Texas Longhorn Defense Builds Coach Strong's Credibility

"However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.”
Mark 5:19

Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium -- Charlie Strong's debut as Head Coach of the Texas Longhorns revealed a team with tremendous potential yet struggling with the legacy of expensive ineptitude bequeathed by outgoing University of Texas President Bill Powers.  Thankfully, the Longhorns won 38 - 7.  For his efforts, Coach Strong was rewarded with his first (of hopefully many) Gatorade showers:

The Longhorn defense scored more points than they allowed.  They hustled for four interceptions (including a PickSix from Demarco Cobbs) and four sacks.  They gave up less than 100 yards of offense during the game.

All Glory to God! 🙏

— Demarco Cobbs (@DemarcoCobbs7) August 31, 2014

Unfortunately, David Ash still sucks.  While the rest of the team performed admirably, Bill Powers' legacy quarterback reminded fans why his era has been known for chronic underachievement.  Ash was personally responsible for three delay of game penalties, which likely cost the team at least one touchdown.  He also fumbled two snaps, one of which led to the only points the Longhorns gave up during the game.  While it doesn't excuse his otherwise crappy play, Ash did score one rushing touchdown (along with a TD pass):

The Texas offense was aided by solid performances from the offensive line and running backs Jonathan Gray (82 yards) and Malcolm Brown (2 TD's).  Wide receivers John Harris and Jaxon Shipley also did their jobs as assigned.  Unfortunately, an offense is only as good as its Quarterback and David Ash sucks.

Based on tonight's game, 2014 Texas Longhorn Football reminds this author of 2014 New York Yankee Baseball.  Both teams are good at preventing runs.  Scoring them has been a problem for the Yankees and will be a problem for the Longhorns when the competition gets tougher.  Nonetheless, the positives from tonight's game outweigh the negatives.  The Charlie Strong era holds a LOT of potential for Texas Longhorn football once they find a decent quarterback.

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Dan Patrick's Secret #Dream14 Speech

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;"
Proverbs 29:2 (a)

[Author's note: We apologize for the video quality; cell phone camera, bad lighting, etc....]

Dallas, TX -- Earlier this evening, Texas Lieutenant Governor candidate Dan Patrick spoke to the Texas delegation at the Americans for Prosperity Defending the American Dream Conference:

First off, Peggy Venable of AFP Texas introduced Patrick:



Highlights:

• "We are headed for trouble if we don't reign in local government spending and debt."

• "We know in Texas we've gone a long way, but we've also got a long way to go."

• "We have to make sure we're engaged in local politics and local policymaking also."

 Next, Senator Patrick spoke:



Highlights:

• "We already have school choice in Texas: If you're rich enough you send your kid to private school, if you're mobile enough you move to the suburbs." 

• "Nobody moves to the suburbs because they want to sit in traffic."

• #TXSEN will kill 2/3rds rule.

• "Last year we spent $53 billion in Texas on education."

• Texas education spending: $38 billion in 1997, $53 billion today....

• "If I'm Lieutenant Governor, there will not be a budget that passes the Senate without serious property tax relief, short term, medium term, and long term."

• They owe their success to us activists!!!

Movie Review: Atlas Shrugged, Part 3; "Who is John Galt?!?"

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

Dallas, TX -- Earlier tonight, we were blessed to attend an advance screening of Atlas Shrugged, Part 3: Who is John Galt?!?  The film followed the arc of creeping, incremental statism to its logical conclusion.  Blackouts, deprivation, and tyranny was the result.

The movie won't please hardcore Randian purists.  Rand's book is 1000 pages long and editorial decisions had to be made.  For everyone else, the film is a worthy tribute to the power of freedom to promote human flourishing.

The film begins with the revelation of John Galt's origins in the takeover of the factory where he worked by new Marxist management.  Moving on, we see Dagny Taggart's time in the Colorado  valley where Galt and the leading entrepreneurs of his day have gone on 'strike' to the outside while creating a prosperous small community.  While she sympathizes with Galt's objectives, she eventually leaves to rescue her family's railroad, which is suffering from mismanagement under her brother Joe Straus James.

