I do not possess either the time or poetic writing skills to properly express how I felt on Tuesday night when Senator Barack Obama won the Election. I can tell you that I cried. I screamed. I shared a champagne toast with friends. I called my son in Roanoke, VA but I could not hear him because he and other Obama supporters, staff workers and volunteers were screaming "We DID it!" "Oh God, we DID it!" After yelling "we are proud of you" into the mayhem of the moment in Roanoke, I hung up.
My husband and I fist bumped. We danced. We hugged and cried together. Next thing I know, hubby, a naturalized American citizen, wrapped himself in the huge American flag that we normally display outside the house on Memorial Day and July 4th. He ran next door to the TV lobby in the College Commons where his students were either celebrating or staring at the screen in disbelief. My husband cried: "America I love you! We did it!" All of the students went wild with cheers. I could hear the pandemonium inside the house.
Expert economists and Texas families know that we're living through the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Cornyn's out of touch comments echo the words of former Senator and current Cornyn contributor Phil Gramm, who stated this summer that "we have sort of become a nation of whiners" and called our nation's current economic hardships a "mental depression."
Despite what Cornyn and Gramm may believe, Texans' economic fears are not "overblown." Our medical bills are more expensive, college tuition is skyrocketing, and people are worried about losing their jobs. Thousands of Texans are already heading to the polls to cast their ballots in early voting, and it's critical that they see John Cornyn for who he really is.
Time for a Texas earthquake to shake Cornyn out of his cushy seat.
(Today is the last day of early voting-let's run up that early vote, and then help GOTV on Tues. - promoted by boadicea)
According to the Houston Chronicle one million more residents have voted so far, with one day left for early voting in Texas. In Harris County (the largest district in the State) Democratic voters outnumber Republicans.
Leland Beatty, a Democratic consultant, said 42 percent of early voters had voted in Democratic primaries and 20.6 percent in Republican primaries.
A Republican strategist here said the reason for the higher turnout is due to huge participation during the Primary when large numbers of voters came out to vote for Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton. The strategist said some of those voters were Republicans who will vote for McCain during the General.
Well, we will see about that. My crystal ball is the same size as the GOP strategist and I'm not even a strategist. If the Texas Republican base is comprised of 23% of dumb bunnies who choose to believe Senator Obama is a Muslim we may be able to assume that 77% of Texans may just engage their brains before voting. After eight years of W. &Co. we can also assume that 77% percent of voters here understand that they are far worse off than they were in 2000. A vote for McCain should translate to a vote against one's own self-interests if not one's very financial survival.
Cornyn has pulled out all the stops as he's faced a Democratic challenger who took to heart Howard Dean's admonition that Democrats need to fight for seats everywhere. In fact, Dean's praise of Noriega at Netroots Nation is one of the prime pieces of ammunition that Cornyn is using against his opponent.
And just who is John Cornyn? He's one of Big Oil's 10 favorite members of Congress, he's against choice, against education programs, against health care for the poor...in fact, it seems that the only thing Cornyn is for is big business. Oh, and Cornyn is also the senator who, while advocating a constitutional ban on same-sex marriage, famously said:
"It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right. . . . Now you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife."
So on behalf of box turtles everywhere, come out of your shell and give tonight! Our own Research 2000/Daily Kos poll shows that Noriega is a mere six points behind, so let's help push him over the top in the closing days before the election. Dig deep and donate to this outstanding O2B candidate and help get his voice yee-hawing all the way to Washington. We're shooting for 3,600 donors for Rick Noriega, so jump in and make sure Republicans know there will be Hell to Pay when they go after Democrats for being Democrats.
(Good news to go along with Rick's selection in the Hell To Pay Fundraiser! Go lend a few bucks to the cause. - promoted by boadicea)
Today's Houston Chronicle reports that Rick Noriega and Barack Obama are up by seven percent in Harris County. For the first time in forty-four years, Harris County voters are on the verge of favoring a Democratic Presidential candidate.
WOW.
Hats off to the Noriega campaign and the Harris County Democrats for their exhaustive efforts.
They gave Barack Obama the edge over Republican John McCain by 7 percentage points this week, with very few undecided or backing another contender.
Voters also favored Democrat Rick Noriega of Houston against Republican Sen. John Cornyn by the same amount - with 13 percent undecided or committed to another candidate.
The survey results were compiled by Zogby International as early voting got under way for the Nov. 4 election.
Come on folks, give a large group of struggling Democratic activists in Texas a hand. There is a group of us spanning the vast state of Texas that have been working day and night to send Rick to Washington. We're grassroots every day folks who have given as much as our little piggy banks hold. And our go to Big Dogs are maxed out.
