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August 7, 2008
Keel rebuts bounced check rumor
Donna Keel, Republican candidate for the House District 47 seat, offered a vigorous preemptive rebuttal to a rumored campaign ad from state Rep. Valinda Bolton saying Keel had bounced a check.
The accusation is false and Keel will share her credit report to prove it, wrote Patrick Keel, a former state district court judge and Keel’s brother-in-law, in a letter to the Bolton campaign on Wednesday.
Only hitch: there is no ad, Bolton said.
“We had no plan to do an ad,” Bolton, D-Austin, said Thursday. “In fact, we didn’t even have this information.”
The campaign has not planned its mailers or prepared any ads yet for the Nov. 4 election, Bolton said.
Donna Keel said she had been told the accusation was coming and wanted to nip it in the bud.
“It just struck true,” Keel said. “It seemed credible that this is something that they might do.”
Bolton said she had no idea where this issue might have have started, but it was not from anything her campaign was doing.
“It seems like a good way to generate some negative press about me, that I was thinking about doing this,” Bolton said.
For the record, Keel did share her credit score of 799 of 850, better than 99.8 percent of U.S. consumers, according to her Experian report.
“I have personal finance records going back 20 years. Not only have I not bounced a check, I’ve never been late on a payment or accrued an interest fee,” Keel said.
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August 4, 2008
Big dog Dems head to Bastrop
Bastrop County Democrats are holding a rally on Saturday, Aug. 9 in Smithville, and promising nearly everyone but Barack Obama will attend.
The Bastrop Democratic Party Chair Mitzi VanSant is hosting the rally, and she says the local Dems have managed to persuade 17 of the 20 Democrats on November’s ballot to attend.
(Alas, only Obama, an appeals court judge and a Bastrop County Commissioner candidate won’t make it.)
Among the bigger names who will be there are U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega and Larry Joe Doherty, who is running against U.S. Rep. Michael McCaul.
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July 18, 2008
Conservatives want to be cool too
At the Americans for Prosperity’s RightOnLine convention, the conversation in one training session ran from cool to hot.
Cynthia Posey, an audience member from Austin, told how her college students writing a paper on immigration tended to agree with John McCain’s positions but fell in love with Barack Obama’s Web site.
“The excitement is what gets them,” Posey complained.
Style matters, agreed panelist Ralph Benko, a principal at Capital City Partners of Washington D.C.
“We have to get the style clear and compelling,” he said, “so it will be hip to be conservative and hip to be for McCain.”
Emily Zanotti with the Sam Adams Alliance, a nonpartisan New Media group, urged the baby boomers in the audience to stop splitting the discussion between them and “those kids.”
She tried to explain the difference between the two campaigns’ approaches on the Internet.
Zanotti’s said Obama’s Internet effort is “all about (building) a community” with social networking and text messaging supporters every time the candidate comes to town.
“What’s your message?” Zanotti said the Obama site asks. “And let me tell you how mine fits in with yours.”
The McCain effort, she said, is just the opposite: “Here’s your message (of the day). Don’t ask us any questions.”
Then the conversation got hot, proving it’s just not the Democrats who need to do some healing.
Judy Morris, a Ron Paul delegate from Round Rock, said the conservative media and the Republican Party didn’t make Ron Paul supporters feel welcome during the primary.
“We were treated like garbage,” she said to applause. “We’re not going to be there (for McCain).”
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Conservative strategist talks about Internet
We’re talking to Ryan Gravatt about online strategies for campaigns. We start at 11 a.m. Feel free to submit comments or questons.
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July 16, 2008
Libertarian drops out of HD 47 race
Libertarian Alan Hultgren has withdrawn from the House District 47 race, leaving incumbent Democrat Valinda Bolton and Republican Donna Keel to duke it out alone.
Hultgren did not return a call for comment Wednesday afternoon.
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July 15, 2008
Strama leaps ahead in campaign money
Rep. Mark Strama, D-Austin, has a big money advantage over Republican Jerry Mikus in the House District 50 race, the most recent campaign reports show.
Strama, who was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2004, has on-hand almost $53,800 and raised about $48,000 in the past six months. Mikus reported collecting about $8,600 with over $2,400 remaining as of June 30.
Campaign fund raising totals were not available for Libertarian Jerry Chandler, who is also vying for the District 50 job. He said in an e-mail that he was out of town.
Strama continues to carry $85,000 in loans from his 2006 campaign.
House District 50 covers the northern stretch of Travis County.
Mikus is a Pflugerville financial consultant. He ran in the Republican primary for the same House seat in 2002, which Jack Stick eventually won and went on to win in the general election as well. Mikus also lost in the 2000 Republican primary for U.S. House for Representatives.
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Incumbent Bolton leading Keel in contributions
State Rep. Valinda Bolton, D-Austin, has taken an early lead in fund raising against Republican challenger Donna Keel for the House District 47 seat, according to the latest campaign finance reports.
Bolton has raised about $120,000 as of June 30 and has $86,000 remaining. Keel has collected more than $49,000 with about $34,000 still available.
Libertarian Alan Hultgren is also running for the seat but his report was not available Tuesday afternoon.
Donna Keel is a former auditor and local government analyst with the state comptroller. Bolton, who was elected to her first term in 2006, previously worked as the training director for the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence.
The race has been tagged as one to watch because the Southwest Travis County district is closely split between Democrats and Republicans.
Keel’s brother-in-law, Terry Keel, held the same House seat for 10 years. When he resigned, Bolton snatched it from the Republicans after a hard-fought and expensive race with Bill Welch.
Among statewide officeholders, Attorney General Greg Abbott (who might try for lieutenant governor in 2010) ended June with $8 million cash on hand.
