Schieffer, Sharp, White, & Durrance Speak at the Dual County Fish Fry

We had quite a Democratic event up here in the north metroplex counties Friday night, as the Denton County Dems, along with the Collin County Dems, hosted a "Fish Fry." Despite the location being out in the middle of nowhere (hey--it was affordable), we had a great turnout: around 130 local Democrats showed up to eat catfish and hushpuppies. We were also extremely fortunate to get the following Democratic candidates to speak at the event:

--Neil Durrance for Congress
--John Sharp for US Senate
--Bill White for US Senate
--Tom Schieffer for TX Governor

I'll recap some of the interesting points made by each candidate, and then give some impressions of the candidates that I gathered from people who attended this event.

Neil Durrance for Congress
Neil is running for CD26, and gave what was probably the best speech I've ever heard him give (good job, RH!)...and as his Finance Chair for the last year, I've heard him speechify many, many times. Most of Neil's speech was the usual "rah rah, Dems are right and we know it" stuff, but he also made one very important point: the only way we are going to win in TX is to get the swing voters to swing D. Every person in that room eating catfish is already going to vote D...that's a given. But what we need to win--and Neil addressed this--is for the swing voters in TX to come over to our side. Neil asked everyone in the room to go find an "independent" or swing voter and tell them who we D's are, and what we believe in (what we really believe in--not the BS you hear on Faux News). Not everyone in Denton County likes Neil; he was our County Chair prior to announcing his run for Congress, and that's a thankless job where you piss off as many people as you please. But there's no doubt that Neil Durrance is probably one of the strongest Congressional candidates that Denton County has seen in a long time, due to his training as a trial attorney, his experience in public office (city council and more), and most importantly, his familiarity with what it takes to run a serious campaign--as opposed to the lineup of comedians and "virtual" candidates (who wouldn't leave the house to campaign, Ken Leach) that we've seen in this county over the last few years.

John Sharp for US Senate
The east-TX good ole boy makes another run at public office. Fortunately for John, he's got some kind of odd charisma that makes people stop and listen to him. Unfortunately for John, I just don't think he really knows why he's running, other than he wants to be in office. He can tell an anecdote in a very entertaining way. As for what he truly believes, I'm still not sure. He did, however, make a couple of well-phrased points:
--that the Repubs believe that the best way to help auto companies is to give them tax breaks; but that the Dems believe that the best way to help auto companies is to make sure that every single working person can afford to buy an F-150 truck. [Note to John Sharp: it's 2009, and guess what? Women work and vote now too]
--that TX has no one sitting in on the important decisions in Wash DC right now, since we are governed in Congress by Repubs only. And this is why TX needs a Dem Senator in 2010--so that TX has a representative at the table in the Obama administration.
--that as Comptroller, he proposed and saw passed the Texas Tomorrow Fund in 1995, which helps middle-class families send their kids to college

Bill White for US Senate
Bill White is a three-term Houston mayor and former deputy energy secretary who brings some very strong qualifications to his run for Senate. His very high bipartisan approval ratings in Houston are a testament to his sound decision-making skills and willingness to forego petty party politics to do what's right--but he battles almost nonexistent name recognition outside Houston. Some points from his speech:
--TX needs leadership that is more interested in seeing the state succeed, rather than scoring partisan points and constantly looking for wedge issues. TX needs leadership who is more interested in the success of our kids than in seceding from the union.
--if TX is going to compete in a future economy that will be based almost totally on brains (vs brawn), then TX better start investing in brains.
--As Mayor of Houston, he says he's led the US in job growth; cut the crime rate; increased the number of parks; cut the property tax rate; and increased the senior exemption on property taxes.

Tom Schieffer for Governor
Tom Schieffer (brother of newscaster Bob Schieffer) is a Fort Worth native who, after stints as George W. Bush's "BFF", is now running for Governor as a Democrat. To Tom's credit, he says he's never voted for a Republican, or never voted in a Repub primary, or something like that. Anyway, after spending time in Asia as an ambassador in the Bush administration (yes, you read that right), one of the main planks on Tom's platform is education:
--will a kid in first grade in TX be able to compete in 20 years with a kid who is now in first grade in South Korea? Tom's afraid that the answer is no.
--he tells a story about how some people feel that TX schools will never perform better because we have too many of "those" kids (kids who, allegedly due to race or upbringing, are supposedly incapable of doing better in school). And yet he visited an aircraft carrier while serving as ambassador to Japan, and saw "those" kids, now aged just 19 or 20, landing jets on aircraft carriers. If the military can figure out a way to educate "those" kids, then TX can too.

