Obamacare's ASTOUNDING impact on Texas

About an hour ago, we participated in a conference call with American's for Prosperity -- Texas and the Texas Public Policy Foundation.  The subject was Obamacare's impact on the individual insurance marketplace in Texas.  The information presented was staggering.

The biggest takeaway is that the price of individual insurance plans is going up, big time.  A 27 year old who currently purchases insurance in the individual marketplace will see their premiums increase by at least 98%.  35, 47, and 65 year olds will face similar increases.

The exchanges are a good deal only for very low income people.  Once your income is north of $30,000, you still face higher costs, but you don't qualify for any subsidies.  For most people, the insurance subsidies won't cover the increased costs.

The increased costs result from what are called 'essential health benefits.'  These are services that all health insurance plans must cover, regardless of consumer desires.  For example, men must now purchase maternity care and people without children must purchase pediatric care.

Obamacare will devastate America, and especially Texas.  Costs skyrocket while quality plummets.  Thanks to AFP and TPPF for highlighting this impact of this catastrophic law.

OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT: Donna Campbell for Re-Election!!!

Though it frightens us to say this, Cahnman's Musings has known Dr./Senator Donna Campbell for half a decade; endorsing her re-election is an easy call.

Many became aware of Donna during this past summer's abortion debate, but Dr/Senator Campbell was around long before that.  An emergency room physician, Dr./Senator Campbell entered politics in 2009 (because of Obamacare).  After losing her U.S. Congress race in 2010, Dr./Senator Campbell beat the most liberal Republican in the Texas Senate in 2012.

In the Texas Senate, Dr./Senator Campbell has been a leader on education and (obviously) pro-life issues.  On Education, Dr./Senator Campbell is assisting grassroots conservatives with the ongoing C-SCOPE whack-a-mole controversy.  She's also a longtime advocate for school choice.  On the life issue, Dr./Senator Campbell called the third point of order during Abortion Barbie's filibuster.  Donna was also one of only four Texas Senators to vote against the current profligate budget.

This is not to say, however, that Dr./Senator Campbell is perfect.  Her 'C' grade from Texans for Fiscal Responsibility was underwhelming.  Her willingness to raid the rainy day fund for 'transportation' is worrisome.  You cannot fix transportation in Texas until you fix the underlying corruption and cronyism. Until that happens, you're throwing good money after bad.

But nobody's perfect.

Donna Campbell's political story is very similar to Ted Cruz's.  Both ran in 2012 against liberal Republicans backed by every lobbyist in Austin.  Having won office the hard way, neither owes the Austin-insider crowd bupkus.

Dr./Senator Donna Campbell is a rare voice for light in the darkness of the Texas Senate.  During the 83rd Texas Legislature, she went in as a conservative citizen legislator and she came out the same way.  Cahnman's Musings wholeheartedly endorses Dr./Senator Donna Campbell for Re-Election in SD-25.

Suck it Up: An Open Letter to Congressman Louie Gohmert

 Dear Congressman Gohmert,

Thank you for taking the time to read this correspondence.  We've met previously.  I'm the guy with long blonde hair who made the incautious double entendre about Janet Napoletano last summer at Restoring Love.

I'm writing because John Cornyn just voted to fund Obamacare; you need to suck it up and run against him.

I know you don't want to do this; unfortunately, I also know that you are the strongest candidate we could run against Cornyn.

Freedomworks loves you, so fundraising won't be a problem.  You have more name recognition than Ted Cruz at this point in 2011.  Glenn Beck has already spoken favorably of your candidacy:

In 1975, at a similar ebb of American history, Ronald Reagan said:

As stated above, Congressman Gohmert, I know you don't want to run.  Guess what?!?  George Washington didn't want to run either.

Congressman Gohmert, with all due respect, suck it up and go to Ninevah before America ends up in the belly of the fish.

Sincerely,
Adam Cahn
Austin, TX

OFFICIAL ENDORSEMENT: Our First Campaign Contribution of Election 2014

Earlier tonight, Cahnman's Musings attended a fundraiser for Katrina Pierson's U.S. House campaign.  We gave the candidate a (very) modest donation.  It was an easy call for a fantastic candidate.

Katrina spoke in more depth about her background than we'd previously heard. Born to a teenage mother who chose life, Katrina was also a teenage mother who chose life.  This makes sense, considering the last time we saw Katrina was at the Capitol during the abortion debate.

Having grown up in a family on welfare, Katrina was determined not to fall back into that trap when she had her own son at 19.  Katrina did things the hard way, but the right way.  It took her a decade to graduate college (working two jobs most of that time), but she made it without blood money from Washington D.C. or Austin.

Having survived the welfare system, Katrina is determined to promote economic opportunity.  Katrina understands that a strong education is the key to economic success, and that local control is the key to a strong education.  Thus, Katrina's #1 policy objective is to remove the Federal government from education.

Cahnman's Musings wishes we'd recorded Katrina's remarks; unfortunately, our phone was in our bag in the other room.

Katrina Pierson is one of those people (like Toby Marie Walker) we're not sure when we met.  We've been friends on Facebook for years, and we met face-to-face along the way.  We're honored to endorse her campaign and support it financially.

Katrina Pierson is currently running for the United States House in the 32nd district of Texas against the linguini spined Pete Sessions; you can support her campaign here.

-----

Katrina's 2009 "No President Is Going to Change Your Life Circumstances" Speech



Update: Katrina mentioned that Rafael Cruz spoke after her that day.

If John Cornyn were at the Alamo

We couldn't resist:

Cornyn: Bi-National Pressure is the best way to defeat Santa Anna

On October 2, 1835, I was a bit player in the Battle of Gonzales (I argued the 'Come and Take It' Flag was too confrontational).

In the months since, I have given lip service to numerous plans to expel the Mexican Army from Texas.

Last week, General Santa Anna crossed the Rio Grande.  The Texas congress subsequently relocated to Washington on the Brazos while continuing to talk about independence.  I supported this tactic.