James is more interested in cronyism than productive economic activity.  During Dagny's absence, he supported a railroad centralization law.  While the law made him short term blood money, it proved disastrous for the railroad.  Dagny again fixes a problem created by James.  Eventually, James cannot handle the contrast between his crony failures and the successes of his counterparts who believe in freedom.

The climax of the film is John Galt's speech.  The first two-thirds of the film tease a speech by 'head of state' Harrison, where he's supposed to explain to the nation his 'solution' to the economic crisis: MORE STATISM!!!  In a manner reminiscent of Andrew Breitbart with Anthony Weiner, John Galt hacks into the broadcast feed of Harrison's speech and explains the ongoing producer strike.  To the horror of the crony government, Galt's speech becomes a rallying cry to the multitudes who don't support government policies.  Naturally, the government cracks down.

One MAJOR warning: the film contains an unnecessarily graphic sex scene between John Galt and Dagny Taggert.  While no body parts are exposed, they don't have to be.  This website STRONGLY encourages the produces to curtail this scene dramatically before the final cut of the film is released in two weeks.

Statism is a destructive, satanic philosophy that begets death and poverty.  Unfortunately, it also enriches a small crony elite, who go to extreme lengths to protect their blood money (hello Texas House).  Atlas Shrugged Part 3 follows this dangerous philosophy to its natural conclusion.  Blackouts, deprivation, and tyranny is the inevitable result.  Atlas Shrugged, Part 3 hits theaters September 12th.

Temptation's Threefold Nature

"So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave to her husband with her, and he ate. "
Genesis 3:6

Fantastic devotion from ICR this morning:

Satan was so successful with his first temptation when he persuaded Adam and Eve to rebel against God’s Word in the Garden of Eden, that he has been using the same technique ever since. By this threefold temptation, he appeals to the body, soul, and spirit. He first appeals to whatever fleshly appetites a person may have (“good for food”), then to his emotional responses (“pleasant to the eyes”), and finally to his spiritual pride (“make one wise”).

John later would call these desires “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16). James identifies them as “earthly, sensual, devilish” (James 3:15).

Satan even brought the same three temptations to bear on Christ Himself in the wilderness: “If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread” (Matthew 4:3). That is, “satisfy your physical hunger.” “Cast thyself down” from the pinnacle of the temple, thus enjoying the exhilarating feeling of being borne up by angels (Matthew 4:5-6). “All these things I will give thee” without your going to the cross, Satan taunted (Matthew 4:9).

Christ, however, stood the test, in each case citing an appropriate verse of Scripture to gain the victory. Now, when we are tempted, we can draw on His strength and follow His example. “Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him” (James 1:12). God “will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it” (1 Corinthians 10:13). HMM

TPPF: What is REALLY happening on the Texas Border (Livestream)

"You shall not remove your neighbor’s landmark, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess."
Deuteronomy 19:14

[Note: Unfortunately, due to technical issues, the stream was VERY spotty; we've posted the archive of what was broadcast and recorded.]

 Texas State Capital -- TPPF is hosting a panel on the Border; speakers include Brandon Darby of Breitbart Texas, Texas Agriculutre Commissioner Todd Staples, Shawn Moran of the National Border Patrol Council, and Mike Vickers of Texas Border Volunteers:


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream


Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Austin Urban Rail Forum Livestream

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

Update: It didn't go well for the pro-rail forces....

Part 1:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Part 2:
Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

#HailSatanTX: Texas Leftists in their own words....

"Though his hatred is covered by deceit,
His wickedness will be revealed before the assembly."
Proverbs 26:26

We haven't checked in with the fine folks at the Texas "Freedom" Network in several weeks.  Apparently, they held an event in Austin earlier this month.  Their description of their own event is quite revealing:

Holly Doyle, the leader of TFN’s Texas State chapter, gave an incredibly insightful presentation on why reproductive justice matters. Doyle said the legal right to an abortion is meaningless without actual access to one. In order to bring about reproductive justice, we must address structural inequalities rooted in racism and classism, she said.

