What's the point of having 400 channels if there isn't a damn thing on there you want to watch?
Billy Clyde's default position is usually to look at ESPN, the cable news networks, or The Weather Channel. Granted, ESPN and TWC do great work. But unless you really care whether Florida Southern covered the spread against Georgia Tech, or whether it will rain in Rhode Island, it's not exactly like attending a major movie festival. Even one of my former favorite channels, CourtTV -- now renamed TruTV -- has quit showing compelling courtroom action of trailer park trash spouses accused of killing one another and now features sea shell collecting specials and exclusive reports on bungee jumping.
The cable news shows, though, are much worse. They are trying to cram political news down the throats of their viewers when no political news exists.
Take a break. If no political news occurred, then talk about something that did. Personally, I like the hard-hitting stories about teacher-student sex. Others probably favor color pieces about Missouria wheat farmers who win the lottery and consider splurging on a new pair of overalls. Hell, I dig L.A. car chases. Even though you know how it's going to end, there's always the chance of news helicopters colliding or maybe a little gun play.
The newspapers and political magazines seems to have received the message. But MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, et al apparantly didn't get the note. On Tuesday evening, I cut on the teevee to see what was going on. And was informed that the channel -- can't remember which one -- would be providing "wall-to-wall" coverage of the Mississippi primary results. What? These networks don't have time to remind us of the name of new president of Russia or clue us in on the bond market crisis, but can offer "wall-to-wall" coverage of a primary in a state I've only been to three times and probably has fewer voters than Harris County?
I'm not a judgmental guy. To each their own. But in Billy Clyde's book, this was not exactly Must See TV.
The two network shows I try to watch -- The Office and 30 Rock -- are supposed to be back on the air shortly. And The Road to the Final Four and The Masters are right around the corner. Thank Gawd!
Just wish Bob Newhart would bail us out of this tedium.
Sunday, March 16, 2008
Saturday, March 1, 2008
WE GIVE YOU THE RESULTS SO YOU DON'T HAVE TO SPEND 50 CENTS ON A NEWSPAPER
Ladies and gentlemen, no one is so presumptuous as to tell you who will win before the fact. Except me.
This is the post you've been holding your bladder for. You've put off grocery shopping and sex with your special other. Your dog is hungry and your trash is piling up. Okay, here it is: House Death Match 2008 -- Winners and Losers.
TOAST
Doro Olivo
There's nothing wrong with Representative Olivo. She is genuinely nice. But so was Huey McClusky, who she beat to to win the seat. Things above her pay grade just got in the way this year.
Kino Flores
Brass knuckled Valley politics and lots of money usually means ... uh, jail sentences. But in this case, it's just the loss of a House seat. You can't piss off all your friends all of the time and hold onto power.
Kevin Bailey
There is probably not a single issue on which Billy Clyde and Representative Bailey agree. But we've been friends for two decades, and I'm sorry to see him lose, which he will.
CLOSE TO TOAST
Jerry Madden
This is a strange race. His opponent, Jon Cole, has run a stealthy campaign and is only 14 years old old. But it looks like he's winning. Bye bye Jerry.
Juan Escobar
South Texas politics are hard to predict, but Representative Escobar likely goes down. SPI dentist Tara Rios Ybarra has a pretty good organization, plenty of money and, well, her opponent is Juan Escobar.
Thomas Latham
Like most of you people out there, I fixate on the Balch Springs political scene. Latham beat Elvira Reyna, who now endorses Latham in his contest against former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson. I don't think Latham will cross the finish line, but it's a close call.
Nathan Macias
Former New Braunsfeels Mayor Doug Miller should win this race. But then again, no one really thought Carter Casteel would get beat on the last go-round. This one is tough to handicap.
Paul Moreno
This is hard to say, because Billy Clyde has harbored enormous respect for Representative Moreno for a long, long time. But his time has come and gone (it went about a ten years ago, actually). Marisa is the future. She probably wins.
