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February 28, 2006
Failed Retribution
In yesterday's Washington Post came word that Texans for Public Justice, a non-profit Austin-based group that was critical of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay's campaign spending, was cleared in an IRS audit.
Obviously good news for Craig McDonald's organization, but the troubling fact is that TPJ was audited in the first place, and the circumstances surrounding that audit.
It turns out Sam Johnson, a fellow Texas Republican congressman, member of the powerful Ways and Means committee, and ally of Tom DeLay, requested the audit based on an unsubstantiated complaint from Barnaby Zall, a Washington attorney also close to DeLay.
Johnson simply sent a letter to IRS Commissioner Mark Everson alleging "disturbing information" about possible tax violations, and off the IRS went. A year and a half (and who knows how many taxpayer dollars) later, apparently there's "no there, there."
Zall, for his part, now can't recall why he pursued the matter, remembering only that someone maybe "said something to me." TPJ's McDonald decided he would find out for himself. One can hardly blame him for wanting to get to the bottom of such a serious and unfounded allegation.
Through Freedom of Information Act requests, McDonald obtained relevant documents, including a somewhat redacted copy of Zall's letter to Sam Johnson requesting the investigation of TPJ. The letter contained no evidence to suggest wrongdoing by TPJ, but did complain about Travis County DA Ronnie Earle's investigation of DeLay.
Using government power to seek retribution against real or perceived political enemies? In today's Republican-controlled Washington?? We are shocked, shocked.
Chilling, no?
UPDATE: TPM has a new twist to the story, namely that IRS rules to prevent political abuse may not have been followed. Again, shocking.
Posted by houtopia at 10:09 AM
February 25, 2006
Iraq Is Coming Unglued
In the wake of this week's bombing of one of Shia Islam's most holy sites in the Iraqi city of Samarra, bloody sectarian violence has erupted, threatening to plunge this already fragile country into civil war, a war that would dramatically impact the Middle East as a whole.
Such an intra-faith conflict, in addition to pulling Iraq apart in three directions (Shiite, Sunni and Kurd), could cause enormous upheaval in Saudi Arabia, Lebanon and Kuwait, which have significant Shiite minority populations.
And of course just to the east sits Iran, a Shiite nation that has already been influencing the political situation in Iraq, and which is seeking to become a dominant player in the region by acquiring nuclear weapons. Truly scary.
Sectarian violence in Iraq continued today, even as government leaders scrambled to contain it and resume negotiations to form a new government. There are some reports of families being pulled from their homes and executed.
And in the middle of all this are 130,000 American military personnel. They would likely be caught between the feuding sides, and would likely be forced to pull out, at least temporarily.
Reading these horrific accounts, one can understand why that wacky liberal, William F. Buckley, has declared that Iraq is lost.
Posted by houtopia at 06:25 PM
February 23, 2006
A Difference In Perspective
In yesterday's Houston Chronicle, Janet Elliott and Clay Robison presented two very different assessments of the state of Texas' public education system from two very divided elected officials. Governor Rick Perry and State Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn, who plans to challenge Perry as an independent this fall have different perspectives on the situation -- one sunny and optimistic, the other concerned and unsatisfied. Can you guess who's wearing the rose-colored glasses?
Each official used statistics to bolster arguments. Perry touted student improvements in national assessment tests and claimed "no other state in America can measure up to the progress Texas has made in education." Huh?
Strayhorn, on the other hand, decided leveling with the public was the best approach, highlighting Texas' near-bottom ranking on per-pupil spending, teacher pay, graduation rates and college entrance scores. She said it's "a sham to preach excellence and deliver mediocrity." Well said, Madame Comptroller.
She also actually said that "we need more dollars for education", a remarkable utterance from a GOP elected official these days. Governor Perry, we're pretty sure another five-figure check is in the mail from Mr. Leininger. You're gonna need it.
Posted by houtopia at 09:14 AM
February 20, 2006
Playing In Primaries
Aside from a pretty low-temperature gubernatorial primary, one Congressional race in south Texas and a few state legislative races, there's just not much action on the Democratic side for the upcoming March 7th election. Part of this, undoubtedly, is that Democrats don't control anything in Texas government, so the stakes are pretty low.
