CateyBeth's Corner

LET'S TALK TURKEY

2006-11-22T11:18:00.000-06:00

Here's what my family will be eating on Thanksgiving Day. I've cooked my turkey this way for so long I can't quite remember where or when I got the recipe. In any case, it has never failed me. Enjoy, with blessings and wishes for a peaceful and safe Day of Thanksgiving...

Ingredients:

1 whole turkey, deceased and defeathered
2-3 whole apples, peeled and quartered
1-2 onions, cut into 8ths
Whole garlic, peeled and notched
Olive oil
Misc. seasonings to taste - suggested are basil, parsley, sage, season salt, etc.
Whole stems of rosemary
Poultry clamps or toothpics
Roasting pan with lid or aluminum foil
Medium Sherry, any brand

Prep turkey for roasting (remove neck & gizzards, rinse in warm water, pat dry)

Mix together misc. seasonings and olive oil

Coat inside of turkey with olive oil mixture

Stuff inside of turkey with mixture of apples, onions, whole garlic, and pieces of Rosemary until full, clamp ends with poultry clamps or toothpics.

Separate skin from flesh around breast, thigh, leg areas, coat with olive oil seasonings, and insert rosemary sprigs under skin

Coat the entire outside skin area with the remaining olive oil seasoning mixture

Pour sherry into bottom of roast pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the pan but not enough to reach the roaster rack (if there is one)

Place turkey in roast pan, breast side up (legs pointing up)

Cover completely with lid or foil, so no moisture escapes, allowing enough room for air to circulate without the foil touching the turkey if possible

Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes per pound

It's important to make sure your turkey is covered as tightly as possible in the oven, as the sherry will evaporate inside and help keep the turkey moist while giving it a wonderful flavor. Do NOT remove the foil/lid for any reason, as you will lose all that moisture. There is no need to ever baste the turkey.

Approximately 1 - 1 1/2 hours prior to removing from oven, remove the foil/lid so the turkey will brown. At this time you can also drain the juices from the bottom of the pan if you want to make gravy with it.

After turkey is brown and completely cooked, remove from oven and set out to cool but DO NOT TOUCH FOR AT LEAST 30 MINUTES. Letting the turkey sit out and cool allows the juices to be reabsorbed and will keep the turkey moist.

Carve, serve, and enjoy!

P.S. We don't eat the stuffing from the turkey - we do our dressing separately. The apples and onions etc. are used only to season and cook the bird, but they're not eaten.

ARMISTICE DAY

2006-11-11T13:16:00.000-06:00

ON THE 11TH DAY OF THE 11TH MONTH AT THE 11TH HOUR IN THE YEAR 1918, AN ARMISTICE WAS SIGNED THAT ENDED THE WAR TO END ALL WARS...

The very first Armistice Day was November 11, 1919 - a year after the end of WWI, known back then as "The Great War" or "The War To End All Wars." After WWII ended in 1945, communities began remembering all military veterans on Armistice Day. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower officially changed Armistice Day to be known as Veterans Day.

A story broadcast this week on NPR led me to The World War I Living History Project, and from there, to my own front room.

Hanging on my wall are four framed documents, yellowed and creased with time and saved for generations. Years ago, as my beloved paternal grandmother slowly succumbed to Alzheimer's, I found these documents folded in a drawer of her desk. The largest is a page from the November 17, 1918 edition of the New York Tribune showing photographs taken at the Victory Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The other three frames hold the typewritten pages of a letter from a Doughboy at the American Expeditionary Front to his brother, dated November 8th, 1918 - three days before the end of the Great War. Both the author, Harold Weeks, and the recipient, Ben Weeks, were brothers to my grandmother's uncle Charles Roe Weeks.

I will soon post digital images of the actual letter. In the meantime, here is the content of the letter verbatim:
_________________________________________________

American E. F.

November 8,1918.

My dear Ben:-

I was more than glad to get your letter and the pictures you sent. God knows, I have looked long enough and often enough for some word direct from you. However, I suppose that is one thing we must expect. Always waiting for something we want and hoping that the next mail or car will bring it in. Thank God, you are not over here so far as you are concerned but I sympathize with you and appreciate all that this long year must have meant to you, knowing that the rest of us have come over when you were first into a uniform and into a line. It may not be so bad, their sending you back to the Artillery Corps, because that is, without exception, unless it be the Aviation, THE branch of the Service.

Don't remind me of Delta and Phi and Epsilon and Theta, and wind and windage, and barometer and thermometer and Delta Phi over Delta with big "X" over little "x". They give me the horrors. I think I can see before me now the range of a twelve-inch shell with a powder charge of 270, a barometer of 28 1/2 or 29, a thermometer of 60, with a right angle wind at 20 miles velocity and an elevation of 11 degrees. I also can tell you the pseudo-velocity of the projectile, not to mention its point of impact, its angle of flight, its penetration and I believe we had something else - how many inches of Harveyized steel it would penetrate. After all these years, I think I could take my ballistic table and sextant and fire a big gun with some degree of accuracy. Furthermore, I think I could wheel a battery into line, set my angle points, take my readings and fire my trial shot, and do a little havoc with a battery. Don't be discouraged. This is only the elementary part of artillery. As I sit here writing you I am hearing the actual and practical parts of artillery. Somebody not far from me is doing the mathematics. His results are obvious.

This night would be awful quiet if it were not for your Corps right now. We might hear Jerry like a night owl flopping overhead. We might, incidentally, feel Jerry's pill balls or the results therefrom if your artillery were not taking up so much space in, on and thru the atmosphere and earth. When everything is said and doneI believe I would rather hear the big guns than see the boys marching thru No Man's Land, the horses plodding, weary and tired, loaded heavily with their share of munitions, and fight across No Man's Land or watch the cavalryman in his daily travel. Yes, the big gun takes a rained mine but it offers the advantage of not having to come in contact immediately with the results of your efforts. Out of the air comes the answer and you exist to continue or you are gathered together maybe with a shovel. But the infantry boy or the cavalry boy goes up and over and if he gets across he sees his blade or his gun or his revolver deal its deadly stroke. He fences and parries to protect himself from such a stroke. Maybe he returns intact. More often he is blind or armless or legless or a broken, physical wreck. More often he is two or more of these. The Minnie ball leaves a victim for years to come. The artillery shell mercifully ends all such possibility or at the best minimizes the chances of a mans living to be a burden to himself and his friends.

The aviator has once chance of fatal accident - his machine goes wrong. Other than that he is safe, far safe than either of his brothers-in-arms, on the solid earth or in the water. When he does lose, he never knows it. He goes into a hero'd grave and his friends know where he is, nearly always.

So don't bewail your lot. If you get over and see one week on the borders of No Man's Land, you will have a picture on memory's walls that you would ever wish to turn toward the wall, so horrible would the picture be. There is nothing between you and the front line that is any different from what you are doing there. There is everything between the Front Line and your enemy, that you cannot leave to come in its due course without wishing for that hour to get to you sooner. We have been wishing our lives away doing our bit where we were sent and after one excursion into the battle front believed ourselves bomb-proof but now our men are numbered among those listed as not returning and while the number is few to date, the number will increase each day and as the nunber increases our wish for such a moment ceases to exist. It is not that I would wish you to accept without without any desire to see the front and be in it with your fellow officers because of your danger there, but that I want you to feel and understand that when your turn comes you will be there and if you are among the chosen few who have not had to undergo, without all of the worry and horror, you are among the chosen few lucky men. Whatever way you look at it, there is nothing that will ever recompense the man who has been in France for what he has lost. There is something that has taken away his youth that will never give it back again. Whether he has lost an arm or leg or his sight or whether he has lost the two years out of his life, he has but one one satisfaction and that is the greatest a soldier can feel - that he came over before or when asked, that he did his bit over here where he was put and that he was always ready to do it. Some one had to stay back there and assist in the training and formation of the bodies to come over here. From what I gather from officers who have been with you, your services have been much more valuable there than others who have been sent away. So don't be downhearted. Don't be discouraged but buck up and attack each day's duties with a smile and maybe you will come over later. The war is not over yet and it will be some long months before the troops leave France. War, so far as maiming one another is concerned, may cease to exist any hour now but the work so far as reconstruction and regeneration and refurnishing of France and the Allied countries is concerned, will not be over for some long, long months yet.

Charley is in the Aviation. Somebody said he was on his way over. I understand Harold is over here. Allan is within a few miles of me. And so it goes. They might be all just as far away as yourself so far as my being ale to see any of them or any of them see me because of conditions as they are. I get long a very sweet letters from Bill and Bess. I hear from Mother but none of the rest. I am well, fat and ill-tempered and just as I always was. Got a horse out here I will give you if you will come over here. Will be going away shortly on a different duty and don't know what do do with it. That is all that I can say of myself personally.

I saw Burdon, who is in the south of France, some time ago. He didn't seem like the Harold Burdon who used to live with us. I can't describe the change but I believe he was feeling more natural and trying to readjust himself than he had been for some long time. He drew an unfortunate position and that is an officer in a replacement division. Thank God, you didn't draw that. I don't know of any misery that Uncle Sam can inflict on officers and men quite as keen as placing them in a replacement division. Some of the other officers who were friends of yours at Custer and who spoke very kindly of you and your escapades as a bronco buster, I met in my wanderings. Seems as though you established quite a reputation for yourself as a buster of broncos and handler of men, not to mention considerable of a knight-errant with the ladies. I knew as much long ago. Cut out the ladies. They are nice, awfully nice, but they will make you more discontented and unhappy over your lot than any other mixture of sweets that I know of. Take a page out of my diary and read it over and you will find that I have written several times on the thought, "Cut out the ladies". I have tried to do it always but never succeeded. I have a hope that you will continue in the service after this war is over. But you won't if you mix politics and sweet formulae as done up in petticoat packages.

Give my love to any of the folks you see and write when you get a chance. Don't wait so long next time.

Always your loving brother,

HRW

_________________________________________________

THE MOST POWERFUL MAN IN AMERICA

2006-11-10T08:32:00.000-06:00

SENATOR JOSEPH LIEBERMAN (I-CT)

This man could name his price. Anything he wants, it's his. "Which chairmanship would you like, Senator? How MANY chairmanships do you want, Senator? Does Connecticut need any federal dollars for pet projects and improvements, Senator?"

GOP to Lieberman: Your party dumped you, they don't love you anymore, come over to us, and we will once again control the kingdom that is the U.S. Senate and you will be our Crown Prince.

Dems to Lieberman: We really do love you, man! It was those leftie nuts in your home state who dumped you, and, well, Hillary and everyone else are all about the Party so they HAD to endorse Lamont in the General Election, you know how it is, PLEASE don't leave us!

The balance of power in the U.S. Senate rests on the shoulders of Senator Lieberman. You know THIS man's phone is buzzing...

LEFT AND RIGHT, WE ALL AGREE ON ONE THING - C-SPAN ROCKS!

2006-11-10T00:04:00.000-06:00

I DON'T KNOW THAT I'VE EVER AGREED WITH THE EDITORIAL BOARD OF THE WASHINGTON TIMES - UNTIL NOW. ON THIS SUBJECT, I COULDN'T HAVE SAID IT BETTER.

Kudos to the Washington Times for their thoughtful and appreciative editorial on all that is C-SPAN. In my opinion - and obviously I'm not the only one - C-SPAN has literally made our federal government relevant and accessible to everyone. And we are a better country for it. You can read the full text of the WashTimes editorial here.

I'M BACK, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE...

2006-11-09T00:27:00.000-06:00

No particular reason why I've been gone, I just got out of the habit of posting. I will try to rectify that.

First thing is the most important thing. Yesterday's election, and the results. The Democrats are back. We won not just the House, but the Senate too.

Unlike most of my Democratic counterparts, I don't feel elation. I never viewed this election - or any other election - as a competition, a popularity contest. I take it much too seriously for that. For me, these elections have always been the answer to the question "who do we trust to make decisions that will profoundly affect us and future generations in countless aspects of our lives?"

Today, as a Democrat, one of the things that I feel is a tremendous sense of responsibility. We Democrats have been entrusted with the future of our entire country. It is now up to us to lead. It is both an honor and a challenge that we cannot take lightly.

But mostly what I feel today is a sense of relief.

A DEATH IN THE FAMILY

2005-03-31T02:39:00.000-06:00

Don't panic, everyone in my family is fine. But I still feel as I've lost a dear friend - and I almost did. You see, my friend's VW Bus blew up. And her husband narrowly escaped going with it.

Michelle is one of my closest friends in the world. She is the type of friend everyone hopes to have - a sweet and generous disposition, slow to anger, quick to forgive and even quicker to laugh.

Michelle has worked for our company for a good while longer than I have. She started in Los Angeles, and then when that office closed she migrated to Houston. Throughout those years she kept up an on-again off-again dating relationship with Darren, who lived in their hometown in Washington State. When Darren finally had enough of the on-again off-again situation, he packed up his beloved 1970s-era VW Bus and drove it all the way down to Houston. I'm not sure The Bus ever left Texas again.

The Bus - and it was never called anything else - was the ugliest monstrosity you could ever imagine in your driveway. I think the roof was white, or what used to pass for white. The primary color was, well, primer. I've never envisioned The Bus with a wax job. The interior was threadbare tweed and warped plywood cabinetry, as best I remember. Heck, I didn't even know it was running when it passed away.

The Bus was as much a member of Michelle and Darren's family as their daughter Molly and their dog Tanner. The entire time I've known Michelle, The Bus has been a fixture in her driveway. Michelle and Darren could never willingly part with it, although they tossed the idea around once or twice. It just had too many memories for them. The Bus had, literally and figuratively, driven Michelle and Darren from childhood through young love and into adulthood and their family life together.

Michelle's neighbor summed up the details in an email update to his family:

As we talked to Bill, I saw a green car pull into the Greenwoods' driveway. I had not seen it before, so I kept watch. Eventually, Michelle and Molly appeared, and Michelle was carrying a child's car seat. M&M walked toward us and Michelle, carrying the car seat and other things, looked like a refugee in the Balkans.

She had a story to tell, too.

"I have not had any sleep since 3 a.m. this morning," she said. What she said calmly was horrific.

Last night when Darren was driving home from the Hobbit restaurant in the van he was on Bingle near West Little York when he discovered the van was on fire. He pulled onto the shoulder and rushed outside and within seconds the van exploded with such fury parts of it flew into the gate at Cameron Industries and melted the lock on the gate.

Darren began running toward home and stopped twice at grocery stores, including Randall's, to use the telephones but the telephones did not work (his cell phone was in the van). He ran all the way home -- I think it is more than two miles -- to wake up Michelle, and they went back in the Ford Explorer.

Not much was left except scorched pavement and melted metal.

To say the least, it was tearful for Darren. It wasn't so much that he barely escaped death, it was the realization that the fire started in the back of the van where the motor is and probably started on the freeway, but winds kept it unnoticed until he left the freeway - in the back is where Molly sits in her car seat. Had she been there....

Also he has kept the van running for 15 years, making most repairs himself, and he dearly loved it. (I remember riding in a van like that when I lived in New York in the late 1960's.)

Besides the cell phone, there were other items in the van which Darren and Michelle are now remembering.

Molly says "The van is gone," but I doubt she knows what that means. She tired of our conversation and kept saying she wanted some chocolate, so we eventually went across the street and got her some chocolate.

Some day she will be told what happened March 28, 2005, and will understand why her father had tears that day.

I'll be hugging my dear friends a little closer tomorrow...

- - -

DID I MENTION I LOVE TO TRAVEL?

2005-03-11T21:59:00.000-06:00

One of my Christmas gifts was a simple spiral notebook from my Mom. Over the holidays, I took it with me as I traveled to Europe. My goal is to take it with me and write something in it on each international trip. Here was my first trip with my little notebook, to Brussels...

28DEC04 6pm
Au brassiere Cafe
Brussels, Belgium

I am in love with Brussels.

My internet access is limited to the cafe around the corner, which costs 1.25 Euros per 30 minutes. So, this little spiral journal will have to suffice until I get home. I've already popped in once to glance through email and IM Mom via Yahoo. It took me most of the 30 minutes just to master the keyboard and find the @ so I could sign into email. So, until I get home this notebook will do.

Mom was so proud of this notebook. "Look Cathy, it's got cats all over it," she pointed out as we were exchanging gifts on Christmas Eve.

"Um, no, actually they're dogs," I replied. "They even have a fire hydrant in the corner."

Little did I know how much I would come to appreciate my little spiral notebook. It's really cute, and now it will be put to use. I don't always have access to the internet, but I always have pen and paper. So, this will become my travel journal. I want to know where Mom bought this. I will want more of these notebooks.

Enough of the logistics. I've stopped into an inviting little pub near the Grand Place for Vin Chaud - hot spiced wine. I'm traveling alone, something I've started doing this year and grown to enjoy. I find that my senses are heightened. My ear picks up all of the different languages - French, Dutch, German and English are the dominant tongues du jour. I see more, smell more, hear more, feel more when I am traveling alone.

My table mates just left to catch their train home to London. They were visiting Antwerp for a few days, but became bored and stopped in Brussels for a day before heading home. As is usually the case when encountering an American, the conversation drifts to politics. I made it clear that I did not support our pResident. One of my British table mates works for a U.S. based law firm, and he said the day after our election the mood was somber at his law office. I told them how much I enjoy reading the British press online, especially the Guardian. "How can 59 Million Americans be so stupid?" screamed the headline the day after the election. God bless the Brits.

A young couple just walked in. A mixed race couple - white female and black male. I mention this because it's a common sight here. No one seems to think twice about it. This afternoon I sat in a restaurant enjoying a leisurely lunch and watched all of Brussels pass by my window - businessmen, elderly women in their fur coats, old men with their fedoras and canes, and families of all races. The most interesting was a couple in their 40s or 50s towing three small children. The couple was white, the children were all black.

I use the term "white" and "black" here to note skin color. I have no way of knowing what nationality anyone is here. Brussels is home to both NATO and the European Union, so a large number of the residents here are foreign nationals.

My deux vin chauds (that's two hot wines) have disappeared and my hand is starting to cramp. I haven't written this much by hand in a long time. My waitress has just informed me that she's off duty and it's time to pay. My bill is 5.20 Euros. It's time to move on.

________________________________________________________

28DEC04
Nuits Saint-Georges
Brussels, Belgium

I wandered back through the Grand Place - pronounced "Grond Plos" - and a grand place it truly is.

