Texas: Republican

What a load of TWIA crap, but what can you expect from an insurer of last resort when TWIA:
is a pool of all property and casualty insurers operating in the state. TWIA is governed by a nine-member board dominated by insurance company representatives.

TWIA is now being sued for not paying claims. Imagine that, an organization run by the insurance industry not paying claims. How can this ever happen in the great State of responsibility where in 2003 the republican party of Texas ushered in massive insurance reforms to lower our rates and allow insurance companies to compete?

The only thing the insurance companies are competing for is the chance to screw the consumers of Texas. With the highest rates in the nation, some right here in Harris County, insurance companies have profited handsomely even after hurricane Ike since 2003.

According to the republican party, insurance reform has worked.

Did Harris County Tax Assessor, Leo Vasquez, know what kind of poo Paul Bettencourt left him in when he quit just days after his re-election? Obviously not.

Harris County Commissioners Court voted unanimously to accept a settlement of a lawsuit filed by the Texas Democratic Party against Paul Bettencourt's Voter Registration Office. Included in this settlement:

• The voter registrar must now comply with all Texas Election Code deadlines. In sworn discovery, Bettencourt's staff admitted that more than 11,350 timely submitted applications were not processed and on the voter rolls when voting started as required by law.

• The voter registrar's employees can no longer have employment or financial interests in outside companies that provide voter information to candidates or political parties, a practice Bettencourt allowed and Vasquez defended regarding moonlighting Republican political consultant Ed Johnson.

Harris County Commissioner, Jerry Eversole, has decided to seek re-election.

This is the same Jerry Eversole that was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission $75,000, the largest fine in its history. The same Jerry Eversole under investigation by the FBI. The same Jerry Eversole under investigation by the Harris County District Attorney. The same Jerry Eversole who took over $180,000 from his donors and spent it on fancy western art, cowboy outfits, western books, coffee, cattle, personal trainers, coffee, and more.

What does a republican have to do to get fired? Have sex with a hooker? Have sex with one of their staff members? That didn't seem to work since republican United States Senator Vitter and Ensign are still Senators.

Harris County republicans have secretly endorsed Roy Morales for Mayor, which now amounts to two endorsements, with one being a right wing obscure blog. Morales at the KHOU debate claims he had 101 precinct chairs vote for him for this endorsement, but the city has over 800 precincts. Not exactly a resounding endorsement.

But more secretly, I believe the Harris County republicans are supporting Gene Locke. Locke has the Harris County Clerk, republican Beverly Kaufman endorsement, and according to Muse has recently been working with Stephen Hotze and Alan Blakemore, both very right wing supporters involved in republican campaigns. He has the support of corporate attorneys representing Metro, the Sports Authority, and the Port of Houston. And he has waffled, depending upon who he is speaking to, on the 287g program.

It is a secret that Locke is the elephant in the room.