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May 15 -
First Republicans, then these.  We have too many danged varmints in Texas.



May 15 - Ah, life is good.  House Republicans believe that they'll lose 20 more seats in November.
     That would restore them to their rightful place as America's perennial minority party without any power to do anything else harmful. 

For the past 18 months, ever since the 2006 elections, congressional Republicans have been like a hospital patient trying to convince visitors that he is not really all that sick: a bit under the weather; actually feel better than I sound; should be up and about any day; thanks for asking.

Suddenly — belatedly — all pretense is gone.

The Republican defeat in Tuesday’s special election in Mississippi, in a deeply conservative district where, in an average year, Democrats cannot even compete, was a clear sign that the GOP has the political equivalent of cancer that has spread throughout the body. Many House GOP operatives are privately predicting that the party could easily lose up to 20 seats this fall.

     Okay, the House and the White House are secure.  Let's work on a very realistic chance of having a Democratic Senator from Texas, Rick Noriega.



May 15 - Okay, guys, here's a story we might want to get out nationally.
     Remember Bob Perry, the money man behind Swift Boat Veterans for Truth and the single largest contributor to the Texas Republican Party?
     You know how he's a proud member of Nassau Bay Baptist Church and father of Will Perry, the CEO of Perry Properties.
     Well, Will Perry ended up in a Fort Bend County divorce court last week and Bev Carter of the Fort Bend Star was there to cover it ----

Under questioning by Laura Perry’s attorney, Will Perry admitted he has been a sexual addict for many years, but had quit attending Sex Addicts Anonymous in January, 2008. He said he had sex with “probably” 20 prostitutes since his marriage. During this testimony, Mrs. Perry left the courtroom and her uncontrollable sobs in the hall could be heard inside.

A chart in Will Perry’s handwriting that he had drawn several years ago tracing his sexual addiction blamed his sexual addiction problems on his father who he claimed was an alcoholic and verbally abusive, and his mother who he said was sexually abused by her father. He said Laura Perry was codependent but he said these were his thoughts 12-13 years ago and was no longer the case. (See what I mean by daddy’s checkbook should be open to keep this whole business out of court. If Perry did file bankruptcy to avoid paying his wife and children, he just made the stupidest move of his life, which is now displayed for all to see.)

     And it's get even seedier -

He testified that he did not post his profile on Match.com even though it was there. Nor any of the other dating sites and he didn’t post exotic pictures of himself. He finally admitted that he had logged on to Match.com to look around.

     Republicans are just the nicest people.
     Hey, Daddy Perry, pay for your grandchildren.  This is getting embarrassing.  How 'bout we form "Women with Philandering Husbands for Truth?" 
     Bev promises there's more to come. 


Don't you think a sex addict would refrain from mentioning his involvement in "local organizations including the ... Rio Bend children's home, the YMCA ..." ?  Isn't Rio Bend  Children's Home Tom Delay's...whatever it is?   And the YMCA? 

How is a sex addict involved with Children's groups?  I'm not making any accusations, but I think it someone should be asking questions and  making sure his involvement was nothing more than monetary.  

Patrick


So Bob Perry, moneybags to all things Godly and Republican, turns out to be an abusive alcoholic to his family.  Why am I not surprised? 

Isn't Perry a major supporter of John Cornyn?

The more sanctimonious they are, the harder they fall.

Hey Zeus


Bob Perry only opens his check book to pay off the Texas Supreme Court.  As much as I delight in the hypocrisy of these folk, his influence is unsettling.

- Jeromy
 



I looked at your Perry story right after I'd posted this: Jinx?
 

Chief Charly Hoarse


May 14 - Alfredo sends us a think-piece from The Hill.

The sky is falling on House Republicans and there is no sign of it letting up.

The GOP loss in Mississippi’s special election Tuesday is the strongest sign yet that the Republican Party is in shambles. And while some Republicans see a light at the end of the tunnel, that light more likely represents the Democratic train that is primed to mow down more Republicans in November.

And they're whistling past the graveyard -

In a January interview with The Hill, (NRCC Chairman Tom) Cole said, “My biggest problem is not money or candidates. It’s Republican morale. There’s no reason to be this down. The worst is behind us.”

