Texas: Republican

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.

Texas has some of the best mouth watering barbeque in the country. We have some of the best college football and education and our high school football program is second to none. But we have something that all of America can learn from: bad legislation. Congress is currently debating health care reform and could learn from the mistakes of the Texas Legislature over the last few years including insurance reform, tort reform, and deregulation.

Tort Reform.
In 2003 the Republican controlled Texas house ushered in sweeping tort reform, limiting medical malpractice suits to $250,000. These limits were supported by the insurance industry, some of the medical community, and their front groups calling themselves “Texans” and “Citizens” against lawsuit abuse.

Congressman Pete Olson, caught like a deer in the headlights, after attempting to exploit a young child's heart condition for political gain, has a little secret of his own. He too has a heart condition. Besides the fact that he has no heart for those who cannot afford health care for their own family, he had emergency heart surgery shortly after taking office. In short, he has a pre-existing condition.

Olson said that White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, who was at the gym with members of Congress at 6:20 a.m., was the first person to reach him after he stumbled and fell.