On the Republican side, however, meaningful contests abound. Here in Houston several GOP hopefuls are vying to replace Jon Lindsay in the Texas Senate -- with local talk radio personality Dan Patrick the favorite, three folks have squared off for the nomination to succeed Joe Nixon in the Texas House (a seat Republicans will be hard pressed to hold on to, no matter who wins the primary), and Harris County Treasurer (and former local newsman) Jack Cato is facing a challenge from former GOP darling and two-time mayoral also-ran Orlando Sanchez.
Across the state, about 20 State House seats have meaningful Republican primaries. Many of them are attempts by House Speaker Tom Craddick to exact revenge against GOP incumbents who rebelled against his iron-fisted rule during last year's regular and subsequent two special sessions.
Monday's Austin American Statesman offers a piece from Jason Embry, highlighting five of those races and the efforts of one wealthy conservative ideologue to affect the outcomes.
James Leininger is a successful San Antonio businessman who has long been an advocate for conservative causes in Texas, and specifically school vouchers. He and his wife have reportedly spent about $1.5 million on these five featured Republican House races, a simply staggering sum in a primary season.
Craddick is aligned with Leininger's efforts, and has fielded challengers in a number of the other House primaries. We'll go out on a limb and say he is taking a rather large political risk by so openly targeting incumbent members in his own party, members whose votes he will need in the upcoming special and next year's regular legislative session. As the Statesman piece points out, if Craddick prevails in most or all of these primary races, he sends a very powerful warning to any wavering Republican State Reps -- cross me and you're next.
If the Speaker loses most or all of the challenges, those surviving incumbents will be emboldened and are not likely to soon forget what Craddick tried to do to them, which may threaten his very speakership. Republicans currently hold an 87-63 seat advantage over Democrats in the Texas House. Most Lege watchers think Democrats will pick up some seats this year -- about five. With an 82-68 edge, Craddick has less room for comfort. Another Republican could very likely make a deal of sorts with most Democrats, peel off enough disgruntled Republicans (those emboldened, surviving GOP incumbents) and we have a new Speaker folks.
We are guessing Lt. Governor David Dewhurst, who must be dreading the arrival of Dan Patrick -- a frequent and fiery critic of his -- to the more collegial Texas Senate, might enjoy seeing his "pal" Craddick hoisted on his own political petard. Dewhurst, after all, has had the temerity to suggest that the Legislature should put aside partisanship and actually hammer out a compromise on public school finance and other pressing state issues. Downright heretical in today's Republican Party.
As Texas Democrats continue the long and painful struggle back to relevance in state government, they can be forgiven for enjoying a bit of schadenfreude in watching the latest reality TV show -- Texas Republican Death Match 2006.
We'll be chuckling through the tears.
Posted by houtopia at 11:57 PM
February 16, 2006
The 95-10 Initiative
Marshall Whitman over at Bull Moose has a very interesting piece on a Democratic initiative to dramatically reduce the number of abortions in America by reducing unintended pregnancies, and to encourage pregnant women to have the child by providing them real assistance.
Houtopia is unequivocally pro-choice, but we have believed for some time that Democrats have for too long taken an unnecessary political beating on this issue, and should be more pro-active about reducing the need for abortions in the first place.
Hillary Clinton took some positive steps in this regard with a speech last year, and this latest initiative, called the 95-10 Initiative, promoted by Congressman Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) seems to follow the same line of thinking. The plan targets a 95% reduction in the number of abortions in the next 10 years. While we don't agree with all aspects of the plan, specifically some of the "information" requirements at women's health facilities, we do generally support the concept.
The key of course is appropriate, real-world sex education and access to contraception. We are all for teaching abstinence -- most teenagers are not ready for sexual intercourse for a whole number of reasons -- but only as part of comprehensive sex education.
It seems so many who are opposed to abortion simply cannot come to grips with the fact that, much as we may want them not to, or we think it's morally wrong, teenagers will have sex out of wedlock. It's among the most basic human urges, and if you can't accept that fact then you're not really serious about reducing abortion. Any realistic plan must focus on proper sex education and easily available contraception to keep unwanted pregancies from ever happening.
Many pregnant women who decide to have an abortion report doing so because they do not feel they can properly provide for the child or themselves after birth. Most of these women are young, single, many of them lack education or earning power -- these fears and concerns are quite real and understandable.
Any society that truly expects women in these circumstances to carry a pregnancy to term and have a child must help them. That means health care -- pre- and post-natal; it means educational and job training assistance; it means help with day care. Too many on the extreme right today categorically oppose abortion, but once she has decided to have the child, the girl and her baby are on their own. What's pro-life about that?
