Texas on the Potomac

February 23, 2010

Momentum builds to end 'don't ask, don't tell' as Lieberman takes lead role in repeal effort

Efforts to repeal the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy have won the backing of a high-profile moderate, with Sen. Joseph Lieberman's decision to introduce legislation that would repeal the law banning openly gay service members.

Lieberman, I-Ct., is set to unveil the bill next week as part of a multi-front congressional assault on the 17-year-old policy. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., and other lawmakers also are mulling ways to repeal or block the ban, including through the annual budget process.

AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., left, and Sen. Joseph Lieberman, I-Conn., have united on foreign policy issues and other topics in the past. But the pair are on different sides when it comes to repealing the military's 'don't ask, don't tell' policy banning openly gay service members.

Lieberman said his measure would "enable patriotic gay Americans to defend our national security and our founding values of freedom and opportunity."

"To exclude one group of Americans from serving in the armed forces is contrary to our fundamental principles as outlined in the Declaration of Independence," Lieberman added. It also "weakens our defenses by denying our military the service of a large group of Americans who can help our cause."

President Obama has called the Clinton-era policy unfair and asked Congress to overturn the ban.

Under "don't ask, don't tell," military officials are barred from investigating the sexual orientations of service members; similarly, service members are prohibited from disclosing their sexual orientations or their homosexual relationships.

Defense Secretary Robert Gates and Adm. Mike Mullen, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, have told Congress they support repealing "don't ask, don't tell," but need a year to study the best way to phase it out. Top military leaders will face questions on the issue this week during a series of congressional hearings.

Nathaniel Frank, a senior fellow at the Palm Center, a research institute at the University of California, and the author of a book critical of the ban, said Lieberman brings an important voice to the campaign.

As a moderate, "he is respected in certain relative circles," Frank said. "There is some value to having someone in the center advocating for this." It shows "this is no longer a partisan issue."

Lieberman's support could provide cover for other moderates to support a repeal.

Last year, Gillibrand abandoned her effort to halt the discharge of gay service members for18 months, after it appeared she would not get the 60 votes needed for adoption. In return, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., agreed to hold the first congressional hearing on the policy since it was put into place.

This year, Gillibrand and other advocates of repeal are hoping they can win over more senators with the Obama administration's support and in light of public opinion polling that widely favors getting rid of the ban.

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll released Monday finds that nearly seven in 10 Americans think the military should allow openly gay and lesbian service members.

"There is tremendous momentum behind our cause," Gillibrand said. "Opponents are on the wrong side of history."

Continue reading "Momentum builds to end 'don't ask, don't tell' as Lieberman takes lead role in repeal effort"

Posted by Jennifer Dlouhy at 10:05 AM in Military (Pentagon Watch) | Comments (0)
Share:

Rich Galen: Here's what the GOP should do at the health summit

Texas on the Potomac frequently publishes guest opinions from across the political spectrum. Today, we offer a piece from one of our favorite Washington web columnists, Rich Galen. To subscribe to Rich's "Mullings" cybercolumn, click here.

How tired are you of the Great Health Care Debate of 2009-2010 and Beyond?

President Obama has invited Democrat and Republican leaders from the House and Senate to a meeting at Blair House on Thursday to discuss health care reform. The half-day event will be televised on C-SPAN.

I'd rather watch a three-hour Tiger Woods apology.

Anyone who was expecting a formal Oxford Union debate is going to be disappointed.

The president has made it clear that this is not in any way, shape, or form starting from a blank sheet of paper. It is part of a continuing process of attempting to recover from the disastrous start to this process last August when Democratic Members of the House and Senate ran into the buzz saws known as "Town Hall Meetings" with no idea of what they were attempting to sell, and even less of an idea about how to handle the anger.

In the run-up to the meeting, the administration on Monday published an amalgam of the bills adopted by House and Senate Democrats on the WH web page.

On the Sunday talk shows, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said the Senate Republicans would attend but said, "if they're going lay out the plan they want to pass four days in advance, then what are we discussing on Thursday?"

Not only is the president pre-selecting the discussion items, but the Democratic Leadership in the House and Senate has made it known that they are prepared to use the "reconciliation process" to shove a plan through the House and Senate as a budget item requiring a simple majority in each Chamber rather than the 60-vote gauntlet the legislation has had to run previous to this.

It is not clear to me how, by signaling Republicans that no matter what happens on Thursday, Democrats are prepared to torture the rules to shove through a plan they like will be helpful to the fiction that this will be an open and thoughtful debate.

If I were a Republican strategist (which I used to be) and I had been asked what I thought the GOP should do (which I was not) this would have been my idea:

★ Have some 30-second TV and 60-second radio ads written and produced which simply and directly make the four or five points that the GOP wants in any health care plan.

★ Leave five seconds at the end for Republican members of the House and Senate to put their "disclaimer" on it.

★ Have each member — whether running for re-election or not — agree to buy some significant, but not exorbitant, amount of advertising in their District or State; and have the RNC make up the difference in states which have little or no GOP representation.

That would have allowed the Republicans to march up Pennsylvania Avenue to Blair House secure in the knowledge that, at a minimum, their constituents knew what they stood for — no matter what theatrics President Obama and the Dems throw at them on Thursday.

