What Would LBJ Do?

Friends of Walmart?

2010-08-18T18:46:00.000-07:00

Just got a mail piece at home that looks a lot like political mail, except it's aim is to convince me that the "Heights Walmart" is a good idea. Sent out by an outfit in Dallas called Valentine Direct Marketing, and a quick Google search of the name reveals this hit from a 2004 post by Kuff:

http://www.offthekuff.com/mt/archives/003781.html

If you want to let The Friends of Walmart know you feel about they're little establishment, let 'em know here:

http://walmarthouston.com/

Who's Runnin' for City Council?

2010-08-17T17:54:00.000-07:00

I know it's a tad early, but you know that it's only about 5 months before candidates can start raising money for the 2011 Houston City Council races this year. Anybody know who's gonna be running? Comment with names, and a little bio if possible.

Remember Me?

2009-12-04T21:04:00.000-08:00

Well, i just noticed that it's been about 14 months since my last post. That's just too long!

Couple of things: Landslide Victories is no more. Since last year, I have been doing PR/Marketing/Public Involvement Communications for the firm my wife Shannon and her business partner Paula Arnold founded in 2003, and my days working in the political arena are about over. I'd welcome the opportunity to design mail or other materials, but general consulting and DEFINITELY political fundraising is a thing of the past. Actually, just too busy for it truth be known.

Also, with the addition of the littlest family member, 9 month-old Roger Marcel, to go with my adorable 5 year old who accompanied me to the Dianne Reeves concert tonight, the idea of hanging around a political headquarters at all hours is just not that appealing anymore.

Now, that's not to say that I'm not paying attention. To the contrary, it's nice to have a disinterested distance from the fray to watch stuff, and I have to say that the mayoral runoff sure got nasty quick.

I'm gonna make one point--experience tells me it is unlikely that the Harris Co. Tejano Dems and HBAD would have cracked on Annise for minority hiring if someone associated with the Locke campaign hadn't asked them to. And apparently, that person hadn't checked out Andrews Kurth's record that closely before doing it.

Having said that, Locke's campaign seems to be a lot more aggressive, and maybe even visible, in the runoff than the Parker campaign, and that may be trouble for her. This is gonna be close I think.

Also, glad to see that Mayor White is in the Governor's race. Like Kuff and others, I have really hoped for him to make that race for a couple of years now.

Party like it's 1980

2008-10-07T21:04:00.000-07:00

And we're back!

Not since 1980 have we seen such a late collapse as is befalling the McCain campaign. A dead heat going into the last few weeks, Reagan won by 10 points.

And while Carter was largely overtaken by events in Iran (much like the current economic crisis is killing McCain), the difference then was that Reagan stood tall in the debates and showed he could lead. The difference now is that McCain and Palin are showing up to these debates and proving the opposite.

There's nothing more deadly than a self-inflicted wound.

State Rep. Louis Renault Shocked, Shocked! at Electricity Bills!

2008-06-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

Here we go again.

So State Rep. Phil King, Chairman of the House Committee on Regulated Industries, says that the price of electricity is unacceptably high. Of course, every time we go down the supposedly rosy path to deregulation, we all pay more.

Opponents of deregulation warned of higher costs (and poor service) to consumers, while proponents argued that increased competition would drive down costs. It seems to me that the competition argument always wins out, but is never correct.

Airfares (fares are down, so is service, while fees are up, even for checked baggage and even soda). Insurance rates. Electricity. College Tuition.

It seems that "deregulation" has basically become a code word for "more expensive."

State Sen. Louis Renault and Colleagues Shocked, Shocked! at Tuition Increases

2008-05-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the infrequent posting lately, but we've just been swamped. And frankly, that makes it kinda tough to think of anything interesting to say. And I don't post when I don't have anything interesting (to me) to say.

So a State Senate panel raked some public university regents over the coals this week for increasing tuition by as much as 50% over the past 5 years.

That is, since they gave them the power to do just that.

They were all Shocked, Shocked! about how expensive an education has gotten in this state and how it's getting more and more out of reach for average Texans at a time when we should be doing more to enhance the competitiveness of our workforce.

Reminds me of Captain Renault, Prefect of Casablanca, who is handed his winnings after declaring his shock to learn that there is gambling going on in Rick's Cafe Americain. Like those members who voted for tuition deregulation, he tolerated it until someone more powerful wanted to shut it down (in his case, Major Strasser of the Luftwaffe, in the case of the Senators, the voters.)

I was lobbying in 2003 when that stinker of a bill passed even though most members had to have been against it. Like a lot of legislation, people held their noses and voted for a bill they didn't like because someone higher up required them to. Same with the budget that year that Pat Haggerty described from the front mic with a big ol' raspberry. I'm gonna miss him.

Runoff, Belated.

2008-04-16T07:28:00.000-07:00

I started to write this post last week, then got sidetracked and never finished it. It has been WAY too busy for posting lately, but I'll try to keep up (hear that, muse?)

Congrats to our favorite DeSlayer, Richard Morrison, on his runoff victory for Ft. Bend County Commissioner. Flip side, he won't have Tom Stavinoha to kick around anymore since he lost his primary runoff. What is his problem with guys named Tom, anyway?

By the way, my mom lives in Greatwood; she went to vote in the runoff for Morrison, finally finding the place after some searching. She told me that a card-pusher for a certain candidate for Congress told her that he just KNEW the former Congresswoman could count on her support. Not in this lifetime, she replied. No matter, she wasn't voting in their runoff, anyway.

But now she won't get the chance to vote against her again, which brings me to my next point--we are finally rid of her. I hope she doesn't run for anything again. Did anyone honestly believe she got 42% of the vote as a write-in last time? I read that they were counting as votes obvious slams and variations on her name that were clearly meant as jokes.

Now if we could just end this presidential primary and get on with it.

On to November!

April Fool!

2008-04-01T13:55:00.000-07:00

OK, this really has nothing to do with April Fool's Day, but I had to get this off my chest: I'm getting bored with the Democratic Presidential Primary.

Ever since the Texas Primary ended, I have paid less and less attention to it. If I have to read one more story or one more blog entry about superdelegates or last Saturday's Senatorial District Conventions, I'm gonna scream.

Yes, Hillary won the popular vote here, keeping her campaign alive to fight another day. Yes, Obama won more Texas delegates based on his strength in urban areas and the dedication of his supporters who showed up to caucus on March 4th and again on Saturday. Blah, blah, blah.

No wonder these people have to come up with such great stories as what Obama's pastor thinks or whether Hillary is paying her bills. THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO TALK ABOUT. Even McCain's having a hard time getting any run, and he's the freakin' Republican nominee for chrissakes, after nearly being out of it in the early-going.

I blame all this on the stupid states around the country that just had to move their primaries up to February 5 or before. Just think, week after week there'd be a contest in one state or another, going all the way to June. Florida and Michigan would have counted for something. Instead, we had a frantic Winter followed by a few big contests in the Spring, separated by a month or more. BORING!

The Puma Primary; Hillary Surprises

2008-03-05T10:51:00.000-08:00

Obama won Monday's Puma Primary, but lost the popular vote yesterday. After the caucus delegates are apportioned, it looks like there will be about an even split of delegates, which means the fight will go on at least to Pennsylvania but probably beyond.

First to the Puma Primary. Starting late last week, I had a strange feeling that Obama had peaked in Texas. The talking heads (of which I am now one, more on that later) last night said the "3 am ringing telephone" ad must have had something to do with late deciders breaking for Clinton, but I felt it coming before.

First, his rise in most polls leveled off. Second, a lot of people I talked to said they were starting to feel uneasy, that the the Obama campaign seemed a little too cult-like for their taste. One even described feeling "creeped out." I still felt optimistic about his chances of winning here, but thought it wouldn't be easy. Then I went shopping on Monday night.

I admit, not a representative sample, but anecdotally speaking, it looked like Obama fever was catching, and especially susceptible were the young. I went to the Puma store at the Galleria to get a new pair of golf shoes (their golf gear is fantastic-looking). A hip store full of young people browsing the selection of jackets and shirts. And everyone who worked there was for Obama. All around college-age, one African American male (who was actually wearing an Obama t-shirt at work), a couple of young Hispanic males and one Hispanic female. To a person they were all for Obama and they all were planning to attend their precinct conventions.

But Hillary esta fuertisima. I wrote before about Hispanic voters in places other than the border area being an important target for Obama; it looks like they either couldn't get traction or dropped the ball. Almost no visible presence in the Houston Hispanic community that I could tell. It was all Hillary.

Driving past my polling place yesterday, one of the largest Hispanic precincts in Harris County, I saw NO Obama signs at all, but several for Hillary, including a hand-painted one that read "Hillary, we got your back." Must have been a result of the hard work and institutional support by all the Hispanic elected officials who endorsed her early on and in the past few weeks. Congratulations are in order for pulling out the big wins yesterday.

By the way, I am now a political pundit. I appeared live from a studio in downtown Houston on a worldwide Al Jazeera news broadcast to talk about the Texas Primary, which was viewed by 70-80 million people; 300,000-400,000 here in the U.S. (making their audience slightly larger than MSNBC, if not as mainstream). Still, it was my first such experience and it was truly an honor, and I hope to do it a lot more often.

When Politics and Basketball Collide

2008-02-20T20:55:00.000-08:00

Just going to make an observation, and let you all figure out if it has any symbolic meaning:

1. Senator Barack Obama spoke to a large crowd on the home court of the Houston Rockets last night. The Rockets, playing at the same time on the road, defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers to keep pace in the NBA Western Conference playoff race.

2. Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a large crowd on the home court of the University of Houston Cougars tonight. The Cougars, playing at the same time on the road, lost to the UAB Blazers, probably blowing an invitation to the NCAA Tournament.

Is this a sign?

Why Obama Will Carry Texas (and with it the Democratic Nomination)

2008-02-20T13:43:00.000-08:00

I was in attendance at last night's Obama Rally at Houston's Toyota Center, home the Houston Rockets, who tallied their 9th straight win last night against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

T-Mac, Yao and the gang were upstaged last night on their home floor by the Next President of the United States, en route to his own 10-state winning streak.

That's when it dawned on me: Obama will win Texas.

It's not just about "convoluted" delegate selection rules and the segmentation of the primary voting population. It's about excitement. A level of excitement about a candidate running for President that, I have to say, I have not experienced in my lifetime.

It's about people being ready for a change. The only line I wrote down from last night's speech sums up why Democrats will carry the day: "The last thing we need is the same ol' folks doing the same ol' thing and making the same ol' mistakes."

Obama emerged before a crowd of 20,000 cheering admirers just after being declared the winner of the Wisconsin Primary. How ever you want to slice up the pie, he carried it, save older women. Most of all, he is generating a wave of participation among young or inexperienced voters, as well as disaffected Republicans and independents that will propel him all the way.

Seeing how the crowd reacted to his words last night, I was reminded of a feeling I last had when Bill Clinton gave his acceptance speech at the 1992 Democratic Convention. I knew that they were going to win.

Obama will carry Texas because Latinos are giving him a look.

Most observers think of the Rio Grande Valley when they think of the Hispanic voting population in Texas, but that's an antiquated view. There are more Hispanics in the Dallas or Houston areas than there are in the Valley, they just tend to be younger and less likely to vote on average than those along the border.

But this is not your average election. Expect Obama to carry young Hispanic voters, and a higher percentage of Hispanics in the urban areas than in the Valley or Laredo. Expect him to carry White voters.

Expect him to win African-American voters overwhelmingly, who are likely to turn out not just in large numbers in urban areas, but also suburban and more rural East Texas. Expect him to attract large numbers of independent voters to the Democratic Primary. Like in other states, expect Red State Texas to have twice, or four times, as many Democratic Primary voters than Republicans.

On the first day of early voting yesterday in Texas' largest county of Harris (which includes Houston), three times as many people voted in the Democratic Primary as the Republican Primary. And 11 times more people voted yesterday as compared to the first day of early voting in the 2004 Democratic Primary.

Expect Obama's momentum to carry him into the winner's circle in Texas.

What a Day! February 19, 2008

2008-02-19T11:01:00.000-08:00

What else could possibly happen today in the world of politics? I read in this morning's New York Times that Musharraf's party lost big-time in Pakistani elections, and that Fidel Castro resigned.

Wisconsin Primary. Early voting starts today in the Texas Primaries, the big prize on March 4 (along with Ohio.)

Houston ISD State of the Schools luncheon, so big it has to be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center. Former President Bill Clinton will be here in Houston for a Hillary fundraising event tonight.

A few blocks away, Barack Obama will speak to a "sold out" Toyota Center (tickets were free) for tonight's campaign appearance. When was the last time Bill wasn't the hottest ticket in town?

Apparently, the Rockets aren't the only hot team at Toyota Center. They won their last 8 games going into the All-Star Break.

Obama will be coming onto the Rockets home court with a 8-state winning streak of his own. Assuming all goes well in Wisconsin and Hawaii tonight, he extends it to an even 10-in-a-row.

And I'll be there to see it. Wouldn't it be great if he gave his speech to a packed house in Houston just after being projected the winner in Wisconsin?

Now we just need to keep the Rockets on that kind of pace going into the playoffs. A Rockets championship in June and an Obama acceptance speech in August--that would make for a great summer.

Joe Freakin' Lieberman

2008-02-05T16:54:00.000-08:00

What in the hell is the matter with Joe Lieberman? He appeared in a photo in the New York Times today while campaigning with John McCain, who you will remember is a Republican running for President.

But that's not the surprising part. We all know that Sour Grapes Joe endorsed McCain quite a long while ago. And to think I campaigned so hard for the guy in 2000.

(Maybe Connecticut should institute the same rules as Texas, where if you lose your primary you can't run as an independent.)

But what disgusted me most about his appearance with McCain at Faneuil Hall was they guy standing next to him, his apparent soul-mate in McCain adoration.

Phil Gramm. Wow. Does he feel comfortable where he is right now?

Resignation, Special Election, Prediction

2008-01-29T19:26:00.000-08:00

I think they may have finally gotten a district where a Dem might not be able to defeat the Repub in a special election. Of course, I'm talking about Senate District 17, where outgoing Sen. Kyle Janek will leave someone to try to keep the seat.

If you will remember from a previous post, the Repub leadership in Austin has been 0-fer in special elections to retain a legislative seat since the departure of Jack Stick. Donna Howard, Kirk England (after a switch) and Dan Bartlett are all D's who won special elections designed to keep a seat in the Republican column.

Problem is, I the population of SD17 is so grossly skewed to suburban Houston, that I think it will be difficult, though not impossible, for a D win if the election is indeed held in May. However, expect several R's to jump in, dividing up the vote, leaving an opening for a well-financed/popular D to win a runoff if the circumstances are right. I certainly hope they are.

On second thought, I'll save the prediction until after the field emerges. I can tell you one thing, if Gary Polland and Charlie Howard are in, I like our chances already. Hopefully, some also-ran who misses the CD22 runoff won't try to ride in there at the last minute.

Leaving On a Jet Plane

2008-01-15T12:57:00.000-08:00

Just my way of saying goodbye to my right-hand woman here at Landslide Victories, who's going North for a stretch. We'll all miss you.

WWLBJD--A Meaningful Texas Presidential Primary?

2008-01-10T15:17:00.000-08:00

For all I know, there hasn't been a meaningful presidential primary in Texas since the party rules changes in 1972. Or maybe ever.

I know that since I've been paying attention to such things (1984 election was my first really active one, when I was 14 years old), the races are pretty much decided by the time our primary rolls around. In fact, I think that's what led to moving our primary from May to March. And then from the second week of March to the first week. And it still didn't matter. Makes me wonder why the bill to move to February 5 never passed last session; didn't our legislators want us to be relevant in this process?

Now, it appears we just may have a couple of fights on our hands, as it seems that both parties still might have a few candidates with some fight left in 'em by March 4th.

So this question, sports fans: who would LBJ support for president if the primary were held today, and why? I guess I'm assuming he'd vote in the Democratic primary, but if you disagree, tell me why.

New Sheriff in Town

2008-01-07T11:20:00.000-08:00

I have been encouraging my former client, Council Member Adrian Garcia, to run for Sheriff (or Pct 1 Constable upon Abercia's retirement) for years. With his experience in law enforcement, I think he would be an excellent sheriff for Harris County.

Now for the number one reason we need a change: remember this November 2005 headline from the Chronicle?

Killer Bluffs his Way Out of Jail

That's right. Conditions were such at Baker Street, operated by the Sheriff's Department, that a condemned murderer schmoozed his way out of jail by getting his hands on some khakis, a blue shirt, and a fake ID badge. Then he just walked out the front door to his freedom, claiming to be an investigator.

Wow. That is just inexcusable, and Thomas should lose his job over it. Luckily, Charles Thompson was captured three days later in Shreveport, apparently talking drunk on a pay phone, before he hurt someone else.

Obama It Is

2008-01-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

Add me to the list of Obama supporters. I was late coming around, but after seeing him yesterday, I'm joining my wife, who's from Illinois and has been with him from the beginning. I'm going to reprint an email exchange below between me and a friend of ours who now lives in NYC, Stacy Aab. She's a blogger on Huff Post, an author, and a former Clinton White House operative. She described by response as "the best email ever," though I thought hers was a lot more eloquent. My response is below, Stacy's message is below that.

I am convinced. Until yesterday morning, I was basically undecided (though kinda leaning towards Richardson with full knowledge that he was probably running for vice president at this point).

I think Obama represents a dramatic departure from business as usual, and that is very appealing to me at this point. I also haven't been so personally impressed and inspired by a candidate for president since 1992. Even with Gore (with my heart still broken) and certainly with Kerry, it seemed like it was more about "electability", whatever that is.

Then I saw his final speech in Iowa on YouTube before the caucuses, and I was hooked. Then I saw his victory speech last night, and I was convinced that he's what we need now.

To: Matt Emal
From: Stacy Aab <>
Date: Fri, 4 Jan 2008 10:09:05 -0500
Subject: Before, We Walked in Faith. Now, We Celebrate Fact.

Well, maybe not all of us. But many of us! What an incredible, incredible night....just wanted to share this with you all!

* * *

Before, We Walked in Faith. Now, We Celebrate Fact.

Last night, I wish I could have been an Iowan. I watched the early caucus coverage while at the Harlem NY Sports Club, working the elliptical machine. So many of us in the gym, racing, racing, watching CNN on the individual TVs. Wolf Blitzer cuts away to packed rooms of voters, sitting, waiting, being counted, waiting to stand up (if not literally, figuratively) for their man or woman. I found myself getting choked-up. I try not to be sentimental, because I find it to be a suspect emotion, but I found myself moved by the images of men in women in big sweaters and sweatshirts—just normal folks, like the folks of small towns in Michigan where I grew up, and all across the country. There they were. They were doing it. Each man and woman walked into that high school gym, looked at their neighbors, or didn't look at their neighbors, and prepared to say out loud—to testify, to declare for their whole world to know, who exactly they supported. I was jealous. I wish I could have been there. I wish I too could have made that simple, yet most powerful statement: Obama is my man. I hope he can be yours, too. And then, to look around, and see that other people are doing it with you? Only Spartacus could have felt better than Obama does tonight, knowing that so many people rose for him, and didn't shy away, didn't say oh, we're trying to back a "winner" just like people said in 2004 with that "winner" John Kerry. Last night, Obama was rewarded for dreaming big, and for acting big. So were we.

Primary School

2007-12-26T16:23:00.000-08:00

In a matter of days, voters will finally get a say in the 2008 Presidential election, and I can't wait. I have never been so proud to be a Democrat in a year in which we have no fewer that half a dozen candidates who would be excellent presidents (and another who isn't running in Gore), while the Republican Party couldn't have run a more motley crew.

The one thing I've learned since I've started watching such things as a 13 year-old in early 1984 is that you really can't predict (not even the media) how the caucuses will turn out: remember the 1988 Republican contest that finished Dole, Robertson, Bush (which must have been surprising for the then-Vice-President considering that in 1980 he beat Reagan there)? Or how about 2004 for the Dems? Dean and Gephardt, fighting it out for the win, finished 3, 4, leaving the eventual ticket of Kerry/Edwards to finish first and second.

All this leads me to believe that we really have no idea what will happen in Iowa, and not a good idea about New Hampshire either, since an unexpectedly strong showing in the caucuses can lead to unstoppable momentum 5 days later in the Granite State.

That said, it will not surprise me to see the Republican caucuses go Huckabee, Paul. Harder to predict on the Democratic side since the top three seem bunched together, but I do not expect Hillary to finish first.

Barrett Wins! Barrett Wins! Barrett Wins!

2007-12-19T13:40:00.000-08:00

Well, well. The old "call a quick special election to hold a seat" trick fails the Republican leadership again. Wonder if they'll learn. Actually, I kinda hope not, this has been working pretty well for us.

We now have a good shot at winning a House majority, I gotta think, especially if we get another switcher.

And another fantastic by-product of this race: no more Anna Mowery. Boy, was she a terrible member.

Baseball, Steroids, Ken Caminiti and Joe Moreno

2007-12-13T14:44:00.000-08:00

I know what you are thinking, what does the late St. Rep. Joe E. Moreno have to do with the other three subjects of this headline, but bear with me.

Like a lot of political folks here in Houston, Joe was a good friend of mine. Before he got elected to the legislature, we ran together, whether it was going out to eat, or work out, or a drink and a cigar. After he became an elected official, we were still buddies, but we didn't spend as much time hanging out together.

I remember the session in 2005 more for who wasn't there than for who was. First, we had a baby the previous August, so I decided for the first time in 3 sessions not to work in Austin, get an apartment, and be gone from my wife and newborn daughter for 6 months. I wasn't in Austin for session, and I missed it.

Also gone was my friend Rick Noriega, who had been deployed (as many of you know) to Afghanistan. Then in early May, Joe was also gone.

I think of him every so often, and I and many folks miss him terribly. When I think of him, it usually doesn't have to do with politics exactly, and this is one of those times. Today's report on steroid use in Major League Baseball reminded me of hanging out with Joe.

Also gone from our lives is Ken Caminiti, as famous for his drug use and overdose as much as his MVP-caliber career with the Astros and Padres. It was during Caminiti's second stint with the 'Stros that Joe had a suggestion that makes me laugh every time I think about it.

You see, one day at Joe's campaign headquarters, Joe decided that I looked just like Ken Caminiti. Well, maybe not just like him, but more like a shorter, less fit brother. Then he suggested that we could pick up dates if we went out together and he introduced me as Ken Caminiti's younger brother, Matt Caminiti.

He was serious. He wanted to try it out, but as a happily married man I was not really interested in picking up girls under an assumed name, especially one of a local celebrity.

