O'Rourke belatedly makes not bad point about the border

"So then, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath"
James 1:19

(Soon-to-be-former) Congressman O'Rourke recently released a video about the border:

pic.twitter.com/XONeh8HUf1

— Beto O'Rourke (@BetoORourke) December 28, 2018

The video has received a fair amount of commentary, but there's one point on which we want to linger:

He's...not wrong.

Illegal border crossings have been declining for a decade.  More of today's illegal immigration comes from visa overstays.  If were serious about solving illegal immigration, it's a point we'd be wise to remember.

It's also, if you're looking for a credible alternative to the current narrative about border security, not a bad point to hammer.

Still, coming from O'Rourke this is...a missed opportunity...at best.

This is a guy who just subjected us to a year and a half long campaign.  During said campaign, he could have driven a more intelligent discussion of border security.  Instead, he gave us cliches and vague platitudes.  We might not have voted for him, but it would have made the U.S. Senate campaign less dumb.

Bottom Line: He's not wrong, but it sure would have been nice if he'd started making this point a year and a half ago....

#TribFest18: "The Red Team" illustrates how Texas' Congressional Delegation is improving

"When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice;
But when a wicked man rules, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:2

Open seat Congressional candidates Dan Crenshaw, Chip Roy, Van Taylor, and Ron Wright spoke on a panel this morning.  It was very encouraging.  We only hope they end up serving in the majority.  The candidates covered a wide range of topics, the most interesting were federal spending, border issues, and health care.

Chip Roy was the first to attack spending.  Roy pointed out that, while tax relief/simplification and the resulting economic growth were good things, federal spending remains out-of-control.  Out-of-control spending, naturally, leads to debt.  And debt remains the largest long-term threat to the U.S. economy.  Ron Wright added that "the way we've been funding the federal government is insane."

On border issues, Van Taylor made a very important point: Border security, legal immigration, and illegal immigration are separate issues.  They should all be treated as such.  Trying to solve all three in a "comprehensive" manner is a recipe for disaster.  We've also learned from experience that those sorts of bills are impossible to pass.

Taylor is correct.  The way you solve complex problems is by breaking them into their component parts.  Then you solve the component parts.  Eventually, you end up solving the big, complex, problem.

On health care, Chip Roy finally moved beyond just "repealing Obamacare" to discuss how to actually fix health care.  Obviously, this is a point we've been hammering for months.  While Roy's full remarks deserve a blog post of their own, the short version is that he spoke in favor of reducing costs and price transparency.  Wright added that "we need a system where doctors and patients call the shots."

That being said, the person who was really impressive was Dan Crenshaw.  This was the first we'd ever heard him speak.  He is seriously sharp!  We were impressed with his answers to every single question.  Especially impressive was his discussion of the defense budget.  Crenshaw explained that the military doesn't actually want a lot of that spending.  It's nothing but corporate welfare for defense contractors.  That's not something you often hear from candidates who are veterans.

Bottom Line: The Texas grassroots did a very good job in Congressional races this cycle; it shows....

#TXSEN: Random Thoughts on Cruz and Bobby Francis' first "debate"

"Because of the transgression of a land, many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge
Right will be prolonged."
Proverbs 28:2

We don't feel like organizing them into a long-form write up, but some thoughts:

• This debate was very similar to the immigration debate between Dan Patrick and Julian Castro in 2014.  Like Castro, Bobby Francis came out strong.  He was high energy (more on that below).  Like Patrick, Cruz took some time to get going.  But, also like Patrick, by the fifteen minute mark, Cruz was firmly in control and he never relinquished it.

• Also like Castro: By the end of the debate, Bobby Francis was reduced to spouting the same three talking points.

• Speaking of Bobby Francis: Was he on amphetamines?!?  Whatever the reason, his initial burst of energy turned into a bizarre type of hyperactivity.  What was up with his hands?!?

• Immigration: Cruz supports securing the border and coming up with a more rational system of legal.  Bobby Francis' for straight-up amnesty.  You do realize this is Texas...right?!?

• The only thing stupider than discussing the NFL protests in the first place was Bobby Francis comparing them to Selma.

• Health Care: It's not a secret that we wish Cruz would discuss this topic more.  Cruz listed good principles, though we still wish he would put together his own comprehensive plan.  Bobby Francis, by contrast, supports socialized medicine.  This isn't close.

• Bobby Francis drinking game: Drink every time he says...
• "I visited every county in Texas."
• "I want to work with Trump when I can, and oppose him when I must."
• "Republicans, Democrats, Independents coming together...."

• #2A: Cruz badly exposed Bobby Francis ignorance about firearms.  Bobby Francis called AR-15's "weapons of war."  It only takes 10 seconds on Wikipedia.
  
  That being said, when Bobby Francis says "I support the second amendment," he's lying.  PERIOD.  END OF STORY.

• Criminal Justice: This was the most interesting section of the debate.  It's not a secret that this author's views on criminal justice don't line up neatly with any faction.  That being said, Cruz was absolutely correct when he pointed out that hateful, over the top, anti-police rhetoric leads to things like the Dallas shooting.  Bobby Francis' obsession with turing everything into a racial issue was sad.