Posted by Richard Dunham at 07:38 AM in Guest Blog, Health care | Comments (0)
Share:

News links: John Cornyn says GOP can't count chickens yet

Welcome to the Texas on the Potomac news links. We will offer Texas links, "Potomac" links for Washington stories and a sampling of the best Texas political blogs. Please feel free to e-mail us with link suggestions.

Texas Links

John Cornyn: GOP can't count chickens yet. Politico>>>

Daughter says pilot who targeted IRS offices was a hero. The Dallas Morning News>>>

Supreme Court: No new trial in Texas police officer death. The Associated Press>>>

Ft. Hood suspect was Army dilemma. The Boston Globe>>>

Potomac Links

Obama offers new health-care plan; GOP slams it as 'government takeover'. The Washington Post>>>

House panel says Toyota misled public on safety. The New York Times>>>

Lieberman backs 'Don't Ask' repeal. Politico>>>

Presidential Futures Market Downgrades Stock Of Current Governors. NPR>>>

Texas Blogs

More "Federal Takeover" of Texas Schools? The Texas Tribune>>>

You Can't Handle the Truther. In the Pink>>>

White raises $2.2 million, has $5.4 million cash. The Dallas Morning News>>>

Reform Effort Gains Steam. Dog Canyon>>>

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 06:30 AM in News links | Comments (0)
Share:

Today in Texas History: Houston signs treaty with Texas Cherokees

On this date in 1836, Sam Houston and John Forbes signed a treaty giving the Texas Cherokees the rights of land between the Angeline River and Sabine River.

After the war between Texas and Mexico, the government of the Republic of Texas sought to reduce friction between Texas and the Cherokees -- who had been on land north of San Antonio since 1819 -- so the tribe would not get angry and collaborate with Mexico.

The treaty was submitted to the Texas Senate in December 1836 but was rejected on the grounds that it exceeded its powers in extending land rights to the tribe. Despite the rejection, Houston honored the commitment to the Cherokees.

His policy honoring the treaty was reversed by Republic of Texas President Mirabeau B. Lamar. Lamar insisted the Cherokees and Comanches be driven out of Texas, even if their tribes became extinct.

In a bloody battle, Lamar drove the Cherokees out of Texas in 1839.

—Hailey Branson

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 05:30 AM in Today in Texas History | Comments (0)
Share:

February 22, 2010

Photo gallery: The Dalai Lama comes to DC

Photo Gallery by Diana Carlton

To follow the Dalai Lama on Twitter, click here.

Posted by Diana Carlton at 08:59 PM in Photo galleries | Comments (0)
Share:

8th Congressional District candidates speak out: Scott A. Baker

Texas on the Potomac has offered every candidate in contested congressional primaries an extensive opportunity to weigh in on their qualifications for office and their positions on the major issues facing the district.

We will print no more than two responses per day, allowing each candidate exclusive play on our web site. The candidates' comments will be published in the order in which they are received.

Today we hear from Republican candidate Scott A. Baker:

Scott A. Baker

Why would you be the best candidate for the House seat?

I believe that we need new leadership and representation in Washington, D.C. Our representatives have not been good stewards of our economy or our government. I understand America's history and founding principles. I was raised in southeast Texas, and I have worked throughout the region for the last 7 years. I have 10 years experience in the commercial construction industry. I have been an integral part of taking two small businesses to the top of that industry in their respective regions. Success in my job depends upon the relationships that I build and maintain with many different groups and individuals throughout the region. I bring people together to achieve our common goals within budgets and schedules that I help to establish. I have a Bachelor of Science in Biological and Physical Sciences from the University of Houston — Downtown. I am also an Air Force veteran, and I lead the music worship at my church. I am active in several conservative organizations in Montgomery County. I was an advisory board member and the website administrator for the Montgomery County Eagle Forum until I became a candidate for this office. My goal is to help people get educated, informed and active in our local, state and national governments.

How would you describe your political philosophy?

I am a conservative, and I believe in the rule of law. I believe that we can implement pragmatic, achievable solutions to the problems that America faces. My goals are to get America back to a small, limited, accountable government, restore our economic prosperity, improve our national security and protect our sovereignty. America is a Christian nation, founded on the principles that we are all created equal by God who gave us our rights and the freedom to control our own destiny. We the people established a limited government based on those principles to protect our rights. We are responsible for being good stewards of the gifts that God has given us, including our lives, families, communities, country, government, and world.

What are the most important steps you would take to produce jobs in the district and the country?

The first measure that we can take to allow private industry, not government, to create jobs is to open up exploration and development of all our natural energy resources (Drill Here! Drill Now!) such as oil, natural gas and coal. Tens of thousands of businesses across America, most of them small businesses, will begin to hire people and start work immediately. This will reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources, and the money that would normally be sent to other countries, will instead stay in our economy. American jobs on American soil making American products for Americans. This will improve America's national security, sovereignty and economy.

The next measure is to create an environment that is favorable for businesses that base and operate in the U.S. by lowering the corporate marginal tax rates to 12.5 percent. We can encourage investment by eliminating the capital gains tax, and we can encourage entrepreneurs and families by eliminating the estate (death) tax.