The NRCC chairman has been dealt a bad hand, as scandals have continued to hit the GOP.

Rep. Rick Renzi (R-Ariz.) has been indicted and married Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.) was recently arrested and subsequently admitted to an affair and fathering a child out-of-wedlock.

In February, the NRCC announced that it was the victim of an internal accounting fraud and that the losses could total in the millions on dollars.

     How do you know the worst is behind you, Tom?  Do you have any idea how many more Republican men are fixing to get caught?  Woo, woo ... check your back, Bub.



May 14 - All right!  My first choice for President just endorsed my second choice

     Get this super-cool bumper sticker at Fort Bend Democrats, this Saturday, 10:00 till noon, First Colony library 2121 Austin Parkway, Sugar Land.  They will also have rally signs and pins - cheap.



May 14 - Bless their little bitty tiny hearts, Republican just don't get it.

"I don't want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf," he said. "I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal."

     People are losing their children, spouses, siblings, and parents, so Bush gives up golf as his sacrifice? 
     Cripes, no wonder Republicans are dropping like flies. 
First Illinois 14, then Louisiana 6th and now Mississippi 1st
     Oddly, what happened in the Mississippi 1st also happened here in Fort Bend County.  Republicans tried to tie their opponent to Barack Obama and play the Obama card.  (Watch the scary YouTube at that link.)

No, turn your eyes South. The real political hacks will be watching northern Mississippi, where Democrats will try to snatch a third U.S. House seat in a row from Republicans.

And Republicans will discover whether their third attempt to tie Obama — and the Rev. Jeremiah Wright — to the local Democrat is the charm.

     It didn't work.  Which is great news for Obama next November. 
     Now, if you recall, the same thing happened here in Fort Bend County, but in a real weird kind of way.  It was one Republican trying to tie another Republican to Barack Obama in the Republican primary.  Of course, it failed here, too. 

     Barack Obama - a candidate with coattails instead of baggage.



May 13 - And our friend CW , who is hiding out up North, sends us a grin --



May 13 - We get email about some of our favorite people.


Hi Susan,
 
It's nice to know that if nothing else, Bill O'Reilly has at least been consistent in his career. If only CBS had cut the cord then...

Brian


May 13 - Thanks to Carol in Vermont for the heads-up on this one.
     The Republican Party of the United States of America has a new slogan.  Okay, here it is:  "the change you deserve."
     Even on the face of it, that's a mighty strange slogan considering the changes we seem to deserve under Bush is an economy that's tanking, an unwinnable war that's draining our children's lives and our grandchildren's wallets, loss of our basic freedoms, and corporate idolatry --- uh, just to name a few.
     But here come the best part.  Somebody already has that slogan

What the GOP doesn't seem to realize, because they are idiots, is that "the change you deserve" is the registered advertising slogan of Effexor XR,

Effexor, also known as Venlafaxine, is approved for the treatment "of depression, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder in adults." Its common side effects are very much in keeping with the world the House Republicans have striven to build: nausea, apathy, constipation, fatigue, vertigo, sexual dysfunction, sweating, memory loss, and - and I swear I am not making this up - "electric shock-like sensations also called 'brain zaps.'"

     Brain zaps.  Well hell, that explains a lot.
     So prepare yourself because if the GOP is re-elected, you're going to need an anti-depressant and they seem pretty proud of that.



May 12 - Wanna see a big ole load of caca del toro?
     Andy Meyers is now saying, "he made some accounting errors and didn't initially catch them. "It was my fault, my oversight." He added that once he became aware of the errors, he corrected them."
     Accounting errors?  Oversight?
     First, Andy is a CPA.  He runs for office every year on the fact that he's "a numbers and money man."  I have a solar powered pocket calculator and college algebra.  I caught his violations.  That's kinda pitiful. 
     Second, and most importantly, the items brought up by the Texas Ethics Ethics Commission on pages 2 - 7  are violations they found on the corrected reports. 
     Go to page 5 of the Ethics Commission agreement and check #5 and #6 on that page.  On the corrected report, Andy improperly reimbursed himself $19,000.
     So, yes, he corrected it, but the corrections were violations.  Not technical violations.  Not minor violations.  Big ole hairy festering $19,000 violations.
     And, Babe, this is just the tip of the iceberg. 
     Honey, he's lumps in the kitty litter. 



