#TXLEGE: Worst Possible Republican Candidate > Entire Democrat Presidential Field

"Wisdom is found on the lips of him who has understanding,
But a rod is for the back of him who is devoid of understanding."
Proverbs 10:13

Hahahahahahahahahahaha:

Last night marked the completion of the first elections of 2020 as the spotlight centered on three runoff elections for Texas House seats. The marquee race was in Fort Bend County, which saw Republican Gary Gates square off against Democrat Eliz Markowitz in a runoff that received national attention and all but overshadowed even the most contentious primary races up until last night.

In what can only be described as a strong victory for the Texas GOP, Republican candidate Gary Gates won the special election runoff with 58 percent of the vote, defeating his opponent with a 16-point margin of victory.

Fort Bend County has been a hotbed of political activity since Rep. John Zerwas (R-Richmond) retired in September. Texas Democrats rallied in hopes this race would begin their steady climb to regain control of the Texas House.

State and national Democrats largely threw their support behind one candidate, Eliz Markowitz. Former congressman and one-time presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke spent countless hours campaigning for Markowitz in an attempt to galvanize his supporters to help win the seat for Texas Democrats.

O’Rourke threw rallies, block walked, fundraised, and was present with Markowitz on the ground all throughout election day.

Political heavyweights like Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg, Pete Buttigieg, Elizabeth Warren, and Wendy Davis all supported Markowitz either by endorsing her candidacy or even, in Bloomberg’s case, coming to Texas to knock on doors for the candidate.

National and state special interest groups, including the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee and the Texas-based progressive women’s group Annie’s List, took advantage of the unorthodox election date and spent concentrated time, money, and attention on House District 28.

Altogether, approximately $1 million was spent on this state house race by Democrats and left-leaning allies.

 This is bad if you're a Democrat.

It's not just that the Democrats lost.  It's not just that the Democrats lost in a blowout.  It's not just that the Democrats lost in a blowout after dropping seven figures.

It's that the Democrats lost, in a blowout, after dropping seven figures...to Gary frickin' Gates.

That would be the same Gary Gates who, prior to last night, was a seven time loser.

Yet Democrats failed.

It's pretty funny.

Gary frickin' Gates.

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Three months ago, we outlined the degree to which Gary Gates was a terrible candidate.  There's an opposition research file an inch thick floating around on that guy.  For crying out loud, dude's a slumlord who made his money ripping off taxpayers.

But did the Democrats bring any of that up?!?  Not really.  The one time they tried to wade into any of it, they did it so poorly that it backfired.

Instead, Democrats gave us: Joe Biden, Michael Bloomberg, Elizabeth Warren, Julian Castro, Bobby Francis O'Rourke...and redistricting.

And nobody cared.

What's even funnier is that Democrats didn't even heed the lessons of their own previous victories.  Typically, when Democrats are successful in swing areas, it's because they run vague campaigns about public education and traffic.  But they didn't do that this time.

Instead, they rolled out the list of national politicians listed above.  And they made redistricting the single substantive issue of their campaign.  And they lost.

To Gary frickin' Gates.

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Miscellaneous takeaways:

• Voters don't care about redistricting -- This was the one substantive issue on which Democrats ran.  The results speak for themselves.  Turns out whining about how you can't rig the system to benefit yourself (which you're totally mad at the other guys for doing that) isn't a winning message.  Go figure.

• The Democrat presidential field sucks -- Five Democrat presidential candidates literally lost to Gary frickin' Gates.

• Julian Castro and Bobby Francis O'Rourke will never be elected statewide.
• Note: Only possible exception is a national environment that's 5 to 7 points worse for the GOP than 2018.

Gary frickin' Gates.

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Bottom Line: Pretty funny.

Castro launches campaign (for Governor in '22)

"There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand."
Proverbs 19:21

We spent today in meetings related to session, but apparently this happened:

SAN ANTONIO — Julián Castro made it official Saturday: He is running for president.

The former U.S. housing secretary and San Antonio mayor made the long-anticipated announcement at Plaza Guadalupe, near where he grew up on the city's West Side. It came a month after Castro formed an exploratory committee, a mere formality on his way to unveiling a 2020 bid that for months appeared likely.

"I'm running for president because it's time for new leadership, it's time for new energy and it’s time for a new commitment to make sure that the opportunities that I had are available to every American," he said.

Blah, blah, blah...