Reproductive justice is defined as all people having the social, political, and economic power to make healthy decisions for themselves and their communities. The goal is to transform power inequalities and create long-term systematic change. This means the movement will be led by those who are marginalized the most, like working-class Hispanic people from the Rio Grande Valley. The life of a single oppressed person will be transformed when her marginalized community has her back, the presentation explains. The reproductive justice movement has its origins in a black women’s caucus, which believed the current movement wasn’t inclusive enough. The movement exploded outward from there, resulting in the creation of groups like Forward Together and Sister Song.

....

Doyle projected a map of Texas on the wall, with little turquoise dots pinpointing the location of abortion clinics. The August 2013 map showed a smattering of dots across the state. The March 2014 map had significantly fewer clinics, and by September 2014 the clinics had disapeared everywhere except for the major cities. As everyone in the room could plainly see, HB2 was not about protecting women’s health, but ending access to abortion throughout the state.

Doyle finished her presentation with a call to arms for student activists. Unless we can get other young progressives to vote, nothing will change, she said. Although the task might have sounded daunting, Doyle expressed confidence.

“I’m all about dismantling oppressive power structures,” she said, eliciting a massive cheer from the room.

[Emphasis added]

Soo...killing babies is a critical component of 'dismantling oppressive power structures'?!?

Got it!

Does Sarah Eckhardt support a 2015 Travis County Bond Election?!?

"The rich rules over the poor,
And the borrower is servant to the lender."
Proverbs 22:7

Earlier this month, TPPF released some observations about the City of Austin's upcoming budget; TPPF's piece also contained this gem lifted directly from page A-15 of the City of Austin's Budget:

This is the first time we've heard about a potential Travis County bond election in May 2015.  $300 million for a new courthouse is, to put it mildly, ridiculous.  With public debt already pricing people out of the county, yet another bond election for such a frivolous cause should be a non-starter.

Upon learning about this proposed bond election last week, this website reached out to both candidates in the surprisingly competitive race for Travis County Judge: Democrat Sarah Eckhardt and Republican Mike McNamara to gauge their support for this boondoggle.

McNamara replied with this statement:

“Now is not the time to burden Travis County and City of Austin tax payers with more debt in bonded projects. Every day that I speak with property owners, they express their deep concerns about the livability of Travis County, especially in Austin. As Travis County Judge, I will work to stop increasing taxes and find ways to cut wasteful duplication and unnecessary expenditures in local government.”

After 5 days, multiple phone calls, tweets, and e-mails, we have yet to hear back from Sarah Eckhardt.  This leads to one of two conclusions: either Sarah Eckhardt supports $300 million in new debt for a courthouse, or she doesn't care enough about the issue to respond to a routine press inquiry.  Neither conclusion is flattering....

We can't afford Sarah Eckhardt.

------

Author's Note: If Sarah Eckhardt decides to respond, we'll update accordingly; for now, concerned citizens can contact Sarah Eckhardt via Twitter: @Sarah_Eckhardt.

The Cost of Cheap Sex

"But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
Matthew 5:28

Crissy Moran and Harmony from Treasures spoke at a Church in South Africa last year:



Highlights:

• Sex is a big deal to God.

• There's nothing new about sexual immorality.

• 1 Corinthians 6:6

• When you objectify a woman, that's sin in and of itself.

• We don't tell people "do what's in your heart" re: traffic laws.

• Cheap sex is built upon lies.

• High Definition has been horrible for porn sales.

• Ted Bundy said porn is addictive.

• The pastor sees a constant stream of abused young women from guys trained by porn.

• Porn destroys the people who create it.

• A lot of the girls in porn are trafficked.

• Crissy's dad was a pastor.