Phil King
When a former school superintendent and mayor runs against you, that spells trouble. When he also has outside support willing to attack you on pocketbook issues, that's really trouble. This won't be a blowout, but Joe Tison looks like he'll take out the chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Jonathan "Baby Doc" Sibley vs. Charles "Doc" Anderson. My gut tells me Anderson wins, but Jonathan seems to have a better handle on what Waco wants.
Boris Miles vs. Al Edwards. On one hand, I have a fondness for both of these guys. On the other hand, I acknowledge that both are a tad bit crazy. I give a slight advantage to Miles. At least Al gets to be a Super Delegate.
Betty Brown vs. Wade Gent. God and Jesus are pulling for Gent, but it may not be enough. I don't want to seen as taking sides, but a Betty Brown loss would send me dancing in the streets.
NOT IN TROUBLE
Pat Haggerty, Dawnna Dukes, Charlie Geren, Corbin Van Arsdale, Aaron Pena, Delwin Jones, Byron Cook. Good incumbents almost always win.
MYSTERY MEAT
One of these three will lose. I have no clue which one. But every election cycle brings us a little suprise. Will it be ...
Jessica Farrar?
Bill Zedler?
or
Garnet Coleman?
Please leave your predictions in the comments box. Gotta go now. Nice visiting with you.
This is the post you've been holding your bladder for. You've put off grocery shopping and sex with your special other. Your dog is hungry and your trash is piling up. Okay, here it is: House Death Match 2008 -- Winners and Losers.
TOAST
Doro Olivo
There's nothing wrong with Representative Olivo. She is genuinely nice. But so was Huey McClusky, who she beat to to win the seat. Things above her pay grade just got in the way this year.
Kino Flores
Brass knuckled Valley politics and lots of money usually means ... uh, jail sentences. But in this case, it's just the loss of a House seat. You can't piss off all your friends all of the time and hold onto power.
Kevin Bailey
There is probably not a single issue on which Billy Clyde and Representative Bailey agree. But we've been friends for two decades, and I'm sorry to see him lose, which he will.
CLOSE TO TOAST
Jerry Madden
This is a strange race. His opponent, Jon Cole, has run a stealthy campaign and is only 14 years old old. But it looks like he's winning. Bye bye Jerry.
Juan Escobar
South Texas politics are hard to predict, but Representative Escobar likely goes down. SPI dentist Tara Rios Ybarra has a pretty good organization, plenty of money and, well, her opponent is Juan Escobar.
Thomas Latham
Like most of you people out there, I fixate on the Balch Springs political scene. Latham beat Elvira Reyna, who now endorses Latham in his contest against former Mesquite Mayor Mike Anderson. I don't think Latham will cross the finish line, but it's a close call.
Nathan Macias
Former New Braunsfeels Mayor Doug Miller should win this race. But then again, no one really thought Carter Casteel would get beat on the last go-round. This one is tough to handicap.
Paul Moreno
This is hard to say, because Billy Clyde has harbored enormous respect for Representative Moreno for a long, long time. But his time has come and gone (it went about a ten years ago, actually). Marisa is the future. She probably wins.
Phil King
When a former school superintendent and mayor runs against you, that spells trouble. When he also has outside support willing to attack you on pocketbook issues, that's really trouble. This won't be a blowout, but Joe Tison looks like he'll take out the chairman of the House Regulated Industries Committee.
TOO CLOSE TO CALL
Jonathan "Baby Doc" Sibley vs. Charles "Doc" Anderson. My gut tells me Anderson wins, but Jonathan seems to have a better handle on what Waco wants.
Boris Miles vs. Al Edwards. On one hand, I have a fondness for both of these guys. On the other hand, I acknowledge that both are a tad bit crazy. I give a slight advantage to Miles. At least Al gets to be a Super Delegate.
Betty Brown vs. Wade Gent. God and Jesus are pulling for Gent, but it may not be enough. I don't want to seen as taking sides, but a Betty Brown loss would send me dancing in the streets.