Understand something: Julian Castro will not be the Democrat presidential nominee.  The only elections in which Julian Castro has ever run have been municipal elections in San Antonio.   A municipal campaign anywhere in Texas is, to put it mildly, a different animal from a presidential campaign.

For those unaware: Most Texas cities hold their municipal elections in May.  That means dramatically lower turnout than a November general election.  Heck, that usually means dramatically lower turnout than March primaries.

Consider Castro's three elections as mayor.

2009:

2011:

2013:

This is a guy who has never gotten more than 43,000 votes in an election.  Furthermore, his vote totals plunged as San Antonio got to know him better.  Castro was widely expected to lose his 2015 campaign, which was why Obama offered him the golden parachute at HUD in the first place.

And we're supposed to believe that a guy who's never gotten more than 43,000 votes is going to wage a successful national campaign?!?

Riiiiiiight....

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...however.

That does not mean his campaign lacks long-term implications.  A presidential campaign boosts Castro's name ID to the point where he's a viable candidate for Governor.  And 2022, as a six-year itch election, could get really dicey.

[**COUGH, COUGH** Especially with this president ** COUGH,COUGH]

That's not to say that Julian Castro is currently planning a gubernatorial run.  We have no doubt that Julian Castro believes in his own mind that he can win the current race.  But it is to say, however, that a Governor run is Castro's logical next play.

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A few thoughts on Castro, in case opposition researchers are reading.

Julian Castro has been playing "the game" in Texas for close to 20 years.  During his time as mayor, he was surrounded by a miasma of crony capitalism.  Nothing ever stuck but, as we said above, there's a reason why Obama gave him the golden parachute prior to the 2015 election.

[Note: We don't have the time or interest to do it ourselves, but if an enterprising blogger/oppo researcher/reporter were so inclined, it could be very interesting to read Castro's campaign finance reports from his mayoral runs and cross reference those against zoning changes made by the SA city council during Castro's tenure.]

Speaking of dirty San Antonio politics, there's also this:

Specifically this:

See here for more.

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Bottom Line: Castro's presidential campaign likely won't amount to much, but it could still have long-term implications.

#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.

Can we stop hyping the Castro twins?!?

"The words of his mouth were smoother than butter,
But war was in his heart;
His words were softer than oil,
Yet they were drawn swords."
Psalm 55:21

Ever since Monday's announcement from Joaquin Castro that he wouldn't run for the U.S Senate against Ted Cruz, we've planned to write a post about how that move was all about protecting Joe Straus and the good old boy network that controls Texas' state government.  The TL,DR version is that Straus' coalition is built upon Democrats crossing over to vote in the Republican primary.  A competitive statewide race that keeps Democrats voting in their own primary would be a disaster for the Texas establishment.

And a disaster for Texas' establishment means that a whole bunch of money going to a whole bunch of places will get cut off; as a former member of the Texas House who played a key role in the 2009 negotiations that originally brought Straus to power, Joaquin Castro knows this:



[Note: The part with Castro begins at the 3:44 mark.]

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But with that fairly obvious point being said, we turn our attention to this morning's piece in the Dallas Morning News:

The Castro twins were supposed to take long-suffering Democrats to the 2018 statewide election dance. Democrats hoped the rising stars would help turn Texas from red to purple. Instead, they were jilted.

Julian Castro, the former San Antonio mayor and housing secretary under President Barack Obama, was wishfully slotted against incumbent Republican Greg Abbott for governor. His twin brother, U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, openly considered challenging former GOP presidential contender and incumbent U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz.

Both Castros have opted against 2018 statewide campaigns, leaving Democrats to reassess their options. Their decisions reflect the state of Texas politics.

Democrats haven't won a statewide contest since 1994, and they took a step backward in the 2014 governor's race, when Abbott trounced former state Sen. Wendy Davis by 20 percentage points.

Their wounds were healed in part by the hope that Julian Castro was waiting in the wings. He had been a popular big-city mayor, gave the keynote speech at the 2012 Democratic National Convention and was a high-profile member of Obama's administration.

But after he left his administration post, Julian Castro gave no indication that he would return to Texas to challenge Abbott. Now Democrats don't have a major candidate for governor.

....

The Castro brothers are careful about their political moves, and most of the electoral contests they have entered were carefully calculated to minimize the chances of defeat.

And therein lies a more important rub: At this point, these yutz's have been around for a decade, but they've never won anything bigger than a May municipal election or a gerrymandered congressional seat.