• Crissy was saved at 11.

• Father became an abusive alcoholic in her early teenage years.

• "When my mom remarried, she stopped going to Church."

• Got pregnant at 17 -- Mom forced het to get abortion "against my will."

• Became a 'relationship addict' as young adult.
• Cohabitation.
• Lots of Abuse.

•  Harmony's father exposed her to porn at age 3.

• Sexually assaulted by both men and women as a kid; first suicide attempt at 8.

• Raped as a teenager.

• Stepfather practiced Satanic Occult stuff.

• Crissy: "The [porn] scenes could be long and difficult then they edit down into something perfect."

• A lot of porn performers don't like sex.

• Crissy's boyfriend of 3.5 years "raped me 10 times a day."

• Next bf showed her pix to his friends.

Texas' Economic Juggernaut Continues to Dominate California

"Vengeance is Mine, and recompense;
Their foot shall slip in due time;
For the day of their calamity is at hand,
And the things to come hasten upon them."
Deuteronomy 32:35

Living well is the best...something....something:

The real action in Texas Tuesday wasn’t the klieg lights on Texas Governor Rick Perry being booked after vetoing funding for Travis County’s District Attorney and YouTube sensation Rosemary Lehmberg, it was that Texas businesses have continued to add more than 1,000 jobs every day over the last 12 months. Despite leading the nation again with 46,600 in July, there was no big celebration in Texas. In the Friendship State, job creation is just business as usual.

But in California, officials were high fiving that Employment Development Department data “showed state's unemployment rate remained flat at 7.4%” last month and that they actually picked up 27,700 jobs in the latest BLS report.

The U.S. economy was hit hard in the Great Recession, but since December 2007, Texas has added 1,078,600 net new jobs versus California’s 69,400 net new jobs. That works out to a ratio of more than 15 new workers added to Texas State’s payrolls for every one worker added to California payrolls.

The Texas Model is alive and well; read the whole thing here.

Travis County Democrats fluffing for Project Connect

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

Travis County's Progressive Mafia protects its own:

Last night at a meeting of the Central Austin Democrats, I witnessed a very similar exercise. Speaker after speaker stepped up to the microphone to make their stumbling and uninspired speeches. Like poor little Timmy, they each struggled to launch a winning pitch. It was so sad that it was almost painful to listen.

“I wish I could say that this is a great rail proposal,” the first speaker began. “It is not a great proposal. Maybe it is not even a good proposal. But at least it’s an OK proposal.” Then came the punchline that set the tone for all of the other good little soldiers…

“We have to start somewhere.”

One by one they marched in lock-step to the stage to deliver their remarks. They could have been lip-syncing to a canned recording. The lack of any real conviction or enthusiasm was pronounced. The best that could be said of the expressed pro-rail message was that the City Council supports it. Capital Metro supports it. Some big-name local Democrats support it. Therefore, it must be the right thing to do. And gosh, won’t it be exciting to take that first trip from Riverside to Highland Mall?

Yawn…

These speakers offered no compelling statistics to justify the staggering $1.4 billion cost. Nor did they explain where or how Austin would come up with the remainder of the $8 to $10 billion total cost of a citywide light rail system. If the November bond proposal would double our debt capacity and raise taxes far beyond today’s already unsustainable levels, how would we ever be able to afford to expand the system? One speaker even dared to suggest that building the rail would improve affordability.

A resolution in support of the rail bonds passed by a narrow two-vote margin. Central Austin Democrats accomplished what they set out to do. In the process, they tore a gaping hole in the fabric of democracy. At a previous meeting, they allowed a single presentation from a pro-rail organization. But they never offered equal time to the other side. This shows not only a measure of distinct unfairness, but also a huge dose of insecurity on the part of the insiders who never wanted a fair discussion in the first place. What were they afraid would happen if both sides had been given the same opportunity? And is this the model of behavior that they intend to stand on for all major issues in the future?

