Barbara Cargill's hyocrisy knows no bounds

Last year, the President gave a routine speech to kids about the importance of education. Long before the speech was made and even before its text was released, many were concerned and downright outraged that the President might exploit the opportunity for the purposes of indoctrinating the nation’s youth with his political opinions. Leading the parade of unfounded paranoia was our very own State Board of Education member, Barbara Cargill (R-The Woodlands). Cargill was quoted extensively in the press and appeared on at least one national news media outlet to voice her concerns regarding what she perceived as an attempt by the President to politicize the classroom. When the speech was given, all of these "concerned" parents and Republican elected officials looked like a bunch of fools, but not one of them offered an apology. However, it turns out that when it comes to politicizing the classroom and indoctrinating students, Barbara Cargill is an expert.

Over the past few days, the eyes of the world have been on Texas as Cargill and a “bloc” on the State Board of Education have rewritten social studies curriculum to fit their personal ideology at the expense of factual history. After all, why should students have to learn about Thomas Jefferson when they could be learning about real figures of historical significance like Phyllis Schafly instead? The ultimate hypocrisy is that Cargill doesn’t even try to hide that her own politics are playing a role in decisions that should be made by objectively considering historical events and their value in educating our students. When questioned by Fox News, Cargill stated, “We are all elected officials. We can’t help but bring politics into it.” And that my friends, makes Barbara Cargill a big hypocrite. Last fall, she was apocalyptic about the thought of an elected official injecting politics into the classroom, though that elected official gave her absolutely no reason to believe that it was his intention. Now, we have Cargill openly admitting that her goal is to inject politics into the classroom and that she can't help it because after all, she's just a political hack. Well, I can't help but voting for someone else on election day. It is unfortunate that Ms. Cargill seems to think that representing her political party is a higher priority than representing the students and parents in her district, but it seems to go to the core of who she is.

Kevin Brady urges "tooth and nail" fight against healthcare

The Fear-Monger from the 8th Congressional District is taking to the Town Hall trail once again. This time, in a last ditch effort to kill healthcare reform legislation and ostensibly hobble President Obama's first term agenda.

Like many concerned citizens, I attended several of Kevin Brady's dog and pony town halls this past summer. They were all open to the public and Brady's handlers did call on several constituents who were in support of some sort of reform. But, the events might as well have been only open to card-carrying Republicans, because they were the only ones Brady was talking to. The misinformation and half-truths he peddled were only meant to reinforce the unfounded scare tactics they had already embraced.

But now, Kevin Brady doesn't even pretend to represent all of his constituents. Today at lunch, I got an email from his office saying he would hold a Town Hall the next morning at 10:00 am at "Tea Party Headquarters."

The badly written email goes on to state:

"As Democrats in Congress seek to jam through a government takeover of health care, it is very important that Congressman Kevin Brady hears from his constituents and educates them with the pertinent details."

That's right. Kevin Brady finally admits that the people he really considers to be his constituents are the Tea Partiers, a fringe element at best. He doesn't care to hear from anyone else, especially someone who might challenge him, because his mission is not to listen to all of the people he represents so that he can be their voice, as the Constitution intended. No, as it says above, his mission is to "educate" his constituents, to indoctrinate them to his failed and worn out ideology.  As the United States Congress begins to finally implement some semblance of health insurance reform, albeit somewhat flawed, these are the people that Kevin Brady wishes to converse with:

The history of our country is marked by our successive triumph over one challenge after another.  As a country, we've faced many questions. Should the government regulate the quality of our water, our air, our food, and our medication? Should we have a pension fund to guarantee seniors a retirement? Should we offer affordable health insurance to seniors and the poor? Should workers be able to come together and negotiate for better wages and better working conditions? Are all of our citizens entitled to protection against discrimination? These are just but a few of the challenges we have grappled with in the past century. In each instance, there is a group that turns out to be on the right side of history and there is a group that is on the wrong side of history. The modern Republican Party has consistently been on the wrong side of history and that is exactly where they are today.