And, the only two times either of them (Note: It was Julian both times) have attempted to go head to head with prominent Republicans, Ted Cruz and Dan Patrick have made them look foolish.

But they're somehow supposed to be the vanguard of some sort of "New Texas" that never seems to materialize.

But, this time, they're totally serious about 2022.

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Allow us to posit an alternative hypothesis: That alleged vanguard position is a very comfortable niche to sell to a gullible national media prone to expressing wishes as forecasts.

As Jim Geraghty of National Review wrote about Julian (though it applies just as much, if not more, to Joaquin) in 2014:

What Castro indisputably brings to his work is buckets of charisma and a knack for self-promotion.

....

Castro leveraged his rise-from-humble-roots narrative and the occasional wacky joke into national press coverage that most senators and governors would envy — major national-magazine profiles, a TED talk, an appearance on Meet the Press, a six-figure memoir deal. It’s fair to wonder whether Castro would get the same attention if he were not a member of a demographic increasingly important for national politics.

Yet here we are, three years and two election cycles since Geraghty's piece, and they've still done nothing of note.

Neither of them were Hillary's running mate last year and now (predictably) neither of them will run statewide next year.

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Now, we will confess that we were once active participants in hyping the Castros.  But that was 2014.  At some point, it's time to stop grading on potential and start grading on results.

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Bottom Line: The metaphor of a desert mirage that never materializes seems apt....

Big Cities provoke Conservative BACKLASH across Texas!!!

"There are many plans in a man’s heart,
Nevertheless the Lord’s counsel—that will stand."
Proverbs 19:21

Yesterday, the Dallas City Council passed a bathroom ordinance similar to the one voters in Houston JUST shot down.  This adds Dallas to the list of urban governments that have recently made myopic decisions.  This will have long-term consequences that are not yet understood.

It's often noted that, while the rural and suburban areas are OVERWHELMINGLY red, urban areas in Texas lean towards blue.  Since 2013, however, local governments in Texas' cities have overreached in ways that undermine their long-term viability.  The issues vary, but they point in the same direction.

Consider the following:

• Austin -- In 2013, the school bond failed.  In 2014, the rail bond failed.  In 2015, the courthouse bond failed.
  
  Austin has been in a property tax REVOLT for the past two years.  That revolt has already killed the three bonds listed above and put Don Zimmerman and Ellen Troxclair on the Austin City Council.  Conservatives didn't create the climate, but it's easy to exploit.  Furthermore, the status quo crowd shows no sign of heeding this lesson.  Unless incumbent elected officials change course next year (which they won't), Austin's tax revolt will grow DRAMATICALLY in 2016.
  
  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.  Property Taxes.

• Dallas -- Dallas had been lagging, but yesterday's city council vote is likely to produce the same backlash we saw in Houston.

• Houston -- The bathroom ordinance got the most press, but Houston's fiscal CRISIS deserves equal billing.  Houston now has more debt than Detroit.  Those issues combined to produce a conservative tsunami on election night that knocked out an alleged 'rising star' of the Texas Democrat party.
  
  Bill King, the conservative candidate likely to win Houston's mayoral runoff, has pledged to fix the pension situation.  Structural fiscal reforms will permanently reduce the footprint of municipal government.  That's terrible news for statists and their rent-seeking enablers.
  
  The soon-to-be third largest city in the U.S. is about to elect a Scott Walker-style reformer as mayor and radical homosexual activists have only themselves to blame.

• San Antonio -- During Julian Castro's final term, voters belatedly woke up.  In 2014, after Obama gave Castro a face-saving exit, the council elevated a Castro antagonist to Mayor.  In 2015, Ivy Taylor won a full term thanks to conservatives.
  
  Furthermore, turnout in the 2015 election was twice the 2013 total.
  
  Now the City of San Antonio is playing with fire over annexation; woe unto them if they're stupid enough to move forward.

Bottom Line: Across Texas, big city governments have provoked grassroots rebellions.  While the triggering issues vary, the underlying dynamics are identical.  This will have long term consequences no one has considered.

Julian Castro's (Latest) Questionable Finances

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

Because previous questionable deals with the Obama administration and skimming from campaign funds wasn't bad enough, Julian Castro's HUD nomination has brought a new round of scrutiny on his finances.

