Category Archives: Show Business for Ugly People

With Rick Perry, you always have to ask “Who benefits?”

Posted on July 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Politics had an item on Friday that perhaps should have received a higher profile. One of the controversial tenets of the abortion restriction bill would require all abortions to be performed in ambulatory surgical centers, which are a distinct … Continue reading →

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Eva Longoria

Posted on July 3, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

She’s much more than an actor. Over the past five years of the Obama presidency, the 38-year-old Corpus Christi native who rocketed to fame in Hollywood has slowly but surely made her mark in Washington as a serious student of … Continue reading →

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Who else is afraid of Battleground Texas?

Posted on July 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

FreedomWorks, that’s who. The conservative outside group FreedomWorks has drawn up plans to spend nearly $8 million mobilizing and expanding the GOP base in Texas, in a move to counter state and national Democratic efforts to make the state more … Continue reading →

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Two contradictory polls about abortion

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The UT/Texas Trib poll painted a not-so-rosy picture for reproductive choice in Texas. Texas voters remain split on the permissibility of abortion but favor banning the procedure after 20 weeks of a pregnancy, according to the latest University of Texas/Texas … Continue reading →

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Patrick versus Ratliff

Posted on June 24, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

TFN Insider: Texas State Board of Education Vice Chairman Thomas Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, has already made clear his disgust over the political witch hunt that forced the state’s Education Service Centers to stop writing lesson plans in their CSCOPE curriculum … Continue reading →

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The trend matters as much as the average

Posted on June 20, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I would characterize this Politifact analysis as basically accurate but not particularly meaningful. Republican consultant Karl Rove thinks Georgia Republicans need to be more like their Texas counterparts. In a May 18 speech at Georgia’s GOP state convention, Rove said … Continue reading →

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RAND reminds us what we’re not getting

Posted on June 13, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Not expanding Medicaid is a really bad deal for Texas, and all those other states like Texas. States that choose not to expand Medicaid under federal health care reform will leave millions of their residents without health insurance and increase … Continue reading →

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So where are the jobs he’s been trying to poach?

Posted on June 12, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There’s an obvious question to ask about this story, but I don’t see it being asked. After a couple of high profile job-poaching trips to California and Illinois, Gov. Rick Perry is planning a new raid — this time on … Continue reading →

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Taking back the Texas Senate

Posted on June 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Colin Strother says the Democrats should not overlook opportunities to make gains in the upper chamber of the Legislature. The conventional wisdom is that Democrats need a miracle to pick up any single seat, much less turn the chamber Blue. … Continue reading →

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A bumpy ride for an equality resolution in Dallas

Posted on May 31, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The saga begins when Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings unenthusiastically agreed to putting a resolution in support of marriage equality on the Dallas City Council agenda. After weeks of sidestepping the question, Mayor Mike Rawlings says he will vote next month … Continue reading →

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Better late than never, I guess

Posted on May 21, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Way to be ahead of the curve, y’all. A resolution endorsing the expansion of Medicaid was approved by Texas Medical Association delegates Saturday at the group’s annual meeting in San Antonio. “The patients need the care and, if we pass … Continue reading →

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Another Battleground Texas story

Posted on May 14, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

There are three points of interest in this Statesman story about Battleground Texas. Point One: They’ve convinced the people who most needed convincing, the money people and the dedicated volunteers. Battleground Texas quickly won the allegiance of Steve Mostyn and … Continue reading →

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Rick Perry feels persecuted by gay people

Posted on May 10, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I got nothin‘. Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) said Sunday that he believes rejecting LGBT people is similar to fighting slavery during the pre-Civil War era. Appearing on the Family Research Council‘s program “Stand With Scouts Sunday,” the arch conservative … Continue reading →

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A Q&A about the TCDCC

Posted on May 6, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Last week, I introduced you to the Texas County Democratic Campaign Committee (TCDCC), which is focused on recruiting and supporting county-level Democratic candidates outside of our current urban strongholds. It’s an idea and an organization that is long overdue. I … Continue reading →

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Not just Austin, dammit

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

What Flavia Isabel says: The single purpose of this post is to eradicate the phrase “Oh yeah, Austin is a blue dot in a sea of red” from the vocabulary of anybody who cares about turning Texas blue. I am … Continue reading →

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Who’s afraid of Battleground Texas?