This isn't a retreat that I hope to obfuscate with rhetorical bluster.  This is a unique and rare opportunity to defeat Santa Anna with a simple majority of all troops on the battlefield.  That means Santa Anna can lose, at most, four brigades from his Army and still succeed in suppressing the Texas revolution.  If Santa Anna loses five, Texas is free.  I want to have that battle.

In my view, fighting to the death at the Alamo is not the best way to defeat Santa Anna.  The only thing it would guarantee is traffic jams in San Antonio, for which the European press would make fun of us.

History has taught us that Texians would unduly shoulder the blame in such a scenario.  This would weaken our party, hurt us at the polls, and remove us even further from our goal of removing Santa Anna.

A polite but firm letter, on the other hand, would force vulnerable border county Mexican commanders to either double down on Santa Anna or move to oppose him.  We need to convince five to take the latter approach.

In my view, sending a joint Texian and Mexican letter is better than sending no letter at all.

It's no secret that centralized government in Mexico is crumbling of its own weight.  The fact that Texas is still debating it six months after the Battle of Gonzales is a testament to how ill-conceived, unpopular, and damaging it is.

Examples of it's failures abound: inflation is rampant, jobs are scarce, people are having trouble getting the bare essentials of life.  All this and centralized control hasn't even been fully implemented yet.

Second chances in life are rare.  For the Mexican commanders who voted for Santa Anna in 1833, this is their second chance.

With the benefit of hindsight and pressure from the Texian people, they now have the opportunity to recant their support with dignity.

And for those Mexicans who insist on riding this train wreck of a law over the cliff, they will have to stand in front of their neighbors and explain why it is worth further degrading our economy.  Texians are united against Santa Anna.  In drafting this letter, we must be united in pressuring our Mexican colleagues to stop listening to President Santa Anna's 1833 campaign rhetoric and start listening to their neighbors.

If they truly do this -- if they sign on along with us -- then I have no doubt that a polite but firm letter to Santa Anna will succeed as well.

Does John Cornyn really think we're stupid?!?

Following Ted Cruz's heroic (literal) stand for liberty, Texas' senior senator released an op-ed:

Last week, thanks to the support of conservatives in the House of Representatives, that chamber passed a bill that funds the government while defunding Obamacare. I support this measure, and that is why I voted to bring it before the Senate for an up-or-down vote.

This isn't a show vote. This is a unique and rare opportunity to defund Obamacare with a simple majority - 51 votes. That means Harry Reid can lose, at most, four members of his caucus and still succeed in funding Obamacare. If he loses five, Obamacare is defunded. I want to have that vote.

In other words, Harry Ried can lose Mark Pryor, Mary Landrieu, Kay Hagan, and Mark Begich and maintain Obamacare.

Cornyn continues with wishful thinking

An up-or-down vote, on the other hand, forces vulnerable, red-state Democrats to either double-down on Obamacare or move to defund it. We need to convince five to take the latter approach.

And John Cornyn's plan to accomplish this is....?!?

Second chances in life are rare. For the Democratic senators who voted for Obamacare in 2009 - and those who were elected after it became law - this is their second chance.

With the benefit of hindsight and pressure from the American people, they now have the opportunity to recant their support with dignity.

And for those Democrats who insist on riding this train wreck of a law over the cliff, they will have to stand in front of their constituents and explain why it is worth spending more borrowed money on.

Because, as the head of the GOP campaign committee in 2010/12, John Cornyn did SUCH a great job making Democrats own the original Obamacare vote.

Bottom Line: John Cornyn undermined Ted Cruz when it mattered, now he's using a smokescreen to confuse Texans.

This is exactly what Ted Cruz warned us about.

Run, Louie, run....

-----

If Texans are sick of John Cornyn insulting their intelligence, here's where they can contact him:

Phone: (512) 494-8535

Twitter: @JohnCornyn

Ted Cruz Wraps Up with El Rushbo

Following his 21 hour defense of liberty, Senator Ted Cruz spoke with Rush:



Highlights:

• Too many political reporters act like Hollywood gossip columnists.

• The media's goal is to confuse people.

• It's not about me, it's about listening to the American people to stop the Obamacare train wreck.

• The pundits on television don't even know the day of the week the Senate GOP meets. 
• "The single biggest surprise of being in D.C. is the defeatist attitude among Senate Republicans."

• All we have to do is make it politically harder to do the wrong thing than the right thing

Katherine and Caroline Cruz watching their Father

Too awesome not to share:

Could Pat Gray successfully challenge John Cornyn?!?

On tonight's television broadcast, Glenn Beck vowed to find a primary challenger to John Cornyn; this gives us an idea:

How about Pat?!?

One thing Glenn Beck will discover, if he's serious about finding a challenger to Cornyn, is that none of the obvious candidates wants to run:

• We asked Louie Gohmert last summer (at Restoring Love): he said no.

• We asked Rafael Cruz in April: he said he was too old.

• We asked Wayne Christian in June: he's running for the railroad commission.

• We asked Katrina Pierson in July: she's running against Pete Sessions, which is a good thing because she's got at least a 50/50 chance to win.

• We haven't personally spoken to Ron Paul, but a source who shall remain anonymous told us he wasn't interested in this race the same day we posted the blog linked above.

 All of the folk listed above have been asked, all have said no.

Which brings us back to Pat.

Pat would enter this race with instant credibility.  Freedomworks already sponsors the radio show and, knowing Freedomworks as we do, we strongly suspect they'd endorse him.  There's your fundraising.

If Glenn Beck is serious about finding a challenger to John Cornyn, he can do a lot worse than the guy sitting next to him during the radio show.

Battleground Texas KNOWINGLY uses CONVICTED Child Molestor

We're all for non-judgmental acceptance and whatnot, but HOLY MESS:

Alert! After receiving a tip, I have confirmed that Convicted Child Sex Offender Billy Johnson is the President of the University of Texas-Pan American Young Democrats and is helping to register voters for Battleground Texas. Battleground Texas is an organization created by Barack Obama's political machine to try to turn Texas into a blue, Democrat state. You heard me right, a convicted child sex offender (indecency with 8 year old girl) is wandering around to random young people, even in areas with children. When Battleground Texas or a Democrat organization approaches you, as the bed intruder guy says, "Hide your kids."