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June 7, 2008
Austin-area delegates to Democratic National Convention
Below is a partial list of Austin-area residents only and does not include at-large delegates to be selected by convention later Saturday.
Austin-Area Delegates to Democratic National Convention**
Travis County
Senate District 14
Sue Berkel, Austin (Clinton) David Broockman, Austin (Obama) Steve Rivas, Austin (Clinton) Tory Lauterbach, Austin (Clinton) Allen Bowers, Austin (Obama) Bharati “Bobbi” Kommineni, Austin (Obama) Bertha Means, Austin (Obama) Gerard Washington, Austin (Obama)
Williamson County
Senate District 5
Larry Yawn, Round Rock (Clinton) Kyndra Reed, Cameron (Clinton)
Senate District 25 (Hays County, portion of Travis County)*
Jim Mattox, Dripping Springs (Clinton) Maria Jimenez, Austin (Clinton) Mario Champion, Austin (Obama)
Partial list, Austin-area residents only. *Does not include at-large delegates to be selected by convention later Saturday.
SOURCE: Texas Democratic Party
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June 5, 2008
Travis County delegates email survey responses
We fielded many responses to our e-mail survey of more than 1,000 of the 1,300-plus Travis County delegates and alternates to the Texas Democratic Party state convention.
A sampling:
QUESTION: If Sen. Obama proves the party’s presidential nominee, who should he pick to serve as his vice presidential choice—and why?
Barbara Santos: I actually emailed him (and Gov. Bill Richardson) earlier to recommend that he select Gov. Bill Richardson. His strengths are that he has had to manage bureaucracies and balance budgets as the governor of a border state, he would appeal to Latinos as the Spanish-speaking son of a Latina, he has vast foreign policy experience as an Ambassador and a mediator. Really, of all the Presidential candidates (Rep. and Democratic), Bill Richardson had the ability to check every box on what we seek in a President. I was also taken with his gentle sense of humor during the debates.
Ross Pumfrey: Sen. Joe Lieberman. Just joking.
Former Senator Sam Nunn (for his “defense” credentials and his Southern roots), Senator Jim Webb (Reagan Democrat, military fellow, Virginia), former Senator John Edwards (working folks and unions, Southern roots), or Governor Richardson (experience, Hispanic).
I have thought about the desirability of a female vice-presidential candidate, but it shouldn’t be Clinton (we’d have a dual vice-presidency of Clintons, and Obama shouldn’t have to deal with that) and Pelosi would make the ticket too vulnerable to a “liberal” charge. Unfortunately, I don’t know enough about some of the other possibilities (Sibelius, Napolitano) to have any good sense of their possibilities. And would it be pushing the envelope of cultural transition to have both an African-American and a woman on the ticket?
By the way — it should be “whom,” not “who,” in your question, as several people have probably reminded you.
Bobby French: Since I am a Hillary Clinton delegate, of course, I believe he should choose her. While polls suggest otherwise, if millions of Americans are voting for these two people now, it seems only logical that they will vote for the two of them on the same ticket.
Chris Wilson: Bill Richardson - proven leader, ENERGY POLICY experience, has been a governor, cabinet post experience
Senator Obama should not be told that Hillary Clinton has to be his VP nominee. In my opinion, Hillary Clinton treated this election for the nomination like a coronation and not an election. She never took Obama or the caucus process seriously and her campaign will go down in history as one of the most mismanaged ever for a seasoned political family.
Helen Rockenbaugh: John Edwards or a female. ABBH (anybody but Hillary).
QUESTION: There’s been some talk of Texas not continuing to choose some delegates through primary-night caucuses. Should the system be changed by 2012; why or why not?
Robin D. Richard: The caucus system was chaotic at best this year; however, it did seem to help better represent the wishes of the people in the Democratic Party. The challenge should focus on better training and the capability to handle large numbers of voters.
John S. Adair: I have mixed feelings about this. As a long-time party activist, I appreciate the fact that the conventions (which I have never heard referred to as caucuses until this year) provide a way for the party faithful to have a meaningful influence on the process. On the other hand, it makes the delegate selection process less democratic. On balance, I think it’s good for the party.
Pam Johns: I am open to the party discussing changes in the way delegates are elected. I would be in favor of a straight primary vote for delegates, although I believe caucuses promote local precinct involvement and activism that might not be there with a strsight vote. Also, I would like to see a primary that decides delegates by district and not total state vote. I definately weould like to see the end of superdelegates.
Connie Park: Absolutely. I am 100% for “eleminating caucuses.” As a matter of fact, i will be helping to collect signatures for petition. “Caucuses” discriminate: (1)the elderly who cannot drive out and stay late (2)different shift workers (3)single mothers (4)physically challenged.
Roger Chavez: Yes. It is unrealistic to think that people can commit to two voting times and the caucus system is confusing and there are not enough party officials to make sure things are run smoothly. It is also unfair for the delegates from the caucus to be expected to travel long distances to get to the convention. It cost money and effects some people more than others.
QUESTION: What issue or issues matter most to you?
Sara Crowell: We need to change the general direction of this country in so many ways. This is not a country for the few and the priviliged. This is a country for the people (by the people). We need to do what we say and say what we do. In general, we need to be more noble and leadership worthy.
I think that if we elect a man who embodies the best of what America can be, the world will have a better picture of what America is and what we can be. I’ve often heard that the hope he inspires is just words. Yes… he uses words to inspire. He also follows through those words with actions. Those inspirational words also inspire others to follow through with actions.
It’s about each of us taking responsibility for our own destiny. If things are working the way we want them to work, then we need to figure out how to change the rules to improve the situation.
