>
> i disagree with deborah, i don't think you could have known
> even if you lived here. but i listen to a lot of (local)
> right wing radio in houston and the hardcore wingnuts really
> didn't like him and whined about the compromises he made on
> taxes, patients bill of rights, and a few other things that
> escape me at the moment. (there was still a nominally
> dumbocrat contolled leg when he was governor). it wasn't
> until he was the presumptive nominee of the gop that the
> wingnuts began to get behind him.
I can see how one might get that impression, but from where I sat with an inside view of the Harris County Dem party, they did know and they sat there in a daze, twiddlin' their collective thumbs and bits.
The potential Bush agenda was getting around in the Second Baptist crowd (a deep-pocketed, social conservative crowd with members in all the "right" places), the lawyers at all the major and uppity law firms certainly knew about it, and Harris county and State Dem leadership knew all the dirt. However, getting the attention of the national wing, the DNC was friggin' impossible, and if you didn't even have the local leaders jumping up and down, then it was a losing battle from the get-go.
Quite possibly the only people who did not know were the general electorate, but even then, the burgeoning Green factor was trying to point out the obvious on Bush, and our environmental issues and the effects of Bush's appointments to the state supreme court (pro-business, screw all else) were pretty obvious, too. The family of James Byrd (black man murdered in the infamous dragging until decapitated incident in Jasper, Tx) certainly made known the story of Bush's response to their visiting his office to urge passage of the James Byrd Hate Crimes Bill (he literally threw the bill across his desk, said he hadn't read, wasn't going to read it and wasn't goign to pass it).
But what does it matter if it falls on deaf ears? I'll give you that much: the media in Texas didn't get the word out, either. The local media, especially --- especially ---- in Houston was pretty damn quiet. Houston sees itself in it's quest to be "important" as the home of the Bushes (Kennebunkport? Awww, that's just a pissin' hole for Ol' 41 to go fishin' in) and there's an unspoken rule that you don't diss the Bushes in this town unless you've got the hardest of hard evidence.
This is a bit of a digression, but related, in some part. Remember Enron? yeah, who doesn't. Well, the local media was very hesitant, insanely hesitant to report any real hard news on the subject. You'd expect the Chronicle or one of the local stations to leap at the opportunity to grab some Pulitzer level investigative journalism or reporting or something that would increase readership or ratings. You'd think. But so many local orgs here were so scared of offending Ken Lay, knowing his connections to D.C., that they sat on their hands and took their leads AFTER the national media broke the lead. As ex-Enron myself, I worked with a couple of national journalists, including the producer of one national network news show, covering Enron, and all commented on the shyness of the local media to really take advantage of the coverage opportunity.
But, I digress.
> also, the governor of texas doesn't really do anything much.
> there is no cabinet style executive branch in tx. there are
> a series of (by design) inefficient and unempowered
> commissions that have six year overlapping terms that guvs
> appoint members to. she cannot fire them. for half of a
> one term guv she has a majority of someone's else appointees
> working for her.
Her? Are you talking about Governor Rick Perry, aka "Governor Goodhair?" Heh. You know they never proved those rumors about him being caught inflagrato (sorry, no spellcheck here) with the Secretary of State, Geoffrey Connor.
But you are correct about the limits of the governorship in this state. Now, what I'd differ with you on is that despite those limitations, the governor *does* wield a heavy stick with his/her ability to call up special sessions and make life a living hell on all of the legislators until he gets what he wants, or at least makes a fool of himself trying to get it.
> yeah, and rod paige is now secretary of education for the
> whole country...
>
Egads, ain't it tha' truth. The former and controversial Houston Independant School District superintendant went bigtime on the wings of Shrub, and his legacy continues to rock (under) HISD and the students it is supposed to serve. But they both have that hotline to God connection in common, and, if you are familiar with the Second Baptist connection, then the rest of the blanks will be filled.
Actually, there is quite a story for someone interested involving the Second Baptist Church of Houston and the political pipeline it is connected to. God knows (heh) no one here in Houston will do it.
- Deborah
===== " How come people always flip and think they're Jesus? Why not Buddha? Particularly in America, where more people resemble Buddha than Jesus. 'Ah'm BUDDHA!' 'You're Bubba!' 'Ah'm Buddha now..All I gotta do is change 3 letters on ma belt...' " - Bill Hicks