November 5, 2013

Crap. The trial for the voter id case may not take place until after 2014 elections

This may well mean that the Texas voter id law will be in effect for the 2-14 elecitons. http://txredistricting.org/post/66123340534/disagreement-on-whether-trial-in-texas-voter-id-case

The major division centered around how long it would take to get the case ready for trial - with DOJ and the State of Texas each proposing schedules that would set trial in the case for March 2015.

However, the Veasey plaintiffs told the court that a 2015 was too late because it would come after the November 2014 elections:

The Veasey plaintiffs propose a schedule that - unlike the other parties’ schedule - would provide an opportunity for plaintiffs to obtain relief on behalf of Texas voters in time for the November 2014 elections, the first major turnout elections in which Texas seeks to enforce the Voter ID law. The Veasey plaintiffs believe it is critically important to obtain a decision on SB 14’s validity before, not after, the first major elections, and they further believe it is feasible for the parties and the Court to have a trial on such a schedule.

Instead, under the Veasey plaintiffs schedule, the court would hold trial in September 2014.

DOJ told the court, however, that a limited period of discovery after the 2014 election would let evidence from that election be considered at trial. DOJ also argued that the need for extensive database discovery and other discovery issues would make it hard to try the case before the 2014 election.

This means that we need to plan on having to deal with voter id in the 2014 general election

November 1, 2013

5th Cir. Allows Abortion Restrictions to take Effect

The 5th Cir. is one of the worse and most conservative courts in the country. The 5th Cir. just stayed the ruling of the Federal judge who blocked the effectiveness of the new Texas anti-Abortion law http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Appeals-court-grants-stay-on-abortion-ruling-4944605.php?cmpid=hpbn

AUSTIN - A federal appeals court Thursday granted Attorney General Greg Abbott's request for an emergency stay on a lower court decision that blocked a key provision of Texas' new abortion law from going into effect earlier this week.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 20-page opinion, said the state's provision requiring abortion doctors to gain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals does not do not "impose a substantial obstacle to abortions."

In a statement, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the court fight will continue.

"This restriction clearly violates Texas women's constitutional rights by drastically reducing access to safe and legal abortion statewide," she said in a statement. "If Texans showed America one thing during the historic protests against this law this summer, we demonstrated that Texans value women's health - and that is why we will take every step we can to protect the health of Texas women in the wake of this ruling."

I wonder who was on this panel. Edith Jones is the head judge of the 5th Cir. and she is a racist.

November 1, 2013

5th Cir. Allows New Texas Abortion Restrictions to take Effect

The 5th Cir. is one of the worse and most conservative courts in the country. The 5th Cir. just stayed the ruling of the Federal judge who blocked the effectiveness of the new Texas anti-Abortion law http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Appeals-court-grants-stay-on-abortion-ruling-4944605.php?cmpid=hpbn

AUSTIN - A federal appeals court Thursday granted Attorney General Greg Abbott's request for an emergency stay on a lower court decision that blocked a key provision of Texas' new abortion law from going into effect earlier this week.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals, in a 20-page opinion, said the state's provision requiring abortion doctors to gain admitting privileges at nearby hospitals does not do not "impose a substantial obstacle to abortions."

In a statement, Cecile Richards, president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America, said the court fight will continue.

"This restriction clearly violates Texas women's constitutional rights by drastically reducing access to safe and legal abortion statewide," she said in a statement. "If Texans showed America one thing during the historic protests against this law this summer, we demonstrated that Texans value women's health - and that is why we will take every step we can to protect the health of Texas women in the wake of this ruling."

I wonder who was on this panel. Edith Jones is the head judge of the 5th Cir. and she is a racist.

October 29, 2013

Jon Stewart mocked my congresscritter~Pete Olson

I live in Texas CD 22 which is the former home of Tom Delay. pete
Olson is my current congresscritter. Pete is a Rice grad and went to UTLaw but Pete cannot speak in public. Jon had a clip of pete on tonight and sounded even dumber than normal

October 15, 2013

Senate Republicans: We Have To Save John Boehner

Boehner made his bed and should have to sleep in it. However, Senate Republicans are slow playing the negotiations to give Boehner a chance to save some face http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-republicans-we-have-to-save-john-boehner

John Boehner needs saving. Or at least needs the chance to save himself. That's the message from some Senate Republicans as the House takes back the ball in the ongoing negotiations over re-opening the government and raising the debt ceiling.

Rather than be stuck with a bipartisan Senate plan and a clock ticking toward a Thursday debt ceiling breach, Senate GOPers said after a Tuesday caucus meeting, Boehner needs a chance to come up with a deal that will be acceptable to House conservatives. Nothing less than his speakership is at stake.

"The best thing for the country is for John Boehner to deliver," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) told reporters. "He would establish himself as the leader of the House, which is good for the country."

This is stupid. The House Republicans made this mess and Boehner backed them up. The country may suffer a default and decrease in credit rating solely to help Boehner save some face.

