I just got that Ron Reynolds mailer and saw your picture on it.  I take it they wanted to show that ole Ron had the Big Hair Brigade behind him.  And what's this baloney about you being a "Community Activist?"  I would have called you our Community Proctologist, on account of you are always trying to shine a flashlight in intimate places which "certain people" would rather NOT see the light of day--their campaign finance reports.  Or perhaps Community Cemetery Warden, because you're always wondering where all the bodies are--"Those headstones mean both diddly AND squat!"

Where I come from a "Community Activist" was the crazy old lady in the house on the corner lot shooting at Martians with her pellet gun. Hey, don't knock it, it worked!  Those Martians knew better than to come in OUR neighborhood.

Hey, I'm funny enough to have been in three cancelled sitcoms;

Earl

Note from Susan -- yes, I strongly support Ron Reynolds for State Representative.  He's a great guy and I adore him.  The incumbent Democratic opponent is anti-choice and authored the anti-stem research bill in the Lege.  Yeah, right, she calls herself a Democrat and is now taking money from all Tom Craddick's people.
     Big haired women have to have big hair to cover their big brains, Baby.

Hidee Susan,

I take it you didn't catch the Channel 13 Candiate Forum Sunday morning at 11.  Poor journalist Art Rascon was saddled with 9 of the Republican candidates for Dist. 22, with Pete Olson a no-show due to having to attend a fundraiser in Washington D.C.  The other candidates wanted to have an empty chair on the set, but Rascon just made a statement about Olson's absence.  The highlight was when La Belle Shelley was discussing immigration and said that we need that wall on the Texas border.  Art Rascon said that the Texans down there don't want the wall.  Shelley said, "Yes they do." But Rascon said they'd just done a news report on it and had asked them and they DON'T want it.  So Shelley said that they're just upset about losing access to the river for their cattle.  Actually, they're upset about CEDING thousands of acres of Texas land to Mexico because the wall will become the de facto border!  I really admire that Shelley didn't allow herself to become confused by the facts like that.  No wonder she's running for Tom DeLay's seat--to maintain the tradition of Clueless Congressmembers from 22.

Earl

And Earl added ----

Oh yeah, and they said that those long lines in the Emergency Rooms at hospitals are because of ILLEGAL ALIENS!  Funny, I thought it was because of more and more working people being too poor to have a regular doctor.  Oh, and Cynthia Dunbar is running for Congress because she wants a PAYING government job instead of that Texas Board of Education freebie she's got now.  Makes you wonder if she's in the market to "trade up" from her First Husband as well.  Oh, and everyone HATES Pete Olson to pieces, and they don't care who knows it.  Well, even a stopped clock is right twice a day, I suppose.

Earl

Susan,

I just love the way you express my thoughts. Thanks.

Larry

---

Susan,

 

I read your website. 

 

You expressed a lot of what I feel about this race.  As a woman, how can you not want to finally see  a woman occupy the Oval Office?

 

It's been agony.  I was an early Kucinich supporter, because of the war.

 

Then Edwards.  Then Kucinich supported Obama, as second choice in Iowa.   Now, Kucinich is fighting for his political  life in Ohio.

 

None of this has been an easy choice.

 

Your thoughtful analysis of why you made yours, reflects what a lot of us have felt.

 

It was a wonderful commentary. 

 

Thanks again, for all you do.

Evelyn

---

hey girl!

 

No surprise that your Obama endorsement was better written than my own modest effort, but glad to see that we both jumped in the same pond!  Here's my reasoning, via Social Notes (scroll down to The Rant), with a new paragraph added after I sent the damn email out!

Carol

---

Susan, I love your hair, girl.  Does Juanita still do it? 

Jolene

---

Wow. Your report on the debate was easily the best I have seen you write. The whole time I read it I was nodding my head because that was the way I felt during the debate.

