Democratic candidates offer the public a seat at their table in Seguin

Guadalupe County Democratic Party
Contact: Tony Bazan
830-914 -2903
democratic_chair@yahoo.com

For immediate release


SEGUIN, Texas (July 17, 2006) – Democratic Party organizations from eight South-Central Texas counties will bring voters from the region and Democratic candidates together for an old-fashioned political rally at Texas Lutheran University Saturday evening, Aug. 5.

“We say this is an old-fashioned rally because it’s not a fundraiser or just one candidate speaking,” said Tony Bazan, chair of the Guadalupe County Democratic Party. The rally highlights the entire Democratic slate for statewide offices, including Chris Bell, Democratic candidate for governor.

“This rally is a chance for the people to come out and see and hear the candidates for themselves,” Bazan said. And to see what they are doing to uphold and preserve the democratic values we see challenged every day, like our civil liberties.”

Bazan said the rally is a chance for party members and officials from all over South-Central Texas to work together.

Party members from Bexar, Guadalupe, Comal, Hayes, Kendall, Caldwell, Gonzalez and Wilson counties and the TLU Young Democrats will serve free hot dogs and chips in TLU’s new Student Activity Center while candidates address the voters on the indoor stage. Water and sodas will also be available for a nominal cost.

Bazan said people are welcome to make contributions to the campaign funds, but raising money is not the point of the event.

“People, and I mean Democrats, Republicans or independents, can see the candidates and hear why they would want to vote for these candidates in a family atmosphere,” said Bazan. The rally will include games, with prizes, for children, Bazan said.

Bell, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives, tops the slate of candidates who are united in calling for a renewal of the values that have made Texas strong and an end to the inside-the-beltway mentality in Austin. Bell, and the Texas Democratic Party, place revitalizing education, dealing with challenges to the health-care system, addressing the needs of Texas children and reestablishing bi-partisan cooperation to govern Texas among the top issues of concern in this election year.


“Democrats have a big tent, and we don’t always agree on the specifics,” said Bazan. “We do agree that it’s best to have people who are educated on the issues. When people are educated on the issues, they vote the right way.”

The Associated Press reported poll results Friday (July 14) that predict the majority of voters across the country will vote for Democrats in November. This rally provides a unique opportunity for voters in South Central Texas counties to kick back with Democratic candidates and join in the excitement.

In addition to Bell, the following candidates will speak at the rally:

Maria Luisa Alvarado for Lieutenant Governor
David Van Os for Attorney General
Fred Head for Comptroller of Public Accounts
Valinda Hathcox for Commissioner of the General Land Office
Hank Gilbert for Commissioner of Agriculture
Dale Henry for Railroad Commissioner
William E. “Bill” Moody for Justice of the Supreme Court (pl. 2)
Kathleen “Kathi” Thomas for Texas Senate SD 25
Dan Pozza for Judge (Fourth Court of Appeals)
Judge Edmundo “Cass” Castellanos for Justice of the Peace, precinct 2

Bazan said there is a chance Barbara Radnofsky, Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, may attend the rally, but if she doesn’t, people representing her campaign will be on hand to distribute campaign materials and answer questions.

The rally begins at 5 p.m. and continues until 9, including candidate speeches throughout the event and opportunities to meet the candidates and local Democratic officials. TLU’s Student Activity Center is located in Jackson Park on the university’s campus in Seguin. Directions to the campus can be found on the Web at http://www.tlu.edu/about/directions. For more information on the rally, contact Bazan at 830-914-2903 or democratic chair @yahoo.com

Why Don King should promote C-SPAN!!!

"We will submit legislation to the United States Senate which will...authorize the Congress to undertake judicial review of those signing statements with the view to having the president's acts declared unconstitutional," Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, said on the Senate floor. (This is from CNN, and they got it from the AP)

Apparently the GOP congress thinks it can wage war on two fronts. First it tries to tell the Judiciary branch what it can and cannot rule on. Now Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen Specter, R-Pennsylvania, wants to sue the President over the constitutionality of the controversial signing statements. The statements where the President picks parts of a bill he doesn't want to enforce, like he has that choice. For a party that goes on and on about "strict constitutionalist" and "activist judges" it seems like the GOP needs a refresher course on our happy little constitution.
Recently, I caught a piece of the committee hearing where Sen. Spector was taking on A.G. Gonzalez. They were going at it. OK, it was American C-span style and not like in the House of Commons during Prime Ministers questions or a foreign congress with fist flying but it was still entertainment. I find it entertaining watching the two diplomatically diss each other in the most gentleman-like fashion.