I’m reminded of a water gun game my nephew was playing with his older and bigger brother. His brother was in the tree house, had the bigger gun, and was clearly clobbering the younger one. I took aside my little nephew and said that he could not win the game.. at least not the way it was being played. The rules, set up, and positioning were all failing him. If he wanted to win the water gun game, he’d need to change the rules. He pondered for a moment, then went for the water hose.
Allan Seils: Deficit. Economy. War in Iraq. War in Afghanistan. International credibility. Environment.
Mary Ann Neely: Health care. I don’t think Obama’s voluntary program will work. We have trouble enough getting people to get car insurance when that is mandatory.
Alphonso Marsh: Health care, pension reform, Social Security, Supreme Court judges, prison reform, immigration, homeland security, alternative energy and jobs for seniors.
Pat Bulla: a) Global climate change. (I heard from a reputable source recently that by 2015 there may not be any ice in the arctic during summers! I had been thinking things may get really bad by 2040 or 2050. But no ice in the arctic by 2015 is pretty darned scary! That will affect everything else we care about—from food, the economy, our health and on down the list!)
(b) War in Iraq.
(c) Health care and the costs involved. It is frightening to think of living in this country without any health insurance. Fortunately, I have been lucky enough to have health insurance—SO FAR!
Many thanks to everyone who responded.
—W. Gardner Selby
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June 3, 2008
Howard and Strama unite as Democrats
State Representatives Donna Howard and Mark Strama urge the Democratic Party to unite - no matter who wins the nomination.
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May 20, 2008
Chris Bell considers state Senate run
Chris Bell, the 2006 Democratic gubernatorial nominee, could be edging closer to a bid for the District 17 Texas Senate seat soon to be vacated by Kyle Janek, the Houston Republican who said in January he’s intending to resign his seat in June.
Sen. Kirk Watson, D-Austin, who won election to the 31-member body in 2006 after being his party’s nominee for attorney general in 2002, has called Bell to offer encouragement.
“I’ve known Chris a long time, and was excited about the prospect he might consider it. I talked to him on Saturday,” Watson said.
“He would be a formidable candidate in that district because of his length of service in the Houston area,” Watson said, referring to Bell’s background as a one-term U.S. House member and before that as a member of the Houston City Council who ran for mayor.
“My guess is he’d start that race with the sort of name ID that an incumbent usually enjoys, maybe even better than an incumbent,” Watson said.
Bell told me he’s not decided to make the bid, but he’s considering it.
A potentially significant wrinkle: Bell has resolved nearly $42,000 in outstanding bank loans he reported on his gubernatorial campaign committee finance report filed in January.
“We negotiated a settlement of the amount of interest owing with the bank,” Bell said. “We will pay $26,000 as full and final settlement of the amount owing and that will be the end of it.” The money will be paid from his gubernatorial campaign kitty.
According to a published report—see the story here—two Republicans are already seeking to fill Janek’s footsteps: Houston lawyer Grant Harpold, a precinct chairman, and Houston money manager Austen Furse.
State Rep. Charlie Howard, R-Sugar Land, and Gary Polland, former Harris County Republican Party chair, are two others who reportedly have expressed interest.
Among Democrats, state Rep. Scott Hochberg of Houston has been mentioned as a contender, though if the special election coincides with November’s general election, Hochberg would be forced to choose between seeking re-election or chasing the Senate post.
Hochberg noted Tuesday that Gov. Rick Perry has not yet set the special election date. Perry doesn’t have Janek’s letter of resignation yet either, I’m told, though it’s expected any day now.
If Bell seeks the seat, he’ll enter knowing Perry won 39 percent of the district vote in 2002, with Bell drawing 30 percent and independents Carole Keeton Strayhorn and Kinky Friedman trailing.
In the closest non-judicial statewide race in the Senate district, Elizabeth Ames Jones won her race for the Texas Railroad Commission with 56.5 percent of the vote. Democrat Dale Henry took 43.5 percent.
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May 15, 2008
Taibbi's Texas project, Hagee's "apology"
I visited this week with Matt Taibbi, a Rolling Stone contributing editor whose book, “The Great Derangement,” taps research he conducted by posing as a member of San Antonio’s Cornerstone Church, whose pastor is John Hagee. Peek at the column here or a book excerpt here.
Hagee, who had no immediate comment on the book when I called, has been under scrutiny lately for what some consider his anti-Catholic remarks as a minister. They’re getting special attention because he’s endorsed U.S. Sen. John McCain for president. This week, Hagee issued a statement interpreted as an apology in media coverage, though the statement I found on the Cornerstone is more an explanatory statement than a mea culpa.
“I am not now, nor have I ever been anti-Catholic,” Hagee says. See his press release here.
While my column focused on Taibbi’s time in Texas, his book presents some pointed commentary on doings in Congress that bear recall.
In one aside, the author describes the drone of an isolationist Tennessee Republican rising to speak on the floor of the U.S. House. Turns out that that Rep. John J. Duncan, Jr., assumed his post on the death of his father, who had been elected a dozen consecutive times. “Three hundred years from now,” Taibbi goes on, “the city of Knoxville’s congressman will be a Duncan opposed to the extension of foreign aid to Pluto.”
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, gets a prime pasting in Taibbi’s recap of an effort by Barton after Hurricane Katrina flooded New Orleans to say the disaster demonstrated an emergency need to lift longtime restrictions on air pollutants from plants built after 1970 as spelled out in the Clean Air Act.
After Barton mis-summarized the measure, Taibbi writes, a Massachusetts Democrat on the committee hearing the matter said that if he’d given a similar summary to his constituents at a Massachusetts gas station, they “wouldn’t leave me in one piece.”
“Well, what I do at a Texas gas station, when people ask if I’m Congressman Barton,” Barton replied, smiling, “is this… I just tell ‘em I’m his driver.” The comment drew laughs all around.
