The Senator that no-showed twice

State Senator Mike Jackson (or “Toxic Mike” as he is known to environmentalists) of Galveston County, no-showed on the UTMB town hall meeting this month.  In addition to single-handedly stopping efforts to put more money into the Texas Windstorm Insurance which helps protect us coastal residents (you know, the people who live in his district), Mike Jackson also votes against every anti-pollution law despite representing a heavily industrial part of the Gulf Coast.  Houston is the most polluted metropolitan area in America for a reason people, and people like Mike Jackson are part of the reason.

And if you think UTMB was disrespected, the clown skipped a scheduled debate with his opponent, Galvestonian Joe Jaworksi at the Houston PBS station.  Apparently he has something to hide.

The Houston Chronicle endorsed Joe Jaworksi, and I would encourage you to vote for him as well given the record of the current incumbent.

The Last Maverick

With all due respect to Sarah Palin and John McCain, I think it would be nice for the world to know who original mavericks were.

The Mavericks were a family of South Texas progressives who stood up for the little man.  One signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, one started the Boston Massacre, and  another (Maury Maverick) beat the San Antonio political machine to become mayor.  He stood up for small businesses and Mexican-Americans in Depression-era Texas.  His son, Maury Maverick Jr. fought against McCarthyism in the Texas House of Representatives (killing his political future) and then for civil rights and freedom of speech in his long career as a lawyer.  As a newspaper columnist, he defended the Palestinians against the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza.

Five years ago, Maury Maverick, Jr. died in San Antonio of kidney failure after filing his last newspaper column on the eve of the invasion of Iraq.  He, unlike most politicians and media talking heads, opposed it from the outset unlike John McCain, Sarah Palin, and Joe Biden and like Barack Obama.

Have McCain and Palin truly stood up for the little man here and abroad, from Vietnam to Iraq?  They haven’t, and the Maverick family is duly upset.

John McCain and Sarah Palin are unworthy of the title.  So the next time they call themselves “mavericks,” take a shot and light up your bingo board and reminisce about the heroes that were the true Mavericks.

Debate Tonight at 8PM

Tonight will be the first of two debates for U.S. Senate in Texas.  Rookie Senator John Cornyn will be debating State Representative Rick Noriega in Houston.  The race has been tightening up and has been called a “sleeper race” this year.  Given that a huge percentage of voters know nothing about either candidate, I’d recommend y’all watch.  One of the big topics tonight will be the bailout which Cornyn voted for and Noriega opposed, along with most Texas Congressmen.

Watch at 8PM on PBS or listen on NPR stations.

Profiles of Cornyn

Texas Observer - “Big Bland John“

Texas Monthly - “Big Red“

Profile of Noriega

Texas Observer - “Boots on the Ground“

Issues comparison

Austin American-Statesman – “Economic issues“