May 12 - Okay, Guys, I put up the wrong PDF of Andy's agreement with the Texas Ethics Commission.  Here it is in full as mailed to me by the TEC.  It's 8 pages in a PDF file.



May 12 - HOLY JUSTICE WITH A CHERRY ON TOP!  It took 18 months, but I won! 
     Our Super DeLux Brand Christian Republican County Commissioner Andy Meyers lawyered-up but was found guilty anyway.  Guilty.  Guilty. Guilty.  Of ethics violations. 
     Yes, sireee.  Ethics violations.  Andy Meyers – that self-righteous son of a motherless goat who never, ever makes mistakes.
     They finally reached a settlement agreement in the ethics complaint I filed against Andy Meyers 18 months ago. 
     The good news is that I was right.  The better news is that Andy was wrong. 
     Andy will now be listed on the Texas Ethics Commissioner’s Wall of Shame for all eternity.  He is only the second person in the history of Fort Bend County to have his name enshrined on the “Look, Ma, no ethics!”  wall.
     You’re very welcome.
     Okay, here’s how it goes.  After I filed the complaint, Andy hired Sugar Land lawyer, defeated CD 22 Republican wannabe candidate and world-renown body snatcher Dean Hrbacek to represent him before the Texas Ethics Commission. 
     I, of course, didn’t lawyer-up.  I just told the truth.  Of course, there are those who say that having your opponent be represented by Dean Hrbacek is equivalent to having Clarence Darrow on your side.  Those people are probably right.
     Anyway, the Texas Ethics Commission not only found that I was right, oh so right, about all the charges about Andy that I made, but they even found of few more of their own that I didn’t even catch.
     The only item they couldn’t gig him on was paying his Sugar Creek Country Club dues with his campaign account.  Andy filed a sworn statement that he only used the country club for political purposes.  He’s going straight to hell for that.   Goodness sake, doesn’t Andy realize that everyone who works at Sugar Creek Country Club is a Democrat, and hasn’t he learned by now that I have spies everywhere?  Like Momma  says, “You can go to hell for lying same as you can for stealing,”  and Andy managed to do both in one sworn statement.  He’s going to hell.  I wouldn’t stand next to him in a thunderstorm. 
     The judgment is 8 pages long, but the bottom line is that Andy is paying a $1,600 fine.  That’s oh so cool.  That means he’ll be able to buy fewer signs like this during the next election.
     Oh yes, these are Andy Meyer's contribution to civil discourse in the last election.

 

And this one ---

     Yeah, and he even ripped down other peoples' signs to put his up because he's too cheap to buy t-posts.  But now he has to spend his sign money paying his ethics violations fines.     
     You’re very welcome again.
     And yeah, he's an ordained deacon at Sugar Creek Creek Baptist Church.  Honey, I’m gonna stay on Andy like stink on goats to keep him honest because apparently Sugar Creek Baptist Church isn’t doing a very good job of it.  Well, come to think of it, they didn’t do such a hot job with Tom DeLay either. 
     I have two more complaints filed against Andy that are still under investigation – including the pick-up truck he bought with campaign money, his dummy corporation he set up (with Hrbacek’s help) to funnel campaign contributions to his adult son.  And there’s also that spicy little complaint I filed about Weisner Engineering.
     By the way, Fort Bend County District Attorney John Healey, who is supposed to be prosecuting these campaign finance law violations, can just send me his paycheck this month. 


Good Job, Susan!  It's margarita time, I think Andy should buy.  He can write it off his campaign expenses as fraternizing with the enemy. 
 
Go Girl!
Cheryl


Susan, Susan, Susan,

I think Andy ought to have to pay the $1,600 to you.  Then you could give it to terrorists and illegals just to p---- him off.. 

Hey, maybe the 'Illegals" Andy meant was himself!!!!  Did you ever think of that??!!

