Monthly Archives: September 2003

“A rottenness begins in his conduct”

Posted on September 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Chron Editorial Board member James Gibbons ripped John Culberson a new one yesterday over his Metro meddling. It’s a joy to read. Here’s a taste: U.S. Rep. John Culberson of Katy considers himself a latter-day Jeffersonian. Judging by Culberson’s conduct … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

What hath Boy Wonder wrought?

Posted on September 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Man, Michael Berry’s exit from the mayoral race and the subsequent filing free-for-all sure was big news, at least if one judges by the amount of blogging on the subject. My take on the issue is closest to Greg Wythe‘s, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | Comments Off on What hath Boy Wonder wrought?

Riding the poll waves

Posted on September 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

So now with Wesley Clark a declared candidate for President, we’ve got a CNN/USA Today poll and a Newsweek poll that not only shows him leading the Democratic field, but also shows him in a virtual tie with President Bush. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The making of the President | 1 Comment

Kinky Friedman for Governor

Posted on September 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

John Kelso says Elect Kinky – how hard can it be? “I’m insinuating myself into the race against our common enemy: Rick Perry’s hair,” the writer, humorist and professional curmudgeon said. Even if he doesn’t win, we’ll get some laughs. … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2006 | 25 Comments

Perry’s proposal falls flat

Posted on September 23, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Governor Perry’s “compromise” map got a big raspberry from Senate Republicans. Full coverage is here, here, here, here and here. Here’s what they’re saying about it, taken from each of the new accounts: Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, questioned the value … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 1 Comment

Perry attempts involvement

Posted on September 22, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Things must be getting serious in GOP Land, because Governor Perry has finally deigned to a greater degree of involvement in the redistricting mess than just calling special sessions and declaring his hands to be clean. Today he proposed a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 3 Comments

Pirate popularity

Posted on September 22, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Meant to do this Saturday but was too busy with other stuff…How popular was National Talk Like A Pirate Day? Here are the most frequent search engine terms that referred people to my blog on Friday: #reqs: search term —–: … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | Comments Off on Pirate popularity

For thee but not for me

Posted on September 22, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Via Atrios and Kos comes this insight into how someone who’s spent too much time in power thinks. [A]n administration move to privatize air traffic control at 69 airports has sparked opposition from labor groups, which contend it would compromise … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Comments Off on For thee but not for me

Berry drops out

Posted on September 22, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Michael “Boy Wonder” Berry has dropped out of the mayoral race, apparently facing up to the reality that he had no chance whatsoever of winning. He said he didn’t want to be a spoiler, which from my anti-Orlando Sanchez perspective … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | 5 Comments

Blogburst index

Posted on September 21, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Today a group of progressive Texas bloggers are all posting on the subject “What Texas Democrats Should Do Next”. The following is a link to everyone’s post for today’s blogburst, which will be updated through the day as they come … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 33 Comments

Mayoral melange

Posted on September 21, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

A few quick hits on stuff related to the mayor’s race: – Tim Fleck notes that Orlando Sanchez still can’t decide if he’s for rail this time around or if he still opposes it like he did in 2001. Sanchez … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | Comments Off on Mayoral melange

What Texas Democrats Should Do Next

Posted on September 21, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

(This post is part of a blogburst.) Whatever else you may say about our neverending legislative session and the incessant push by the state GOP to redraw Congressional boundaries, one thing that you can’t deny is that Democrats wouldn’t be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 5 Comments

Texas Monthly rethinks Dewhurst

Posted on September 20, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly, which named Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst one of its Ten Best Legislators of 2003 for his great birpartisan work during the regular session, is having second thoughts now. I’ll try tosay more about this later, so go check … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Texas Monthly rethinks Dewhurst

Metro responds to Culberson

Posted on September 20, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Metro has contacted the FTA in an effort to placate the Little Napoleon of West Houston, John Culberson. Rep. John Culberson, R-Houston, sent the Metropolitan Transit Authority a letter Monday asking it to amend its ballot language. Culberson attached a … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Why does Rice play Texas?

