5.30.2023

Random Tuesday Morning Thoughts





On 5/29/23, the front page of the Dallas Morning News had a story on the stock market's recent surge to 15,409.  For comparison, last Friday it closed at 33,125

  • This seems concerning from a potential escalation standpoint.

  • The Texas legislative session ended yesterday, but before they could walk out the door Gov. Abbott declared a special session to begin at 9:30 p.m. It is limited to these two issues:


  • The impeachment of Ken Paxton continued yesterday with the Articles of Impeachment being formally delivered to the Texas Senate.  It was delivered by the newly named "impeachment managers" which includes Jacksboro's David Spiller. 

    • The most unlikely Republican to vote for the impeachment of Paxton, who was also named an impeachment manager, is this MAGA-loving guy, Briscoe Cain. 

    • The Wise County Republican Party released a statement coming out against the impeachment. 
    • Idiocracy.

  • The debt ceiling crisis has been solved. Or has it? It has to get passed the hardliners in the House, and Speaker McCarthy can only afford to lose 5 Republican votes. It's scheduled to be voted on tomorrow if it can get past some complicated maneuvering in a rules committee this afternoon. Edit: I screwed part of that up.

  • Legal nerdy stuff. Article free.

    • Spoiler: The lawyer cited these cases he got from ChatGPT which did not exist. 

  • Random sports: With the school year ending, a list of national Champions in college for obscure competitions you might not even be aware of it. I liked looking through this way too much. 


  • Mark Cuban last night proved to us once again that he's not that bright. You know, as long as it's a "personal question", people will honestly respond, right? 


  • My radio station can finally stop doing segments on the Dallas Stars. Thank gawd. 


at 8:31 AM

5.29.2023

Random Monday Morning Thoughts






Dateline Fort Worth. There would never be any consequences for those involved in this incident in Fort Worth. The Wikipedia page dedicated to it is entitled, "The Killing of Jerry Waller."

  • It's a holiday. Everything is closed. There is no Messenger Update. But I am here. THWMISB™.
  • I can't believe it actually happened -- and with such speed. How corrupt to you have to be for the  most conservative Republican House in Texas history to vote to impeach someone from their own party? Answer: Incredibly corrupt.  The vote was 121-23.


    • The question remains: why now? He deserved to be impeached, but all of the allegations have been known for over two years.  Why, suddenly, did they go after him now?
    • Jacksboro's David Spiller was a major player during Saturday's impeachment hearing. Not only was he on the committee presenting the Articles of Impeachment, he basically served as one of the Impeachment Managers and laid out some of the charges at the beginning of the hearing.

      • And then, later in the hearing, he even went to the opposite podium on the other end of the floor to ask questions to try to bolster the presentation.

      • And Spiller's roll is what assures us that the impeachment was guaranteed. There is no way a second term rep is going to put his political neck on the line if he wasn't 100% sure the vote was a foregone conclusion. He's not doing this on his own. 
    • I like how Spiller and Wise County's Rep. Stucky are right by each other on the voting board. I knew how Spiller would vote, and Stucky proved he's a stand up guy as well.

    • Back to the political risks. The head of the West Texas oilmen PAC basically threatened Spiller on Thursday. On Saturday, he was beside himself.


      • Speaking of his PAC's budget, it wastes a lot of money.  In the last election, look who they threw money at: Don Huffines (defeated governor candidate), Paxton (now impeached),  Shelley Luther (defeated state senate candidate), and Bryan Slaton (recently removed rep who was involved in a teenage sex scandal.) 

    • You cannot support Paxton and live in any sense of reality other than one where corruption and immorality are acceptable. Let's check in on a few of those who qualify:  
      • Or course, our own Ronny Jackson. 

      • Of course. 

      • Also, of course. 

      • Good grief. This guy?
    • With ultra-MAGA up in arms, the question remains: Why did the House do this? Why now? They could have done nothing and frankly no one would have cared. Why now risk the wrath of the neo-Nazi stormtroopers?
    • Finally, the last time we checked on Rep. Jeff Leach, he was scrambling to get in front of the cameras in Allen after the mass shooting to offer "thoughts and prayers" and nothing more. Look at pious he was before the vote on Saturday when he knew exactly how he would vote: 
    • Fun side note: This gal in the background during the four hour hearing always talking into her watch was a funny distraction.
  • There was an apartment collapse in Iowa yesterday evening, but no confirmed deaths yet.
  • Buried deep in the news is something that we don't even bat an eye at any longer.

