Texas Blog Podcasts

Taking Texas Back Episode 9

Texas Kaos

Sorry we have been off the air for awhile but don't think we haven't been busy here in Texas. WE had one of the biggest voter turnouts in decades for our March primary. I Survived The Texas Two Step but just barely. LOL I want to dedicate "My Kind of Girl" by Collin Raye to the strong Women of Texas!!! Don't Mess With Texas Women Rick Noriega is Campaigning Hard for Youby: boadicea Rick's op-ed wa... read more

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Taking Texas Back Episode 9

Sun May 25 2008

Sorry we have been off the air for awhile but don't think we haven't been busy here in Texas. WE had one of the biggest voter turnouts in decades for ... read more

Taking Back Texas Episode 7: Interview with Mike Engelhart candidate for 151st District Court in Harris County

Sun July 08 2007

I had the great pleasure of interviewing Mike Engelhart who is running for 151st District Court Judge in Harris County. You can check out Mike's web s... read more

Taking Back Texas Episode 6

Wed July 04 2007

http://www.texaskaos.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3544" Happy Fourth of July What are your plans for the 4th? Will you be attending fireworks, a parade, c... read more

http://www.texaskaos.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=3544" Happy Fourth of July What are your plans for the 4th? Will you be attending fireworks, a parade, cookout or staying inside out of the rain like me? Libby's commutation in conflict with recent Supreme Court decision by: David Van Os In a decision announced on June 21, 2007, the US Supreme Court in Rita v. United States upheld as reasonable under federal sentencing law a prison sentence of 33 months for the offense of perjury committed in testimony to a grand jury, which is virtually the same sentence imposed on Scooter Libby for the same offense. The defendant Victor Rita was a 25-year military veteran with 35 commendations, awards and medals for his military service, and in poor medical condition. He contended that the length of his prison term was unreasonable in light of his exemplary service to the country and his health circumstances. The Supreme Court granted review in order to examine and clarify the issue of how to determine the reasonableness of a prison sentence. Twelve days after the Supreme Court held as a matter of law that a sentence of 33 months of prison for perjury was reasonable for a decorated veteran in poor health, the president, whose sworn duty is to see that the laws are faithfully executed, commuted Scooter Libby's similar sentence for the same offense as "excessive". Cindy Sheehan is Back and Raring to Go!!! by: refinish69 Cindy Sheehan had stepped out of the picture as she was frustrated and tired after a very long struggle to wake America up to the Evils of the Bush Regime and the War based on Lies. The Mounting death toll and Shrub's complete disregard for our legal system has brought Cindy back in our midst. Call Out The Instigator by Cindy Sheehan Call out the Instigator Because there’s something in the air We got to get together sooner or later Because the revolution’s here You know it’s right! -Thunderclap Newman I’m not backing off. I tried to remove myself from the political realm of the US, what BushCo is turning into an Evil Empire, but the blatant audacity of George commuting Scooter’s sentence (he’s not ruling out a full pardon —and you know he will) has dragged me kicking and screaming back in. I can’t sit back and let this BushCo drag our country further down into the murky quagmire of Fascism and violence, taking the rest of the world with them! Will Mike McCaul Condemn Scooter's Amnesty? by: DanGrant The commutation of Scooter Libby's prison sentence wasn't really a surprise. We already knew the President believed in amnesty. But the silence from our Congressman is troubling. Mike McCaul fancies himself an authority on national security and is a member of the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct. Does he condone the treasonous act of outing a clandestine intelligece agent? Standing by your friends is one thing. Standing by a high government official convicted of lying to federal agents to cover up Dick Cheney's campaign to take the nation to war in Iraq under false pretenses is another. We need a change in Washington - now. Please join me at http://www.dangrantf... to see how we can make a fresh start in a new direction. Update: Action Alert: Cornyn 1st to Cheer Libby's Commutation. Get All Your Texas Reps to Respond! At 8:35 p.m., Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) became the first member of the Senate GOP leadership to make a statement on the matter, defending the action but using Libby's pardon to take up another cause celebre among conservatives -- the case of Border Patrol agents Ignacio "Nacho" Ramos and Jose "Alonso" Compean, who were sentenced to 11 and 12 years, respectively, for shooting a fleeing drug runner and then covering it up. This is the equivalent of saying thanks, Mr. President, but that's not good enough: "I hope he will give the same consideration to the cases of Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compeon. Not a Draft Movement Anymor read less

Taking Back Texas Episode 5

Fri June 01 2007

On The Difficulty Of Writing, Or, The War Hits Home by: fake consultant I do not want to write this story, and I have been stuck for about ten days be... read more