What would you do to reduce or eliminate the federal deficit?

First, stop all of the bailouts and stimulus programs, and use any remaining funds to pay down our national debt. Freeze all spending at 2008 levels, and begin a systematic elimination and/or consolidation of government programs and agencies. A new commission is not required to accomplish this task. There are numerous reports generated by the Heritage Foundation, GAO, CBO and OMB detailing approximately 22 percent of all government agencies that have no positive impact on their respective areas. There are literally hundreds of duplicative agencies that can be consolidated. There are also extensive reports detailing wide-spread fraud and abuse of government funds. We can eliminate approximately $250 billion that is wasted every year by our government. Then, we must improve the efficiency and reduce the bureaucracy of the remaining government agencies, and reduce the number of federal employees accordingly.

What are your top priorities in fighting international terrorism?

We must stop the practice of giving Miranda rights to terrorists. We must focus the use of our intelligence agencies and our military forces to pursue and eliminate terrorist threats wherever possible. We must use every legal means, including enhanced interrogation techniques, to obtain information from captured terrorists and prosecute them as unlawful enemy combatants through a military tribunal system. We must use effective profiling measures to prevent terrorists from boarding flights, entering the country, or carrying out terrorist attacks wherever possible.

Do you favor full funding for the Constellation program or should NASA use the money for other priorities?

Yes, America should maintain it's dominance in space exploration and technologies. However, we should also require NASA to improve its efficiency, safety and quality standards, and reduce its bureaucracy.

Do you favor comprehensive immigration reform? If not, what would you do to fix the broken immigration system?

No, I do not support or favor comprehensive immigration reform. We need to close and control our national borders, and enforce our existing immigration laws. We should also expand proven, successful programs like Secure Communities which pairs ICE agents with local law enforcement officers. We should withhold or reduce federal funds to "sanctuary cities" until they comply with and enforce immigration laws. We should improve and enforce the use of employment verification systems such as E-Verify, and hold employers accountable for verifying and reporting the legal status of their employees.

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 07:00 PM in Campaigns, Special Report: Texas primary, Texas politics | Comments (0)
Share:

Pelosi's Houston visit draws praise, barbs from local lawmakers

A visit to Houston by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has provoked dueling press releases by Democrats and Republicans within the Houston-area congressional delegation.

Democratic Reps. Gene Green, Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green are welcoming Pelosi for today's tour of the Port of Houston.

@JacksonLee18 TwitPic Houston-area lawmakers including Rep. Jackson Lee appear today with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The Democrats say Pelosi's drop by helps highlight the Obama administration's economic stimulus spending in the Houston area.

Statewide, Texas received $12 billion in federal spending under the so-called "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act."

The Democratic lawmakers are joining local industry officials for a roundtable discussion of the impact of spending from last year's emergency $787 billion package of tax cuts and spending to jump start the sputtering economy.

"I am happy to see Speaker Pelosi here at the Port with an active interest in our local economy," said Rep. Gene Green. The stimulus package "has made and will continue to make a huge impact on our area."

The Port of Houston alone has received nearly $102 million in economic stimulus funds to help a facility that is responsible for $285 billion in annual economic activity and an estimated 1.5 million direct and indirect jobs, Green said.

Economic stimulus funds alone have created an estimated 2,640 direct and indirect jobs, Green said.

The stimulus spending provided more than $3 billion for Houston-area early education programs and community health centers. Another $50 million is being provided for construction of two highway connectors to ease traffic congestion.

The economic stimulus package also provided a $200 million Energy Department grant to CenterPoint Energy last year to begin the first phase of its Intelligent Grid program to improve operational efficiency and reliability for distribution of electricity, Green said.

"These funds will continue to help our local and state economy stabilize during the economic downturn, and bring even more needed jobs to our area," Green said in a statement.

Rep. Al Green also cited benefits reaching the greater Houston area, including $130 million for the City of Houston; $85 million for his congressional district and $196.7 million for the Houston Independent School District.

"Thanks to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, our nation is laying a new foundation for economic growth with a special emphasis on sectors that will be decisive in the near future, such as education, clean energy, transportation and infrastructure," Al Green said.

Five Republicans in the Houston-area congressional delegation seized upon Pelosi's visit to challenge what they described as "the Obama administration's failed stimulus plan."

Reps. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands; John Culberson, R-Houston; Michael McCaul, R-Austin; Ted Poe, R-Humble; and Pete Olson, R-Sugar Land, said actions by the Obama administration could cost the Houston area thousands of jobs.

The White House decision to cancel NASA's back-to-the-moon Constellation program and the Army's decision to shift combat truck production from Texas to Wisconsin after 17 years threaten to cost the Houston-area economy 20,000 jobs, the lawmakers said.

"If Speaker Pelosi is truly concerned about the welfare of our state and our economy, we invite her to visit" NASA's Johnson Space Center and BAE Systems' Sealy truck plant to see "these fine institutions and meet with their outstanding employees," the GOP lawmakers said."We are confident she will find they are dedicated to preserving America's leadership in the human space program and maintaining the strongest, best-equipped military in the world."