Now that Joe's gone, I wonder if it would have worked.

The Johnson Treatment

2007-12-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

Just thought I'd post a photo of the famous "Johnson Treatment" alluded to in comments to my inaugural post. Notice how Sen. Green moves farther back as Majority Leader Johnson invades his personal space. I'm sure Johnson maneuvered him into that table to keep him there.

This series of photos is available for sale at the New York Times store at http://www.nytstore.com/ProdDetail.aspx?prodId=2998

Typhoid Georgie

2007-12-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Wow, it's been a fairly rare occurance for anybody running for office on a pro-Bush platform to win a competitive race for something. In fact, going back a few years, it seems that the best way to lose your job is to campaign with the guy or openly support him (or even just fail to oppose him, which seems to have been a big part in Tony Blair's calling it quits.)

Are you listening Karl Rove? Your warning today to Republican candidates not to shun the President on the campaign trail this year might spread severe cases of Bushitis, which, if not properly treated, can cause political death. Weren't you paying attention in 2006, when Republicans lost control of Congress in the last Bushitis pandemic?

Y'all don't need an architect, you need an epidemiologist.

Typhoid Georgie's latest victim: Australia's 11-year Prime Minister John Howard, who's Center-Right Liberal Party lost control of Parliament to the Labor Party; Kevin Rudd was sworn in yesterday to the job. I think an argument could be made that Mexico's presidential choice was more anti-Chavez than pro-Typhoid.

Hell, if it weren't for Nicolas Sarkozy, Bush would pretty much be 0-fer in elections in the western world since 2004. Am I missing anybody?

From the White House--Rosie Scenario Has Left the Building

2007-11-29T14:36:00.000-08:00

So, it seems that the White House today stopped blaming the "liberal media" for the state of our economy, shifting instead to the housing slump and the resulting tightening of credit. What everyone else already knew.

Despite pretty low unemployment historically speaking, and moderate growth for the past few years, the vast majority of Americans (78% of respondents in a recent Gallup poll) say the economy is getting worse. Apparently, the 13% who said the economy is getting better all work at the White House.

Regular people are worried about high gas prices, skyrocketing health care costs, and paying their ARM mortgages. Until today, the only complaint about the economy from Republicans is that the media doesn't cover all the great stuff going on. That would be because there isn't any unless you are already doing pretty well.

Krusee Makes it Official (He Couldn't Win)

2007-11-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

Ah, I love those Austin-area state rep districts. Remember the redistricting that made a 100% Democratic Travis County delegation into a 3-3 split one? Well, its back to 6-0, courtesy of a few districts moving our way, and a-whole-lotta Republican stumbling.

And who could forget the Rose vs. Green matchup! Green barely beat Rhodes in '99, then went on to lose a close one a few years later in a district that, while Republican on paper, clearly wasn't hardcore territory. Add in Keel quitting to run for a bench, throw in a few R's getting beat in Dallas and Houston areas, and you're getting downright close to a Democratic takeover in the House.

I was paying fairly close attention to a handful of competitive state rep races around the state, and I don't recall anyone ever mentioning the Krusee race as close. I think most of us were pretty surprised to see how poorly he ran that year, and after that he had a big ol' bullseye on his back.

So I have a question about the current Republican strategy of a member quitting so they can call a special election to fill the seat with hopes of holding it: How's that working for ya?

1. Donna Howard: D pickup in special over "formidible" Ben Benztin by 16 points
2. Kirk England: won close special as Repub, D pickup after switching
3. Dan Barlett: Led field going into Dec 18 runoff, potential D pickup

Bush Photo Hall of Shame

2007-11-23T10:27:00.000-08:00

Sorry for taking a couple of days off, you know how hard it is to do anything not holiday-related during the holidays (especially when people are coming over.)