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

 Sounds like how they passed Obamacare; read the whole thing here.

Bill Powers' allies attempted to destroy records....

"For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,"
2 Timothy 3:2

Isn't this interesting:

HOUSTON — Two regents of the University of Texas System pressed for the destruction of hundreds of thousands of records maintained by President Bill Powers’ office earlier this year.

The two regents — Steve Hicks and Bobby Stillwell — have been Powers’ strongest allies on the board. On May 21, they both asked Chancellor Francisco Cigarroa to allow Powers to destroy “hundreds of thousands of emails,” as well as “written notes or sticky notes” his office had been saving for more than a year.

....

But on May 21, when Hicks and Stillwell made their request, it looked like their side had won. So Hicks wrote Cigarroa, requesting “that the data hold that was placed on UT Austin in March of 2013 be removed…. as soon as possible.”

At Hall’s request, Cigarroa had ordered Powers to maintain his office’s records, particularly emails that would typically be deleted after a few months. Since that hold hadn’t required formal board action, Hicks and Stillwell asked that Cigarroa simply change the policy under his own authority.

It’s not known publicly whether Cigarroa took any action on the request. The board’s general counsel, Francie Frederick, asked Cigarroa on June 19 whether he did anything in response to the request, but Cigarroa hasn’t responded.

Read the whole thing here.

Travis County Democrats' anti-Perry narrative continues to crumble...

"He who speaks truth declares righteousness
But a false witness, deceit."
Proverbs 12:17

We apologize for forgetting about this last week, but the Austin-American Statesman makes a good point about the CIPRIT silliness the Travis County Democrats are pushing:

Amid the warring storylines over Gov. Rick Perry’s indictment, a claim has arisen from some Democrats that Perry wasn’t just trying to push a political opponent out of office – but that he was trying to stop a criminal investigation that could have been damaging to him.

Mo Elleithee, communications director for the Democratic National Committee, sent out an email Monday contending that Perry’s veto of money for the Travis County Public Integrity Unit was linked to that unit’s investigation into the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas.

....

Elleithee’s email, however, left out some key details about the CPRIT investigation — including that two months before Lehmberg’s arrest, she told reporters that none of Perry’s appointees to the CPRIT board were “under suspicion in the investigation.”

[Author's note: Emphasis added.]

The full article gives the detailed timeline, including the fact that the investigation continued after Perry's veto, here.

Hundreds rally for Governor Perry at Courthouse

"The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor,
But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered."
Proverbs 11:9

Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center -- This afternoon, Governor Perry appeared at the Travis County Justice center.  He was met by several hundred passionate supporters.  The backlash against Travis County Democrats' partisan assault on the rule of law is obvious:



Highlights:

• "I'm here today because I believe in the rule of law. "

• "I'm going to enter this courthouse with my head held high knowing the actions that I took were not only lawful and legal, but right."

• "If I had to do so, I would veto funding for the Public Integrity Unit again."

• "This issue is far bigger than me; it's about the rule of law, it's about the constitution that allows, not just a Governor, but allows every citizen to speak their mind free of political interference or legal intimidation."

• "This indictment is nothing short of an attack on the Constitutional powers of the Office of Governor...and I will not allow this attack on our system of government to stand."

Highlights:

• "It is our system of constitutional checks and balances that is being challenged here today."

• "This prosecution would seek to erode the power of all Texas Governors, Republican or Democrat, to veto legislation and funding they deem inappropriate; it is a chilling restraint on the right of free speech."

• "The actions that I took were lawful, they were legal, and they were proper."

• Dems: "Seek to acheieve at the courthouse what could not be achieved at the Ballot box."

• "We don't resolve political disputes or policy differences by indictments."