Posted by stewartpowell at 04:40 PM in Congress (Delegation Watch) | Comments (0)
Share:

Are surveillance drones coming to the Texas-Mexico border?

A Texas congressman plans to meet with federal officials in April to press for use of an unmanned aerial vehicle — called a UAV or drone — to patrol the border from Brownsville to El Paso.

Congressional photo Rep. Henry Cuellar

Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Laredo, has requested a Predator drone to help combat narcotics trafficking and potential threats of terrorism along the Rio Grande.

Cuellar, who chairs the House Homeland Security subcommittee that oversees border and maritime issues, pointed to the use of UAV technology in other states, including the Canadian border, Arizona and the Florida coast.

"You've got areas in West Texas that are just so open out there. This would put eyes in the skies," he said.

In a letter to David Aguilar, U.S. Customs and Border Protection acting deputy commissioner, Cuellar renewed his request to deploy drones "along the Texas-Mexico border as soon as possible, and obtain all necessary certificates of approval without delay."

The meeting in April will include representatives of Aguilar's agency and the Federal Aviation Administration. Cuellar said a decision to deploy a drone in Texas could be made following that meeting.

The FAA has raised safety concerns about drones operating in heavily traveled airspace. Drones are twice as likely to crash as manned aircraft, according to an analysis compiled by the Congressional Research Service.

The amount of flight traffic between Mexico and Texas presents a concern, but it's a problem that can be worked out, Cuellar said.

"The FAA will play a role in this, and (determine) whether Texas will get a UAV," Cuellar said. "It will be up to safety reasons."

Congress has already approved the use of drones for border protection and passed legislation authorizing the Department of Homeland Security to begin tests on the unmanned craft.

Drones, which fly pre-programmed routes, and remotely piloted vehicles, RPVs, both have undergone tests by private contractors at Fort Huachuca and Gila Bend, in Arizona.

A Predator drone was part of the Arizona Border Control Initiative, combining federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, until it crashed in 2006, according to a Congressional Research Service report.

Customs and Border Protection was expected to begin using a drone for maritime surveillance off the California coast this year, and the U.S. Coast Guard is using a drone for surveillance off the Florida coast. A CBP spokeswoman said a drone is also being used along the northern U.S. border with Canada.

The agency spokeswoman declined comment about the Cuellar letter to Aguilar, and could not confirm that it had been received. But as a matter of course, she said drones were being used by CBP to secure the borders.

In a statement, Michael Kostelnik, CBP assistant commissioner, said the Predator system "has proven its value to homeland security over the nation's land borders, the Great Lakes region, and in support of DHS hurricane and flood response operations."

Cuellar, as a member of the House Homeland Security panel, has been seeking the use of drones for border surveillance for four years.

He said the technology could enhance efforts on the ground and boost surveillance in areas where terrain makes it difficult to patrol or observe and that the Rio Grande's challenges include "Mexican drug cartels, gangs and human smuggling."

Gov. Rick Perry, in Republican primary re-election campaign appearances, has called on the government to use Predator drones to enhance border security.

Cuellar said he has not spoken to Perry about his own efforts or of the upcoming meeting with federal agencies. But the congressman repeated Perry's request in his letter to Aguilar, noting that the technology is essential to protecting the nation from "terrorism and narcotics trafficking."

Once a decision is made, federal officials will determine where to physically locate the drone and technology needed to conduct the program, a congressional aide said.

Cost has not been an issue. Congress has approved more than $55 million since 2006 for CBP to test and deploy unmanned aerial vehicles along the borders and in maritime operations.

They have been effective in detecting unauthorized entries at U.S. borders, border agents must still be dispatched to apprehend smugglers or undocumented immigrants, according to the Congressional Research Service.

The Predator costs roughly $4.5 million. They are made by a U.S. firm, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems.

Posted by Gary Martin at 02:46 PM in Border/Immigration | Comments (0)
Share:

8th Congressional District candidates speak out: Rep. Kevin Brady

Texas on the Potomac has offered every candidate in contested congressional primaries an extensive opportunity to weigh in on their qualifications for office and their positions on the major issues facing the district.

We will print no more than two responses per day, allowing each candidate exclusive play on our web site. The candidates' comments will be published in the order in which they are received.

Today we hear from Rep. Kevin Brady:

Congressional Office Rep. Kevin Brady

Why would you be the best candidate for the House seat?

With so much at stake now is not the time to send unproven, inexperienced representatives to Washington. I am the only candidate in this race with the experience and conservative track record needed to fight against the liberal Pelosi-Obama agenda.

Our constituents enjoy a bigger voice on national issues because I've worked my way up in the U.S. House and now hold important leadership posts on key committees such as House Ways and Means. I am a leader of the House conservatives, deputy whip and the top House Republican on the Joint Economic Committee.

I work hard to listen and stay in touch with those I represent. Unlike many, I've never moved to Washington, D.C., and this last August held 53 health care town hall meetings - the most in the entire country.

I've introduced legislation to end the TARP and return the bailout money to the taxpayers. I've fought against the stimulus, the auto bailouts, housing bailout, Cash for Clunkers and the dangerous Obama budget deficits.

