Barbara Ann Radnofsky has launched a new website, at www.barbaraann2010.com . I like it.
Also, the web video is creative and gets the point across. So far, Radnofsky is the only major Democrat in the race for Attorney General. Many of you may remember Radnofsky, who delivered the keynote address at the 2008 County Convention. She is an excellent candidate and deserves our support.
Montgomery County Republican stalwart Melinda Fredricks has lost her bid to be chair of the Republican Party of Texas. In a vote of the State Republican Executive Committee (SREC) yesterday, Cathie Adams was elected chair by a vote of 36 to 25. Adams will serve until the state convention in June, when she will have the opportunity to be elected by the larger body of delegates.
Fredricks, whose is a former SREC member and wife of The Courier Publisher Jim Fredricks, represented the lesser of the right wing fringe in the nomination battle. The vote on Saturday reflects something profound about the state of affairs in the RPT. It tells us that there is an intra-party struggle taking place between the far right wing and the not-so-right wing. The election of Adams undoubtedly tells us who will win that fight. Adams is currently the president of the fringe conservative group, Texas Eagle Forum. That alone speaks volumes. Instead of selecting someone who may have governed with some sense of practicality, the SREC has literally selected the Texas version of Phyllis Schafly.
If you aren't familiar with Cathie Adams or the Eagle Forum group, you need not look far to find out what she is all about. The last tweet on her Twitter page is linking to a YouTube video that suggests that President Obama is seeking to form a communist world government by signing the global climate change treaty in Copenhagen. Here is her bio from the Texas Freedom Network:
Cathie Adams Longtime leader of the Texas Eagle Forum, one of the religious right’s most extremist advocacy groups, Adams has argued for dropping children from the Children’s Health Insurance Program when they turn nine years old to prevent them from using health insurance to access family planning. Adams also has supported efforts to water down the discussion of evolution in biology textbooks and to censor information on contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases in high school health textbooks.
We won't really know for sure until June, but if Adams remains as RPT Chair, this will represent a pivotal moment for the RPT. It may just end up being the moment in time when the metaphorical nail was driven into the metaphorical coffin of the RPT.
Lately it seems that Kevin Brady is earning a semi-permanent spot in the Fox "News" echo chamber. Appearing with Bill Hemmer on "America's Newsroom", Brady cited the recent jump in unemployment figures as absolute proof that the federal stimulus package is totally ineffective. Maybe Brady needs to be reminded that economic stimulus is not instantaneously effective. In this recession, as with past recessions, job loss is a symptom that comes later in the downturn and is usually the last indicator to improve. But those sorts of facts would just get in the way of Brady's performance.
Then Mr. Brady decides to show off his economics degree (that's a joke). He claims that "Washington" represents an "invisible hand" that is impeding industrial progress. How can this be, you might ask? Is this the same Washington that passed a historical $787 billion dollar stimulus package that is making investments all over the country? Ah, Mr. Brady explains, it's because business owners are petrified of the federal government to the point that they cannot transact business.
"Businesses are delaying investment decisions because they fear Washington." "Businesses aren't willing to risk those dollars and those decisions in a very uncertain government climate."
I guess all of that fear of investment can be evidenced in the steady increase in the secondary markets this year. Since bottoming at a 12-year low March 9th, the S&P 500 has gained 51.2%, and the Dow has gained 45% as of Friday's close. After hitting a six-year low, the Nasdaq has gained nearly 61% (CNN). Again, those pesky facts are just not a fan of Mr. Brady.
Despite evidence to the contrary, if businesses are really holding back out of some unspecified "fear", they aren't warranted in doing so. The nature of our free market system is that there are inherent risks everywhere. Those risks include uncertainty, which is manifested in many ways, the least of which is government regulation. Good businesses will deal with it, account for it, or in some cases capitalize on it.
Brady: "Right now, what I think Washington is doing, is scaring the heck out of small businesses."
Actually, the only one giving anyone a reason to be scared is Mr. Brady and is GOP cronies. They have been ginning up fear by spreading lies and delusional paranoia on just about every initiative that the Obama Administration has proposed. Whether it's consumer protection to prevent another economic mess, better access to healthcare, or a speech to kids about staying in school, Kevin Brady has been right there drumming up wild accusations that have no basis in reality or the truth. And now he wonders why some business owners have expressed concern?
I guess when all else fails, just blame it on the "invisible hand". To anyone who took economics in high school, you probably remember that reference as something described by Adam Smith, the father of modern economics. But when Smith used it, he was making his point that economic actors abide by an unseen force that eventually maximizes utility without the need for government regulation. Government is not the "invisible hand." Kevin Brady must have been absent the day they taught economics.
As has been reported, Montgomery County Judge Barb Sadler (R-Conroe) was arrested on March 4, 2009 for driving under the influence after he was involved in a minor car accident in Conroe. He ran into the back of a stationary car, driven by a woman and her son, as they were waiting to turn on Loop 336 in Conroe. Sadler subsequently plead guilty to Driving While Intoxicated, a Class B Misdemeanor. Shortly thereafter, the Montgomery County Monitor formally requested that the City of Conroe and the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office release the dashboard footage of the arrest. The City of Conroe and Montgomery County put up considerable resistance, contending among other things that Judge Sadler was a "popular political figure in Montgomery County." In the end, the Texas Attorney General sided with the Montgomery County Monitor and the video has been released.
A few highlights from the video
According to the woman whose car Sadler had just hit:
Shortly after the accident, Sadler stated, "Ma'am! No problem! There's no damage to your vehicle whatsoever."
The woman feared that Sadler may flee the scene, so she told him "Don't leave!"
After she pointed out that there was damage to her car, Sadler said, "I'll pay for it! I don't want no cops. I'll pay for it! I don't want no cops!"
Asking how he would pay for it, Sadler gave her his "judge's card" and stated "Look, I don't want to do insurance. I don't want cops. I don't want to do nothing."
Sadler:
Says he hit someone going "four miles an hour...maybe four, maybe two."
Can be seen staggering while the CPD officer administers the field sobriety test.
Asks the officer, "You want me to go to jail? What do you want me to do?"
Crosses his arms and asks, "Do you have a breathalizer? I'll take it. What do you want to do?"
Referring to the officer's request to stand on one leg and count, Sadler says "Please, I don't how you could ever do this! This is a problem!"
When being handcuffed, he asks, "What are you doing?"
Once in the police car, Sadler exhales loudly several times and states "I can't believe this", "Goddammit!", and "Fuck! I'm not believing this."
This incident has seriously called his integrity into question as he tried to cover it up and then lied to the CPD officer, stating he was driving "two miles per hour". Really? Who drives 2 mph at Loop 336 North? He also proceeded to give the officer a hard time when he was clearly just doing his job. That's not to mention his near criminal use of double negatives such as "I don't want no cops" and "I don't want to do nothing", assuming his victim quoted him correctly. It's about time that Judge Sadler hang up the cowboy hat. After nearly twenty years of "service", the good judge should be free to drink as much as he wants without fear of these pesky media reports or the pressure to use proper grammar in public.
In their September meeting, the Young Democrats of Montgomery County voted unanimously to endorse and support Houston Mayor Bill White for U.S. Senator.
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