Impressions from the audience:

--the liberals in the crowd thought Bill White and Tom Schieffer sounded like Republicans. One person told me that Bill White's talk of cutting property taxes sounded too conservative, and turned her off somewhat (in light of the hurdles TX faces in public education, air cleanliness, etc).
--the moderates in the room really liked what Bill White had to say. He comes across to them as a guy who is smart and has integrity.
--the people in the crowd who love John Sharp really love him. Where he has support, that support is strong. Unfortunately for him, it seems to be in low numbers.
--the Dems in the crowd are wary of Tom Schieffer, who gives off a George W. Bush smell. That may be one "friendship" that served Tom well in the 90's and 2000's, but comes back to haunt him in a big, not-so-good way.
--the "pro-Neil" people think that Neil Durrance is a great candidate, but he probably can't beat Burgess and Burgess's money. The "anti-Neil" people still don't like Neil, but that it doesn't matter because he can't beat Burgess and Burgess's money anyway.
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All in all, the mood at the Fish Fry was very upbeat: everyone, both audience and speakers, seemed to have a terrific time. The speakers were reportedly very pleased to see so many Democrats turn out for the event. The Democrats in the house were thrilled that the county parties managed to attract these high-level TX candidates to talk to them. Denton County and Collin County WILL eventually turn blue (emphasis on the eventually), and those of us who are active Democrats here are trying to make that happen sooner rather than later!

[full disclosure: I was on the committee that helped plan/organize the Fish Fry]

The Definition of Hypocrisy

The Women Are Running Things Now

Within the last 3 months, we've seen a change in the leadership of Democratic organizations in Denton County. Two organizations elected new leadership, plus one new organization formed......and all 3 are now lead by women.

Phyllis Wolper is the new Chair of the Denton County Democratic Party.
Julie Malcom is the newly-elected President of the South Denton County Democratic Party (aka SoDeCo).
Judith Ford (yours truly) is the elected President of the new PAC Democratic Women of Denton County.

Just after these elections, a new spirit of cooperation--unlike anything yet seen in Denton County--quickly began to evolve. All 3 women attended a Memorial Day Dinner meeting hosted by SoDeCo, and this is when it dawned on us what potential we have to create change in Denton County. After the dinner meeting, we hung around--joined by our SDEC 9 Committeewoman, Susan Culp--and started batting ideas around. The 3 of us are already friends and have been Dem activists in this county for years, so we all know what the challenges are, where the Dem strong and weak areas are, and what needs to be done to get the county to move from red (with a hint of purple) to more purplish-blue.

We quickly decided that the only way we are going to make faster progress in Denton County is to work together more closely, and more often. Over the past 15 years, Denton was about the only Democratic spot on the Denton County map, so most Democratic activism was centered there. Over the past 5--10 years, however, we've seen a rise in Democratic-voting population in the "South County," which includes fast-growing suburbs like Flower Mound and Lewisville. That's also where SoDeCo sprung up, and where DWDC was launched. Phyllis is realizing that to achieve the County Party's goals, activism in all parts of the county are needed--and she's excited about helping to make that happen.

The first change we are going to make is to encourage the formation of MORE Democratic Clubs. Good leadership will encourage this, and not worry about "losing control." I found out that the Denton County GOP lists no fewer than 16 Republican Clubs and Committees! This is really smart, because not everyone is motivated to attend, or is available to attend, a county EC meeting on the 2nd Thursday night of the month. People who don't really care about county politics may be much more motivated to attend a Democratic group centered around an issue, such as education. Or maybe a Democrat works nights, so can never attend EC. Why not let a club form that meets Saturday morning, so that now the night-worker can become an activist? It just makes sense. Give more people more opportunities to get involved.

As for "losing control", just get over it already.

The next step we are going to take is to start a Postcard Campaign. We are designing a mailable Postcard that lists all of the Denton County Democratic political organizations, and mailing it out to all the 2008 Denton County Democratic voters. That's over 54,000 (yes--fifty-four thousand!!) people.

