This past weekend the Cruz campaign organized a block walk for volunteers to help out in the southwest area of Austin. I’ve block walked for candidates before and was glad to actually DO something for Ted Cruz other than attend a forum or put a bumper sticker on my car. We targeted only republican primary voters, an efficient use of resources and time.

Well, my question of who supports Dewhurst was answered. The signs in this yard caused me to crack a smile:

Y’all remember Dr. Donna Campbell; she ran a strong campaign based on conservative principles against Congressman Lloyd Doggett in 2010. Now she has her sights set on winning a Texas senate seat from the most liberal Republican currently serving, Jeff Wentworth. By some metrics, Senator Wentworth is more liberal than a couple of senate democrats. It takes a very engaged, passionate person to put a sign in their yard; you have to be willing to announce to everyone whom you support. And these homeowners are passionate about the moderate/liberal fraction in the GOP. “Birds of a feather” is truly appropriate. I know we can’t extrapolate this into everyone who supports Dewhurst is also on board with the liberal republicans, but just…. wow.

Here’s a nice conservative set of signs:

If you’ve never block walked for a candidate, I hope everyone will give it a try. It tends to be fun and the added benefit of exercise. I’ll share one more quick story from this weekend. One house I approached, the man was in the driveway so I didn’t even need to ring the doorbell. I explained who I was along with the background of targeting voters who had voted in the republican primary and asking them consider voting for Ted Cruz. The man laughed and said, “we’re democrats here”.

We joked about a couple of things and I apologized for the error once again mentioning we were only knocking on doors of republican primary voters. His wife pipes up with a sheepish grin, “I voted in the republican primary”. The look on the husband’s face will stay with me forever! She took my flyer for Ted Cruz.

If two particular candidates win their races, then political promotions will begin inside the pink granite dome at a fervent pace: Perry becomes President and current Lt Gov. Dewhurst becomes U.S. Senator.

Let the shuffling begin:

Step 1. RINO David Dewhurst gets the win for the US Senate and resigns as Lt Gov. Then per Sec 16 of the Texas Constitution the President Pro Tempore of Senate steps in to the Lt Gov seat and calls a session of the full Senate (Sec 9) who will then elect a new Lt Gov.

Step 2. Rick Perry gets the win for President. The new Lt Gov, (remember a former RINO Texas Senator), takes over as the new Governor of Texas and the Senate gives us another new Lt Gov!

The Texas Senate is not exactly as bastion full of defenders of conservative beliefs, but there are a couple. 19 Rs/12 Ds. Of the 19 Republicans, only 4 received 70% or higher from the Texas Eagle Forum. www.texaseagle.org

Activists are being tasked with asking one of two questions of candidates: 1. If they are a candidate for the Texas House, who will you vote for Speaker (sniffing out support for Rino Straus; y’all remember that 2011 showdown!); 2. If they are a candidate for the Texas Senate, who would you vote for President Pro Tempore and Lt. Gov?

We are far more aware of what is at stake than we were in 2010 and we have educated ourselves about the rules. I’m looking forward to proving to the Establishment the Tea Party is still here; we’ve just been a little busy getting educated. See ya at the next Meet and Greet.

In Texas, our candidate filing deadline is January 1, 2012. Less than 8 months away. Can you imagine the look on some of our legislatures’ faces when they find out someone is running against them in the primary? I’m sure most of them will be incredulous.

But why not? You hired a contractor to paint the exterior of your house white; you come home from work and it’s bright red. Would you ask for your money back; fire them; or heaven forbid give them a referral? My assumption is probably not. Why would we treat our vote and choice of who will be representing us to a lesser standard?

Some questions being proposed, but we need to think about what we will be setting ourselves up for next legislative session. It will not improve the next go around if the same individuals are in office. This year might have been as good as we can get if we stay with the status quo. Let’s primary them.

The interesting benefit on the redistricting disaster is their overwhelming motivation to make “my district safer”. Well, to our currently sitting representatives, safer means redder. And redder means more conservative. We can run a candidate who is to your right! Good chance it’s to my left, but that’s another diary.

Is there someone who has been attending the Tea Party meetings consistently speaking out against the spending? Amnesty? Bigger government? Look at them through a different lens and not just as a fellow rallier. Maybe as a citizen candidate. Throw the idea out there and see if they can be called to serve. Or will you serve?

According to Heritage Alliance, 85% of districts are drawn to favor one party or the other. Essentially, the winner of the district is determined at the primary level; the general election is a non-issue. In North Texas, a long time representative was ousted in the 2010 primary by a Tea Party candidate by only a mere difference of 2000 votes. The challenger lacked funding, establishment endorsements, and campaign experience. BUT, he had the Tea Party message and a conservative movement behind him. This task is not impossible.

Time is of the essence and we need to start making our moves.

*As an added historical note, the republican who was ousted has since been the featured speaker/honoree at a LULAC banquet a few weeks ago. You just can’t make this stuff up.

I am being inundated by conservative grassroots organizations and blogs to please call Gov. Perry to veto republican legislation? The citizens last resort has become contacting the governor’s office to stop legislation being put forth by a super-majority of republicans…not conservatives.