•  That being said, there was one person who liked Bobby Francis' constant obsession with race:

Best thing from @BetoORourke tonight that you dont see from enough politicians: his consistent condemnation of anti-black racism in this country.

— Gregorio Casar (@GregCasar) September 22, 2018

• Bobby Francis denigrates prayer.  Wow.  Just wow.

• Economy: 'Bout dadgum time they got to this.  Cruz strong in discussing how we need to continue path of deregulation [Note: More of this please!!!] and tax relief/simplification.  Bobby Francis' overzealously delivers stale talking points about "tax cuts for the rich" even though...you know...the rich like high taxes.

• An hour long debate on "domestic issues" and...NOT.  A.  SINGLE.  DAMN.  QUESTION...about Federal SPENDING!!!

Bottom Line:  What you'd expect.  Contrast speaks for itself.  This is Texas.

#atxcouncil: Casar's so-called "Freedom City" plan isn't a big deal (Republican hysteria notwithstanding)

"He who passes by and meddles in a quarrel not his own
Is like one who takes a dog by the ears."
Proverbs 26:17

Last week, while we were at convention, council passed a largely symbolic measure:

Amid the controversy over sanctuary cities, Austin this month took its fight against strict immigration law enforcement a step further by declaring itself to be the first “freedom city” in Texas. City Council members unanimously passed two resolutions last week that will restrict police attempts to question immigrants about their status and curtail arrests for nonviolent crimes.

One of the new city resolutions requires officers who question immigrants about status to also say that their questions about immigration need not be answered. The other resolution directs police to avoid arrests for misdemeanors, including those for smoking marijuana, having drug paraphernalia, and taking part in petty theft — crimes that city data shows frequently end in arrests of black and Latino residents.

....

“Poor people of color in our city are over-punished and over-incarcerated,” said Greg Casar, an Austin City Councilman who pushed for the resolutions. “If people are being arrested less, we can also prevent people from being put in the deportation pipeline.”

“We found that black and Latino residents comprised 75% of discretionary arrests for driving with licenses invalid in the city even though they are 45% of the population of the city,” Casar said. “Black residents are seven times more likely to be arrested for low-level marijuana violations despite having comparable rates of usage of marijuana to white residents.”

Casar said the new rules could prevent up to 1,000 low-level arrests each year. Austin police arrest around 30,000 people a year.

The new policy has two parts: An immigration component and a marijuana component.

-------

On immigration: The new policy stays well within the legal constraints of SB 4.  All the policy requires is that, if an APD officer wants to pursue a line of questioning related to federal immigration issues, the officer has to inform the suspect that the suspect has the right to remain silent.  That's it.

Guess what?!?  Under the 1966 U.S. Supreme Court ruling Miranda v. Arizona, EVERY.  SINGLE.  PERSON. arrested in the United States is already informed of their right to remain silent.  All the City of Austin's new policy states is that, if an APD officer wants to pursue immigration related questioning, the suspect must be "Miranadized" twice.

That's it.

[Confession: As someone who locks wits with Greg Casar on a fairly regular basis, we're impressed with how he's trolling the intent SB 4 while staying well within SB 4's letter.]

-------

On marijuana: The new policy does nothing but discourage arrests for low level possession offenses (aka. decriminalization).

Well...guess who just endorsed marijuana decriminalization?!?

From the 2018 Platform of the Republican Party of Texas, Plank 107:

Civil Penalty: We support a change in the law to make it a civil, and not a criminal, offense for legal adults only to possess one ounce or less of marijuana for personal use, punishable by a fine of up to $100, but without jail time.

Soo...the City of Austin just adopted a policy that's consistent with the platform the Republican Party of Texas adopted last week.

-------

Nevertheless, hysteria:



You're joking, right?!?

The city's new policy may or may not be wise, but the notion that it's a threat to public safety is silly.

Austin Texas is one of the safest cities in the country.  Despite having the fifth largest population in Texas, we're #17 in crime.  The notion that "double-mirandizing" immigration suspects and de-prioritizing marijuana arrests will change that reality is, once again, silly.

But what do we know?!?  We only live in a 70% Hispanic neighborhood in East Austin....

Don't get us started on the ridiculous e-mails we've received.

-------

It's also worth pointing out that we vetted this proposal two weeks ago.  We didn't see anything (major) wrong with it then, and none of the silliness we've seen since then changes our mind.  But nice of the rest of y'all to belatedly figure out this was happening.

-------

Then there's the fact that, by reducing the number of arrests, the new policy might actually save money.

-------

Bottom Line: Priorities people.... 

Cornyn disgracefully throws Paxton under the bus

"O serpents, the generation of vipers, how should ye escape the damnation of hell!"
Matthew 23:33

What a scumbag:

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, has been looking for an immigration fix for years. But he doesn’t see one in Texas’ efforts to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that offers temporary status to hundreds of thousands of unauthorized immigrants.

“I honestly don’t understand what the state is asking for” in filing a lawsuit to stop the program, Cornyn said Friday in Dallas. “Right now, the issue looks like it’s going all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court. They’re gonna decide whether DACA can be ended.”