When Obama first made his presence known I talked with friends in Hawaii, including one who had lived next door to the grandparents when Barack was a boy, and said at that time that I thought he was a little too lightweight for the Republican Hate Machine. Although I think the Clinton Administration was a success after the 12 years of credit card binge spending and especially what happened after there was enough shadiness that I wouldn't want to see it repeated. On the other hand I WANTED REPUBLICANS OUT and only backed Hillary because I thought she was the only one mean enough to take them on.

To see a candidate succeed on a positive message brings back memories from long, long ago which 6 months before I would have dismissed as caused by the same things that made me wear my hair too long and think Iron Butterfly was a good band. Now even my 86 year old mother who has gone Republican since women got the right to vote supports Obama. And when my new car gets delivered this Friday it's getting GO BO plates for it. (Oooh, can't wait for my wingnut brother to see that)

I really did think it would take someone who was overtly ambitious and conniving as Hillary to win but now it looks like I can support someone I can actually feel good about. I really don't want to spend the next 4 or 8 years "well, yeah, but your guys are worse".

And yes, I'd like to see an woman president. And black. And Hawaiian. And Mexican. And a lot of others and from mixtures of all the above.  But more than that I want someone who will do the right thing.

Thank you
Brian

---

Dear Susan,
 

I just read your essay, and I completely agree with it.  We need Hillary on the supreme court more than we need her in the Whitehouse !!!  Also Edwards would be the only one able to clean up the Justice Dept. and make the the "axis of evil" in power now responsible for their crimes against humanity,  We need Dennis Kucinich as Sec. of Defense  Which should be renamed Sec. of Peace. 
 

Wanda
 

---

I like the Obama/Clinton/Edwards scenario.  I intend to propose a resolution at the county convention to have the new administration set up a commission designed with the specific purpose of investigating civil rights abuses perpetrated by the Bush administration including use of torture, illegal wiretaps, suspension of habeus corpus.  I'd also like to see someone take a good look at the awarding of contracts to companies like KBR.  With Obama in the top spot and Edwards as AG we just might see some justice for a change.

 

Sam in Pearland
 

---

Dear Susan,
    I haven't had much to write about lately but your story about how you realized that you had made up your mind to support the junior Senator from Illinois instead of the junior Senate Carpetbagger from New York, Warshington Dee Cee, Arkansas, Georgetown, and Maine Twsp. High School prompted me to write.
    After 5 years as a registered Green, I went over to the county office building last week and registered as a Democrat.  I'd just been to the dentist, so I was already feeling about as masochistic as a body can or else I might not have been able to do it.  But if you want to play you have to play by the rules and since Pennsyltucky has a closed primary system you need to be one or the other.  I was tempted to be a Republican because our Congresscritter is not going to stand for re-election and it's a pretty Repugnicant oriented district so having a say in which reprobate gets nominated there was worth considering.  And I do have a fondness for some Republicans.  Well one anyway.  Way back in 1976 when I had a bumper sticker that said "Anybody but Ford or Carter" on my 1972 gray Ford Galaxy narcmobile, I made the acquaintance of a young lady whose father was elected to Congress from a district in upstate New York (Rochester area) back in 1968.  She arranged for me to acquire an invitation to the inauguration of Jimmy Carter and along the way I met her father the Congressman.  He died just a few years back and it was only recently that I discovered that he had a rule about never accepting a contribution greater than $50 from anyone.  If there were more like him around, I'd find it easy to be a Republican but, as Charles Barkley said "I used to be a Republican before they lost their minds".  Besides, the Democratic Presidential Primary in Pennsylvania might be important this year.  It wasn't the last time around just like Texas wasn't important in 2000 when I voted as a Republican in order to be able to vote against Duh-bya twice in the same year.
    I think I'd rather see John Edwards as President than either of the current contenders.  Locally, we have a super-delegate who used to be our state house representative and lost to our current Congresscritter after the previous one resigned.  As our representative in Harrisburg, she was a pretty strong voice for women's issues having pushed through the "Potty Parity" bill which required equalizing the number of stalls in the rest rooms.  Only it didn't do so much to increase the number of stalls in the womens' rooms as it did to decrease the number of stalls and urinals in the mens' rooms around the state.  It did succeed in equalizing waiting time at the County Fairgrounds.  She, as you might imagine, is supporting Ms. Rodham-Clinton.  That whole super-delegate system makes me shy away from the Democrats.  Ms. Ferraro's Op-Ed piece in the NY Times today says that the super-delegates are supposed to be party leaders -- which makes them sound a lot like the Politburo or maybe a Texas Homeowners Association ("Ve vill tell you when to paint your house und ve vill tell you what color to paint your house.  It is all for the benefit of efferyvun.") 
    So I too will be supporting Senator Obama.  But unlike Ms. Burleson I can't promise to support the Democrat candidate whoever it may be.  The day after the primary, my registration goes back to Green.  I probably won't have the luxury of voting my conscience come November  -- it was nice in 2000 knowing where the Texas electoral votes were going regardless of what I did -- but I don't want anybody to think they can take my vote for granted.  It's bad enough that the touch-screen voting machine tried to make me support a county commissioner candidate I didn't want to vote for last year.  I ended up with a write-in vote for someone that your Mama wouldn't have wanted to see written down.