With a strong 95 percent lifetime conservative voting record, I am the only candidate backed by the NRA and Texas Right to Life.

I oppose amnesty for illegal immigrants. We need to restore America to the strongest economy in the world. I've stepped up as a GOP leader against the stimulus, cap and trade, the national health care plan and tax increases on families and small businesses.

Experience includes: Chamber of Commerce executive, 18 years; Texas House of Representatives, three terms; U.S. House of Representatives, 1997 to present.

Honors include: Texas Political Leader of the Year, Deep East Texas Legislator of the Year, Five Outstanding Young Texans, 10 Best Legislators for Families & Children, Hero of the Taxpayer, Small Business Champion and Super-Friend of the Seniors.

Local accomplishments include: Restoring the state and local sales tax deduction which saves Texas taxpayers $1.2 billion a year, establishing a national network of university-based homeland security research centers to better secure our nation, protecting teachers against frivolous lawsuits when they maintain order in the classroom, preserving firefighter pensions, leading the passage of the Central American free trade agreement and leading the successful community campaign to establish the VA Health Clinic in Conroe to serve local veterans north of Houston.

Community service includes: Rotary Club Paul Harris Fellow; member, Sts. Simon and Jude Catholic Church; supporter, Lone Star Honor Flight and many area civic activities.

How would you describe your political philosophy?

Pro-family, pro-small business conservative who believes as government expands, freedom and individual liberty shrinks. A limited federal government, as our Constitution envisions, is the best guarantor of security and prosperity for this and future generations.

What are the most important steps you would take to produce jobs in the district and the country?

Stop the health care mandates, cap and trade and tax increases proposed by the Democratic Congress that discourage business hiring; restore consumer confidence by tackling rising deficits; encourage U.S. energy production; restore commercial credit for the credit-worthy; open new markets for Texas goods and services by passing the pending trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea and lower taxes to allow the estimated $600-$800 billion in stranded U.S.profits to flow back and be invested into the United States. Modernize and make permanent the R & T tax credit to encourage innovation in the U.S.

What would you do to reduce or eliminate the federal deficit?

For starters pass the Spending Reform Act which I've authored to place a cap on federal spending, sunset obsolete and duplicative federal agencies and programs, end earmarks until the abuses can be eliminated, and force Congress to make Social Security and Medicare permanently solvent. Submit to the states a constitutional amendment requiring a balanced federal budget. Establish a procedure to block House spending bills which do not have a constitutional basis.

What are your top priorities in fighting international terrorism?

Provide 110 percent support to the troops — including equipment, weapons and wartime rules of engagement — so they can successfully complete their missions in Iraq and Afghanistan and return home safely; rebuild and fully support the U.S. intelligence community; build and maintain a state-of-the-art missile defense system; enlarge the standing Army and Marine forces and do everything possible to prevent a nuclear-armed North Korea and Iran. Provide economic opportunities, where appropriate, to foster moderate Muslim and anti-corruption governments.

Do you favor full funding for the Constellation program or should NASA use the money for other priorities?

The research benefits and the recruitment of future scientists generated by human space flight is incalculable, so I support fully funding the Constellation program by canceling the unspent portion of the stimulus and using the interest savings. A reliable commercial space industry should be encouraged but is years away. Given the dangerous record deficits, NASA cannot be exempt from aggressive efforts to cut wasteful spending and unneeded bureaucracy from its budget.

Do you favor comprehensive immigration reform? If not, what would you do to fix the broken immigration system?

The back door of illegal immigration must be shut so the front door of legal immigration can remain open. Securing the border and prosecuting businesses that repeatedly hire illegal workers are the first steps. I oppose amnesty and a path to citizenship for those who have violated the law. I support fixing the broken front door of legal immigration as well as a true temporary guest worker program that meets the changing workforce needs of an economically strong America.

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 02:00 PM in Campaigns | Comments (0)
Share:

Jackson Lee leading money primary...in a landslide

Eight-term Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee has forged a campaign finance juggernaut to overcome the most serious challenge of her political career in Texas' March 2 primary.

The Houston Democrat raised almost $70,000 in barely six weeks in her bid to prevail in a three-way contest.

AP photo Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee

The high profile lawmaker added $32,860 from 30 individuals and $37,000 from 19 political action committees affiliated with unions, businesses and advocacy organizations to her campaign treasury since City Council member Jarvis Johnson and lawyer Sean Roberts launched rival bids for the Democratic congressional nomination on Jan. 4.

The latest contributions reported to the Federal Election Commission swell her campaign treasury to $504,000 for the Democratic contest and the subsequent race in November against the winner of a three-way Republican primary to represent the largely downtown congressional district once represented by Rep. Barbara Jordan.

"People are willing to put their money where their support is," says Jackson Lee. "I'm grateful to have the support of people who want to send Sheila Jackson Lee back to Washington to fight for them."

Johnson reports raising $33,793 since Jan. 1, including a $5,000 personal loan from his wife Charlene, and $28,793 from 28 individual donors.

The FEC had not received electronic reports or paper reports from Houston lawyer Sean Roberts by the midnight filing deadline Thursday night.