------

Update: Looks like the guv has also released this video:



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TABC's Backdoor Gun Show Restrictions Fall Flat

"Every one of the builders had his sword girded at his side as he built. And the one who sounded the trumpet was beside me."
Nehemiah 4:18

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission took public comment on its bizarre proposal to change the rules at gun shows; the fact that Open Carry Texas, C.A.T.I., and Moms Demand Action find themselves on the same side of this proposal tells you everything you need to know:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

First things first, we should note the final tally of comments about the proposal:
For: 1
Against: 22

Highlights:

• The Commission is claiming legislative authority it doesn't possess.

• When does "safety" become fascism?!?

• Nobody drinks alcohol at a gun show.

• The only person who spoke in favor of the rule change was the lobbyist for the person who requested it.

• Texas Carry has gotten 30,000+ responses; all opposed.

• "It's common sense that no one wants to attend a gun show that has no ammo."

• Texas Carry will ask for an injunction against the rule from the Attorney General.
• Author's Note: Hint, hint Ken....

•  Open Carry Texas vehemently opposes rule.
• TABC is already too involved with guns (bars and gas stations)
• TABC modeling itself after Federal A.T.F.

• "Stick to alcohol and let the legislators stick to guns."

• If you can't transfer onsite, it hurts small retailers.

• Alexandra Chase from MDA:
• Called MDA pro-second amendment.
• Half of gun related homicides involve alcohol.

• If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

• We can never prevent violence through law and regulation.

Texas Ethics Commission confesses lawlessness

"For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life."
Galatians 6:8

That's no good:

In an effort to defend a suit brought by Empower Texans President Michael Quinn Sullivan under the Texas Open Meetings Act, the Texas Ethics Commission has doubled down on their lawless behavior. Late last week, the TEC admitted for the first time that commissioners met in secret to craft an order against Sullivan for his work informing taxpayers about the actions of the legislature.

On Monday, the TEC’s executive director testified in open court that the meetings were not called, were not planned, that no notice was given to the public, that no agenda or minutes for the meetings were kept, and that no recordings of the meetings were made. The commission is stipulating to their complete disregard of the Texas Open Meetings Act, arguing that the law which binds other governmental bodies doesn’t apply to them.

Never before has the TEC disclosed such secret meetings, or publicly claimed a right for commissioners to do so.

When the suit under the Open Meetings Act was filed, it was expected to require extensive discovery to determine how far the commission had gone in disregarding the law. However the TEC is now arguing that it has complete authority to meet in secret, and that orders issued by the commission need not even include the names of the commissioners and how they voted.

The commission has placed its self so far outside of the open meetings law that the case is moving fast for a determination on the legal issues alone. The facts aren’t in dispute, the TEC claims they are not going to be bound by the Open Meetings Act absent a court order to the contrary.

 Read the whole thing here.

How grassroots Texans are changing our statehouse

"Now the children of Benjamin gathered together behind Abner and became a unit, and took their stand on top of a hill. "
2 Samuel 2:25

Ft. Worth -- Ten days ago, JoAnn Fleming, Michael Quinn Sullivan and Jim Graham spoke about how the conservative grassroots are coming together across Texas:

Highlights:

• Balkanization within the conservative movement (fiscal conservatives vs. social conservatives vs libertarians) is a tool of the establishment.

• The origin of the coalition was the recognition of common enemies.

• There's safety in numbers.

• JoAnn Fleming -- Texas spends too much, borrows too much, and relies to much on the Feds.
• 11th in the nation for dependence on Federal $$$
• 3 big enemies: Big Business, Big Government, Big Media
• Nothing is more frustrating that elected officials that are genuinely clueless.
• "The longer they stay, the worse they get."

• Jim Graham -- Every year there are 70,000 abortions in Texas
• That's the population of Temple.
• Alabama, Oklahoma pass 5 to 7 pro-life bills per session.
• Took out three of the most liberal Republicans in the Texas Senate the past two sessions.

• During the 84th: First Amendment Tuesday every week.

• The real fight isn't R vs. D; it's establishment vs. the rest of us.

• There's no principle of liberty on which you can defend corporate welfare.

• The lobbyists in Austin don't want a change in #TXLEGE leadership.