[54,000 x bulkmail rate = YIKES!!! Please send donations!!]

We are doing this because we feel that there are still too many people in Denton County who feel surrounded by conservatives, and who do not realize there are active D organizations in this county. Even if they don't join an organization, people will begin to realize that the GOP is not the only game in town.

And of course, any aggravation of the GOP that the mailings cause is just....icing on the cake. :)

Having 3 women in these leadership roles means that the focus of each of the organizations--the rights of women/women candidates for DWDC; Democratic policies for DCDP; and community involvement for SoDeCo--can better be closely aligned and woven together to allow each org to reach its goals.

Gee, working together to obtain synergy.....seems like such a simple concept, right? Duh! And yet it wasn't going to happen until we got a County Chair with a broad vision for the entire county, and strong leadership in the other 2 PACS who are willing to work with the County Chair.

Finally, those elements have fallen into place. Expect great progress in the very near future...and keep your eye on Denton County as it turns BLUE!

Memorial Day 2009

This was sent to me by the most conservative person I've ever known. I won't even tell you some of things I've heard him say to people who are of a different race or religion (or even gender) than he is, because you wouldn't believe it. He doesn't say things in a malicious way. He just says them in a way that he shows how much he is convinced the white Christian male is the ruler of all the universe, and everyone else is a subspecies.

He sends out a regular newsletter to people in the legal video profession. I'm certified in legal videography, so that's how I receive his stuff. He makes no apologies for mixing his ultraconservative views into the newsletter...and that irks many people, as you can imagine.

So when I received an email from him at the start of the Memorial Day weekend, my first thought was, "oh no...this ought to be good." And then I read it.

And I have to tell you...I like it. It's simple, but to the point. So I'm reprinting it here. Thank you, G.

(He didn't specify where this comes from, so I can't credit the original source.)

It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion.

It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press.

It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech.

It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble.

It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial.

It is the VETERAN, not the politician, who has given us the right to vote.

It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, and it is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag.

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

Everyone is Invited: Fish Fry + Tom Schieffer for Governor !!

Ya'll Come!! All-u-can-eat Catfish, Democratic fellowship, and speakers Tom Schieffer for Governor, John Sharp for US Senate, and Neil Durrance for Congress!

Purchase your ticket here: http://www.actblue.com/page/dualfishfry

(click on the image below for a clearer picture...)


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Tired of Big Government

One of my very best friends in the world, Melinda Cunningham, wrote this....and it speaks to the issue so much better than I can.
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I have been thinking lately about Big Government. In this morning's Dallas Morning News, a Republican said that Americans don't want another Big Government program like universal healthcare. I started thinking about how tired we are of Big Government.

We are tired of street crews blocking the streets all spring, summer and fall while they make road repairs. We are tired of the National Guard SWOOPING IN every time there is a national disaster (Katrina, Ike, Rita, WTC) and poking their noses into our business. We are tired of highways, bridges, tunnels, and trains that surely cost us WAY too much money. We are tired of the Coast Guard rescuing stupid people who failed to make adequate plans prior to jumping into the ocean in a boat they probably couldn't afford anyway. We are tired of all of the regulating agencies with their silly acronymns (FDA, EPA, FAA, EEOC) who create ridiculous rules while making it absurdly hard on honest corporations who are just trying to HELP their workers. We are tired of federal subsidies for higher education: let those Aggies work at Pizza Hut instead of partying at the Dixie Chicken in their free time.

AND, while I am at it, we are T-I-R-E-D of the blooming Fire Department coming into our neighborhoods, sirens a'blazin every time some nut calls 911, not to mention the Police Department and burglar alarms. Don't even get me started!

Why, my son served in the Peace Corps in Armenia and when I visited him in 2004 I saw firsthand the result of limited government. The streets had not been repaired since the fall of the Soviet Union and there were potholes big enough for a family of four. Old women who did not have the burden of Social Security had the privilege of begging in the streets. Most of the men were unemployed and they had the luxury of playing Nardi (similar to Backgammon) all day with their friends. Many families that by God's grace survived but whose homes were destroyed in the horrible earthquake of 1988 were still living in temporary housing (boxcars) provided by the Soviet Union. These people know how to survive. Why can't we be more like them?