Posted on September 20, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Rice renews its rivalry with the Texas Longhorns tonight in the first game of a six-year series, to be played at Reliant Stadium. The Chron’s Mickey Herskowitz reminisces about the 1994 Rice win over UT, in a game that was … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 5 Comments

The Staples map

Posted on September 20, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The more I read about the latest version of the Staples map that was passed out of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee yesterday, the more I think that it’s the Republicans’ best chance to get a map that increases their delegation … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 3 Comments

KCC Lawsuit Update

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

If you want to know more about the Katy Corridor Coalition‘s lawsuit over the I-10 expansion plan, there will be a town hall meeting on October 2 from 7-9 PM at First Baptist Church, which is at I-10 and Loop … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Comments Off on KCC Lawsuit Update

I’m so mad I could spit

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

As Uncle Bob notes in the comments to this post, US Rep. John Culberson is stopping at nothing to impose his will on the city of Houston. Culberson, a fierce rail opponent, used his position on the House transportation appropriations … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 10 Comments

Senate committee approves map

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Just an AP wire report with little detail right now, but a map was passed out of the Senate Jurisprudence Committee on a 4-3 vote along partisan lines. The map is apparently the Staples map with some tweaks, according to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | Comments Off on Senate committee approves map

Senate imposes double-secret probation on Democrats

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

So much for the brief displays of civility that occurred on Tuesday. Sanctions were lifted against the Democratic Senators yesterday on the condition that the Dems not break quorum again between now and the next regular session in 2005, meaning … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 1 Comment

The world’s largest rat

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Meet Phoberomys pattersoni, a nine-foot-long, four-foot-tall rodent of yesteryear. If the artist’s rendition of what this sucker may have looked like doesn’t make you want to buy some bigger mousetraps, I don’t know what will. As an extra added bonus, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Technology, science, and math | 2 Comments

Arr!

Posted on September 19, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Avast, ye scurvy dogs! Once again, it’s time for National Talk Like A Pirate Day. There must be a lot of interest in this holiday because I’m getting a pirate-shipload of Google referrals for last year’s post on the topic, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Society and cultcha | 4 Comments

Are you now or have you ever been?

Posted on September 18, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, guess what? If you support MoveOn, you’re a commie! Snark fails me. No wonder Molly Ivins has never run out of material. UPDATE: The R&D section of the Quorum Report has a nice free article by Edd Sills that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | 4 Comments

And that other big race

Posted on September 18, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Good news and bad news for Metro – their rail plan has more than a 2-1 lead in a new poll, but it does not have a majority. The poll shows 46 percent of voters surveyed said they will vote … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | 1 Comment

Poll position

Posted on September 18, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Finally, after weeks of waiting, we have a poll for the Mayoral election, and it’s very interesting. [Bill] White, the Houston businessman who has spent more than $600,000 of his own money to help dominate early advertising, has support from … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2003 | 3 Comments

It’s getting (more) confusing

Posted on September 18, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I’m starting to have a hard time figuring out all the implications and corollaries of the different redistricting plans. You’ll see why in a minute. The Chron paints a potentially bleak picture for the Democrats: [T]he Senate Jurisprudence Committee began … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 4 Comments

Polstate is back

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The Political State Report, which was down earlier due to a registration lapse, is back up. I’ve just posted my Duncan v. Craddick piece there. Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | Comments Off on Polstate is back

Maintenance

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve done a little blogroll maintenance, as you can see. I’d been unhappy with the state of my blogroll – its length made the sidebar less useful than it could have been as well as discouraging me from considering additions, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Administrivia | Comments Off on Maintenance

More on WUSA’s woes

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Should have known that Eric McErlain would be the place to go to get all the links you need on the story of the WUSA folding. See here and here, and then check out Women’s Hoops (start there and scroll … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Other sports | 2 Comments

Lasso this!

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

The Statesman blog Lasso makes a couple of points about redistricting stuff from yesterday that I hadn’t contemplated: – Nobody is even pretending any more that redistricting is something being done by the Legislature alone. Instead, the maps are being … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 5 Comments

A little action out west

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Here’s a story about some Democratic activity going on in Tom Craddick’s back yard. To develop a strategy and move ahead with honing a local political voice steeped in Democratic political ideology, Democrats have forged the West Texas Convocation. Slated … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | 2 Comments

Kicking Ass

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, look, the DNC has a blog, called Kicking Ass. That would be way cool and worthy of a spot on my sidebar even if they didn’t include me in their blogroll. Well done, ladies and gents, and thanks very … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Blog stuff | 3 Comments

Duncan v. Craddick

Posted on September 17, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Two main themes in the news today: The Senate returned to its usual level of collegiality, as everyone played nice with each other and sentiment turned towards dropping the fines that were levied against the boycotting Democrats, and the dispute … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Killer D's | 4 Comments

Piling on the RIAA

Posted on September 16, 2003 by Charles Kuffner

Boy, suing 12-year-olds sure was a great move for the RIAA, if by “great move” one means “great way to draw attention to their misleading claims and outdated business model”. Let’s take a look at some of the varied and … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Music | 11 Comments