• A lot of the House members who are on the fence have district that overlap with the new Senators.

About that Special Session: An Open Letter to Governor Perry

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go."
Joshua 1:9

Dear Mr. Governor,

First things first, we apologize for the conduct of the Travis County District Attorney's office.  While you're far from perfect, you don't deserve this mess.  Since we had this situation thrust upon us, however, we have an opportunity you should consider:

NOW is the time to call that special session.

Abuse of the Public Integrity Unit has long been discussed.  Following Rosemary Lehmberg's disgraceful conduct, there was already an appetite to remove this power from the Travis County District Attorney.  Unfortunately, this malicious prosecution against you adds a new sense of urgency.  With equally frivolous charges in in the pipeline against Wallace Hall and Ken Paxton, time is of the essence.  Events of the past few days illustrate that the Travis County DA's partisan malice will continue to bear toxic fruit as long as that office holds this authority.

That's why you should call a special session to transfer "Public Integrity" authority from the Travis County DA to the Texas Attorney General.  Regardless of this case, it's silly that an official that is elected in one out of 254 counties should be able to disenfranchise millions of Texans when investigating officials elected statewide.  Obviously, with you and Ken Paxton in the Travis County DA's crosshairs, the left will kvetch.  So what?!?  Let them; then have Ken carry the bill in the Texas Senate!!!

During the current border crisis, you've received countless calls for a special session to address it.  Up to this point, this website hasn't supported a special session for border issues.  The new Republican consensus brought about by this attack against you changes that calculation.  The lame duck RINOs we worried about earlier won't dare get out of line now.  As long as the legislature is coming back to town, they should also address sustainable funding for border operations.

Transferring "public integrity" authority to the Texas Attorney General and establishing sustainable funding for border operations are worthwhile causes for new legislation.  It would address abuse of power at the County level and dereliction of duty at the Federal.  A proactive, problem-solving, approach would do a tremendous service to the 84th legislature and the new Governor.  It would also illustrate that the partisan actions by a rogue agency in Travis County cannot derail the business of the State of Texas.  You just have to issue the call.

The ball is in your court Mr. Governor.

Sincerely,
Adam Cahn
Austin, TX
August 18, 2014

Axelrod distances Obama from Travis County Democrats!!!

"The soul of the wicked desires evil;
His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes."
Proverbs 21:10

It's quite a statement when your political tactics are too sleazy for Barack Obama's campaign director:

Unless he was demonstrably trying to scrap the ethics unit for other than his stated reason, Perry indictment seems pretty sketchy.
— David Axelrod (@davidaxelrod) August 16, 2014

If you're wondering why this statement is so extraordinary coming from Axelrod, consider that he's the guy who did this:

Let’s take a romp down memory lane and review the typical Obama campaign strategy. Obama became a U.S. senator only by virtue of David Axelrod’s former employer, the Chicago Tribune, ripping open the sealed divorce records of Obama’s two principal opponents.

One month before the 2004 Democratic primary for the U.S. Senate, Obama was down in the polls, about to lose to Blair Hull, a multimillionaire securities trader. But then the Chicago Tribune leaked the claim that Hull’s second ex-wife, Brenda Sexton, had sought an order of protection against him during their 1998 divorce proceedings.

Those records were under seal, but as The New York Times noted: “The Tribune reporter who wrote the original piece later acknowledged in print that the Obama camp had ‘worked aggressively behind the scenes’ to push the story.” Many people said Axelrod had “an even more significant role — that he leaked the initial story.”

Both Hull and his ex-wife opposed releasing their sealed divorce records, but they finally relented in response to the media’s hysteria — 18 days before the primary. Hull was forced to spend four minutes of a debate detailing the abuse allegation in his divorce papers, explaining that his ex-wife “kicked me in the leg and I hit her shin to try to get her to not continue to kick me.” After having held a substantial lead just a month before the primary, Hull’s campaign collapsed with the chatter about his divorce. Obama sailed to the front of the pack and won the primary. Hull finished third with 10 percent of the vote.

