National Public Air Pollution

In a recent segment of NPR’s all things considered John Burnett stated, “Texas is the country's largest emitter of global warming gases.” This came as a shock to me; I always assumed it was California. But the story was uplifting as it mentioned how the mayors in some of the State’s biggest cities are working together to change the mind of more high ranking officials. Burnett also mentioned how, “State Sen. Kirk Watson, a Democrat representing Austin, proposed a bill that would have merely set up a task force to study climate change. Though it passed the Senate, it died in the House.” I remember when that guy was mayor of Austin, so it’s nice to see that Green is moving up in the world.

Things move at a slower pace here in Texas then the rest of the country so the fact that we are still a bit behind on the environmental ball compared to the other 35 states that have climate action plans in place or under consideration is of no surprise to me. Especially when our own Governor, Rick Perry, mentioned recently, “that the largest source of carbon dioxide is Al Gore's mouth” it gives some of us a feeling of environmental unease. This state lives and breathes pollution, Gas guzzling trucks and Suv’s are the first thing that come to mind when you think about our highways. Not to mention all those pretty little twinkling lights that comes from oil refineries upon any number of great Texas cities.

The economy here is Texas is dependent upon those pollution causing companies and they are fighting environmental change every step of the way. With all the money in the corner of the Texas Oil and Gas Association, the Gulf Coast Lignite Coalition, the Texas Chemical Council and the Texas Automobile Dealers Association I’m sure the fight to get bills like the one Senator Watson would like to pass will be an uphill battle.

But we have some beautiful things on the horizon. With wind power in West Texas and Willie’s Bio Diesel maybe the, “out of the box” thinking of some whimsical locals will inspire more of us to do the right things and maybe make this state not look so bad. Burnett also statedthat on the bright side of things, “There are signs that that things are changing in Texas. Earlier this year, the state's largest utility, TXU, dropped plans to build eight coal-fired plants, in part, because of a popular uprising over their impact on air quality and the atmosphere.” So public opinion may actually cause change here in Texas.

None Of Your Business

A recent report found that the Texas based fortune 500 companies have donated twice as much to Republican candidates as they have to Democratic candidates so far in 2007. This really comes as no surprise and in fact it is actually an improvement for Democrats compared to past years. The report stated that 58 percent of Republican candidates campaign cash came from these 46 companies. If this isn’t factual proof that corporations have more power in government, and especially Texas government, than individuals, I don’t know what is.



The reason given for the mass support to Republican candidates is that they are pro-business and support the free enterprise system. Well, obviously Democrats are going to have a hard time being pro business when corporations have become their worst enemies and opponents larger than any Republican candidate. Many Democratic candidates have been pushed into a corner where they have to fend off big business to stay afloat. It is more apparent than ever that legislation needs to be passed that bans corporations from funding political campaigns. Through this mass overhaul of they way government is run, Democrats would no longer be forced into a position where they often need to hinder business to keep themselves from being run over, and rather they would be put into a position where they can in fact represent the desires of corporations. Conversely so, Republicans could represent the desires of individuals more than they have in years past, and we would move closer to a bi-partisan government.



We have become a state that is divided by political ideology in a way that supporting one sides preference means being at opposite ends with the other. We support a form of government that ideally corrects itself and balances out overtime, but it has come time to find a way to support a politics that is more balanced all of the time. Progress as a whole is close to impossible if support of one political party or side always means starting a fight with the other.



Legislation to ban corporations from financing campaigns would be seen as a partisan issue even though it could bring benefits to both sides of the political spectrum and better representation for every individual as a whole. Therefore, it will never fly unless Democrats gain a major majority in Texas. So I guess Democrats will have to stick to the political game of fighting off corporations and relying on major contributions from equally influential PACs, or supporting big business and starting a fire within their own party lines.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/5328077.html

- Garrett

Huck, Chuck, and what the...

I'll be the first to admit I don't follow the race for the Republican ticket in '08, since it seems like kind of a lost cause. Mike Huckabee, apparently a very popular former Governor from Arkansas has teamed up with that powerhouse of kung fu and unwitting comedy, Chuck Norris, to form an unstoppable duo that will make every 18-35 year old male in the country groan. I first saw it posted on YouTube (the world's dry-erase board), but have recently seen mention in more respectable media (though the latter is technically a blog.)

First, watch the video. If you don't get it, you haven't missed much. I'll catch you up in the next paragraph. If you DO get it, you're probably really embarrassed, like when your parents try to use slang they hear in top 40 songs without realizing the sexual implications. Anyway, why would they do this to America? Does Huckabee really want to gamble his credibility by presenting himself as outright silly? Sure, Chuck does put in a good word, but the overwhelming focus is on the fact that Chuck Norris is even complicit in the political ad, and that he's awesome (which is arguable.) It seems Huckabee's campaign strung themselves between the college-age non-voters who would even understand the aim of the ads, and those who look to Norris as a cultural symbol.

Let me just go ahead and say it: this is a stupid ad. This isn't like Mike Gravel's genius ad, where you're not sure if it was a blooper, some kind of mistake, or the most postmodern political ad you've ever seen, this is pointedly, clearly tongue-in-cheek, winking-at-the-camera stupid, not to mention it doesn't work. First of all, let me explain Chuck Norris jokes, the crux of the ad's “comedy.” Chuck Norris is (ironically) considered on par with every divine figure and tall tale rolled into one, and this fact is played to jokes that involve how awesome he is, by reversing causality, anthropomorphization etc. Think of them as Yakov Smirnoff jokes, but an iota more sophisticated. The problem with putting Chuck Norris center stage of the ad is that these were funny about two years ago. Youth culture moves fast, and if you're going to get their attention you have to be timely. Most everyone I know groans at the mention of a Chuck Norris joke these days, much less a political figure co-opting him for comedic ends.

So how would this have been done more correctly? Well, I'd like the Republicans at large to try to make a more concerted effort at being timely. There are plenty of young conservatives out there, but those who identify as conservatives are usually politically aware enough to vote. Capturing the swing, untapped youths can easily be done with clear presentation of the ideology: not reactionism (I.e. Illegal immigrants get out) or radicalism (I.e. abolition of the IRS,) but clear and concise exploration of the cause and effect of conservative philosophy (lower taxes allows greater control over your own fortune, obligation bills like Medicare and Social Security affect taxpayers for generations), dressed in the motion, color, simplicity, and most of all irony that appeals to kids our age. The problem with the ChuckHuckFacts ad is that it dresses the irony, color, and motion that appeals to 18-35 year olds with a thin, transparent ideological veneer.

Thanks for reading Party Hoppin'! Last call, and you bums are out on the street!

Obama to Surpass Expectations

By Noah

At a recent political rally in Austin, Senator Obama said when he is the Democratic Party nominee, his opponent won’t be able to say he voted for the war because he opposed it. Obama criticized Clinton on her vote with the president on war powers and lobbyist ties. Obama has promised to end the war in Iraq and within 16 months bring all the troops home. He wants to continue the fighting against the al-Quida in Afghanistan. Obama has also promised to reform health care within his first term if elected. He slashed at Clinton for using the political strategy of “triangulation.” Now all three Clinton, Obama, and Edwards are so close at the polls it is hard to tell who will come out on top. Obama cites principles, not calculations and poll testing should be on the minds of Democrat contenders. Obama appears to be leading in Iowa with 30% of the poll’s vote.

The U.S. has formally announced a date for Mideast talks. The meetings begin Nov. 27th and the U.S. has invited 49 countries with key Israel and the Palestinians scheduled to attend the important Washington peace talks. Great news considering we have not reached serious peace negotiations with them for seven years. Bush will open the meeting with a speech from he, the Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Praying that Russia and Saudi Arabia attend, President Bush remarked at the importance the talks would hold if the key countries participated in the meetings. If all will attend then further negotiations will ensue providing the conference tackles the tough issues. (The Palestinian State and a Palestinian-Israeli peace resolution.) Good news concerning past reluctance.

Bush claims Hillary can be beaten at the races by a tough Republican candidate. He says Hillary will probably win the primary and be nominated, because she is experienced in politics and is not scared to play hardball against opponents. Bush has hailed her on occasions and believes she can understand the klieg lights and withstand pressures. Bush also feels she has the best national presence, which means Hillary will be able to raise the most money. Hillary feels this weird obsession with her that the GOP feels means that she is communicating effectively about the presidency. They must be onto Hillary. Better wait to see what Edwards and Richardson will do come horn blowing time.

What will the Republican Party do next now that the President is becoming increasingly more interested in involvement in this race? Will Mitt Romney stay on top of Giuliani, or will he pull forward as Governor Perry suspects? Chances are everyone might be surprised.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/politics/5318529.html

POSTED BY NOAH AT 10:00 AM 0 COMMENTS

Wired Cash Cow

Democratic Judge Susan Chriss is doing something very unorthodox in the realm of judicial campaigning. Online campaign contributions have been on the rise for presidential campaigns but not so much for local and state wide campaigns for judges. She is the first of her kind to take advantage of the internet, drumming up money for her campaign. The Galveston Democrat is running for Place 8 on the Texas Supreme Court. The seat is currently held by Justice Phil Johnson, a Republican. As I have recently learned in my Texas government class most judges get most of their campaign contributions from either law firms of big corporations, usually in hopes of gaining favor in legal cases. Money most certainly corrupts the system we currently have in place. So if the common individual can step up to the plate and donate, grassroot campaigns like Susan Chriss’s may be the long awaited answer we Texans have needed to hear.

According to the Houston Chronicle’s main blog Texas Politics, “Criss, who said in a phone interview this afternoon she has already raised $5,000 through her web site, wants to use the money to buy statewide TV ads.” Television ads are the life’s blood of a campaign. If you don’t have money for the TV face time then you may as well just hang up your ten gallon now. The fact that it takes so much money to win a campaign in Texas is mind boggling. But according to a survey done by the league of women voters, “A statewide survey of judges by the League of Women Voters of Texas in 2001 disclosed that most judges surveyed preferred elections, but a majority believed elections should be nonpartisan. A substantial number agreed that they had been victims of negative and misleading campaign advertising. They disagreed that campaign contributions had an influence on judicial decisions. Over half opposed public financing of judicial elections in Texas.”

This statement seems almost contradictory to common sense, and not to mention what I’ve learned in class. According to statistics campaign contributions do affect the outcome of a case, take Texaco vs. Pennzoil for instance.It’s hard to wipe the slate clean, when doing so means having to bite the hand that feeds. Although I do find it funny that on Judge Chriss’s home site the first page that pops up is the contribution page. You have to actually click on another link on the page to get to her beliefs and politics.

Maybe the internet will be the answer to all our problems, the economic decline and the current recession we can all feel despite the fact that we never actually hear anyone talk about it. Watch dog websites will become more main-stream then news organizations owned by major corporations. And Judges will be able to earn money in a more honest way, if more eyes are watching then maybe the internet can keep em honest.

Ron Paul soon to be homeless? Not in our hearts.

Ron Paul, that paragon of traditional fiscal conservative values is apparently in danger of losing his seat as Galveston's congressman, but this doesn't mean much for his political career considering his track record.

If you haven't heard about Ron Paul by now, you probably don't spend enough time on the internet or on the road reading bumper stickers, where his few but very vocal supporters make themselves heard the most. He's considered a very fringe candidate, though many insist that he's exactly what the country needs. He votes based on fiscal policy alone, making him a bizarre relic of 19th century politics. Because of this, he probably will never gain enough mainstream support to actually be electable in his bid for the White House, but stands as a symbol, a boundary of fiscal conservatism rather than a practical politician. His approach to politics - completely eschewing social issues - is a brilliant strategy for breaching the battle lines between major political parties and fringe elements, in this case Libertarians, but this obviously comes at the expense of mainstream viability.

That's Paul's biggest problem: viability. And that's why his losing his Congressional seat would be hardly a loss for his overall political career. Dr. Paul (as his supporters LOVE to call him) has rooted out a niche as a bona fide celebrity not with his function as a congressman, but as a sentinel for political principles. His opponents smear him for voting against obviously humanitarian legislation, but his supporters love him for his conviction to longsightedness instead of compromise. This shedding of compromise is what keeps him unelectable, and would be the undoing of his Congressional seat, but the legitimacy that the seat grants him is, in my estimation, far outweighed by the legtimacy of his disturbingly impeccable voting history.

Why did Paul choose to run as Republican in '08? My belief is that Paul is using the Republican ticket for the publicity – running as an Independent (or moreso independent, with the little “i”) brings to bear a certain “tinfoil hat” element. His selecting the Republican ticket has catapult him into serious discussion, not as a viable contender, but as a man with popular policy ideas. My bet is that Paul will run as an independent in '12 as a hostage-situation issue vote draw (like Perot in the '92 election), forcing Republicans to reconsider their overall strategy or severely risk the 2012 presidency, which is these days based more on emotions (read: scare tactics and moral authority) rather than its fiscally traditional role concerning itself with the collective national pocketbook.

We're Gonna Have Fun, Fun, Fun

By Noah

Today Houston state Rep. Rick Noriega is traveling to Las Vegas as a guest of the Democratic National Committee to meet with the national party donors who are also attending the Nevada Democratic Party’s presidential debate, which started around 7:00 p.m. Central Time. Since the departure of millionaire attorney Mikal Watts from the 2008 race for U.S. Senate, Noriega is being treated by the national Democratic Party as the only hope of facing and defeating Senator John Cornyn in the 2008 election. Watts’ dropping out really impacted Noriega because the amount of money he could raise from individual donors was decreased dramatically. Watts had signed the special millionaire exemption from the campaign finance laws so he could personally fund his campaign. This dropped Noriega’s ability to raise 13,800 dollars from each donor for each election in the cycle to about 2,300 dollars a donor. Sort of a kick to the groin of poor Noriega whose campaign manager and consultant say he will need big money in this race where he compares himself to a David and Goliath.

As I said President Bush vetoed on Tuesday another spending bill for Democrats and set up a showdown with them screaming no funds for the war. That is if the president does not agree to pull out of Iraq. This 606 billion dollar spending bill to fund education, health and labor problems was vetoed from Bush on the grounds that it was too fatt and was larded pork. A few hours later Senate majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev. Declared Bush would not get more money until he accepts the plan to withdraw all troops by the end of next year. The president picked apart the bill and found many faults, about 10 billion dollars worth he told the Congress now 22 billion dollars over the budget. Bush also chided leaders for failing to act on his energy plan.

U.S. House Rep. J. Dennis Hastert, who served as House speaker longer than any other Republican, said goodbye to his colleagues today and said that he will not complete his 11th term. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and others attended his farewell speech and applauded the distinguished speaker. His resignation and departure early this year will trigger a special election in his strongly Republican Chicago area district. He will be missed by all and many.

With the primaries so close by I see so many candidates are becoming more accustomed to throwing mud and playing games with peoples’ minds. The races become tighter and stress and pressure increases and human nature and imperfections become apparent. That is the nature of the beast.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5305325.html

POSTED BY NOAH AT 9:57 PM 0 COMMENTS