First up, Byron York of the Washington Examiner:

San Antonio Express-News columnist Brian Chasnoff recently reported that Castro made more than $200,000 in 2013. The bulk of that, Chasnoff noted, was a $127,500 advance for the memoir that Castro is writing. More came from the speaking fees that were a product of Castro's post-convention visibility: $12,750 for one speech, $16,250 for another, $8,500 for another, and so on. "When I asked [Castro] how much he was charging in speaking fees, he declined to comment," Chasnoff wrote, explaining that the figures came from a recent financial disclosure form.

That's how Castro supports himself and his family now. But the seed money for Castro's time in the mayor's office -- he was first elected in 2009 -- was a controversial seven-figure "referral fee" that Castro, a Harvard-educated lawyer, received from a well-connected trial lawyer and Democratic donor in a personal injury lawsuit in which Castro may or may not have played a major role. [Emphasis added.]

The case stemmed from a 2006 drunk driving accident in which three people were killed. The short version, according to accounts in the San Antonio Express-News, is that the drunk driver was behind the wheel of a truck owned by an oilfield services company. (The fact that a company's vehicle was involved provided a big source of money for a potential damages award.) One of the victims, a man who lost his mother, wife, and son in the crash, knew Castro and chose Castro's small firm to represent him in a suit against the oilfield services company. Castro then referred the case to a much larger firm, headed by Mikal Watts, a prominent personal injury lawyer and Democratic contributor. Watts won the case, and a big award, and Castro was paid a seven-figure "referral fee" for bringing the suit to Watts' firm. It's not clear whether the fee was on the high side or low side of the seven-figure range; the figure has not been disclosed. In response to questions about what Castro did to earn the money, both he and Watts have said he played an important role in the case. (Watts, meanwhile, has been busy with allegations of misconduct in lawsuits stemming from the British Petroleum oil spill. The New York Times reported that he was accused of "claiming thousands of people as clients who were either unwitting or did not, in fact, exist." Federal agents served search warrants at his San Antonio offices last year.)

In 2009, the Express-News reported, Castro loaned his campaign $215,000 in his first run for mayor. Last year, he told KENS that, "I do have savings from my law practice, and there are some things I will do to try to make some income. I am writing a book and will start to speak for a fee when I can. But I have to make sure it does not take away from the business of San Antonio and the responsibility I have here."

Next, of all places, Politico:

San Antonio was awarded $8.6 million from HUD in 2008 as part of the national Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The city used the money to buy, refurbish and resell homes left vacant after eviction and to also renovate large apartment complexes in the city that were rented out to lower-income tenants.

The HUD IG audited how the money was being spent from 2009 to 2011 and found that city officials had awarded $2.5 million in renovation contracts without a competitive bidding process. Castro, 39, became mayor in May 2009, a job he continues to hold.

The report also found that the city misused roughly $1.1 million when acquiring and fixing properties because some of the properties were not put toward housing lower-income families as required by HUD.

The IG found that the city failed to take certain steps to review the contracts with developers and that officials were “apparently unaware” of certain affordability rules.

....

The initial round of NSP grant money was approved by Congress in response to the escalating amount of foreclosures at the height of the financial crisis in 2008.

Castro will ultimately get confirmed, but it's going to be fun seeing what else comes out during Castro's confirmation process.

Julian Castro (and Notre Dame) insult Catholics

“Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea."
Matthew 18:6

Sigh, of course:



HIGHLIGHTS:

It's the mayor's opinion on the issue of abortion and gay marriage that he thinks should keep him from speaking at Notre Dame, a predominantly Catholic university.

"Unfortunately, Mayor Castro has been very vocal in opposing these principles," Dunnigan said.

"You can't take off your faith and hang it on a hook like an overcoat," he said.

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Our two cents: The Obama comparison doesn't hold.  Obama was already President when he spoke at Notre Dame.  Julian Castro, by contrast, is using Notre Dame to build his resume.  A faithful institution wouldn't give this platform to this aspiring Marxist revolutionary.  But, since Notre Dame are progressives first and Catholics a distant second (if at all), who cares if babies are torn up in their mama's womb?!?

Ted Cruz Punks Julian Castro

Fantastic clip from the 2012 Texas Tribune festival:



Highlights:

• Between 2009 and 2011, San Antonio unemployment went up 1%, median income went down $2000, # of residents on food stamps went up 4%.
• Castro was first elected in 2009.
• Castro makes the same excuses as Obama.
• Author's note: While it's not discussed in this clip, we're also curious about what happened to cost of living in that time.

