Daily Show: "South by South Mess," The State of Texas with Brad Paisley

Hilarious.

The Daily Show
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A Proposal for the Iraq Situation

When I was a kid, and was acting up, I remember being told, "Be quiet, or I'll give you something to cry about!" Well, I have a similar suggestion for those weirdos down in Texas who want to go everywhere with their big, shiny guns:

Draft the members of OPEN CARRY TEXAS, and send them to fight in Iraq.

That's all. What do you think?

Louie Gohmert is an Idiot, Part #87

Texas should be embarrassed. Eric Holder deserves a medal for putting up with Gohmert, and for the masterful asparagus dig.
 

Don't Mess With Texas: Town Pays $16K to Keep Ted Nugent Away

Nuge the stooge. Image from TowleRoad

A bargain at twice the price.

[Excerpt]

Texas City Pays $16K To Keep Ted Nugent Away
 
Racist, homophobic, misogynistic lunatic Ted Nugent is something of a folk hero among the far right, particularly in southern red states. It would seem that a performance from "The Nuge" would be well-received in the state of Texas, given that Texans elected Rick Perry to govern the state and Ted Cruz to represent it in the Senate. . .

Read more: TowleRoad

The Gay Thing: Gay Marriage Ban in Texas Found Unconstitutional!

Boy, between states trying to legalize anti-gay discrimination and states tipping toward marriage equality, it seems like every day has some kind of gay news, doesn't it? Throw in Jason Collins, Ellen Page and Michael Sam, and it's just got to be making some people twitchy! Particularly since it's states like Kentucky, Utah, Virginia and now Texas that are seeing their state constitutional amendments get declared federal unconstitutional. Many, many people said these things wouldn't pass constitutional muster back when it was a fad to pass them all over the country. And I think the people who passed them may have even known that. Their number one tactic--even in the face of an inevitable loss--is to delay as long as possible.

Well, gay Texans still have a delay, since this decision is stayed pending appeal. Which is irritating, but expected. I suppose I shouldn't be so impatient, considering the speed things are changing.

[Excerpt]

Federal Judge Strikes Down Texas’ Ban on Same-Sex Marriage

HOUSTON — A federal judge in Texas struck down the state’s ban on same-sex marriage on Wednesday, ruling that the laws restricting marriage to a man and a woman violated the United States Constitution and handing gay-rights advocates a major legal victory in one of the nation’s biggest and most conservative states. . .

Read more at: New York Times

Texas Voter ID Law Nearly Prevents Judge from Voting

I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it: the idea that ID might be required to vote sounds perfectly fine and reasonable. I can't conceive of going through my daily life without an ID in my wallet. So, when people get exasperated with people objecting to the idea that ID should be required, I do get it. But I wish they'd just think about it a little bit. Delve a little deeper than the obvious, and maybe do a little reading about it.

I know that's not the first instinct when you draw an initial conclusion that seems to make sense. But when you find out that in-person voter fraud is almost non-existent, and yet in state after state, Voter ID laws (with a whole list of attendant voting restrictions) keep getting enacted as though there is some sort of problem. As Colin Powell said, voter fraud can't be both widespread AND undetected. It just doesn't make sense.

So, it stands to reason that if tough legislation around a treasured, fundamental right is sweeping from state to state, you have to ask why. And if the laws seem to continually affect the same groups of people, it's not too hard to put together a theory. These laws are being enacted to have an effect on final vote tallies. It's not a nutty, out-of-left-field conclusion. Especially when you get to this Texas law, that cracks down on women. The Texas driver's license for married women has their maiden name as their middle name, but if it doesn't match their actual middle name on other documents, they can't vote? And they have to produce their original marriage license to set it right? Hmmmm.

Now, what's going on in Texas right now? Could there be a popular lady running for Governor that the GOP establishment might want to kneecap? Wouldn't making it hard for women to vote cut into her base quite a bit? See, not crazy.

[Excerpt]

Texas Judge Almost Blocked From Voting Because Of New Voter ID Law

A Texas district judge who has been voting for the past five decades was almost barred from the polls Tuesday, thanks to the state’s newly implemented, stricter voter ID law. The law kicked in on Tuesday as early voting in Texas’ November 5 election began. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Messin' With Texas: Idiot Texan Argues for Creationism in Science Books

You're a genius. Image from Raw Story.

It's hard out here for a non-believer. Especially if you're the argumentative type like me, who just can't seem to avoid commenting in Facebook, Twitter or message boards. Because I'm a gay atheist (gaytheist!) and a liberal, I very often find myself arguing with religious types about all sorts of things. And the biggest problems stem from the religious person's insistence that their faith is on par with facts. No, worse than that: if facts seem to dispute their faith, it is faith that wins the argument, from their perspective!