Now Obama, et. al. wants to give us another Big Government program: Healthcare. No Sir. We won't stand for it. I say, "Take your Big Government programs, all of 'em. Just give me the simple life. Taxed Enough Already." Yep. Me and good 'ol Rick Perry. We don't want any government handouts. No Big Government for us.

I truly hope you, being a reasonable person, can see the wisdom of this argument. Thank you for your time.

Melinda

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For more information on the Obama Healthcare Plan, see FactCheck.org

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New Chair for Denton County Democratic Party: Phyllis Wolper

We have a new County Chair for the Denton County Democratic Party: Phyllis Wolper! Phyllis was elected last night in Denton in a very close race with challenger Joyce Duesman.

[Our previous chair, Neil Durrance, has resigned so that he can run for Congress in 2010--we wish him well!]

Phyllis is a real estate agent in Denton, and has been very active in the Denton County Democratic Party for the last 3 years. She's the Founder and President of the Democratic Business Referral Club, and the Business Outreach Chair for the Denton County Democratic Party. Phyllis also ran an unsuccessful but tough race for County Commissioner in 2008.

I know Phyllis well, since I've worked alongside her for the last few years as we expanded the Democratic Party in Denton County. She's a smart lady who has a vast network (thanks to her job in real estate and the various boards she sits on), a supportive husband, and lot of talented Yellow Dog Dems who will help her in this challenging position! I have promised Phyllis that I will do everything in my power to support her and her initiatives.

Phyllis has a big job ahead of her: to continue to organize and grow the party in Denton County, and take it to the next level of effectiveness. She is committed to getting Dems elected to County government in Denton County.

Congratulations, Phyllis!

DCDP website: www.dentondemocrats.org

Healthcare Reform: It's Coming, and Not a Moment Too Soon

Many of us out here in the general public have been waiting for this for years....

HEALTH REFORM: WWW.HEALTHREFORM.GOV

County Chair is Running for Congress

Our own Denton County Democratic Party Chair has decided to throw his hat in the ring and run for Congress. Go Neil Go!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

May 1, 2009

~DURRANCE FOR CONGRESS ~

PRESS RELEASE - FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Neil L. Durrance, durranceforcongress@gmail.com

Denton Attorney Neil Durrance Announces Campaign for Congress

Neil L. Durrance, an attorney and Chairman of the Denton County Democratic Party, today announced his campaign for Congress in the 26^th Congressional District.

“For too long, Rep. Burgess has voted against the best interests of Texans. We need real leadership in Washington that puts partisanship aside to find solutions to the challenges we face. I will work with both Democrats and Republicans to turn the economy around, improve access to quality, affordable health care, and invest in the next generation of leaders by strengthening education.”

Mr. Durrance’s campaign will focus on bringing fiscal responsibility to government, creating jobs in the district, making educational opportunities available people of all ages, and improving health care.

Neil Durrance has practiced law since 1981, served as a City Council member, and was elected Chair of the Denton County Democratic Party in 2007. Filing with the FEC allows Mr. Durrance to begin the fundraising phase of the campaign. During this phase the organizational structure of the campaign, including staff, will be put in place. A formal public announcement is expected in late fall 2009.

100 Wonderful Days of Obama!! (click image for more info)

THERE IS NO VOTER FRAUD IN TEXAS

With thanks to the Lone Star Project...

Facts on Phony Republican Voter Fraud Efforts

Who gets hurt by Todd Smith? Independent studies show that those least likely to have a photo ID are senior citizens, college students, low income voters and women. Senior Citizens – In 2006, a study by the nonpartisan Brennan Center found that 18% of seniors 65 and over do not have a driver's license or a photo ID. (Source: Brennan Center for Justice, New York School of Law. November 2006) College Students – A Wisconsin study found that 97% of all students did not have their current address on their photo ID. (Source: Employment and Training Institute, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee: June 2005. May 10, 2006) Women – Women are more than twice as likely as men not to have a drivers’ license. (Source: Federal Highway Administration. “Licensed drivers, by State, sex, and age group.” July 24, 2006)

Who is against Todd Smith’s Partisan plan? Nonpartisan public interest organizations, nonpartisan experts and the editorial boards of every major Texas newspaper oppose Todd Smith’s partisan Republican Voter ID agenda. They recognize that voter impersonation at the polls - the only kind of fraud a Voter Photo ID law could possibly address - is virtually non-existent in Texas and does not address any current voting irregularities American Association of Retired Persons - Texas (AARP) The League of Women Voters of Texas Every Major Texas Newspaper (Read the Editorials Here)

Republican Control of Texas Has FAILED Texans

There's a lot of talk all over the place about how Texas is one of a few states with a "budget surplus."