Jackson Lee joins three other Houston-area House members facing primary challengers - Reps. Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands; Michael McCaul, R-Austin; and Ron Paul, R-Lake Jackson.

The three incumbents' campaign treasuries outpace their challengers. Brady had $159,214 in the bank as of Feb.10. McCaul had $530,999. And Paul had $2 million.

Five other House members from the metropolitan region face no opposition in the primary. Reps. Ted Poe, R-Humble, and John Culberson, R-Houston, also face no opposition in November.

Three Republicans vying for the GOP congressional nomination in the Houston-centered congressional district trailed Jackson Lee's fund raising.
Accountant John Faulk raised nearly $40,000 during the period but spending left his campaign coffers with $13,851.

Attorney Brenda Page emerged from the six week period with $1,679 in her campaign treasury and business owner Tex Christopher reported $111 on hand as of Dec. 31.

Jackson Lee's fund raising surge reflected contacts accumulated since her election to Congress in 1994, said Dave Levinthal, of the Center for Responsive Politics, an independent think tank that tracks campaign finances.

"When you have a politician who has been around the block time and again with deep roots in a community or among special interest groups, it's a lot easier to tap donors in time of need," Levinthal said.

Of 30 individual donors, 27 came from Texas and three from the greater Washington area, including veteran Democratic pollster Celinda Lake.
Ten unions, including the American Federation of Teachers, the Teamsters Union and the Service Employees International Union, contributed a total of $23,500 to her re-election drive.

So did the America Forward Leadership PAC, led by Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., chairman of the House Judiciary Committee on which Jackson Lee serves, and the political action committee of Universal Music Group, the world's leading music company for recorded music and music publishing.

Jackson Lee's fund raising for the six week period from Jan. 1 to Feb. 10 far exceeded the $4,400 that she raised from three donors and one political action committee during the comparable period before the Texas primary in 2008 when she ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination.

Candidates often raise large sums of money during the so-called "money primary" to dissuade potential rivals from entering the race and to showcase political power heading into the balloting.

"Politicians are very rarely not seeking money," Levinthal said. "But signaling political strength is part of the game as well."

On the jump page, we have a complete list of the candidates' campaign finances in Houston's 18th Congressional District. The totals reflect money raised and spent since Jan. 1, 2009 when the current election cycle began.

Continue reading "Jackson Lee leading money primary...in a landslide"

Posted by stewartpowell at 12:07 PM in Campaigns, Congress (Delegation Watch), Sheila Jackson Lee | Comments (0)
Share:

Commentary: Populist anger and the Austin plane attack

Texas on the Potomac is pleased to share with you some of the best work of the best columnists of Hearst Newspapers. Today, we present a commentary by Robert Rivard of the San Antonio Express-News.

At his much-watched public appearance on Friday, Tiger Woods praised his wife, Elin Nordegren, for her display of grace and poise amid their tabloid marital woes. It was gripping, commercial-free melodrama, more so than the usual daytime soap operas.

My sympathy goes to another mistreated spouse, one left widowed Thursday when her suicidal husband flew his single-engine airplane into an Austin office building in a mission to murder innocent Internal Revenue Service workers.

Sheryl Stack, a mother with far less wealth and name recognition than Nordegren, somehow took time amid her own "unimaginable tragedy" to issue a statement expressing sorrow for the victims of her husband's last angry act.

It isn't easy when scandal or bad news of any sort thrusts someone into the media glare, especially for private citizens with no public persona.

While even Woods and his family deserve to be shielded from the paparazzi and entertainment media, at least they've become wildly rich and famous as media commodities.

People like Stack and her 12-year-old daughter never asked to be in the headlines, yet the story will follow them through life. People will point and whisper in recognition.

Enough background about Andrew Stack III emerged in the hours after the spectacular crash to remind us that victimized children often mature into victimizing adults unless intervening forces, usually in the form of loving adults, turn them around. Stack's father died when he was a child, his mother committed suicide, and he grew up an orphan. By the time he was an adult, he began to regard life forces around him as just as unfair and uncontrollable as those that governed his childhood.

Stack was talented and educated, a man who embraced music and math. He also was entrepreneurial, starting his own software company, enjoying enough success to pilot his own Piper. He had a wife and step-daughter and a red-brick home in the suburbs. For the millions of jobless Americans who wish they were earning a paycheck and paying their taxes, Stack's inarticulate anger and self-pity must be hard to fathom.

Anyone who has been touched closely by suicide learns there is nothing simple about such a self-loathing act, one that reverberates down family lines in different and complex ways, sometimes repeating itself over the generations as happened in Stack's case.

Some now are debating whether Stack's willful act of violence, one that led to death and injury, though perhaps less than might have been expected, was merely premeditated murder or a so-called act of terrorism. Leave that one for talk radio.

There are more important considerations. A rising tide of populist anger in this country is driven by bitter sentiment that our system is broken, our leaders unworthy, and the average citizen left to rage helplessly. Stack seems to have been part of that movement.

The truth is we have it good. Not as good as it has been, not as good as it should be in this nation. But the federal government, the Obama administration and its employees are not the enemy. IRS workers are essential to our democracy. So is paying taxes.