A couple more then-House members get mention: Tom DeLay, then the House majority leader, and Chris Bell, the Houston Democrat who raised ethics questions about DeLay in his lame-duck last months in the House.
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May 8, 2008
'The Big Sort'
Is there really a way to know whether a neighborhood leans Republican or Democratic without studying voting records?
Author Bill Bishop says there are signs. He means that literally.
Speaking today at an event hosted by the Center for Politics and Governance at the LBJ School of Public Affairs, Bishop showed a photo of a sign in his heavily Democratic Travis Heights neighborhood that said, “Impeach.” He also showed a sign at BookPeople advertising a Darwin Day event. Not the kind of signs you see in heavily Republican areas.
In his new book, “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America is Tearing us Apart,” the former Statesman reporter writes that for the past three decades, Americans have been sorting themselves into homogeneous communities, churches and clubs.
“The middle has dropped out of everything,” Bishop said.
There’s been a big focus on red states and blue states, but Bishop and co-author Robert Cushing, a retired UT sociology professor, looked at a smaller area: the county. They found that Americans are much more likely than they were 30 years ago to live in counties where one party won by a large margin, 20 percentage points or more. Even though the presidential election in 2004 was very close, nearly half of voters lived in communities where the election was not at all close, the book says.
“As Americans have moved over the past three decades, they have clustered in communities of sameness, among people with similar ways of life, beliefs, and in the end, politics,” Bishop wrote.
Bishop plans to talk about “The Big Sort” at BookPeople on May 28 at 7 p.m.
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April 28, 2008
Voter ID decision could boost Texas efforts for such a law
States can require voters to show voter identification, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled Monday.
Texas Republicans have pushed for such a requirement in recent years and are likely to keep doing so, saying it prevents voter fraud. They’re likely to pick that fight back up when the Legislature returns in January.
Texas Democrats, who say such laws discourage some elderly and minority voters from going to the polls, have so far managed to thwart those efforts.
The court ruled 6-3 that an Indiana voter ID law can stand. That law is considered among the toughest voter ID laws in the country.
Because Indiana’s ID cards are free, the inconvenience of getting one is not a substantial burden for most voters, Justice John Paul Stevens wrote. The burden on a few people, such as the elderly, is mitigated by the fact that they can fill out provisional ballots if they sign an affidavit at the circuit court office.
“I’m saddened that the Supreme Court has chosen to legalize discrimination,” state Sen. Mario Gallegos, D-Houston, said in reaction to the court’s decision. “But just because they court’s decision indicates that it’s legal doesn’t mean it’s right.”
Last year, Gallegos cut short his recovery from surgery in Houston to return to the Senate to fight the voter ID legislation.
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April 8, 2008
Smith wins Democratic runoff for Bastrop County sheriff
Democratic voters in Bastrop County’s runoff election chose retired FBI agent Wayne Smith on Tuesday to be their candidate for sheriff in November.
The November election will be especially significant for Bastrop County voters, as the last elected sheriff pleaded guilty this year to several felony counts, including theft by a public servant.
Smith will face Republican Terry Pickering, a Travis County sheriff’s officer, in the Nov. 4 general election.
Smith faced off in Tuesday’s runoff election with former Texas Department of Public Safety Officer Tommy Oates after a close finish in the March Democratic primary. With all precincts reporting Tuesday evening, Smith received 54.5 percent, or 1,440 votes, to Oates’ 45.5 percent, or 1,204 votes.
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March 29, 2008
Williamson turnout blows even a Republican away
Earlier we reported on the large number of Democrats that turned out for the Williamson County Democratic Convention, something that’s notable in a county that’s been mostly Republican for the past decade.
Republican officials in the county have dismissed suggestions that Democrats could be taking over the county, however, even noting that the county’s elected officials are all Republican.
But one of those officials, constable Gary Griffin, admitted that today’s showing of Obama and Clinton supporters is unique for this county.
“I’d say it’s a false belief to say Democrats are non-existent in this county,” Griffin, a long-time Republican said.
“I’ve been to many Republican conventions and I’ve never seen this,” he said. “This is phenomenal, this is what you see at the state level.”
For the record, though, Griffin said he’s still a Republican.
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February 27, 2008
Waiting for Obama
There are already thousands of people gathered at Sewell Park in San Marcos, awaiting the arrival of Sen. Barack Obama.
One San Marcos resident remembered the last time that a presidential candidate actually stopped in San Marcos — in the 1990s, when Bill Clinton’s campaign bus (with Bill and Hillary on board) stopped at a Chevron station for a few minutes on its way from Austin to San Antonio. A couple handshakes, a photo or two, and the Clintons were on their way.
The crowd standing out here in the cold tonight is hoping for a little more from Obama.
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The candidate and his mascot
Organizers of Barack Obama’s campaign stop tonight in San Marcos have invited Boko, the Texas State bobcat, to attend. Boko’s apperance could one-up Hobbit Samwise Gamgee’s endorsement of Hillary Clinton at a campaign stop by Chelsea Clinton in San Marcos Monday.
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Green Party convention
The Travis Country Green Party will hold its consolidated precinct convention on March 11 at 7 p.m. at the Brick Oven Restaurant, 1209 Red River St.
On the agenda: Selecting delegates for the county convention the following week, said Bill Holloway, Travis County Green Party chairman.
Registered voters who want to support the Green Party can only do so if they do not vote in the democratic or republican primaries next week.
“We’re trying to get the word out to voters,” Halloway said. “That you have more than two choices, more than democratic or republican.”
The Travis County Green Party will start collecting signatures to get its candidates on the November ballot the week after the Texas primaries. To gain ballot access, about 400,000 signatures must be obtained, Halloway said.