Connie



May 11 - Those who think we shouldn't beat a dead horse, don't live in the same neighborhood as the horse and have to watch his rear end strut around like he's still the King of Self-Righteousness

Poor Tom DeLay. The ex-Texan and former King of the Hill these days gets no respect.

First Republican voters ignored him by choosing John McCain as their presidential candidate, even after DeLay told Chris Mathews he was "not sure who's the most dangerous to be in the White House," Hillary Clinton or McCain.

Then conservative columnist William Kristol described DeLay as having "done so much to convince his countrymen that conservatives could not be trusted to govern."

Then there were last week's events in Clarks Summit, Pa.

     And then, in an amazing display of understatement, Tom describes his new money laundering machine as ---

DeLay said his new group is an effort to "rebuild the conservative movement."

"We don't have the grass-roots organizations, the think tanks or media organizations that the liberals do," he said.

     Well, Tom, you don't have any grassroots because people aren't willing to give you money so you can go play golf and buy big cigars with it.  You don't have think tanks because .... well, gee, that should be obvious.  And you don't have Fox News because ... whoa, wait. 
     Go ahead and do yourself a favor - read the whole article and savor how we can't get enough of whipping him.



May 11 -  Happy Mother's Day, Momma!  Democrats in Congress also extend their best wishes.  Republicans, on the other hand ----

     Republicans are now on record opposing motherhood.  I could be wrong, but I suspect it's  probably due to that s-e-x thing.

It was already shaping up to be a difficult year for congressional Republicans. Now, on the cusp of Mother's Day, comes this: A majority of the House GOP has voted against motherhood.

On Wednesday afternoon, the House had just voted, 412 to 0, to pass H. Res. 1113, "Celebrating the role of mothers in the United States and supporting the goals and ideals of Mother's Day," when Rep. Todd Tiahrt (R-Kan.), rose in protest.

"Mr. Speaker, I move to reconsider the vote," he announced.

Rep. Kathy Castor (D-Fla.), who has two young daughters, moved to table Tiahrt's request, setting up a revote. This time, 178 Republicans cast their votes against mothers.

     If, like me, you think House Minority Leader John Boehner is a real nincompoop, you'll enjoy the whole article by Dana Millbank.  It talks about Vitter, Fossella, and Davis - which, come to think of it, actually sounds like a Washington lobbying firm. 
     And this line pretty much sums up why they are going to lose more seats in November ---

As House Democrats tried to pass legislation to ease the mortgage crisis on Wednesday, Republicans served up hours of procedural delays, demanding a score of roll call votes: 10 motions to adjourn, half a dozen motions to reconsider, various and sundry amendments, a motion to approve the daily journal, a motion to instruct and a "motion to rise."

     If ya ask me, they are a bunch of real mothers themselves, but not the good kin.


May 10 - Hal has done some dandy research. 
     You know how Hillary Clinton's campaign has been claiming in their Powerpoint presentation to the Superdelegates that Hillary won CD22 in Texas (see page 4 of the Powerpoint), Tom DeLay's old district?
     Taint so, Babe
     She got whipped even worse at the caucuses. 
     Here's the numbers for CD22 at the voting booth --

Totals Obama Clinton
Fort Bend 25812 18209
Harris 13650 17501
Brazoria 7170 4948
Galveston 5440 4814
  52072 45472

     Hal's got charts and graphs and math stuff so check it out.  Obama's people in Fort Bend did one heck of a job.


May 9 - UPDATED AT BOTTOM:

Woohoo, it's a dirty little picture we get from PBS&J and our very own local county commissioners---

Former PBS&J Chairman Richard A. Wickett, who is set to be sentenced Friday afternoon for his role in a long-running scheme to subvert campaign-finance laws, has implicated the engineering consulting firm's current boss in the scandal.

Wickett, who pleaded guilty to two counts of violating federal campaign laws in October, is fighting to avoid prison by alleging it was his superiors -- including current Chairman and CEO John Zumwalt -- who authorized the company to reimburse employees for political contributions. Wickett, also PBS&J's longtime CFO and treasurer, claims responsibility for cutting and distributing the reimbursement checks.

