Tag Archives: John Cornyn

Look in the mirror, John

Posted on October 5, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

It is of course a terrible thing that the actions of a single Republican will keep the Houston/Galveston area from keeping $40 million in federal disaster funds, but the reaction to it from certain quarters is more than a little … Continue reading →

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Nominations, please

Posted on August 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

I sure hope that while President Obama was in town, someone asked him if he ever intends to nominate a US Attorney for Texas? Justice goes on, but Obama could have used those prosecutor jobs to build a farm team … Continue reading →

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There goes the bag drag

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

That sound you heard was many thousands of dollars being taken in by the President and the DNC. For the past 22 years, some state Democrats complain, the national party has used Texas like an ATM. The national party’s constant … Continue reading →

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No, they won’t “cross swords” over this

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

A few days back, I blogged about how immigration reform is supposedly going to be a wedge issue for the GOP because evangelicals and business types support it. I took issue with a statement by Bill Hammond, the president of … Continue reading →

Posted in La Migra | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

John Cornyn sounds like a Democrat

Posted on August 8, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

To be more precise, he’s saying something many Democrats around here have been saying for a long time. Days before the president visits Austin and Dallas for Democratic fundraisers, Cornyn lashed out at Obama for focusing his Texas visit on … Continue reading →

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We have a new illustration of “chutzpah”

Posted on July 3, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

From Sen. John Cornyn, who knows a thing or two about shamelessness. Sen. John Cornyn pinned Democrats with the failure of a plan to extend jobless aid for millions of unemployed workers, only a day after Democrats fell a vote … Continue reading →

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Federal funds for transit shortfalls proposed

Posted on May 30, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

This is a good idea. Transit agencies forced to raise fares or cut service to close budget gaps would be eligible for $2 billion in emergency operating funds under legislation unveiled today by Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd (D-CT) … Continue reading →

Posted in Planes, Trains, and Automobiles | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The effect of the “Citizens United” decision on judicial elections

Posted on February 7, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

Republican attorney David Schenck makes the case in the Trib that the recent Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v. FEC, which basically said that corporations could spend money as they saw fit in political campaigns, signals the imminent death … Continue reading →

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Some day our US Attorney will come

Posted on January 11, 2010 by Charles Kuffner

As far as I can tell, if Sens. Cornyn and Hutchison have their way, the US Attorney positions in Texas will remain vacant until after the next Republican President is elected. A classic political stalemate pitting Texas’ Democratic congressional delegation … Continue reading →

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You have a funny definition of “fiscal conservative”, Senator

Posted on December 27, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

“When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.” Our junior Senator calls himself something that doesn’t describe him accurately at all. … Continue reading →

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More on BAE Systems

Posted on December 8, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Just a followup on the BAE Systems situation, which I didn’t get around to blogging about last week. I see that in addition to everything else he’s got going on, Mayor White will be trying to save BAE’s contract, along … Continue reading →

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BAE Systems

Posted on November 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I have four things to say about this story, concerning Sealy-based SAE Systems and the $2.6 billion contract with the Defense Department to build Army trucks that it’s on the verge of losing after 17 years. We first heard about … Continue reading →

Posted in The great state of Texas | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 7 Comments

The Texas Trib and its polls

Posted on November 6, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve been so immersed in the Houston elections that I forgot to give a warm welcome to the Texas Tribune, which made its debut on Tuesday. I really like the look of the site, I like their lineup of writers, … Continue reading →

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From the “I hate you! Now give me some money!” files

Posted on October 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Republicans think the stimulus package was bad public policy and an ineffective waste of money, except for the money that comes to their districts, in which case it’s all good. Texas’ top lawmakers in Congress want President Barack Obama to … Continue reading →

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John Cornyn: For deficits before he was against them

Posted on September 3, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There are many ridiculous things about our political discourse these days. Among them is the discussion of long-term federal budget deficit projections, in which the vast majority of Republicans, especially those who have been in office for more than a … Continue reading →

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Let’s seat those judges

Posted on August 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Traditionally, a President seeks input from a state’s Senators when filling federal court, US Attorney, and US Marshall openings. Also traditionally, when the President and both Senators from a given state are from opposite parties, the state’s Congressional delegation assumes … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

KBH to vote against Sotomayor

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody is surprised by this, right? Republican Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison says she will vote against confirming Sonia Sotomayor to be a Supreme Court justice. She said Tuesday she is concerned about Sotomayor’s views on the Second Amendment on the … Continue reading →

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Education stimulus money for Texas approved