“It’s a hopeful year,” he said. The party has more than twice the amount of money than it did in 2000 when they did gain ballot access, Halloway said. He did not disclose specific figures.
“If we get ballot access in enough states, I think we could theoretically win the presidency, ” Halloway said.
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Women voters surge, female officials don't
Women historically vote at a higher rate than men, and this year is no exception. In states that have held primaries already, between 55 and 62 percent of voters have been women, said Ellen Malcolm, president and founder of EMILY’s List, which helps elect pro-choice, Democratic women to office.
Malcolm was in Austin Tuesday talking about her support for U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton. She sat down with reporters to talk about women voters and women candidates. She was joined by state Reps. Valinda Bolton and Donna Howard, two Austin Democrats who also back Clinton.
Texas is expected to follow national patterns on high turnout of women voters. But when it comes to women being elected to office in Texas, the state Legislature is lacking, Bolton and Howard said. Just 100 women have ever served in the Texas House of Representatives and 32 of them are there now, Bolton said.
In the past four sessions of the Legislature, there have been, in chronological order: 31, 32, 33 and 32 women in the 150-member House, Howard said.
“Though we have been successful in having some more Democratic women in our House, we have essentially not done much to change the number of women as a whole in the House,” Howard said.
Howard pointed to her work helping to pull together a bipartisan air quality caucus last session as an example of her impact as a woman.
“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that a man would not be able to do that,” she said. “But the fact is that I came in using skills that are often times attributable to women, I think, in terms of relational skills, consensus building skills.”
Howard and Bolton have gotten support from Annie’s List, a Texas organization similar to EMILY’s List that works to elect women and protect female incumbents.
Women “are the progressive change agents in our country,” Malcolm said. “You can take the energy of the presidential election and help use that to elect good women to the state Legislature.”
State Rep. Donna Howard, EMILY’s List president Ellen Malcolm and state Rep. Valinda Bolton
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February 26, 2008
Early voting numbers reach new highs
Record-breaking early voting numbers in Travis County seem to show no signs of slowing, after more voters turned out at polling sites Monday than any other early voting day so far.
The Travis County Clerk’s Office tallied 9,327 votes Monday — about 500 more votes than were received last Friday, when the second-most number of votes were counted.
On Saturday, Travis County surpassed the number of early votes recorded during the entire early voting period in the 2004 presidential primaries. Already 9.5 percent of registered voters have cast ballots in early voting this year, compared with the 6.1 percent of registered voters who participated in 2004.
As of Monday night, more than 53,300 early votes were counted in Travis County. Of those, 83 percent have been from Democratic voters.
Early voting ends Friday. Click here for a list of early voting locations.
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February 25, 2008
Hobbit Samwise Gamgee endorses Clinton
Sean Astin, a.k.a. Hobbit Samwise Gamgee, accompanied Chelsea Clinton at an appearance at the Hays County Courthouse in San Marcos Monday afternoon. Samwise Gamgee, wisely concealing his hairy Hobbit toes, told a crowd of about 75 about one of the first times he met Hillary Clinton.
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February 22, 2008
Grandma listens in from Toledo
About five minutes into Obama’s speech, Tony Gaston Jr., called his Granny in Toledo.
She listened to Obama through the phone for the rest of the speech. Although what she heard was muffled, Gaston said it was more than enough for her to know her grandson was there, taking part in history.
Gaston, 20, said he’d heard most of what Obama said tonight before in previous speeches, but being so close to him was “truly enjoyable.”
Obama mentioned at one point that he was tough - how could he not be, Obama asked the crowd: He’s a black man named Barack Obama running for president.
Gaston said that resonated with him because there’s been so much debate about Obama being a black man and whether he could win the presidency because of that fact.
“Who’s here?” he asked. “Black people, white people.”
Gaston said Obama makes it so people don’t see color.
And no worries about Gaston’s granny. Obama will be in Toledo in the coming weeks, and Gaston said she already has one of his cousins recruited to go to that rally and phone in.
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The Obama "text message scene"
Note to self: don’t drive through Amarillo with a Democratic bumper sticker.
The John Kerry sticker Elayna Mitchell, 30, had in 2004 got her car egged.
Eggs?
“I mean, what can you do?” she said. “Oh well.”
This time around, she’s proudly sporting an Obama sticker on her car and a button on her coat.
When the voice on the speaker asked the crowd if they were fired up, Mitchell said she indeed was.
Actually, she let out several high-pitched “Yeaaaaaaa!”
“Call the fire department!” yelled an Obama volunteer. “She’s fired up!”
“Look at all these people,” Mitchell explained. “I feel like I’m part of history.”
She doesn’ feel like she’s done much to get the word out for Obama and wishes she could do more.
“I voted early,” she said, apologetically.
Oh, and - I’m on the text-messaging scene.”
She signed up online to receive text messages about Obama events, then she forwards them to about, oh, 50 friends.
Not doing enough? Hmmm. So this is the grassroots stuff everyone’s been talking about. And for the record, her car hasn’t been egged, but then again, she hasn’t been to Amarillo lately, either.
Obama is now on stage. Cheers are LOUD.
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This is history
It smells like smoked sausage and roasted corn at the rally, and the people are packed so close together that it’s nearly impossible to move from one side of the crowd to the other. The flood lights are blinding, and it’s starting to get chilly.
Is this what history feels like?
The rally hasn’t started yet, but most people here believe tonight’s Obama rally is a historic event, and they were eager to be a part of it.
Musicians Daniel Keyes, 26, and Andrew Collins, 24, have been standing with the crowd in front of the Capital for about an hour and a half now.
“I’m soaking it in,” Collins said.
Waiting isn’t an issue.
“This is history, especially if he wins Texas,” Keyes said.
