#TXLEGE: Lt. Dan Thinks You've Forgotten History

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
Matthew 7:20

Shot:

[Note: Due to formatting issues, we can't provide a link, but this was an e-mailed press release from the Lt. Governor's office yesterday afternoon.]

Chaser:

Some of the least-qualified graduates of the University of Texas School of Law in recent years have high-level connections in the Legislature, which may explain how they got into the prestigious law school in the first place.

A months-long Watchdog.org analysis of political influence on the admissions process at UT Law found there’s some truth, after all, to the old line about who you know mattering more than what you know. We found dozens of Longhorns who don’t know enough to be lawyers but know somebody important in the Legislature.

Two of those mediocre students are legislators themselves.

Some have connections to the leadership circle of House Speaker Joe Straus, others to powerful state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, who’s already been caught three times trying to pull end runs around the admissions process.

....

At least 12 of the students have roots in Laredo, home of state Sen. Judith Zaffirini, who is known to have pulled strings on behalf of other applicants. As Laredo has just 2 percent of the state’s population, it’s highly over represented in this sample.

....

Of the nearly 2,700 UT Law students to take the exam since 2006, only 29 have failed it three times or more. Thirteen made our list for closer inspection, and seven of those have ties to Laredo.

Among the 13 are Carlos Manuel Zaffirini Jr., the state senator’s only son, and Jeffrey Carona, the son of Republican state Sen. John Carona. Sen. Carona has donated some $31,043 to Zaffirini’s campaign in recent years, in addition to undisclosed sums his company paid her as a “communications consultant.”

....

Among the Laredo-connected bar failures are two brothers whose father is a top city health official who has worked with Zaffirini on state-funded projects. Another needed six tries to pass the bar and another passed on his fifth try.

Since this last graduate’s family has donated more than $52,000 during the years to Zaffirini, we asked the senator’s office whether the senator’s law school support was mercenary or a matter of family connections.

Zaffirini spokesman Will Krueger emailed us on March 7 to say the man’s “family and the senator’s family have been friends for at least three generations — on both his mother’s side of the family and his father’s side.”

Sounds like a great candidate for the higher ed. committee.

Eyeroll.

Bonus: To fully understand how far Patrick's fallen, see here.

Bottom Line: Scandal?!?  What scandal?!?  Lt. Dan don't see no scandal.  Besides, that was sooo five years ago.

#TXLEGE: Whitmire's "Audit TRS" proposal LONG overdue

"Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;"
1 Peter 5:2

Wasn't expecting this:

A state senator on Thursday has called for an audit into real estate investments and partnerships involving the Teacher Retirement System of Texas after revelations its officials had signed off on renting space at an office skyscraper at a minimum monthly rate of $326,000.

With a completion date of March 2021, the 36-story office tower at 200 West 6th St. is pricey even by the standards of downtown Austin that has seen soaring rent costs amid brisk municipal growth. Teacher Retirement System of Texas officials had cited space constraints at its current 816 Congress Ave. location, as KXAN reported. Backlash partially fueled by media scrutiny from the Austin American-Statesman and others over the lavish rent space prompted officials to reverse course and look into expanding its existing space instead.

But the repercussions of having even considered signing a lease have seemingly just begun given a request for an audit by State Sen. John Whitmire (D-Houston), the longest-serving current member of the Texas State Senate who has represented District 14 since 1983.

[Note: We're not going to blockquote it in full, but we do recommend reading the whole linked article.]

Some thoughts:

• Even without the current scandal, this should be done every 3 to 7 years as part of routine fund maintenance.

• Considering that the fund has a $46 Billion unfunded liability, this can only help put it on more solid footing.

• Whitmire's proposal comes on the heels of Paul Bettencourt's the other day.  It certainly appears that the Senate is serious about addressing this issue (or that they're at least better at creating that impression).  This stands in marked contrast to the caterwauling phoniness we've seen from the house.

• Any serious audit really ought to take into consideration all of the other prime real estate in Downtown Austin owned by the fund.

Bottom Line: It's a shame that it took a scandal for this discussion to occur, but this should absolutely happen.

EXCLUSIVE: How Taxpayers Subsidized George P. Bush's Last Primary Campaign

"The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men."
Psalm 12:8

Last October, we wrote about how J.R. Hernandez, one of George P. Bush's main political operatives, was double-dipping at taxpayer expense.

Last month, however, we had another hunch: For someone who was being paid six figures to work full time for the state...how many hours a week was he actually working?!?