At what cost has that surplus come?

Here's where Texas ranks in some key areas**:

Residential Utility Rates:
WORST

State Funding per Student:
46th

Percentage of People with Health Insurance:
WORST

Percentage of Hungry Children:
WORST

Air Pollution Emissions:
WORST

Per Capita Mental Health Spending:
46th

Percentage of Sub-Prime Mortgages:
WORST

So suddenly, it becomes obvious that the budget "surplus" has been obtained by starving the citizens and children of Texas of important services.

This is what you get when your Republican elected officials are bent on "small government." They mean small government for families and children--while the fatcats at the insurance companies and mortgage companies are buying their 3rd and 4th homes.

**Sources (in order):
Edison Electric Institute
NEA
US Census
Child Food Insecurity in the US, 2003--2005
EPA
Kaiser Family Foundation
Center for Community Change

**VOTE DEMOCRATIC---CHANGE OUR STATE FOR THE BETTER**

Senator Cornyn SKIPS One of the Most Important Senate Votes of the Last 50 Years....to Rub Elbows with the Fat Cats

From Politico and the Dallas Morning News.....

February 09, 2009

Where was Cornyn?

Texas Republican Sen. Jon Cornyn -- head of the GOP's Senatorial committee -- has been an outspoken critic of Democratic stimulus efforts, but he chose to skip tonight's cloture vote on the package without offering a detailed explanation.

Cornyn was the only no-show -- except for Commerce Secretary nominee Judd Gregg, who recused himself.

So where was Cornyn?

"He had a long standing commitment and since it was cloture vote and no vote is like a "no" vote, he stuck to it," wrote spokesman Kevin McLaughlin in an E-Mail to Politico. "Obviously [he] is against [it] and will vote no on final."

We followed up, wanting to know why Cornyn skipped what we described as an "enormously consequential" vote.

"It was a cloture vote," McLaughlin replied, "How was it 'enormously consequential?'"

Three Democrats -- Ted Kennedy, Tim Johnson and Robert Byrd -- all suffer from infirmities that limit their mobility, but made it to the chamber for the 61-36 vote that cleared the way for an up-or-down vote on the package.

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February 09, 2009
Categories: Congress

Cornyn, found

Glenn Thrush says the question from the Senate floor this evening was "where was Cornyn," as the Texas Republican was the only senator to miss the crucial cloture vote on the stimulus package.

The answer: He was at a New York gathering of prominent media conservatives and Wall Street Republican donors called the Monday Meeting, held at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Midtown Manhattan.

Though not a fundraiser, the meeting is a hub of conservative money and buzz, a good place for Cornyn to tap into resources in his role as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.

The meetings are off-the-record, but a source there emails me that Cornyn -- who was billed as speaking about the 2010 senate races -- took some pokes at Democratic leaders, saying that "Nancy Pelosi drives the train" and describing Chuck Schumer as a "human vacuum cleaner."

If there's a crowd open to the argument that FDR's New Deal was a big mistake, this is the one.

Cornyn spoke at the end of the meeting and was, I'm told, received warmly.

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UTTERLY DISGUSTING. We (well, not me, god knows) elected this loser to represent us in the US Senate. And you would think that a vote on one of the most important bills of our time would warrant some interest from Senator Cornyn. Even Ted Kennedy, who can barely get around after treatment for a brain tumor, was there. But no---Cornyn would rather be off shmoozing the fat cats and calling other Senators names, rather than doing the job we (well, YOU) elected him to do.