We cannot take 6 more years of a right winger who serves as the puppet for the fat cats in big oil, big insurance, big banking and big everything with money.
And neither can you.
Why?
If elected John Cornyn will block every single thing a Democratic President and Congress will try to accomplish. Mark my words, folks. Corn Dog will rally any Republican buddies who are left in Congress to do likewise. He will reach out to the right wing media to demonize the Democratic Administration. And the right wing media, like FOX "News," will be more than happy to oblige.
Get it? Even if you do not live in Texas John Cornyn will work against your best interests.
I don't want to wake up Nov 5, and still have John Cornyn as a Senator from the state of Texas.
There are a lot of things I can't do right now due to health issues, and I already early voted for Rick.
But if Rick and Melissa and the rest of Team Noriega can keep running through the finish line.
WHAT: Rick Noriega to speak at El Paso Get Out the Vote Unity Rally. From Early Vote through Election Day, Rick Noriega, candidate for US Senate, will be traveling Texas on The Road to Victory Tour, meeting Texans and talking about his plan to get the economy back on track, to tackle rising costs of college tuition and to make sure all Texans have access to quality, affordable health care.
WHO: US Senate Candidate Rick Noriega and other Democratic candidates
It will be especially important for Texans to have a strong, respected voice inside the expected Democratic majority in the Senate. Rick Noriega offers such a voice, with a distinctive Lone Star tone and perspective. The Chronicle endorses Noriega for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican John Cornyn.
Noriega, a Houstonian, describes himself as a Texas Democrat. That term, once common currency in the state's political conversation, seems to have fallen out of favor over the past several Republican-dominated years. But it resonates once more in this season of voter discontent with partisanship uber alles. Some old-fashioned moderate bipartisanship, Texas style, should be much welcomed in the Washington debate, particularly on overheated topics such as energy and immigration. Rick Noriega can provide it.
The Houston Chronicle is hitting them out of the park. For the first time since 1964, the newspaper supported a Democratic candidate for U.S. President. On Sunday it endorsed Senator Barack Obama.
This morning I opened the newspaper and saw more great news. This endorsement is no tentative, mild mannered one, either. The Houston Chronicle wrote a glowing commentary about Rick Noriega, his background, his impeccable record and his distinguished accomplishments.
It will be especially important for Texans to have a strong, respected voice inside the expected Democratic majority in the Senate. Rick Noriega offers such a voice, with a distinctive Lone Star tone and perspective.
The Chronicle endorses Noriega for the U.S. Senate seat now held by Republican John Cornyn.
Noriega, a Houstonian, describes himself as a Texas Democrat. That term, once common currency in the state's political conversation, seems to have fallen out of favor over the past several Republican-dominated years. But it resonates once more in this season of voter discontent with partisanship uber alles. Some old-fashioned moderate bipartisanship, Texas style, should be much welcomed in the Washington debate, particularly on overheated topics such as energy and immigration. Rick Noriega can provide it.
Those trendlines are deceiving. They are from May, but Noriega's campaign headed south soon afterward. Rasmussen has been one of the few pollsters surveying this race. On August 21, they had the race at 52-38. Then in late September, it had closed to 50-43. This poll confirms that the race remains close, within single digits. Cornyn is at 50 percent, so he's where he needs to be. It's up to Noriega to knock Cornyn off that perch.
Cornyn didn't help himself at the debates by his "less than Senatorial" lying about Rick's legislative record. (See Vince at Capitol Annex for more on that.)
We're in single digits, but it'll take a lot of work to close the gap.
Voter registration in Texas ended with record numbers of voters being registered. Early Voting starts on October 20th and goes through October 31st. Getting out the vote is one of the most important things we can do to make sure our voices are heard in November. We cannot allow another election to go by and not speak out for the change our country and our state so desperately needs.
We are not a nation of blue states or red states. Nor are we a nation comprised of only one dominating race or religion. America is a beautiful, though far from perfect, potpourri of people consisting of a rainbow of skin hues, religions, ideas and creative forces.
No matter our skin color, we share much in common. In so many ways we are the same. At the very least all of us care deeply about our children, our parents, siblings and other family members. All of us are concerned about the well being of our friends and other members of our many communities. We share a common work ethic. Few of us expect handouts. Most of us are resourceful and creative. We will do whatever it takes to provide for our loved ones.