There is no denying that, based on the photo evidence below, Billy Johnson and his UTPA Young Democrat Organization is helping and working with Battleground Texas to register voters.

It was first discovered that Billy Johnson was working with Battleground Texas when the UTPA Young Democrat club posted the above picture on their UTPAYD Facebook page with the caption “The Young Democrats at UTPA teamed up with Battleground Texas to register people to vote. As we can see it was successful with the number of voter registration cards held up. It was a team effort. Way to go!! — with Jessica Rios, Blanca Paras, Billy Johnson, Gustavo Alejandro Grajales and Daniel Ryne Lucio.”

The picture seems to have been removed from the YD’s Facebook group already. Thankfully we still have the picture because it was re-posted on the conservative Facebook page of UTPA Confessions, along with a link to the TDCJ website showing information about Johnson’s conviction.

What is even worse is that Battleground Texas and the Young Democrats KNOW that this man is a convicted child sex offender. This is not something that is a secret. Anyone who knows the man knows he was convicted and they seem to be ok with it. They know about his conviction because this is not the first time he was publicly called out for doing something that a convicted child sex offender probably should not be doing. Back in 2010 he caused a stir in the local media when parents found out that Billy Johnson, a convicted child sex offender, was volunteering and working around their kids at a local school. Johnson seemed to justify working at the school by telling the news that he had an escort with him in the school and he also said that his conviction did not come with restrictions preventing him from being near a school. That excuse certainly did not make parents feel any better.

San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and Rep. Joaquin Castro are helping to get Battleground Texas started up. They headlined a kickoff fundraiser back in march. Julian Castro himself is under fire. San Antonio Conservative Weston Martinez is helping to circulate a recall petition to remove Julian Castro. Castro is facing the potential recall after he tried to push through an ordinance that would allow man to use a woman's bathroom, setting up the potential for more opportunity for sexual assaults. The ordinance would also have punished and discriminated against Christians just because they do not believe in homosexual marriage. Knowing that Castro tried to push through that ordinance, maybe is it not all that far-fetched that he would be ok with a child sex offender helping out Battleground Texas and going around meeting random young people and registering voters.

[Author's Note: This article is re-posted in full from Texas Conservative Republican News.]

Cahnman's Musings has, in the past, joked that sexual perversion is the glue that holds the Democrat Party together, but they actually did this.

Will Julian Castro give the United Nations control of the Alamo?!?

YIKES:

The New Battle of the Alamo
by George Rodriguez

Texans should be aware that San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro may have started a new “battle of the Alamo”. He has made some initial moves to allow the United Nations to influence and even manage the Alamo, and the San Antonio Express/News is doing a soft sell of the idea in their Sunday, September 15 opinion page. It has been reported that Mayor Castro and his close ally, City Councilman Diego Bernal, have been meeting with U.S. Department of Interior officials about the future of San Antonio’s historical missions. Castro wants to make the missions a greater tourist attraction by designating them national and world cultural treasures.

But there is the catch in designating the Alamo and the other missions “world cultural heritage” sites. Castro and Bernal want the United Nations’ UNESCO or United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to do the designation. The UNESCO is a specialized agency of the U.N. whose purpose is to contribute to peace and security by promoting international collaboration through education, science, and culture in order to further universal respect for justice, the rule of law, and human rights along with fundamental freedom proclaimed in the U.N. Charter. According to their charter, UNESCO’s aim is "to contribute to the building of peace, the eradication of poverty, sustainable development and intercultural dialogue through education, the sciences, culture, communication and information".

It is ironic that while many Texans across the state talk about the dangers of the UN’s Agenda 21, the Alamo, the very symbol of Texas liberty and freedom, may fall under U.N. influence. Castro wants to UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to help manage the Alamo. The World Heritage Committee has a list of recognized sites that are managed through legal agreements regarding cultural heritage for protecting diversity. Quite simply, the U.N. would manage the Alamo under these agreements.

The influence of the U.N. has already been felt when there was a proposed hotel tower for the old Joske’s building near the Alamo. But because it could have jeopardized the World Heritage Site status for the Alamo and the other four missions, the proposed hotel tower was nixed. The U.S. National Park Service, which plays a key role in nominating U.S. sites, warned Castro that such a skyscraper so close to the Alamo could be a deal breaker. Apparently, the U.N.’s World Heritage Sites had threatened to yank the status because of the potential for new development. Thus, the U.N. influenced a local issue and decision.

Cahnman's Musings was hesitant to post something from Facebook, but this May report from the Express-News is confirmation:

The National Park Service is proposing World Heritage status for 14 new American sites over the next 10 years, potentially raising the number of U.S. sites from 21 to 35. One of them comprises five 18th-century Spanish missions along the San Antonio River. Four form a National Historical Park. The fifth and oldest, run by the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, was founded as San Antonio de Valero. We know it as the Alamo.

The proposal argues that these Franciscan missions meet the World Heritage status requirement of “outstanding universal value” because of their role in Spain's global expansion. They are living symbols of how Spain shaped history. [Emphasis Ours]

The World Heritage List is perhaps not well understood in the United States, even though America took the lead in creating it 41 years ago. Probably the most successful international program for preservation and conservation, World Heritage is a powerful brand for overseas visitors. Tour operators feature World Heritage sites in their advertisements. Some travelers have World Heritage bucket lists, visiting as many of the 962 sites as they can.

Notably, foreign visitors tend to spend more on their trips than domestic travelers.

The San Antonio study, by the Harbinger Consulting Group, was commissioned by Bexar County and takes a hard look at the likely economic benefit of the missions being named a World Heritage Site.

Bottom Line: Julian Castro is working with the United Nations to redefine the cradle of Texas liberty into a "living symbol of how Spain shaped history" under the guise of economic development.