In September, President Donald Trump moved to end DACA, prompting several legal challenges that are moving forward. Cornyn believes that Trump’s actions will be upheld, which will make it more urgent for Congress to act -- no matter what happens with Texas’ lawsuit.

“I’m not sure what else this does,” Cornyn, who serves as the Senate majority whip, said about the suit. “It’s not a solution.”

On Tuesday, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit to end DACA, which was joined by six other states. He noted that Texas led a successful challenge to a similar program known as DAPA, Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents.

“Our lawsuit is about the rule of law, not the wisdom of any particular immigration policy,” Paxton said.

There's a word that would perfectly describe what John Cornyn is being here.  But it's a swear word and we know how about a third of our readership feels about swear words [Note: Please, No Facebook messages].  So won't say it, but it's accurate.

It's also worth pointing out that Cornyn was a major supporter of Dan Branch in 2014.

Bottom Line: The 2020 cycle cannot get here quickly enough....

Following Maryland loss, McRaven Grandstands over Immigration....

"They utter speech, and speak insolent things;
All the workers of iniquity boast in themselves."
Psalm 94:4

The arrogance is palpable:

Statement from Chancellor William H. McRaven on DACA
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2017

With today’s announcement by the Administration regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, I want to take a moment to share some thoughts.

Our state and nation have benefited for decades by attracting and retaining great students, scholars, physicians, and researchers from around the world. As I have said before, the men and women who show up on our shores and at our doors – ready to study, work, and participate – make us stronger, smarter, more competitive, and more attuned to the rest of our ever-shrinking globe. Over time, we have seen that their contributions and discoveries help us secure our nation, care for our people, foster economic growth, and provide scientific expertise and innovation that improves the human condition.

For years, Texas has supported students who were born in foreign countries but were brought here as children and raised in the U.S. In fact, Texas was among the first states to grant these Texas high school graduates the opportunity to pay in-state tuition, a benefit The University of Texas System continues to support.

These students consider themselves to be Americans and Texans, proud of the state they see as their home. They, like others, have served our nation with distinction in their academic pursuits, in our nation’s military, and as productive members of society. This service should be applauded and honored. Our nation should recognize the potential in these students, granting them the opportunity to pursue their education and enter the workforce in this country.

The UT System will always follow the law. And while I understand the concern of the President and others about how DACA was implemented, the critical fact is that I and the UT System believe in our DACA students and that their opportunities to contribute to Texas and our nation should be upheld and continued by our leaders in Washington. Congress must now act quickly to provide a bridge for these students to remain in the U.S. and become citizens.

Let me also speak directly to you, our UT DACA students. You can be certain of our support as you continue to pursue your dreams – the American dream – to obtain an education and build a better future for you and your families. As UT adheres to federal and state laws regarding immigration, rest assured our campuses will remain places where you can safely study as Congress takes up this issue.

The international competition for the best students, scholars, physicians and researchers is fierce. We need loud and clear signals that the U.S. and Texas will continue to seek out the foremost talents in the world and welcome them to our institutions. For its part, the UT System will always pursue young men and women from around the world who wish to learn, and the scholars and researchers who will train and educate them.

 Thoughts:

• Despite the attempt in the latter part to tie it back to the university, this is nothing more than an attempt to generate press coverage over an issue where the Chancellor's office and the University of Texas have virtually zero jurisdiction.

• If this were really about offering guidance to current students, that could have been covered in a one paragraph statement.

• Sure, historically they've defied Governors over issues related to university governance, but as far as we can tell this type of defiance over high profile national issues is a new development...and we suspect it's one that will make it politically difficult for the current friendly Governor to run interference for them indefinitely.
• Note: We certainly don't remember them doing it at a time when the Football team is losing.

Bottom Line: If you can't beat Maryland, you shouldn't be sending out press releases over controversial national issues where you have virtually no jurisdiction.

#TXLEGE: Observations from #SpecialSession Day 1

And it will be said in that day:
“Behold, this is our God;
We have waited for Him, and He will save us.
This is the Lord;
We have waited for Him;
We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”
Isaiah 25:9

Obviously, today was day 1 of the legislature's special session.  The TL,DR version is that there are currently a lot of moving parts and we should know a lot more Thursday.  Nevertheless, some observations:

• Senate moves promptly on Sunset -- Shortly after they gavelled in, the Senate went into recess and held a committee hearing on the sunset bill  They're widely expected to vote the sunset bill out of the chamber tomorrow.  Expect Governor Abbott to formally amend the call to include the 19 other items tomorrow afternoon or early Thursday.
  
  

  

  Bud Kennedy outside the Senate chamber.

• Senate committee hearings on non-sunset items likely to start Thursday, get into full swing Friday...but that schedule is not set in stone.

• Straus refers sunset bill to Byron Cook's committee (Committee hearing tomorrow) -- LOL, don't ever change Joe....
  
  

• We chatted with a Texas Observer reporter about the pro-life bills -- We'll see what (or even if) they publish.  We explained that it's abhorrent to ask people to subsidize tearing up babies in their mama's womb either through local taxes or their health insurance.  We also explained how the Charlie Gard case in the UK creates a new sense of urgency on the DNR bill.