NOT IN TROUBLE
Pat Haggerty, Dawnna Dukes, Charlie Geren, Corbin Van Arsdale, Aaron Pena, Delwin Jones, Byron Cook. Good incumbents almost always win.
MYSTERY MEAT
One of these three will lose. I have no clue which one. But every election cycle brings us a little suprise. Will it be ...
Jessica Farrar?
Bill Zedler?
or
Garnet Coleman?
Please leave your predictions in the comments box. Gotta go now. Nice visiting with you.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
HONEY, I SHRUNK THE PARTY
Major GOP contributors and party activists have devised a strange new strategy for failure: When you find yourself in a hole, dig deeper.
Twice in the past ten years, Republican turnout in the primaries exceeded Democratic turnout. In 1988, at a time when the GOP was emerging to make Texas a true two-party state, more than a million votes were cast in the R primary. Twenty years later -- after a complete political realignment, twelve years of total Republican domination, and massive population growth -- expect about 600,000 Texans to ask for a Republican ballot.
You can spin this baby all you want. But backwards is backwards is backwards. And that's precisely where Texans Republicans are heading. And some of the biggest donors and consultants are the mechanics rolling back the odometer.
Why?
The best explanation your man Billy Clyde can offer comes from a conversation I had with a big-time GOP contributor at an Associated Republicans of Texas dinner about seven years ago. This fellow explained the gameplan like this: "First we get the majority, then we purify."
Purify, of course, means going after those pesky liberal Republicans. I bet people in places like New England and the Great Lakes states would be mortified to learn that there are people to the right of Charlie Geren, Pat Haggerty, Brian McCall and Jim Keffer.
The current House map was drawn to create about 93 Republican districts. Entrenched conservative Democrats like David Farabee, Robby Cook, Jim McReynolds and Mark Homer can't be beat. Rs will just have to wait for retirements. But even taking that into consideration, 93 is a long way from 79, the number of seats currently held by House Republicans.
Democratic strategists can pat themselves on the back all day long, but it doesn't change the fact that this mini-re-realignment is the product of Republican self-tacklezation. The smartest thing Democrats could do is pack a picnic basket, be quiet and watch the opposing team trip all over themselves.
Here's a good anecdotal example of how average Texans think. One of my best buddies is a coach in a suburban Houston school district. His wife practices law part-time in a small insurance defense firm. They have three kids, a dog and a golf cart. They aren't very political, but they always vote. I talked to him on the phone earlier this week.
He recited a litany of things that the Legislature had (or hadn't) done, and I acknowledged that he got it about right. "So," he asked, "why do we keep voting for the Republicans?"
Man, BC was stumped. When the best answer you can come up with is that the Democrats would f*uck it up even more -- well, that's not much of an answer. And certainly a far cry from a ringing endorsement.
I don't foresee Democrats winning a statewide office this year. And the partisan makeup of the Legislature won't change much. But at some point, Republicans better put on their favorite pragmatic hat and quit eating their own. That, or else go back to meeting in a phone booth.
(editors note: Billy Clyde will be making his House predictions tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that. So stay tuned.)
Twice in the past ten years, Republican turnout in the primaries exceeded Democratic turnout. In 1988, at a time when the GOP was emerging to make Texas a true two-party state, more than a million votes were cast in the R primary. Twenty years later -- after a complete political realignment, twelve years of total Republican domination, and massive population growth -- expect about 600,000 Texans to ask for a Republican ballot.
You can spin this baby all you want. But backwards is backwards is backwards. And that's precisely where Texans Republicans are heading. And some of the biggest donors and consultants are the mechanics rolling back the odometer.
Why?
The best explanation your man Billy Clyde can offer comes from a conversation I had with a big-time GOP contributor at an Associated Republicans of Texas dinner about seven years ago. This fellow explained the gameplan like this: "First we get the majority, then we purify."
Purify, of course, means going after those pesky liberal Republicans. I bet people in places like New England and the Great Lakes states would be mortified to learn that there are people to the right of Charlie Geren, Pat Haggerty, Brian McCall and Jim Keffer.