Conservative House members would not have voted for a redistricting plan placing tea party freshman representatives at risk. Nor would conservative House members have voted for a speaker who made this possible. Oh, that’s right they did.

Conservative House members would not have voted for an internet tax paving the way for a federal move to tax the internet. Oh, that’s right they did

Conservative Senate members would not have voted for a redistricting plan for the State Board of Education making it virtually impossible for a conservative/former navy/hispanic board member to be re-elected. Oh, that’s right they did.

Perhaps I should find a parallel universe because all of this and more happend this week in our legislature. Republicans voted for this legislation not conservatives.

In Texas, our governor is going to have to push back against federal encroachment and push back against his own legislature. As a conservative, I believe the governor is our last hope. As a republican, I throw my hands up in the air.

Our local am radio station’s topic was about legislation submitted to create a Green card program in Texas modeled after Utah’s bill. My own rep is the author of the bill. Mr. Workman tried to paint a rosy picture regarding the need for HB 2886 (we get to tax them) during his call into the station. Let’s just highlight 2 sections he left out of the discussion to begin feeling warm and fuzzy.

Sec 54.008. ENFORCEMENT d) If an unlawful resident alien is married to another unlawful resident alien, only one of the unlawful resident aliens must report wages to the comptroller.

If you are in our great state willingly breaking our immigration laws, you can choose which spouse reports their wages. My family would love the option of who gets to report their wages. We are all smart enough to keep the larger wage earner off the government tax rolls. Sweet little musings of class warfare.

Ok, I did save the best for last.

Sec. 54.010. BENEFITS. A person issued a resident alien card under this chapter may obtain a Texas driver’s license. The person must provide proof of insurance before being issued a driver’s lcense. Failure to maintain insurance will result in immediate deportation of the unlawful resident alien.

The illegal immigrants working in Texas get driver’s licenses! Ouch, right? I did go back and double check Valinda Bolton (D) wasn’t re-elected in HD 47. It’s true: 2010 was a Republican sweep. Voter fraud/integrity have been a top priority this session and with this bill it’s all out the window. Can you imagine the voter fraud we would be facing? The effort True The Vote put forth this session to get a photo id bill passed will be null and void.

The grassroots in very liberal Austin were able to elect a Republican as our state representative. He is submitting legislation the defeated Democrat would be proud to sponsor.

<object width=”640″ height=”385″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Fb852DoNAUo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/Fb852DoNAUo?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”640″ height=”385″></embed></object>

And in his own words, he admits to writing the bill.

<object width=”640″ height=”385″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_KI1NBrxXBQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/_KI1NBrxXBQ?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”640″ height=”385″></embed></object>

If we racap how he perceived his fringe tea-party constituents a few months back,

<object width=”480″ height=”385″><param name=”movie” value=”http://www.youtube.com/v/7IB13_TOmbc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US”></param><param name=”allowFullScreen” value=”true”></param><param name=”allowscriptaccess” value=”always”></param><embed src=”http://www.youtube.com/v/7IB13_TOmbc?fs=1&amp;hl=en_US” type=”application/x-shockwave-flash” allowscriptaccess=”always” allowfullscreen=”true” width=”480″ height=”385″></embed></object>

So by not taking pride and ownership in one of his biggest legislative accomplishments is he admitting the mob was right?  We all know this is not the case, but it is a testament to the volatility of a left-leaning seat in Austin, Tx.  Even ultra-liberal Lloyd Doggett is not embracing the health care bill.  To be able to hold him accountable with both his words and video, provides his constituents with a clear reason to term limit him this November. 

Republican candidate Dr. Donna Campbell is running a strong campaign which is gaining momentum.  The force of an ER doctor and her concern that doctors will be treating patients by government decree instead of by medical degree will be a reckoning.  www.drdonnaforcongress.com

Politics has only recently been on my radar.  I’m not sure if it started when Rev Wright, Obama or Palin exploded on the national scene.  Wright offended me; Obama scared me; and Palin inspired me.  The blogging by ColdWarrior was all it took to teach me how I could get involved. 

And being involved has been a lot of fun.  From the precinct, to the district and onto being a delegate at our state’s convention, it seems to have been politics as both usual and unusual.  Our Republican Leader of the House has been campaigning and fundraising for Democrats, so his getting heckled during his convention speech seemed unusual.   It’s particularly egregious knowing strong, conservative candidates are on the ticket like www.JamesWhiteforEastTexas.com.

Blatant politics as usual occurred during our senatorial caucus.  Not wanting to get mired down in the details, to summarize: our elected representative to the Nominations Committee for the Chairperson of RPT did not vote with the will of her caucus.  Her actions as an elected official breaking the trust of the constituents was particularly irksome! 

Gov. Perry, Rep. Michelle Bachman and Gov Haley Barbour were just some of the energizing speeches we heard.  Everyone talked about conservative principles, spending and Obamacare.  One glaring omission from the speeches was the need to grow our conservative base.  McCain was the first presidential candidate to win the white vote, but lose the election.  If we want to win, our base has to become bigger than theirs.

Overall, I learned a lot about the process and came away more motivated than ever to help keep Texas red.  ColdWarrior might find it encouraging that the majority of the counties in my caucus were at full voting strength!  Conservatives and Republicans are energized.

Just such a glaring contrast.