More snow is on the way. 

Don

---

Susan - I got referred here from Folo and feel the need to tell you that I loved your story.  We need more Evelyns in our Party and I'll start watching for Keli on CNN.  I'm a Hillary supporter but you've made me think.  Thank you.

Greenie

---

Yo Susan,

 

That sure was worth the wait! Thanks for sharing you special perspective on the Austin debate for those of us who so wanted to be there too.

 

I think you need to get a tee-vee show during election seasons. You make much more sense than most of the candidates. I can imagine you wearing your pink boots while using all kinds of visual props explaining to the rest of us all about the candidates. It would be Emmy worthy.

 

Thanks again for what you bring to America's political table - intelligence, awareness, humor and class.  

 

Your Dam Yankee Friend in Spring,

Lorraine
 

---

Susan:

A Ft Bend Co independent voter here who will definitely be voting for whatever Democratic candidate survives.  If the Dems were smart, they would get Hillary and Barack to run on the same ticket.  If they did, they would be unstoppable.  Their positions are not that far apart and after the convention sets their platform, one would think they can co-exist.  Again, if they were both to run together, there is no way the dems could lose this election.  Just my $0.02 worth on the subject.

Cheers,

David

---

Susan,

Its been awhile, but I just wanted to pass you a note and say how much I enjoy reading your posts (I ain't calling it a blog, nope) and especially your decision on who to support for President. I thought your next to last paragraph echoed my thoughts as well. Its admittedly a tough choice between two excellent candidates, but I put my money where my mouth was for a change (actually a first time at the Federal level) and supported Barack. I'll support Hillary if she pulls an upset and becomes the nominee, but I like what Barack brings to the table and I think he's probably the most likely to include Hillary and John (and maybe Bill Richardson, my first choice) in a new administration that can start cleaning up this mess that brat from Crawford created.

I'm hoping the nomination will be settled next week when Barack wins Texas, but if it ain't, you can rest assured I'll be workin in North Carolina to make sure as many of our delegates as possible head his way on May 6th.

Keep up the great work.

Lance
 

---

Susan,

Thanks so much for your review of the debate and your reasoning for choosing like you have.  It was a swell read.

It's astonishing that SO many of our votes actually matter this year.  One of my friends (on a foodie board, no less) mentioned that he would be in the voting booth "tossing a coin."  I would have done the same, except that by the time the Potomac Primary rolled around, I started mentally reliving RFK's 85-day campaign in 1968 (yes, I'm old enough to remember that).  I never hoped to see the like again.  Except, except. . . that's pretty much what Obama's campaign looks like these days.  Massive crowds, completely diverse, rampant enthusiasm for someone who seems to love us all.  Yup, delusional.  That's me.