So we sent an open records request to the General Land Office for J.R. Hernandez's schedule during the 2018 primary.

See it for yourself:

Jr Hernandez Schedule by Cahnman on Scribd

Takeaways:

• In a typical week, Hernandez did between 15 and 20 hours per week of work for the state.

• Hernandez got a smidge over 20 hours a couple of times, but never over 25.

• Less than five hours per week once early voting started.

Keep in mind, this was at a time when J.R. Hernandez was being paid over $130,000 to work full time for the state.

[Note: We only requested records during the primary campaign, but we suspect a similar pattern would emerge for the general.]

Bottom Line: Given that we're talking about Texas state government, perhaps this shouldn't surprise. Furthermore, given that we're talking about the Bushes, perhaps this should surprise even less. That doesn't make any of it right.

#TXLEGE 2019: Everybody Sucked

"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

Forty five minutes ago, we sat down to write a blog post, "Dingus of the Year: George P. Bush."

It would have been easy to write.  There's plenty of material.  For crying out loud, we just called for the man's impeachment.

Unfortunately, even with that much material, we're not sure George P. Bush really was the dingus of the year.

He certainly had competition:

• Greg Abbott?!?

• Dan Patrick?!?

• Dennis Bonnen?!?

• Poncho Nevarez?!?

That's without considering various examples of minor league dingosity.

Bottom Line: If you take public policy seriously, nothing good happened.  On the other hand, it was entertaining.  So there's that.  Happy new year.

#TXLEGE: Meyer punts cover up to house

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Of course:

A follow-up to Friday's news — House General Investigating chair @MorganMeyerTX & vice chair @NicoleCollier95 tell members in a letter that further action re: @RepDennisBonnen is now up to the lower chamber.

From Friday: https://t.co/M66CBeEiMW #txlege pic.twitter.com/VUQSsuOpBX

— Cassi Pollock (@cassi_pollock) December 27, 2019

LOL.

There's not a lot you can add.

That being said, it's hard to understand what Morgan Meyer's thinking.  He had the closest call of any Republican house incumbent last cycle.  Yet, he's making himself the public face.  It doesn't take a genius to see how this becomes a GIGANTIC campaign issue.

Bottom Line: For this announcement to come on the Friday between Christmas and New Year's tells you everything you need to know.

#TXLEGE: See No Evil

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Because of course:

The House General Investigating Committee on Friday unanimously adopted a report from its legal advisers that said House Speaker Dennis Bonnen “likely violated” state law during a June meeting with a fellow member and a hardline conservative activist — though members didn't raise the idea of any possible action against Bonnen and said the investigation was closed.

“Today’s action concludes the committee’s investigation," said state Rep. Morgan Meyer, a Dallas Republican who chairs the committee, after members met behind closed doors for over an hour.

Meyer, who left the hearing room at the Texas Capitol without taking questions from reporters, said the full report from the three legal advisers retained in October by the committee would be “promptly transmitted” to House members. The committee did not immediately release the report to the public, though a copy was later obtained by The Texas Tribune.

The report concluded by saying the information produced "militates against criminal prosecution" against either Bonnen or state Rep. Dustin Burrows, a Lubbock Republican considered one of the speaker's top lieutenants who was involved in the political fallout — a line that the speaker's office reiterated in a statement after the news.

....

Bonnen "likely violated" section 572.051(a) of the Texas Government Code, according to Meyer, who was reading from the report during the committee hearing — but advisers in the report said the law provided no"independent statutory consequences" for a state official who breaches it.

That section states that a state officer or employee should not “accept or solicit any gift, favor, or service that might reasonably tend to influence the officer or employee in the discharge of official duties, or that the officer or employee knows or should know is being offered with the intent to influence the officer's of employee's official conduct."

The section also states that such a person should not "intentionally or knowingly solicit, accept, or agree to accept any benefit for having exercised the officer's or employee's official powers."

There's not a lot more to say.  The sitting speaker of the Texas House "likely" violated the law...and the legislature isn't going to do a damn thing about it.  Classic.

Did you think it would end differently?!?

Bottom Line: One hand washes the other.

-------

Note: If we were Morgan Meyer's general election opponent...we know how we'd campaign against Meyer.

#TXLEGE: Impeach George P. Bush (It's Time)

"Let him who stole steal no longer, but rather let him labor, working with his hands what is good, that he may have something to give him who has need."
Ephesians 4:28

Yeah, this is bad:

Texas Land Commissioner George P. Bush failed to disclose his ties to at least 11 companies, including a Cayman Islands-based oil and gas firm that did business with a state fund he helps oversee, records obtained by The Texas Tribune show.