**Call Senator Cornyn today to express your displeasure with his behavior**

Cornyn's Washington DC office:

517 Hart Senate Office Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510
Main: 202-224-2934
Fax: 202-228-2856

Cornyn's North Texas office:

Occidental Tower
5005 LBJ Freeway, Suite 1150
Dallas, TX 75244
Main: 972-239-1310
Fax: 972-239-2110

Think You Have to Pay $1 Million Dollars to Get An Energy-Efficient Home? Think Again!!

A good friend who is also a Democratic activist AND successful real estate agent in Denton, Phyllis Wolper, has listed a "Green-Built Home" in Denton, TX for under $145,000. This is not a "cottage"--this is a 3-bedroom, 2-bath home on a cul-de-sac called Nevada Court.

The builder, Dan Fette Builders Inc, describes the features of the Nevada Court home on his website:

"Homes in Nevada Court will be sold with an energy use guarantee that the average amount of electricity and natural gas necessary to comfortably heat & cool the homes will not exceed a particular amount. On one of those homes, 1340 square feet in size, at current utility costs (summer ‘06) that translates to an average of less than $50 / month to heat & cool the home.

Heat-stressed landscapes and dying trees are a sober reminder of the scanty rainfall we’ve received in Texas in the summer of ‘06. Many who refused to let Mother Nature take their yards compensated with lots of watering and lots of money to pay for it. In typical area households, 50% of water use results from watering our yards. On the Nevada Court houses we placed rain water catchment systems capable of meeting all of the irrigation needs of our drought tolerant landscapes. Similar attention to water conservation is shown through selection of the plumbing fixtures and appliances that appoint the house.

Nevada Court is the first subdivision in the Metroplex in which all of the houses will be certified as meeting the requirements of the new Green Building Program of the Home Builders Association (HBA) of Greater Dallas. Dan Fette currently serves as Chairman of the HBA’s Green Building Committee. The Green Building Program requires compliance with 38 base level elements in the categories of Site Selection & Management, Water Efficiency, Energy Efficiency, Materials Efficiency, Indoor Air Quality, and Homeowner Education."

Take a "virtual tour" of the Nevada Court 'Green Home' here.


Visit the Home Builders Association of Greater Dallas Green Building Program

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Gallup: Texas No Longer Republican

The Gallup Organization published "the first in a four-part series on the State of the States to be released this week on Gallup.com. The series examines state-by-state differences in party affiliation, religiosity, consumer confidence, and employer hiring and letting go, based on Gallup Poll Daily tracking data collected throughout 2008."

The Findings:
"The accompanying map shows party strength by state for 2008, ranging from states that can be considered solidly Democratic (a Democratic advantage in party identification of 10 percentage points or more) to those that can be considered solidly Republican (a Republican advantage in party identification of 10 percentage points or more). States in which the partisan advantage is less than 5 points in either direction are considered "competitive."



Click on the map to see a clearer version--but yes, that's our lovely state of TEXAS shaded grey, for COMPETITIVE.

From the article: "....only five states had solid or leaning Republican orientations in 2008, with Utah, Wyoming, Idaho, and Alaska in the former group, and Nebraska in the latter......The most balanced political states in 2008 were Texas (+2 Democratic), South Dakota (+1), Mississippi (+1), North Dakota (+1), South Carolina (even), Arizona (even), Alabama (+1 Republican), and Kansas (+2 Republican)."

Gallup's interview results, for the state of Texas only:

%Dem or Lean Dem: 43.4
% Rep or Lean Rep: 41.0
% Gap in Dem or Repub: 2 percentage points
Number of Interviews Conducted in State: 19,415

What does this mean for us in Denton County? It means that we have to tune out the 'naysayers' who claim that Texas will never turn blue. Those views are espoused by conservatives who have a lot of corruption and anti-middle-class policies to protect. Ignore them, and let's keep doing what we're doing.

Best News for Women in 8 Long Years.....

Officials: Obama to reverse abortion policy

By LIZ SIDOTI and MATTHEW LEE, Associated Press Writers Liz Sidoti And Matthew Lee, Associated Press Writers

Jan 23, 2009

WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama plans to sign an executive order ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that perform abortions or provide information on the option, officials told The Associated Press on Friday.