• The left holds a pathetically small rally -- The intersectional left of various persuasions came together for what they'd previously hyped as the biggest rally ever.  About 200 people showed up.  We didn't pay particular attention to what they were talking about but apparently "compassionate care" is a new euphemism for abortion.  Also, something or other about "transgender equality."
  
   Compare our photos from today with the left wing protests during the 2013 special session:

• But at least the commies showed up!!!
  
  

• And remember, at the end of the regular session, when Matt Rinaldi pointed out that left wing protesters we're openly advertising that they were in the country illegally?!?  Yeah, about that....
  
  
  
  
  
  [Note: The Central Texas office of Immigration and Customs enforcement can be reached at (210) 283-4750 or  SanAntonio.Outreach@ice.dhs.gov.]

#TXLEGE: Why Straus would Lie about the alleged Suicide Comment....

"A false witness will not go unpunished,
And he who speaks lies shall perish."
Proverbs 19:9

Since that New Yorker article came out Monday, there's been one sensationalistic quote from Joe Straus that's been making the rounds:

On the Friday before the end of the session, Straus told me, Patrick sent two emissaries from the Senate to visit him at his office. (Patrick’s spokeswoman says that this is “not accurate.”) One of the senators carried an envelope that apparently contained the language of a bathroom bill that Patrick would accept. The senator, whose name Straus would not disclose, was a lawyer, and told Straus that the language had been carefully crafted to insure that the bill would override any local antidiscrimination ordinances. The senator started to open the envelope, but Straus said not to bother. “I’m not a lawyer, but I am a Texan,” he said. “I’m disgusted by all this. Tell the lieutenant governor I don’t want the suicide of a single Texan on my hands.”

As seen above, Patrick disputed the account in the article: Patrick also offered a longer dispute in a press statement released yesterday:

Republican Lt Gov. Dan Patrick has spearheaded the push for a North Carolina-style “bathroom bill” in Texas, and a spokeswoman said Monday he did not send any senators to Straus’ office. She said the bill has never been about discrimination and that if Straus’ comments were accurate, it would be “the latest of his reasons” for opposing the bill.

“The Lt. Governor hopes the Speaker did not make these comments. Obviously no one wants to see harm to anyone as a result of any legislation that is passed,” Patrick spokeswoman Sherry Sylvester said in an email to The Associated Press.

Obviously, none of us were in the room when this alleged exchange took place.  So this is a he said/he said dispute with no witnesses.  But consider this: Straus needs to shore up his Democrat support.

Consider this quote from Rafael Anchia following the passage of the Sanctuary cities bill:

Anchia didn’t name Straus, but he noted, “It’s the record of the House leadership.

Consider Anchia again discussing Team Straus' failure on the sunset bill:

I don’t know. All I can tell you is that when I was on Sunset, every sunset was on Major State (Calendar). Period. Full stop. Even lowly little sunset bills that wouldn’t have impacted a lot of folks if they had gone away were on Major State.

....

You will recall Abel Herrero (D-Robstown) went to the back microphone making parliamentary inquiries, and he asked the speaker point-blank when the speaker was in the chair, “Why was this on Page 8 and not on Major State, and the Speaker simply pointed to the back of the hall and said, “You must ask the chairman of Calendars.”

And I don’t know if any of you had a chance to talk to the chairman of Calendars.

Furthermore, towards the end of the regular session, we had a few conversations with Democrat sources and they were none too happy with the performance of the Speaker's team; in a chamber where it takes 76 signatures to vacate the chair, 5 to 7 Democrats defecting could be a game-changer.

But now Straus makes this hysterical comment about suicide, and all of a sudden the Democrats (both inside and outside the legislature) are back on board.

How convenient.

Bottom Line: We'll never know, but Straus' comments are awfully consistent with a politician looking to secure his left flank.

#TXLEGE: Trib poll illustrates degree to which status quo crowd is playing with FIRE.....

"People shall be brought down,
Each man shall be humbled,
And the eyes of the lofty shall be humbled."
Isaiah 5:15

The Texas Tribune conducted a poll in early June, immediately after the regular session of the legislature ended.  Last week, they released unsurprising results related to national stories and elected officials.  But today's results related to issues should serve as a wake up call to anyone who wants to preserve the status quo:

• EVERY ASPECT OF THE SANCTUARY CITIES BILL IS POLLING NORTH OF 50%.
• Newsflash to Joe Straus, Mayor Adler, Rafael Anchia, the Democrats, and the Austin Lobby: THIS IS A POPULAR BILL.
• Requiring local police to work with Immigration authorities is approved by 58% of voters and only disapproved by 33%...do you really want to take the 33% side in a statewide campaign?!?
• Also, bear in mind that this poll was conducted at peak hysteria related to the Rinaldi/Poncho incident...which means that, even with full race card guns blazing, every aspect of this law polls at 53% or higher.

• 77% of voters support statewide limits on property taxes.

• 63% OF DEMOCRATS support statewide limits on property taxes.
• NEWSFLASH MAYOR ADLER (you too Sylvester Turner).