Arabella Exploration, which declared bankruptcy in 2017, put Bush on its board in January 2014, paid him $43,000 for his service and granted him stock options that were valued at over $100,000, regulatory filings show. The next year, a few months into his new job as land commissioner — and about a year after he left the Arabella board — the School Land Board, which Bush chairs, approved a lease agreement with Arabella for oil and gas exploration in West Texas, records show.

State politicians must provide details of their personal finances, including business dealings and corporate board service, every year to the Texas Ethics Commissions so voters can judge whether their elected leaders have any conflicts of interest.

Nowhere did Bush’s 2015 state disclosure mention Arabella, however. Nor did he list 10 other companies in which he has a stake on more recent disclosure forms. The other companies on the list include investments held or owned by St. Augustine Partners, LLC, some of them focused on the oil and gas business.

Wow.  Oil leases for a company in whom you hold stock options.  Wonder what the vesting schedule was there.

It's just so...blatant.

The full Tribune article is wild, we recommend reading the whole thing here.

(We'll wait)

-------

Obviously, this isn't the first scandal to consume Texas' undistinguished land commissioner.

Among others:

• The undisclosed secret mansion.
• Note: In hindsight, this is probably when Bush should have been impeached.

• The Alamo crap.

• As this website first reported...keeping political operatives on the taxpayer funded payroll.

We could go on.

At this point, however, the biggest takeaway ought to be that Texas' undistinguished land commissioner regularly finds himself enmeshed in significant scandals.

This isn't the first time this has happened, and it probably won't be the last.

-------

Last October we wrote:

[T]he George P. problem isn't going away.

There is, however, a solution (even if he gets a second term): Impeachment.

According to Article 15 of the Texas Constitution, the power of impeachment lies with the legislature. The house has the authority to impeach statewide officers for pretty much any reason they want [Note: This power was abused a few years back]. If a simple majority in the house votes to impeach, it goes to trial in the Senate. If two-thirds of the Senators vote to convict, the office-holder is removed.

Obviously, this would be a drastic step. But it might be a necessary one.

Fourteen months, and at least three additional scandals, later...here we are.

If not this scandal specifically, something like it was not hard to predict.

-------

Bottom Line: After what we learned this morning, it's undeniable and indefensible.

#TXLEGE: Latest Crisis Subsides, Toxic Culture Remains

"Whoever has no rule over his own spirit
Is like a city broken down, without walls."
Proverbs 25:28

Sigh:

State Rep. Rick Miller, R-Sugar Land, is no longer running for reelection after he sparked a firestorm for saying he was facing primary challengers because they are Asian.

“During a recent interview with the Houston Chronicle I made some statements that were insensitive and inexcusable,” Miller said in a statement to The Texas Tribune. “In trying to make a point about the campaign I used a poor choice of words that are not indicative of my character or heart.

“I do not want to be a distraction for my party or my constituents, and therefore I have decided not to seek re-election,” he continued.

Obviously, this was the least bad solution.  Had Miller not withdrawn from the race, this would have become a slow drip.  So one cheer.

We guess.

But does anyone feel good about this?!?

 After Bonnen left, we wrote:

[I]s anyone confident a new scandal won't soon emerge?!?

Cuz' we ain't.

Barely six weeks later...another frickin' scandal!!!

We've seen this movie:


From October:

This specific scandal is the completely predictable result of the toxic culture in the Texas capitol that has prevailed for a long time.

The GOP, meanwhile, has been running the place for a quarter century.

This is the same Republican majority that:

• Five years ago, was running college admissions scandals before it was cool.
• With all due respect to Aunt Becky, she ain't got nothin' on Jim Pitts.

• Two years ago, put a man who had been in a sexual relationship with a lobbyist for over a decade in charge of writing its sexual harassment policy.

• Just elected as vice chair a guy who was taking $56,000 a month from an entity under the jurisdiction of the committee he chaired.

The pattern is obvious...to anyone not under the influence of afore mentioned Egyptian rivers.

It can't be defended, and it shouldn't.

Yet, here we are.  Again.  Rick Miller, Dennis Bonnen, and Jim Pitts might be gone.  But Charlie Geren and Jim Murphy are still there.

Is anyone confident about that?!?

Cuz' we (still) ain't.

Bottom Line: Over/under six weeks before the next self-inflicted scandal?!?