The current House map was drawn to create about 93 Republican districts. Entrenched conservative Democrats like David Farabee, Robby Cook, Jim McReynolds and Mark Homer can't be beat. Rs will just have to wait for retirements. But even taking that into consideration, 93 is a long way from 79, the number of seats currently held by House Republicans.
Democratic strategists can pat themselves on the back all day long, but it doesn't change the fact that this mini-re-realignment is the product of Republican self-tacklezation. The smartest thing Democrats could do is pack a picnic basket, be quiet and watch the opposing team trip all over themselves.
Here's a good anecdotal example of how average Texans think. One of my best buddies is a coach in a suburban Houston school district. His wife practices law part-time in a small insurance defense firm. They have three kids, a dog and a golf cart. They aren't very political, but they always vote. I talked to him on the phone earlier this week.
He recited a litany of things that the Legislature had (or hadn't) done, and I acknowledged that he got it about right. "So," he asked, "why do we keep voting for the Republicans?"
Man, BC was stumped. When the best answer you can come up with is that the Democrats would f*uck it up even more -- well, that's not much of an answer. And certainly a far cry from a ringing endorsement.
I don't foresee Democrats winning a statewide office this year. And the partisan makeup of the Legislature won't change much. But at some point, Republicans better put on their favorite pragmatic hat and quit eating their own. That, or else go back to meeting in a phone booth.
(editors note: Billy Clyde will be making his House predictions tomorrow. Or maybe the day after that. So stay tuned.)
Monday, February 25, 2008
GOOD LIE IN THE PRIMARY ROUGH
Since Billy Clyde is only 29, he has a limited personal perspective about Texas primaries. But here goes.
First, people keep chiming "move 'em, move 'em up! We want a pony like like the kids in all those other states." Well, for most of Texas' history, we either didn't have primaries or they were held in September. Then, sometime in the 1950s I believe, the state moved them up to May. Where the stayed until 1988.
In 1987, Senator Chet Edwards went on some legislative junket. And he and a bunch of state lawmakers from the South and Southwest got to visiting and hatched up a scheme for a Super Tuesday, to be held on a ridiculously early date in March. The theory went something like this: (1) we band together and give our part of the country major mojo; and (2) produce a more moderate/conservative Democratic nominee (code for no more McGoverns or Mondales, please). Republicans fell in love with the idea, because it would produce an early big-state win for George H.W. Bush.
The Edwards bill sped through the upper chamber faster than a Senator accepting an invitation for free steaks and booze at the Tri-Delt House.
The House was all set to do the same, except someone pointed out that it was gonna be really expensive. And the state was really broke. So instead of having a split primary (March primary for Prez, the traditional May primary for everyone else), someone over at the Cloakroom said, "Just move all primaries to March. That'll solve your money problem right there." I wasn't there, but that innovative soul allegedly got his rather large tab picked up for many, many nights after that.
So the House passed the bill, the Senate concurred, and then-Vice President Bush rushed to Austin to personally sign the bill before Governor Clements could get back from the ranch.
All the the major Democrats came to Texas and started begging -- just begging -- for support. A few went with Dick Gephardt, a few with Bruce Babbitt. But the big winner was a young Congressman from Tennessee named Al Gore.
Speaker Gib Lewis endorsed Gore, and assigned his designated errand boy Representative Rick Perry to organize Gore's Texas effort. The summer before the election, everyone just assumed that Al Gore would sweep the South and Southwest. Ha! We would pull one over on those damn Yankees!
The only non-crazy elected official who backed Michael Dukakis was John Sharp. All the political people went running to him and begged him not to do it.
Sharp was right. Super Tuesday didn't go precisely as planned. And everyone -- even the left-handed homeless anti-nuke save the lesbian whale crowd -- voted for Bush.
But the statewide officials, county officials, and legislators figured out that Super Tuesday did have an upside: it provided almost no time for a potential challenger to beat an established, non-indicted incumbent. Texas may be the deciding state in the D primary this year, but lawmakers will call it a fluke. Look for the Legislature to move it up next session in the name of presidential influence -- with the unspoken added benefit of alleviating members with those pesky campaigns, allowing them to focus their full, undivided attention on fundraising and collecting per diem.