• While they didn't poll support/opposition to the bathroom bill (Note: That's revealing in and of itself), we find it notable that 35% OF DEMOCRATS list it as an important priority.

Furthermore, as it relates to the special session, allow us to one more observation that should be obvious: Because Greg Abbott is Greg Abbott, you know he polled every single issue on the call; that he's pushing forward with them should tell you everything you need to know about what his polling said.

Bottom Line: Woe unto politicians clinging to fantasies about where public opinion lies....

#TXLEGE: Matt Rinaldi sets the record straight....

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord."
Isaiah 54:17

Matt Rinaldi went on Fox Business yesterday to give the definitive account of Monday's craziness:



Highlights:

• SB 4 has already been signed into law.

• Protesters were holding signs that said: "Undocumented and here to stay."

• Protest turned into a mob after they entered the House chamber.

• Called ICE tip line.

• Democrats were bragging about mob disrupting House proceedings.

• After Rinaldi attempted to leave the situation, Poncho followed him and stated that he would "get" Rinaldi on the way to his car and that Rinaldi "had to leave eventually."
• It was at this point when Rinaldi made his comment about self-defense.

• Abbott hasn't called him.
• Note: Isn't THAT revealing.

#TXLEGE: Fallon Video confirms Rinaldi's account of #SB4 protesters bragging about illegal status...

"And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free."
John 8:32

UPDATE (6/3/2017): See here at the 4:30 mark....


Since yesterday's mayhem, Democrats have attempted to dispute Matt Rinaldi's assertion that the anti-rule of law protesters were openly bragging about their illegal status.  As we mentioned in our post about the incident yesterday, fellow state rep Pat Fallon had uploaded video of the events but there were formatting issues with this website.  We've resolved those and present Fallon's videos (the second one is the worst):

Video #1:



Video #2:



[Note: This is the one where they're openly chanting about being in the country illegally.]

Video #3:



Finally, allow us to add a few personal observations from yesterday.  We didn't take any pictures or video as we observed these events because we didn't think they'd later be in dispute.  But, from memory:

• We were not on the Capitol grounds as most of the craziness occurred; we were at a separate event three blocks away and arrived about 45 minutes later.

• As we were milling through the crowd at their rally (Confession: we wanted to see if there was food), we heard multiple speakers on the South steps of the Capitol bragging about how they were busing in people from "Florida," "New Mexico," and "New York" along with other locations we don't recall.

• Looking North from the back of the Capitol parking garage, we saw buses lined up Trinity st as far as the eye could see.

• It's also worth mentioning that a lot of them were wearing red "Fight for 15" (ie. $15 minimum wage) shirts.

That being said, it's worth pointing out that protests where people openly brag about illegal status happen all the time in Austin.  Here's an example from April 2014; here's an example from November 2016.  We've previously thought about doing the same thing as Rinaldi, but decided against kicking that particular hornet's nest; in the future, now that the nest's been kicked....

Bottom Line: The videos (especially the second) speak for themselves....

#TXLEGE: Democrats threaten Matt Rinaldi's life as regular session gavels out sine die....

"No weapon formed against you shall prosper,
And every tongue which rises against you in judgment
You shall condemn.
This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord,
And their righteousness is from Me,”
Says the Lord.
Isaiah 54:17

Soo...this happened:



Rindaldi explains further:



Pat Fallon adds context:



Note: Fallon also has a Facebook video of the protests that prompted Rinaldi to call ICE as they repeatedly bragged about being in the country illegally.  Unfortunately, due to formatting issues we can't embed that video on this website.  Fallon's original video can be viewed here.

To be fair, Romero disputes Rinaldi's account.  Readers can learn more about Ramon Romero's relationship with the truth here.  Learn more about Poncho Nevarez's relationship with the truth here.

Bottom Line: Good for Rinaldi (and, seriously, follow the link to those Fallon videos)....

What Trump's Administration means for Austin Tech....

"Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior,"
1 Timothy 2:1-3

[Author's Note: The discussion starts at the 17:10 mark on the video; the period between 58:15 and 59:55 is the transition between the first speaker and the panel.]

We did not attend this event, and we certainly do not agree with everything that was said, but nevertheless the discussion is all sorts of interesting:



Highlights:

• Matthew Dowd:
• Founded four companies.
• Presidential Election: "Unprecedented but predictable."
• Shifting of cultural, economic, political tectonic plates.
• Doesn't use the phrase, but explains the Kondratiev wave pretty much perfectly.
• Acceleration of everything.
• Last 15 years = Third industrial revolution.
• In less than a decade, we've completely redefined marriage and sexuality.
• Technological change is a double edged sword.
• Growth in knowledge accompanied by a decrease in wisdom.
• Social media has increased tribalism; confirmation bias.
• Bernie Sanders and Trump: "Were basically independents."
• Entrepreneurs have tremendous opportunity in an environment with this much uncertainty.
• Government is the last place in the U.S. that has resisted innovation.
• Founding fathers were entrepreneurs; early U.S. was a startup.
• "To get to the promised land, it's going to be on the backs of entrepreneurs."
• No matter what else you think of him, Trump has revealed brokenness of status quo.
• Trump will neither destroy nor fix the U.S.; either one of those actions can only come about by the actions of its citizens.
• Author's Note: We fully support Ted Cruz's re-election to the United States Senate and would VIGOROUSLY oppose a potential Dowd candidacy, but we nevertheless found his discussion of the opportunities available to entrepreneurs in the current climate illuminating.