#TXLEGE: GOP Likely Dodged the Bonnen Bullet

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Trib poll confirms what we've always suspected:

A recorded and reckless conversation between a top state official and a political activist rocked the state Capitol this summer and upended the career of Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen last month. But it hardly registered with most voters, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.

More than two-thirds of registered voters said they have heard “nothing at all” (50%) or “a little” (18%) “about the controversy over a June 2019 meeting between the speaker of the Texas House and the head of a political action committee.” Only 12% said they have heard “a lot,” and 19% said they have heard “some” about the incident. 

Bonnen, elected speaker in January, met shortly after the end of the legislative session in June with Michael Quinn Sullivan of Empower Texans and state Rep. Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock. Sullivan alleged Bonnen and Burrows offered him media passes to the floor of the House and gave him a list of Republican colleagues they said they would be happy to replace. Sullivan recorded the conversation and released that recording last month, undermining denials made by Bonnen and Burrows and resulting in Bonnen’s decision not to run for another term in the House.

That’s been big news for months in Austin and among Capitol insiders. But not, apparently, to voters.

Duh.  That's why Bonnen had to leave when he did.  While not many people know about his scandal(s) now, that wouldn't have been the case a year from now.

Bottom Line: It took too long.  Taking too long revealed other alarming things.  That could all still have a reckoning. Concerning the Dennis Bonnen scandal specifically, however, this week's Trib poll suggests the public never caught on.

#TXLEGE: Acute crisis subsides, Toxic Culture Remains

"For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death."
2 Corinthians 7:10

This was always inevitable:

Texas House Speaker Dennis Bonnen (R-Angleton) announced this morning he would not seek reelection to the Texas House.

“Since Friday, I have had numerous conversations with Members who care deeply about the Texas House, and I respect the manner in which they have handled the entire situation. After much prayer, consultation, and thoughtful consideration with my family, it is clear that I can no longer seek re-election as State Representative of District 25, and subsequently, as Speaker of the House,” said Bonnen in a statement.

“I care deeply about this body and the work we have accomplished over the years, namely, the outstanding success we achieved in the 86th Legislature,” he continued.

This announcement comes after Michael Quinn Sullivan, of the conservative grassroots group Empower Texans, released a recording of a closed-door meeting he had with Bonnen, in which Bonnen offered a clear quid pro quo — Texas House media credentials in exchange for Sullivan monetarily targeting 10 select “moderate” Republican House members.

Two and a half cheers.

It's certainly good that Bonnen is gone.  It always serves the public's interest to remove corrupt officials.  Furthermore, Bonnen's departure reduces the odds of a GOP electoral wipeout.

Still, it's hard to get too excited.  It took them three months to make a completely obvious decision.  It should have taken about three days.

Last Saturday we wrote that, given their inability to do that which is completely obvious re: Bonnen, the GOP deserved to lose the Texas house.  Obviously, this morning's announcement renders most of the specifics of that blog post moot.  Still...is anyone confident a new scandal won't soon emerge?!?

Cuz' we ain't.

As we wrote:

It's no longer just about Dennis Bonnen.  Or one act of political funny business.  This specific scandal is the completely predictable result of the toxic culture in the Texas capitol that has prevailed for a long time.

The GOP, meanwhile, has been running the place for a quarter century.

This is the same Republican majority that:

• Five years ago, was running college admissions scandals before it was cool.
• With all due respect to Aunt Becky, she ain't got nothin' on Jim Pitts.

• Two years ago, put a man who had been in a sexual relationship with a lobbyist for over a decade in charge of writing its sexual harassment policy.

• Just elected as vice chair a guy who was taking $56,000 a month from an entity under the jurisdiction of the committee he chaired.

The pattern is obvious...to anyone not under the influence of afore mentioned Egyptian rivers.

Dennis Bonnen (and Joe Straus and Jim Pitts) might be gone, but Charlie Geren and Jim Murphy remain.

It's hard to feel confident in a culture that continues to tolerate the likes of Charlie Geren and elevates the likes of Jim Murphy.

Even if they did (very, very, belatedly) throw Dennis Bonnen overboard.

Bottom Line: We're certainly in a better place now than we were twelve hours ago...but that's not saying much.