It came down to realizing that Obama was on a roll and I just wanted one of 'em to win outright.  The last thing we need is a contested convention.  I hope you have readers in Ohio as well as Texas.

Barbara

 

---

Well Susan too, You've managed to make me laugh and cry in the same post. Your post on the debate was hilarious and heartwarming and hopeful. I'm 65 and thought that I wouldn't live to see a woman in the WH, but dang! if your mother can live to 90, I can surely live to 73.

 

When people have asked me why I'm supporting Obama I say for the kids. Our kids deserve their Kennedy moment too. Let's pray it's handled better this time.

 

Yes, We Can,

Susan

WA
 

---

Dear Susan,

I really enjoyed reading your post.  It's good to know that there are people who are really thoughtful about their vote.  I haven't made up my mind as to how I will be voting.  The only thing I know for certain, the only thing I can be sure of, is that I will be voting FOR someone and not just against. 

Gratias Tibi Ago Deus

Wonko's Bud

P.S.  I hate to be the one but it is spelled San Marcos not Marcus.  Hey I'm a BISM (Born In San Marcos)
 

NOTE FROM SUSAN :  San Marcus, Neiman Marcus -- I keep getting them mixed up.

---

More from Don --

Dear Susan,

I was listening to the radio on the way to work this morning.  They were interviewing someone named Wayne (Slater?) from up Dallas way and he said something I found interesting.  Come November, he said, Texas probably won't matter.  It's almost sure to deliver its electoral votes to a Republican.  So why, he was asked,  are so many Texans so excited about Obama?  I don't remember Wayne's answer because as the question was asked, I experienced one of those moments of preternatural awareness where everything comes into focus and the picture is clear, crisp, and unmistakable.  When that happens, it's necessary to remember it, because the picture will quickly fade.  So I'm writing it down.

Texas Democrats are positioned to make a  -- maybe THE -- difference in deciding who the next President will be. Even though Duh-bya has turned off so many people, the Democrats do not have a lock on the election.  Because as Jim Hightower noted, if the Lord wants us to vote, He has to give us candidates worth voting for.  There is one candidate who energizes people and another who polarizes them.  The energizing candidate has a much better chance of getting people to turn out and vote come November.  The polarizing one makes Ralph Nader look like a valid choice.

No wonder y'alls are so excited!

Don

Susan-

Hey, it could happen...

P.S. For those in the viewing audience who may be funk-challenged, go here

Kellybee

Susan,

Did J. R. Perez take the calculator with him when he left?

Please look at the voting totals for UH Cinco.  Between the e-slates and these idiots, I've got about no confidence that my vote will be counted correctly.

PD

NOTE FROM SUSAN:  The supposed totals are at the bottom.  Check the Democratic totals. 

     I just called the elections office and it's been fixed.  I'm gonna tell you one thing for dead solid certain - if we didn't have Robin to run the elections, I would not be sleeping at night.  I don't trust the machines.  I don't trust the county commissioners.  I don't trust the election commission (especially when they insist on meeting behind closed doors).  But, I'd trust Robin with my life. 
 

NOTE FROM SUSAN:  This one arrived before the debate but I wasn't here.

Hey Susan,

You ready for the big night?  I'll be lookin for you on the teevee  wishin you was moderatin'.  Did you get the guerilla reporting ware?   Just don't wander into any men's rooms by accident; don't want you disturbing no republican caucuses.

Your friend from the foreign state of MS'ippi.

P.S.  We're gettin in the first of our Obama staffers.  They are just  the nicest people.

---

Susan,  I kept my eyes peeled on the  screen last night while watching/listening to the Clinton/Obama debate. Was hoping that  you'd do something spectacular to call attention to yourself as a potential VP nominee or some important member of the new Presidents cabinet. I'd like to see you head up the Homeland Security department.   That's a good job for anyone, because no matter how one might screw up, they'd be better than any of the previous ones.  Looking forward to reading your take on the debate.
 