October 15, 2013

Poll: Huge Majority Of Tea Partiers Think Debt Limit Is No Big Deal

The polling explains why the GOP is willing to play with the full faith and credit of the United States http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/poll-huge-majority-of-tea-partiers-think-debt-limit-is-no-big-deal

As the United States moves closer to the debt ceiling, a poll released Tuesday found the vast majority of tea party Republicans don't think the looming deadline is all that significant.

The latest findings from Pew Research Center showed that while a slight majority of all Americans — 51 percent — believe that it is "absolutely essential" for Congress to raise the debt limit before the Thursday deadline, 69 percent of tea partiers said the U.S. "can go past the deadline...without major economic problems."

Thirty-six percent of all Americans believe that the U.S. can safely go past the deadline, while just 23 percent of the tea party said it's essential to raise the debt ceiling. An overwhelming majority of 67 percent of Democrats called raising the debt ceiling essential, while 52 percent of Republicans said that the deadline could pass without triggering economic problems.

The teabaggers live in a different world compared to the rest of us. In their world, default and the collapse of the world economy is no big deal so long as they can show up the non-white guy living in the White House.

October 14, 2013

Palin: Obama Is Flirting With 'Impeachable Offenses'

Palin is joining in Gohmert's claim that President Obama is committing a high crime by not agreeing to the GOP's ransom demands http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/palin-obama-is-flirting-with-impeachable-offenses

Former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin accused President Barack Obama on Monday of coming dangerously close to "impeachable offenses."

In a post on her Facebook page, Palin wrote that Obama is trying to create a sense of fear over Thursday's looming debt limit deadline. Obama warned Monday that the United States faces "a good chance of defaulting" unless Republicans in Congress "set aside some of their partisan concerns."

"It’s also shameful to see him scaremongering the markets with his talk of default," Palin wrote. "There is no way we can default if we follow the Constitution. The Fourteenth Amendment, Section 4, requires that we service our debt first. We currently collect more than enough tax revenue to service our debt if we do that first."

Both Gohmert and Palin have less than a half of a brain each. This is sad but to be expected

October 11, 2013

Jon Stewart Slams 'Moocher' States That Won't Expand Medicaid

Jon Stewart has been on a roll this week. Last night he had a great segment on the failure of states to expand Medicaid
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-october-10-2013/medican-t

Jon Stewart on Thursday blasted Republican governors and lawmakers who reject expanding medicaid in their states, singling out the most egregious offenders as "moochers."

Stewart added "total dickishness" to the list of obstacles facing the implementation of Obamacare, citing the 26 Republican-controlled states that declined federal dollars to expand Medicaid out of "spite."

"All but three of those 26 states they represent already take more money from the federal government than they contribute in tax dollars. They are already burdens on the systems," he later added. "I believe they are referred to by those Republicans as moochers. Moocher states. And if statehood was health care, Mississippi and Missouri would be rejected as having that as a pre-existing condition."

You can also view the segment by going to this link http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/11/jon-stewart-republican-governors-medicaid_n_4084198.html?utm_hp_ref=politics&ir=Politics

October 10, 2013

Fidelity has sold all of its short term T-Bills

This major news, fidelity is the largest manager of mutual fund . Fidelity is worried about a default http://www.jsonline.com/business/fidelity-sells-short-term-t-bills-b99117195z1-227151731.html?ipad=y

October 10, 2013

Good Editorial from Kirk Watson of Medicaid Expansion in Texas

As a matter of full disclosure, Kirk is a friend. I have known him since he was a high school student at a debate camp and we were on law review together.

Kirk is correct about Goodhair and Texas being stupid in not accepting the ACA's medicaid expansion http://www.chron.com/opinion/outlook/article/Watson-Gov-Perry-s-political-health-care-circus-4879402.php?cmpid=opedhprr

By refusing to secure health coverage for about 1.3 million-1.7 million Texans, those in control are costing Texas about $90 billion over 10 years in tax money we'll send to Washington. A Perryman Group study found that expanding Medicaid would boost Texas' economic output by $270 billion.

Texas already leads the nation in the percentage of residents without health coverage. We should put these billions of dollars to work keeping Texans healthy and cutting down on pricey emergency room visits that, in many cases, are ultimately paid for with local property taxes.

And then there are all the lost economic benefits.

Expanding Medicaid in Texas would create nearly 200,000 jobs, according to a study conducted by Billy Hamilton (Texas' renowned former deputy comptroller) and the nonprofit religious advocacy group, Texas Impact.

If private enterprise were offering that kind of boom, Perry and other officials would pursue it with dizzying abandon.

For example, the governor's ballyhooed deal to bring Caterpillar Inc. to Seguin - a deal the state spent $10 million to consummate - was projected to create just 1,400 jobs. Why not put far more people to work simply by accepting the return of Texans' tax money, especially to serve the dual purpose of keeping Texans healthy?

Texans are smart. They understand the implications - on a family and on the state - when their friends and neighbors try to go without health insurance. In fact, a recent Texas Hospital Association survey shows a majority of Texans think the state should take this money.

Expanding Medicaid would give more than a million Texans more alternatives to taxpayer-funded emergency rooms when they have serious injuries and illnesses.....

Texans deserve that economic benefit. They deserve better health care. And they certainly deserve better than the political circus they've been getting.