San Antonio Recalls: 50% of signatures for Councilmember Diego Bernal gathered

Holy Mess (AND they made national news!); via the Washington Times:

Weston Martinez, the president of BCCC [Bexar County Conservative Coalition], says that they have more than 3,200 signatures to recall Councilman Bernal. In an email to The Washington Times, Melinda Uriegas, Assistant City Clerk in San Antonio, confirmed that 5,377 valid signatures are required to hold a recall vote for Bernal. Uriegas also stated that 61,045 signatures are necessary in order to trigger a recall vote for Castro, and Martinez believes the group is on there way toward that goal. “There were 150 signatures collected last Sunday in only 1 ½ hours,” says Martinez. “This is a steady progression — not a quick hit.”

Read the whole piece, which gives a fantastic synopsis how the recall effort formed, here.

Texas House Republican "Leadership" Tramples Sixth Amendment

"In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the state and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the assistance of counsel for his defense."

Sixth Amendment; United States Constitution

A disturbing report from Tuesday's Daily Texan:

Moving forward with its investigation into UT System Regent Wallace Hall, the House Select Committee on Transparency in Stage Agency Operations decided Hall’s attorneys would not be allowed to cross-examine witnesses during the upcoming hearings.

....

At the meeting, Rep. Dan Flynn, R-Canton and committee co-chairman, said the committee would be investigating whether Hall left off several state and federal lawsuits on his original application for the regent position, disclosed sensitive student information to the public and overstepped his authority as a regent. The committee began investigating Hall in July after he began filing massive open records requests to the University and state legislators accused him of working with his fellow regents to oust President William Powers Jr.

....

“Today, we heard the committee spend 10 minutes of platitude on transparency and spend two hours in secrecy,” Van Fleet said. “It’s important that the full story come out, not just the limited amount Mr. Hardin may decide is relevant.”

After the meeting, Van Fleet defended his client against the accusations that the committee will investigate, and said Hall’s massive open records requests were not part of a larger plan to get Powers fired.

“[Hall] is not after President Powers,” Van Fleet said. “What he is after is a UT System that is fully transparent [and] that is open to people of Texas. Along the way, if there be legislators, if there be other officers in UT who should have done their job as good as Wallace Hall has been doing his, then the chips will fall as they are.”

Flynn added that the committee would keep its investigation focused on Hall for the time being, though Hall’s attorneys have indicated that they feel the focus should be on documents Hall has obtained from the University.

“We are not investigating the University of Texas at this time,” Flynn said. “However any information that does come out by the committee, it will be disclosed in the spirit of the transparency of this committee.”

 Yet another example of how team Joe Straus and Team Bill Powers protect insiders at the expense of taxpayers and students.

EXCLUSIVE: Dr./Senator Donna Campbell on Turning Texas REDDER!!!

Dr./Senator Donna Campbell spoke to a joint meeting of the Travis County Republican Party and Central Texas Republican Assembly tonight:



Highlights:

• Small parts came together and we won. 

• Went out as a conservative citizen legislator and "I came back the same way."

• "You don't lose ground when you stand your ground."

• You have to move incrementally.

• "Vote your values, not your family history."

Dan Patrick's Democrat Chairman Sideshow

The other night, at a Lt. Gov. candidate forum in Houston, Dan Patrick attacked David Dewhurst over his committee appointments:

Patrick claimed that Democrats have been allowed to block legislation on sanctuary cities and school choice, largely because Dewhurst has given them too much power.

"I will not appoint half of the Democrats as chairman of committees," he said.

Cahnman's Musings agrees that Dewhurst's committee appointments suck.  The problem, however, is NOT the Democrats.  It's the Republicans.

Dewhurst always appoints go-along, get-along, big government Republicans to powerful committees.

Senate Finance Chair Tommy Williams is the most obvious example.

During 83rd general session, absent leadership from the Lt. Governor, Tommy Williams ran the Texas Senate by default; the results were predictably disastrous.

Cahnman's Musings applauds Dan Patrick for questioning Dewhurst's committee appointments; Patrick's criticisms, however, would be stronger if he went after powerful Republicans like Tommy Williams instead of irrelevant Democrats.

How the Media invented "the California Comeback"

Did you know that California is in the midst of a 'comeback'?!?

Neither did we.

According to the the Burnt Orange Report and the New York Times, however, big liberal California has come zooming back; this absurd piece at Rolling Stone epitomizes the genre:

But in astonishingly short order, America's shrewdest elder statesmen blazed a best-worst way out of California's economic morass. With a stiff cocktail of budget cuts and hard-won new taxes, Brown has not only zeroed out the deficit, he's also begun paying down the debt. "Jerry Brown's leadership is a rebuttal to the failed policies of Republicans in Washington," says Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress. "California is proving you can have sane tax systems, raise revenues, eliminate structural deficits and have economic growth."

Evidence for 'the California comeback' is based two 'statistics': an (allegedly) falling unemployment rate (still the fifth highest in the country and two points higher than Texas) and an (alleged) budget surplus.

But the media portrayal is a smokescreen.

First things first, the drop in unemployment is the result of a plummeting labor force participation rate:

The difference between a 66 percent rate and a 63 percent rate – three percentage points – translates into 900,000 potential workers, and were they still part of the labor force, it would mean California’s unemployment rate would be more than 13 percent, instead of the current official rate of 9.4 percent.

[Author's note: This piece was written a few months ago, but the premise remains.]

Next up, the Budget Surplus:

The new budget will put a wrench in budget transparency by including a provision that will allow local agencies to make their own rules when it comes to the California Public Records Act. Rather than mandate that these agencies respond within ten days, the agencies themselves will now control that process. NBC 7 San Diego, June 16, 2013.

The budget shell game continues in Sacramento, where Gov. Jerry Brown and state legislators have heralded their plans to keep more conservative revenue estimates in this year’s budget—only to shift other funding predictions. Those include estimating greater receipts from property taxes ($300 million); lower estimates on implementing the Affordable Care Act ($80 million); and reducing the amount that will be repaid to schools by $650 million. Los Angeles Times, June 11, 2013.

California’s “balanced” budget ignores the long-term debt obligations of the state for retirees and for money borrowed for the unemployment insurance fund. Sacramento Bee, June 12, 2013.