     And that's exactly what happened in Fort Bend County. 
     PBS&J checks were cut from puppet donors and given to our county commissioners and county judge as "campaign contributions".  I filed a complaint with the Texas Ethics Commission a year ago, and it's still under investigation by them.
     There's more.

New court filings by prosecutors provide fresh details about the scheme, including that the ''fraudulent activity occurred in federal campaigns across the nation'' and ``affected campaigns for numerous state offices inside and out side of ... Florida.''

     Commissioner Andy Meyers will be making some refunds and swearing he never knew about PBS&J's long history of pay to play and then rip off the taxpayers.  Here's the latest $2,000 check they cut to him, just 3 months ago.

UPDATE:  Okay, here's a nifty document.  It explains how PBS&J got to our county commissioners.
     In September of 2000, they announced that they had one of their illegal "Political Action Committees" in place in Texas.  "We will use these committees to make political contributions to city, COUNTY, and state officials."
     Click the little picture to get the big one. 
     Now, go to the Texas Ethics Commission at about the time PBS&J started giving large contributions to our county commissioners and look at their "donors."  Small contributions from their employees (that, apparently, were later reimbursed). More here.
     If you're from one of them foreign states, check your local politicians and see how much illegal money they've stuffed in their pockets from PBS&J.

      And in exchange for his testimony, Mr. Wickett literally got sent to his room.

Former PBS&J Chairman Richard A. Wickett was sentenced Friday to six months home confinement for his role in a long-running scheme to subvert campaign-finance laws.

Before sentence was passed, Wickett implicated the engineering consulting firm's current boss in the scandal.

Wickett, who pleaded guilty in October to two counts of violating federal campaign laws, was also put on probation for three years, fined $40,000 and ordered to serve 600 hours of community service.

In passing sentence, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro rejected the government's recommendation that Wickett be sent to prison for 18 to 24 months.

     I can assure you that the cost to the taxpayers of PBS&J overcharges to make up for the campaign contributions was far, far larger than $40,000. 
     If there was any justice in this deal, Mr. Wickett would be picking up garbage in Needville.



May 9 - Alfredo gives us a heads-up --

BREAKING NEWS: PBS&J CEO implicated in campaign contribution scandal.

The Florida papers will have it out later today.

     Oh dear, I guess that won't keep our county commissioners and our county judge from taking large lumps of money from them.
     I'll bring you the news once it breaks.  Maybe we can fix it.



May 9 - Okay, so we've had some server problems, but we think we've got it fixed.  Read on down and catch up.  I'll check back later to see if you're finished. 



May 8 - Okay, so last week, I told you about Ole Vito and his mistress and the whole messy thing in New York.  I know, I know, it's hard keeping all the Republican men's hoochy-koochy activities straight but I kinda feel like it's my job to do it so you'll know where to point and giggle.
     This is Republican Representative Vito and his mistress and his drunk driving, not the Governor and his cocktail waitress and hacked-off wife who won't leave the mansion.
     Okay, so anyway, Alfredo has been emailing me predicting that Vito was gonna have to fess up.   Alfredo is generally right about these things.  And, of course, Vito fessed up.  (It's by subscription only but I'll give you the free part.)

Rep. Vito Fossella (R-N.Y.), wracked by controversy since his drunken-driving arrest last week, has just issued a statement in which he confessed that he has had an extramarital relationship with the woman who bailed him out of jail following the arrest — and that he is the father of her young daughter.

     So, Alfredo was wondering, "So how, exactly, did Vito pay to support his second family?  Campaign contributions?  I think payments to your mistress / illegitimate daughter constitute personal use of campaign funds."
     Well now, see, there's the problem.  If we don't let Republican men use their campaign accounts to support their mistresses and illegitimate children, what's the point in them running for office?  Good Lord, somebody's gotta pay Mixie's bills.



May 7 - Well, this is just plain creepy.
     Tom DeLay's ethics lawyer (and if that ain't a thought that will keep you awake at night, there's a cog missing in your thinkin' mechanism), Don McGhan, has been nominated to serve on the Federal Election Commission.