Now, enough of this nerdy stuff. On the heels of Senator Barack Omama's electric, overwhelming events in Austin and across Texas, Billy Clyde started thinking about his electric primary experience.
In 1984, Reagan did nothing and Gary Hart issued a dare -- and that was pretty much that.
The very first stop that President Reagan made after the GOP Convention was right here in Austin. It was an afternoon event on Auditorium Shores that drew 20,000 screaming fans. It reminds me of the afternoon Town Lake event Obama held last year when throngs of people went out in the rain and saw first-hand that yes, indeed, Barack Obama is a rock star. Big time.
If Obama was 25 years older, a former movie star, governor, and white, he'd be Ronald Reagan. They both give great up-lifting speeches, play great theme music, and just create that atmosphere that makes you damn proud to be an American.
BC got a ringside seat four years later, when Houston got to show off its brand spanking new George Brown Convention Center. All the major candidates were still in the race, and it was the debate of the season. There was no alphabet soup of cable news channels (CNN's motto was: The Only Game in Town; Take It or Leave It) and so maybe two or three primary debates was it. Man we had fun that week.
Then there was 1992. As Hillary Rodham will tell you, things don't always go as planned. Bush had an approval rating of 90 percent at the beginning of 1992. Unknown Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton had been in the race two months and was already mired in scandal. But ... well, you know the rest of the story. But it's a good lesson for prognosticators who think their crystal balls don't stink.
The GOP fell into it usual mode in 2006 and picked the guy who was next in line, Bob "Bob" Dole. That didn't worked out too well for Dole, who did manage to parlay his loss into major endorsement deals for Doritos and Viagra.
The primary of 2000 was odd. All the Democrats had to travel around the country and campaign. Bush hung around the Mansion and made everyone come to him. My only real involvement in that campaign was happening to office caddy-corner from the Mansion during the recount, and our parking lot made for a convenient place for the national media to congregate. Lesson learned: the national media are a bunch of litterbugs.
Best I recall, Texas didn't have any presidential primaries in 2004.
Now it's 2008, and Barack Obama seems close to sowing it up and Texas will get the credit. McCain will do better than expected because the New York Times reported that he gets it on with hot blondes in gold cocktail dresses. (Team McCain planted that story.) John Tower must be proud.
First, people keep chiming "move 'em, move 'em up! We want a pony like like the kids in all those other states." Well, for most of Texas' history, we either didn't have primaries or they were held in September. Then, sometime in the 1950s I believe, the state moved them up to May. Where the stayed until 1988.
In 1987, Senator Chet Edwards went on some legislative junket. And he and a bunch of state lawmakers from the South and Southwest got to visiting and hatched up a scheme for a Super Tuesday, to be held on a ridiculously early date in March. The theory went something like this: (1) we band together and give our part of the country major mojo; and (2) produce a more moderate/conservative Democratic nominee (code for no more McGoverns or Mondales, please). Republicans fell in love with the idea, because it would produce an early big-state win for George H.W. Bush.
The Edwards bill sped through the upper chamber faster than a Senator accepting an invitation for free steaks and booze at the Tri-Delt House.
The House was all set to do the same, except someone pointed out that it was gonna be really expensive. And the state was really broke. So instead of having a split primary (March primary for Prez, the traditional May primary for everyone else), someone over at the Cloakroom said, "Just move all primaries to March. That'll solve your money problem right there." I wasn't there, but that innovative soul allegedly got his rather large tab picked up for many, many nights after that.
So the House passed the bill, the Senate concurred, and then-Vice President Bush rushed to Austin to personally sign the bill before Governor Clements could get back from the ranch.
All the the major Democrats came to Texas and started begging -- just begging -- for support. A few went with Dick Gephardt, a few with Bruce Babbitt. But the big winner was a young Congressman from Tennessee named Al Gore.