• Panel:
• Basically a bunch of SJW's constructing straw man arguments via half-truths.
• Unpredictability is the only thing you can predict.
• Blah, blah "climate change."
• Stupid comparison between 'green' energy and fast internet; compares Oil and Gas to dial-up.
• Neglects to mention that windmills are 14th century technology.
• Green energy will miss Obama's "vision" (ie. crony subsidies)
• The chick talking about immigration willfully misrepresents executive orders and regulations as laws passed by Congress on multiple occasions.
• Author's Note: This is a textbook example of why so many Americans felt like no one was listening to them in the first place...which created the climate that ultimately allowed Trump to be successful.

LOL, Michael McCaul....

"The heart of him who has understanding seeks knowledge,
But the mouth of fools feeds on foolishness."
Proverbs 15:14

Soo, this happened:

WASHINGTON -- Critics of Sen. Ted Cruz, still steaming from his Republican convention speech in which he refused to endorse Donald Trump, are now urging another high-profile Texas Republican to challenge him in the 2018 Senate primary. 

Some Republican donors and Texas politicians are working behind the scenes to build an intraparty challenge for Cruz and have zeroed in on Rep. Michael McCaul as a potential candidate, according to a new report from CNN.

McCaul has not yet ruled out the possibility of a run, according to the report, but the Austin Republican has also not seriously considered it. A spokesman for McCaul, Walter Zaykowski, would say only that the congressman is focused on the November’s election and his role as chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee.

Seriously...Michael McCaul?!?

Because his district includes northeastern Travis County, we've been familiar with McCaul for several years.  That being said, in four and a half years and almost 2500 posts worth of blogging, we think the most revealing statistic is that we've never said a word about him.  He's literally been that irrelevant.

But, since we're talking about Michael McCaul, lets talk about how he earned his money the old fashioned way:

How the Richest Member of Congress Got That Way

By Dan Amira 

Even as the economy sputtered in 2010, Texas congressman Michael McCaul saw his net worth skyrocket to $292.21 million — 300 percent over where it stood in 2009 — vaulting him to the top of Roll Call’s annual list of the wealthiest members of Congress. Does this have something to do with that “Texas miracle” we keep hearing about? Nope! It has something to do with the miracle of having a very rich wife:

The lion’s share of McCaul’s wealth is held by his wife, Linda McCaul, the daughter of Clear Channel Communications CEO and founder Lowry Mays, and his dramatic rise in net worth appears to be the product of generational wealth transfer.

In other words, Michael McCaul is the poster child for privilege and wealth obtained through social connections not merit.

But perhaps you'd rather talk about policy.

McCaul's been a mediocre congressman and there's plenty we pick apart in his record if the need arises, but one aspect stands out.

McCaul is the current chairman of the Homeland Security committee in the U.S. House.  In that role, he voted to fund Obama's executive amnesty.  Not only that, but he actually gave political cover for others to vote against defunding it:

Republicans aren't going to shut down the government over President Barack Obama's immigration order, House Homeland Security Chairman Michael McCaul said Sunday, "but we are going to shut down this president and his actions."

In other words, when Ted Cruz was leading the fight to defund Obama's executive amnesty, Michael McCaul was running interference for leadership.

And, if necessary, there's plenty more where that came from.

Bottom Line: If the Trumpkins want to run a guy who married his money and greased the skids for Obama's executive amnesty against Ted Cruz, they are welcome to try.

Paxton secures victory for Rule of Law/Separation of Powers

And He said to them, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Luke 20:25

This morning, the United States Supreme Court sided with Texas over the Obama administration in the lawsuit related to the President's unilateral alteration of immigration policy in 2014.  We don't particularly care about the policy or political implications, but the legal and constitutional ramifications are huge.  This is the biggest restraint upon the executive branch, at least on the domestic side, we've seen in a long time (possibly in our lifetime).

The crux of the matter is that the president cannot make unilateral changes to any aspect of domestic policy without the approval of congress.  This is a universal principle, regardless of the identify of the President or the members of Congress at any particular moment.  And Ken Paxton's Attorney General's office was the one to secure the ruling!

As Paxton explained in an e-mail to supporters:

I want to let you know that within the past hour, we have won a major victory for the rule of law. In April, my team and I were at the U.S. Supreme Court leading a 26-state coalition to fight President Obama's unconstitutional push for amnesty — an unlawful act which defies the rule of law and bypasses our elected officials in Congress. I’m pleased to report that our efforts were successful.
 
As the Washington Post reports in the story below, “The action deals Obama perhaps the biggest legal loss of his presidency…..”.
 
Today’s decision keeps in place what we have maintained from the very start: one person, even a president, cannot unilaterally change the law. This is a major setback to President Obama’s attempts to expand executive power, and a victory for those who believe in the separation of powers and the rule of law.