For centuries it's been the heart of Brussels, and tonight it's spectacularly lit. Music is playing throughout, the ancient buildings are lit up, and everyone is strolling around absorbing it all.

I've stopped for a bite of dineur - across the narrow cobblestone street from where I ate lunch, it turns out. This is a small casual restaurant with a menu boasting at least six different ways of cooking moules. That's what brought me in - the Plat du Jour is Moules y Frites. I was served a pot of mussels cooked in a white wine and garlic broth loaded with onions and some kind of greens. I ate the whole pot, and enjoyed it so much I requested bread to eat with the broth when the moules were gone.

I almost left when I realized there was a large family inside - three adults and FIVE little girls who appeared to range in age from about six to nine years. FIVE! And they were OBNOXIOUS! Thankfully they finished their dinner in short order and didn't linger after dinner, which is the European custom. I was horrified to hear them speaking English, until I realized I was hearing a British accent. All I could think was "thank goodness they're not American."

My food is cleared from the table and I've ordered my dessert - a "decaf cafe creme." No more sweets for me tonight, but I'll linger over a cup of coffee and enjoy the conversation with the couple at the next table. They're yet another mixed race couple - black male and Asian female. Both are young, and they're obviously in love. She is a native of Hong Kong, he is a native of the French West Indies. He's been studying in Paris. He asked how much of France I've seen, and seemed impressed that I've been to the Riviera. I went about eight years ago - my very first time overseas. What a culture shock THAT was. Stupid me, I wore bright red and looked the part of the Obnoxious American. Thankfully I was visiting friends whe were working in Nice, so I didn't have to get around on my own the whole time.

The cafe is average - for Europe, that is. It's still tons better than anything I'd get at home. I learned how to order cafe on my first overseas trip - the one to the Riviera. I was traveling with my friend Michelle.

"You always get the right coffee!" she exclaimed after the third day of our short four-day trip.

"Cafe creme," I told her. It's always been my favorite. Thick, rich coffee with cream. Maybe a spoon of sugar, but nothing more. It's perfect.

Speaking of perfect, my waiter has discovered I'm American and has brought me another cafe creme - "On the house" he informs me in impeccable English. I've asked for the check but it still has not arrived. The restaurant is deserted now, except for me and an older gentleman who is slowly working on his second carafe of wine. It's after 9pm and I'll close my book and slowly wander back to the hotel.

The bill has arrived - 14.50 Euros. I sign it for 16 Euros - it is customary to round up and add a Euro or two if the service warrants. Wait staff in Europe are paid decent wages, and tips are "extra" - not how they make their living wage. The more time I spend in Europe, the more I appreciate it and find fault with my beloved home country. I said in a previous post that I would be using my passport a lot more after this last election. I will be spending as much time and money as I can in countries where I and my beliefs are welcome. For a few days my home is Brussels.
_______________________________________________________

29DEC04
Brussels, Belgium

I really must learn more French.

I've learned how to dress like the Europeans - lots of black, very little color, absolutely no white sneakers or anything that would physically identify me as American. But as soon as I enter a restaurant and reply "bon soir" to the waiter, I am handed a menu in English.

I look the part enough, that's for sure. It never fails. Each time I'm in a European city - Paris, Amsterdam, now Brussels - I am stopped on the street and asked for directions as if I'm a native. Yesterday it was three French teenagers asking for directions to the Metro. I asked if they spoke English, and one did. I could get them to the nearest bus stop, but I had no idea where the Metro - the tram service - was. I've been on foot since I arrived.

I have enjoyed eating out alone. This will come as quite a shock to some of my friends at home. When I worked shift work at my old job, I usually worked second shift. My work day began at 2:30pm, and I would walk in every day hungry because I didn't enjoy eating by myself. To me, mealtime is a special occasion that should be spend with family or friends. But in Europe, it's easy to eat a meal alone. The tables are usually so close together that you are invariably drawn into the conversations and the habits of the tables next to you.

(At this point my table mates decided to add to my book...)

How are you doing?
= Comment allez vous?

Very good
= tres bien

Can I have the bill please?
= Puis-je avoir l'addition s'il vous plait?

A lot of greetings from An, Thierry and Karel.

Hope to see you back! Always welcome back in Europe!

And there my journal ends for this trip. But there will be others. There will be lots of others.

HCDP's NEW BLOG IS ROLLING

2005-03-11T21:48:00.000-06:00

And they have a link to me. I guess this means I should be a little more prolific in my posts.

You can catch the new Harris County Democratic Party's blog here.

I'm off to pack for an overnight to Oslo...

DEAR GOD...

2005-03-03T21:41:00.000-06:00

Sometimes we forget how profound children can be. This post came from an email that a friend sent today. I've longed to ask some of these questions myself...

1. Dear God, please put another holiday between Christmas and Easter. There is nothing good in there now. - Amanda

2. Dear God, Thank you for the baby brother but what I asked for was a puppy. I never asked for anything before. You can look it up. - Joyce

3. Dear Mr. God, I wish you would not make it so easy for people to come apart. I had to have 3 stitches and a shot.

4. God, I read the Bible. What does beget mean? Nobody will tell me. Love, Fred

5. Dear God, how did you know you were God? Who told you? - Charlene

6. Dear God, is it true my father won't get in Heaven if he uses his golf words in the house? -Anita

7. Dear God, I bet it's very hard for you to love all of everybody in the whole world. There are only 4 people in our family and I can never do it. - Nancy

8. Dear God, I like the story about Noah the best of all of them. You really made up some good ones. I like walking on water, too. - Glenn

9. Dear God, my Grandpa says you were around when he was a little boy. How far back do you go? Love, Dennis

10. Dear God, do you draw the lines around the countries? If you don't, who does? - Nathan

11. Dear God, did you mean for giraffes to look like that or was it an accident? - Norma

12. Dear God, in Bible times, did they really talk that fancy? Jennifer

13. Dear God, how come you did all those miracles in the old days and don't do any now? - Billy

14. Dear God, please send Dennis Clark to a different summer camp this year. - Peter

15. Dear God, maybe Cain and Abel would not kill each other so much if they each had their own rooms. It works out OK with me and my brother. - Larry

16. Dear God, I keep waiting for spring, but it never did come yet. What's up? Don't forget. - Mark

17. Dear God, my brother told me about how you are born but it just doesn't sound right. What do you say? - Marsha

18. Dear God, if you watch in Church on Sunday I will show you my new shoes. - Barbara

19. Dear God, is Reverend Coe a friend of yours, or do you just know him through the business? - Donny

20. Dear God, I do not think anybody could be a better God than you. Well, I just want you to know that. I am not just saying that because you are already God. - Charles

21. Dear God, it is great the way you always get the stars in the right place. Why can't you do that with the moon?

22. Dear God, I am doing the best I can. Really. - Frank

And, saving the best for last:

23. Dear God, I didn't think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset you made on Tuesday night. That was really cool. - Thomas

KEEPING UP WITH THE CIRCUS IN AUSTIN

2005-02-26T13:27:00.000-06:00

Ah, such fun keeping up with the circus under the Big Top - aka the Legislature meeting under the Capitol Dome.

A friend recently turned me on to In The Pink Texas, which is lots of fun. And then there's a similar site, PinkDome, which also provides some fantastic gossip and insight into the goings-on in the Lege. Dunno what's the fascination with the color pink, but both sites are well worth reading.

Stop the GOP's Backdoor Jim Crow Law!

2005-02-17T18:39:00.000-06:00

Next week the Elections Committee of the Texas House of Representatives will hear a frightening new bill that is an attempt to introduce a back door Jim Crow.

HB 516 by Betty Brown is in reality a Jim Crow Law. Much like the old days, it seeks to make it harder for minorities to register and vote. It would require people to produce documents to prove their US citizenship. This might sound good, but it is unnecessary- every voter is already required to swear that they are a citizen when they fill out a voter registration card. This is just another GOP attempt at making it hard to register to vote. What if you have lost your birth certificate? What if, like most low income Texans, you don't have a passport? Good luck registering to vote!

The difference between the parties is that the GOP seeks to make it harder to vote while we seek to make it easier. We want the process open to every honest Texan, they want it closed to anyone who won't vote for them. We are the only truly democratic party left!

Please send letters, emails, and call the Elections Committee members and let them know that you oppose HB 516!

Mary Denny, Chair (R) Flower Mound
512-463-0688
mary.denny@house.state.tx.us

Dwayne Bohac, Vice Chair (R) Houston
512-463-0727
dwayne.bohac@house.state.tx.us

Todd Smith (R) Bedford
512-463-0522
todd.smith@house.state.tx.us

Charles Anderson (R) Waco
512-463-0135
charles.anderson@house.state.tx.us

Bryan Hughes (R) Marshall
512-463-0271
bryan.hughes@house.state.tx.us

Jesse Jones (D) Dallas
512-463-0664
jesse.jones@house.state.tx.us

Rafael Anchia (D) Dallas
512-463-0746
rafael.anchia@house.state.tx.us

Jim Crow in Texas? Never Again!

Paid for by the Texas Democratic Party

HD137 Voter Registration Fraud Affects Heflin-Vo Race

2005-02-05T10:58:00.000-06:00

How one Democrat's voter registration fraud may have put a fellow Democrat's victory in jeopardy

Okay everyone, let's connect the dots:

Last week during the Heflin-Vo Hearings in Austin, an allegation was presented by Heflin's GOP lawyer Andy Taylor that a group of votes should be removed from Vo's total because the voters "illegally" voted in the HD149 race, while their registered addresses showed they resided in HD137. Taylor's assessment was that these voters were "illegally" allowed to "cross over" and vote in the HD149 race.

As it turns out, these "illegal" voters were in fact legal residents in HD149, but were apparently "moved" into HD137 by Democratic Primary candidate Bernard Amadi, who ran an unsuccessful race against State Rep. Scott Hochberg for the Democratic nomination. It is assumed that Amadi's motivation was to pack the Democratic Primary with African immigrants, who would be more likely to support his candidacy.

The bad news is, it appears that a Democratic candidate may have sabotaged a fellow Democrat's ultimate victory.

The good news is, Heflin's argument that these voters were "illegal" and should be removed from Vo's vote totals has fallen apart, thereby strengthening Vo's case.

Anyone seen Amadi lately? There are a bunch of people looking for him right now...

You can read the full story in the Houston Chronicle.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION

2004-12-14T07:40:00.000-06:00

If I pack up and leave, it won't be for Canada - you can find me in Amsterdam. My passport will be seeing a lot of use in the next four years...

Canada Busy Sending Back Bush-Dodgers
A SATIRE By Joe Blundo
Columbus Dispatch 11-16-04

The flood of American liberals sneaking across the border into Canada has intensified in the past week, sparking calls for increased patrols to stop the illegal immigration.

The re-election of President Bush is prompting the exodus among left-leaning citizens who fear they'll soon be required to hunt, pray and agree with Bill O'Reilly.

Canadian border farmers say it's not uncommon to see dozens of sociology professors, animal rights activists and Unitarians crossing their fields at night.

"I went out to milk the cows the other day, and there was a Hollywood producer huddled in the barn," said Manitoba farmer Red Greenfield, whose acreage borders North Dakota. The producer was cold, exhausted and hungry.

"He asked me if I could spare a latte and some free-range chicken. When I said I didn't have any, he left. Didn't even get a chance to show him my screenplay, eh?"

In an effort to stop the illegal aliens, Greenfield erected higher fences, but the liberals scaled them. So he tried installing speakers that blare Rush Limbaugh across the fields.

"Not real effective," he said. "The liberals still got through, and Rush annoyed the cows so much they wouldn't give milk."

Officials are particularly concerned about smugglers who meet liberals near the Canadian border, pack them into Volvo station wagons, drive them across the border and leave them to fend for themselves.

"A lot of these people are not prepared for rugged conditions," an Ontario border patrolman said. "I found one carload without a drop of drinking water. They did have a nice little Napa Valley cabernet, though."

When liberals are caught, they're sent back across the border, often wailing loudly that they fear retribution from conservatives. Rumors have been circulating about the Bush administration establishing re-education camps in which liberals will be forced to drink domestic beer and watch NASCAR.

In the days since the election, liberals have turned to sometimes ingenious ways of crossing the border.

Some have taken to posing as senior citizens on bus trips to buy cheap Canadian prescription drugs. After catching a half-dozen young vegans disguised in powdered wigs, Canadian immigration authorities began stopping buses and quizzing the supposed senior-citizen passengers.

"If they can't identify the accordion player on The Lawrence Welk Show, we get suspicious about their age," an official said.

Canadian citizens have complained that the illegal immigrants are creating an organic-broccoli shortage and renting all the good Susan Sarandon movies.

"I feel sorry for American liberals, but the Canadian economy just can't support them," an Ottawa resident said. "How many art-history majors does one country need?"

In an effort to ease tensions between the United States and Canada, Vice President Dick Cheney met with the Canadian ambassador and pledged that the administration would take steps to reassure liberals, a source close to Cheney said.

"We're going to have some Peter, Paul & Mary concerts. And we might put some endangered species on postage stamps. The president is determined to reach out."

UPDATES FROM AFGHANISTAN

2004-12-12T15:09:00.000-06:00

With all of the news constantly coming out of Iraq, we sometimes forget about the rebuilding going on in Afghanistan.

I have two acquaintances in Afghanistan right now. One is David Grizzle, who is taking a year's leave as the Sr. Vice President of Corporate Development for Continental Airlines. The other is Major Rick Noriega, better known to me as State Representative Rick Noriega - or simply Rick, husband of my friend Melissa.

Grizzle is serving as the Transportation and Infrastructure Coordinator in Afghanistan, a position he has been appointed to courtesy of the U.S. State Department. What better man to take on the job of building new roads and transporting thousands of Afghans to Mecca for Hajj than the man who helped bring Continental Airlines into the global alliance known as SkyTeam?

For Grizzle, this yearlong mission is as much a calling of faith as it is one of duty and service to his country. His postings are detailed and descriptive, and are remarkably insightful. I sincerely hope that he writes a book when his mission is completed and he returns home. In the meantime, you may read more about him and his postings here.

Noriega, an active member of the Texas National Guard, is serving our country by training Afghans to serve in and run their own Afghan Army. Noriega will make Texas history in January, when - thanks to a state law that was passed last Session - he will be sworn in for the 79th Session of the Texas Legislature as the State Representative for District 145 via satellite phone from Afghanistan. He will then appoint his wife Melissa to serve as the State Rep during his absence.

You can watch the historical Swearing In of Rep. Noriega and all of the Texas House of Representatives live via the internet here on January 11th - make sure you have RealPlayer installed. You can also check out Rep. Noriega's updates online at his website here.

Godspeed to both of these men, and to all of our personnel in Afghanistan. We want you all home safe and sound - and soon.

OUTSOURCING GONE TOO FAR???

2004-12-11T20:59:00.000-06:00

Now HERE'S something to get everyone into the holiday spirit...

TODAY IS WORLD AIDS DAY

2004-12-01T07:26:00.000-06:00

Today I remember my beloved brother-in-law Tom, and too many friends and loved ones needlessly lost to the most devastating disease my generation has ever known.

Tom was the youngest brother of my (ex) husband. He became one of my closest friends. We spent countless hours together, giggling at everything under the sun while sharing buckets of crawfish and beer. Tom used to call the house every Saturday morning. When my husband would answer the phone, Tom would tell him "I didn't call to talk to you. Give me Cate." I still miss his Saturday morning phone calls, more than eight years after his untimely death from AIDS.

I've been to entirely too many funerals and memorial services for loved ones who have died of AIDS. Neighbors, co-workers, former classmates - all precious lives now gone from my life.

AIDS is the most devastating disease of our lifetime. Tom was gay, but this is not a gay disease. We may still be, at heart, a discriminatory society. But AIDS does not discriminate. No one is immune to this disease - every race, every gender, every age group, every nationality, every religion, every sexual orientation is at risk. And it's completely preventable. Do whatever you need to do to stay healthy. Become educated on prevention. Use condoms. Be safe. Do this in memory of Tom and countless others, and do it in honor of those who love you and need you in their lives.

HAIL TO THE THIEF - AGAIN?

2004-11-08T23:02:00.000-06:00

Interesting stories circulating about the legitimacy of the results in Ohio and other states. It appears there are lots of questions about Bush's "victory."

This one, from "Countdown with Keith Olbermann" via MSNBC, is definitely worth a read...

AIN'T IT THE TRUTH...

2004-10-17T19:16:00.000-05:00

A LITTLE JOKE SENT TO ME FROM KAREN IN OKLAHOMA CITY...

The President''s Puzzle

Dick Cheney walks into the Oval Office and sees The President whooping and hollering.

"What's the matter, Mr. President?" The Vice President inquired.

"Nothing at all, boss. I just done finished a jigsaw puzzle in record time!" The President beamed.

"How long did it take you?"

"Well, the box said '3 to 5 Years' but I did it in a month!

THE GOP'S STOLEN ELECTION, PART 1

2004-10-17T16:47:00.000-05:00

THE FIRST IN A SERIES OF POSTS ABOUT ALLEGATIONS OF GOP FRAUD AND EFFORTS TO SUPPRESS THE DEMOCRATIC VOTE DURING THE UPCOMING ELECTION. IF YOU'RE NOT OUTRAGED, THEN YOU'RE NOT PAYING ATTENTION!

First, we'll be taking a look at Nathan Sproul and his "Voters Outreach of America" voter registration efforts in swing states.

"Voters Outreach" has gone into numerous swing states, including West Virginia, Nevada and Oregon, in order to register new voters. It's been touting itself as a nonpartisan voter registration group, but numerous links show it is being run by Nathan Sproul with Sproul & Associates of Phoenix, Arizona. Mr. Sproul is the former Executive Director of the Arizona Republican Party, and before that he was head of the Arizona Christian Coalition.

Here's what's wrong with "Voters Outreach of America." In EVERY state, temporary workers were hired to register voters. And in every state, either A) they were only PAID for GOP registrations, or B) they TORE UP DEMOCRATIC REGISTRATIONS.

Numerous news organizations are now watching this story, including CBS News, Associated Press, Reuters, and CNN.

Blogger Daily Kos has been keeping up with this story on a couple of threads - you can read his stories, with extensive links here and here.

ARE THESE PEOPLE IDIOTS?