  • If you want to see something wild, look at this deep fake of Ron DeSantis substituted in for Michael Scott in a scene from The Office.  Trump circulated this over the weekend. The future is going to be very scary. 
  • Decatur softball has made it to the final four. They will play Liberty on Thursday at 4:00 p.m. in Austin.  (Fun fact: I thought that all the playoff games to get there were 2 out of 3 like Decatur played, but coaches can agree to a one game playoff format per UIL rules. Also, at the state tourney it's a one game only and advance or go home.)
  • If you thought traffic was already bad going into Fort Worth, a Kroger is going in at 287 and Bonds Ranch Road. 

        • s
at 8:30 AM

5.26.2023

It's Friday -- Let's Get Out Of Here

at 2:30 PM

Random Friday Morning Thoughts



In this criminal justice corruption case that didn't get near enough publicity in our next of woods, he would get convicted and later be sentenced to 13 yeas.

  • This is glorious. The judge was100% spot on with his remarks. 


    • Side note: When your lawyer shows up at your sentencing hearing wearing a white suit, you might want to rethink your life decisions. 

  • In an earth shaking and historical event in Texas politics, a joint committee voted last night to return Article of Impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. This, on any other day, would be the lead bullet point. This is big. This is huge. Stay with me here . . . 

     
    • Make no mistake, the filing of the Articles of Impeachment isn't the action of just some rogue committee acting on its own. This is a planned-behind-the-scenes orchestration by Republican powerbrokers to (justifiably) take down Paxton. The committee, in my opinion, would never have recommended impeachment without  Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott not having already signed off on this. 

    • Yesterday morning, I bet someone that there was no way Paxton would be impeached. I didn't even think we would get this committee vote. I was 100% wrong.  This is moving fast and furious. Impeachment, at least in the Texas House, seems like a done deal. 
    • Texas law has a wild twist: Just like the impeachment process of the President of the United States, the House will first vote on whether to "impeach" Paxton and then the Senate will vote on whether to "convict and remove" him.   But there is one huge difference: If the House votes to impeach Paxton, he will be immediately suspended and the governor will appoint a replacement. 

    • So, technically, once the House votes to impeach, the Senate could drag its feet forever and Paxton is still out. But the Senate might vote on it right away anyway. I'll say it again, this has to be all pre-planned. And Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who runs the Senate, certainly didn't signal that he was against impeachment last night. 

    • But here's a fun fact: Paxton's wife is an elected state senator and she gets a vote. 

      • Since one of the articles of impeachment accuses Paxton of having a "mistress" who got hired as a bribe by Paxton's buddy, Nate Paul, who was in legal trouble, I propose this plot twist: She votes to impeach and then immediately files for divorce. (Doubtful since she's know about the affair for months.)


      • Remember that Ken Paxton and his wife were on stage for Trump's January 6th rally right before the Insurrection. Yesterday was a perfect circle.

    • It is now very clear why Paxton went scorched earth against House Speaker Dan Phelan two days ago accusing him, with no firm evidence, of being drunk.  Paxton knew the impeachment articles were coming. His only shot was to try to cut off the head of the beast. 

    • Now here's where it might get a little wild. Paxton is a MAGA stormtrooper and borderline QAnon. Those nutcases in the Republican Party love him, and they are not pleased.  
      • Will they fight back? You bet. Take this example: Rep. David Spiller from Jacksboro was one of the five members on the Committee voting to return the Articles of Impeachment.  I consider him a "normal Republican" although he's taken some very troubling far right wing positions since he became a politician and went big time. Anyway,  here's video of the five members voting last night. 

      • So why do I bring up Spiller? Well, he got verbally attacked last night by the spokesperson and administrator for the powerful West Texas oilmen PAC -- Defend Texas Liberty. Oh, my.

      • I'm not sure why he singled out Eastland County. Spiller's district has 12 counties in it, and he lives in Jack County. But Stickland is a dumb as a box of rocks so that could explain it. 
    • Finally, here is a pic of the Articles Of Impeachment being handed out last night on the House floor. It was quite the scene.  That lady in the pink pants was busy last night. 

  • Quick hit unrelated to Paxton:

  • And I've got to mention that Luka got a haircut. 

  • Time which has passed since the Wise County Sheriff's Office, despite having a full male DNA profile, has failed to solve the murder of Lauren Whitener in her home at Lake Bridgeport: 3 years, 324 days.

at 8:31 AM
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