It's too bad Andrew Stack III allowed himself to believe otherwise and succumbed to the politics of despair, and too bad that so many others out there think just like him.

Robert Rivard is editor of the San Antonio Express-News. E-mail him at rrivard@express-news.net. Or follow him on Twitter at @editorrivard.

Posted by Richard Dunham at 08:08 AM in Guest Blog | Comments (0)
Share:

News links: Austin attack prompts debate over terrorism label

Welcome to the Texas on the Potomac news links. We will offer Texas links, "Potomac" links for Washington stories and a sampling of the best Texas political blogs. Please feel free to e-mail us with link suggestions.

Texas Links

Skipping census costs Travis, residents told. Austin American-Statesman>>>

GOP rivals for Texas governor vie for votes. The Dallas Morning News>>>

Attack prompts debate over terrorism label. The Associated Press>>>

Bill White refers to GOP rivals for governor as 'forces of darkness'. The Dallas Morning News>>>

Potomac Links

Toyota heads to Capitol Hill with team of lobbyists, history of political giving. The Washington Post>>>

Gay soldiers don't cause disruption, study says. The New York Times>>>

Some governors dodge voter anger. Politico>>>

Obama health plan would curb insurers on rate hikes. The Los Angeles Times>>>

Texas Blogs

Gov. Rick Perry skips White House dinner. The Dallas Morning News>>>

US Attorney should step in if Dallas DA won't prosecute allegedly corrupt constables. Grits for Breakfast>>>

Red light camera referendum may be coming. Off the Kuff>>>

Efforts to rebuild the Republican Party continue with the Mount Vernon Statement. South Texas Chisme>>>

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 06:30 AM in News links | Comments (0)
Share:

Today in Texas History: U.S. relinquishes claims to Texas

On this date in 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty was signed. Among the provisions of the treaty, the United States relinquished claims to Texas.

Library of Congress archive Future President John Quincy Adams negotiated the Adams-Onis Treaty

Here's what PBS says about the treaty:

Also called the Transcontinental Treaty of 1819, the Adams-Onis Treaty was one of the critical events that defined the U.S.-Mexico border. The border between the then-Spanish lands and American territory was a source of heated international debate. In Europe, Spain was in the midst of serious internal problems and its colonies out west were on the brink of revolution.

Facing the grim fact that he must negotiate with the United States or possibly lose Florida without any compensation, Spanish foreign minister Onis signed a treaty with Secretary of State John Quincy Adams. Similar to the Louisiana Purchase statutes, the United States agreed to pay its citizens' claims against Spain up to $5 Million. The treaty drew a definite border between Spanish land and the Louisiana Territory.

In the provisions, the United States ceded to Spain its claims to Texas west of the Sabine River. Spain retained possession not only of Texas, but also California and the vast region of New Mexico. At the time, these two territories included all of present-day California and New Mexico along with modern Nevada, Utah, Arizona and sections of Wyoming and Colorado.

For an interactive timeline of events that influenced the U.S.-Mexico border, see PBS.

Posted by Katie Brandenburg at 05:30 AM in Today in Texas History | Comments (0)
Share:

February 21, 2010

The Week Ahead: Are you ready for the health summit?

Welcome to Texas on the Potomac's "The Week Ahead," a preview of events to come on Capitol Hill and at the White House this week.

This week's report was written by William K. Moore of ViaNovo.

The five-week legislative session that begins Monday is key to whether President Barack Obama and congressional Democrats will able to achieve concrete accomplishment in 2010. As the prospects for accomplishments worsen, Democrats appear to be moving toward a strategy of highlighting party differences.

The main impediment to Democratic success is a Senate that is evolving into a parliament without majority rule. As Election Day nears, Senate party-line voting will grow more rigid, slowly killing Democratic agenda items in a body that increasingly requires a 60 percent supermajority for even routine items.

President Obama and congressional Democrats must either advance their agenda before the end of March Easter Recess or it will wither. If momentum can be built, the Democrats have until Memorial Day to complete the legislative process on individual priorities. In the balance are health care reform, regulation of financial services, jobs legislation, energy and global warming, immigration and a long list of expiring programs.

The action is almost exclusively centered in the Senate. Senators will vote Monday on closing debate on a scaled-back jobs bill; Democrats will likely lose the tally. A Senate committee markup of financial services regulatory reform is tentatively schedule for the first week of March, but bipartisan agreement is doubtful. Energy and global warming legislation awaits a decision whether to proceed as a package or in pieces.

President Obama hosts a bipartisan health care summit on Thursday that is unlikely to produce agreement among the parties. But it is likely to dominate the airwaves and distract the pundits from the major legislative business going on elsewhere in DC.

Also in the balance are a host of tax provisions expired seven weeks ago, highway and unemployment programs may expire at the end of the week and large portions of the tax code expire at the end of the year.

If Democrats cannot advance their agenda, they will seek to contrast it with Republican intransigence to progress. Framing the choice will then be the Democrats' priority.

Posted by Richard Dunham at 09:11 PM in Health care, The Week Ahead | Comments (0)
Share:

Details of conservative straw poll won by Ron Paul

To read the complete results of the straw poll, including the presidential preference question and ratings of President Obama, congressional leaders, most important issues, Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh and more, click here.