We think Democrats should get serious about reducing unwanted pregnancies, and thus the need for abortions, and give real support to women who decide to have the child, while preserving choice as a fundamental right. Much of the 95-10 plan is a step in the right direction. We should work to make President Clinton's standard of safe, legal and rare a reality.
Posted by houtopia at 04:41 PM
February 15, 2006
Those Pesky Facts Rear Their Heads
As much of the blogosphere is consumed with Vice President Cheney's accidental shooting of his friend Harry Whittington, an Austin attorney and longtime GOP booster, and apparent inconsistencies in official account of what actually happened, we have other fish to fry.
In today's LA Times comes a report that fallen super-lobbyist, turned government witness Jack Abramoff did indeed have close ties and access to the highest levels of the White House, despite the Bush administration's claims to the contrary.
It seems that in 2002, not long after 9/11, Mr. Abramoff brokered a meeting between his former client, the government of Malaysia and President Bush, despite then Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad's history of making anti-Semitic statements and a poor human rights record in his country. Abramoff was paid over a million dollars for his work on behalf of the foreign government.
Abramoff's contact at the White House? Political guru and Deputy Chief of Staff Karl Rove. Turns out Mr. Abramoff's former assistant is now Mr. Rove's assistant, and that Abramoff often bragged of his access to Rove and the upper echelons of the administration.
In the wake of Mr. Abramoff's recent plea agreement, and his ongoing role assisting a broad federal investigation, the White House has sought as much distance from him as possible. In fact, Mr. Bush claimed never to have met Abramoff, only to have numerous pictures of the two together surface in the press.
So once again, inconvenient facts get in the way of a Bush administration story line, this time its involvement with the man at the center of a large (and potentially huge) federal corruption scandal. Just par for the course these days.
Posted by houtopia at 02:47 PM
February 14, 2006
Way To Go, Chuck & Harry
Late yesterday came word that Paul Hackett, the Iraq War veteran who made a surprisingly strong special election run as a Democrat in Ohio's 2nd Congressional District last year, has withdrawn from the U.S. Senate primary there amid intense party pressure from Senators Harry Reid, Chuck Schumer and the DSCC. Another brilliant move from the national "leadership" of the Democratic Party.
Hackett was pressured to step aside so longtime Ohio Congressman Sherrod Brown, who has amassed a considerable war chest can run.
So let's get this straight: Hackett, an outspoken, maverick war veteran, who received 48% as a Democrat in a Congressional district where George W. Bush earned 70% of the vote, was deemed less electable statewide by those DC political geniuses (who have brought home so many victories lately), than a traditional inside the Beltway liberal Democratic Congressman. All this in Ohio, which last time we checked has been voting Republican for a while. Again, brilliant.
It's good to know party leaders have their finger firmly on the nation's pulse outside Washington. After all, poll after poll shows that not only are Americans fed up with GOP leadership, but that they just love the traditional Democratic Party, right? News flash, Beltway Democrats -- the public doesn't think much more of you than they do Republicans.
So, let's just continue to eschew new candidates, with new messages and no baggage -- real change agents -- in favor of more of the same. Instead let's just keep running, head first, into that political brick wall. After all, Democrats are suckers for self-flagellation, right? Some of us out here in the hinterlands might even get the impression you guys in Washington actually like losing.
In a year with so much electoral promise for an opposition party, Democrats have taken that first bold step toward snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. Well, at least you're predictable. Is that Karl Rove we hear chuckling?
Posted by houtopia at 09:27 AM
February 11, 2006
Cracking Down On Those Criminal Senior Citizens
In today's LA Times comes a report that the federal government has stepped up its seizure of prescription drug shipments from abroad, drugs that are mostly ordered by U.S. seniors from Canadian pharmacies.
Importing drugs from abroad is illegal, but has largely been tolerated until now. Some states, like Minnesota, have defied federal law and passed state legislation to allow easier importation of the foreign drugs in response to local political pressure. Seniors here order them from abroad because it is significantly cheaper than buying them locally.
Canadian pharmacies have reported huge increases in the number of shipments seized by the U.S. government. The uptick in seizures begain in November and has rapidly increased. Is it coincidence that this increase in seizures has occurred just as the new Medicare prescription drug benefit has taken effect?