As luck would have it, Obama’s opponent in the general election had also been divorced! Jack Ryan was tall, handsome, Catholic — and shared a name with one of Harrison Ford’s most popular onscreen characters! He went to Dartmouth, Harvard Law and Harvard Business School, made hundreds of millions of dollars as a partner at Goldman Sachs, and then, in his early 40s, left investment banking to teach at an inner city school on the South Side of Chicago.

Ryan would have walloped Obama in the Senate race. But at the request of — again — the Chicago Tribune, California Judge Robert Schnider unsealed the custody papers in Ryan’s divorce five years earlier from Hollywood starlet Jeri Lynn Ryan, the bombshell Borg on “Star Trek: Voyager.”

Jack Ryan had released his tax records. He had released his divorce records. But both he and his ex-wife sought to keep the custody records under seal to protect their son.

Amid the 400 pages of filings from the custody case, Jack Ryan claimed that his wife had had an affair, and she counterclaimed with the allegation that he had taken her to “sex clubs” in Paris, New York and New Orleans, which drove her to fall in love with another man.

(Republicans: If you plan a career in public office, please avoid marrying a wacko.)

Ryan had vehemently denied her allegations at the time, but it didn’t matter. The sex club allegations aired on “Entertainment Tonight,” “NBC Nightly News,” ABC’s “Good Morning America,” “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno,” and NBC’s “Today” show. CNN covered the story like it was the first moon landing.

(Interestingly, international papers also were ablaze with the story — the same newspapers that were supposed to be so bored with American sexual mores during Bill Clinton’s sex scandal.)

Four days after Judge Schnider unsealed the custody records, Ryan dropped out of the race for the horror of (allegedly) propositioning his own wife and then taking “no” for an answer.

Alan Keyes stepped in as a last-minute Republican candidate.

And that’s how Obama became a U.S. senator. He destroyed both his Democratic primary opponent and his Republican general election opponent with salacious allegations about their personal lives taken from “sealed” court records.

Obama’s team delved into Sarah Palin’s marriage and spread rumors of John McCain’s alleged affair in 2008 and they smeared Herman Cain in 2011 with hazy sexual harassment allegations all emanating from David Axelrod’s pals in Chicago.

Leticia van de Putte proposes Higher Education Slush Fund

"Dishonest scales are an abomination to the Lord,
But a just weight is His delight."
Proverbs 11:1

Well this is a terrible idea:

State Sen. Leticia Van de Putte, the Democratic nominee for Texas lieutenant governor, wants the state to invest $2 billion in a new fund to provide free community and technical college to graduating seniors.

The "Texas Promise" scholarship represents the first major higher education policy proposal in the race for the state's No. 2 job.

"As Lieutenant Governor, I'll put Texans and jobs first. It is time to remove the barriers. Every hard-working high school graduate in Texas deserves an opportunity to go to college, receive technical education and obtain post-high school credentials. It is time to get Texans prepared for the jobs of the future," Van de Putte said in a emailed statement.

Under Van de Putte's proposal, announced Thursday, voters would decide whether to approve a constitutional amendment to allocate $2 billion from the Rainy Day Fund to start the new "Texas Promise Fund."

Interest earned on the fund's investments would pay the community or technical college tuition for applicable students beginning in fall 2016. To be applicable, students would have to enter the program immediately after high school, qualify for in-state tuition by living in Texas for at least three years, maintain at least 12 hours a semester, among other requirements.

[Author's Note: Emphasis added]

Obviously, this won't work; any time government increases subsidies for college tuition, colleges increase their tuition by an according amount.

Bottom Line: Leticia's proposal would raid the rainy fund to create a 'scholarship fund' for the politically connected to dole out while making tuition inflation worse!!!

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While we're on the subject of Higher education affordability, a Google search for "Leticia van de Putte Seven Breakthrough Solutions" yields bupkus.