As I do every Thanksgiving for the past few years, I found myself thinking about the photo to the left, which got plenty of run around the country and led to a nice bump in the President's poll numbers. It wasn't until a couple of weeks later that word got out that this wasn't a Thanksgiving feast the President was carrying out to the soldiers, but rather a plastic centerpiece he'd picked up from the table specifically to take pictures.
(Tim Sloan/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images from nytimes.com)

Then, in that stream-of-consciousness I often find myself wandering around in, I starting to think of all the other infamous photos this President has taken in which the truth later came to light. "Mission Accomplished" came to mind, starting with turning the aircraft carrier so San Diego couldn't be seen in the background, leaving the impression that they were well out at sea (it was San Diego, wasn't it?), to the flightsuit, culminating trimphantly in the photo to the right.
(AP, from cbsnews.com)

What are some of your favorites?

Welcome to WWLBJD!

2007-11-19T14:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to this first, and long-awaited, entry to my new blog space, WWLBJD! Here we will ask, and sometimes attempt to answer, the questions many of us have about how in the world our cart went off in the ditch and how in the hell we're gonna dig it out.

I first want to thank my adorable and multi-talented wife for pushing me to get my ideas down (three years ago, or was it four?!), and for all of you who have encouraged me when I've discussed this with you (Muse, Tatcho, you know who you are.) I'm really excited to have a venue where I can share my ideas and y'all can respond by praising my intelligence, creativity, profundity, or originality (hell, I'll even take compliments on my spelling.)

Ya know, I have wondered for the past several years, while I worked in campaigns, city halls, and state capitols in the great state of Texas and around the country (which I still do) how our "leaders" have gotten it so wrong for so long, and how it is that some in the media either don't get it or refuse to see it because the story doesn't fit neatly into some pre-determined narrative.

I can't tell you how discouraging it was for me, as a Gore operative on the Texas Truth Squad in 2000, to go from swing state to swing state pleading with voters not to let Bush do to the country what he'd done to Texas (something he promised to do, among other things--more on that later), armed with ample evidence of incompetence and carelessness, only to read the next day in the local newspaper that "Democrats say...(Bush is a joke, or whatever)." Of course, using the disclaimer "Democrats say..." instantly tainted as partisan our legitimate criticism, rather than using the more accurate, "Evidence suggests Gov. Bush is a joke." That's when I decided that journalistic balance wasn't "balance" at all in the physical sense of the word, just a device to give a story a point and a counterpoint, no matter how absurd (or plainly false) one of the points may be. Here's an extreme example: Democrats say the world is round, while Republicans claim that the world is actually flat. It reminds me of a scene in the classic 1993 political domentary The War Room, in which James Carville complains about a charge that the numbers in the Clinton economic plan "don't add up." I don't remember the exact quote, but paraphrasing here, Carville responds that if the Clinton camp says that 2+2=5, and the Bush campaign says 2+2=5 million, the media will say that they're both wrong.

I have to say that we had some successes that year; the one I'm most proud of was Gore's 5,000 vote margin in Wisconsin, where several of us had spent about a month before the election in persuasion and GOTV mode. I remember coming home to Houston the day after the election, with only a couple of hours of sleep, not knowing who the president was going to be. How horrifying it is to sit here typing this seven years later while that same incompetent mismanages his way into the history books while the one who got more votes collects an Oscar and the Nobel Prize.

So, I look forward to reading your takes on my takes, as well as takes all your own. And feel free to disagree, just don't be disagreeable.

Oh, yeah, a word about our name, What Would LBJ Do? As a Texas Democrat, I have always admired Lyndon Johnson and the way he got 'er done in DC as Senate Majority Leader, while Mr. Sam presided over the other chamber, and as President, the war notwithstanding (by the way, what is it with presidents from Texas and pointless war, anyway? Oh, right, Bush isn't really a Texan, I forgot.) The name "Landslide" is also a shout-out to our Hill Country President, what with that 87-vote margin in the 1948 Senate race and all (wasn't it really a landslide in Box 13, though?)