Not surprisingly, seniors are none too pleased about losing their prescription shipments. Given the apparent enormous problems with the new Medicare benefit, the administration is taking a real gamble with this crackdown (which, shockingly, they deny is even occurring.) When seniors cannot reliably get their needed prescriptions, either from their own government benefit or by ordering them from abroad, we may have a problem folks.
The Bush administration is creating more heartburn for an already dyspeptic Congress. Picture the town hall meeting back in the district this summer, where the Congressman gets ripped a new one by an army of irate octogenarians who are involuntarily off their meds. Just what these nervous GOP incumbents need in an uncertain election year.
Some Republican House members must be asking themselves, "Is the administration trying to lose this election for me?"
Posted by houtopia at 03:11 PM
February 10, 2006
Dropping The Bosses In The Grease
One characteristic (of many) that has marked the George W. Bush administration is loyalty from staff. The younger Bush is said to have never forgotten what he saw as disloyal members of his father's administration, and clearly has insisted on singular allegiance from his own staff. Indeed, the GOP's remarkable rise to power in recent years has in part been the result of extraordinary discipline by party members from top to bottom. Republicans have faithfully followed President Reagan's 11th Commandment -- thou shall speak no ill of another Republican.
Two things can quickly erode such loyalty and discipline: power and scandal. For the GOP as a whole the longtime enemy -- Democrats and liberals -- has been vanquished, at least for the time being. Republicans control all levers of national government and have attained that for which they struggled for so many years -- power.
Slowly but surely, we have begun to see the storied GOP party discipline break down. Congress is angry at the administration, members of Congress are angry at each other, and the party "base" is periodically angry at everyone. Witness the Harriet Miers nomination debacle. When you are in charge you simply can't please everyone. And with conflict being human nature, if the stakes are high enough belonging to the same party just isn't enough to stop the brawling.
Loyalty within the administration, until recently, has remained more intact. With the occasional exception of a Paul O'Neill or Richard Clarke offering parting shots after leaving the government, most current and former Bush II staffers have followed the Colin Powell model and remained loyal soldiers for the cause.
Today came two big turnabouts from former Bush "company men." First, departed Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Lewis "Scooter" Libby, the prime culprit so far in the leaking of CIA operative Valerie Plame's identity, turned on his former boss. According to testimony released from the ongoing court case, Libby said Vice President Cheney was among the superiors who ordered him to leak Plame's identity to the press.
Mr. Libby's testimony is, let us say, a significant departure from the expected towing of the administration line by White House staff. The prospect of lengthy prison time has a way of making folks rethink their loyalties, doesn't it?
Next, Michael Brown, the unqualified sot who was running FEMA when Hurricane Katrina struck, was back testifying today before the Senate about what happened. Brown, who had been praised by President Bush during the crisis as "doing a heckuva job, Brownie", was singing a slightly different tune to Senators than several months ago.
In his previous appearance before Congress, Brownie testily defended himself and the administration against Senators' questioning, and was quick to blame state and local officials whenever possible for the colossal government screwup that occurred (and continues today) in New Orleans. Today, while he continued to shift blame away from himself, this time he directed it to his former superiors at the Department of Homeland Security and the White House. Brown told Senators that the White House knew early on that levees had been breached in New Orleans, testimony which is at odds with the White House's contention that it was surprised to learn of the breaches.
Again, Brown's latest testimony is perhaps most remarkable as another breach of that famous Bush loyalty. Undoubtedly, Brownie is trying to salvage some semblance of his own sullied reputation, but he may also feel the loyalty he previously showed the administration was not exactly rewarded. In fact, the White House was only too happy to let him take the fall for the federal government's disastrously incompetent response to Hurricane Katrina. Brown even remarked today that he feels rather abandoned.
Finally comes the revelation that the disclosure (leak) to the press of the administration's use of possibly illegal domestic wiretapping likely came from inside the White House itself. Vice President Cheney confirmed as much in a Newshour interview with Jim Lehrer earlier this week. What is going on here? Bush people don't rat, right?
The explanation may lie in a web of complicated relationships, grudges and score-evening, but perhaps it's simpler than that. As the policy failures and scandals mount, rocking the ship of state, maybe among the White House crew the life vests are on and it's every man for himself.
Posted by houtopia at 03:31 PM
February 08, 2006
The Love Fest Begins Anew
Well, it hasn't taken long for those two bosom buddies, the Governor and Lt. Governor of Texas, to rekindle their season of love, otherwise known as the regular and special legislative sessions of 2005.