Liberal groups welcomed the decision while abortion rights foes criticized the president. Known as the "Mexico City policy," the ban has been reinstated and then reversed by Republican and Democratic presidents since GOP President Ronald Reagan established it in 1984. Democrat Bill Clinton ended the ban in 1993, but Republican George W. Bush re-instituted it in 2001 as one of his first acts in office.

The policy bans U.S. taxpayer money, usually in the form of U.S. Agency for International Development funds, from going to international family planning groups that either offer abortions or provide information, counseling or referrals about abortion. It is also known as the "global gag rule," because it prohibits taxpayer funding for groups that lobby to legalize abortion or promote it as a family planning method.

A Democratic official and a senior U.S. official who disclosed the plans did so on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to pre-empt Obama's announcement.

Obama was expected to sign the executive order at a low-key event, one day after the 36th anniversary of the landmark Supreme Court ruling in Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion.

Both Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who will oversee foreign aid, had promised to do away with the rule during the presidential campaign. Clinton visited the U.S. Agency for International Development, through which much U.S. foreign aid is disbursed, on Friday but made no mention of the step.

Obama has spent his first days in office systematically signing executive orders reversing Bush administration policies on issues ranging from foreign policy to government operations.

In a move related to the lifting of the abortion rule, Obama also is expected to restore funding to the U.N. Population Fund (UNFPA), probably in the next budget. Both he and Clinton had pledged to reverse a Bush administration determination that assistance to the organization violated U.S. law.

The Bush administration had barred U.S. money from the fund, contending that its work in China supported a Chinese family planning policy of coercive abortion and involuntary sterilization. UNFPA has vehemently denied that it does.

Organizations that had pressed Obama to make the abortion-ban change were jubilant.

"Women's health has been severely impacted by the cutoff of assistance. President Obama's actions will help reduce the number of unintended pregnancies, abortions and women dying from high-risk pregnancies because they don't have access to family planning," said Tod Preston, a spokesman for Population Action International, an advocacy group.

Anti-abortion groups criticized the move.

"President Obama not long ago told the American people that he would support policies to reduce abortions, but today he is effectively guaranteeing more abortions by funding groups that promote abortion as a method of population control," said Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee.

From The Finger to The Shaka Sign

Now that we have a new President, there are new things we all must learn.

Over the last 8 years, we've all received (at one time or another), Bush's favorite hand salute:

But now we have a new salute to learn--and you're probably going to like this one a whole lot better:

"The Shaka"

Ok, maybe I'm hopelessly old and out of touch (crap, when did THAT happen?) but this was a new one on me. So, off to trusty Wikipedia to learn more:

The "shaka" sign is a common greeting gesture. It is often associated with Hawaii and sports such as surfing, kitesurfing, skateboarding, skimboarding, snowboarding and skydiving. It consists of extending the thumb and smallest finger while keeping the three middle fingers curled, and raising the hand as in salutation with the back of the hand facing the person that is being greeted; sometimes the hand is rotated back and forth to emphasize the sign.

Hawaiian locals use the shaka for various meanings, like "all right", "cool", "smooth", etc. Residents of states other than Hawaii who use the shaka may describe it as meaning "hang loose" and in California, the symbol itself is more commonly called the "hang loose" sign rather than the "Shaka" sign. It is also used to convey what locals in Hawai'i call the "Aloha Spirit," a gesture of friendship and understanding between the various ethnic cultures that reside within Hawai'i. It can also be used to signal a "hello", "goodbye", " 'till next time", "take care", "Alright!"

Heck, even little Sasha rocks the Shaka!


Why were the Obamas flashing the Shaka during the Inauguration? From the Honolulu Star Bulletin:

President Obama flashed shakas to the Punahou School marching band as they played "Aloha Oe" in the inauguration parade this afternoon.

The band, accompanied by the school's Junior ROTC squad and cheerleaders, were the first civilians to march in the parade that honors their school's most famous graduate.

Obama smiled broadly as the band approached the reviewing stand and started playing "Aloha Oe." Obama, his wife Michelle, and their daughters Malia and Sasha, all flashed shakas to the passing contingent of more than 150 Punahou students.

Obama, who was born in Honolulu in 1961, attended Punahou from fifth grade to his graduation in 1979. He has kept in contact with several friends from the school and visited the Manoa campus twice during visits to Oahu last year.

Our new President is not only smart---he's COOL!!!