The nomination of Don McGhan for confirmation to serve on the FEC simply affirms that the White House and Senator Mitch McConnell have little interest in the enforcement of the nation's campaign finance laws.

Mr. McGhan, who has served as counsel to the NRCC and as a campaign finance and ethics lawyer for former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, has shown disdain for the FEC and for the nation’s campaign finance laws in his previous actions.

     Tom DeLay's ethics lawyer.  Good grief, does that boy's momma know what he does for a living?  Maybe he should delete "Tom DeLay's ethics lawyer" from his resume and replace it with "a long history of complete failures."  It would certainly look better.
     You would assume that Tom DeLay would have to have some ethics to have a lawyer for it.  My head hurts just thinking about this.
     And they're going to put him on the FEC?  I've never had a migraine in my life but I think I'm catching one.  The FEC, for goodness sake. 
     It's just creepy.



May 7 - Okay, I don’t understand something. 
     Hillary Clinton owes Mark Penn about a gazillion dollars.  Why is that?
     Maybe it’s just me, but if I hire some guy to come fix my washing machine and he shows up, doesn’t fix the washing machine but breaks every other major appliance in my house and then goes next door and leaves burning dog poop on my neighbor’s front steps, and then sells my perfectly good toaster to some passersby in the front yard and pockets the money himself, I flat ain’t paying him.   
     Call me a bitter mean ole woman, but I ain’t paying him.  I’m odd that way.  If I hire you to do a job and you don’t do it, plus you mess up everything else within the same zip code, don’t count on getting paid. 
     Folks who’ve been around here for a while know I had that kind of arrangement with a gentleman named Chicken Wing several years ago, and Chicken Wing did not get paid.  However, and I’m saying this in all honestly, Chicken Wing was a lot smarter than Mark Penn and a lot more honorable, too.  At least when Chicken Wing wanted to get paid for not planting my tree, he offered me a discount. 
     If Hillary Clinton pays Mark Penn, she should have to surrender all rights to calling herself a smart woman.  Mark Penn stands in a class by himself in the world of sleazy political consultants, and, Babe, that’s saying something.
     Hillary, don’t pay him.  Don’t make it harder for those of us who need our washing machines fixed.



May 7 - If you think the North Carolina results were the best news you've heard all week ... Honey, Honey, Honey, prepare yourself for this!

Last week, Texas A&M released a study that showed that brisket - a Texas favorite - is rich in monounsaturated fat - the "good fat" found in olive and canola oil.

What's good about good fat is that it helps to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol and raise the good (HDL), said Susan Becker, Christus St. Elizabeth Hospital registered dietician.

     And pecan pie makes your hair curly and your butt smaller.  Okay, so maybe not so much.
     This study explains why the #1 Killer of Bubbas is freakish monster tractor-pull accidents, and not heart attacks.
     I was a full grown woman before I knew there were other cuts of beef than brisket and other soups than chili or gumbo.  I've got a bad cholesterol level of about 8.  Now if they'll just come out with a study showing that pork ribs cure wrinkles, I'll be all set.

     Thanks to Robert for the heads-up.


I suppose literary (if not culinary) license must be granted.  But technically brisket would not constitute, "News from the belly of the beast."
 
TK

Susan, I'm sorry, but trusting A&M about a study that says brisket is good for you is about like trusting the fox to guard the henhouse. Brisket simply cannot be good for you.  It tastes too good with barbeque sauce.   We've all been aware for some time (at least I have, you may not have been paying attention) that anything that tastes good is bad for you.  I gave up on A&M long ago.  Any institution that spends time and money to take the capsaicin completely out of jalapenos simply can't be trusted to do the right thing.  Plus, I attended another SWC school, far superior to the one up the road in College Station.

Mah Fellow Murkuhn


May 7 - From one of my new best friends, Kary ---

President Bush is rehearsing his speech for the Beijing 2008 Olympic  Games. He begins his remarks with, 'Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Ooo! Ooo!'

Immediately his speech writer rushes over and whispers in the  President's ear: 'Mr. President, those are the Olympic Rings.  Your speech is  underneath!'


May 7 - We get email from our friend Deb about Laura Bush catching some of George's dumb ---


Pot, please meet kettle.  If I remember correctly, they wouldn't let Katrina victims out of the city, and how many days was it before those people got help? Sometimes, I wish I had a little of what they are drinking....

Deb



May 7 - Alfredo is the smartest man I know because he's the only person who can keep up with all the GOP nasty guys.  Here's the latest he sent us.

Nevada Gov. Jim Gibbons, a first-term Republican already under pressure because of his handling of the state's budget crisis, filed Friday for divorce from Dawn Gibbons, his wife of 22 years.

On Monday, the governor won a court ruling to have the proceedings sealed under a state law that allows either party in a divorce to do so.

Were that all, it might be a blip. But the governor is also seeking a legal ruling -- which would certainly become public -- to force his wife to move out of the governor's mansion, where she, and not he, has been living since they officially separated last month.

And there's more ---

The matter comes on the heels of a rocky 17 months in office during which the governor has been the subject of a still-unresolved FBI public corruption investigation and at a time when his administration is struggling to cope with a $914 million tax revenue shortfall.

And he's been a jerk before now ---

Dawn Gibbons is credited with helping to save her husband's 2006 gubernatorial bid when she stood by him amid accusations he had sexually propositioned and assaulted a cocktail waitress in a parking garage outside a Las Vegas restaurant after an evening of drinking with the waitress and other women.

My personal favorite item in the article ---

Political rivals say they find the matter unseemly.

Unseemly?  Unseemly?  Gosh, that's kind of strong, don't ya think?  I think his behavior seems almost refreshing for Republican men after the whole bathroom stall thing. 



May 6 - Just in case it ever crossed your mind to doubt that I have eyes and ears everywhere, here's a picture of a polling location in Greenville, North Carolina, taken a few hours ago.

     Thanks, Bryan.  Obama got at least one vote at that location today!



May 6 - Fort Bend's own Cute Wanda sent us a great link.  It's anti-Bush music you can download for your MP3 player. 
     Wanda likes "Bad President," and I am singing "Crude Oil Man" this morning.  "Cronies" is a sing-along, too, and even mentions Tom DeLay.
     Have fun and let me know your favorites!
     My band, Bitchin' Betty and the Sequined Backhoes, is writing a song called "Damn Right I'm Bitter."



May 6 - Interesting sign on the way to Austin last weekend ---

     Do I hear an Amen?

Dear Ms. Susan: I am running for the Texas House and I am thrilled to see that you are addressing this issue. I have attached a pic of me at the Stop TTC rally in Austin last month.  The rally was a strange mix of farmers, environmentalists, ranchers, boarder watchers, Ron Paul Revolutionaries, and Austin Hippies.  The organizers were Democratic State Ag Commissioner candidate Hank Gilbert and a former Texas Eagle forum president.  STRANGE BEDFELLOWS. 

Kevin Murphy

 

 


May 5 - Politics 101: Don't call your mistress to bail you out of jail when you get busted for drunk driving.
     Of course, he was a Republican. 

The woman who rescued a boozy Rep. Vito Fossella from a Virginia drunk tank is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel who lives just 3 miles from the spot where he was busted for drunken driving, the Daily News has learned.

Court documents show Fossella was released into Fay's custody at 7:39 a.m. Thursday, about seven hours after his arrest for running a red light in Alexandria. Police say Fossella's blood-alcohol level was 0.17 - more than double the legal limit.

He also reportedly lied to the arresting officer, saying he was heading to pick up his daughter, 4-year-old Rowan, claiming she was sick and needed hospitalization.

     Thanks to Alfredo for the heads-up. 
     Drunk, womanizing, using his kids as an excuse --- Republican men: making tawdry a family value.



May 5 - Also in honor of Cinco de Mayo, David sends up this picture appropriately entitled, "Making Houston Proud!"

     Nice to see our Belles of Heaven Republican Women's Club getting into Houston more often.


May 5 - T.S. sent us a Cinco de Mayo salad link to our favorite cook -- Average Betty.
     Best line? 

"I'm not going to let my salad recipe go unnoticed for years like a polygamist compound in Texas." 
    - Average Betty

     Give it a look and fix a salad to go with your Margarita! 



May 5 - Remember how I told you last month that Fort Bend County Commissioner Andy Meyers is trying to game the system with the Texas Ethics Commission?
     Well, it appears that it's pretty easy to do.  Lawmakers, who might get dinged by them, want them to be weak.  According to the Austin American Statesman, the Texas Ethics Commission is lame - on purpose.
     One of my three complaints against Andy has been pending for 18 months and he's asked for a formal hearing - something that never happens.  The rotten son of a motherless goat is waiting for me to die or the laws to change.
     But, that's how the game is played at the Texas Ethics Commission.

John Corbarruvias, a Houston software programmer, targeted the credit card abuse in 40 complaints that he filed last year. About half are still pending.

     John is a political friend of mine from Clear Lake.  Good on him for pushing to give the Ethics Commission a reason to exist.



May 1 - The people of the United Methodist Church have rejected the proposed building of the Bush Presidential Library at SMU by a vote of 844 to 20. 
    
This body is the highest authority of the Methodist Church and cannot be overruled by any other body within the denomination.
     So, I hear that Verdelia's School of Haute Grande Hairstyle and Fry Cook Training, endearingly known here as Czech Tech or Harvard on the Brazos, is looking for a library. However, I think
even Verdelia, who has actually read a book, would reject the idea of a Bush Library on irony grounds alone.

Dear Susan,

This article discusses the vote by the General Conference of the United Methodist Church. It states that the matter was merely referred back to the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church.

Barbara



I signed a big ol' petition several months ago in hopes that the Methodists would use some common sense and do what they just did.  Bully for them!  Who knows?  I might even be tempted to visit Big "D" again someday...but probably not.  ;-)
 
Grace
 

Susan-

  Too bad about the UMC rejecting the proposed building of the George W. Bush Presidential Library at SMU. Hey, in case things don't work out up at Bill Clements Junior High, there's an abandoned HEB around the corner from my house that would be just lovely (the "Military Career" display would make a perfect addition to the Frozen Foods section). If that won't do, I have an empty half-acre of property in Fifth Ward with lots of fine dining nearby (a taco truck usually parks down the street).

Kelly Bee


May 1 The Hypocrisy Corps is out in full force again.

A Texas Department of Public Safety trooper arrested and charged state Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Williamson County, with drunken driving late Wednesday, authorities said today.

------

Krusee carried and passed legislation in 2003 that created something called the “driver responsibility program” to help fund the Texas Mobility Fund. That program included a number of surcharges for driving offenses, including $1,000 for a first conviction of driving while intoxicated.

Nice to see the R's branching out...could be a new slogan. "Hypocrisy - it's not just about sex anymore."

--Dawn


May 1 - Last weekend, I met David Frye, who is the founder of Democrats with Disabilities.  They will caucus at the State Convention.
     If you are disabled, or know someone who is, sign up.

Membership isn't limited to the disability community. Anyone who cares about the participation and representation of persons with disabilities in the Democratic Party is welcome. Disability advocacy helps everyone. Let's work together for fair and equal representation and greater participation and cooperation.

     Joining is free and just might do you some good in learning about the needs of the disabled.  David promises me that he will not give your information to anyone.
     One of David's goals is to get a Disabled seat on the State Democratic Executive Committee.  I applaud that.
     Head on over and sign-up.  You won't regret it!



May 1 - Thanks to Jim Moran for starting May off with a laugh.


Welcome to the website formerly known as The World's Most Dangerous Beauty Salon, Inc.

My name is Susan DuQuesnay Bankston.
I live in Richmond, Texas, in heart of Tom DeLay's old district.  It's crazy here.  No, seriously, it's triple z crazzzy.

I used to be an independent voter, but that all changed when I got to know a few local Republicans.  They are meaner than 10 acres of snakes and have the ethical compass of a bank robber. 

So, I decided that they could just Kiss My Big Blue Butt.

A lot of what I post here has to do with local politics, but you probably have the same folks in your local government.

This ain't a blog.  Blogs are way too trendy for me.  I've been doing this since 1992, so I'm used to it even if you ain't. 

Email me and I'll find a place to put it if I like it.