California has a newfound “surplus” thanks to outrageous budget gimmicks that simply ignore state debt. Rather than making the necessary payments into the state pension fund, California, as well as many other states, skip this step and claim to have a balanced budget. Manhattan Institute: Public Sector Inc., May 30, 2013.

California's current budget is attempting to close a major gap in public school funding created by a decade-plus-long practice of delaying funds into the next fiscal year. Charter schools have been disproportionately affected by this scheme, as they have been forced to take out bridge loans, and in turn, incurring larger interest payments. Gov. Jerry Brown's 2013-2014 budget proposes repaying $1.8 billion in deferrals-but from 2009-2011, the state added $6.3 billion in delayed payments. The program began with a $1.1 billion deferrals in 2001-2002. Los Angeles Times, April 16, 2013.

 But who needs the truth when there's an agenda to push....

Penthouse Magazine Publisher Declares Bankruptcy

Score one for the good guys, from CNBC:

 FriendFinder Networks, publisher of Penthouse magazine and numerous adult-entertainment websites, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday.


The company, which sought to combine social networking and sex, said it had struck a deal with noteholders that will reduce its debt by $300 million if approved by the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware.


Under the plan, one group of noteholders will take ownership of the sex entertainment business, which traces its roots to the late Penthouse publisher Bob Guccione. As is typical in bankruptcy, shareholders will likely be left with nothing.

 Read the whole thing here.

The Radical Barack Obama/Abortion Barbie Agenda

With Abortion Barbie likely to run for Governor, Texans must understand that she's a carbon copy of Barack Obama on most policy issues; a few examples:

Abortion

Barack Obama:

Obama has consistently refused to support legislation that would define an infant who survives a late-term induced-labor abortion as a human being with the right to live. He insists that no restriction must ever be placed on the right of a mother to decide to abort her child.
On March 30, 2001, Obama was the only Illinois senator who rose to speak against a bill that would have protected babies who survived late term labor-induced abortion. Obama rose to object that if the bill passed, and a nine-month-old fetus survived a late-term labor-induced abortion was deemed to be a person who had a right to live, then the law would "forbid abortions to take place." Obama further explained the equal protection clause of the Fourteenth Amendment does not allow somebody to kill a child, so if the law deemed a child who survived a late-term labor-induced abortion had a right to live, "then this would be an anti-abortion statute."

Abortion Barbie:

DAVID GREGORY: Senator, do you think a 20-week ban on abortion is acceptable? Do you think it's reasonable?
SENATOR WENDY DAVIS: Right now, that ban of course is being talked about because of the idea of fetal pain. And at the constitutional level, what we of course have assured is that women have the ability to make these reproductive decisions up to the point of viability. That has to remain the key question here.
And of course, when we're talking about that particular issue, there are very, very few. It's used more as an emotional trigger point as part of the argument. But remember, it's a huge omnibus bill that involves many, many other aspects to it that are setting Texas back.

 -----

Government Schools

Barack Obama:

We’ll make sure that every child in this country gets a world-class education from the day they’re born until the day they graduate from college. What McCain is offering amounts to little more than the same tired rhetoric about vouchers. We need to move beyond the same debate we’ve been having for the past 30 years when we haven’t gotten anything done. We need to fix & improve our public schools, not throw our hands up and walk away from them. We need to uphold the ideal of public education, but we also need reform. That’s why I’ve introduced a comprehensive strategy to recruit an army of new quality teachers to our communities--and to pay them more & give them more support. We’ll invest in early childhood education programs so that our kids don’t begin the race of life behind the starting line and offer a $4,000 tax credit to make college affordable for anyone who wants to go. Because as the NAACP knows better than anyone, the fight for social justice and economic justice begins in the classroom.

Abortion Barbie:

Senator Davis believes providing an excellent public education system is the state’s most-important responsibility. While most lawmakers were mired in so-called “emergency” bills in 2011, Senator Davis made education funding her emergency....On behalf of thousands of parents, educators and business owners  who contacted the Senate District 10 Office, Senator Davis took a stand against  deep funding cuts forced by the powerful special interests and the failed legislative majority. She even filibustered a fiscal bill at the end of the regular 82nd Legislative Session that would cause harm to our public schools."

-----

Socialized Medicine

Barack Obama:

Q: Is health care in America a privilege, a right, or a responsibility?
...
OBAMA: Well, I think it should be a right for every American. In a country as wealthy as ours, for us to have people who are going bankrupt because they can’t pay their medical bills--for my mother to die of cancer at the age of 53 and have to spend the last months of her life in the hospital room arguing with insurance companies because they’re saying that this may be a pre-existing condition and they don’t have to pay her treatment, there’s something fundamentally wrong about that.

 Abortion Barbie:

We believe in honoring our mothers and fathers and keeping our smallest residents -- our children -- healthy. The politicians in charge of Texas now clearly don't. [Rick] Perry has refused to even consider expanding health care coverage in Texas because he cares more about scoring political points than he does about our Texas families.

 -----

We could go on, but you get the picture.

Corruption and Immorality at University of Texas

Against the backdrop of a crappy football team, corruption at the University of Texas keeps coming to light:

Can UT’s reputation survive serious allegations of corruption and malfeasance? Not as long as they go unanswered.

....

Sadly, serious allegations have been made against UT-Austin that are causing damage to our university – ultimately devaluing the degrees we worked so hard to obtain – and the leaders sitting atop the Tower are refusing to answer them.

....

Recently, four serious allegations have been made that:

1. Unqualified students have been admitted to UT-Austin and the UT School of Law based on their relationships with powerful legislators
2. Secret – and possibly illegal – payola schemes benefited favored faculty members
3. UT has inflated or misreported monetary gifts
4. UT has ignored the Texas Public Information Act by withholding information from regents and the public

 Read the whole thing here.

Update: To say nothing of mediocre academics.

The Tragedy of Sydney Leathers

"For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Romans 6:23

The Anthony Weiner scandal is gross and depressing.  Cahnman's Musings didn't intend to comment.  But the other day we learned something about Sydney Leathers, Weiner's counterparty,  that merits comment.