Don King could have a field day promoting these hearings on C-Span.

The battle of the century Congress VS the Judiciary VS the Executive!!! Imagine it...
In this corner the tag team duo,
the wacky, the crazy House of Representatives and the Senate
Their opponents, know for 5/4 decisions and lifetime appointments the Supreme Court Justices...
and also in this bout from Conneticut, he is the divider not a uniter, he served his country by working a senate campaign, W!!!
Then the house will begin throwing pretzels at the President...
OK, maybe it's more along the lines of a pro-wrestling battle royal than a De La Hoya fight but you get the idea.

Bush Stop Doing This Shit

The SHIT heard around the world!

Checks and Balances anyone?

OK there are several things for me to blog about.
Today will be on the recent bill in the house to prohibit Judges from ruling on the pledge of allegiance. Where to begin?!
1.) Separation of powers. Who does the G.O.P. think they are? Are they that intoxicated with power and paranoid about losing it that they are resort to this type of legislation? OK, in our system of government this is how the checks and balances work. The Legislative branch writes the laws. The Executive either signs it or vetoes it. The president signs or rejects the ENTIRE bill. Contrary to this presidents belief you can't pick and chose which parts you will execute. The Judiciary branch checks the legislation for conflicts with other statutes and laws. The congress can't tell the judges what they can and cannot rule on. The president appoints the judges and the senate confirms them. Everybody watches and checks on the other branches of government. Well, they are supposed to anyway.
2) The phrase. If this is entirely about the phrase "under god" then you can say this bill "respects an establishment of religion". It would be a clear violation of the 1st amendment. The founding fathers created the wall between church and state. Haven't we learned from the crusades, Salem witch trials, the inquisition, prohibition, and the current state of the Middle East, what happens when the church and state aren't separate?
3) Defense of the freedom of religion activist. Contrary to what the opposition is telling you, the ACLU and your fellow citizens that are strong advocates for a secular government are not trying to take God out of everything. They are not going into peoples homes blowing out candles and taking down pictures of the last supper. They are not walking around the mall removing people’s medallions of the “Virgen de Guadalupe”. They are not confiscating Rosaries. The question is not, why are they taking God out of everything? The question is; why is it that some people insist on using government institutions like the courthouse, the schools, and the legislature to impose their religious beliefs and practices on the rest of the population? There are many good citizens that pay their taxes and obey the laws that don't practice religion the way the opposition wants them to. Leave them and their constitutional rights alone.

Video Israel Doesn't Want You to See

Vargas vs Mosley

After a pitiful display of boxing by Vargas for six rounds, Mosley knocks-out Vargas.
The round began with a Mosley throwing a DeLaHoya left hook. Vargas staggered to make the count. Then Mosley finished the job by pumeling Vargas with a barage of punches, causing the ref to have to jump in and stop the fight.

Saturday U.N. Special Session

In a surprise meeting held today by the United Nations ended with a new resolution. The resolution passed unanimously 15 to nothing.

U.N. Resolution 1695 is aimed at the recent ballicstic missles launched by North Korea.

"We have a strong and binding resolution. We expect full unconditional and imediate compliance by North Korea. We condemn the North Korean missle launches. Which is entirely approproate given the provacative nature of those missle launches. We expect this to be a unanimous vote."
-John Bolton(U.S. Ambassador)

Pak Gil Yon (North Korea's Ambassador) responded after the resolution passed unanimously stating that there may be more missle launches and that the U.S. was the one showing provacations in the region. Adding that the missile launches were part of routine military exercises to increase the country's capacity for self-defence. Making the argument that the exercise was a legitimate right of a sovereign State and that it is not covered by international law, bilateral or multilateral agreements.

Tony Snow: Clinton Gave North Korea 'Flowers and Chocolate'

Boston Globe Gay Employees: Marry or lose benefits

A memo was issued to Globe's Boston Newspaper Guild members advising Domestic Partner health and dental coverage will end January 1st if they do not marry.