Posted on July 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Good news. The U.S. Department of Education has approved Texas’ application for using $3.2 billion in federal stimulus money, Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, said. That money will be used to pay for textbooks and a $1.9 billion increase in school … Continue reading →

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Cornyn to vote No on Sotomayor

Posted on July 24, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Nobody should be surprised by this. The senator who runs the GOP’s Senate campaign arm says he’ll vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. Texas Republican John Cornyn is siding with his party’s leaders and conservatives against President Barack Obama’s … Continue reading →

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US Attorney update

Posted on July 21, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Mary Flood notes that while we still don’t have a nominee for US Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, we at least now have a list of finalists. The committee met with the four folks whose names were sent … Continue reading →

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Can we call this a bipartisan agreement?

Posted on July 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

From last week. As Democrats in Congress push harder for a government-run health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers in some reform bills, Sen. John Cornyn said it remains a “deal-breaker” with Republicans. From this week, via Kos. … Continue reading →

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Who are these people?

Posted on June 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As we know, there are vacancies in the US Attorney’s offices in the Southern and Western district offices in Texas, which will be filled by Presidential appointment. Normally, when the President is of one party and both of a given … Continue reading →

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Cornyn reverts to form

Posted on June 2, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Hey, remember when Big John Cornyn was rebuking the crazy wing of the Republican Party for making race-based attacks on Sonya Sotomayor? Apparently, he’s figured out that this put him in the minority of the GOP, because he’s now joined … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , | 5 Comments

Big John versus El Rushbo and The Newt

Posted on May 29, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

There’s just not enough popcorn in the world. As if to magnify what are already major differences between elected Republicans and conservative activists on the question of Sonia Sotomayor, check out what conservative senator (and chairman of the National Republican … Continue reading →

Posted in Show Business for Ugly People | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Cornyn clueless about KBH

Posted on May 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Like everybody else, Sen. John Cornyn has no idea what his senior colleague in the Senate is going to do. And also like the rest of us, or at least us bloggers, he’s willing to speculate wildly about it in … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Perry’s poll

Posted on May 7, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

For your reading pleasure, a poll of Republican primary voters (PDF) by Rick Perry’s pollster Mike Baselice that shows a 45-39 lead by Kay Bailey Hutchison. You can read a poll memo to supporters that spins the results, but the … Continue reading → Continue reading →

Posted in Election 2010 | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Specter switches

Posted on April 28, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As Greg says, wow. Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter will switch his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat and announced today that he will run in 2010 as a Democrat, according to a statement he released this morning. Specter’s decision would … Continue reading →

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Everyone has an opinion on Kay and Rick

Posted on April 23, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Former Congressman Martin Frost thinks Rick Perry has a good shot at winning his primary against Sen. Hutchison. Perry, who won with less than 40 percent in a four-way general election field in 2006, is not popular with the general … Continue reading →

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“With Brinkley and Huntley describing contrapuntally the cities we have lost”

Posted on April 17, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

From the “Be careful what you vaguely allude to in a plausibly deniable way in front of a frothing crowd that knows exactly what you’re talking about and is loving every word of it” department: Rasmussen: “75% [of Texans] Opt … Continue reading →

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Public financing for judicial races

Posted on April 14, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

In addition to the other ethics and campaign finance reform bills that I mentioned previously, one other bill set to come up in committee hearings on Wednesday the 15th is HB3146 by Rep. Rafael Anchia, which would allow for the … Continue reading →

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Johnny Sutton resigns

Posted on April 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

As is the norm when a new President is inaugurated, US Attorney Johnny Sutton of the Western Judicial District of Texas has resigned his position. Sutton’s resignation was voluntary, [spokeswoman Shana] Jones said, and his future plans were not immediately … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal matters | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cornymandias

Posted on March 30, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Look on his works, ye Mighty, and despair! Texas Sen. John Cornyn is threatening “World War III” if Democrats try to seat Al Franken in the Senate before Norm Coleman can pursue his case through the federal courts. Cornyn, the … Continue reading →

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There is a solution, you just don’t see it

Posted on March 12, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Sen. John Cornyn, apparently with some free time on his hands, takes his turn tackling the pernicious issue of Democrats winning judicial races – er, the problem of partisan judicial elections. I’ll give him credit for this much – he … Continue reading →

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Will we get a piece of the stimulus?

Posted on February 9, 2009 by Charles Kuffner

Maybe, maybe not. Many states, running short of cash, may jump at the chance to spend federal stimulus money. In Texas, though, the executive and legislative branches may not jump in unison. Several Democrats and even a few Republicans are … Continue reading →

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