Here's a fact: creationism isn't science. It isn't anything like science. So, ipso facto, it doesn't belong in science books. Period. What the hell is the matter with Texas and religious nutjobs? Is that redundant?

[Excerpt]

Former Texas Board of Education chair argues for ‘final blow’ to evolution studies

The former chair of the Texas State Board of Education appeared at a board meeting this week to argue in favor of a new science textbooks he hoped would strike “the final blow” to studying evolution. . .

Read more at: Raw Story

Messin' With Texas: Un-Paving Roads Rather Than Raising Taxes

I still can't quite wrap my head around this. Big oil has a boom in Texas. Big Oil makes more profits than any other industry ever has in the history of man. Their trucks are tearing up the roads. Texas is having a hard time paying for the roads, so. . .they're un-paving them! Not raising taxes on the oil companies, or figuring out some other sort of pay-for-play arrangement.

Their unofficial slogan is "Don't Mess With Texas." Maybe that's because Texas is already a hot mess.

[Excerpt]

Texas Converts 80 Miles Of Paved Road To Gravel Thanks To Lack Of Funds

Finding that thanks to shortfalls the budget is not equipped to handle safety upgrades on paved roads, the Texas Department of Transportation began converting 80 miles of roads to gravel on Monday.
Texas DOT spokesman David Glessner told the Texas Tribune that a lack of funding meant its “only option to make [roads] safer is to turn them into gravel roads.” For safety reasons, some speed limits on the unpaved roads will also be lowered to 30 mph. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Fracking Runs Texas Towns Out of Water

Image from AmericaBlog

Here's the thing: I can understand that we need new sources of energy, or at least new ways to get at energy. The stuff we have is finite, and before it is tapped out, we've got to figure out what to do. And we're torn between new technology that is still working out the kinks and expensive; or fossil fuels that are harder to get at than the stuff we're using. Short term, it makes sense to try to extract the stuff we already know how to use. But long-term, renewable energy makes a lot more sense, and doesn't damage the environment.

It's a tough question, and there's no denying that. But what floors me is the absolute rejection of science by conservatives. Or rather, the complete denial of any science contrary to their ideas. Global warming can't be real, because man couldn't possibly affect the climate. Really? Not even after pumping pollution into the air for 130 years, at ever increasing amounts? Fracking can't cause any damage to water sources, or cause earthquakes. Why the hell not? It seems to be happening! I don't understand how the conservative brain works.

[Excerpt]

Texas towns run out of water due to fracking

Put simply, there are towns in Texas where you turn on the tap, and nothing comes out for days. Why? Fracking. You knew this was going to happen, and you knew it was going to happen in the desert-like South and Southwest. And whether the God-fearing folks in rural Texas knew it or not, when they voted for all those Drill-Baby-Drill Republicans (and Democrats who seek power by imitating them), they voted themselves out of water. . .

Read more at: AmericaBlog

Rick Perry Angry that Eric Holder Wants to Prevent Discrimination in Texas

"Don't mess with, uh. . .oops."
Image from HuffPo.

Okay, so Texas wanted to pass some new voting rights restrictions a while back (Why? Because it's a good way to suppress Democratic votes, that's why.) And because of the Voting Rights act, they couldn't get away with it, because the restrictions were deemed to be discriminatory against minority voters. Then, the Supreme Court hobbled the Voting Rights act, for reasons that are baffling. Within a couple of hours, Texas is there waving their already-declared-discriminatory restrictions, and insisted they're going to ram them through.

To me, this just confirms that the Supreme Court's decision was wrong, and that without the Voting Rights Act, some states will act in a discriminatory way. I mean, Texas just proved it, showing no restraint whatsoever. The Justice Department reacted by trying to find another way to prevent discrimination. And Governor Herp Derp Goodhair has whipped out his can of "Don't Mess with Texas" stupid ass whoop ass.

[Excerpt]

Rick Perry Slams Eric Holder, Department Of Justice For 'End-Run Around The Supreme Court'

Gov. Rick Perry (R) criticized a decision by the Obama administration to pursue legal action against the Lone Star State to place Texas back under preclearance, requiring federal approval for any changes to voting laws. . .

Read more at: Huffington Post

Daily Show: Lewis Black's Awesome FU to Texas Ad

I just loved this!

The Daily Show with Jon Stewart
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Texas GOP Forces Through Abortion Bill Despite Filibuster

Texas GOP, you've created a hero with this lady. State Sen. Wendy
Davis, image from source, AP

UPDATE: As I type this--way past my bedtime--the passage of the bill is in doubt. There is buzz all over the blogosphere and twitterverse that the vote was after the deadline, and the time fudged by the Texas GOP. Was this a valid vote?