#TXLEGE: Leach, Shaheen, ignore First Rule of Competitive General Elections

 

"Abstain from all appearance of evil."
1 Thessalonians 5:22 (kjv)

How to lose a competitive general election in one press release:

My Joint Statement along with Representatives Jeff Leach, Scott Sanford & Justin Holland regarding Speaker Bonnen. #txlege pic.twitter.com/LcfiVUZeAg

— Matt Shaheen (@MattShaheen) October 18, 2019

In terms of substance, all four representatives should be embarrassed. But at least Justin Holland and Scott Sanford represent safe seats. Jeff Leach and Matt Shaheen do not:

Yet these geniuses are vocally defending Bonnen.

It doesn't take a genius to see how this plays out: Leach and Shaheen are attacked as lackeys of corruption.  They reply with a complicated, political, answer.  The public, hating those sorts of answers in the same way that they always have, votes for the non-incumbent.

Leach and Shaheen lose.

Rule #1 of competitive general elections: Additional baggage is bad.  It's difficult enough to get across the finish line on your own.  Other people's drama can only sink you.  All the blockwalking, messaging, and money in the world won't save you.

Yet Leach and Shaheen chose to do exactly that with Bonnen.

Like we said, doesn't take a genius.

Bottom Line: This will be one of the most predictable political attacks in the history of political attacks...and Leach and Shaheen won't have a good answer.

#TXLEGE: At this point, the GOP deserves to Lose the Texas house

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

Never, ever, ever underestimate the cowardice, or the stupidity, of the Republican caucus in the Texas house:

Just in — Statement from House Republican Caucus on Bonnen-Burrows-MQS: pic.twitter.com/ifxTJqxNhD

— Patrick Svitek (@PatrickSvitek) October 18, 2019

That one has to go to the Twitter feed of a Texas Tribune reporter to find that statement, while the GOP caucus hasn't posted it to their own, tells you everything you need to know.

We'd call it denial, but we don't want to insult Egyptian rivers.

In other words:



Yet here we are.

It's 2006 on steroids.

We don't have anything new to say about this specific scandal.  There's nothing we can say that we didn't say three months ago.  And two months ago.  And ten days ago.

Yet here we are.

It's no longer just about Dennis Bonnen.  Or one act of political funny business.  This specific scandal is the completely predictable result of the toxic culture in the Texas capitol that has prevailed for a long time.

The GOP, meanwhile, has been running the place for a quarter century.

This is the same Republican majority that:

• Five years ago, was running college admissions scandals before it was cool.
• With all due respect to Aunt Becky, she ain't got nothin' on Jim Pitts.

• Two years ago, put a man who had been in a sexual relationship with a lobbyist for over a decade in charge of writing its sexual harassment policy.

• Just elected as vice chair a guy who was taking $56,000 a month from an entity under the jurisdiction of the committee he chaired.

The pattern is obvious...to anyone not under the influence of afore mentioned Egyptian rivers.

It can't be defended, and it shouldn't.

The New York Times, meanwhile, gets in on the act:

AUSTIN, Texas — With President Trump arriving in red-state Texas for a campaign rally in Dallas on Thursday, the Republican Party in the state faces a host of troubles.

The Republican-controlled Texas House of Representatives is engulfed in scandal. Six of the state’s 23 Republican members of the United States House of Representatives say they will not run for re-election, opening new opportunities for Democrats. And one of the state’s three top Republican leaders believes that the president has become a political liability among a crucial bloc of voters.

“With all due respect to Trump — who I love, by the way — he’s killing us in urban-suburban districts,” Dennis Bonnen, the speaker of the state House and the central figure in the legislative scandal, said in a 64-minute tape recording released on Tuesday.

The recording of a sometimes salty conversation Mr. Bonnen had with a conservative activist at the State Capitol in June includes a description of what critics have called a quid-pro-quo offer that is now under investigation by the Texas Rangers.

Mr. Bonnen says the tape, which was recorded without his knowledge, proves that nothing he said in the conversation broke any laws.

Even so, the political landscape in Texas will now feature both an embattled state leader struggling to hold on to the speakership and an embattled president confronting an impeachment inquiry — a prospect that unquestionably raises the stakes for Republicans in a state their party has dominated for more than two decades.

Consequently, “corruption and abuse of power become not just a national issue but potentially a state-level issue for Republicans as well,” said Jim Henson, a pollster and political analyst based in Austin.

Obviously, a certain type of moron will reply "HashtagFAKENEWS" to the New York Times.  That's fine.  They'll get what they deserve.

To the reality based community, however, its' a warning.

You don't have to agree with every statement in that Times article to understand they've got the basic dynamic right.

The frickin' New York Times understands reality better than the majority party in the Texas legislature.

Think about that.

Yet here we are.