Speaker Gib Lewis endorsed Gore, and assigned his designated errand boy Representative Rick Perry to organize Gore's Texas effort. The summer before the election, everyone just assumed that Al Gore would sweep the South and Southwest. Ha! We would pull one over on those damn Yankees!
The only non-crazy elected official who backed Michael Dukakis was John Sharp. All the political people went running to him and begged him not to do it.
Sharp was right. Super Tuesday didn't go precisely as planned. And everyone -- even the left-handed homeless anti-nuke save the lesbian whale crowd -- voted for Bush.
But the statewide officials, county officials, and legislators figured out that Super Tuesday did have an upside: it provided almost no time for a potential challenger to beat an established, non-indicted incumbent. Texas may be the deciding state in the D primary this year, but lawmakers will call it a fluke. Look for the Legislature to move it up next session in the name of presidential influence -- with the unspoken added benefit of alleviating members with those pesky campaigns, allowing them to focus their full, undivided attention on fundraising and collecting per diem.
Now, enough of this nerdy stuff. On the heels of Senator Barack Omama's electric, overwhelming events in Austin and across Texas, Billy Clyde started thinking about his electric primary experience.
In 1984, Reagan did nothing and Gary Hart issued a dare -- and that was pretty much that.
The very first stop that President Reagan made after the GOP Convention was right here in Austin. It was an afternoon event on Auditorium Shores that drew 20,000 screaming fans. It reminds me of the afternoon Town Lake event Obama held last year when throngs of people went out in the rain and saw first-hand that yes, indeed, Barack Obama is a rock star. Big time.
If Obama was 25 years older, a former movie star, governor, and white, he'd be Ronald Reagan. They both give great up-lifting speeches, play great theme music, and just create that atmosphere that makes you damn proud to be an American.
BC got a ringside seat four years later, when Houston got to show off its brand spanking new George Brown Convention Center. All the major candidates were still in the race, and it was the debate of the season. There was no alphabet soup of cable news channels (CNN's motto was: The Only Game in Town; Take It or Leave It) and so maybe two or three primary debates was it. Man we had fun that week.
Then there was 1992. As Hillary Rodham will tell you, things don't always go as planned. Bush had an approval rating of 90 percent at the beginning of 1992. Unknown Arkansas Governor Bill Clinton had been in the race two months and was already mired in scandal. But ... well, you know the rest of the story. But it's a good lesson for prognosticators who think their crystal balls don't stink.
The GOP fell into it usual mode in 2006 and picked the guy who was next in line, Bob "Bob" Dole. That didn't worked out too well for Dole, who did manage to parlay his loss into major endorsement deals for Doritos and Viagra.
The primary of 2000 was odd. All the Democrats had to travel around the country and campaign. Bush hung around the Mansion and made everyone come to him. My only real involvement in that campaign was happening to office caddy-corner from the Mansion during the recount, and our parking lot made for a convenient place for the national media to congregate. Lesson learned: the national media are a bunch of litterbugs.
Best I recall, Texas didn't have any presidential primaries in 2004.
Now it's 2008, and Barack Obama seems close to sowing it up and Texas will get the credit. McCain will do better than expected because the New York Times reported that he gets it on with hot blondes in gold cocktail dresses. (Team McCain planted that story.) John Tower must be proud.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
TEXAS SCHOOL BOOK SUPPOSITORY
Craig Watkins releases new John F. Kennedy assassination information and Fidel Castro resigns the same day.
Coincidence? I think not.
Where's Jim Garrison when you need him?
Here are the facts as I understand them. Watkins, the Dallas County District Attorney, learned of a safe full of JFK shooting info that's been sitting around the DA's office for 45 years or so. They include at least some physical evidence (clothes, brass knuckles, a holster -- you know, the usual stuff) and an alleged transcript describing pre-assassination conversations between Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby conducted Ruby's strip club.
Moreover, the DA's office has known the stuff was there all this time and, I suppose, just never got around to telling anyone. Now Billy Clyde understands that there's a backlog in our criminal justice system. But am I the only one who thinks this is a little extreme? It strains credulity to think NO ONE in Dallas County government caught wind of the Warren Commission or the three major Congressional inquiries or the scores of books and movies on this subject.