Sydney Leather was an aspiring porn star who leveraged the Weiner scandal to launch her career.

And, in so doing, she exposed herself to AIDS.

This is tragic, but it's also Biblical.

Sydney Leathers clearly has a heart set against God.  She's also a textbook example of how promiscuity begets socialism.  Yet she was given a very public opportunity to come to her senses.

Instead, she chose to double-down on her Sin, and she was INSTANTLY exposed to the AIDS virus.

And that's tragic....

Once again, Bill Powers loses a winnable Football game; Longhorns drop to 1-2

And to think, Texas was leading as late as the 8-minute mark of the third quarter; from ESPN:

No. 25 Ole Miss unloads on struggling Texas

AUSTIN, Texas -- Jeff Scott ran for 164 yards and a touchdown and also scored on a 73-yard punt return, helping No. 25 Mississippi roll over reeling Texas 44-23 on Saturday night.

Bo Wallace passed for two touchdowns and ran for another for the Rebels (3-0), who led 14-0 midway through the first quarter before Texas scored 23 straight points.

The Rebels rallied when Andrew Ritter kicked a 52-yard field goal on the last play of the first half and Wallace directed consecutive touchdown drives in the third quarter. Scott eluded six tacklers on a weaving, cross-field touchdown return that put the Rebels ahead 37-23 late in the third.

Texas, which gave up 550 yards rushing a week earlier in a loss to BYU, surrendered 274 on the ground to Ole Miss.

....

And Mississippi is just the latest visiting team to wallop Texas on its home turf. The Longhorns are 11-10 at home since 2010, including seven consecutive losses to ranked opponents.

The Rebels scored on their first two drives for a quick 14-0 lead. Wallace and Scott carved up the Longhorns on the read option and Scott scored on a 5-yard run before Wallace connected with Donte Moncrief on an 18yard touchdown pass.

Personally, if we were Rick Perry, we'd call a special session on Higher Ed. reform starting Monday.

History Lesson: How Lyndon Johnson 'won' his first election

A fantastic, quarter-century old, piece from the New York Times explains the looong tradition of Democrat Party voter fraud in Texas:

A study of Lyndon B. Johnson provides new evidence that the 36th President stole his first election to the United States Senate, in 1948.

....

It has been alleged for years that Johnson captured his Senate seat through fraud, but Mr. Caro goes into great detail to tell how the future President overcame a 20,000-vote deficit to achieve his famous 87-vote victory in the 1948 Democratic runoff primary against a former Governor, Coke Stevenson. A South Texas political boss, George Parr, had manufactured thousands of votes, Mr. Caro found.

Starting in the town that would later elect Julian Castro:

On primary night, a Saturday, the first tallies of the Democratic primary showed Johnson trailing his opponent by 20,000 votes. Still unreported, however, were the votes from San Antonio, where Stevenson had defeated Johnson 2 to 1 in the first primary. When those votes finally came in, Johnson had won a stunning victory, carrying San Antonio by 10,000 votes.

Moving along to another Democrat stronghold:

Later that evening, the rural counties in the Rio Grande Valley further eroded the Stevenson lead, which was reduced to 854 votes.

 Followed by the coup de gras:

Also on Friday, Jim Wells County telephoned in its amended return, ''and suddenly, with virtually all the counting in the election over, Coke Stevenson was no longer ahead,'' Mr. Caro said. Johnson had won by 87 votes. Challenge and Affirmation Mr. Caro confirmed the charges made at the time by Stevenson supporters that county officials had cast the votes of absent voters and had changed the numbers on the tallies. For example, he said, Jim Wells County provided an extra 200 votes for Johnson merely by changing the 7 in ''765'' to a 9.

Johnson's victory was upheld by a 29-to-28 vote of the Texas Democratic Party's executive committee, and he went on to defeat Jack Porter, the Republican candidate, in the general election. And although a Federal District Court had ordered his name off the ballot pending an investigation, the order was voided by Associate Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black on a petition from Abe Fortas, who was Johnson's chief lawyer.

That would be the same Abe Fortas who, 17 years later, Johnson would appoint to the Supreme Court.

But, at least the Johnson people have a credible defense:

''The irregularity in the voting was caused in most instances by the local races - for a county commissioner, sheriff and county judge. It was just incidental that there were also votes stolen for Johnson and Stevenson.''

 Well THAT'S convincing....

----

Johnson's 1948 'victory' is a depressing story.  It is also, however, a necessary one.  Voter Fraud in Texas is real.  It has a looong history.  And it helps the dirtbags....

Does Thomas Ratliff Support Eating Cow Manure?!?

Michelle Smith of Concerned Women for America attended today's CSCOPE hearing; from her Facebook page:

Calvin Russell gives excellent example to SBOE panelist about CSCOPE "If I am eating ice cream, and I find out there is cow manure in it, I will stop eating it. I believe the districts should stop using it until the SBOE has had time to fully review it."

Ratliff, of course, wants districts to continue using this discredited curriculum.

Ted Cruz Needs Your Help

In what is apparently a serious question (for them), the Dallas Morning News is asking for public feedback on who they should name the 'Texan of the Year': Abortion Barbie or Ted Cruz.

You can vote here.

Texas Tribune Strips Concealed Carry Author's Second Amendment Rights

An alarming announcement from Texas Land Commissioner (and Lt. Governor candidate) Jerry Patterson (*):

CHL author stripped of rights at gun panel
Patterson disallowed from carrying during political festival held at UT


AUSTIN – Concealed-carry law author Jerry Patterson will join other state leaders on the University of Texas campus for a panel on the future of gun laws.


Known for carrying a gun in his boot, Patterson’s trademark holster will be empty for this event. Texans are still deprived of their Second Amendment rights on college campuses.

“So there won’t be any show and tell this time,” joked Patterson, a straight-shooter when it comes to firearm freedoms.


Patterson, Commissioner of the Texas General Land Office, will headline the one-hour discussion on gun rights at the 2013 Texas Tribune Festival. “The Fight Over Guns” panel will take place at 4:25 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 28, at UT’s AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center.


