Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Community Matters) Blogosphere buzz loud debating NYTimes rejection of a McCain op-ed piece as equal time for Senator Obama’s foreign op-ed piece last week.

(Community Matters) In the Washington Post

Evangelical Christians in Iowa, dominant in the state’s Republican Party, have denied Sen. Charles E. Grassley his request for a place on the state’s delegation to this summer’s Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minn.

Political observers in Iowa saw the move against Mr. Grassley as retribution for his having tangled with evangelical pastors in his state. He initiated a Senate Finance Committee investigation of six televangelists for conspicuous personal spending.

“It’s pretty well controlled now by the Christian Alliance,” Mr. Roberts said. “If somebody came to me and wanted to be a delegate to the national party convention, I used to say, ‘Talk to the state party chairman or to Grassley.’ Now it’s very simple. You go to the Christian Alliance, and they determine who is a delegate, and you have to do exactly as they say.”

(Community Matters) Lots of blogging about each. Two: JT and Megan McArdle.

(Community Matters) How clever of Michael Barnes. While on vacation in Montana, he’s slowly unveiling this year’s annual Fortunate 500. No doubt previously written and saved in draft form, easily converted to publish from the road. Nina Seely & Andy Roddick leading the Style & Sports lists. Fortunate 500

(Community Matters) Fannie/Freddie in the Economist here

(Community Matters) Lots of discussions on the opportunity to Paint Texas Blue. Folks 40 and over seem to think we have, at best, a shot of winning the 5 seats necessary to turn the Texas House Democratic. The 20- & 30- something political entrepreneurs (Steven likens them to artists) believe we can do that and win Texas for Obama.

I’m told there are over 1,500,000 unregistered voters in Texas – two-thirds Hispanic and most of the others Black (the majority African American). By far the majority of these are in Harris County, evidently a Texas county completely out of control. Republicans have had Harris County locked up for several years. Electeds and political professionals recount how Tax Assessor-Collector, Paul Bettencourt (R), effectively suppresses minority votes by taking names off the rolls for simple address changes. reducing the hours of early voting and indiscrimantely challenging black and brown voters at the ballot boxes. Plenty of coverage on R scandals in the county – including shamed district attorney Chuck Rosenthal. There’s a real opportunity to turn Harris County blue. Dallas went blue the last election cycle.

This year’s Democratic presidential primary engaged unlikely voters as no other. If we build on this momentum and motivate voters to pull the “D” lever when they vote for Obama, we might just celebrate Texas as a blue state come Nov. 4th.

(Community Matters) Maybe not but there’s a lot there

Shawn Kiehne (aka El Gringo) photo NYT

The New Mexico native has a love for Mexican music and the Mexican people, and he’s not afraid to say so publicly nor to criticize 43’s ridiculous immigration control policies (which was one area where 43 stood tall until caving to unfounded fears wing nut fears). NYTimes article here

(Community Matters) Obama, even if he won with 100% of the vote, he wouldn’t be able to pass a single law. – Mario

(Community Matters) You gotta love Dana for worrying about this for the rest of us. here

(Community Matters) Wow, just read on Andrew Sullivan’s blog:

Seventy-five percent of Americans in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll said homosexuals who are open about their sexual orientation should be allowed to serve in the U.S. military, up from 62 percent in early 2001 and 44 percent in 1993. Majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents alike now believe it is acceptable for gays to serve openly in the U.S. armed forces.

(Community Matters) We live in a unique community, though there are stories like these even in Central Texas.

On being gay:

1) being beat with a bat by his father here

2) denied rental housing here

(Community Matters) It’s Al Gore with Speaker Pelosi at Netroots Nation!