Random Texas news

Kelso does a typical Kelso-take on the hooker the Dems in Dallas nominated:

Former male prostitute has a leg up on the other candidates

Malin can joke about this. He points out that his campaign color is burnt orange. He says he's had phone calls from people asking, " 'Are you changing your campaign slogan to Hook 'em, Tom?' and no, we're not."

Instead of pooh-poohing his past as a male hooker, he should mention it prominently in a TV ad campaign.

How's this for a slogan: Tom Malin: He's Done It Before, and He Can Do It Again.

At the Capitol, Malin would be doing the same work he used to do. It's just that he'd be doing it to a larger audience, and in a suit.

Really. How many other candidates can say they've prostituted themselves, so therefore they understand how the Legislature really operates?

Embezzler's thefts from Doggett, others escalated over years
Victims, friends can't understand why Kristi Willis stole from them.
By Chuck LindellAMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFFTuesday, February 21, 2006

Like most embezzlers, Kristi Willis started small and grew increasingly bold.

She first dipped into U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett's campaign treasury in January 1999, the same month she volunteered to start keeping the books.

[...]

For many, Willis' choice of victims was as puzzling as the thefts themselves.

A committed Democrat, Willis drained money from Brown while he was seeking to claim a Republican-held seat in the Texas House. Taking the $8,500 also kept the Capital Area Democratic Women from making campaign contributions in next month's primary or last week's House District 48 runoff, won by Democrat Donna Howard.

[...]

"I think Austin is a pretty forgiving and caring place, and she really has been a great contributor to this community," Edward said. "There is a sense that there was something that was really wrong, a real psychological problem."

The sympathy for Kristi Willis is really amazing, I mean, she stole a lot of fucking money. Actually it's not amazing. She's white and upper-middle class. The same people quoted in this story who feel bad for her selling her house and hoping she gets treatment for her problem rather than jail time probably flip through COPS on Saturday night and feel no such sympathy for the crack whore who has a real "problem" getting busted by the cops and facing hard time.

If she'd broken into a bunch of West Austin homes and stolen $167K worth of loot, there'd be no one not calling for her to be locked up.

Maybe she does have a problem. Maybe restitution and counseling and community justice is a better way for society to deal with theft than jail time. But until white liberals in Austin start hollering for a full-scale revolution in criminal justice and the way Texas treats drug criminals, prostitutes, and non-violent thieves, I don't want to hear shit about Kristi.

Finally, Bob Gammage smacks Chris Bell for not being a good Dem. Seems some pretty serious charges.

Did Bell really vote wrong on ANWR, bankruptcy and taxes? Anyone want to defend those votes?

From the Gammage campaign:

Chris Bell is running in the Democratic Primary for Governor, but he cannot seem to figure out what he really is. Chris Bell flips-flops back and forth:

[...]

BELL VOTED TO ALLOW DRILLING IN THE ARCTIC NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE. League of Conservation Voters, National Environmental Scoreboard, 2003, p.28 and following. Congressional Record, 4/11/2003, Roll Call 145

BELL ENDORSED THE BUSH TAX CUTS THAT GAVE HUGE TAX BREAKS TO THE WEALTHIEST 1% OF AMERICANS—AND CAUSED THE BIGGEST BUDGET DEFICIT IN OUR HISTORY. Houston Chronicle 9/13/2002

BELL VOTED FOR THE BUSH-CHENEY ENERGY PLAN…The Sierra Club called it “one of the worst disasters for the environment and public health in recent years.”
League of Conservation Voters Scorecard, 2003, p 28 and following

BELL VOTED AGAINST FELLOW DEMOCRATS AND JOINED REPUBLICANS
TO PASS AN INFAMOUS “BANKRUPTCY BILL” WRITTEN BY BANKS AND CREDIT CARD COMPANIES.
Congressional Record, March 19, 2003; Roll Call Votes 72 and 74

BELL VOTED TO WEAKEN CLEAN WATER LAWS…by granting special exemptions to oil and gas companies.

League of Conservation Voters Scorecard, 2003, p 28 and following

Bell campaigned against a city initiative to raise the minimum wage in Houston.
Houston Chronicle 2/14/97; 2/16/97