On The Difficulty Of Writing, Or, The War Hits Home by: fake consultant I do not want to write this story, and I have been stuck for about ten days because I do not want to face the reality of this particular situation. But here it is. Last Friday was the day The Girlfriend and I had to travel to Fort Lewis, Washington, to attend the military departure ceremony for one of our two godsons. He enlisted in the Army National Guard, and now it’s time to go to the Middle East. There was no mystery or great surprise that he would be going, and the news is not all bad. He is not in a Stryker Brigade; thank whichever deity you support, nor a military policeman. It is theoretically possible that the support role he will be filling will actually be moderately safe, which is about the best spin I can offer considering the circumstances. He and his brother are our two godsons, and we have literally been looking out for them since the days of their birth. To illustrate the point more clearly, I was his birth photographer. The Girlfriend and I attended Lamaze-twice-to allow us access to both deliveries, but circumstances caused us to miss his older brother’s birth by eight hours. We have been the “bad” godparents ever since-the ones who introduced them to Beavis and Butt-Head, and Ren and Stimpy, and Skittles and Jolt Cola and Archie McPhee. It isn’t as though I didn’t try to nip this in the bud. I suggested the Air Force (a subject I can speak about from personal experience), but I was clearly not as persuasive as I could have been. Which is how we found ourselves at Fort Lewis. The families assembled in a hangar on base, a small band offered up patriotic music, important officers offered up inspiring words, and an award was presented to the officer who managed the required paperwork that made the deployment possible. Finally, with a clanging of warning bells, the hangar doors were opened to reveal the soldiers we were there to honor, standing in formation. Nobody reacts to the officer who says: “This is the last time I will have the chance to address all of you...” Everyone wants to look brave, soldier and family alike; but there is no way to sit in a room with small child noises filling the space, and not know the future will likely be so, so tough for some of those little children. Goodbye Cindy Sheehan by: lightseeker In what she described as a ''resignation letter,'' Sheehan wrote in her online diary on the ''Daily Kos'' blog: ''Good-bye America ... you are not the country that I love and I finally realized no matter how much I sacrifice, I can't make you be that country unless you want it. ''It's up to you now.'' [snip] ''I have endured a lot of smear and hatred since Casey was killed and especially since I became the so-called ''Face'' of the American anti-war movement,'' Sheehan wrote in the diary. How Courage is involved by: Stewart True Courage In all the *fuhrer* over the House Speaker's machinations this weekend, it may seem a trifle pollyanish to bring up my own organization's recent action to bestow awards on legislators. But there really is a relationship here. In case you missed it, the True Courage Action Network recently ran a poll and asked everyone who follows the Lege which senator, rep, and advocate demonstrated the greatest courage defending Texas from the kleptocrats who are fighting right now to hold on to power. The poll winners are: Best State Senator: Rodney Ellis Best State Representative: Mike Villarreal Best State Advocate: ACLU of Texas (represented by Will Harrell, Sonia Santana, and Kat Dean) In addition, TCAN's own members chose to honor: Sen. Mario Gallegos for: Defending Voting Rights in the Senate Rep. Rafael Anchía for: Defending Voting Rights in the House Sen. Royce West for: Promoting Ethics Reform Rep. Jim Dunnam for: Delivering a Passionate Floor Speech and Craig McDonald of Texans for Public Justice for: Deli read less

Taking Back Texas Episode 4

Mon April 30 2007

Anti-Abortion Terrorism Suspect Arrested in Austin by: moiv The American-Statesman reports the arrest of Paul Ross Evans (left) , 27, of Austin for th... read more

Anti-Abortion Terrorism Suspect Arrested in Austin by: moiv The American-Statesman reports the arrest of Paul Ross Evans (left) , 27, of Austin for the attempted bombing of an Austin clinic that provides abortion care. Law enforcement officials made the announcement at a news conference this afternoon. "Our initial estimates are that the device could have caused serious injury or death within a hundred-foot radius," Assistant Police Chief David Carter said. "I do believe the threat has been removed." Evans made an initial appearance before a federal magistrate this afternoon. Evans, who was crying, had an attorney appointed for him. [:::] The bomb was in a soft-side insulated cooler and contained 2 pounds of nails, a battery, a 12-inch piece of copper pipe, a mechanical timer and a propane cylinder, according to an affidavit from an FBI agent that was used to arrest Evans. Inside the pipe was potassium nitrate, which can be used to manufacture gunpowder, and a type of sugar called dextrin, the affidavit says. There was also a device that would detonate the bomb ... Well, My Cat Is In The Hospital by: annatopia The contamination has spread to the human food supply. Poultry in Missouri and pigs in several states are now being tested for contamination. When is this going to end? Claude, my fourteen year old baby, threw up Monday night. We didn't think much of it because, well, cats puke sometimes. But with all the recall mess, I watched him very closely Tuesday. Tuesday he spent the day curled up in a corner of our bedroom. When I felt his ears and throat, he was very very warm. I tried to get him to eat, and he wouldn't. He also threw up the water he drank. thank you to everyone for sending your healing thoughts and prayers. it has helped to comfort me at this difficult time. unfortunately, claude didn't make it. Texas Journalism Awards "Tainted" by: lightseeker Texas Press Club Awards May Be Tainted - Forbes.com By JEFF CARLTON 04.24.07, 10:08 AM ET The Press Club of Dallas may have to review the last three years' worth of Katie Awards, one of the Southwest's most prestigious journalism prizes, because of the possibility they were rigged, the club's president said. The entries for the 2006 Katies apparently never went before judges, and competitions from 2004 and 2005 are being probed, club President Tom Stewart said Monday. by: moiv As reported by the Dallas Morning News and Vince at Capitol Annex, Warren Chisum's HB 175 -- a "trigger bill" to make abortion a felony in Texas should Roe v. Wade be overturned -- appears to have gone down for the count. A stiff anti-abortion bill is probably gone for the legislative session, dragged down partly by a budget analysis that showed outlawing all abortions would cost the state more than $400 million in health care costs over the next three years. [:::] The cost from ending abortions in Texas would come from an estimated 63,000 more births, of which 67 percent are likely to be supported by Medicaid, according to projections from the nonpartisan Legislative Budget Board. Based on current abortion rates of about 78,000 a year, the board estimated that if abortion were illegal, 20 percent of women would go to a state where the procedure was legal. The remainder, based on projections, would carry their pregnancy to term and require medical and social support. While Warren Chisum says his bill failed to make the cut because "It got hung on a bad vote in committee," and Vince Liebowitz wonders whether "some in the Legislature are simply tired of voting for bad public policy time and time and time again," a projected bill for $400,000,000 in social services was just as likely the real sticking point for the solons of the Tax Relief State. Laura Bush: No one has Suffered More from Iraq than George and Me by: krazypuppy Yes. Laura Bush really did say that no America read less