2004-10-17T15:59:00.000-05:00

OR ARE THEY JUST PLAIN STUPID AND LAZY? OBVIOUSLY THEY DIDN'T LOOK AT MY BLOG BEFORE THEY SENT THE FOLLOWING EMAIL LAST NIGHT:

Date: Sat, 16 Oct 2004 20:24:19 -0700 (PDT)
From: helpwin@yesbushcan.com
To: cateybeth@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: More False Documents

RatherGate proved that bloggers are the best fact checkers. That is why we are writing to a few bloggers asking for help.

Yes Bush Can has collected several documents that are clearly suspect. But we need your help to prove they are fake:

http://www.yesbushcan.com/falsedocs.shtml

Let's spring to action before these documents needlessly tarnish the reputation of our Commander and Chief. You know the drill: analyze the handwriting, search for factual errors, and post your discoveries. And keep us posted by sending email to FakeDocs@yesbushcan.com.

Thanks in advance for your help.

YesBushCan

KEEP YOUR CURVES, WE'LL KEEP OUR MONEY

2004-10-04T21:08:00.000-05:00

I GOT THIS TODAY FROM PLANNED PARENTHOOD'S FEDERAL ACTION FUND...

Got Curves?

Last week, a socially conscious pro-choice advocate asked The New York Times Magazine Ethicist this poignant question:

"I am in my month's trial membership at the fitness chain Curves, and I love it. I must decide whether to sign up for a year, and I've learned that the owner of the company financially supports pro-life efforts, whereas I am pro-choice. Do I have a duty to give up my Curves membership?"

Many people often ask Planned Parenthood this very same question and we applaud columnist Robert Cohen for his response:

"It depends: which do you value more, your reproductive rights or your figure? If the former, clean out your locker. You won't be alone."

A not so well–known fact is that Gary Heavin, founder and CEO of Curves, is an avid supporter of anti-choice causes, having pledged more than $5 million to various groups that oppose reproductive choice. So if you're a member of Curves, your money may be indirectly supporting abstinence-only education and other anti-choice programs.

Help others learn the truth about Curves founder by e-mailing The New York Times Magazine article to a friend. (registration required)

Send Robert Cohen a nice note to thank him for raising awareness about this issue.

BIRTHDAY GREETINGS TO A FEW FRIENDS

2004-10-02T21:16:00.000-05:00

TWO OF MY FRIENDS HAVE THE SAME BIRTHDAY, AND TODAY'S THE BIG DAY...

Birthday Greetings to both Scott Hochberg and Jon Drexler!

If you want to send Scott a birthday greeting, I suggest a campaign contribution. He's in a tight reelection campaign to keep his seat in the Texas House of Representatives. You can find out more here.

And you can email Jon and send him greetings, or better yet, send him a gift certificate to Barnes & Noble. He's back in school working on his PhD.

Additionally, my dear friend Marty Morrison from the Harris County Voter Registrar's office celebrated her birthday with a nice shindig on Friday night. If you want to make HER birthday, you can make sure you're registered to vote. The deadline for voter registration in Texas is this Monday, October 4th. Check your status and send greetings to Marty here.

As for me, I'm still wondering how this Pisces ended up with so many Libras for friends...

KERRY PULLS AHEAD WHILE DEMS WAIT FOR "OCTOBER SURPRISE"

2004-10-02T21:03:00.000-05:00

KERRY KICKED SHRUB'S BUTT IN THE FIRST DEBATE, AND NOW THE POLLS ARE STARTING TO COME IN...

As posted on both CNN and Reuters, the latest Newsweek Poll has Kerry up 49% to 46% for Bush. We knew it would happen, and not a moment too soon.

Frankly, I watch most of these polls with curious interest but not much more. The one pollster that I trust above all others is John Zogby. Keep an eye on his polls - he called the winners in 1996 and 2000, and got much closer than anyone else in the business.

On another note, it's good to see the mainstream media picking up on what we Democrats (and bloggers) have been speculating about for months - that Rove Incorporated will pull an infamous "October Surprise" to steal the election for Bush once again. The Associated Press has written an interesting story about the various scenarios that we've all been talking about. We expected a "surprise" during the Democratic National Convention, and lo and behold, a major Al Qaeda figure was captured. It will be interesting to see what the month of October has in store....

I HAVE THE BEST DAD IN THE WORLD...

2004-09-08T21:19:00.000-05:00

...AND TODAY HE TURNED 60. HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DADDY!

My Dad is the most amazing man I know. For most of his life he's been a completely devoted husband and father to an incredibly blessed family. I'm his oldest, and most would say the most outspoken. As many times as I've said "I love you," I know I won't ever think it's enough to express my appreciation for all he's done for me in my life.

In many ways Dad and I are as opposite as night and day. His habits are immaculate; I've never been in a room I couldn't mess up in five minutes or less. He values peace and quiet; I thrive in chaos and discord. He's friendly but reserved; I start conversations with complete strangers. His demeanor is calm and even; I can make a cup of coffee jittery.

But we have so much more in common. From the time I was born he shared and nurtured my love for music and politics. Countless hours have been spent together listening to Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and ABBA; countless dinners of steaks and chicken from his grill have been devoured while debating the political and social issues of the day. We love the same foods - our mutual favorites being a good steak with a glass of red wine or good ol' Texas barbecue with a cold beer, preferably a Guinness. We share a touch of wanderlust, and still enjoy traveling together to places near and far. I appreciate our mutual love of baseball every time I attend a game, and call him from each new stadium I visit. And in case you were wondering where I got it, we also share a biting sense of humor and an appreciation for the absurd.

My Dad taught me all the important things in life. He taught me to ride a bike, rollerskate, play chess and baseball. He taught me how to drive a car; and before he allowed me to drive on my own, he also taught me how to change a tire, pump my own gas, and check the oil and fluids.

But so much of what my Dad taught me isn't about skills or tasks. Far more importantly, he taught me how to live my life. By word and example, he taught me that my opinions are valued and appreciated; that discrimination in any form is wrong; that any task is not done until it's done right; that omission of the truth is the same as a lie; that I should always make up my own mind and not be afraid to express it. He taught me how to disagree with others without being disagreeable. And most of all, he's taught me by his own example that unconditional love is real and my family is the most important thing in my life.

I love you, Dad. I hope your 60th birthday was a blessed one, and that you will be a part of our lives for at least 60 more...

TICK TOCK, TIME'S UP ON GOP LIES

2004-09-08T20:56:00.000-05:00

60 MINUTES II - NEW QUESTIONS ON BUSH GUARD DUTY

This story aired tonight on 60 Minutes II on CBS. The link includes video from the interview Dan Rather had with former Texas Speaker and Lt. Governor Ben Barnes.

FOG OF WAR

Additionally, the latest Houston Press notes that several people around Texas have filed official ethics complaints with the State Bar of Texas against John O'Neill, the author of Unfit for Command. This is the work of fiction that the "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" are basing their false allegations regarding Kerry's record in Vietnam. The complaints all state that O'Neill has vilolated Texas Bar ethics by blatantly lying. Interesting thought - that the truth about O'Neill's book could be exposed not in the political arena, but in a disbarment hearing in Texas...?

Those Swift Boat Veterans' ads are sinking fast...

HOW WOMEN GOT THE VOTE

2004-09-02T19:13:00.000-05:00

This has been published widely via email. I found the original source, a column in the Rock River News in Rockford, Illinois.

WOMEN WHO DARED

By Beverly Davies

The women were innocent and defenseless. And by the end of the night, they were barely alive. Forty prison guards wielding clubs and their warden’s blessing went on a rampage against the 33 helpless women wrongly convicted of “obstructing sidewalk traffic.”

They beat Lucy Burn, chained her hands to the cell bars above her head and left her hanging for the night, bleeding and gasping for air. They hurled Dora Lewis into a dark cell, smashed her head against an iron bed and knocked her out cold. Her cellmate, Alice Cosu, thought Lewis was dead and suffered a heart attack.

Additional affidavits describe the guards grabbing, dragging, beating, choking, slamming, pinching, twisting and kicking the women. Thus unfolded the “Night of Terror” on Nov. 15, 1917, when the warden at the Occoquan Workhouse in Virginia ordered his guards to teach a lesson to the suffragists imprisoned there because they dared to picket Woodrow Wilson’s White House for the right to vote.

For weeks, the women’s only water came from an open pail. Their food—all of it colorless slops—was infested with worms. When one of the leaders, Alice Paul, embarked on a hunger strike, they tied her to a chair, forced a tube down her throat and poured liquid into her until she vomited. She was tortured like this for weeks until word was smuggled out to the press.

So, refresh my memory. Some women won’t vote this year because—why, exactly? We have car pool duties? We have to get to work? Our vote doesn’t matter? It’s raining?

Last week, I went to a sparsely attended screening of HBO’s new movie Iron Jawed Angels. It is a graphic depiction of the battle these women waged so I could pull the curtain at the polling booth and have my say. I am ashamed to say I needed the reminder.

There was a time when I knew these women well. I met them in college—not in my required American history courses, which barely mentioned them, but in women’s history class. That’s where I found the irrepressibly brave Alice Paul—her large, brooding eyes seemed fixed on my own as she stared out from the page. “Remember!” she silently beckoned. Remember. I thought I always would.

I registered voters throughout college and law school, worked on congressional and presidential campaigns until I started writing for newspapers. When Geraldine Ferraro ran for vice president, I took my 9-year-old son to meet her. “My knees are shaking,” he whispered after shaking her hand. “I’m never going to wash this hand again.”

All these years later, voter registration is still my passion. But the actual act of voting had become less personal for me, more rote. Frankly, voting often felt more like an obligation than a privilege. Sometimes it was even inconvenient.

My friend Wendy, who is my age and studied women’s history, saw the HBO movie, too. When she stopped by my desk to talk about it, she looked angry. She was. With herself. “One thought kept coming back to me as I watched that movie,” she said. “What would those women think of the way I use—or don’t use—my right to vote?”

All of us take it for granted now, not just younger women, but those of us who did seek to learn. The right to vote, she said, had become valuable to her “all over again.”

HBO will run the movie periodically before releasing it on video and DVD. I wish all history, social studies and government teachers would include the movie in their curriculum. I want it shown on Bunko night, too, and anywhere else women gather. I realize this isn’t our usual idea of socializing, but we are not voting in the numbers that we should be, and I think a little shock therapy is in order.

It is jarring to watch Woodrow Wilson and his cronies try to persuade a psychiatrist to declare Alice Paul insane so that she could be permanently institutionalized. And it is inspiring to watch the doctor refuse. Alice Paul was strong, he said, and brave. That didn’t make her crazy. The doctor admonished the men: “Courage in women is often mistaken for insanity.”

Beverly Davies is a Rockford resident.

DEMOCRATIC LOLLAPALOOZA

2004-08-01T10:25:00.000-05:00

Being inside the Fleet Center during the Democratic National Convention was like being backstage at a four-day rock concert. No one was immune to the excitement when a politician or celebrity went by...

Rick Brennan, President of the Harris County Young Democrats and a fellow Democrat from SD13, was a man on a mission. Each day during the Convention, he would attend various caucuses and walk the Floor of the Convention seeking autographs in his memorial edition of John F. Kennedy's Profiles In Courage. He received quite a few, including Janet Reno, Carl Levin, Michael Moore and others.

On Thursday night, before John Kerry accepted our Nomination, the Texas Delegation was visited by BOTH Governor Howard Dean and General Wesley Clark. I must say I went nuts - early in the Primary I had been back and forth between the two candidates, and have a great deal of admiration and affection for both. So when I was able to obtain the signatures of BOTH Dean and Clark on my Women's Caucus badge within an hour of each other, I was absolutely elated.

CITY UNDER SIEGE

2004-07-31T13:32:00.000-05:00

The City of Boston made some huge sacrifices to welcome the Democratic National Convention. Their entire city was shut down, their businesses were temporarily closed, their lives were interrupted. And during the entire week, I was stopped and greeted by Bostonians who had only one question - "Are you having a good time?"

Security was everywhere. We had to show ID to ride the escalator up to the second floor to breakfast every day. We had to show our room keys in order to access the hotel elevators. We had hotel security officers and Secret Service officers mingling among us in the hotel lobby. And that was just in the hotel, before we even got to the Fleet Center.

We were required to show our daily Convention credentials to board the shuttle buses to the Fleet Center, and once we got in, we went through security lines to be X-rayed before entering the secure perameter. There were two different types of lines, which most people didn't realize but I recognized very quickly. In the lines with the smaller X-ray machines the security personnel were hand-picking through everyone's bags, while in the lines with the large airport-style X-ray machines they were passing the bags through without opening. I always picked the latter, and never had a single problem or a single thing confiscated - even with a laptop. It probably helps that I'm an airline employee and know how to strip all my jewelry and shoes off before I get up to the line, but I always breezed through with a smile and a thank you.

All around the Fleet Center, both inside and outside, were military personnel, Secret Service, and other security personnel keeping a close eye on us. I'm absolutely sure I didn't sneeze or cross my eyes without someone taking notice.

On our way out of the Fleet Center on Wednesday night, we passed a long line of MPs - Military Police - each carrying a knapsack, some with bulk packages of bottled water and other sundries. Their job? To spend the night inside the Fleet Center and keep it safe for us for another day.

During the week I managed to go out a few times - lunch at the Barking Crab, a mid-afternoon meal at Legal Seafood, a late-night Guiness at The Black Rose. And at each venue I had no problem getting a table. There were no locals to be found. The hotels were doing a booming business, but restaurants and other retail business suffered greatly by having the Convention in town. At each venue, and even on the streets, I talked to locals who all said the same thing - yes, it's a sacrifice. Yes, we wish we were getting more of an economic bounce. But it's a sacrifice we're glad to make for Senator Kerry and the Democratic Party, and we hope you're having a good time.

The City of Boston really put on a hell of a show. I highly recommend that you go visit. Walk the Freedom Trail. Have some chowder at The Barking Crab. Visit the JFK Library. Sing Irish songs with your pint o'Guiness at The Black Rose. And while you're there, tell everyone thank you for hosting us. The City of Boston couldn't have been more hospitable, and we Democrats - and Americans - won't forget it.

ROLL CALL

2004-07-31T13:11:00.000-05:00

Wednesday night was the Roll Call of Delegations, when each Delegation officially casts their votes for the Nominee. This is what I was elected to go all the way to Boston to do - cast my vote and sign my name to nominate John Kerry to be the next President of the United States. It is the highlight of my Convention, seeing and hearing each Delegation's votes being cast. And then my experience got even better.

I had gone to the front of the Texas Delegation to take some pictures before we were due to cast our vote, and Ken Bailey, one of our Delegation Pages, grabbed me and said he wanted me up front to help fill in some of the spots of Delegates who were now filling in behind the Texas podium in the aisle. I went back up to my seat and grabbed my roommate Sheila to be with me, and placed a call to my Dad. "Change of plans, Dad. Don't look for me in the upper right corner of the Delegation. I'm on the front row."

We Texas Democrats, being from the same state as the current pResident, have a sense of humor about our situation. Our State Party Chair, Charles Schoechting, had cards printed out for us - two colors, one side red, one side blue. We're not known for being a Democratic state, so when Texas was called during Roll Call, we cast our votes for John Kerry - and Chair Schoechting said "right now Texas may look like this," and all 232 of us held up our red cards - "but on November 2nd, we will look like this" and we all, on cue, flipped to blue. It was quite a vision. If you want the picture, the latest edition of the Houston Chronicle on Thursday July 29th has a photo of Sheila and me proudly holding our blue cards.

After each Delegation was called to cast their vote, they left the floor. But not me. My friend, traveling companion and baseball fan Janice Kinchion, a fellow Delegate, and I settled in to watch the final Delegations cast their votes. For us, it is history being made and we're not missing a moment. Sheila was running up and down the rows collecting signs, and asked if we were ready to go catch the bus back to the hotel. "Nope, we don't leave until the final out" was my response. I think we were the last Delegates off the floor that night. I really didn't want it to end, I just wanted to sit there and savor every single moment.

Later, back at the hotel, I pulled Ken Bailey aside and I thanked him for what he had done. I told him "It may have meant nothing to you to pull me down to the front, but it meant the world to me. Roll Call is the highlight of my whole convention and I thank you for allowing me such an honor."

I OWE, I OWE, SO OFF TO BLOG I GO

2004-07-31T12:24:00.000-05:00

No chance to blog on Thursday, no way to blog on Friday, and so much to tell you about. So, I'll get started...

There are so many things to say on so many subjects, that I'll post one after another. Be watching for updates throughout the weekend as I try to wrap up my Convention experiences and post my thoughts on things I observed.

Once again, thank you all so much for your patience and your interest. This was truly an experience of a lifetime and I am blessed to be able to share it with the world...

IT BECOMES OFFICIAL - THE CAMPAIGN STARTS TONIGHT.

2004-07-28T20:47:00.000-05:00

Tonight is the night we make it official – John Kerry will become the Democratic Nominee for President. Tonight's business is why we came to Boston. And it's already getting exciting.

As I type this from my seat on the Convention floor, Rev. Al Sharpton is speaking. Later we will hear from the Edwards family - daughter Cate (what a good name), wife Elizabeth (another good name) and then our future Vice President, John Edwards.

And then comes the business of the Convention - Roll Call of Delegations. I've already cast my official vote for Senator Kerry, complete with signature. When you break the Convention process down to its most basic level, what I've come to Boston to do is to cast a vote and sign my name. My official work is done, my vote is cast. Now all that's left is for the votes to be counted. And yes, there IS a paper trail.

Roll Call is the most exciting, the most sacred, and the most traditional part of the entire convention process. For me, it is the highlight of the entire convention. It is democracy in action at its most basic, fundamental level. Another page in America's history will be written tonight, and I will be a part of the official record.

MY work at THIS Convention is done. But we ALL have work to do - every day, and in every way - to ensure that our work at this Convention wasn't in vain, and that John Kerry becomes the next President of the United States. Tonight is the official start of what will be a peaceful, prosperous Democratic administration in the White House and beyond. The campaign has officially begun...

POOR, PITIFUL TEXAS... NOT!

2004-07-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

The media always loves to write stories on how mistreated the Texas Delegation is at the Democratic Convention, because we're the (claimed) home state of the Bush family. Truth is, we're not being mistreated at all...