Throughout the generations, people from everywhere on the planet, including my grandparents, immigrated to America because we are a nation founded on the principles of tolerance, democracy, accountability, personal responsibility and optimism.
We all know when we've been misled by those whom we trusted to represent our interests and values.
I think we will agree that the time is especially ripe for change. And I'm talking about real serious change where everyone, from we the little people to the Wall St. fat cats and the movers and shakers in our local, state and federal government, are all held to the same standard of ethics and personal responsibility.
If you're in Houston, drop by the studio and give our next Senator from Texas a boost:
If you can make it out to the studio to greet the Future Senator of the United States Rick Noriega as he arrives for the debate at
KHOU Studios
1945 Allen Pkwy
Houston, TX 77027
6:45 PM
After, greeting the Future Senator Rick Noriega the Debate Watch Party will start at 7:30pm at 3200 Kirby Drive, Suite. There will be food, drinks, prizes, and fun. The debate starts at 8pm.
Make sure to tune in to your local PBS station tomorrow night for the debate between Rick Noriega and John Cornyn for the Senate race.
U.S. Senatorial Candidates
John Cornyn and Rick Noriega Debate <#>
Texas AARP, along with the League of Women Voters Texas, is sponsoring a
televised debate between US Senate candidates John Cornyn and Rick Noriega.
The debate will be tomorrow evening at 8pm on PBS stations across the
state. We urge you to tune in and learn where the candidates stand in this
important race.
(Less than a month to go-know your downticket candidates, folks. We're electing more than a President this year. - promoted by boadicea)
Texans need a new deal and Rick Noriega is the man to deliver it. I very recently posted a diary here about John Cornyn and the raw and rotten deals he has dealt to the people of Texas. Meanwhile, back in Washington the Senator has bent over backwards to bail out his fat cat buddies on Wall St.
We need a breath of fresh air, a new face and someone with a proven track record of integrity. One who will stand up for the people of Texas for a change. Rick Noriega is the man who has the character and moral fiber to work for everyday Texans. He has walked the walk in Austin as a lawmaker and in Houston while working with Mayor Bill White in planning and executing the Hurricane Katrina rescue efforts. Noriega went the extra mile, too, when serving in Afghanistan.
Enough of John Cornyn and all the Republicans who mislead us with their talking points and mendacious spin. What these boys and girls say in Texas has very little in common with how they will vote in Washington.
(Junior John is a disgrace, let's do better for Texas with Rick Noriega. - promoted by boadicea)
This diary is an expanded and updated re-post of one I wrote previously on Texas Kaos. This updated version is also cross posted on The Burnt Orange Report.
As predicted, John Cornyn voted for the Wall St. bailout the other night. I never doubted for a moment that John Cornyn would ever in a day let down his buddies the fat cats. After all, the Republicans enabled Wall Street's financial melt down by voting for deregulation and lifting all "shackles," as they would call it, from their beloved soul mates on Wall Street.
Deregulate, Baby, Deregulate.
And boy did they ever do that big time.
Republicans dumbly believed Wall St. would police itself. Indeed, this is what a recently retired professor at the London School of Economics has to say about the U.S. financial melt down:
In July I posted a diary series about Senator John Cornyn's deep ties to big money and corporate interests. Because we are facing a potentially impending financial 9/11, or so we've been told, this may be a good time to reexamine John Cornyn's record.
John Cornyn has voted with President Bush at least 97% of the time, despite the President's approval ratings that range from 23-30%.
We know from his record in the Senate that John Cornyn will predictably vote for legislation that is favorable to corporate and special interests. Both of our U.S. Senators will unfailingly vote against any legislation that ensures any kinds of oversight or regulation of corporations and special interests, even if oversight means protecting the interests of the people of Texas.
At the same time, John Cornyn consistently votes against legislation that will do anything to improve the quality of Texans' lives whether it is an increase in the minimum wage, a cleaner environment, or affordable heath care insurance, both of which would yield a far healthier population here.
This just in from the Rick Noriega for Senate campaign:
Dear {Boadicea's Real Name},
I hope this note finds you safe.
Hurricane Ike's effects have been devastating. It's critical we get millions of Texans the help they need.
I reported to Camp Mabry, serving with the 36th Division Headquarters, Texas Army National Guard, with the G-3 section charged with operations and planning. During this time, I am canceling campaign events.
Disclaimer: Rick Noriega is a member of the Army National Guard. Use of his military rank, job titles, and photographs in uniform does not imply endorsement by the Department of the Army or the Department of Defense.
Please lend a hand where you can if you're safe and dry-and if you're not, please let us know if we can help.