• Ted Cruz: Workforce participation rate at lowest in 30 years.
• Quotes Jay Leno
• In 3.5 years of Obama, GDP growth has only been 1.5%

The Marxist Revolutionary who will follow Wendy

Wendy Davis' missteps this week are entertaining.  They also illustrate a deeper truth.  In the long term effort to turn Texas blue, Julian Castro (and Leticia van de Putte) is a much bigger threat than Wendy Davis.

Since mid-2013, Cahnman's Musings has pursued substantial reconnaissance against all facets of "turn Texas blue."  For obvious reasons, we will not detail these activities on this website.  Suffice to say, this week's comically inept performance (like her bogus fundraising numbers) is consistent with what we've observed privately.

Unfortunately, a much more effective demagogue will follow Wendy; as the Washington Post explains:

[B]oth Julian and Joaquin Castro as well as a slew of other ambitious, young Texas Democrats are eyeing Senate race in 2018 and 2020 as well as the governor's race in 2018. [sic]

Wendy Davis is similar to former Michigan governor Jennifer Granholm.  Julian Castro, by contrast, is another Obama.  Putting it mildly, the latter has done more damage.

Election 2014 is an important measuring stick. In addition to electing Greg Abbott, grassroots conservatives need to run up the scoreboard in down ticket and legislative races.  But the real fight for Texas won't begin until 2015.

A major component of that real fight is Julian Castro's next mayoral election, in May 2015.  The good news is that in Castro's last election, only 7.6% of voters showed up.  If grassroots conservatives can produce 20% turnout, Julian Castro and Battleground Texas are in big trouble.

Wendy's recent missteps are entertaining.  We should exploit them to run up the scoreboard in election 2014.  But be not deceived, the real battle begins in 2015....

Julian Castro Latest Ethics Questions

MySAPolitics.com reveals new details about the municipal governance cesspool that is San Antonio:

Mayor Julian Castro, Council members Cris Medina and Diego Bernal had the most alleged violations at over 200 each.

The Sworn Complaints allege 41 instances of accepting donations from corporations. Corporate donations are, if done knowingly, a 3rd degree felony offense. All nine complaints alleged these offenses. Well known names include MacDonalds, Inc., Holiday Inns, Inc. and Texas Associaton of Realtors.

The Texas Ethics Advisory Board (TEAB) reports that more than fifteen more Sworn Complaints will be initiated on the corporations who contributed to the council members campaigns. Pending the results of the TEC investigations, the TEAB will refer any felonies to Bexar County District Attorney Susan Reed.

Another frequent complaint was the diversion of campaign funds to personal use. If confirmed, this would make Mayor Castro and Council members Cris Medina and Diego Bernal and others civilly liable to the State of Texas including court costs. [Emphasis Added]

Other frequent alleged violations of State law included failure to report out of state travel, filing late reports and having serious contribution balance discrepancies – unaccounted for money.

Read the whole thing here.

Pray for Texas

"If My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14

"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24-27

"Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."
Ephesians 6:11-12 (KJV)

Last Sunday, we were re-convicted about something we've discussed many times in the past: Keeping God where He belongs in the affairs of Texas.

Over the past year, Texas has done well on this front.  While our leaders spend waaay too much money, they have also protected the unborn and blessed Israel.  Those are HIS issues.

Without dwelling on past hits, this website exposed the true nature of our political opponents:



In December 2012, we wrote:

Conservatism as political idolatry will never beat Marxism as political idolatry. Conservatism as political idolatry cuts off our roots. The Declaration of Independence ... is built on a view of man first articulated in Genesis 1:27.... In other words, the foundation of what the American right seeks to conserve is a saying of God. Conservatism as political idolatry, by contrast, couldn't beat Lena Dunham and Sandra Fluke.

Conservatism as political idolatry can probably beat Wendy Davis, but it will NEVER change business as usual in the Texas legislature, nor will it beat Julian Castro.  As illustrated above, Marxism is a Satanic ideology.  You eliminate your foundation when you ignore the fact that free enterprise is uber-Biblical.

We can't do it alone, but if our activist core humbles itself, prays, seeks HIS face, and repents, Texas will be fine.