ORIGINAL STORY:

Again, right up front, abortion is not my issue. But douchebaggy, assholey, straight-up mean GOPers? That's certainly my area. I'm still trying to figure out if this is just all fun'n'games for Republicans, throwing red meat to their base while pissin' off the libs? Or is it a bold attempt to get sued, and get Roe vs. Wade revisited by the Supreme Court? Or, is it just that old "out-meaning" each other theory I've got going? Whatever it is, the Texas GOP has enraged a whole lot of people, particularly women--some of whom are undoubtedly conservatives.

All of this followed a bravura attempt by Texas State Senator Wendy Davis, who mounted a filibuster that almost worked. She was required to talk--on subject--for 13 hours without assistance or the ability to lean against anything or even go to the bathroom. The very strict rules were observed by what I can only picture as a study hall monitor, with a three-strikes-you're-out provision. After 11 hours, there were three minor infractions (unbelievably, Davis talking about sonograms was deemed off-topic), and the Texas Senate had just enough time (amid howls of protest) to ram the abortion bill through.

I'm still trying to understand conservative logic on this whole issue. They want to shut down Planned Parenthood. Restrict access to contraception, morning-after pills, or sex education. They want abstinence-only education. They want reduced or eliminated social programs like food stamps, welfare, and pre-schooling. So, essentially, no pregnancy prevention, no plan B and no abortion. . .but you'll get zero help from the state once the kid is born. This is one fucked up agenda.

[Excerpt]

Texas Senate GOP passes restrictive abortion bill

Texas Republicans have passed new abortion restrictions expected to close almost every abortion clinic in the nation's second most populous state. . .

Read more at: AP

Texas Purging Voters Too

Republicans have a really good story for why they are enacting so many new voting restrictions in many states. Voter fraud. We have to prevent ineligible people--illegal aliens, dead people, felons, fictional people--from voting. So, it is vital that we shorten or eliminate early voting, tighten regulations regarding ID, and purge the rolls.

It sounds good. But the fact of the matter is, actual voter fraud--votes cast by ineligible people--is vanishingly rare in America. It barely happens, and when it does, it is not some organized conspiracy with the intent of rigging an election. So, if there is no pressing need for all of these voting restrictions, and there's no public outrcry, why have there been so many in the last two years? And why is it, that in each and every case, the people most affected by the restrictions are likely Democratic voters? That's a fairly easy question to answer. When voters show up en masse at the polls, Democrats tend to win. Suppressing the vote--almost entirely on one side--makes that less likely. Simple really.

And the galling thing about it (beside the fact that it often works) is that it shows that the GOP doesn't care if they actually win fair and square. They don't care if they only win by rigging the game. To them, a win is a win, dirty or not. For evidence, look to Florida in 2000, when there was another voter purge. Eligible voters were purged in much larger numbers than the margin of "victory" for President Bush. And in a couple of months, they were referring to Gore/Lieberman as "Sore/Loserman." Jeb Bush ordered the purge, and his brother benefited. And if the same thing had happened in Libya or Cuba or Iran, not a soul in the United States would see it the same way.

[Excerpt]


In Texas, 300,000 Eligible Voters Targeted In Purge

Florida voters are not the only ones who should be worried about whether their state has erroneously purged them from the list of eligible voters; the state of Texas also has a voter purge policy that erroneously targets eligible voters. The Houston Chronicle reports that, in a two year period, 300,000 eligible voters were warned that they may be removed from Texas voter rolls. Texas voter registration rates are already among the lowest in the nation, and one out of every 10 Texas voters’ registration is currently suspended. The almost 1.5 million voters who are suspended could be purged if they fail to vote in two consecutive general elections. . .

Read more at: Think Progress

Right-wing Talk Host's Hit & Run at Gay Bar

Nope, nothing phallic in this picture.
Image from Houston Press.

Oh, boy. A homophobic talk radio host/former politician busted outside a gay bar? No wonder he skipped out, he had a lot to lose! But, what a jerk, really. I'm starting to think that every right-wing homophobe is secretly gay. Not that I'm talking about anybody in particular (cough).

[Excerpt]


Police watch bar video in hit-and-run probe


Security camera footage from a well-known gay bar has played a key role in a hit-and-run investigation of a former Houston City Councilman, who is now a conservative talk show host, Local 2 Investigates reported on Wednesday. . .


Read more (with video) at: Click2Houston

Texas "Birther" Bill. Really?!?