I challenge the biggest conspiracy theorist on the planet to suggest that the Dallas County District Attorney's office was in cohoots with Cuba, the Soviets, the CIA, the Tri-Lateral Commission and the Mafia. That's not a secret that the gossip hounds at the courthouse could keep for a day -- much less half a century.
As they say on late night infomercials .. but wait, there's more!
Some law enforcement and professional JFK buffs said that what was released was not an actual Oswald-Ruby transcript but -- now fasten your seat belts for this one -- a movie script written by legendary Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade.
Man, I find that hard to believe. Although Billy Clyde only briefly met Mr. Wade a few times, he sure didn't come across as a Hollywood wannabe. If I had to bet, my best guess is that he never even went to the movies -- much less aspired to be a part of the Tinseltown scene.
Governor Connally, who got himself shot up pretty that day, never believed in the Lone Gunman theory or the Magic Bullet theory.
Billy Clyde has no idea what to believe. Except that the DA's office ouught to take all its decades-old files out to the Grassy Knoll every so often and have a look-see. Call it an office picnic.
Coincidence? I think not.
Where's Jim Garrison when you need him?
Here are the facts as I understand them. Watkins, the Dallas County District Attorney, learned of a safe full of JFK shooting info that's been sitting around the DA's office for 45 years or so. They include at least some physical evidence (clothes, brass knuckles, a holster -- you know, the usual stuff) and an alleged transcript describing pre-assassination conversations between Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby conducted Ruby's strip club.
Moreover, the DA's office has known the stuff was there all this time and, I suppose, just never got around to telling anyone. Now Billy Clyde understands that there's a backlog in our criminal justice system. But am I the only one who thinks this is a little extreme? It strains credulity to think NO ONE in Dallas County government caught wind of the Warren Commission or the three major Congressional inquiries or the scores of books and movies on this subject.
I challenge the biggest conspiracy theorist on the planet to suggest that the Dallas County District Attorney's office was in cohoots with Cuba, the Soviets, the CIA, the Tri-Lateral Commission and the Mafia. That's not a secret that the gossip hounds at the courthouse could keep for a day -- much less half a century.
As they say on late night infomercials .. but wait, there's more!
Some law enforcement and professional JFK buffs said that what was released was not an actual Oswald-Ruby transcript but -- now fasten your seat belts for this one -- a movie script written by legendary Dallas District Attorney Henry Wade.
Man, I find that hard to believe. Although Billy Clyde only briefly met Mr. Wade a few times, he sure didn't come across as a Hollywood wannabe. If I had to bet, my best guess is that he never even went to the movies -- much less aspired to be a part of the Tinseltown scene.
Governor Connally, who got himself shot up pretty that day, never believed in the Lone Gunman theory or the Magic Bullet theory.
Billy Clyde has no idea what to believe. Except that the DA's office ouught to take all its decades-old files out to the Grassy Knoll every so often and have a look-see. Call it an office picnic.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
GOVERNOR PERRY OFF HIS MEDS
You will think that Billy Clyde is just making this up. But I'm not
It was even in the paper. http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_8258415
A sitting Governor of the Great State of Texas is traveling to El Paso to campaign against a sitting House member of his own party. Governor Rick Perry, the Al Gore For President campaign manager here in Texas, now wants to go after Saint Patrick Haggerty because ... well I don't know the because part.
There used to be a rule that incumbents didn't campaign against another incumbent. And certainly not incumbents of your own party. But Governor Perry has spent his tenure in the Governor's Mansion (actually a fancy house in Barton Creek) to eliminate all these rules. Why? It worked so well for so long.
Sure, there's not much I can do about it. But I sent Representative Haggerty a $2,5000 check this morning, Because I'm pissed off. There's no excuse for this kind of behavior. None at all. Why does Rick Perry give a rat's ass about what one-fifth of El Paso County voters think about a part-time citizen legislator? (Part time assuming Perry doesn't call numerous meaningless special sessions.)