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Republican Party of Texas for one, if you believe their fundraising appeals. In a heated fundraising letter sent this week to donors statewide, the Texas GOP calls the new Democratic voter-mobilization effort “a clear and present threat to you … Continue reading →

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SBOE passes anti-voucher resolution

Posted on April 23, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Good for them. The Texas State Board of Education voted 10-5 on Friday to urge the Legislature to reject proposals that would result in public funds being allocated for private educational institutions. The resolution, authored by Board of Education member … Continue reading →

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Some things can’t be rebranded

Posted on April 22, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Louie Gohmert, ladies and gentlemen. Rep. Louie Gohmert (R-Texas) warned Wednesday that “radical Islamists” are being “trained to act like Hispanic[s]” and cross the U.S.-Mexico border. “We know Al Qaeda has camps over with the drug cartels on the other … Continue reading →

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What Obamacare will do for Texas

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Even without Medicaid expansion, the Affordable Care Act will help millions of Texans get access to health care. Nearly 2.6 million Texans could qualify for tax credits to purchase health insurance in 2014, according to a report released Thursday by … Continue reading →

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Texas On The Brink 2013

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Quantifying what we long suspected to be true. Texas remains behind most other states on issues related to educational achievement, public health and the environment, according to the latest version of the “Texas on the Brink” study released Monday. The … Continue reading →

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News flash: Ted Cruz is not KBH

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I know, I’m as shocked as you are. For nearly two decades, Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison delivered thousands of federal projects to Texas that added billions of dollars to the state’s economy. The leader of a bipartisan approach known as … Continue reading →

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At the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I attended the Battleground Texas kickoff meeting for Houston on Saturday. Houston was one of the last stops on their statewide introduction tour. I estimated about 300 people in attendance; BGTX gives it as 350, which is probably the more … Continue reading →

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Fort Bend County Commissioners Court supports Medicaid expansion

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Fort Bend County, y’all. RESOLUTION OF THE FORT BEND COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT IN SUPPORT OF EXPANSION OF MEDICAIL) COVERAGE WHEREAS, Texas has the highest rate of uninsured [24%) and underinsured in the United States and 23% of the residents of … Continue reading →

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From the “Turning out more Democratic voters will mean more Democratic votes” department

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I think that’s a fair way of characterizing this Texas on the Potomac post. Last November, the Houston Chronicle completed a database analysis of the changing population patterns of the state and the changing voting proclivities of key demographic blocs. … Continue reading →

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Yes, Rick Perry still hates Medicaid

Posted on April 2, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

We’re not surprised by this, right? The Texas rhetoric around a key facet of federal health reform — whether the state will expand subsidized insurance to its poorest adults — reached the high water mark on Monday, with back-to-back press … Continue reading →

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The limits of the Arkansas option

Posted on April 1, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve mentioned the Arkansas option for expanding Medicaid several times, under which the state uses Medicaid money to buy private health insurance for those who would be eligible for Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act. It’s not my preferred solution, … Continue reading →

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Feds bypass the state on Title X funds

Posted on March 29, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Very interesting. The federal government announced [Monday] that it would no longer award a large slice of federal family-planning funds to the state of Texas. Instead, the feds will award the $6.5 million grant to the Women’s Health and Family … Continue reading →

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The politics of refusing Medicaid expansion

Posted on March 27, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

Ron Brownstein posits that by his stubborn and increasingly isolated resistance to Medicaid expansion, including via the Arkansas option, Rick Perry is putting Republicans in electoral danger in Texas. Brownstein runs through the economic arguments and touches on the legislative … Continue reading →

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Don’t forget about apartments

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

On the subject of how Battleground Texas can achieve its aims, Greg adds a note and some numbers about apartment complexes. I opted to look at one of the most GOP-friendly places in Harris County: HD130 in the northwestern corner … Continue reading →

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Businesses say they want Medicaid expansion, too

Posted on March 26, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

This really comes down to two things. Chambers of commerce representing companies such as Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) and Kimberly-Clark Corp. (KMB) are challenging Texas Governor Rick Perry and lawmakers to expand health care for the poor in the state … Continue reading →

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Two hot topics that stay hot together

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

You got your Medicaid expansion in my Latino outreach efforts! For Republicans nationally, the big takeaway from the 2012 presidential election was that, as a party, they have to get right — or at least do better — with Hispanic … Continue reading →

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A word with Bird

Posted on March 11, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

The Observer interviews Jeremy Bird, the head honcho of Battleground Texas. Texas Observer: Why Texas? Why not Battleground Georgia or Battleground Indiana? Jeremy Bird: One reason is staffers from Texas, whether it’s organizers in battleground states who are from Texas … Continue reading →

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The Equality 2013 Poll

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

From Equality Texas: The Equality Texas Foundation envisions a state where all Texans are treated equally, with dignity and respect. Equal rights for all are fundamental to our society and are long overdue. Everyone, regardless of sexual orientation or gender … Continue reading →

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More counties for Medicaid expansion

Posted on March 8, 2013 by Charles Kuffner

All of these are from last week. Bexar County: On a bipartisan vote, Bexar County commissioners Tuesday urged Texas lawmakers to expand the state’s Medicaid program and take advantage of federal matching funds under the Affordable Care Act. “From 2014 … Continue reading →

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