Memo stated, "An employee who currently covers a same-sex domestic partner as a dependent will have to marry his or her partner by Jan. 1 for the employee benefits coverage to continue at the employee rates."

Domestic partner benefits were originally offered to gay employees because they cannot legally marry but the legalization of gay marriage in Massachuetts from a 2004 bill, the Globe changed their policy.
--- Boston Herald (click for full story)

This is a fair move by the Globe, since marriage is legal in Massachuetts, companies should recongize the union and offer the same benefits as their heterosexual employees. Also, finally one state has stood up and offered Gay and Lesbian couples the equality they deserve and to show the country that LOVE = MARRIAGE!!

Bush keeping Congress out of the loop on National Security "Projects"

In a story published by the RAW STORY, Peter Hoekstra, Republican House Intelligence Committee chairman, sent a letter in May to President Bush warning him of not including Congress in his "special projects" and his may lose support from some party members on national security. Rep, Hoesktra stated, "I have learned of some alleged intelligence community activities about which our committee has not been briefed. If these allegations are true, they may represent a breach of responsibilty by the administration, a violation of the law, and, just as importantly, a direct affront to me and the members of this committee who have so ardently supported efforts to collect information on our enemies." This story was published in the New York Times on Sunday and Hoesktra confirmed it on Fox.

Bush Administration Approved Phone Jam Plan

Shaun Hansen, who is the fourth man to be indicted for jamming Democratic phone lines in 2002, filed a motion arguing that the Bush administration and the national Republican Party gave their approval on the plan. Hansen is claiming entrapment because the Administration allegedly told his superiors the hang-up calls placed were legal.

per the rawstory.

How Bush Really won the 2004 Election

I know it has been awhile...VRA

So what has the GOP been up to? Well, they are holding up the Voting Rights Act. Apparently there are some conservative lawmakers wondering why their states are singled out in the legislation (Section 5). The recent Supreme Court decision on the redistricting in Texas provides a reminder of why certain states are singled out. In the 23 district of Texas about 100,000 Latinos were gerrymandered out of the district. I think it’s funny that in order for a Latino republican’s district to be gerrymandered in his favor Latinos have to be removed from the district. It was acts like this, along with pole taxes and various biased test requirements that got Texas along with Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Virginia listed in Section 5 of the VRA. Those states are listed for a reason and judging by the implementation of the republican agenda (i.e. the redistricting mentioned above) they still need to be listed and the Voting Rights Act needs to be renewed immediately.
This leads me to ask the following question. Why is the opposition always “hating on” people? Women and ethnic minorities, those on the lower half of the economic ladder, and the GLTB community can count on conservatives to create barriers. When it comes to policies that make it easier for all citizens to pursue the American dream they oppose them. They oppose policies like affirmative action. Affirmative action gets applications read. It has allowed many women and minorities to get opportunities they otherwise wouldn’t because they are not allowed in the country club.
Look at Federal student aid. The opposition raided $12 billion dollars from federal student aid programs and they are also planning to raise interest rates on student loans. Currently about 2/3 of all college students have loans so this policy affects all demographics. This makes it difficult to get an education and move up the economic ladder. Personally, I believe student aid should shift from being focused on loans to grants. When people graduate the last place their income needs to go is to banks to pay off student loans. That new income is better spent going right into the economy (new clothes, cocktails at a trendy bar, electronic goods like MP3 players, retirement accounts, investments, food that isn’t ramen noodles, etc). Don’t worry about the banks they will get their money in the form of auto loans (shiny new car that runs!) and eventually mortgages.
Well, back to the lecture at hand. Now it is an election year so the republicans need distractions. Distractions like Gay Marriage. I think it is interesting that conservatives go on and on about how intrusive big government is on everybody’s lives yet they are the ones that support legislation that interferes into the most private and intimate parts of our personal lives. I say treat it like common law marriage. In some states there is common law marriage (with varies from state to state). Those are recognized by the government and you get all the rights and privileges associated with a legal marriage. Now you have equal rights, however, getting those marriages recognized by a church, now that’s another story.
What part of “We the People” doesn’t the opposition understand? Why are they always trying to deny equal access to the great American Dream? Regardless of race, gender, socio-economic background, sexual orientation, or religion we are all a part of society. In order for the individually to truly prosper the entire community must be able to prosper, and vise versa.