One of the 4+ interviews that I did yesterday was with Sarah Schweitzer of the Boston Globe, asking what I thought about our seating arrangements on the Convention Floor, our hotel location, and our lack of glamorous or high profile guest speakers at our daily Delegation Breakfast.

Obviously I didn't tell her what she wanted to hear, because my remarks are nowhere to be found in her story.

The truth as I see it is this. Texas, as the third largest delegation at the Convention, is a logistical nightmare for ANY convention. Finding a hotel that is large enough to house all of us together is difficult enough, and it's almost always the larger hotels in areas such as the airports that are the best choices for delegations such as ours. We are at the Hilton Boston Logan - one of the newest and nicest facilities in the entire Boston area. And if you are wondering how delegation seating is allocated on the floor of a Convention, envision making 56 puzzle pieces - each of a different size - fit into a finite space in a way that keeps each piece completely whole. Drawing delegations on a convention seating map is akin to drawing Congressional districts - maybe we should have had Tom DeLay draw our delegation seating chart for the Democratic Convention since he's obviously so knowledgeable on the subject. :-(

If I had written the Boston Globe story instead of Ms. Schweitzer, here's what I would have included - based upon the responses I gave yesterday to the reporter's questions:
________

"Cate Read, 37, a Delegate from Houston, is thrilled with the way the Texas Delegation is being treated. "Yes, the Texas Delegates are staying out at the airport - but in Boston, the airport is very close into town and immediately accessible to the rest of the city by the T. We are getting everywhere we need to go, easily and quickly. Others may have the impression that 'out at the airport' is an inconvenient hassle, but you have to take it into perspective - we have Delegates from West Texas who routinely drive 50 or 100 miles just to go to the grocery store. We're not staying out in the middle of nowhere, we're finding it very easy and convenient to get around."

"Regarding our Delegation seating on the Convention floor," Read said, "we really have some of the best seats in the house. Delegations who are closer down to the podium from us are complaining about problems seeing what's going on because of people standing in front of them and the constant movement on the floor. We have comfortable raised stadium seats with a completely unobstructed view. Our other two largest Delegations, from California and New York, are seated in similar locations. The Fleet Center is a relatively small and intimate arena, where the distance from the front to the back of the Delegate seating area is fairly inconsequential."

"As for the lack of high profile speakers at our Delegation Breakfasts," added Read, "we haven't really noticed they weren't here. Our speaker today, Congressman Chris Bell, is a hero to Democrats in Texas and across the entire nation and we are honored that he would spend the morning with us and host today's breakfast. Standing up to Tom DeLay and his illegal activities is a courageous act for Congressman Bell. We are proud of him, and grateful to him for spending time with us here in Boston."
________

That's THE story and I'm stickin' to it.

IT'S GOP NIGHT AT THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

2004-07-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

It seems I'm not the only Democrat with GOP relatives.

Spotted in a private box directly above the Georgia delegation, directly above te NECN/Convention News Station sign, are members of the Kennedy family - including the First Lady of California, Mrs. Arnold Schwarzenegger. I'll try to snap a photo or two.

And then, if Maria Shriver's presence wasn't GOP enough, Ron Reagan is addressing the Convention tonight on stem-cell research.

I'm living proof that you can't pick your relatives, or their politics. I'm sure Maria and Ron would agree with me, and share a chuckle - as would all of our families, on both sides of the aisle.

WHAT A NIGHT, WHAT AN HONOR

2004-07-27T17:21:00.000-05:00

I attended my first Democratic National Convention in 1976. Well, sort of...

I was 9 years old, and absolutely fascinated and enthralled with the whole convention experience - the pagentry, the enthusiasm, the traditions of the political convention process. Every evening of the 1976 Democratic Convention, after my younger siblings were put to bed, my Mom would let me stay up until I fell asleep in front of the TV.

It was that very Convention in 1976 that nominated Jimmy Carter to be President, and it was the same President Carter who addressed our Convention last night. And I was there, in person. I've come full circle.

And then there was Part 2 of the evening, when I was able to once again listen to the man who ultimately brought me to the Democratic Party, President Bill Clinton.

I was born and raised in a GOP family - the OLD GOP, where individual liberties were revered and women and minorities were respected. I actually participated in the 1992 GOP National Convention, as a Sergeant-At-Arms (think "usher") on the Convention floor. I went from the floor of the Conventon on Monday night to the protest site across the street on Tuesday night, where I joined fellow supporters of Planned Parenthood and other groups and proudly displayed my sign that said "I'm voting for Clinton because Bush gives me no CHOICE." I said then, and I still believe now, that Republican Women elected Bill Clinton President.

I fully and officially switched parties in 1994, after the radical right completed their takeover of the GOP in Houston. President Clinton was a major part of my motivation in switching parties. He led our nation into an unprecedented period of economic prosperity while protecting and defending our personal rights and liberties, and he accomplished all of this while still balancing our national budget and gaining respect around the world for bringing peaceful solutions to a world in turmoil.

Last night President Clinton, the Master Teacher, took his students - the American people - back to school. He retaught us the lessons that we've forgotten, the lessons that our nation so desperately needed to be reminded of - the lessons of how economic prosperity can be reattained, how civil and individual liberties can be restored, how respect in the world can be earned again. He rekindled our faith and belief in the Democratic Party and its leaders. And above all, President Clinton reinforced our unified and fervent belief that John Kerry and John Edwards will be the leaders to bring our nation back to that respected and prosperous place we were in just four years ago.

BEING HERE

2004-07-26T20:09:00.000-05:00

Being here is something I can't quite describe, but I'll do my best.

And yes, I am - quite literally - here. As I type this, President Carter is addressing the Convention. My roommate and fellow SD13 Delegate Sheila Blake is on my right, and DNC member David Holmes is on my left. Sue Lovell is directly in front of me, and Rick Brennan is nearby. If you are following the Delegations online and on TV, don't look for the Texas marker - look for Oklahoma, then look about 20 feet to the left and you'll see us. The battery is holding a charge, the wireless is connected, and Little Mario is on my lap. All is right in this Delegate Blogger's world.

We're packed in here like teenagers at a Britney Spears concert. Imagine this - your typical athletic arena filled to overflowing with standing room only, and everyone has brought stuff with them. And then imagine that none of us stay in our seats for too long at a time, so there's constant movement and shuffling. And imagine instead of one Britney Spears, there are hundreds at any given point and time. And we all want to see them and talk to them and get pictures taken with them. It is a multidimensional joyful chaos that the TV cameras and the sound trucks can't even begin to replicate. If you're watching the Convention from home you're hearing the sound wired in from the podium, and seeing only what the cameras are shooting. Here I can look in every direction and see something going on, someone interesting - political and celebrity alike - and hear the constant drum of conversations all around me. It's all music to my ears; a work of art in progress to my eyes. All I can do is sit and absorb it all.

SENATOR Clinton will be introducing PRESIDENT Clinton shortly (I love saying that), and I expect to be on my feet. A lot. Time to post and pack it up, at least for a little while. ..

SHOAH

2004-07-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

I literally stumbled onto the New England Holocaust Memorial this afternoon. And I am moved...

"Shoah" is a Hebrew word that translates to "desolation." It is the term many Jews use to identify and describe the Holocaust. And right on the Freedom Trail in Carmen Park, Boston has built a memorial. I was out and about this afternoon with a couple of guests from SD13 - more on that later - and we found this amazing memorial. If you are in Boston and get a chance to walk through, please do. Take a few minutes to read the inscriptions. Reflect on the hatred and intolerance of yesterday, and of today. Say a little prayer, leave a stone, and wish us all peace.

NEW YORK TIMES/AP INTERVIEW ALERT

2004-07-26T10:25:00.000-05:00

Just a quick update - an interview I did with the Associated Press last week was published in the New York Times yesterday and today.

If you're not registered at the New York Times, it's free. There are actually two versions of the story, one published on 7/25 and one published on 7/26. I'm mentioned in both, as is my newbestbloggerboyfriend Karl-Thomas Musselman.

OH, GOODY...

2004-07-26T09:54:00.000-05:00

We received our coveted "goody bags" at Credentials Distribution this morning...

No Convention Barbie this year, but a couple of really cool books - including the latest one from Bill Press - along with some other goodies. I'll go through it more thoroughly later, but I was glad to see a box of "Democrats in 2004" donkeys and stars macaroni and cheese, courtesy of Kraft. I'll pass it on to my Mom, so my nieces and nephew can share it with their Nana on Election Night when Kerry wins back the Presidency for the Democrats, the Nation, and the World.

Keep an eye on KRIV Fox 26 in Houston, as I was interviewed this morning. Somebody please try to tape it for me. I'll keep you posted on any other interviews as/if they come along.

I'm packing up and heading over to the various caucuses and meetings over near the Fleet Center now. I'm taking Little Mario with me, and will see what kind of connectivity I can hook up at the Convention. Little Mario is the name of the laptop that fellow Democrat Richard Garcia loaned me - if you see him, please give him a hug. He's making all this possible.

Oh, and if you're watching the Convention from home, Texas is in the corner stage right as you look out from the podium. And we Delegates will be sitting in our same seats each day - I'll be sitting with the "fun" crowd toward the back. We'll have a little surprise for everyone tonight - a special guest will be joining us, so stay tuned...

YOU MEAN IT HASN'T STARTED YET?

2004-07-25T22:48:00.000-05:00

And I'm already THIS tired? Hoo-eey, I'm in big trouble...

Of course, I DID wake up at 3am, drive three hours, take two DC Metro trains and two Continental planes to get from the Delaware Shore to Boston today - a trip that would have taken me a leisurely five hours total via Amtrak. Ah, what I won't do to use those free flight benefits as an airline employee.

The happenin' place at the Texas Delegation hotel this afternoon was the lobby - not because we all WANTED to be there, you see, but because there were no rooms at the inn. Literally. Just as fast as a room was cleaned, it was turned over to the next Delegate. Apparently there were some canceled flights out of Logan on Saturday, which backed up the check-outs. The hotel staff was very accommodating and worked as quickly as they could under what was obviously a stressful situation. Thankfully, a room was readied for my roommate Sheila and I just about the time she arrived. We proceeded to settle in and change before heading out to the official kick-off reception for the Texas Delegation, a "Taste of East Boston" held at the Hyatt Harborside Hotel around the corner.

Dinner was fairly tasty, but didn't include any seafood - to my great disappointment. I was hoping that "East Boston" would land me somewhere in the North Atlantic, but no, it landed me in Italy and Mexico instead. Oh well, it was accompanied by "chah-d'-nay" and an incredible view of the Boston skyline across the water, so all was not lost. Sheila and I ate with Alma Allen, our State Rep nominee (and presumptive-elect) from SW Houston and her daughter Patricia, then we wandered around catching up with everyone from around the state. I met my fellow Blogger and Texas' youngest Delegate Karl-Thomas Musselman for the first time, after many emails. We'll attend the Blogger Bash together on Wednesday night. I've always wanted to go out with a younger man, I just never thought it would be one half my age... ;-)

From the Delegation Dinner some of us headed back to the hotel while others went to see the Boston Pops. Or rather, the opening act for the Boston Pops, which was... um... the Ojays? Lots of dancin' and hooplah, but by the time the Pops was tuning up the Texans were ready to head back to the hotel to join the Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee party already in progress. Sheila is always a motivating speaker, but I've found her to be consistently at her best when she's among friends - good Democrats with lots of enthusiasm, full of heart and soul. She had us all on our feet more than once, and long after the music had cranked up she was still shaking hands and posing for photos.

It's now well after midnight and I have been up for 21 hours straight. And I have to be at the Delegation Breakfast WHEN??? If you see me wandering around Boston wearing one of those silly beer bong helmets with a Starbucks hookup you'll know why...

HYPIN' THE HOOPLAH

2004-07-23T19:05:00.000-05:00

A funny thing happened on the way to the Democratic National Convention. We found the "story," and it is US...

Four years ago, I made a pledge to send daily email updates from Los Angeles as a Delegate to the 2000 Convention. Now I'm doing it again, but posting to my blog site as well as via email. Turns out that "blogging" has become all the talk of the 2004 DNC in Boston.

There will be tons of resources to keep up with the Convention, and the Bloggers who are writing about the Convention, and the "mainstream" media who are writing about the Bloggers who are writing about the Convention. I've already fielded emails and phone calls from mainstream as well as alternative media for interviews, and I expect there will be more. And I'm just a Delegate who happens to blog.

For those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about, a "blog" is short for "web log," or an online web journal. You are reading a "blog" now, although not a very widely-read or sophisticated one. There are quite a few of us "bloggers" who will be attending and participating in the 2004 Democratic National Convention - some as Credentialed Media, some (like me) as Delegates and other participants, but all writing about our experiences and observations in a format and a place that will allow the Convention to be a more personalized experience than ever before.

Keep an eye on the links on the right side of the page. I will be adding and updating URLs of various "blog" sites as I can, so that everyone will have a wide variety of blogs to peruse.

You'll also see three Yahoo Groups noted under "Email Me" at the top right. If you are a registered Democratic voter in my State Senate District, you should be a member of SD13Democrats. If you want my political postings throughout the year whenever I find something interesting to send out, you might want to join CateyBeth's Corner. And if you are only interested in my postings from the Convention, then CateyBeth's Convention might be your group. Just send me a note and I'll get you added!

I'm heading to Boston on Sunday 7/25 from Delaware, where I am enjoying the last of a wonderful family reunion. If I could capture time in a bottle it would be this week, when the sun is warm, the waves are high, the corn is fresh, my parents are young, my nieces and nephew are angels, my cousins are happy and we are all together, if for a short time. But time does move on, and next week there is work for all of us to do. I appreciate everyone's indulgence while I've neglected my site this week in order to savor my time with my family. Next week, and beyond, are all yours...

DNC PLATFORM DRAFT READY FOR PRIME TIME

2004-07-17T15:15:00.000-05:00

THIS is what we believe, it is what we will work to accomplish for our Country and the World, and it is why we will win in November.

The Democratic National Committee and the 2004 Democratic National Convention have posted the DRAFT of the 2004 Democratic Party Platform online here. It is still a draft until it is approved and ratified by the Delegates at the 2004 DNC in Boston on Tuesday, July 27th.

Many thanks to all from Texas who worked so hard and accomplished so much to make our voices heard. I'm proud of this Platform, and I'm proud to be a Democrat.

THIS AIN'T RIGHT!

2004-07-11T19:09:00.000-05:00

Let me draw you a picture...

Let's say I'm a slimeball (but please don't!). I have shady business dealings that result in lots of financial and political power. I share major portions of my financial gains with you and others in our industry.

One day, some whiny little brat lodges a complaint against me. Yeah, the allegations have merit. But I'm not going to worry too much about it. After all, it is you, my dear friend and colleague to whom I gave money, who is investigating me.

Fact or fiction? Read more here.

(All references to persons living or dead is merely a coincidence. All names have been changed to protect the innocent. I know a lot of good defense attorneys - after all, I'm a DEMOCRAT!)

SO MANY THINGS TO NOTE...

2004-07-10T23:31:00.000-05:00

So, I guess I'll just get started.

DEMOCRATIC PARTY PLATFORM IS DRAFTED
The Democratic Party's 2004 Platform was written and drafted in Hollywood, Florida over the weekend. For those of you who missed the fun (it was broadcast live on C-SPAN), here's a story on it from Reuters/Yahoo.

Texas was extremely well represented on the Platform Committee, although at times I was sent into a minor panic. Our dear friend Tom Blackwell from Dallas was called to explain his first amendment. And then he was called again. Still no Tom. Then he came in from the hall, where he was still working on negotiations with the Chairwoman of the Drafting Committee, Cong. Rosa DeLauro. This happened several times during the Hearings. If you see him at the National Convention in Boston, wink and call him "AWOL Tom."

Tom does report, incidentally, that he thinks Texas Democrats got more into the DNC Platform this year than ever before. Way to go Tom and our other Texas Democrats!

If you check C-SPAN's website periodically, they will usually upload their archives of previous programs. It's very possible that you will be able to see the Platform Hearings online within a day or two, in case you missed all the action. BTW, you'll also be able to tune in to C-SPAN live on either your cable TV or the internet for live gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Democratic National Convention.

I LOVE C-SPAN!
_________________________________________________________________

HYPOCRITICAL DOUBLE TAKE
I blew cola out my nose the first time I heard the reporter ask Shrub "what's the difference between Cheney and Edwards and he replied "Cheney can be President." HA! You idiot, Cheney IS President! We're not fooled.

My personal favorite of the day was on one of the CNN afternoon programs. The topic was Edwards' lack of foreign policy experience. The Democratic spinmeister (someone I didn't know) came back with my favorite line of the day - "Before Bush became President, the closest he'd ever come to foreign policy was when the Toronto Blue Jays played his Texas Rangers." I'm still giggling at THAT one!
_________________________________________________________________

UN-PATRIOT-ICK!
The Slimy Repuglicans did it again, using their common blunt force tactics to defeat an amended version of the so-called Patriot Act. The methods utlized for defeating the amended version have the easily identifiable stench of Tom DeLay. The amendmended Patriot Act, a much better version (if there is such a thing) actually passed during the standard 15 minute vote period, but GOP leaders (yeah, that would be the Hammer) extended the voting period by an additional 20 minutes while they strong-armed/blackmailed/threatened about 10 members of the GOP to change their votes.

I want them ALL outta there NOW! VOTE RICHARD MORRISON FOR CONGRESS IN TEXAS' 22ND!
_________________________________________________________________

SARGENT SAYS...
The latest from my favorite political cartoonist, Ben Sargent of the Austin American-Statesman. It would be funny if it weren't true...

TIME TO PAY THE PIPER

2004-07-07T15:19:00.000-05:00

BREAKING NEWS - Ken Lay, former Chairman of Enron, is included in a sealed indictment delivered today.

According to the Houston Chronicle, a sealed indictment was delivered in a Houston courtroom today and includes chgarges against Lay. The indictment will be unsealed on Thursday 7/8, and Lay is scheduled to surrender to authorities.

Fascinating that four years ago Chairman Lay was wining and dining with the GOP Elite, and now he finds himself looking forward to dining on prison food. There's no way his old buddies can save him, as we're in the middle of a tight election cycle. I wonder if he's regretting all those political donations now...

DELEGATE LISTS TO 2004 DNC ARE NOW ONLINE

2004-07-07T14:17:00.000-05:00

You can find a list of each Delegation and lots more at the 2004 Democratic National Convention's website.