A retired Marine and former officer in charge of a Marine Corps marksmanship training unit, Patterson will appear on the panel with Rep. Jason Villalba (R-Dallas), and Sens. Brian Birdwell (R-Granbury) and Jose Rodriguez (D-El Paso).

....

While Legislators were not allowed to vote on expanded Concealed Handgun Law (CHL) rights this summer, Patterson opened the door for guns to be carried in public places during his time as a Texas Legislator. Gov. George W. Bush signed Patterson’s history-making CHL bill into law in 1995.

 More on the history of concealed carry laws in Texas here.

* -- For the record, this press release was from the Office of the Land Commissioner, not the campaign.

----

Contact Texas Tribune Editor-in-Chief Evan Smith:

Phone: (512) 716-8610
E-Mail: esmith@texastribune.org
Twitter: @evanasmith

Anatomy of a Campus Hoax

Start a rumor, in the local hack blog:

On Wednesday afternoon, University of Texas student Bryan Davis was walking to a friend's apartment in the student-filled neighborhood of West Campus. As he passed the University Towers apartment building on 23rd and Pearl, a bleach-filled balloon struck him in the leg.

Though luckily uninjured, the shock took "hours" to wear off, Davis told Burnt Orange Report. "I don't feel safe walking around West Campus by myself anymore."

This is the latest of many bleach bomb attacks on students of color in West Campus. Last October, the story made national headlines, as did the student protest for more safety.

 Which gets picked up by the Huffington Post:

University Of Texas Investigates Another Possible 'Bleach Bomb' Attack Against Minority Student

 And Al-Jazeera:

"Bleach bombs" re-emerge at UT-Austin

Creating Racial Strife:



Only to have, two weeks later, the whole thing turn out to be untrue:

Final tests found no evidence of bleach in a balloon that landed near a student in West Campus in August, University of Texas officials said Tuesday.

The student, 21-year-old Bryan Davis, had claimed the balloon was thrown at him near the intersection of 23rd and Pearl streets on Aug. 22. He said the incident was racially motivated if not “racially inconsiderate” during a campus rally that took place the following week.

Officials last month said preliminary tests showed that the balloon was filled with water. Final tests on the evidence, including clothing and balloon fragments, detected no bleach, officials said.

 The University of Texas' motto is "What Starts Here Changes the World"; Cahnman's Musings frequently finds that a terrifying statement.

-----

Author's Note: We live two blocks from where the alleged incident occurred; the frat boys in this neighborhood are equal opportunity douche bags who throw water balloons at everyone, regardless of race.

San Antonio Councilmember Summons Police Against Citizens

Bizarre behavior from the primary supporter of Julian Castro's censorship ordinance, via the Bexar County Conservative Coalition Facebook page:

Today at Diego Bernal's city council district office, recall supporters set up to collect recall signatures.
Unfortunately, the council man called the police incorrectly stating we were blocking traffic.

Apparently after being in office for 2 years he didn't notice the Traffic congestion at that intersection. "Wish he would have worked to fix that instead of passing the discrimination ordinance.
Fortunately the media was all present. Should be on the 10 o clock news.
See you all tomorrow at 9.

The local Fox affiliate has more here.

Barry Smitherman's Obnoxious, Transparent Tea-Party Pander

Cahnman's Musings had been meaning to comment on this over-the-top pander from Attorney General Candidate (and current Railroad Commission Chair) Barry Smitherman, but Agendawise beat us to the punch:

Smitherman spent approximately seven years in a plum appointment to the Public Utilities Commission. In 2011 he was appointed to the Railroad Commission, and in months the newbie appointee was made Chairman. This strengthened his position ahead of his first primary election, which took him a runoff to secure.

Also, his campaign finance chair is Robert Miller, a lobbyist and blogger who has been an outspoken voice of support for embattled House Speaker Joe Straus in his struggles against conservatives.

....

Though this is music to some people’s ears, it is the kind of noise that would get a true conservative mocked at full volume by every newspaper and ruling class voice in Texas.

....

When instead of a blazing fire there are a few token candles of outrage lit, but nothing uncomfortable, it is a good time to question the authenticity of the drama.

Sometimes what is not happening says much more than what is.

 Amen; read the whole thing here.

Cahnman's Musings has heard some VERY unflattering things about Smitherman's performance on the Railroad Commission; we've never looked into them, but we might now.

-----

Update: Gross....

Senator Ted Cruz on War in Syria

Senator Ted Cruz appeared on one of the Sunday talking head shows to discuss the ongoing Syria kerfuffle:



Highlights:

• The administration begins from the wrong objective.

• No realistic plan for success.

• U.S. should cut off aid to Iraq unless they halt Iranian overflights.

• Make Russia and China exercise a veto on the world stage.

• "Just because Assad is a murderous tyrant doesn't mean his opponents are any better."

Why can't Bill Powers Produce a Winning Football Team?!?

Here's the damage:

BYU made No. 15 Texas feel decidedly unwelcome in Provo, dispatching the visiting Longhorns 40-21 Saturday night. Texas led 14-10 early in the second quarter, but BYU scored 24 straight and held on for the big win.

The Cougars set multiple records in the game with an historic performance on the ground. BYU ran for 550 yards, the most all-time by a Cougars team and the most-ever given up by a Texas defense. The previous record for rushing yards by a BYU squad was 465, against Montana in 1958. The most rushing yards the Longhorns had given up in their history before Saturday was 452.

Taysom Hill ran for a 68-yard touchdown in the first quarter, the longest-ever run by a BYU quarterback. The record was previously held by Jim McMahon, with a 56-yard run.
Hill ran for 259 yards on the night, the second-most by an FBS quarterback in the past ten years. Who had the most, you ask? None other than Texas's own Vince Young, when he ran for 267 yards in 2005.

Hill fell just short of the all-time BYU mark for rushing yards by a quarterback. That record is held by Eldon Fortie, who ran for 272 yards against George Washington in 1969.
It was the first non-conference road loss for Texas since falling to Stanford in Sept. 2000.

For the fourth consecutive season, Bill Powers' Football program underperforms.

Cahnman's Musings has no idea what's wrong with Texas Football.  We do, however, know that when a problem emerges you start at the top.  Under no circumstances should Texans or Texas Ex's fall for Bill Powers coming smear campaign against Mack Brown.

On Syria -- An Open Letter to George W. Bush

Dear Mr. President,

I hope retirement is treating you well.  How are Laura and the girls?!?  41's internet sock phenomenon was awesome.

I'm writing today because, with Syria in the news, people are talking about you.

James Carville:

You know, what I would say and maybe a little bit of a different view here. I think what really is freaking people out is the incompetence of the Bush administration in Iraq.

Sgt. Schultz on MSNBC:

Visit NBCNews.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Best of all was Timothy Egan in the New York Times:

Blame Bush? Of course, President Obama has to lead; it’s his superpower now, his armies to move, his stage. But the prior president gave every world leader, every member of Congress a reason to keep the dogs of war on a leash. The isolationists in the Republican Party are a direct result of the Bush foreign policy. A war-weary public that can turn an eye from children being gassed — or express doubt that it happened — is another poisoned fruit of the Bush years. And for the nearly 200 members of both houses of Congress who voted on the Iraq war in 2002 and are still in office and facing a vote this month, Bush shadows them like Scrooge’s ghost.

Mr. President, thank you for keeping America out of Obama's War in Syria.

Mr. President, thank you for disappearing for 12 hours while a(n) CIA Weapons Depot American Consulate was attacked and keeping America out of Obama's War in Syria.

Mr President, thank you for overthrowing Mubarak, and keeping America out of Obama's War in Syria.

Mr. President, thank you for ignoring the Iranian Green Revolution and keeping America out of Obama's War in Syria.

Mr. President, thank you for delivering a timetable to our enemies in Afghanistan and keeping America out of Obama's War in Syria.

Since you control events, Mr. President, America owes you a debt for slowing down Obama's war in Syria.

Sincerely,
Adam Cahn
Austin, TX
September 7, 2013

P.S. Next time you talk to Roger, make sure you tell him to vote NO on Syria.

Would Ron Paul challenge Senator John Cornyn?!?

This is a blog post we never thought we'd write; how times change.

Following their defeat in the 2012 election, the Republican establishment has attempted a massive power-grab, despite the fact that they were the ones who lost back-to-back Presidential elections.

It's not a secret that we've been looking for a primary challenge for John Cornyn for months.  It's also not a secret that we've been working with Ron Paul supporters on local issues.  It might be time to put two and two together.

Cahnman's Musings doesn't agree with Ron Paul on every aspect of foreign policy, but we oppose the current war in Syria.  We also don't trust John Cornyn.  Under current circumstances, Ron Paul would be a substantial improvement over John Cornyn.

A successful primary challenge requires two things: money and name recognition.  Ron Paul would begin a campaign with both.  If he were to run, Ron Paul would instantly become the favorite.

Louie Gohmert remains our top choice to challenge Cornyn, but Cahnman's Musings doubts he will run; assuming Gohmert's out, Ron Paul becomes an acceptable alternative.

Cahnman's Musings is hardly an anti-war publication.  We are, however, anti-THIS-war.  In 2014, an anti-war Republican doesn't frighten us.  A three-issue campaign, based upon avoiding war in Syria, dismantling the Federal Reserve, and dismantling Obamacare would go a long way in Texas.  It would certainly beat whatever horse manure John Cornyn might offer.

Austin accepts $11 million in Agenda 21 Blood Money from Obama

Holy Boondoggle Batman; from today's Daily Texan:

A federal grant worth $11.3 million will revolutionize transportation in Austin and change the way students connect with their campus, the city and the surrounding areas. 

The project — announced yesterday — will allow Capital Metro to increase bus and train speeds and frequency while doubling the freight service so fewer freight trucks will be on the streets. It will include a Bus Rapid Transit, projected to begin in 2014. Express Lanes, projected for 2015, will be highway lanes that are free for transit vehicles and tolled for other vehicles. 

Another part of the project’s plan is the Urban Rail, a hybrid between a light rail and a streetcar to connect the University to areas like downtown Austin, South Congress and Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. Austin will contribute $15 million to the project, Cap Metro President Linda Watson said.   

Which fits with Obama's long-term agenda:

“These projects truly have the power to transform communities,” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said. “No one wants to get used to traffic jams and to long wait times.”

Complete with land grabs:

The proposed Regional Rail will connect Austin to surrounding areas, such as Georgetown, San Marcos and San Antonio.

And fuzzy economic predictions:

 Foxx said every dollar invested in public transportation yields $4 in economic returns.

But at least bureaucrats know what's best for the rest of us:

“What people really want is their time back,” Foxx said. “They’re working hard. They’re trying to make it home for dinner [or] make it to a soccer game for their kids. That five or 10 minutes that they save because they [weren’t sitting in traffic], that matters to people right at home.”

 Read the whole article, complete with pandering to students, here.

----

Update: We just took two trips on South Congress in the past two hours; we can only imagine the decade long traffic nightmare attempting to put light rail there would create.

San Antonio Thought Police Win the Battle

"But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive."

Genesis 50:20

"Silence in the face of evil is itself evil: God will not hold us guiltless. Not to speak is to speak. Not to act is to act."
Dietrich Bonhoeffer

"I made my bed, I'll lie in it; I made my bed I'll die in it...."

Hole, Miss World

They did it; the San Antonio City Council voted to approve Julian Castro's censorship ordinance.

Municipal government in San Antonio will now enforce restrictions on personal beliefs; with the bonus of forcing businesses to allow men in women's restrooms.

The question becomes: how will people react?!?

It's an open question.  We'd love to get all 'rah, rah' on our soapbox and talk about how this will not stand.  But we don't know.

There's certainly recourse.  The San Antonio city charter provides for recalls.  But a successful recall drive will take a lot of work.

As a resident of Austin, this isn't our fight.  San Antonio residents must take the lead.  A successful recall campaign will only be won neighbor-to-neighbor.

If you live in San Antonio, and you don't agree with what just happened, you better get off your ass on this one....