Obama helps to expand Julian Castro's machine

"So taxpayer revenue is used to hire sate workers, who are always unionized. Those state workers (who are unionized) must pay union dues. In many states, the deduction of dues is automatic. The employee does not write a check. It's simply deducted from his state payroll check or deposit. So when a public sector employee pays union dues, where does that money end up? A portion of it ends up somewhere in the giant Democrat Party nationwide, statewide campaign apparatus. So private citizens, in Wisconsin and elsewhere, end up donating to the Democrat Party via state and public workers. It's a money laundering operation, and that's what the Porkulus bill was. It was to make sure that during the recession, state workers did not lose their jobs so that Democrats did not lose their campaign money. Pure and simple, that's it."
Rush Limbaugh

Last week, President Obama five new federal 'promise zones.'  San Antonio made the cut.  According to the White House:

San Antonio, TX (Eastside Neighborhood) 

The City of San Antonio’s key strategies include: 

• Focusing on job creation and training, including through a partnership with St. Philip’s College, in key growth areas including energy, health care, business support, aerospace/advanced manufacturing, and construction. 

• Empowering every child with the skills they need by increasing enrollment in high quality pre-K programs; installing a STEM focus in the local school district; expanding enrollment in Early College Programs; and improving adult education opportunities. 

• Expanding public safety activities to facilitate neighborhood revitalization; improved street lighting and demolishing abandoned buildings; and integrated public safety activities with social resources.

San Antonio's mayor reacted predictably:

San Antonio Mayor Julián Castro said “this is a promising investment in creating more job opportunities and revitalizing neighborhoods on the East Side.” 

Castro said the federal application process can be “labyrinthine” and difficult to complete correctly. 

“So to have the technical assistance and have the red tape cut will make a difference in the likelihood of having success at getting funding in the future,” Castro said.

Obama's 'promise zones,' are an ass-backwards economic development strategy.  But Obama's 'promise zones' aren't about economic development.  Obama's 'promise zone' is a smokescreen for Battleground Texas.

In 1966, Lyndon Johnson launched the 'model cities' initiative.  Detroit was one of Johnson's targets.  While model cities was economically cataclysmic, it was a political windfall for Lyndon Johnson's coalition.  Inserting a progressive machine into America's industrial heartland fundamentally transformed its culture.  Productive citizens fled, while the dependent underclass that remained reliably voted for more government.  Detroit hasn't voted for a Republican mayor since.  George Bush 41 was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the state.

Julian Castro, to be fair, knows a thing or two about building a political machine.  He uses the people's money to reward friends.  He attempts to destroy opponents.  But Julian Castro has well documented statewide ambitions.  An army of progressive organizers, masquerading as federal 'promise zone' facilitators, allows Castro to expand the coalitions of power he'll need for a statewide run.

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Update: It gets better; turns out the 'promise zone' is in JOAQUIN Castro's Congressional district.

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Update II: Welcome Director Blue readers!!!

Julian Castro's Censorship Ordinance draws first complaint; is it a hoax?!?

Local media reports on the first complaint filed under San Antonio's 'non-discrimination' ordinance:



Highlights:

A transgender man claims he feared for his life and left his job after coworkers threatened him.

Now he hopes the city's ordinance to protect the LGBT community that was approved four months ago forces his former employer do what he considers the right thing.

Matthew Hileman was born a woman but is now a transgender man.

"His birth certificate, driver's license, everything about him is male now," said Justin Nichols, Hileman's lawyer.

Hileman left his job as a consultant of AT&T in September. He says he had no other choice because two coworkers threatened him by posting a note on his chair after they discovered his secret gender identity.

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For the record: We're not buying it.

Several years ago, we worked with AT&T.  We've seen their hyper-cautious, over-lawyered, corporate culture up close.  It is impossible to overstate the degree to which AT&T has it's head shoved up its rear end with political correctness.  This would never happen at AT&T.  Any AT&T employee who even thinks about doing something like this would be instantly banished to sensitivity training purgatory.

From the Florida teenagers to the waitress in New Jersey, time frequently exposes these stories as bogus; Cahnman's Musings suspects the San Antonio case will undergo a similar fate in the coming months.

Ten similarities between Julian Castro and Obama

From the Restore SA Facebook page:

• Neither had father figures but both had radical childhood influences (Obama had William Ayers and Rev. Jeremiah Wright.  Castro’s mother was a member of the radical Raza Unida party and influenced by Saul Alinsky’s teaching.)

