Lone Star gets loonier
Texas Republicans endorse God, squabble, call for dismantling the federal
government, await indictments and pray for Bush.

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By Jake Bernstein and Dave Mann



June 11, 2004 | On the first night of the Texas Republican state
convention last week, there were plenty of receptions to attend. Instead,
almost 200 delegates and visitors chose to file patiently into a room in the
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio for the meeting
of the Permanent Platform Committee. The next two and half hours would be
one of their few opportunities to influence the party's ideology.

Earlier that day, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Texas, Tina
Benkiser, had proclaimed to the 11,000 or so delegates assembled for the
June 3-5 convention, "This is the true grass-roots center of America." This
state party, in fact, is the crucible in which Karl Rove helped craft the
presidency of George W. Bush. It is the home of U.S. House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land. The party has seized control of every statewide
office in Texas, won majorities in both chambers in the Statehouse for the
first time in more than a century, and along with ideological soul mates,
captured the U.S. Congress. The grass-roots movement that provided the
energy and manpower for the GOP's rise in Texas traces its origin to Ronald
Reagan's presidential campaign in 1980 and then Pat Robertson's run for the
presidential nomination in 1988. The televangelist's campaign birthed an
overtly evangelical cadre of revolutionaries with a radical plan for a
return to 19th century government, at least as they understand it.

The values and world vision of the movement today can be found enshrined in
the 24-page party platform. It's a fearful, twilight looking-glass world,
beset by enemies, where the purity of the culture, under constant siege,
must be protected from threats both internal and external. The platform
makes short work of the federal government, calling for the abolition of
everything from the U.S. Department of Education to the Internal Revenue
Service, along with most taxes. Aliens without proper identification are to
be summarily deported. Illegal immigrants should not be granted drivers'
licenses. Voter registration is to be made more difficult. "American
English" is the official language of the state, and "the Party supports the
termination of bilingual education programs in Texas." A plank titled
"equality for all citizens" urges the repeal of hate crimes legislation.
Another one states: "We oppose any criminal or civil penalties against those
who oppose homosexuality out of faith, conviction, or belief in traditional
values." Since the Bible is the literal truth, teachers should have the
right to instruct their public school students in "creation science." The
Ten Commandments are the foundation of the legal system. And lest anyone
forget, "America is a Christian nation."

When asked by reporters for comment, Texas Democratic Party chairman Charles
Soechting called the state GOP's platform "the longest political suicide
note in modern Texas history." While Soechting flagged the Republicans'
extremism, the internal fight in San Antonio over the platform's planks
revealed a party still struggling to make the transition from insurgency to
leadership. A lack of statewide races on the ballot this year combined with
overwhelming support for President Bush, who will certainly carry the Lone
Star State, has deprived the party faithful of a unifying electoral
challenge. In its absence, divisions and political ambition are moving front
and center.

The hot-button issues at the convention were gambling and school vouchers.
Both pitted the Republican elected leadership and their financial backers
squarely against much of the grass-roots. Instituting a voucher program that
will be a model for the nation has been a burning priority for certain
Texans.

In particular, during the 2002 election cycle, a San Antonio hospital bed
magnate named James Leininger invested $624,774 mostly in GOP candidates,
according to campaign watchdog Texans for Public Justice, apparently with
the goal of establishing a voucher program in Texas. From 2000 to 2004,
Leininger's entire family gave $2,497,250 to state candidates, which does
not include the contributions of numerous companies in which he owns sizable
interests. This past February, Leininger and his wife joined Texas Gov. Rick
Perry and his wife along with anti-tax guru and Washington lobbyist Grover
Norquist, among others, on a private cruise in the Bahamas to "talk about
school finance."

A month later, the governor called the Legislature into an unscheduled
special session on the subject, which fizzled because of Republican
bickering. Vouchers could soon become a policy reality. Perry has declared
himself open to a voucher program as part of any eventual school finance
package. But many of the faithful seem to be having second thoughts --
because they see vouchers as a Trojan horse for the federal government.

Members of the convention's platform committee said they heard more heated
testimony on "school choice" than on any other issue. At the meeting,
numerous participants testified to their fear that if public funding in the
form of vouchers finds its way into private schools, government regulation
is sure to follow. "It's time to reverse the idea that Republicans are for
vouchers," said one delegate, echoing many others. "Vouchers lead to more
control." In the end, the sop in the platform to these complaints involved a
call for a state constitutional amendment to accompany any voucher law that
would ensure the government stays out of private schools.

The issue of gambling will not likely be resolved quite as easily. Signature
takers wielding anti-gambling petitions greeted delegates at the entrance to
the convention hall. "Please sign below and let Republican legislators know
that we want them to uphold the GOP platform," the petition read. It came in
response to a proposal by the governor and legislative leaders to allow
40,000 slot machines into the state as a gambit to pay for a cut in property
taxes.

Gaming interests are big supporters of the Republican campaign machine in
Texas, contributing $572,175 to Perry since 2000. But the party platform, as
always, is unequivocal on the matter. "We oppose any further legalization,
government facilitation, or financial guarantees relating to any type of
gambling including casino, riverboat, slot machine, video keno,
eight-liners, and other games of chance."

When Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison spoke on Saturday, the final day of the
convention, some of the loudest applause came when she said, after a pause
and a stern glare, "Governor Bush fought gambling in this state, and I will
too." The delegates roared in approval.

The popular Hutchison is seen as the most serious challenger to Perry and
his bid to become the first Texas governor in history to last more than a
decade in office. (Perry served out the last two years of Bush's second
term). The potential political shuffle in the 2006 gubernatorial primary was
the proverbial elephant in the convention hall.

Conventional wisdom holds that Texas is so solidly Republican that whoever
survives the GOP primary will ultimately gain statewide office in 2006.
Comptroller Carol Keeton Strayhorn has all but declared she will run against
Perry, but her bid could depend on the senator's plans. Some believe
Hutchison's destiny is tied to that of George W. Bush. Under this theory, if
Bush wins another term, the Democrats put Hillary Clinton on the ticket in
2008, and the GOP counters with Hutchison. If Bush loses, Hutchison returns
to Texas to run against Perry. In this scenario, Hutchison frees her Senate
seat for a run by current Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Strayhorn then goes for
the lieutenant governor spot. But no one's counting out Perry.

As columnist and former Texas Observer editor Molly Ivins has noted, he
possesses a head of hair of which all Texans can be proud. The governor,
like Bush, also knows how to ingratiate himself with the state's right-wing
moneymen, a mix of energy magnates, home builders and the aforementioned
hospital-bed maker. Not coincidentally, these campaign contributors'
legislative wish lists have been mostly fulfilled recently.

Another edge favoring Perry is his shrewd chief of staff, Mike Toomey, who's
earned the moniker "Mike the Knife" for his particularly sharp brand of
political maneuvering. Toomey is reportedly one of the masterminds behind
Republican efforts to funnel potentially illegal corporate money into the
2002 state election, which is currently the subject of an Austin grand jury
investigation that may implicate DeLay's operatives, if not DeLay himself.

It's been an especially acrimonious year in Texas politics, even by the
state's high standards. There was an orgy of strong-armed GOP legislating,
DeLay's redistricting crusade, and Democratic lawmakers twice fleeing to
neighboring states to prevent quorums. The question in Austin is whether
state Republicans, and their cousins in Washington, can figure out how to
govern. If the jockeying and squabbling at the state convention is any
indication, the road won't be an easy one.

Jim wrote:

Lone Star gets loonier
Texas Republicans endorse God, squabble, call for dismantling the federal
government, await indictments and pray for Bush.

- - - - - - - - - - - -
By Jake Bernstein and Dave Mann



June 11, 2004 | On the first night of the Texas Republican state
convention last week, there were plenty of receptions to attend. Instead,
almost 200 delegates and visitors chose to file patiently into a room in the
Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in downtown San Antonio for the meeting
of the Permanent Platform Committee. The next two and half hours would be
one of their few opportunities to influence the party's ideology.

Earlier that day, the chairwoman of the Republican Party of Texas, Tina
Benkiser, had proclaimed to the 11,000 or so delegates assembled for the
June 3-5 convention, "This is the true grass-roots center of America." This
state party, in fact, is the crucible in which Karl Rove helped craft the
presidency of George W. Bush. It is the home of U.S. House Majority Leader
Tom DeLay, R-Sugar Land. The party has seized control of every statewide
office in Texas, won majorities in both chambers in the Statehouse for the
first time in more than a century, and along with ideological soul mates,
captured the U.S. Congress. The grass-roots movement that provided the
energy and manpower for the GOP's rise in Texas traces its origin to Ronald
Reagan's presidential campaign in 1980 and then Pat Robertson's run for the
presidential nomination in 1988. The televangelist's campaign birthed an
overtly evangelical cadre of revolutionaries with a radical plan for a
return to 19th century government, at least as they understand it.


Is it too late to cede Texas back to Mexico? We could get a couple
carloads of good Mexican beer in return...

Max Mustermann wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004, "Jim" wrote:

Lone Star gets loonier


Snipped!

Keep your off topic posting to the groups that they belong in. What the
**** does this have to do with boating?

****wit!!




Ohhhhh....is there any way you'll have a stroke right here, Max...Can we
watch?

Max Mustermann wrote:

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004, Harry Krause wrote:

Max Mustermann wrote:


On Sun, 13 Jun 2004, "Jim" wrote:


Lone Star gets loonier


Snipped!

Keep your off topic posting to the groups that they belong in. What the
**** does this have to do with boating?

****wit!!




Ohhhhh....is there any way you'll have a stroke right here, Max...Can we
watch?


Not likely. You are also quite well known for your off topic posting. You
just can't help it. Seek some professional help and do a search on off
topic posting.



Tell you what, fella...take your handle and shove it real hard up your
anonymous remailer, eh?

On Sun, 13 Jun 2004 03:06:02 GMT, "Jim" wrote:


Texas Republicans.......... pray for Bush.

So if Bush loses the election, does that mean they don't worship the
true god?

bb