John McCain, had chosen Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his nominee for Vice President; the first thought I had after reading those reports was that John McCain had just lost the presidential election. As I watch the press conference in which Palin announced her intention to resign as governor of Alaska the only thought that I had was that this was the second worst political move that I had...

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Religion and American Politics - a New Day? [reformatted]

lightseeker — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 17:58:16 GMT

I have been paying close attention to the role of the Religious Right in politics for over 10 years . I know a little of its history and so I find nothing unusual in having front groups like The Family Research Council and CRAVE (Christians Reviving America's Values) decide that opposing Health Care for all is somehow a family values issue upon which they can pass Biblical judgment. But the fountain of illogic which spews from these sources still takes my breath away: America...

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Weekly Blog Roundup and open Thread!

lightseeker — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 14:35:47 GMT

Now that we've celebrated another birthday for America, it's time for the weekly Texas Progressive Alliance blog roundup. Here are your highlights from the holiday week. Neil at Texas Liberal says that while people went on about Michael Jackson, the U.S. Supreme Court was making it more difficult for black folks to get promoted at work. CouldBeTrue of South Texas Chisme thinks Manuel Ba?ales should recuse himself from all things Mauricio Celis. Off the Kuff takes a look at what happened...

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Happy Fourth of July News

Libby Shaw — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:29:06 GMT

Though it's too hot to grill burgers and dogs outside in Houston's relentless and unbearable heat, except on sidewalks and driveways, this has been a really good holiday weekend for progressives and liberals. On the state front, I am excited to learn that Ronnie Earle, former Texas Attorney General, filed the paperwork to run for office in 2010. Many of us hope that Mr. Earle will throw his hat into the Governor's race. Folks may recall that Ronnie Earle, during...

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Hydraulic Fracture: Your Money or Your Life

TXsharon — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 19:22:48 GMT

Ninety-two percent of the 278 known chemicals used to produce natural gas have adverse health effects including endocrine disruption, neurological disorders and cancer. Chemical information is limited because the industry claims formulas are trade secrets. If, like most Americans, you believe your water, air and soil are protected from these chemicals by federal environmental statutes, you are dead wrong. Loopholes in our federal environmental laws allow the oil and gas industry to...

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Beyond the Pale Hate Talk from the Right

Libby Shaw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 22:01:56 GMT

Who needs to worry about foreign terrorists when we have domestic ones right here at home who are encouraged to spew hate and wish us dead on national cable TV. According to Michael Scheuer who appeared on FOX's Glenn Beck show today: The only chance we have as a country right now is for Osama bin Laden to deploy and detonate a major weapon in the United States. This is absolutely outrageous and unacceptable. Scheuer is the former CIA chief of the Osama bin Laden unit from...

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John Cornyn Out to Kill Health Care Reform: Misleads Houston Doctors

Libby Shaw — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 18:25:12 GMT

According to an article written in the Houston Chronicle this morning, John Cornyn, John McCain and Mitch McConnell met with a group of doctors at the Texas Medical Center in Houston. John Cornyn is apparently on a mission to destroy health care reform by misleading and scaring doctors and patients, alike. According to Cornyn, the evil doer is a non-existent single payer option. "This is where the government option is a competitor but the government's not exactly a fair competitor,"...

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