Bottom Line: There's a reason why, in both the Texas and U.S. constitution, the legislative branch appears before the executive; kudos to Ken Paxton for securing this ruling.

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Now that we think about it, there actually is one political point worth making: There's no way in heck this happens if Dan Branch is Attorney General.

TPPF Immigration Paper Explodes EVERYONE'S Sacred Cows!!!

“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

Immigration is easily the most frustrating issue with which we deal in Texas.  At times, everyone shoves their head up their keister and make economically ignorant statements.  The self-serving cronyism of the cheap labor lobby is reprehensible, but the hardline border hawks don't exactly cover themselves in glory either.  We tend to believe in a pox on all houses.  Into this void, however, steps the Texas Public Policy Foundation with a lucid discussion of both the benefits and costs of immigration in the Lone Star State.

The most important takeaway is that immigration is a net economic positive (and it isn't particularly close).  As TPPF explains: "their presences in the workforce results in lower prices that benefit consumers" (8).  By lowering our cost of living, immigration allows us to stretch each dollar further.  Specifically, "immigrants save Texas consumers between $3 billion and $6 billion per year" (8).  Like we said, it's not even close.

Illegal immigration, however, is a different animal that imposes very real costs that should not be belittled.  58% of illegal aliens are on some form of welfare (7), primarily food stamps and medicaid.  Furthermore, among illegal alien households with children, that number rises to 70% (7).

Speaking of illegal alien households with children, they really do have anchor babies: "[A]pproximately 46 percent of unauthorized immigrants are parents to minor children, compared to 38 percent of legal immigrants and 29 percent of natives" (4).  And those anchor babies really are enrolling in public schools: "[J]ust 5 percent of the school age population has immigrated illegally, but if we include the U.S. born children of illegal immigrants, that number increases to 14 percent" (7).  The total cost of education illegal alien children and anchor babies is nearly $4 billion; it's not an overwhelming amount against a state budget of $100 billion, but it ain't chump change either.

On the other hand, "[U]nauthorized immigrants are in fact more likely to be in the labor force and performing a job than either legal immigrants or U.S. natives" (5).  This helps explain one of our most politically incorrect beliefs about this topic: one major reason we have as much illegal immigration as we do is because we make it too easy for our own citizens to not work.  There wouldn't be demand for illegal labor if native born citizens weren't scamming disability.

Another interesting note is that, because Texas doesn't have an income tax, the state doesn't lose much tax revenue when illegal aliens work off the books.  The average illegal alien pays $900 per year in sales and property taxes.  Score one for having a (relatively) sane tax system!

Immigration is a classic case of diffused benefits with concentrated costs.  Immigration is a net economic plus (by far) that lowers the cost of living for all citizens.  At the same time, illegal aliens produce very real costs that should not be belittled or disparaged.  In a sane and rational world, none of those statements would be controversial.  Unfortunately, we don't live in a sane and rational world.  Against that backdrop, TPPF produced a report that is fair to all sides but deferential to none.  Kudos to them.

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Read the full report below:

Immigration s Impact on the Texas Economy by Cahnman

#TBT: Charlie Geren and IN-STATE TUITION for Illegal Aliens

"You have set all the borders of the earth;
You have made summer and winter."
Psalm 74:17

HB 1403 is the well documented 2001 bill that legalized subsidized tuition for illegal aliens; check out who voted for it at the time:

Lame anti-Thomas McNutt attack FALLS FLAT

"A righteous man hates lying,
But a wicked man is loathsome and comes to shame."
Proverbs 13:5

[Author's Note: It's worth pointing out the cheap labor lobby used the exact same attack against Dan Patrick two years ago; it won't be any more successful this time.]

From McNutt's latest campaign e-mail:

I guess it shouldn't come as a surprise...

, The liberal media is attacking conservatives once again, this time on behalf of Byron Cook whose own pro-illegal immigrant record can’t bear scrutiny. Recently, the Dallas Morning News attacked the McNutts' family business for allegedly employing illegal immigrants. To be clear, in order to get a job at the Collin Street Bakery, every individual must provide multiple forms of legal identification and sign documentation asserting their ability to legally work in the United States. Presenting forged documents or false statements are both federal crimes. In the recent political attack, two former employees told the Dallas Morning News that they were illegal immigrants while holding temporary jobs at the Bakery years ago. The Bakery has informed us that those individuals did indeed provide legal identification and sign federally required documents. They either committed fraud then or were legally in the country at the time and have now overstayed their welcome. Here are a few facts about the Dallas Morning News's hit piece: 1) In seeking an interview with our campaign, the Dallas Morning News articulated that they were simply writing an introductory profile to the race, not an orchestrated attack on the McNutts' small town family business. 2) The Dallas Morning News editorial board is in favor of amnesty. It is disappointing to see the Dallas Morning News engage in such transparently shameful behavior in order to prop up career politicians they know will support their liberal beliefs. In Thomas's own words... "When I announced my campaign for public office I promised that I would keep this race focused on the issues facing our state rather than levy personal attacks on my opponent. I remain committed to that stance no matter what mud Byron Cook and his liberal allies may throw next." Thomas McNutt Thank you, Cary Cheshire McNutt for State Rep

Bottom Line: This is pathetic. Byron Cook has been the cheap labor lobby's legislative champion for a long time.  That relatives of Thomas McNutt might have temporarily employed two illegal aliens (who provided valid documentation at the time they were hired) illustrates nothing beyond the failure of the status quo Byron Cook helps perpetuate.