• Neither share family values (Both bent on destroying traditional families)

• Both rose quickly through the political ranks with little experience and fewer accomplishments

• Both use race or ethnicity as basis for being in office

• Both are charismatic member of minority groups loved by the media and liberal establishment 

• Diehard socialist

• Both ignore obvious facts and propagate "new truths"

• Both men believe in big government

• Both men believe they are above the law (Obama and the Constitution Castro and the municipal charter of San Antonio)

• Both are big on “Green Energy" (Both claim that jobs and energy will be created from green energy projects while ignoring the fact that the free market does not support their ideas.)

Read the whole thing here.

Julian Castro's "Streetcar Named Desire"

Empower Texans Greg Harrison details another corrupt boondoggle from Julian Castro:

Despite their wishes, San Antonio residents will see their taxes raised for a fiscally irreconcilable and entirely unnecessary deal at the behest of Mayor Julian Castro and County Judge Nelson Wolff. And these two elected officials are seeing to it that the city pays for their pet streetcar program no matter what. 

…. 

The streetcar / light rail idea is nothing new, although its proponents would purport that it is the pinnacle of modern mass transit.  Those more grounded by reality though realize that’s nothing more than wishful thinking. According to “The Streetcar Fantasy,” a comprehensive industry appraisal of streetcar programs similar to the one proposed for San Antonio, streetcars and their operating systems (unlike cars, buses and highways) have not improved in any significant fashion in the past 100 years, and remain generally inefficient and ineffective. 

But despite the inherent inefficiencies of such a system, Mayor Castro and Judge Wolff are still pressing for it, ignoring the fact that San Antonio voters shot down a proposal in 2000 – by a considerable 70% – 30% margin – for a streetcar program run by Via. 

…. 

Now, voters are stuck with the extra tax – which still hasn’t remedied Via’s dismal fiscal situation – while the transit agency is poised to completely renege on promises made about the project now proposed to cost $272 million (not including operations, maintenance, or a contingency fee). 

This is just scratching the surface of the entire debacle surrounding Via and the Castro Administrations’s pipe-dream of establishing a legacy of “green” and “modern” mass transit. San Antonio residents will end up paying – metaphorically and financially, if they don’t take a greater interest in those running their local government. 

 Read the whole thing here.

San Antonio reaps their harvest of Apathy

A fantastic piece on apathy and the Castro regime:

Low voter-turnout may be a primary reason why San Antonio residents have been subjected to the ills of liberal policy. Yet that same voter apathy can also provide an opportunity for conservatives to turn things around… if only they mobilize.

….

San Antonio is leading the pack of Texas’ largest cities at $9.4 billion of total debt outstanding.

Local government accountability is important everywhere, but San Antonio residents will especially feel the sting of negligence if they don’t do their due diligence to hold their local officials’ feet to the fire.
….

Bexar County and the City of San Antonio have been in the big bond business recently as well.  Last year, the Castro Administration managed to pass through a $596 million dollar bond, purportedly for infrastructure improvements.  The bond was purported by Castro and the San Antonio Express News to have passed “overwhelmingly” by 72 percent.
But only 6.7 percent of registered voters in Bexar County actually cast a vote on that particular referendum. When you consider who would turn out to vote for such a thing – and why – it becomes increasingly apparent that the sleeping majority’s taxes are being increased at the behest of an attentive minority.

The same is true for city council – officials making decisions that affect the entirety of San Antonio residents are elected by a mere 7.6 percent of the entire electorate.
Only 29,449 people actually voted for Mayor Castro this year in May, and only 46,417 – 7.61 percent of the total 610,456 registered voters – voted in the entire city-council election.  That 7.6 percent of people making decisions affect every San Antonio citizen – electing people who have far more influence over the day-to-day lives of the local citizenry than any state or federal lawmaker.

On the bright side, this same problem of low voter-turnout makes the efforts of engaged citizens seeking to change the status quo that much more powerful.

Read the whole thing, including an alarming rundown of local government debt in Bexar County, here.

San Antonio Recalls Generate More National Attention

Via National Review:

If San Antonio grassroots conservative activists have their way, Julian Castro’s career in politics could be cut abruptly short. Organizers of an effort to recall the mayor say their push is picking up steam, and tell National Review that they’re confident they have a shot at voting the mayor out of office. They’re targeting him because of the passage of an anti-LGBT discrimination ordinance that conservatives worry will hamstring freedom of speech and religion. (Katrina Trinko laid out concerns about the ordinance here.)