There’s so many young people here tonight, Keyes said. It’s historic to him because Obama represents something new.
“Change,” he said, pointing to the banner behind the stage that says “Change we can believe in”.
That’s why Ecleamus Ricks, 25, and Reshenda Daniels, 26, showed up, but with a different take on why tonight could make the history books.
“It’s the first time and African-American running for president has a chance,” Daniels said.
They came prepared, bringing blankets, snacks and folding chairs.
“Want a granola bar?” Ricks asked.
He’s been walking door to door in his neighborhood in Northwest Austin to remind people to vote in the primary, and to choose Obama.
“This is the first primary Texas has a vote” that matters, he said.
Right now, the band is playing a song called “Obama-luleah.”
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Today's early voters not swayed by last night's debate
At a polling station at a South Austin H-E-B on Friday morning, a steady number of people who showed up to vote early acknowledged they weren’t swayed by last night’s debate in Austin between Democratic U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
“I had already made up my mind before I heard that debate,” Eloise Harriss-Teas said.
Harriss-Teas said she voted early “to avoid the crowd” but acknowledged “there is quite a crowd in there already.”
“I voted for Obama, I think he’s the better candidate. I think we’ve had our fill of Clintons in the White House, or at least I’ve had my fill of Clintons in the White House,” she said.
Marian Yates said she voted early “just so I’d get it done. Otherwise I might forget or I might not get into the voting place or whatever.
“I voted for Barack Obama ‘cause I think we need a change. And he’d be a change, there’s no doubt about that,” she said.
Mark Barker voted for Obama because he said he is inspiring.
“He’s just someone who I think has the character to lead this country and this world at a very, very critical time,” Barker said.
But Clinton supporter Chris Ahuero said “two is better than one,” referring to his belief that having former president Bill Clinton working with Hillary would be beneficial for the country.
“We’re tired of Bush and we do need a change, and I do not think that Obama has enough experience to do it,” Ahuero said.
Teo Ruedas voted mostly to support his girlfriend, who is running for a county constable position. But he said he’s “tired of the Republican Party and we really need a change.”
Bhagirit Crow said he has never been involved in the primaries before but said it’s “exciting to have a sense that we can really make some change in the country and in our communities as well.”
“It just seems like Barack has more of a unifying vision and more of the kind of qualities that I think it’s going to take in order to really lead the helm,” he said.
His friend, Gabriella Esponisa, added: “The ideal would be a dual ticket, Obama and Hillary.”
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February 21, 2008
Lots of cheering at Scholz Garden
Here at Scholz Garden, the unofficial headquarters for Texans for Obama during the debate, the crowd seems happy with how Obama’s doing so far.
Of course, this is Obama territory.
“For the first time since Kennedy, I like him,” said Tom Swinnea, 51.
For Loretta Renfro, 58, Obama’s appeal is his interest in the common person, not “the rich man.”
“He’s not for black, white, brown,” she said. “He’s for the people.”
It was tough to find someone at Scholz’s who hasn’t drunk the Obama Koolaid, but then I met Matthew Casey, 29, and Shabnam Shirazian, 25.
“They’re quite passionate about Obama, and I’ve yet to see why,” Shirazian said.
“There’s so much enthusiasm, you’re kind of suspect,” Casey added.
As of the beginning of the debate, they were still undecided.
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Which Kennedy was that again?
Earlier today at Texas State University, hundreds of people listened to local and state Democrats stump for Barack Obama — almost all of them were students.
The excitement of the crowd fit with media reports that Obama is motivating young people. The youth of the crowd meant that most of the people in the auditorium weren’t alive when John F. Kennedy was president.
But many of them came to hear Sen. Edward Kennedy. When a Kennedy was introduced, everyone cheered. But it was Joe Kennedy Jr. — not the senator.
Joe Kennedy introduced himself and apologized that his father couldn’t be there today. Which caused a momentary hum in the crowd.
Someone whispered, “So Ted Kennedy’s not coming?”
Joe Kennedy Jr. is the son of Robert F. Kennedy, who was assassinated in 1968. All was well after Edward “Ted” Kennedy came on stage and thanked his nephew, clearing up the confusion.
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Making sure your vote counts
The line “vote early, vote often” seems to have been around as long as politics itself. But how about “vote early, while you still can”?
State Rep. Pete Gallego didn’t actually use those words Thursday when he told a story that drew laughs at a crowded State Capitol press briefing on the impact of the Texas Latino vote in the March 4 primaries.
But the saying came to mind when Gallego, D-Alpine, related how his own parents, who are in their 80s, are so jazzed about the election.
“My mother, she can’t wait” to vote, Gallego said. “She’s one of those people who votes on the first day of early voting because she says she’s not sure she’ll make it to election day.”
“So it’s not just the young voters” who are energized, Gallego said, laughing.
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Clinton, Obama in Austin for debate
Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are in Austin this afternoon gearing up for tonight’s debate, campaign officials reported.
Clinton is at an undisclosed, private location in Austin before the debate, and Obama is at an Austin hotel resting, according to representatives from their campaigns.
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Kennedy compares Obama to brother JFK
During a morning rally at Texas State University Massachusetts Senator Edward Kennedy told hundreds of students in San Marcos that Barack Obama has the qualities - and experience - that make a good president.
Historians, he told the crowd, say the best presidents have certain things in common: good judgment, loyalty, sacrifice and the ability to inspire. Obama has those qualities, he said. His message was intended to counter Obama critics who say he doesn’t have enough experience.
Former President James Buchanan, who was president at the start of the Civil War, had loads of experience, and historians call him one of the worst presidents ever, Kennedy told the crowd. Vice President Dick Cheney had experience, too, Kennedy said, and he’s been a “disaster.”