Kevin Brady isn't fooling anyone by saying he disagrees with this legislation as a matter of principle. In fact, it's a pretty moderate/centrist piece of legislation. But that doesn't matter. Kevin Brady will fight anything that the President proposes, save a bill to name the Panther Creek Post Office after Kevin Brady. He's now demonstrated that he'll even abandon most of his constituents to employ a fringe group to do his bidding.

When this era goes down in history, which side of it will you be on? Will you be able to tell your grandchildren that you stood up for a healthcare system that works? Or will you have to admit that you were played like a fiddle by the Kevin Bradys of the world?

Kevin Brady, Big Business, et. al. vs. Science

The comedian from the 8th Congressional District, Kevin Brady, is at it again. This jokester has been making us laugh (until we cry) on his opposition to the cap and trade legislation for some time now. Now he is co-sponsoring legislation to block the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) ability to regulate deadly CO2 emissions in Texas. Thumbing his nose at the facts and science, Brady jumps right on the GOP bandwagon. Who cares if the fate of the planet is in the balance, we have to do what's right for bit-ness, today! Brady is doing everything he can to ensure that whoever is left standing (if anyone is) can truly call our era The Age of Stupid.

 The punchline, though, is the last section of the statement. We are so used to legalized bribery, these guys don't even bother hiding it anymore.

From Congressman Kevin Brady:

EPA Tries to End-Around Congress on Cap & Trade
Brady moving to block agency from killing jobs, driving up energy prices in Texas

Washington, D.C. - U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady (R-TX) will soon introduce legislation with fellow Texan Joe Barton to block the Environmental Protection Agency from imposing devastating greenhouse gas restrictions without approval of Congress. The controversial global warming cap and trade proposal has stalled in the Senate as the American public has grown increasingly skeptical of global warming and increasingly vocal against higher energy and fuel costs which will result. “I won’t stand by while unelected bureaucrats try to circumvent the will of the people who strongly oppose this job-killing cap and trade scheme”, said Brady, who fought the bill when House Democrats rushed it through the House this past summer. “The White House has failed to win support by Congress so they are attempting to force it through the back door which will drive up energy prices and kill hundreds of thousands of good paying Texas jobs in energy, chemical manufacturing, paper and steel mills and agriculture.”  Brady’s effort to block the EPA is supported by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, National Association of Manufacturers, American Petroleum Institute, National Association of Homebuilders, FreedomWorks and the Farm Bureau.

The Return of the Texas Two Step

Or as they are more commonly known in the wonkish world of local politics; "precinct conventions." The precinct convention, was to many voters, a first time experience in 2008. It was the year that we learned while some states have a "caucus" and some states have a vote to determine presidential selection, Texas has to be all special and have both. It was that historical turnout in 2008 that prompted many Democrats to demand an end to the concept of a precinct convention as an old, antiquated, throwback from the backroom politics of yesteryear. Others just complained that filling out all of those forms was just too much trouble.

But, as it turns out, the precinct convention serves a vital role for party organization and for a stronger democratic process. Everyone that showed up in 2008 signed in and provided contact information.  Many went on to the county convention and some to the state convention, all the while meeting fellow Democrats that lived in their community. Much of the organization and efficient communication that our local party utilizes today stems directly from the 2008 Precinct Convention data and resultant network of activists. We may be a minority, but we are at least an organized minority. It's hard to believe that in the age of Facebook, a bi-annual 30 minute meeting can be seen as an important organization tool, but it is.

Aside from the political perspective, participating in your local precinct convention is engaging in democracy in its purest form. By voting and then showing up, you have a voice in what the Democratic Party stands for. Those that don't bother to show up don't have that voice. You can introduce and vote on resolutions that may ultimately make their way all the way to a national convention. These resolutions can amend the party platform, amend party rules, urge Democratic elected officials to take a certain position, or honor someone. Burnt Orange Report has a great post on this subject if you are planning to submit a resolution. You'll also be voting on delegates that will represent your precinct at the county convention and maybe at the state convention. These delegates will cast votes on your behalf on important issues. It's also always interesting to meet and network with neighbors you never suspected as being a Democrats!

Lastly, it's just the right thing to do. Everytime I go to the airport, I have to take off my shoes and belt. While some people gripe, I feel proud and patriotic -- it's the least I can do for the common good. It's the same feeling I get after voting and after participating in a precinct convention. Spending a negligible amount of time making my voice heard is the least I can do for the millions of men and women who have died so that we may have such a privilege.

So, put on your boots and get ready for the Texas Two Step. It starts on Tuesday, March 2nd at 7:15 pm at your local precinct polling location. You must have voted in the 2010 primary to participate.

Congressman Kevin Brady Continues to Embarrass

Yet again, our member of Congress from Montgomery County has continued to be an embarrassment to his constituents, and demonstrated that he's sticking to the principle of carrying water for large corporate interests. Earlier today the House of Representatives voted by an overwhelming 406-19 margin to end the special exemption that health insurance companies have from the federal anti-trust laws. One would think that an advocate of market solutions to problems would endorse the idea of giving the consumers more choice in markets. After all, health insurance is the only major industry aside from major league baseball where this sort of market rigging is allowed. (Not that the 'insurance market' really fits the standard economics model for a market in that it plagued with the problem of adverse selection.) Mr. Brady is the former head of the local chamber of commerce and has championed such 'free market' proposals as the Central American Free Trade Agreement. Every Democrat voted in favor along with 153 Republicans, but Brady was one of 19 Republicans who took the position that the federal government should come down on the side of allowing the companies to keep their special privileges. Shame on Congressman Brady for yet again showing how out of touch with the concerns of people struggling to find affordable health insurance coverage for members of their family. Perhaps his values are actually more like those of the national Chamber of Commerce, which typically peddles whatever position its highest paying benefactors want.

The Courier: Did political brawl get physical?

Did political brawl get physical?

By Howard Roden, www.thecourier-online.com
Updated: 02.02.10
NEW CANEY – The verbal flare-up between Ed Rinehart and Monte Lane at the end of the East Montgomery County candidates forum Monday night may prove to be round one in a bitter fight for Precinct 4 county commissioner.

Lane, one of three challengers seeking to unseat Rinehart in his bid for a fourth term, filed complaints with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office alleging Rinehart’s son Will threatened him with physical violence, then “knocked” Lane’s 16-year-old daughter from an aisle and into several seats at the New Caney High School auditorium.

Lane claims the collision was intentional and resulted in a 4-inch bruise on his daughter’s right thigh.

“I didn’t know about it until I was walking out to my van,” Lane said. “If I had assaulted (Ed) Rinehart’s daughter, I’d be in jail right now. Because of who he is, he (Will Rinehart) got a free pass. He was escorted to his car.”

Ed Rineheart declined comment. However, Marc Davenport, Rinehart’s campaign spokesman, said Monte Lane’s allegations were “totally contrived,” and that 6-foot-4, 230-pound Will Rinehart would never intentionally hurt a child.

Davenport said he personally saw Lane’s children pushing their way up the aisle in order to reach the lobby outside the auditorium.

“To the best of his knowledge, he (Will Rinehart) had no contact with them. They (the Lane children) were doing the pushing,” said Davenport, who added that this was the worst incident of using a child since “Balloon Boy.”

“He (Will Rinehart) didn’t know anything about the accusation until he was well into the lobby,” Davenport said. “Monte Lane should be ashamed.”

Lane, who has three daughters and a son, disputed that version. He said his daughter was working her way up the aisle to join her 11-year-old sister in a reception line in the lobby.

“She told the crowd, ‘Excuse me, excuse me,” Lane said. “I don’t know if it was because she was wearing a Monte Lane T-shirt or he knew she was my daughter, but he lunged into her with a shoulder.”

Lane filed a report on both incidents with MCSO Patrol District 3 later that night, Chief Deputy Randy McDaniel said. The report will be assigned to a detective for further investigation, and then forwarded to the District Attorney’s Office to determine whether charges are warranted, McDaniel said.

The Courier submitted a Freedom of Information request Tuesday with the Sheriff’s Office for a copy of the incident report.

The two-hour forum hosted by the East Montgomery County Concerned Citizens was relatively benign until Ed Rinehart delivered his speech. Each of the candidates were allotted five minutes, but Rinehart kept reading his prepared text even after forum moderator and Precinct 4 Constable Kenneth “Rowdy” Hayden declared Rinehart had run out of time.

“You can’t physically make them quit talking,” said Hayden, vice president of Concerned Citizens. “There were several candidates that went over their (five-minute) limit.”

Lane claimed Rinehart spoke for an extra three minutes, while Davenport said his candidate spent a little more than six minutes in front of the microphone.

“If he could go an extra minute, I had the right to finish my comments,” Lane said.

As Rinehart and the other Precinct 4 candidates – Hank Murray and Clarence Quinn – left the stage, Lane grabbed the microphone and told the crowd Rinehart was in Las Vegas when Hurricane Ike hit Southeast Texas in September 2008. Rinehart yelled at Lane to get off the stage and “quit crying.”

Lane said Will Rinehart then threatened him with physical violence, a claim Davenport denies on behalf of the younger Rinehart.

“The whole incident is totally contrived,” Davenport said.

My fear is retaliation,” Lane said.

Hayden and County Judge Alan B. Sadler said tension was high between the Rinehart and Lane supporters after the forum, which had around 300 attendees. Sadler, who participated in the forum, said there was “ample security” provided by the Sheriff’s Office and Precinct 4 Constable’s Office.

“Their presence prevented any escalation,” Sadler said.

The bitter feud between Lane and Rinehart that goes back to the 2006 election when the incumbent Ed Rinehart won in a runoff didn’t sit well with the other two candidates in the race.

Quinn said Lane’s remark after the end of Rinehart’s speech was “distasteful” and that Rinehart’s reaction was “unprofessional.

“I don’t believe in that type of politics,” Quinn said.

Hank Murray, who also ran against Rinehart in 2006, opposes the mudslinging tactics.

“It’s too upsetting,” he said.

Shami doesn’t recall elected officials Conroe Courier News Houston Community Newspapers Online - News Around Town

Source: www.thecourier-online.com

Updated: 01.29.10
AUSTIN (AP) – A Democrat running for Texas governor couldn’t name the state’s comptroller, attorney general or his own representatives during a newspaper editorial board meeting, the Austin American-Statesman reported Friday.

Farouk Shami, a Houston hair care magnate who resides in The Woodlands and is making his first run for office, was asked a series of questions about Texas government during the Thursday meetings.

Asked whether he could name the state comptroller, Shami said, “Not at this point.” Republican Susan Combs is the comptroller.

Asked who the attorney general is, Shami answered that he knows who is running: “Barbara” and “Ted Cruz.”

Republican Greg Abbott is attorney general and is running for re-election. Barbara Ann Radnofsky is a Democratic candidate for attorney general. Ted Cruz is a Republican who last year announced his intention to run but never filed.

Asked to name his state representative and state senator, Shami answered that his representative is Senfronia Thompson and his senator is Sylvester Turner.

Although Shami, 67, has factories and his corporate headquarters in Houston’s Harris County, he’s registered to vote in bordering Montgomery County. Neither Thompson nor Turner represents Montgomery County. Turner, who like Thompson is a Houston Democrat, is a state representative.

“I’m a good reader,” Shami said. “I follow politics nationally and internationally and locally all the time ... I’ve been watching it — not inside it.”

Republicans Tommy Williams and Rob Eissler are the respective state senator and representative in The Woodlands.

Shami campaign manager Vince Leibowitz called the meeting “a police interrogation.”

“Many Texans don’t know the answers to these questions,” he said. “The Statesman is trying to make Farouk Shami look like a rube when he really is not.”

White opens campaign office in Beaumont


BEAUMONT – Bill White for Texas opened a new campaign headquarters in Beaumont Thursday afternoon.

White is a Democratic candidate for governor and will face a primary March 2.

Ashlea Graves, White’s Southeast Texas Regional Field Director, said the new office for Southeast Texas adds momentum to the campaign with just 32 days left until the primary.

Corporate takeover of elections can be stopped with clean elections.

This from the Montgomery County Democratic Party:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 29, 2010

Rep. Kevin Brady fails to support Fair Elections Now Act

Even after the recent Supreme Court decision, Brady still doesn’t advocate a level playing field for elections.

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS – A recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court has increased the urgent need to enact federal legislation to curb the corporate influence that exists in elections for public office. One such bill, the Fair Elections Now Act (H.R. 1826) was introduced in 2009 and has 128 co-sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, including six members of the Texas congressional delegation. Unfortunately, U.S. Representative Kevin Brady (R – The Woodlands) is not one of them.

“The recent court decision is an example of egregious judicial activism.  It opens the door for corporate takeover of our government, undermining the voices of ordinary citizens. Congress should act swiftly to restore our democracy and it is regrettable that Rep. Brady has failed to support the Fair Elections Now Act, which would do just that,” said Adrienne Cadik, chair of the Montgomery County Democratic Party.  

“This bill, which is supported by the non-partisan Texas League of Women Voters, would set up a publicly financed system of elections that would lower the cost of elections, minimize the influence of special interests, allow challengers to compete with career incumbents, and overall create a level playing field,” said Cadik.

Brady, who has been in Congress since 1996, raised over $930,000 from political action committees in the 2006 and 2008 election cycles alone, according to www.opensecrets.org.

Elected officials from all parts of the political spectrum, from President Obama to Senator John McCain, have expressed their disdain for the Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission. In his dissenting opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote, “the Court's opinion is thus a rejection of the common sense of the American people, who have recognized a need to prevent corporations from undermining self government since the founding, and who have fought against the distinctive corrupting potential of corporate electioneering since the days of Theodore Roosevelt.”

We call on Rep. Brady put the interests of the constituents of this congressional district ahead of all else and support H.R. 1826.

###

Woodlands Township News

Woodlands Citizens, The Woodlands Township Government began officially January 4, 2010.

This note is to communicate several things though primarily the Town Hall Meeting for The Woodlands Township. Please see below:

1. Road Update:
a. Woodlands Parkway eastbound will be open before mid-February.
b. The cable work is finished on the Woodlands Parkway westbound portion of the road and full construction should start. Work will be completed in 4-6 months.
c. Research Forest Drive widening should be started this year but a final schedule is not available.
d. The contract to expand the Park & Ride in Sterling Ridge from 200 to 1,200 vehicles should be issued soon.
2. Energy Savings Idea:
Local electric utility companies offer a free audit and some energy savings improvements to help you reduce your consumption of electricity. Qualified customers can arrange to have it done by contacting them at www.freelightingcorp.com or 866-484-3519.
3. The Woodlands Township to hold Town Hall Meeting

THE WOODLANDS, TEXAS (January 14, 2010) – The Woodlands Township Board of Directors will hold a Town Hall Meeting from 7 to 9 p.m. on Wednesday, January 27, 2010 at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. The meeting is open to the public, and residents and businesses are encouraged to attend.“The Woodlands Township Town Hall Meeting will address 2010 initiatives and allow residents and businesses the opportunity to provide feedback to The Woodlands Township Board of Directors,” said Chairman of the Board Nelda Blair. Free parking for the meeting will be available at the Town Center Garage at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The fourth floor of the garage is connected via skywalk to The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center. The meeting will begin promptly at 7 pm and will conclude by 9 pm. For the latest news and information on The Woodlands Township government, please call 281-210-3800 or visit www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.
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Celebrating an historic moment, one year later.

As the summer of 2008 drew to a close, Montgomery County residents found themselves cleaning up the aftermath of the landfall of a major hurricane.  The gale force winds treated pine trees like toothpicks, downed limbs big and small, and ensured we'd be without electricity for nearly two weeks. But as the electricity came back on and life returned back to normal, it seemed the winds had stirred up something more substantial.

The Montgomery County Democratic Party opened it's headquarters on Frazier Street when the power came back and within days, the place had taken on a life of it's own. It was an energy driven by a deluge of new volunteers, who came from a place we would soon learn to love; "the wood works." People who had never before been involved, were soon knocking on doors, manning phones, and stuffing envelopes. We didn't just phone Montgomery County, we dialed into key battleground states around the country, directed through the Obama campaign's virtual phone bank tool. One volunteer who had lived abroad described the office as "the embassy," a friendly haven surrounded by a foreign ideology. The weeks flew by as the volunteers worked away and Hurricane Ike was replaced by an economic storm that would affect everyone in the world. As election day drew near, all eyes were on the presidential election.

We put away the call lists and door hangers and turned our headquarters into a party room. Two projector screens were brought in; one to broadcast live coverage and the other to display the latest election results on races all around the country. As the polls closed, the place started to fill up. Soon, tents had to be pitched in the parking lot to house the overflow of revelers. Each time Senator Obama took a state, a roar would erupt that could be heard for blocks around. To say that the energy in the room was palpable would be an understatement. The place was on fire! As the Illinois Senator neared the crucial number of electoral votes, a man tapped me on the shoulder and asked that I pour a bottle of champagne on his head at the exact moment the announcement was made.

Although the trend of the polls had been known for weeks and the outcome of the election was generally expected, I cannot describe the feeling that raced through me as those words were spoken by CNN's Wolf Blitzer: "CNN can project that Barack Obama, 47 years old, will be the president-elect of the United States." I poured the champagne and watched as tears poured out of one woman's eyes. Another woman could only mutter, "Oh my God." A Republican official stood near the front door, a look of absolute shock on his face. The rest of the crowd was elated to say the least. County Chair Adrienne Cadik took to standing on an actual chair to address the crowd and thank them for their hard work. "This is one of the most exciting moments of my life," she said.

I reflect back on that moment today because we are nearing the anniversary of President Obama's first year in office. To me, that moment in the headquarters on election night was more than just the culmination of a lot of hard work, though I realize that our efforts locally ultimately didn't contribute to the awarding of any electoral votes to President Obama. That moment was the culmination of an election where Democrats in this county finally felt ok to come out from hiding. After decades of being a silent minority, we made our voices heard. People that were before afraid to advertise their politics in this county with an abnormal density of Republicans, now proudly slapped on a bumper sticker and mounted a yard sign. In a county that voted for George Wallace in 1968, nearly 37,000 voters cast a vote for Barack Obama. Ultimately, we experienced a mere 2% gain the democratic performance, but at least it was moving in the right direction.

Now, after a year of an Obama Presidency, we will again come together to celebrate. We'll be celebrating a great moment in American history which we helped make possible, but we'll also be celebrating a moment in our own local history; a moment when Montgomery County Democrats came together to stand tall.

I hope that you will join me at the MCDP Headquarters Friday, January 22nd at 6:30 pm  as we come together to recall our experiences and have a good time again. We'll be watching a movie, having some snacks, and offering several pieces of Obama memorabilia as door prizes. Come on out and let's see if we can get some energy flowing again!