In yesterday's Houston Chronicle, Clay Robison reported that Governor Perry told a group of lawmakers in San Antonio last week he is inclined not to address any education reform issues other than reducing property taxes in an upcoming special session this spring. What a surprise.
That a Governor who has recently shown so much leadership and political courage to tackle tough problems facing ordinary Texans -- like renaming highways and working to halt that exploding crisis, gay foster parenting -- thinks a minor issue like education reform can wait until next year just makes you swell with pride, doesn't it? That he would protect his fellow GOP legislators by pushing education reform after the November election shows you his heart is in the right place.
No doubt the Governor's comments reminded the number two man in Austin why he has always thought so highly of the man atop Texas. Not. There he goes again, that Dewhurst, actually saying the Lege should use the special session to work out a compromise on education reform. Doesn't he understand we have an election in 9 months?
You can always count on the Texas House Speaker to bridge the divide. In today's article, Speaker Craddick's spokeswoman agreed in the same breath that education reform is necessary, but that it's the Governor's call. Wow, political guts abound. Cut the Speaker some slack folks. He's up to his neck in 20 Republican House primary races, trying to exact revenge on those GOP legislators who dared question his authority last year. The people's business will simply have to wait.
It's nice to see that a year after a regular and two special legislative sessions, sessions that were so fruitful and productive for Texans -- gee, do we really even need a special session this year? -- the spirit of generosity and kindness between the three Republican men running state government is rekindled once again.
This bodes very well for the people's business in 2006.
Posted by houtopia at 08:42 AM
February 06, 2006
Early November Handicapping
We have written numerous times over the last several months that the current national mood, along with historical precedent, offer Democrats an opportunity to make electoral gains this fall. The American public is deeply ambivalent about the current direction of the country, angry at the folks in charge over the state of things, and just plain nervous about the future. With one party in charge of everything, such a negative confluence offers the party out of power a real chance to gain ground.
In today's Washington Post, Dan Balz and Chris Cillizza take an early look at the midterm Congressional elections. They hit the nail on the head in capturing the tension of the fall contest: "...the broader political environment plainly favors Democrats, but the on-the-ground realities of many races give Republicans an advantage as they seek to preserve their majorities."
The piece goes on to highlight individual races on both the House and Senate side, discuss fundraising and quote operatives of both parties about what is likely to happen in November. Inevitable comparisions are drawn with 1994, when the GOP swept into power in both houses of Congress.
In the House, however, perhaps as few as 20 seats are realistically in play, making the odds of the Democrats regaining power there (they need a net gain of about 15 seats) long at best. More likely, we think, are modest gains by Democrats in both the House and Sentate, but no shift of power.
We predict the same here in Texas. Democrats are likely to lose Ken Armbrister's State Senate seat, so no gains there. In the House, a pickup of 4 to 5 seats seems quite possible, which, depending on the outcome of the 20 or so GOP primaries there, may put Tom Craddick's speakership in some peril.
Of course, another 1994 is not out of the question. The GOP really came out of nowhere that year and rode a wave of discontent to historic victory. If Democrats can run a real reform campaign, show some backbone and direction on critical national issues, and aggressively run against the status quo, their own version of the Contract With America is a possibility. Don't hold your breath.
UPDATE: Charlie Cook, one of the best analysts in the business, has thrown in his two cents.
Posted by houtopia at 11:02 PM
February 02, 2006
A Real Boehner
The U.S. House GOP caucus elected John Boehner of Ohio today to be the new House Majority Leader. Roy Blunt of Missouri, who had temporarily filled the post since Sugar Land Congressman Tom DeLay stepped aside amid numerous ethical and legal charges, was thought to have the inside track to permanently seize the position, but lost decisively on a second secret ballot.
Boehner is a well-liked Member who had been part of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich's leadership team, but was ousted in 1998. He also gained unwelcome notoriety several years ago for passing out tobacco lobbying checks on the House floor. Boehner is considered very close to the K Street lobbying crowd. It's nice to see the Republicans are making a good faith effort for ethical reform, isn't it?
Blunt had entered the election confident of an easy victory. A few Members, however, brought the caucus's mood down with recitations of dismal GOP polling numbers and apparently tilted the room toward change. Even Boehner was surprised at his victory.
Wow -- a K Street lobbyist crony with his own shady ethics record. House Republicans really cast a vote for change, didn't they?
Posted by houtopia at 10:15 PM