There were several comparisons between John F. Kennedy and Barack Obama made by the speakers Tuesday morning.
Edward Kennedy said his brother inspired young people to get involved.
This doesn’t happen anymore, he said. But, “Barack Obama is going to tell you what you can to do for your country,” he declared, evoking his brother’s words.
Later, he told a group of reporters that no one would ever be on the same level as his two brothers, but Obama is able to motivate people in a way that other politicians haven’t.
Many students said they attended the rally for the historic nature, so they could tell their grandchildren that they heard a Kennedy give a speech.
There’s no consensus on the San Marcos campus, even among those who attended the rally for Obama.
Kennedy didn’t sway Dare Lamberson, 21, and two friends, who came because they heard a rumor Barack Obama himself would show up.
“I thought it was a lot of hype,” he said. He’s still undecided.
“I was hoping to go in and learn something about (Obama), and I didn’t feel like there was anything new,” said his friend Lauryn Gould, 23. She supports Ron Paul, as do a couple dozen Paul supporters who gathered outside the auditorium to protest Obama.
But the hype is why these sorts of events exist, said Saurabh Gupta, 23, who is a member of the campus Democrats group.
“These speeches are more to get together a group of supporters, and get the message across,” he said.
Did Gupta, a Hillary Clinton supporter, get the message about Obama’s experience?
“Regardless of what people say about experience, it does require a certain amount of experience to be president,” he said, adding that he’ll still vote for Clinton.
Meanwhile, Ron Paul supporters are still going strong with their protest, more than an hour after the event.
“There are a lot of Ron Paul supporters on this campus,” said one student passing by.
And Jude Prather, a student who ran unsuccessfully for city council last year, said he’s voted in the Republican primary for the past three elections.
So why is he voting for Obama?
Because Obama is motivating young people, Prather said, echoing Kennedy’s words from earlier in the morning.
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Kennedy says hello to San Marcos
And there he is.
After several false starts where the entire Evans Auditorium broke into cheers, Sen. Edward Kennedy has arrived on stage.
The crowd stood up, screamed. The enthusiasm isn’t just for Barack Obama. For some students at Texas State University, seeing Kennedy speak is something they will tell their grandchildren about, as many reported earlier while waiting in line.
“Hello San Marcos,” Kennedy yelled to the crowd. He said his last visit to Texas was 48 years ago, when he was speaking for his brother.
“In one year, George W. Bush will not be president,” he said. More cheers.
For some reason, he just read out the directions on how to get to Texas State University, which got some chuckles.
Earlier, the senator’s nephew, Joe Kennedy Jr. spoke, as did Ben Barnes, former Democratic Texas lieutenant governor, and U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett-Austin, in support of Obama. Doggett endorsed Obama yesterday.
Barnes said Obama would fulfill the agenda of former presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson in bringing equal rights.
Comparing Obama and Kennedy was a common theme for the speakers who introduced Sen. Edward Kennedy.
The president of Texas State College Democrats spoke before Kennedy came on, saying the world is watching, and this is his generation’s to chance to show everyone that Texas is no longer a red state.
San Marcos city council member Chris Jones earlier told the crowd that he supports Obama because he’s against the war, his education policy and health care. Jones said when he ran for council, people said he was too young and inexperienced, something critics say about Obama.
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Meeting up with Kennedy 48 years later
Evans Auditorium is buzzing. Every once in a while, someone in the crowd lets out a whooping cheer.
The crowd of students and visitors are waiting to hear Sen. Edward Kennedy talk about his support for Barack Obama.
In the crowd is Michael Collins, 70. Collins met Kennedy 48 years ago in Abilene when Kennedy was stumping for his brother John.
Back then, Collins said, the big talk of the town was that the president of the United States could be a Catholic, of all things.
“How ironic, 40 years later, we have an African-American and a woman” running, he said.
Collins said he supports Obama, although if Hillary Clinton’s supporter was someone else, he’d probably vote for Clinton.
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Texas State students wait for Kennedy
Hundreds of people are waiting in line outside an auditorium at Texas State University to hear Sen. Edward Kennedy talk about Barack Obama.
Some are Obama supporters, others are hoping to hear more about Obama to make up their mind. Still others just wanted to hear a Kennedy speak.
Michael Green, 19, likes Republican John McCain. “But I’m not going to protest or anything,” he said.
Green, a student at Texas State, said he could be swayed by Kennedy today.
“Well yeah,” he said. “McCain didn’t come” to San Marcos.
His friend Lisa Freeman, 24, thinks she’ll vote for Obama, but she’s also a huge Kennedy fan and has been since she was little.
“I grew up in Dallas,” she said. “My dad was in the third or fourth grade when (John F.) Kennedy was killed.” Another group of students said they were Hillary Clinton supporters, but they hope to find out more about Obama’s views. “I wanted to hear if (Kennedy) has something substantial to say about Obama,” student Michael Pinkston, 26, said. They just let the doors open to the auditorium, so Pinkston will soon find out.
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February 18, 2008
Obama campaign courts my vote
Got a call at home just now, and since the caller asked for “Corinne,” I figured it was either a salesman or someone asking for a donation for my (much-loved) alma mater.
But it turned out to be a Barack Obama volunteer. Let the campaign calls begin!
The volunteer said he was at home, calling a list of people who live in his neighborhood. Which I believe, because two seconds after I heard an ambulance in the background of the phone call, I heard an ambulance outside my window.
The volunteer — whose name is Nathaniel Stone — said it’s rare he reaches a live human. “By and large, I’m provided with wrong numbers,” he told me.
When he does get a real person, he gives them a little education on how the whole nominating thing works. “Nobody knows about caucuses,” he said.
All this work educating people and not even he gets a ticket to Thursday’s Obama-Clinton debate in Austin.
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43,000 entered drawing for debate tix
Registration has closed for the Texas Democratic Party’s drawing for 100 tickets to the presidential debate.
Here’s the final count on entries: 43,436.
“It just goes to show the enthusiasm and the excitement behind the debate and this primary,” said state party spokesman Hector Nieto.
Names of the lucky winners will be drawn tomorrow by an outside vendor, Nieto said. You must be a registered Texas voter to win.
The debate between U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama is Thursday at the University of Texas.
Did people in other states go this crazy for debate tickets?
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Last chance to enter for Obama-Clinton debate tickets
The drawing for 100 tickets to Thursday’s debate in Austin between U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama closes today at 5 p.m.
You can sign up at the Texas Democratic Party Web site
So far, 39,845 people have entered, according to party spokesman Hector Nieto.
That’s about a 1-in-400 shot. Hey, not too bad. Probably better odds than getting one of those T-shirts the University of Texas cheer squad launches into the Erwin Center crowd during basketball games.
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UT students must sign up online to enter debate ticket drawing
Last week, Dr. Soncia Reagins-Lilly, senior associate vice president and dean of students at the University of Texas, told me that all current UT students would be automatically entered into a drawing for tickets to the Democratic presidential debate.
Since then, the plan has changed. Now, students are required to fill out this form on the Dean of Students’ Web site, said Lilly’s assistant, Araceli Nieto. Sign-up closes at midnight tonight, Nieto said. She did not say how many tickets were available for students.
Non-UT students may enter the Texas Democratic Party’s drawing for tickets until 5 p.m. today.
The debate between U.S. Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton is Thursday at UT.
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February 16, 2008
'Ugly Betty' star to stump for Clinton in Austin on Sunday
Actress and ‘Ugly Betty’ star America Ferrera will make a sweep through Texas for the Hillary Clinton campaign, in an effort to reach out to the state’s young and Latino voters.
Ferrera, is one of a few Hispanic actresses to achieve prime time fame, with in her critically acclaimed show with cross-cultural appeal. In addition to stops in San Antonio and Houston, Ferrera will attend “Our Voice, Our Future” rally at 1 p.m. at Joe’s Bar and Grill, 506 West Avenue in Austin.
The rally is part of the campaign’s outreach to students and young professionals, and similar events featuring Ferrera have been held in other primary states, according to Deirdre Murphy, a spokesperson with the Clinton campaign.
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February 15, 2008
Campbell Brown to moderate Austin presidential debate
Campbell Brown will moderate the Feb. 21 debate in Austin between U.S. Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, CNN has announced.
Before Brown moved to CNN recently, she spent 11 years at NBC, where her work included spending more than a month in Austin covering the presidential vote recount in 2000. She was the NBC News White House correspondent during President George W. Bush’s first term.
At the debate at the University of Texas, CNN chief national correspondent John King and Univision anchor Jorge Ramos will ask the candidates questions.
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Texas Dem drawing for debate tix very popular
By this morning, more than 20,000 registered Texas voters had signed up for the Texas Democratic Party’s drawing for presidential debate tickets, according to a party spokesman.
The signup is at txdemocrats.org … One reader pointed out that if you accidentally go to txdemocrats.com, that takes you to the Republican Party of Texas.
Sneaky, huh? (Or smart, depending on your perspective).
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February 14, 2008
All UT students eligible for debate ticket lottery
If you’re a current University of Texas student, you’ll be automatically entered in a lottery to win tickets to the Feb. 21 Barack Obama/Hillary Clinton debate on campus. That’s according to Soncia Reagins-Lilly, senior associate vice president and dean of students.
No word yet on how many student tickets are available or when the lucky students will be selected. Undergraduate and graduate students are eligible. For more information, call the Office of the Dean of Students, (512) 471-5017.
For graduate students at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, there will be a separate drawing, said assistant dean Susan Binford. LBJ School students (there are 351 of them) can sign up in person at the Office of Student and Alumni Programs to be entered in the drawing. The LBJ School gets to invite around 40 people, most of whom will be students, Binford said.
The Texas Democratic Party, CNN, Univision and the Clinton and Obama campaigns also get to invite people. It’s still unclear how many seats the Recreational Sports Center gym will hold, but CNN officials said yesterday it would fit between 1,000 and 3,000.
All registered Texas voters are eligible to enter the Texas Democratic Party’s drawing for 100 tickets.
Here’s info on the Texas Democratic Party’s debate watch party (it’s $50). Anyone know about any other watch parties?
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Your questions about debate tix answered
The Texas Democratic Party is already getting a “significant” response from people who want to enter the drawing for one of 100 debate tickets the party is giving away, said spokesman Hector Nieto.
Here are answers to questions we’re hearing from readers who want to see Clinton and Obama debate in person:
Q: May I enter the drawing if I live somewhere in Texas other than Austin?
Yes. But you have to be a registered voter in Texas, Nieto said.
Q: May I enter the drawing if I live out of state?
No. Texans only.
Q: May I enter more than once?
No.
Q: My grandma/aunt/brother/friend does not have Internet access. Is it possible for them to enter the drawing?
Yes. They may call the Texas Democratic Party at (512) 478-9800.
Q: I’m leaving my name in the comments section of your blog.
OK, but that will not enter you in the drawing. You have to click here and register with the Texas Democratic Party.
Q: When do I find out if I win?
The Texas Democratic Party says winners will be notified Tuesday morning.
Q: When is the deadline to enter the drawing?
Monday at 5 p.m.
Q: I’m a UT student. Is there another way I can get tickets?
There may be. When we have more information on how UT is distributing tickets, we’ll post it here on our blog.
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