 Al, Squire of Weybridge

---

Susan,

Could it be that the residents of Fort Bend County have decided that they have had enough of the petty fights between local Republican factions, the hypocrisy of those they elected to "clean house" and enact term limits  who now seek to keep their seats for life so they can continue to accept large donations and favors from vendors and lobbyists, and the fact that most of the local Republican leadership and officials supported Tom DeLay even when the body of evidence was way too large to have been fabricated by Ronnie Earle?  Could it be that even some of the most die-hard Republicans are ready to throw all the bums out?

Disgusted

---

I’m telling you, the locals just do not have touch with reality.

They truly are “shocked and awed” by the fact that the democrats are voting heavily.

I’ve always said that the only reason everyone thought there were no democrats is because, until the very recent past, there has been no choice.

If they wanted a voice in local politics, they had to vote Republican.

Well, there is NOW. 

I think they will just die in November!

Signed me ....
Knew It All Along

---

Susan,

I am so jealous!!!!  However, if I couldn't be there I would pick you next because you'll let us know the real scoop, like is Campbell Brown as tall as she looks and how many times did ya'll sing The Eyes of Texas before the debate started.  What happens during commercial breaks?  Any fist fights or honkey tonk music?

Pam

---

Congratulations Susan,

 

It seems your "Has Enough? Vote Democratic... for a change" signs have been wildly successful after all. 

 

Glad you got in to see the debate. Looking forward to reading more about it from your special perspective! 

 

Only 333 days left til the Bush/Cheney Criminal Enterprise Club are history.  

 

Your Dam Yankee Friend in Spring,

Lorraine
 

---

Suze,

We have to wait until this weekend for your report?!?!  What's with that?  I thought that's why you got paid the big bucks. 

Party on -

Garth

Saw one on a pickem-up-truck here in Austin
"TEXAS POLITICS - Not For The Squeamish"

Mike

---

Susan, 

OK, girl, I've had enough stinkin corporate coverage of the primaries (looky here), so pretty please I'm askin' you for some guerrilla reporting. I'm sending you this "instructable" on how to make some spy sunglasses. I think if you run down to radio shack they can fix you up with some kinda bluetoothey thing to live broadcast it. Or go over to folo and scrounge around the google ads; I saw some for surveillance equipment in one of 'em. (It's interesting stuff over there today, you'll want to go anyway. Dickie and his gang are actually having some kinda court appearance today.  

We're getting our very own Obama headquarters here in MISSISSIPPI this week ourownselves!!! We been in that fly-through campaign ATM bidness over here too long ourselves and it is so weird and wonderful for Democrats to suddenly give a hoot about our delegates that we are not going to know how to act. You might have to post a tutorial or sumthin'.

Emily from a Foreign State

---

Hi Susan,

I got Bubba's mailout today.  Pretty targeted mailing, I must say--I'm a Democrat, I live in Texas, and I'm even in the 27th District.  Shhhh! Don't let the Republicans know this is possible!  I even got that Valentine's postcard from Mr. Wong or whoever, and I don't live in Sugarland.  They sure do like to slosh the money around, don't they?  I guess they figure if they throw enough green manure against the wall some of it will stick.  Anyway, you can assure Mr. B. that I will vote the Straight Bubba Ticket.

Earl

(NOTE FROM SUSAN:  Bubba did a mailout supporting Ron Reynolds for State Rep.  Our incumbent State Rep is taking a truck load of money from Craddick's people and is anti-stem cell research.)

Susan-

 There's some talk here that your boy, the Preachin' Governor From Arkansas, is angling for a spot as the GOP Veep candidate...well, that's not exactly the "McCain & Huck" ticket I had in mind:

Kelleybee

And there's more! 
 

Should I even bother mentioning that he is a 2004 Bush appointee?
 

Brian

I know you may not be able to read this because it is not written in crayon.

 

There is a difference in walking out on to the steps of your of