Bottom Line: The Democrats might not deserve to win.  It might remain the case that they suck even more.  It probably does.  But it shouldn't surprise anyone if "might" fails to defeat currently observable reality.

EXCLUSIVE: George P. Bush Political Operative getting $11k(+) monthly AT TAXPAYER EXPENSE

"The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men."
Psalm 12:8

Ten days ago, we wrote a blog post about George P. Bush's thinly disguised political ambitions.  In the course of writing said post, we deduced that several media stories had been planted by some dude named "J.R. Hernandez."  By itself, there's nothing wrong with this.  That's the job of a campaign flack.

But it did get us curious about this "J.R. Hernandez" character.

Less than a minute of research yielded the following Twitter account:

Hang on a second...is this person a state employee?!?

30 more seconds yielded this LinkedIn account:

Not only is this "J.R. Hernandez" fella a state employee, he brags about double dipping at campaign and taxpayer expense in a public forum.

[Note: Technically, this is probably legal in Texas.  That doesn't make it ethical or moral.  The potential conflicts of interest are obvious.]

At this point, we decided to send an open records request to the General Land Office for this "J.R. Hernandez" figure's compensation records.

This is where things get REALLY interesting.

According to General Land Office records, on February 1, 2015 George P. Bush hired one "Hernandez, John" as his chief of staff for the low, low price of $10,583.33 per month (aka. $127k annually):

On January 1, 2017 this same "Hernandez, John R." was given a new position and a raise to $10,847.91 per month (aka. $130k(+) annually):

On April 1, 2018 George P. Bush chose to recognize "Hernandez, John R." via a one time 'merit' payment of more than $5200.  As the documents show, this was a de facto 4% pay increase.  That being said, we do appreciate the irony of recognizing a Bush crony for their alleged 'merit' on April Fools Day:

On March 1 of this year, "Hernandez, John R." got yet another raise to $11,281.83 per month (aka. $135k(+) annually):

As of the time of publication, the Texas General Land office is paying this "J.R. Hernandez" personality over $135,000 annually.

Keep in mind: This taxpayer funded salary is in addition to whatever compensation "J.R. Hernandez" is receiving from George P. Bush's campaign.

But wait...there's more!!!

On his application for the position with the General Land Office, "J.R. Hernandez" listed his campaign position under 'previous experience."  Again, by itself, that's not particularly noteworthy.  However, what is noteworthy is that HE LEFT THE "SPECIFIC REASON FOR LEAVING" SECTION BLANK:

Bottom Line: Given that we're talking about Texas state government, perhaps this shouldn't surprise.  Furthermore, given that we're talking about the Bushes, perhaps this should surprise even less.  That doesn't make any of it right.

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The full General Land Office document release is available below; the information cited in this blog post is located on pages 12, 20-22, and 28:

JR Hernandez_Employment &am... by Cahnman on Scribd

#TXLEGE: A Good Summary on Where Things Stand re: Bonnen

"He who covers his sins will not prosper,
But whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy."
Proverbs 28:13

Amen Rich:

Pretty much.

These clowns had the opportunity to put this scandal behind them two months ago.  They chose to stonewall.  Next week will present another opportunity to put this scandal in the rear view mirror.

It's an open question whether they take it (probably not).

At some point, the public will notice.

When that inevitably happens, the GOP will have no one to blame but themselves.

It's their call.

Bottom Line: We suspect pessimism is warranted....

Why Obama Just Can't Win -- Chaos at Democrat County Conventions in North Carolina

A few weeks ago, I wrote about How Obama Just Can't Win; North Carolina plays a key role in that analysis.

This morning, a source in Texas pointed out this story to me.  It reveals utter chaos in the North Carolina Democrat Party and it's worth quoting at length:

The executive director of the North Carolina Democratic Party resigned Sunday amid increasing frustrations and ire among party activists over high turnover at the party headquarters and harassment allegations there.... 

The dustup following the [sexual harassment] emails led party activists meeting at county party conventions Saturday to call for the resignations of Parmley and party Chairman David Parker....  

Parmley's departure is the latest setback for a state party that has been coming to terms with Republicans controlling the state House and Senate for the first time in 140 years. Democratic Gov. Beverly Perdue surprised many in January by announcing she wouldn't seek re-election, forcing other Democrats to scramble to mount primary campaigns. Six Democrats are running in the May 8 primary.... 

The Democratic National Convention will be held in Charlotte in less than five months.

Ouch.  This is disastrous for Democrats in North Carolina.  Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if we find out about much bigger financial shenanigans down the road.