Chronicle photo by Richard S. Dunham Rep. Ron Paul

Texas Rep. Ron Paul won the most support for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination in an unofficial straw poll of conservative activists attending an annual conference.

A libertarian Republican from Lake Jackson who has railed against spending and the Federal Reserve, Paul won the Saturday contest at the Conservative Political Action Conference with 31 percent backing. He has sought the presidential nomination in the past and attracted a following among a segment of voters frustrated with Washington.

Participants cheered as their favored candidates' names were announced. Some members of the audience cheered while others booed loudly when event organizers announced Paul as the winner.

Paul spoke at the conference along with potential presidential candidates former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts and Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota.

Romney won second with 22 percent. Former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, who did not appear at the conference that did not pay its speakers, came in a distant third with 7 percent. Pawlenty finished far behind the Texas congressman with 6 percent.

-- Associated Press

Posted by Richard Dunham at 02:58 PM in Presidential campaign, Ron Paul | Comments (0)
Share:

29th Congressional District candidates speak out: Frank Mazzapica

Texas on the Potomac has offered every candidate in contested congressional primaries an extensive opportunity to weigh in on their qualifications for office and their positions on the major issues facing the district.

The candidates' comments will be published in the order in which they are received.

Today we hear from Republican candidate Frank Mazzapica:

Official photo Frank Mazzapica

Why would you be the best candidate for the House seat?

For too long, District 29 has been represented by a man who has his own political interest in mind. He voted for Cap and Trade and was quoted by the Houston Chronicel that he does not have the luxury to vote no. He is not listening to the voters but only listening to Pelosi and her cronies.

Frank has been an employer, a job provider, a founder of an internship/mentoring program with 30 students aspiring to enter the workforce. Mazzapica has visited 14 nations, 41 States, and has held Texas State licenses in marriage and family and chemical dependency. Mazzapica has served the communities for thirty years as a leader and has assisted Harris County in creating a behavior modification program that educates high risk students.

For too long we as the GOP have run candidates against Mr. Green and they have failed to garner any support whatsoever. For instance, a candidate who has run against Mr. Green the past two elections has lost by at least 70% of the vote and he is running again. Roy Morales who is also running has never won a contested election. He lost twice against Melissa Noriega and lost handily in the Houston Mayoral race. After he was defeated in the Mayor's race, he signed up to be a candidate in district 29 only minutes before the filing deadline.

Frank Mazzapica on the other hand is a fresh new face on the political scene. He is a 10 year awarded veteran from the United States Air Force, a former Lamar University instructor, a former Harris County Department of Education counselor and High School teacher. Mazzapica has owned a small business and presently is a founding senior pastor of a 1000 member nondenominational church (Frank Has served in the ministry for 30 years).

Frank Mazzapica has a lot to offer Texas as the next U.S. Congressman of Congressional District 29.

His website (mazzapica4congress.com) offers a lot of information,
initiatives and positions of direct interest to all Texans interested in unseating Gene Green.

Its time for a fresh new face in congress. Mazzapica says he is a conservative first and a republican second. This has been the description of what the people of Harris County are requesting.

Vote Mazzapica during the primaries.

How would you describe your political philosophy?

I am a Christian Conservative and I believe heavily in the Constitution and bringing this Country back to the principals of it.

What are the most important steps you would take to produce jobs in the district and the country?

I have a record of creating jobs. I was a small business owner, I employee over 15 people at my church and I handle a multi-million dollar budget. I understand what a business goes through, that is why I would provide tax cuts to small businesses; give tax incentives to energy companies who invest into renewable energy. I would also offer tax cuts to businesses who do not outsource jobs overseas.

What would you do to reduce or eliminate the federal deficit?

First I would propose a federal spending freeze on all non-military spending. This country spends hundreds of billions of dollars on entitlement spending, I would propose to cut back on entitlement spending and privatize it. I would also fund national and local charities to help with their communities.

What are your top priorities in fighting international terrorism?

The most important thing we must do as a Country is protect our citizens. I would propose more funding for more border security at our northern and southern borders. I would increase the military budget to fund more unmanned drones and other technologies that would help with tracking terrorist.

Do you favor full funding for the Constellation program or should NASA use the money for other priorities?

I am a full supporter of the NASA program and the Constellation program. NASA is a landmark who Houston is. We are the Space City and we are recognized as that to the whole world. I would not cut funding for the Constellation program for three reasons:

1. The Constellation program creates and saves jobs in our city.

2. We have found a water source on the Moon that can be utilized to build a permanent space station for research.

3. I believe the Constellation program also has military implications. If we don't establish a military space strategy other countries will utilize it.

Do you favor comprehensive immigration reform? If not, what would you do to fix the broken immigration system?

Their needs to be immigration reform; currently if you are caught in this country illegally, you only charged with a civil offense not a criminal offense. I believe this needs to be changed to really move toward the right direction of immigration reform.

Posted by Tom McIlroy at 12:17 PM in Campaigns, Special Report: Texas primary, Texas politics | Comments (0)
Share: