Several Austin bloggers are suggesting that people gather to “welcome” Eric Holder to Austin, where he’ll be speaking at the LBJ Library on UT campus. I won’t be able to, due to commitments with my new job, but I encourage others to do so if it fits into their schedule.
And here’s a related cartoon from Frugal Cafe:
A random collection of links presented instead of actual content:
Don’t forget that there’s a state constitutional amendment election Tuesday, November 8 (as well as various local elections, bond issues, etc.). A few roundups and recommendations from:
As for myself, I’m currently leaning toward voting Yes on Proposition 1 and No on all the rest.
Blue Dot Blues has a roundup of several additional sources you can go to, including some from the other side of the aisle. When in doubt, voting against whatever the Austin Chronicle endorses will seldom steer you wrong…
You know, when I started doing Fast and Furious updates, I didn’t realize I’d have to update this daily. But events are moving at a pretty brisk pace:
Finally, not related at all (except also involving guns), but I wanted to point out that Adam Winkler, author of Gunfight: The Battle over the Right to Bear Arms in America, points out that yes, the roots of gun control in America are racist in nature.
5:30: I have to duck out for another appointment. Hopefully some further thoughts tomorrow.
5:29: Pettinger: Will filibuster any new organizations, opposes executive orders, Czar. Would eliminate Dept of Health and Human Services.
I’m surrounded by several young children who are amazingly well behaved.
5:26: Q to Addison: Advise and Consent: “What comes to my mind is treaties.” Sounded like trees. Favors fair trade, opposes tree trade. “The government has been in my way for 42 years.”
5:26: Q to Leppert: Separation of church and state. Hugo Black invented phrase in 1946. Go back to Constitution.
5:24: “The floodgates must be closed.” Favors legal immigration, opposes illegal immigration.”
5:22: Q to Addison: Secure the border: Posse Comitatus should be amended to allow citizen capture, Bring troops home from Germany and Japan.” Wild applause. “Obey the law and come in legally.” Addison is passionate speaker, and I wish he was running for lower office.
5:20: Followup Q. Shouldn’t it be the electorate? Look at John Quincy Adams, who went back to the House to fight slavery.
5:18: Q to Pettinger: “Support term limits?” “Yes, but we need term limits on bureaucrats.” Eric Holder was there 20 years. Limit time in federal bureaucracy.
5:17: Spoke on April 15, 2009. Senior thesis based on the 9th and 10th Amendment. Lots of small meetings.
5:15: Q to Cruz: “It’s vogue to be a Tea Party candidate. How many Tea Parties did you attend when you didn’t speak? Set up chairs, table, etc.” Interesting question.
5:13: What right does the federal government has to regulate the 2nd Amendment: “No.” “Do we have the right to own a Tomahawk Cruise missile?” “You can take it to ridiculous lengths.”
5: 12: Q to Leppert: 2nd Amendment. 2nd is the rule. Strong proponent. Basis of our nation.
5:11: What legislation for commerce clause: “Repeal ObamaCare, shrink the government, pass balanced budget amendment.”
5:10: Followup to Cruz: How will you meet with citizens: Traveled all over the state to build conservative grass roots army. Stop the Obama agenda.
5:08: Q to Cruz: Commerce clause, Wickard vs. Fillburn (which Cruz brought up in our interview): “The commerce clause has been the most significant vehicle for the expansion of the federal government.” Worst decision ever, paved way for ObamaCare. Brings back up record again. Look at record leading coalition of states to strike down Endangered Species Act.
5:07: Pettinger: No elected office, but has lived her values. Not bad response.
5:03: Q to Pettinger: 14th Amendment birthright citizenship. Originally passed because they were brought here in a murderous way. Not applicable for illegal immigration today. Need to see birth certificate. Need clarification on 14th amendment. May need Const. Amendment.
5:00: Q to Addison: What department would you eliminate: Dept of Ed, even though that was excluded from Q. Said he worked on local ed board. Also Medicaid. Block grants. “After verifying citizenship, use as you see fit.” States are incubators of democracy. Let states compete. “You can vote state reps out. You can’t vote out a bureaucrat.”
4:58: Leppert: “Education is the civil rights record of our time. Abolish Dept. of Education.” Use education as an issue. Used on money on scholarships for tough areas. Empower local area, implement choice, real standards.
4:57: Questioner really wants detail on black outreach. “Make the case for those wanting to climb the ladder. The left’s policies don’t work.”
Cruz gives his father’s story.
4:55: Q to Cruz: Republican appeals to “people of color” [I hate that phrase-LP]: “Our future is short-lived if we don’t attract minorities, but you don’t do that by watering down your conservative principles.”
Cruz: Took lead in intervening in Beaumont gay marriage divorce case.
Addison: “Do whatever you want in the privacy of your own home, but don’t ruin the godly word of marriage.”
Leppert: “Marriage is one man and one woman.”
4:52: Q to Pettinger: Gay marriage amendment. Pettinger: Gay marriage advocates are suing Christians in the marriage industry. We need an amendment.”
4:52: Addison says he has to have different corporations for his funeral homes, his cemeteries, and his crematoriums.
4:51: Leppert echos call for flat tax
4:50: Pettinger: “We need a flat tax. If 10% is good enough for God, it’s good enough for us.”
4:49: Q to Cruz: “What’s the proper level of taxation?” Cruz: “As low as possible.” Need to move to a flat tax or fair tax.
4:49: Leppert: A sense of values.
4:48: Pettinger: “The foundation is firm, the house on it is rickety.”
4:47: Cruz trots out his Ashcroft bit. “If I’m accused of being a Christian I hope they have enough evidence to convict me.” Ditto for conservatism.
4:46: Q to Addison: “Defining conservatism” “Federal power must be reduced.”
Keep in mind these are paraphrasing answers. I can’t type that fast!
4:45: Pettinger: “I’m the only one who’s given birth. I can stand down the feminists.”
4:44: Cruz: I fought for the unborn on the Supreme Court.
4:43: Addison shows cell-phone pic of his unborn daughter.
4:42: Q to Leppert: “Support overturning Roe v. Wade.” Leppert: Yes.
4:42: Cruz: “My daughters were born tens of thousands of dollars in debt. The guys fighting the debt have endorsed me.” DeMint, Rand Paul, etc.
4:41: Addison: “The founding fathers were terribly bothered by debt.”
4:40: Leppert: “The reality is we have to look at the future obligations, which makes the debt between $70-$90 trillion, $700,000 per household.” [mental typo corrected…]
4:39: Q to Pettinger: “Proper level of federal debt” “Zero.”
4:38: Pettinger is a fiery speaker.
4:37: Q to Cruz: “Define Federalism.” “Limit the size and scope of the federal government. Repeal every syllable of ObamaCare.”
4:36: “And now for David Dewhurst. Oh wait, he’s not here.”
4:35: “You’re eligible to be Senator at 30 and there’s not one under 40.”
4:35: Pettinger: slams recycling of old candidates.
4:34: Addison is a good speaker. Better than EAJ, who isn’t here.
4:33: Addison: “I’m tired of having career politicians tell me how to vote.”
4:32: Seems like he’s trying to cram his regular speech into 90 seconds.
4:31: Leppert next. Thanks audience for coming out. “We need to be honest. We’re moving toward insolvency.” Slams political class. Speaking a little too fast.
4:30: Ted Cruz opening remarks. Quotes extensively from Dec. of Independence. Says Obama is “the most radical President in our history.”
4:29: Still figuring out how to right-click the MacBook trackpad, so forgive any spelling errors.
4:28: Introducing the interviewers.
4:27: More tepid for Leppert, loud and boisterous for Pettinger.
4:26: Good applause for Addison, better for Cruz.
4:24: This will be the first time I’ve seen Andrew Castanuela [Heard beforehand he would be here, but he wasn’t] and Glenn Addison, and the first time I’ve seen Lela Pettinger on stage.
4:23: 90 minute introductory remarks, 60 second question answers. Terse.
4:22: “David Dewhurst won’t be here. I’m assuming he will be auditioning for The Biggest Loser.”
4:20 PM: Introductory remarks still going on. Co-sponsored by the Austin and Llano Tea Parties.
Just finished interviewing Ted Cruz. Will attempt to liveblog the Austin Texas Senate Candidate Forum.
A few tidbits of Texas senate race news for a lazy Friday:
A new addition to the gun blog list is Stuff from Hsoi.
I first came across his blog with a link to this unnerving account of a “flash mob,” (i.e., a gang of black teenagers) smashing windows and looting cars in a suburban cul-de-sac in north Austin.
Doing another search today, I found out that Hsoi is employed my friend Karl Rehn at KRTraining, and that gives me a handy excuse to put him on the list.
I attended the Texas Tribune Republican Senate Candidate Forum tonight, and thought I would post a few quick impressions before I have to walk my dog.
Three of the four candidates came across as prepared, articulate, polished and effective speakers, and all four tried to portray themselves as tea party conservatives:
Not a lot of policy differences on display. All agreed not to raise taxes under any circumstances (I wondered why moderator Evan Smith didn’t ask any of them “Not even in the event of a World War with China?”), all were on-board with the Ryan plan or an even more immediate cutback in federal spending, all for greater border control measures and against amnesty, all pro-life (one of Jones’ most effective moments), all more national energy exploration, all against earmarks, all slamming Obama.
Enough for tonight. I’ll post more tomorrow if I have the time.
Those of you in RRISD should be aware that school board elections are tomorrow, Saturday, May 14. A list of voting locations can be found here.
Holly Hansen, who follows RRISD far closer than I, has endorsed Brian Sellers and David Dziadziola.
If you’re a homeowner like me, RRISD takes a good amount of taxes from you every year, which is reason enough to vote if you’re eligible…
“On Tuesday, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) rejected Perry’s request to declare Texas a federal disaster area.”
In other news, Obama will be in Austin and El Paso next Tuesday. Perhaps those affected by the wildfires might make their feelings on the subject known to President Obama…