Matt McCall COMPLETELY Re-Frames the BORDER Debate!!!

“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

Matt McCall, our endorsed candidate in our home congressional district, is has a POWERFUL new video about the border:



Highlights:

• "If the Federal Government can't defend the border, then what good is it?!?"

• The last 30 years we've gone from 3 million illegals to 13 million illegals.

• "The border is not just about the border, nor is it just about immigration, it's about nationhood."

• "We respect Mexico...they need to respect us."

• "Our own professional politicians are desecrating these men's graves by not protecting our borders the way they did."

• "Mexico isn't banana land, it's the fifteenth largest economy in the world."

• "Countries don't have friends, they have interests" and it's time we stood up for our own. 

Meet the moderate, pro-"Temporary Worker Program," state representative leading Marco Rubio's Texas Campaign....

Do not be deceived: “Evil company corrupts good habits.”
1 Corinthians 15:33

[Author's Note: We don't want to write this piece.  Unlike many of his colleagues in the Texas House, Representative Gonzales is a good guy with good taste in baseball and football teams.  That being said, when a Presidential campaign makes him their public surrogate, his policy views are fair game.]

On Thursday afternoon, Marco Rubio's presidential campaign rolled out its Texas Leadership Team:

Team Marco Rolls Out Texas Leadership Team

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January 7, 2016

Texas State Representatives James Frank and Larry Gonzales, along with former legislators Linda Harper-Brown and Martha Wong, are leading up efforts for Marco in the Lone Star State.

In addition to leading his Texas Campaign, Larry Gonzales introduced Rubio at an event in Dallas. This was notable.  To understand why, we first need to review the Republican Party of Texas' recent history.

"The Texas Solution" was an immigration related plank added to the 2012 Republican party of Texas platform under shady circumstances; as the author of "The Texas Solution" explained later that summer:

The Texas Immigration Solution reallocates our law enforcement resources to focus on securing our borders and defeating the drug cartels and human traffickers. The Texas Immigration Solution also proposes a 21st-century temporary worker program.

[Author's Note: Emphasis added.]

"The Texas Solution" proved itself to be very controversial among rank and file Republicans and it was subsequently repealed in the 2014 Platform:

FORT WORTH — After several hours of debate Saturday, the final day of the biennial state GOP convention, Republican delegates voted to remove the "Texas Solution" from the party’s official platform, reverting to a more hardline stance on immigration.

About 8,000 delegates gathered to consider the party platform and eventually rejected a proposed immigration plank that included language calling for a provisional visa program for immigrants. In its place, they adopted a plank that echoes the party’s 2010 platform. It does not call for a guest-worker program and instead calls for ending in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants and prohibiting sanctuary cities — municipalities that do not enforce immigration laws.

While the platform is a nonbinding set of principles for the party, it sets forth a powerful political statement of the party’s stance on key voting issues in an important election year.

Now what does this have to do with Larry Gonzales (and, subsequently, Marco Rubio)?!?

During the time in question, Larry Gonzales was one of the most prominent public supporters of "The Texas Solution."  While this author didn't attend the 2012 RPT convention, we very clearly remember Gonzales leading the charge to save it in 2014.  As he explained in this 2013 interview:

Well, as you know, in Texas we’ve passed the Texas Solution. So take Texas, the reddest of the red states, with the 9,000 of the reddest of the red delegates, we actually passed a temporary guest worker program. We recognized a need for that here in Texas. There is a threshold to be met to qualify for the program and the threshold is pretty high. A couple of instances, it says that the employer of the guest worker must pay all their private insurance. The guest worker waives any and all rights for entitlement programs, they must have a course and be proficient in English, they have to take an American civics course, the employer must pay all necessary taxes, withhold taxes. So there’s a really good threshold in order for them to work here, it’s not something easily attained, but it’s out there and this is Texas’ way of saying we’ve come to the table and we’ve talked the issues and it’s important we’ve passed it because in my opinion, the Democrats will never come to us to fix this solution for us. They won’t do it because the unresolved immigration issues are more powerful to them than resolved. They can win more elections, and they can rally more votes, and they can stir more fear and blame toward Republicans if the issues stay unresolved. Resolved, they have little leverage against Republicans. So the significant of passing the Texas Solution is it puts us in the position to say “We’ve started the conservation, please join us,” but I guarantee they won’t because it’s just better for them as a party for those issues to stay unresolved…It gives them a rallying call. It might not of been perfect, there may be things you like or don’t like, but it is an opportunity to say we’ve started the conversation, join us, and let’s see if they do.

And THAT'S the guy Marco Rubio chose to lead his Texas campaign.

Bottom Line: Actions speak louder than words; for Marco Rubio to select one of the most prominent public supporters of "the Texas Solution" to lead his Presidential campaign in the Lone State State speaks VOLUMES about where his sentiments really lie.