Here's the Texas Delegation:

Charles Soechting Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Austin, TX Delegation Chair
Tommy Adkisson Unpledged Add-On San Antonio, TX
Jim Alexander Pledged District Level-Dist #31 Amarillo, TX
Sedonia Alford Pledged At-Large Fort Worth, TX
Alma Allen Pledged PLEO Houston, TX
Emma Allen Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Fort Worth, TX
Lucendy Allen Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Manor, TX
Trista Allen Pledged District Level-Dist #10 Fort Worth, TX
Diana Alonzo Pledged At-Large Dallas, TX
Roberto Alonzo Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Dallas, TX
Albert Alvidrez Pledged District Level-Dist #29 El Paso, TX
Natomi Austin Pledged District Level-Dist #29 El Paso, TX
Sabas Avila Pledged District Level-Dist #25 Austin, TX
Juan Ayala Pledged At-Large Dallas, TX
Ken Bailey Pages Austin, TX
Kathleen Bannon Pledged District Level-Dist #8 Carrollton, TX
Angie Barrientos Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Gonzalo Barrientos Pledged PLEO Austin, TX
Gail Beagle Pledged District Level-Dist #26 San Antonio, TX
Walter Beeman Pledged District Level-Dist #30 Iowa Park, TX
Hon. Christopher Bell Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Houston, TX
Vicki Bellow Pledged District Level-Dist #6 Houston, TX
Jeff Benson Pledged District Level-Dist #28 Lubbock, TX
Beth Berigan Pledged Alternate Dist Level-Dis College Station, TX
Roberta Bilsky Pledged District Level-Dist #15 Houston, TX
Sheila Blake Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
John Bland Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
Louis Bolanos Pledged At-Large Socorro, TX
Richard Bolanos Pledged At-Large El Paso, TX
Louis Boulet Pledged District Level-Dist #4 Port Neches, TX
Bill Bowen Pledged District Level-Dist #3 Flint, TX
Richard M. Brennan Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
Rose Brooks Pledged District Level-Dist #25 San Marcos, TX
Roy LaVerne Brooks Pledged At-Large Ft Worth, TX
Garry Brown Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Austin, TX
Archie Burks Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Cedar Hill, TX
Evelyn Burleson Pledged District Level-Dist #18 Port Lavaca, TX
Lydia Caballero Pledged District Level-Dist #27 Weslaco, TX
Leon Cahan Pledged Alternate District Level-Dist San Antonio, TX
Dania Canales Pledged District Level-Dist #21 Roma, TX
Barbara Canales Black Pledged Dist Level-Dist #20 Corpus Christi, TX
Thomas Carlin Pledged District Level-Dist #12 Hurst, TX
Maria Isela Castanon-Williams Pledged At-Large El Paso, TX
Joaquin Castro Pledged PLEO San Antonio, TX
Ron Chapman Pledged District Level-Dist #3 Trinidad, TX
Norma Chavez Pledged PLEO El Paso, TX
Linda Chavez-Thompson Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Washington, DC
Mary Alice Cisneros Unpledged Add-On San Antonio, TX
Elgie Clayton Pledged District Level-Dist #2 Emory, TX
Curtis Clinesmith Pledged District Level-Dist #30 Denton, TX
Garnet Coleman Pledged PLEO Houston, TX
Charlie Connor Pledged District Level-Dist #22 Ferris, TX
Erica Contreras Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Yolanda Coroy Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
James Cumming Pledged District Level-Dist #6 Houston, TX
Claude Cummings Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
William Cunningham Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
Amy Dalzell Pledged District Level-Dist #29 El Paso, TX
Blanche Darley Unpledged Delegates DNC Member El Paso, TX
Wanda Davila Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Missouri City, TX
Deralyn Riles Davis Pledged At-Large Fort Worth, TX
Earlie Davis Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Dallas, TX
Ruben Davis Pledged PLEO Alternate Missouri City, TX
Hon. Yvonne Davis Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Dallas, TX
Mitzyn De la Rosa Pledged District Level-Dist #30 Gainesville, TX
Veronica de Lafuente Pledged District Level-Dist #27 Harlingen, TX
Anne del Prado Pledged At-Large Oyster Creek, TX
Maria Luisa Del Toro Pledged At-Large Corpus Christi, TX
Sergio DeLeon Pledged District Level-Dist #12 Fort Worth, TX
W. Joseph Deshotel Pledged PLEO Beaumont, TX
Pauline Dixon Pledged At-Large Dallas, TX
Olen Dodd Pledged District Level-Dist #4 Beaumont, TX
Hon. Lloyd Doggett Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Dawnna Dukes Pledged PLEO Austin, TX
Jim Dunnam Pledged PLEO Waco, TX
Nelson Edgerly Pledged District Level-Dist #17 Port Arthur, TX
Hon. Al Edwards Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Houston, TX
Hon. Chet Edwards Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Samia El-Badry Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Austin, TX
Bruce Elfant Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Austin, TX
Concepcion Elizondo Pledged District Level-Dist #26 San Antonio, TX
Linda Figueroa Pledged District Level-Dist #20 Corpus Christi, TX
Patti Fink Pledged District Level-Dist #16 Dallas, TX
Cathryn Fleming Pledged District Level-Dist #24 Abilene, TX
Jim Fletcher Pledged District Level-Dist #10 Colleyville, TX
Vanessa Edwards Foster Pledged Alternate At-Large Houston, TX
Hon. Martin Frost Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Arif Gafur Pledged District Level-Dist #17 Houston, TX
Pete Gallego Pledged PLEO Alpine, TX
Mario Gallegos Pledged PLEO Houston, TX
Ramon Garcia Pledged PLEO Alternate Edinburg, TX
Roland Garcia Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Sally Garcia Pledged District Level-Dist #16 Dallas, TX
Sandra Denise Garcia Pledged At-Large Edinburg, TX
Sylvia Garcia Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Suzann Gentry Pledged At-Large Odessa, TX
Bryan Gerard Pledged District Level-Dist #21 San Antonio, TX
Helen Giddings Pledged PLEO Desoto, TX
Matt Glazer Pledged District Level-Dist #26 San Antonio, TX
Otilia Gonzales Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
Hon. Charles Gonzalez Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Jaime Gonzalez Unpledged Delegates DNC Member McAllen, TX
Sylvia Diane Gonzalez-Cibrian Pledged District Level-Dist #25 San Antonio, TX
Valerie Grace Pledged District Level-Dist #26 San Antonio, TX
Frances Granada DeLeon Pledged District Level-Dist #12 Fort Worth, TX
Hon. Gene Green Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Mary Kay Green Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Ryan Guillen Pledged PLEO Rio Grande City, TX
Philip Guittard Pledged District Level-Dist #18 Victoria, TX
Gloria Garza Gutierrez Pledged At-Large Arlington, TX
Gabrielle Hadnot Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Houston, TX
Dorothy Haight Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Rockwall, TX
Judy Hall Pledged District Level-Dist #19 Heloles, TX
Kirsten Hancock Pledged Alternate At-Large Washington, DC
David Hardt Pledged District Level-Dist #16 Dallas, TX
David Harris Pledged District Level-Dist #9 Arlington, TX
Michael Harris Pledged District Level-Dist #15 Houston, TX
Michelle Harris Pledged District Level-Dist #9 Arlington, TX
Tammie Hartgroves Pledged District Level-Dist #22 McGregor, TX
Syed Hassan Pledged District Level-Dist #9 Arlington, TX
Beverly Hatcher Pledged At-Large Beaumont, TX
Mary Hatfield Pledged District Level-Dist #28 Lubbock, TX
Minnie Dora Haynes Pledged District Level-Dist #21 Laredo, TX
Minnie Dora Bunn Haynes Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Laredo, TX
Danny Henley Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Dallas, TX
Jorge Herrera Pledged District Level-Dist #25 San Antonio, TX
Gilberto Hinojosa Pledged PLEO Alternate Brownsville, TX
Robert Hinojosa Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Houston, TX
Hon. Ruben Hinojosa Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Terri Hodge Pledged PLEO Dallas, TX
David Holmes Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Austin, TX
Estelle Holmes Pledged District Level-Dist #11 Hitchcock, TX
Otis Hopkins Pledged At-Large El Paso, TX
Melissa Irion Pledged District Level-Dist #5 Austin, TX
Mae Jackson Pledged PLEO Waco, TX
Nora Jackson Pledged District Level-Dist #2 Garland, TX
Passion Jackson Pledged At-Large Ore City, TX
Winifred Jackson Pledged District Level-Dist #1 Ore City, TX
Hon. Sheila Jackson Lee Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Houston, TX
Allan Jamail Pledged District Level-Dist #6 Houston, TX
Maria Jimenez Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Hon. Eddie Bernice Johnson Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Washington, DC
Strathwell Johnson Pledged District Level-Dist #5 Shiro, TX
Luther Jones Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis El Paso, TX
Ruth Jones McClendon Pledged PLEO San Antonio, TX
Leon Kababie Pledged District Level-Dist #29 El Paso, TX
Duffy Keever Pledged Alternate At-Large Austin, TX
Yasmin Khan Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Sugarland, TX
Janice Kinchion Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Hon. Ron Kirk Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Dallas, TX
Inayat Lalani Pledged District Level-Dist #10 Benbrook, TX
Hon. Nick Lampson Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Beaumont, TX
Hon. Iris Lawrence Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Amarillo, TX
Nick Lawrie Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Austin, TX
Juanita Leach Pledged District Level-Dist #30 Gainesville, TX
Gayle Ledbetter Pledged District Level-Dist #22 Cleburne, TX
William Leo Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis La Joya, TX
Nora Linares-Moeller Pages Wimberley, TX
Margery Loeb Pledged District Level-Dist #18 Victoria, TX
Margaret Lopez Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Dolores Lott Pledged District Level-Dist #19 San Antonio, TX
Sue Lovell Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Houston, TX
Vilma Luna Pledged PLEO Corpus Christi, TX
John Mabry Pledged PLEO Alternate Waco, TX
Majestic Magnate Pledged Alternate At-Large Houston, TX
Molly Beth Malcolm Pledged District Level-Dist #1 Texarkana, TX
Juan Maldonado Pledged District Level-Dist #27 Pharr, TX
Jeannie Marsh Pledged District Level-Dist #10 Fort Worth, TX
Jesse Martin Pledged District Level-Dist #24 Buchanan Dam, TX
Trey Martinez Fischer Pledged PLEO San Antonio, TX
Ernest Mass Pledged At-Large San Antonio, TX
Glen Maxey Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Barbara Mayo Pledged At-Large Cedar Park, TX
Mark McCulloch Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Austin, TX
Sylvia McDuffie Pledged District Level-Dist #4 Nederland, TX
Jennifer McPhail Pledged District Level-Dist #14 Austin, TX
Hon. Ed Miller Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Texarkana, TX
Nakia Mitchell Pledged At-Large Grapevine, TX
Becky Moeller Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Paul Moreno Pledged PLEO El Paso, TX
Charles Mott Pledged District Level-Dist #8 Irving, TX
Kay Bell Mudd Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Iowa Colony, TX
Karen Murray Pledged District Level-Dist #3 Nacogdoches, TX
Karl Thomas Musselman Pledged District Level-Dist #24 Fredericksburg, TX
Elliott Naishtat Pledged PLEO Austin, TX
Alma Nolen Pledged Alternate At-Large Pearland, TX
Hilbert Ocanas Pledged At-Large San Antonio, TX
Christina Ocasio Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Rene Oliveira Pledged PLEO Brownsville, TX
Juan Ortega Pledged District Level-Dist #27 Harlingen, TX
Hon. Solomon Ortiz Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Corpus Christi, TX
Anthony Pace Pledged District Level-Dist #8 Dallas, TX
Mary Alice Palacios Pledged District Level-Dist #20 Edinburg, TX
Eunice Parrish Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Billie Don Payne Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis White Oak, TX
Aaron Pena Jr. Pledged District Level-Dist #20 Edinburg, TX
Linda Perez Pledged District Level-Dist #21 Floresville, TX
Mario Perez Pledged District Level-Dist #10 Fort Worth, TX
Doug Peterson Pages Houston, TX
Grady Prestage Pledged PLEO Alternate Missouri City, TX
Catherine Read Pledged District Level-Dist #13 Houston, TX
Anita Renteria Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Hon. Silvestre Reyes Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress El Paso, TX
Lisa Richardson Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Joseph Richeson Pledged District Level-Dist #19 Heloles, TX
Mary Johnson Richeson Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Heloles, TX
Debra Hastings Rios Pledged At-Large El Paso, TX
Hon. Carroll Robinson Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Houston, TX
Jimmy Rocha Pledged District Level-Dist #5 Cedar Park, TX
Hon. Ciro Rodriguez Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Eddie Rodriguez Pledged PLEO Austin, TX
Bruce Rothstein Pledged District Level-Dist #16 Dallas, TX
Tom Rowan Jr Pledged District Level-Dist #7 Houston, TX
Glenda Salazar Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Dallas, TX
Steven Salazar Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Dallas, TX
Hon. Max Sandlin Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Sidney Schwartz Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis San Benito, TX
Mary Ann Seymore Pledged At-Large Houston, TX
Emmett Sheppard Unpledged Add-On Austin, TX
Riaz Siddiqi Pledged District Level-Dist #7 Spring, TX
Bob Slagle Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Sherman, TX
Budd Smith Pledged District Level-Dist #1 Tyler, TX
Shelley Smith Pages Manchaca, TX
Wendy Smith Pledged District Level-Dist #26 San Antonio, TX
Hon. Oscar Soliz Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Corpus Christi, TX
Jacqueline Soliz-Chapa Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Lenora Sorola-Pohlman Pledged District Level-Dist #15 Houston, TX
Ceole Speight Pledged District Level-Dist #11 Pasadena, TX
Dennis Speight Pages Austin, TX
John Stark Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis New Braunfels, TX
Hon. Charles Stenholm Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Abilene, TX
Garland Stevenson Pledged District Level-Dist #2 Telephone, TX
Virginia Stogner Pledged District Level-Dist #17 Houston, TX
Jerry Gene Storms, Sr Pledged District Level-Dist #21 Ingleside, TX
Robert Strauss Unpledged Delegates Distinguished Party Leader Washington, DC
John Stuart Pledged District Level-Dist #1 Texarkana, TX
Audrey Swanson Pledged At-Large Carrollton, TX
Kay Sweat Pledged District Level-Dist #5 Lexington, TX
Zafar Tahir Pledged District Level-Dist #18 Sugarland, TX
Charlene Tanner Pledged District Level-Dist #4 Kingwood, TX
Loi Taylor Pages Austin, TX
Sharon Teal Pledged District Level-Dist #3Corrigan, TX
Irmalyn Thomas Pledged At-Large Beaumont, TX
Hon. Jim Turner Unpledged Delegates Members of Congress Washington, DC
Sylvester Turner Pledged PLEO Houston, TX
Leticia Van de Putte, III Pledged PLEO San Antonio, TX
Juana Vidales Pledged District Level-Dist #17 Houson, TX
Fran Vincent Pledged At-Large Austin, TX
Anneliese Vogel Pledged Alternate At-Large Houston, TX
Princella Vogel Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Houston, TX
Rosa Walker Unpledged Delegates DNC Member Austin, TX
James Wark Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Lufkin, TX
Dunbar Watson Pledged District Level-Dist #11 Texas City, TX
Mikal Watts Pledged District Level-Dist #20 Corpus Christi, TX
Anne Weedman Pledged District Level-Dist #7 Houston, TX
Geri Wells Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Sugar Land, TX
Sue Weninger Pledged District Level-Dist #28 Lubbock, TX
Royce West Pledged PLEO Duncanville, TX
Robert White Pledged District Level-Dist #31 Odessa, TX
John Whitmire Pledged District Level-Dist #15 Houston, TX
Martha Williams Pledged District Level-Dist #2 Terrell, TX
William Williams Pledged Alternate District Level-Dis Kingwood, TX
Linda Wise Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Dallas, TX
Miguel Wise Pledged PLEO Weslaco, TX
Gary Woitena Pledged District Level-Dist #19 San Antonio, TX
Hon. Jim Wright Unpledged Delegates Distinguished Party Leader Fort Worth, TX
Natesha Wyrick Pledged District Level-Dist #23 Dallas, TX
Jean Yarborough Pledged District Level-Dist #12 North Richland Hills, TX
Edward Ybarra Pledged District Level-Dist #11 Houston, TX
Michael Young Pledged District Level-Dist #22 Burleson, TX

WORKS FOR ME

2004-07-07T14:15:00.000-05:00

Sen. John Edwards has been growing in my esteem. The more I see and hear him, the more impressed I am with him. Kerry/Edwards looks like a winner to me!

STAY TUNED

2004-07-06T00:16:00.000-05:00

According to AP, John Kerry is ready to announce his Vice Presidential choice. Word is Kerry will announce as early as today.

Kerry must announce within the next week or so, as the Democratic National Convention begins in three weeks and the Convention must formally nominate his running mate.

Speculation is running fierce, but I think the top contenders are John Edwards and Tom Vilsak. Senator Kerry spent some quality time in Iowa with Governor Vilsak this past weekend, and Senator Edwards reportedly left his family vacation at Walt Disney World to have a private meeting with Kerry in Washington. I don't think the nomination will go to Sen. Joe Biden, who has been mentioned, as he comes with too much baggage from his failed 1988 Presidential Campaign and Delaware will likely vote Democratic anyway.

KERRY TO ANNOUNCE VP NOMINATION ONLINE

2004-07-03T10:47:00.000-05:00

Senator Kerry is set to announce his Vice Presidential nomination soon, some say as early as this week.

And word is, he'll be announcing it online to his website subscribers first. Make sure you're signed up at www.JohnKerry.com so you'll be among the first to know who the next Vice President of the United States will be!

AND I THOUGHT THE GOP WAS IN A SLUMP LAST WEEK...

2004-07-02T18:47:00.000-05:00

But NO, this week shapes up to be even crazier for our friends in God's Own Party.

A RECAP OF LAST WEEK IN THE GOP
Let's see, last week there was Jack Ryan being dropped like a hot potato from the GOP ticket for - as HE says - "propositioning his wife in an inappropriate place." Then the GOP released a campaign video which used the very clips of Hitler that they so loudly protested against when it was first aired by MoveOn.org.

And now...

I'D SAY KEEP YOUR DAY JOB MR. SECRETARY, BUT I DON'T WANT YOU TO HAVE THAT EITHER
Well, let's see. First of all, Secretary of State Colin Powell fails miserably at being a Song and Dance Man. The Village People? What WAS Powell thinking? If you haven't seen the video, CNN is playing it ad nauseam. It's hysterically ridiculous.

IF YOU CAN'T BEAT 'EM, BEAT 'EM
And THEN there's THIS lovely little gem from the Austin American-Statesman. Turns out a GOP Precinct Chair in Travis County was "physically removed" by a fellow Precinct Chair at a County Executive Committee Meeting. He's still recovering from his "removal."

This reminds me of one of the MANY reasons I switched from the GOP to the Democratic Party in 1994. My (then) husband and I were physically assaulted at our Precinct Convention, by members of our local megachurch who had "come to take over the Precinct from the godless infidels." Funny, I never realized my Presbyterian religion was considered "godless."

Sigh. Some weeks you gotta laugh to keep from crying...

MY MAN IS OUT OF THE RUNNING

2004-07-02T01:57:00.000-05:00

My choice for Kerry's VP nominee was Bill Richardson. Tonight he announced he's requested his name be withdrawn from consideration.

I've been promoting Bill Richardson, the current Governor of New Mexico, for the Vice President nomination. According to the Associated Press, he has notified the Kerry Campaign that he no longer wants to be considered.

In addition to currently serving as NM Governor, Richardson is also serving as the Chair of the 2004 Democratic National Convention in Boston. He previously served President Clinton as Secretary of Energy and Ambassador to the United Nations, and was a U.S. Congressman from New Mexico from 1982-1997.

Now I don't know WHO to lobby for - ANYBODY but Rep. Dick Gephardt! I'm not wild about Sen. Bob Graham either. Looks like for me it will be a tossup between Sen. John Edwards and Gov. Tom Vilsak. I think I need to call my cousins in Iowa and quiz them about their Governor...

YEAH, BUT HOW IS IT PLAYING IN PEORIA?

2004-07-01T13:10:00.000-05:00

Pretty darn well, thank you! 'Fahrenheit 9/11' is selling out theaters across the country...

According to a CBS News story, Michael Moore's 'Fahrenheit 9/11' sold out theaters all over the country this past weekend - even in the bellweather city of Peoria, Illinois. The movie is selling out in Republican strongholds as well as in heavily Democratic areas.

I'm going to see it tonight, with a fellow Democrat or three. I'm almost afraid to see it - I'm already so motivated to remove Shrub from office, that I don't know how much MORE motivation I can take...

SAY IT AIN'T SO!

2004-07-01T12:54:00.000-05:00

A group of academics is using scientific formulas to predict a Bush win.

According to a Reuters story on Yahoo, a small group of political scientists is using elaborate mathematical formulas to predict that Bush will win reelection with between 53% and 58% of the vote.

Bad news - this group predicted Bush the Elder's win in 1988, in spite of Dukakis leading in the polls, and they came within 1/10th of a percent of Clinton's actual vote in 1996.

Good news - in 2000, they predicted a Gore win with between 53% and 60% of the vote.

I say it ain't gonna happen, and these geeks will be wrong two elections in a row.

HAS THE GOP GONE COMPLETELY NUTS?

2004-06-25T20:51:00.000-05:00

As many of you did, I received an email tonight from Mary Beth Cahill with the Kerry Campaign. It seems the Bush-Cheney Campaign has interspersed video of Hitler with that of Kerry and other Democrats...

...But on further viewing and recollection, it seems that this is the very video that a supporter of MoveOn.org sent in as an anti-Bush ad, and the GOP screamed so loudly about. Apparently the Bush-Cheney Campaign has taken it upon themselves to regurgitate this ad, along with clips of various Democrats and Progressives (including Al Gore, Howard Dean, Michael Moore, and of course John Kerry).

You can see the clip (at least for now) on the Bush-Cheney website, or if you'd rather not pay them a visit and just go directly to the Windows Media clip I have the direct link here.

Doesn't it seem a bit hypocritical for the GOP to be using clips of the very ad that they griped so loudly at the Democrats for using? And isn't it a big gamble to show so many clips of REALLY pissed off people screaming at Bush?

Let's see, in one week the Vice President tells a Democratic Senator to "go f&%k yourself," the GOP's candidate for U.S. Senate from Illinois drops out amid a sex scandal, and now their media team thinks this video is going to pull votes to the GOP. I don't know what they're smoking or drinking at the RNC, but I wish they'd share...

UPDATE: It seems this story has now made the national news. The Associated Press (by way of Yahoo News) has now published a story on the nastiness of the ad, where the GOP attempts to defend the indefensible.

Methinks that God's Own Party is a bit scared. It's not even July, and already the nuts are going overboard in what has long promised to be the nastiest Presidential campaign in recent times. Never mind the horrors of war going on overseas, we'll have plenty of "shock and awe" over here...

RYAN RETREATS, OBAMA GETS A BUMP

2004-06-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

My political postings usually stick a little closer to home, but the salacious details of Illinois GOP Senate Candidate Jack Ryan's sexual exploits have been too much fun to ignore.

Word just in that Illinois GOP Senate Candidate Jack Ryan, under pressure from his state's GOP leaders, will indeed step down as their candidate for the U.S. Senate. The Associated Press is reporting that a formal announcement from Ryan will come within hours.

Jack Ryan was challenging Democratic State Senator Barack Obama for the Illinois Senate Seat being vacated by Sen. Peter Fitzgerald. Obama was already ahead in the polls, long before the juicy details of Ryan's divorce from actress Jeri Ryan were made public.

Too bad. I was sooo enjoying this story...

I'M NOT DEAD YET

2004-06-24T16:11:00.000-05:00

AT LEAST ACCORDING TO THE POLITICAL GRAVEYARD.

I was feeling so honored to actually be listed in "The Internet's Most Comprehensive Source of U.S. Political Biography," until I realized that on the same line they note that I served as a Texas Delegate to the 2000 Democratic National Convention, AND that as of 2000 I was still living.

Now we Texans have been known to have some crazy elections, but let me tell you, those Delegate spots are so fiercely campaigned for that I can GUARANTEE you no one is ever elected posthumously. Not even me...

UPDATE: Larry Kestenbaum, the proprietor of The Political Graveyard, found my blog and posted some very kind comments. He's promised to update my entry to note that I'm still living as of 2004 (thank you!) and has even very generously posted a link to my site (very generous, ANOTHER thank you!). Additionally, Larry is the Democratic Candidate for Clerk and Register of Deeds in his home of Washtenow County, Michigan. Go pay his campaign website a visit.

THE GOP'S VERSION OF SAFE SEX, AND TIME RINGS OUR BELL

2004-06-24T15:38:00.000-05:00

I'm absolutely SURE that safe sex was the topic of conversation...

According to various discussions on CNN including today's Crossfire, Vice President Dick Cheney blew up on the Senate floor this morning and told Vermont Senator Patrick Leahy to "go f%@k yourself." I have no word on what the debate was REALLY about...

UPDATE: It seems that Cheney's expletive was uttered on Tuesday during the Senate's Class Photo. CNN has a great take on the story, noting that Cheney's office has confirmed there was a "frank exchange of views." Yeah, I'll say...

Also - Time Magazine has taken note of our own Congressman Chris Bell's ethics complaint against "The Hammer" Tom DeLay. Hopefully this will help nationally publicize the campaign of DeLay's opponent, Richard Morrison.

THE IMPORTANCE OF ELECTING A DEMOCRAT... ANY DEMOCRAT...

2004-06-23T20:31:00.000-05:00

I found this on Daily Kos, one of the many blogs I periodically frequent. Markos Zuniga is one of the best political bloggers in the entire nation and you'd do well to bookmark his site.

Here, he talks about going to Progressive Punch, a website that analyzes just exactly how progressive a Member of Congress or the Senate from either party votes. Kos finds that even the most conservative Democrat will vote Progressive at least 15% more often than the most liberal Repuglican.

That's enough for me...

CHANGES AT THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY

2004-06-23T16:51:00.000-05:00

According to Quorum Report's Daily Buzz, changes are afoot at the Texas Democratic Party. Nothing has been updated on the TDP website yet, but word is that Mike Lavigne is moving from Communications Director to Chief of Staff, Nancy Williams is moving from Executive Director to Special Projects, and Ken Bailey will continue as Political Director with some additional duties. Loi Taylor will be moving from Sen. Rodney Ellis' office to work as Chairman Schoecting's scheduler, Jackie Solis-Chapa will continue her duties at TDP, and Donna Beth McCormick is retiring in a month.

IT'S ABOUT TIME

2004-06-22T19:00:00.000-05:00

Where was the AP four years ago when we were all talking about Shrub's "military" record?

The Associated Press is suing the Pentagon and the Air Force for access to Shrub's Texas Air National Guard records, which are housed at the Texas State Library and Archives Commission in Austin.

I think the bigger story won't be what's IN the records, but if the AP gets their hands on them at all.

Personally, I think Shrub's Guard records have gone to the same place as his DWI record, the remains of Jimmy Hoffa, and a map to the Lost City of Atlantis...

IT'S ANOTHER TEXAS TUESDAY

2004-06-22T10:38:00.000-05:00

AND THAT MEANS ANOTHER DAY OF POLITICAL ANALYSIS, PROVIDED BY THE MANY CONTRIBUTING BLOGGERS AROUND THE STATE AT TEXAS TUESDAYS.

According to Charles Kuffner, the upcoming weeks will focus on Texas House Races. Additionally, there's a TDP Convention Wrapup with lots of links to bloggers, including me (thanks, Kuff!).

THE DOCTOR IS IN

2004-06-22T09:58:00.000-05:00

DR. RICHARD MURRAY HAD A MEETING WITH DEMOCRATIC LEADERS AT THE TEXAS DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION, WHERE HE STATED HIS THOUGHTS ON HOW TO MOBILIZE AND REVITALIZE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.

Thanks to Greg Wythe, you can find a copy of Dr. Murray's full memo at Greg's Opinion.

Many thanks to Greg for letting me know it was there!

YOU'RE NAKED AND/OR DRUNK. BUT ARE YOU REGISTERED TO VOTE?

2004-06-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

IF NOT, GLEN MAXEY WANTS TO TALK TO YOU!

A great story from Dave McNeely at the Austin American Statesman on how Democrats have been getting creative with voter registration. According to Dave, former State Rep. (and Dean for Texas leader) Glen Maxey claims to have registered the most voters between the hours of 12am and 4am.

Any voter registrars interested in forays to Montrose and the Richmond Strip?

DR. RICHARD MURRAY SAYS KERRY SHOULD SPEND MORE TIME IN TEXAS

2004-06-22T00:10:00.000-05:00

And of course, we agree! Found this latest from dear friend and longtime politico George Strong.

Now, if we can only get the Kerry Campaign to agree!

FURTHER UPDATES FROM SD13

2004-06-21T23:34:00.000-05:00

Here are a few more updates from SD13 at the Texas Democratic Convention. We will be well represented at the Democratic National Convention in Boston. In addition to the Delegates (including myself!) noted below, Dr. (and future Representative) Alma Allen was elected as an At-Large National Delegate, as was outgoing SD13 SDEC Committeewoman Mary Seymore. In addition, our very own Sue Lovell was reelected to another four year term to the Democratic National Committee, so she is an automatic Delegate to Boston. Congrats to all!

SENATE DISTRICT 13 STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION CAUCUS RESULTS

2004-06-19T09:27:00.000-05:00

SD13 is the largest, most Democratic Senatorial District in the State of Texas. We proved that once again on Friday June 18th at the Texas Democratic Convention, where every single race was hotly contested. We had many new faces in our Delegation this year, in addition to lots of longtime Democratic Activists. Our Caucus began chaotically enough, and we were forced to call a recess in order to participate in the opening of the Convention. We reconvened after the convention recessed on Friday night, and finished our Caucus Elections well after midnight. We elected some wonderful people to various committees for the Convention itself; and in addition, elected the following Democrats to serve SD13 in the following capacities:

SDEC COMMITTEEWOMAN
Jennifer Sanders

SDEC COMMITTEEMAN
Rodney Griffin

Note: Rodney Griffin was challenged by Nat West. In our caucus, it ended up as a 107-107 tie. According to Texas Democratic Party Rules and Robert's Rules of Order, the election was decided by a coin toss...!

PRESIDENTIAL ELECTORS
Mary K. Merriman
James Brooks

DELEGATES TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
Bill Cunningham
Cate Read
Rick Brennan
Wanda Davila
John Bland
Otilia Gonzales
Sheila Blake

ALTERNATE DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION
Robert Hinojosa
__________________________________________________

On a personal note, I would sincerely and wholeheartedly like to thank EVERYONE for your support and your vote to send me to Boston. As I have pledged, I will be updating this site from the Convention in addition to sending out daily email postings and keeping up a vigorous email correspondence with everyone. I wish we could ALL go to Boston, but I will work to ensure that EVERYONE is able to participate at least vicariously through my frequent electronic postings. To that effect, if you are NOT on any of my email groups, PLEASE send me an email (link is at the top right of this page under "Email Me" so I can be sure you receive my postings. Again, THANK YOU ALL, SD13 DEMOCRATS!!!

-CateyBeth

2004-06-16T00:25:00.000-05:00

CateyBeth

TEXAS DEMOCRATIC PARTY STATE CONVENTION INFO

2004-06-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

Fighting for Democracy...
2004 State Democratic Convention
George R. Brown Convention Center
Houston, Texas
Texas Democratic Party

Tentative Schedule of Events

Thursday, June 17
10:00am Chair’s Advisory Committee on the Platform Hyatt Regency Hotel
10:00am Temporary Credentials Committee Hyatt Regency Hotel
2:00pm State Democratic Executive Committee Meeting Hyatt Regency Hotel
7:00pm Convention Kick-Off Reception Hyatt Regency Hotel

Friday, June 18
9:00am - 9:00pm Credentials Distribution Convention Center
9:00am - 3:00pm Various Issues and Affiliated Caucuses Convention Center
3:00pm - 5:00pm Senate District Caucuses Convention Center
6:00pm Convention Convenes Convention Center

Saturday, June 19
8:00am Permanent Convention Committee Meet Convention Center
8:30am Blue Star Breakfast/
Juneteenth Celebration Convention Center
9:30am Workshops Convention Center
11:00am Convention Reconvenes Convention Center
_______________________________________________________________________________

CAUCUS TIME AND LOCATION
Grassroots Committee Voter File Training Drop-by 9:00 - 3:00pm 305 A
Womens Caucus hosted by the Texas Democratic Women 9:00 - 11:00am General Assembly Hall A
John Kerry Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am General Assembly Hall C
Dennis Kucinich Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Ballroom C
Non-Urban Caucus/ AG 9:00 - 11:00am Room 312 A-B-C
Young Tejano Democrats Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 311 A-B-C
Technology Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 311 D-E-F
CWA Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 310 D-E-F
Secular Humanist Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 314 A-B
Progressive Hispanics Democrats 9:00 - 11:00am Room 315 A-B-C
UAW Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 318 A-F
Steelworkers Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 317 A-F
John Edwards Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 317 B-E
Wes Clark Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 316 D-E-F
Consumer Activist Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 318 C-D
Asian American Democrats of Texas Caucus 9:00 - 11:00am Room 318 B-E
Latina Caucus 10:00 - 11:00am Room 301 D-E-F
_____________________________

Motorcycle Rights Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm General Assembly Hall C
Progressive Populist Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Ballroom A
Youth Caucus hosted by Young Democrats 11:00 - 1:00pm Ballroom B
Lesbian, Gay, Bi-Sexual, Transgender Caucus hosted by Texas Stonewall Democrats 11:00 - 1:00pm Ballroom C
Labor Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 305 D-E-F
Tejano Democrats Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 301 D-E-F
Veterans Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 302 D-E-F
East Texas Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 312 A-B-C
Choice Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 315 A-B-C
House Democratic Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 318 B-E
Democrats for Life Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 318 A-F
Mexican American Democrats Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 317 A-F
ACLU Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 317 B-E
TSTA Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 317 C-D
Small Business Caucus 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 316 D-E-F
West Texas Coalition 11:00 - 1:00pm Room 318 C-D
______________________________________

Hispanic Caucus hosted by Tejano Democrats 1:00 - 3:00pm General Assembly Hall A
African American Caucus hosted by Coalition of Black Democrats 1:00 - 3:00pm General Assembly Hall C
Democracy for Texas 1:00 - 3:00pm Ballroom A
Texas Environmental Democrats 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 301 A-B-C
Asian/Filipino Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 318 B-E
Muslim Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 318 A-F
Tx. Leg. Support Network 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 317 A-F
Native American Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 317 B-E
Death Penalty Reform Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 317 C-D
Jewish Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 316 D-E-F
Medical Marijuana Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 314 A -B-C
Disability Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 306 A-B-C
Peace and Justice Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 314 D-E-F
Voting Issues Caucus 1:00 - 3:00pm Room 318 C-D
________________________________________

SENATORIAL CAUCUS
SD 1 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 301 D-E-F
SD 2 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 316 E-F
SD 3 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 312 A-B-C
SD 4 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 315 D-E-F
SD 5 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 312 D-E-F
SD 6 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 310 D-E-F
SD 7 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 318 C - D
SD 8 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 318 A - F
SD 9 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 306 A-B-C
SD 10 3:00 - 5:00pm Room 313 A-B-C
SD 11 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 315 A-B-C
SD 12 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 317 A-F
SD 13 3:00 - 5:00 pm General Assembly Hall A
SD 14 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom A
SD 15 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom B
SD 16 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 311 D-E-F
SD 17 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 314 D-E-F
SD 18 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 310 A-B-C
SD 19 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 314 A - B - C
SD 20 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 309
SD 21 3:00 - 5:00 pm Ballroom C
SD 22 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 301 A-B-C
SD 23 3:00 - 5:00 pm General Assembly Hall C
SD 24 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 306 D-E-F
SD 25 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 305 D-E-F
SD 26 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 302 D-E-F
SD 27 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 311 A-B-C
SD 28 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 317 C-D
SD 29 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 302 A-B-C
SD 30 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 317 B-E
SD 31 3:00 - 5:00 pm Room 318 B-E
_______________________________________________________________________

2004 TEXAS STATE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION
WORKSHOPS
SATURDAY, JUNE 19TH
9:30 – 10:45AM

“Coming Home: Reclaiming the Values of Faith, Family and Freedom.”
Rep. Senfronia Thompson and Rev. Kyle Childress
Texas Freedom Network
Room 310
“Winning this November with the Press, Issues and Opposition Research”
Marc Campos and Matt Emal
Campos Communications
Room 311
“Growing the Grassroots: How You Can Make a Difference”
Democracy for Texas
Room 306
“How Technology Can Level the Playing Field Against Special Interests”
Mark Strama
Room 307
__________________________________________________________________________

NATIONAL DELEGATE CANDIDATES FROM SD13

SD PREFERENCE GENDER ETHNICITYCOUNTY FNAME LNAME CATEGORY_P CATEGORY_A CATEGORY_S AGE GLBT DISABILIT

13 Kerry F African A Fort Bend Wanda Davila At-Large Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry F African A Fort Bend Sharon Davis At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Fort Bend Annette Mitchell At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Sheila Blake At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Harris Bettye Bruno At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Harris Clara Caldwell At-Large Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry F Hispanic Harris Erica Contreras At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Linda Cryer At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Marian Fleming Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Mary Cat Gilliland At-Large Senate Di Gay/Lesbi
13 Kerry F Hispanic Harris Otilia Gonzales At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F Hispanic Harris Rebecca Guerrero Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Kelcie Hart At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F African A Harris Jackie Hatfield Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Harris Audrey Holmes At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Debra Kerner At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Kristin Kulinowsk At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Rita Lucido At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Kristin McKee Elected/P At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F Asian AmeHarris Flora Lee Moon At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Mary FlooNugent Senate Di
13 Kerry F Hispanic Harris Grace RodPendland At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Catherine Read At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Katherine Rybka At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry F African A Harris Mary Ann Seymore Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Harris Betty Smith At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Sandra Steigerwa At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry F African A Harris Senfronia Thompson Elected/P Senate Di
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Blake Weisser At-Large Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry F Anglo Harris Melissa RWells At-Large Senate Di Disabilit
13 Kerry M African A Fort Bend Ruben Davis Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Fort Bend Rodney Griffin At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Fort Bend Loveless Mitchell Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry M African A Fort Bend Grady Prestage Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris A. Richar Acker III At-Large Senate Di Gay/Lesbi
13 Kerry M African A Harris John Bland At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Daniel Boudreaux At-Large Senate Di Gay/Lesbi
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Richard MBrennan At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Brian Brox At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry M African A Harris Garnet Coleman Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Harris Eric Coy Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris William Cunningha Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry M African A Harris Samuel W. Dotson At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Mark Dunn Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Vincent Feuerborn Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Harris Raphus Foley, Jr At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M Native Am Harris George Gilman Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris E. Scott Harbers At-Large Senate Di Gay/Lesbi
13 Kerry M Hispanic Harris Robert Hinojosa Elected/P At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Harris Stephan LHonore At-Large Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry M Asian AmeHarris Akram Hussain Elected/P Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Joseph Jennings Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Stan Merriman At-Large Over 65
13 Kerry M Hispanic Harris Jon JacobMetherd At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry M Unknown Harris Bertrand Moser Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Arthur Schecter At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M African A Harris Jermaine Thomas Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry M Asian AmeHarris AlexanderVilaython Elected/P At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Kevin Walker At-Large Senate Di
13 Kerry M Anglo Harris Gordon Weisser Elected/P At-Large Senate Di Over 65
13 Kerry M African A Harris Nat West Senate Di
13 Kucinich F African A Harris Leslie Bales At-Large Senate Di
13 Kucinich M Anglo Harris Bryan Bales At-Large Senate Di
13 Kucinich M Anglo Harris Barton CoBoyce Senate Di
13 Kucinich M Anglo Harris Jay Faulkner Senate Di Gay/LesbiDisabilit
13 Kucinich M Anglo Harris Gary Hardy Senate Di
13 Uncommitt F Anglo Harris Natalie Lovegren At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Uncommitt F Anglo Harris Elizabeth Nash At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Uncommitt F Anglo Harris StephanieNelson At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Uncommitt F African A Harris Lakesha Rogers Elected/P At-Large Senate Di Under 30
13 Uncommitt F Anglo Harris Kristina Swallow Senate Di Under 30
13 Uncommitt M Anglo Harris Chris Aresu At-Large Under 30

I'M RUNNING FOR NATIONAL DELEGATE TO THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

2004-06-15T15:28:00.000-05:00

CATE READ
FOR
NATIONAL DELEGATE
SENATE DISTRICT 13

PAST AND PRESENT MEMBERSHIPS AND OFFICES
• Secretary, Senate District 13, Harris County Democratic Party
• Precinct Chair, Precinct 808, Harris County Democratic Party
• Delegate, Texas Democratic Party State Convention, 1996-2004
• Delegate, Democratic National Convention, 2000
• Sustaining Member, Harris County Democratic Party and Texas Democratic Party
• Montrose Area Democrats
• Greater Heights Democratic Club
• Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas; Planned Parenthood Young Leaders
• Texas Freedom Network
• Americans United for Separation of Church and State

ENDORSEMENTS
• Hon. Garnet Coleman, State Rep., District 147, Houston
• Hon. Scott Hochberg, State Rep., District 137, Houston
• Hon. John Bland, Chair, Senate District 13, Harris County Democratic Party
• Hon. Sue Lovell, Democratic National Committee, Houston
• Rick Brennan, President, Harris County Young Democrats
• …and many others!

AS YOUR NATIONAL DELEGATE, I WILL…
• Post daily updates from the Convention to my website at www.CateRead.com
• Email daily updates to anyone who wants them; be YOUR eyes and ears in Boston
• Answer every email sent to me from SD13 members during the National Convention within 24 hours
• Upload and share digital photos of the Convention each day
• Completely, wholeheartedly and actively support OUR Presidential Nominee, John Kerry
• Make YOU an active participant in OUR Democratic National Convention!

JOIN ME IN CATEYBETH’S CORNER!

VOTE CATHERINE READ FOR NATIONAL DELEGATE

THE GREATEST GENERATION

2004-05-30T12:06:00.000-05:00

This Memorial Day is exceptionally special to me. This Memorial Day we finally pay homage to my grandparents' generation, The Greatest Generation, and the ultimate defenders of the Free World.

Nana became my grandmother when I was 7 years old, and she continues to be an inspiration even after her death eight years ago. Barely five feet tall, she exuded independence long before it became fashionable for women to do so.

Nana was born into a long-established Southern Delaware family before the dawn of the First World War. Once her basic education was complete, Nana saw limited prospects for a young woman of her generation with modest financial resources. So, she did what any young woman in her predicament might have been tempted to do. She sought advice from the wisest, most respected woman of her day - First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Mrs. Roosevelt responded with a sincere, thoughtful letter, suggesting that Nana attend Nursing School and consider a career in the Army as a Nurse. So, Nana did just that - she packed up and headed north to Chestnut Hill Nursing Academy in Philadelphia. She then joined the Army as a nurse, and was already enlisted long before the first Japanese bombers flew into Pearl Harbor.

Nana spend most of the War years in England and Scotland, working in military hospitals for the Allied Forces. Along the way she met and married a fellow soldier from Oregon. The marriage wouldn't last long, but a daughter was born - my Mom, Jennifer.

The war and her brief marriage over and with a baby to raise, Nana made the decision to continue her service in the Army. She was stationed on Indian Reservations for many years, providing healthcare to the various Indian Nations that are scattered throughout the Southwestern United States. Eventually she and Jennifer found their way to Houston, where Nana spend the remainder of her working life working in the Texas Medical Center.

Nana was a pioneer among women. Not only was she a career woman, but with a military career; a single mother long before it was commonplace; a woman who throughout her life displayed the independent spirit that the women of my generation take for granted.

A few years ago, the Women in Military Service Memorial was opened in Arlington National Cemetery. Nana didn't live long enough to see it opened, but thanks to the efforts of my Mom, she is one of the Original Inductees. You can visit the Women in Military Service here.

This weekend marked the openening on the National Mall of the WWII Military Service Memorial. It is not only right that we pay tribute to the Greatest Generation, it's a travesty that we have not done so before now.

Way to go, Nana. I thank you for making this world safer for me, as an American, and as a woman. I truly miss you.

LIFE IMITATING ART?

2004-05-22T17:30:00.001-05:00

President Bush has a biking accident.
President Bartlet has a biking accident.
Coincidence?

I had to laugh when I read the story a few minutes ago about President Dubya Shrub having a bicycle accident. I wonder what else he'll do this election cycle to imitate our fictional but all-too-real President Josiah Bartlet of The West Wing?

President Bush Falls Off Bicycle

President Bartlet Falls Off Bicycle

ANTI-CHOICE GROUP ATTEMPTS TO BLACKMAIL FOUNDATION THAT DONATES TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD

2004-05-17T08:58:00.000-05:00

Once again, the nuts are using intimidation tactics to attempt to cut off funding for Planned Parenthood. This story is from the Lufkin Daily News. The irony of these anti-choice groups has always fascinated me - the same group that is so opposed to freedom of choice is the same group that is opposed to preventing abortion in the first place, by blocking women and their partners from having full access to birth control and a full range of health care options. It's not about choice, it's about control and submission of women. Don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise...
________________________________________________

Planned Parenthood confident about continued Temple support
By GARY BASS, The Lufkin Daily News
5/15/2004

Planned Parenthood officials are confident the T.L.L. Temple Foundation in Lufkin will continue to support them, after an anti-abortion group published a list of financial contributors to the agency, a spokeswoman said Friday.

"Someone affiliated with the Temple Foundation told us that they will continue to support Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas," said Michelle Green, director of community services for the Lufkin Planned Parenthood clinic. "The Temple Foundation understands the good work that Planned Parenthood does in the community."

Buddy Zeagler, the assistant executive director of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation, said that he was not aware of any recent conversations the foundation has had with Planned Parenthood concerning funding issues.

"To my knowledge, we haven't had any conversations with Planned Parenthood along those lines," Zeagler said.

Green said Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas submits an annual grant request to the Temple Foundation. The grants are for approximately $50,000 each year, she said.

On April 27, the Brazos Valley Coalition for Life, which is based in Bryan, sent more than 300 letters to businesses, government entities and foundations listed as donors in Planned Parenthood's public tax records. The letters urged the recipients to stop funding Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas and stated that their names would not be released to the public if they pledged to end their support.

On May 8, the organization released the names of individuals and entities that donated to the PPHSET.

"Concerned citizens across the state are demanding Planned Parenthood's public records to know who is footing the bill for the abortion operation's harmful activities," David Bereit, the group's executive director, said in a press release. "We believe that these concerned individuals should have access to this public information."

Two of Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas' 10 facilities, but not the Lufkin clinic, perform surgical abortions. According to PPHSET's records, the clinics — one in Bryan and one in Houston — performed 6,876 abortions in the past 12 months, Bereit said.

"That is a tremendous affront to human life, and it can harm the mothers, both physically and emotionally," Bereit said.

Planned Parenthood focuses on helping people make lifelong, responsible choices, Green said. She said the majority of the organization's services deal with prevention.

"Unfortunately, even family planning services are under attack by anti-choice hardliners," Green said. "I am appalled that the Coalition for Life would harass the T.L.L. Temple Foundation and try to block family planning services for the low-income families of East Texas.

"We're talking about basic health care. Who in their right mind would try and block that?"

Services offered at Planned Parenthood's Lufkin clinic include: annual well-women exams; birth control; emergency contraception; breast exams; diagnostic care and treatment for abnormal pap test results; education presentations; HIV testing and risk-reduction counseling; pap smears and basic lab tests; pregnancy testing and options counseling; and sexually transmitted disease testing, counseling and treatment, for both men and women.

"If a woman tests positive for a pregnancy test, she is counseled by a trained professional on all options — to continue the pregnancy, to put the baby up for adoption or abortion," Green said.

She said the Lufkin clinic does refer clients to the Planned Parenthood clinics that perform abortions if the mother chooses.

According to Zeagler, Planned Parenthood of Houston and Southeast Texas has yet to file a new grant application with the Temple Foundation. He said the foundation's Board of Trustees will review all the applications they receive on a case-by-case basis.

LIFE'S LITTLE TRAVEL MYSTERIES

2004-05-16T10:49:00.000-05:00

As an airline employee, I travel a lot for both business and pleasure. I found this on Christopher Elliott's Ticked.com today...

Why Ask Why?
A Frank Steward · May 16, 2004

After 15 years in the airline industry, I have come to the conclusion that the word "why" will always be asked, but a rational answer should never be expected.

Here are a few of my favorite examples:

Why is it that after sitting down most of the time on a 14-hour flight, the first thing you want to do after you deplane is … sit down?

Why is it that approximately 40 percent of all flight attendants have a fear of heights?

On the safety information card located in every passenger's seat pocket is the sentence, "If you can't read or don't understand the information on this card, please contact a flight attendant." If they can't read, why bother writing it?

Why does being in an airplane spark up an unusual thirst for … ginger ale?

Why do hotels print outlandish daily rates on the inside of their room doors? Do they think that everyone will consider themselves lucky compared to what they actually paid? Has anyone ever actually paid the rate posted?

Why would the flight attendant job that has so many beautiful women working in it, attract predominantly gay men? I joined to travel the world but as shallow as it sounds, I signed up to meet women as well. Call me crazy but I liked the odds.

If peanuts are proven to cause gas, then why do they serve them eight miles in the air, in a plane with hundreds of people confined to one space, sitting next to each other?

Why are there ashtrays in the airplane toilets if you're not allowed to smoke in there (or anywhere on the plane for that matter) at any time?

Why do people insist on standing on the moving walkways at airports? What is it about the name that is so unclear? I actually don't have a problem with those of you who wish to stand, but don't look at me as I pass as if I am a pest who is breaking the rules.

Why do airlines over compensate their CEOs regardless of performance? Why not give them a stock option instead? Then they can receive their fortune if their airline does well. Isn't there an airline out there applying for an ATSB loan that just paid their CEO a $3 million bonus? Better yet, didn't another airline CEO just become a multi-millionaire after his recent resignation? As far as I can gather, all he accomplished was the total destruction of morale, stock price, and the airline's foreseeable future.

Why is it that people wait until the seatbelt sign is turned on, or the meal service begins, to get up and use the toilet?

Why do all airlines always show the highest attended movies? If a hundred million people have seen Spiderman, don't you think most of the passengers would have also?

On that same note, a few airlines claim to have "free movies and headsets." Why all of a sudden are the movies not so new and the headsets absolutely ancient? Just a scary thought, what if used headsets could spread lice or SARS?

Why are 40 percent of all major airline pilots named Bob?

Why is it that you remember that you vowed never to fly a certain airline again half-way through their service?

Why are people suddenly allergic to fish when it's the only entree left?

Why is it that the same people who complained about the quality of in-flight meals are now complaining about the lack of food?

If air crews trust and advocate the checked baggage system so much, why on their off-time do they always carry their bags onboard?

Why are there so many luggage stores at airports? You would think that the passengers about to board a flight would have their luggage needs covered by then.

If we can give, or now sell, you a meal that causes indigestion, why aren't we allowed to give out the cure, like Alka-Seltzer or Rolaids? Maybe we should just give the meals away and charge a fortune for antacids.

Why would anyone eat at an airport-dining establishment called The Terminal Restaurant?

Just a few things for you to think about the next time you fly.
____________________________

James Wysong has worked as a flight attendant with two major international carriers during the past fifteen years. He is the author of the "The Plane Truth: Shift Happens at 35,000 Feet" and "The Air Traveler's Survival Guide." For more information about Frank or his books, see his Web site or e-mail him.

GOODBYE, FRIENDS

2004-05-06T19:30:00.000-05:00

NO SILLY, NOT YOU, THE TV SHOW...

I must say that the departure of the TV show "Friends" isn't breaking my heart. I was just never able to get into the drama of of six yuppies who were younger than me, better-looking than me, and all hung around an apartment than none of them could afford. It just didn't make for good TV in my opinion. Obviously millions of people disagree with me. It wouldn't be the first time they were wrong.

When I want good TV, I tune in to West Wing, CSI, Judging Amy, Biography, Keen Eddie or Queer Eye. If there's a baseball game on, even better.

And anytime I need an episode of Friends, I simply wrap my arms around my two Michelles, Janice, Alex and Scott, Ben and Greg, and the rest of you beloved people in my life. You're the best Friends any girl could want.

I'M BRILLIANT

2004-05-02T11:43:00.000-05:00

At least according to Tickle.com:

The Classic IQ Test
Congratulations, Cate!
Your IQ score is 131

This number is the result of a formula based on how many questions you answered correctly on Tickle's Classic IQ test. Your IQ score is scientifically accurate; to read more about the science behind our IQ test, click here.

During the test, you answered four different types of questions — mathematical, visual-spatial, linguistic and logical. We analyzed how you did on those questions, which reveals the way your brain uniquely works.

We also compared your answers with others who have taken the test, and according to the sorts of questions you got correct, we can tell your Intellectual Type is an Insightful Linguist.

This means you are highly intelligent and have the natural fluency of a writer and the visual and spatial strengths of an artist. Those skills contribute to your creative and expressive mind. And that's just some of what we know about you from your test results.

According to Tickle's Classic IQ Test:

- A score between 70 and 84 places you below the population average
- A score between 85 and 99 puts you slightly below the population average, but is in the normal range
- A score of 100 represents the population average
- A score between 101 and 115 puts you above the population average, but is in the normal range
- A score between 116 and 130 means that your IQ might be significantly above the population average
- Scores of 130 and above puts you significantly above the population average

I expect Mensa and NASA to call me any day...

BEN SARGENT TELLS IT LIKE IT REALLY IS

2004-05-01T16:23:00.000-05:00

I grew up in the Austin area and I've been a fan of Ben Sargent for years. In all my years of traveling and following politics, I still have yet to find a better political cartoonist. You can see Ben's work in the Austin American-Statesman

I'M PUBLISHED IN "DEAR ABBY..."

2004-05-01T12:01:00.001-05:00

22nd April 2004

I'M PUBLISHED IN "DEAR ABBY..."

I couldn't keep my mouth shut, or my fingers off the keyboard for this topic. You figure out which one is mine. Hint: After you read today's Dear Abby, go visit www.TheWhiteHouseProject.org

GIRL'S PRESIDENTIAL DREAM EARNS GRASS-ROOTS SUPPORT
Wed Apr 21, 8:03 PM

By Abigail Van Buren

DEAR READERS: Last week I printed some of the letters I received in support of the 13-year-old girl, "I Have a Dream," who aspired to be president of the United States. Her teacher and classmates ridiculed her. The letters have been wonderful and deserve to be shared. Read on:

DEAR ABBY: I was deeply touched by that girl's letter. Her "teacher" needs to find another profession, and her parents need to find a lawyer to file a bullying case against the school district for doing nothing to stop the harassment.

Any court judgment that results from the suit should be used to send that forward-thinking young lady to a great prep school and to pay for her college education. If there's money left over, she should put it toward her very first political campaign -- perhaps running for a seat on the local school board. Hey, you have to start somewhere. -- SHE'S GOT MY VOTE, KAHULUI, HAWAII

DEAR S.G.M.V.: Not a bad idea. You should be her campaign manager.

DEAR ABBY: I am a state-licensed psychologist. A number of years ago, I surveyed 1,500 boys and girls attending five elementary schools in Miami. I asked them to answer "yes" or "no" to a series of 10 questions, which included if they had ever thought of becoming president of the United States when they grew up.

To my surprise, I discovered more girls than boys answered "yes." I also learned that half the students had been told that only a male could be president.

Through my nonprofit foundation, Women Are Wonderful Foundation Inc., I do all I can to promote female leadership. Young women deserve all the support we can give them to realize their ambitions. -- ANN MOLIVER RUBEN, PH.D., WESTON, FLA.

DEAR DR. RUBEN: And because of people like you, she is getting it.

DEAR ABBY: Please encourage that bright young future leader to check out The White House Project at www.thewhitehouseproject.org. It's an organization dedicated to electing a woman to the White House and other positions of political leadership. It has an area called "GirlZone," which highlights areas where girls can become politically active, and participating Girl Scouts can earn their White House leadership patch. And, Abby, please tell "I Have a Dream" that we all wish her success in her pursuits. -- POLITICAL FEMINIST IN HOUSTON

DEAR FEMINIST: Thank you for another great resource.

DEAR ABBY: Back in the '60s, during my senior year, a member of the FBI (news - web sites) came to speak to our class about recruitment. I inquired about female agents, and the agent, as well as my entire senior class, broke out in uproarious laughter. When the agent finally recovered, he told me there were secretarial positions within the agency, but nothing more.

I eventually wound up in another male-dominated field, and I have realized that gender has nothing to do with the ability to do the job. I smile today when I see female agents representing the FBI. I wonder sometimes how difficult it was for that FBI agent to adjust to women "infiltrating" his domain.

So, please tell that girl to hang onto her dream and realize that her tormentors are the ones who will be stuck in dead-end, unfulfilling positions (and wonder where they went wrong), because they never learned to dream "big." -- SUNNY WILSON, GAUTIER, MISS.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby at www.DearAbby.com or P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

REPUBLICANISM SHOWN TO BE GENETIC IN ORIGIN

2004-05-01T12:00:00.000-05:00

25th March 2004

The discovery that affiliation with the Republican Party is genetically determined was announced by scientists in the current issue of the journal NURTURE, causing uproar among traditionalists who believe it is a chosen lifestyle. Reports of the gene coding for political conservatism, discovered after a decades-long study of quintuplets in Orange County, CA, has sent shock waves through the medical, political, and golfing communities.

Psychologists and psychoanalysts have long believed that Republicans' unnatural disregard for the poor and frequently unconstitutional tendencies resulted from dysfunctional family dynamics -- a remarkably high percentage of Republicans do have authoritarian domineering fathers and emotionally distant mothers who didn't teach them how to be kind and gentle. Biologists have long suspected that conservatism is inherited. "After all," said one author of the NURTURE article, "It's quite common for a Republican to have a brother or sister who is a Republican." The finding has been greeted with relief by Parents and Friends of Republicans (PFREP), who sometimes blame themselves for the political views of otherwise lovable children, family, and un-indicted co-conspirators.

One mother, a longtime Democrat, wept and clapped her hands in ecstasy on hearing of the findings. "I just knew it was genetic," she said, seated with her two sons, both avowed Republicans. "My boys would never freely choose that lifestyle!" When asked what the Republican lifestyle was, she said, "You can just tell watching their conventions in Houston and San Diego on TV: the flaming xenophobia, flamboyant demagoguery, disdain for anyone not rich, you know." Both sons had suspected their Republicanism from an early age but did not confirm it until they were in college, when they became convinced it wasn't just a phase they were going through.

The NURTURE article offered no response to the suggestion that the high incidence of Republicanism among siblings could result from their sharing not only genes but also psychological and emotional attitude as products of the same parents and family dynamics.

A remaining mystery is why many Democrats admit to having voted Republican at least once -- or often dream or fantasize about doing so. Polls show that three out of five adult Democrats have had a Republican experience, although most outgrow teenage experimentation with Republicanism.

Some Republicans hail the findings as a step toward eliminating conservophobia. They argue that since Republicans didn't "choose" their lifestyle any more than someone "chooses" to have a ski-jump nose, they shouldn't be denied civil rights which other minorities enjoy.

If conservatism is not the result of stinginess or orneriness (typical stereotypes attributed to Republicans) but is something Republicans can't help, there's no reason why society shouldn't tolerate Republicans in the military or even high elected office -- provided they don't flaunt their political beliefs. For many Americans, the discovery opens a window on a different future. In a few years, gene therapy might eradicate Republicanism altogether.

But should they be allowed to marry?

A PARTY OF ONE

2004-05-01T11:59:00.000-05:00

25th March 2004

Due to Congressional Redistricting, my former Precinct 32 in Midtown was split into two precincts. Precinct 32 got stuck with Culberson, but I got to keep Sheila as my Congresswoman.

My new precinct is all of 8 blocks long, between one and three blocks wide, and hosts 25-30 registered voters. Total. This made for an interesting Primary and Precinct Convention.

I am happy to report that 100% of the Democratic Primary Voters in my precinct attended the Precinct Convention.

I'm also pleased to report that a full delegation was elected to our Senate District 13 Convention from my precinct.

Unfortunately, no alternates could be elected as there were none eligible.

My convention minutes ran something like this:

Precinct 808 Democratic Party Convention was called to order at Houston Community College at 7:15pm by Cate Read, Temporary Chair of the Convention. Cate Read was nominated and elected Temporary Secretary. The Presidential Preference Caucus was held and John Kerry received 100% of the caucus delegation. Cate Read was nominated and elected as Chair of the Convention. Cate Read was nominated and elected Secretary of the Convention. No resolutions were passed, as the delegate was too lazy to fill out the paperwork. Precinct 808 was allowed to elect one delegate and one alternate to the Senate District 13 Convention, and Cate Read was elected Delegate, there being no eligible Alternate. Cate Read was elected Delegation Chair of the Precinct Convention. Cate Read moved that the convention adjourn sine die. Cate Read seconded the motion, and the vote was unanimous. The convention was adjourned at 7:18pm.

I was the only Dem voter in 808. There were no GOP voters in the Primary, so statistically I have the most Democratic Precinct in the State of Texas. As the only Democrat in 808, I was appointed Democratic Precinct Chair for 808 on the HCDP Executive Committee and sworn in at the HCDP Executive Committee Meeting on March 18th, 2004.

Frankly, I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Cate Read
THE Democrat
Precinct 808, Harris County, TX

GIRL SCOUTS AND PLANNED PARENTHOOD

2004-05-01T11:58:00.000-05:00

25th March 2004

When my friend Michelle sent me this story a few weeks ago, she had no idea of the chord it struck with me. I take this battle quite seriously, based upon my own experience with Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

I was a proud and active Girl Scout until I entered high school and it was no longer "cool." My younger sister reluctantly followed me into Scouting, but was never took to it like I did.

About 24 years ago, when I was about 13 and my sister 11, our Austin-area Girl Scout Council hosted a Mother-Daughter Weekend on Sex Education facilitated by Planned Parenthood. Our Mom, being the wise soul that she still is, packed us up and off we went - reluctantly, I might note. I mean, what preteen girl wants to spend an entire weekend talking about sex with her MOTHER? We had no idea what an impact that weekend would have on all of us.

The materials and the subject matter were comprehensive in scope and frank in their presentation. We learned about all aspects of sexual health and sexual activity, with a strong emphasis placed on personal responsibility and the detriments of pressure from boyfriends and peers. We learned about all methods of birth control and how they were used. We learned communication skills to use with our parents and with our friends. But the biggest emphasis was, appropriately, placed on taking personal responsibility for our sexual health and our decisions regarding sex.

As the weekend progressed, more and more of our friends were packed up and hauled home by their mothers, who were offended at the frankness of the materials and subject matter. But Mom stuck it out, and I have repeatedly thanked her for her courage and open mind. We still share a laugh about the conclusion of the weekend, when the three of us were at the table in the dining hall, and Mom put an arm around my sister and me and told us "Girls, we stuck this out because I believe it is important to know. And if you ever need any of this, I'll kill you." My sister is now married and has two daughters of her own, and as for me, well, that weekend started a lifelong commitment to Planned Parenthood and its vision.

Girl Scouting has always been, and will always be, about training young girls to be thoughtful, responsible, independent women. Planned Parenthood has always been a part of that relationship, and I fully believe they always should be. Let's not allow the fearful, knee-jerk reaction of a small group of closed-minded individuals harm that productive relationship. Stock up on Girl Scout Cookies, give them away if you can't eat them all, stock up your freezer for those late night snacks next summer and fall. It's more important now than ever to support Girl Scouts.

Thanks for reading, now let's eat those Thin Mints!

Cate
____________________________

Some Texans Boycott Girl Scout Cookies

By ANGELA K. BROWN, Associated Press Writer
CRAWFORD, Texas - Some families are boycotting Thin Mints and Do-Si-Dos and other Girl Scout cookies. Troop 7527 is down to just two members after the other girls were withdrawn by their parents. And Brownie Troop 7087 is no more.

Why are folks in this conservative Texas town where President Bush (news - web sites) has his ranch so mad at the Girl Scout organization?

Planned Parenthood (news - web sites) and sex education.

The furor was started a few weeks ago by the leader of the anti-abortion group Pro-Life Waco, who sent out e-mails and ran ads on a Christian radio station urging people to boycott Girl Scout cookies because of the "cozy relationship" between the Girl Scouts and Planned Parenthood.

Parents were upset to learn that the local Girl Scout organization had given a "woman of distinction award" last year to a Planned Parenthood executive. And they were disturbed to find out that the Girl Scout organization has been giving its endorsement for years to a Planned Parenthood sex-ed program in which girls and boys are given literature on homosexuality, masturbation and condoms.

"It's not that we're a bunch of activists. We're just a bunch of moms who care about their kids," said Lisa Aguilar, who took her 10-year-old daughter out of her eight-member Girl Scout troop. "For us, it's the morality. Where is Girl Scouts going?"

The two troops in Crawford, population 700, decided not to deliver the cookie orders that they had already taken.

But cookie sales have skyrocketed this year as many people bought cases just to show their support for the Girl Scouts, said Becky Parker, a troop leader who is the cookie distributor for Waco-area troops.

"People thought the boycott was ridiculous and was one man's extremist views," Parker said.

While the cookie boycott may have backfired, the furor prompted the parent leaders of the two Crawford troops to quit.

"You're telling these girls to raise their fingers up to pledge to honor God and country, and yet you're handing out materials saying homosexuality is OK," said Brownie leader Donna Coody, who disbanded her five-member troop.

Because of the uproar, the Bluebonnet Council of Girl Scouts, which oversees troops in the Waco area and 13 other counties, announced last week that it would not be affiliated with Planned Parenthood sex-education programs this year.

In an editorial in Friday's Waco Tribune-Herald, Pam Smallwood, the Planned Parenthood of Central Texas executive director who was honored by the Girl Scouts last year, complained that Girl Scouts had thereby demonstrated that "bullying tactics are more effective than an informed democracy."

The Waco-area Girl Scout organization has been putting its name and logo on brochures for the Planned Parenthood sex-education programs but said it does not contribute any money and does not send girls to attend.

Some 400 to 700 fifth- through ninth-graders attend the half-day Nobody's Fool conference in Waco each July. The program never mentions abortion, according to Planned Parenthood. The youngsters receive a book with chapters on homosexuality and masturbation, as well as illustrations of couples having sex, people examining their naked bodies and a boy putting on a condom.

Some Girl Scout mothers called it soft-core porn.

"It embarrassed me to look at it with my husband," said parent Shannon Donaldson.

Pro-Life Waco director John Pisciotta, an economics professor at Baylor, the world's largest Baptist university, said his call for a cookie boycott "was a way to bring attention to the issue and wasn't really about cookies."

The Girl Scouts national organization, which is based in New York and has 2.9 million girl members and 986,000 adult members, takes no position on sex education or abortion and has no national relationship with Planned Parenthood, according to the Bluebonnet Council.

The Crawford mothers are forming their own girls organization and will use a Christian-based curriculum. Beth Vivio, director of the Bluebonnett Council, declined to say if parents in any other troops had taken their daughters out.

Some parents decided to explain abortion to their girls. Others gave only a vague explanation about the uproar.

"Our girls have been through a lot these past three weeks," said Jennifer Smith, who quit as leader of Girl Scout Troop 7527 and removed her daughter. "After I told my 10-year-old daughter that they are supporting some things that are not morally right, she understood."

___

On the Net:

Girl Scouts of the USA: http://www.girlscouts.org

BARTLET'S QUOTATIONS

2003-04-12T22:32:00.000-05:00

Two Cathedrals

(President Bartlet is alone in the cavernous National Cathedral. He looks down at his shoes, then after a while looks up.)

You’re a son of a bitch, You know that? She bought her first new car and You hit her with a drunk driver. What? Is that supposed to be funny?

“You can’t conceive, nor can I, the appalling strangeness of the mercy of God,” says Graham Greene. I don’t know who’s ass he was kissing there, because I think You’re just vindictive. What was Josh Lyman? A warning shot? That was my son. What did I ever do to Yours but praise His glory and praise His name?

There’s a tropical storm that’s gaining speed. Power. They say we haven’t had a storm this bad since You took out that tender ship of mine in the North Atlantic last year. Sixty-eight crew. Do you know what a tender ship does? It fixes the other ships. It doesn’t even carry guns. It just goes around, fixes the other ships, and delivers the mail. That’s all it can do.

(Sarcastically.) Gratias tibi ago, domine. [Transaltion: Thank You, Lord.]

Yes, I lied. It was a sin. I’ve committed many sins. Have I displeased You, You feckless thug? Three-point-eight million new jobs, that wasn’t good? Bailed out Mexico, increased foreign trade, thirty million new acres of land for conservation. Put Mendoza on the Bench. We’re not fighting a war. I’ve raised three children. That’s not enough to buy me out of the doghouse.

Haec credam a deo pio, a deo justo, a deo scito? Cruciatus in crucem. Tuus in terras servus, nuntias fui; officium perfeci. Cruciatus in crucem. (Dismissively.) Eas in crucem. [Translation: Am I really to believe that these are the acts of a pious God? A just God? A wise God? To Hell with You punishments. I was Your servant here on Earth. And I spread Your word and I did Your work. To Hell with Your punishments. To Hell with You.]

(He lights a cigarette, takes a puff, then drops it to the floor and puts it out with his shoe.) You get Hoynes.

My favorite soliloquy, from MY favorite President, Josiah Bartlet...

_________________________________________________________________

Dr. Jacobs

President Josiah Bartlet: You're Dr. Jenna Jacobs, right?

Dr. Jacobs: Yes, Sir.

Bartlet: ...Forgive me, Dr. Jacobs. Are you an M.D.?

Jacobs: A Ph.D

Bartlet: A Ph.D.

Jacobs: Yes, Sir.

Bartlet: Psychology?

Jacobs: No, Sir.

Bartlet: Theology?

Jacobs: No.

Bartlet: Social work?

Jacobs: I have a Ph.D. in English literature.

Bartlet: I'm asking 'cause on your show, people call in for advice and you go
by the name Dr. Jacobs on your show, and I didn't know if maybe your
listeners were confused by that and assumed you had advanced training in
psychology, theology or health care.

Jacobs: I don't believe they are confused, no, Sir.

Bartlet: Good. I like your show. I like how you call homosexuality an
abomination.

Jacobs: I don't say homosexuality is an abomination, Mr. President, the
Bible does.

Bartlet: Yes, it does. Leviticus.

Jacobs: 18:22.

Bartlet: Chapter and verse. I wanted to ask you a couple of questions while I had you here. I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My chief of staff, Leo McGarry, insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself, or is it OK to call the police? Here's one that's really important cuz we've got a lot of sports fans in this town. Touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side-by-side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing, while you may mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits.

Woo hoo! I have this on an audio clip and I always love hearing it...

Wag The Dog?

2003-04-12T19:07:00.000-05:00

From http://www.nion.us/

On April 9, the U.S. media was filled with pictures supposedly showing a great crowd of Iraqis pulling down a statue of Saddam Hussein. This wide angle photo shows that the whole event was a staged photo-op for the American media. The statue is actually being pulled over by a Marine Corps M88 tank recovery vehicle, while cameras on the ground focus in on a couple dozen Iraqis allowed into the area for the event. Everyone else is kept away by tanks around the plaza.

Interesting... If this is true, it won't stay quiet for too long. Guess I'd better go check out the British and other foreign press for more research on this, since we sure won't get the real scoop from our own journalists.

Every cloud has a silver lining...

2003-04-12T18:49:00.000-05:00

Every cloud has a silver lining...

...and today I guess I saw mine.

In the minutae of the War Funding Bill that Congress passed so Shrub can go pay for this illicit war he's dragged us in to, is help for the airline industry. Halleluia. Not a bailout, as United and other mismanaged carriers might want, but money nonetheless. Other major nations had long ago determined that airline and airport security are part of national defense, and funded it as such. The U.S. learned our lesson the hard way on 9/11, and Congress passed all kinds of laws dictating new security measures and federalizing the TSA - and then stuck the airlines with the bill. Airlines will see reimbursements for what they've spent in extra security costs for the year 2002, plus specific reimbursements for reinforcing cockpit doors, extension of unemployment benefits for displaced airline workers (thank goodness, I have lots of friends drawing unemployment right now) and waiving of the collection of security fees until September 30, 2003 to help the airlines keep more of what they earn to put towards their bottom line. It won't keep the sinking carriers from going under - as it shouldn't - but it will help the carriers who are drowning in three feet of water to begin their slow crawl back to shore.