Crazy is as crazy does.

[Excerpt]

Image from source, Think Progress

Texas State Rep. Introduces Birther Bill Because ‘People Don’t Know Whether [Obama] Was Born In Kenya’

Texas State Rep. Leo Berman (R) — a man best known for declaring that “Barack Obama is God’s punishment on us” — is putting his anti-Obama rhetoric into action. Donning his tin foil hat, Berman introduced House Bill 295 yesterday, which would “require any candidate for president or vice president of the United States to show his or her birth certificate to the Texas secretary of state. . .”
 
Read more at: Think Progress
 

The Young Turks on Texas GOP's Anti-Sodomy Platform

Some salty language, but worth it for this snarky examination of the utterly ridiculous Texas GOP's platform.

Time to Mess With Texas: State GOP Platform Crazy

You might have noticed there hasn't been much blogging activity this weekend. Sorry about that, but weekend sunny good times were to be had.  But this story caught my eye.

Right now in Nevada, the GOP is busily scrubbing and polishing Sharron Angle (Harry Reid's competitor for Senate) into something resembling a mainstream candidate.  She's not, she's a prototypical tea bagger. But check out the Texas state GOP's platform, and see if you can find any differences between their wacky notions, and Angle's (Well, besides gambling. She's from Nevada, and she might be crazy, but not that crazy).  Methinks the GOP has a lot more to worry about than just Angle's kooky beliefs.

[Excerpt]

Texas GOP Platform Calls For Making It A Felony To Perform Gay Marriages

. . .Here's more of the platform:



• Banning the use of red light cameras.


• Making American English the official language of Texas and the United States.


• Passing legislation requiring a sonogram for each pregnant woman seeking an abortion.


• Opposing legislation allowing stem cell research involving the creation of killing of human embryos for medical research.


• Calling for the immediate transition to a system of private pensions and gradually phasing out the Social Security tax.


• Calling for the repeal of the state lottery and opposing any further legalization of any type of gambling. . .
Read more at: Joe.My.God.

Don't Mess With Texas? F That, It's Time to Mess With Texas.

While this article doesn't delve deeply enough into just what has changed in Texas school curriculums, it seems fairly clear that conservative politics have infused the textbooks.  I have no problem with students questioning anything, but having the curriculum question church-state separation, and softening freakin' Joe McCarthy seems pretty outlandish.  Look, it is fairly clear what Thomas Jefferson thought about the wall between church and state. For all the wailing from the right about following the intent of the founders, they seem to be very willing to discount the wishes of the primary founder.

They say that history is written by the victors. When the heck did so-called conservatives become the victors? Maybe they are in Texas, but why does Texas get to dictate history textbooks for the rest of the United States? I can only hope that teachers who know better will fight some of this ridiculous and radical (something that usually gets assigned to liberals) indoctrination.

And as a side note to any conservative readers: do you really think that church and state should be intertwined even if the founders thought that such an idea was cool?  Really?  What if your particular brand of religion falls out of favor? What if some--to you--wacky version of Christianity or even some other religion becomes the dominant sect?  How would you like it if the Mormons or the Scientologists or the Jehovah's Witnesses or Muslims became more dominant than evangelical Christianity?  Would you still think it's a swell idea to let religion dictate pubic policy? Really?

[Excerpt]

Texas State Board of Education approves new curriculum standards

In a landmark vote that will shape the future education of millions of Texas schoolchildren, the State Board of Education on Friday approved new curriculum standards for U.S. history and other social studies courses that reflect a more conservative tone than in the past. . .

Read more at: Dallas News

Don't Mess With Texas: Obama Bad! Bush Good!

Image from source, NBCDFW

A school in Arlington, Texas that wouldn't allow kids to hear President Obama speak is busing some of them to see George W. Bush. Well if that isn't just typical. I don't want to hear "they got parental permission" for the Bush thing either. Every field trip requires permission.

[Excerpt]

Kids Didn't Hear Obama, But Will be Bussed for Bush

The Arlington Independent School District, which passed on airing President Barack Obama's live classroom address, has announced that some students will be bussed off campus to hear a message from former President George W. Bush on Sept. 21.

District officials said it's part of a Cowboys Stadium field trip that the North Texas Super Bowl Host Committee invited 28 fifth-grade classes to attend several months ago. . .

Read more at: NBCDFW

Don't Mess With Texas: If At First You Don't Secede

To my friends in Texas: If these nutjobs are successful, and The Republic of Texas becomes an instant third-world nation, you're free to bunk with us in Las Vegas. And to the members of this movement: There's no better way to show your patriotism than to claim you hate America! Or something. . .

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