It was even in the paper. http://www.elpasotimes.com/news/ci_8258415
A sitting Governor of the Great State of Texas is traveling to El Paso to campaign against a sitting House member of his own party. Governor Rick Perry, the Al Gore For President campaign manager here in Texas, now wants to go after Saint Patrick Haggerty because ... well I don't know the because part.
There used to be a rule that incumbents didn't campaign against another incumbent. And certainly not incumbents of your own party. But Governor Perry has spent his tenure in the Governor's Mansion (actually a fancy house in Barton Creek) to eliminate all these rules. Why? It worked so well for so long.
Sure, there's not much I can do about it. But I sent Representative Haggerty a $2,5000 check this morning, Because I'm pissed off. There's no excuse for this kind of behavior. None at all. Why does Rick Perry give a rat's ass about what one-fifth of El Paso County voters think about a part-time citizen legislator? (Part time assuming Perry doesn't call numerous meaningless special sessions.)
Politics is a gross sport. Count me out.
Monday, February 11, 2008
THE ROAD TO NOWHERE: FAST
MEMORANDUM
TO: The Honorable Rick Perry
FROM: (redacted) TxDot, (redacted) Tx Dot, (redacted) TxDot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation Hide The Ball has come under attack. Pesky House and Senate members are snooping around and have sent the State Auditor our way.
Of course, we have no intention of showing the auditors our real books. Still, with your permission -- and those us here at TxDot never do anything without you permission -- request a slight alteration in our game strategy. A new play in the playbook, you might say. But it requires a pledge on your part to ensure that your forward-looking, ingenious plan to make Texas a leader in transportation strategies becomes the reality that we so much desire.
We need an iron-glad promise of immunity from prosecution. Or at least a guarantee of a quick pardon. Your choice, wise one.
Elected officials and ordinary peons are suggesting that we are hiding money to promote private road building. More troubling, some of the folks are suggesting that the public servants at TxDot are lying -- as if extreme spinning to support your worthy goals is a lie!
We need some direction from our supreme commander. Everyone here is as loyal and committed as a dog seeking table scraps. Should we put our heads down and run through the line of srimmage? Play hide the ball? Run the statue of liberty play? Take our multi-billion ball home and just ignore these pests?
Just give us our marching orders, and we shall march to wherever you take us. Rest assured that none here will be happy until you can totally dominate us like the HHSC, TDI, PUC, etc. We agree with you that legislators, judges, and so-called "citizens" and are bottom-feeders with too much time on their hands.
We just our piece of the pie. And immunity.
TO: The Honorable Rick Perry
FROM: (redacted) TxDot, (redacted) Tx Dot, (redacted) TxDot
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Operation Hide The Ball has come under attack. Pesky House and Senate members are snooping around and have sent the State Auditor our way.
Of course, we have no intention of showing the auditors our real books. Still, with your permission -- and those us here at TxDot never do anything without you permission -- request a slight alteration in our game strategy. A new play in the playbook, you might say. But it requires a pledge on your part to ensure that your forward-looking, ingenious plan to make Texas a leader in transportation strategies becomes the reality that we so much desire.
We need an iron-glad promise of immunity from prosecution. Or at least a guarantee of a quick pardon. Your choice, wise one.
Elected officials and ordinary peons are suggesting that we are hiding money to promote private road building. More troubling, some of the folks are suggesting that the public servants at TxDot are lying -- as if extreme spinning to support your worthy goals is a lie!
We need some direction from our supreme commander. Everyone here is as loyal and committed as a dog seeking table scraps. Should we put our heads down and run through the line of srimmage? Play hide the ball? Run the statue of liberty play? Take our multi-billion ball home and just ignore these pests?
Just give us our marching orders, and we shall march to wherever you take us. Rest assured that none here will be happy until you can totally dominate us like the HHSC, TDI, PUC, etc. We agree with you that legislators, judges, and so-called "citizens" and are bottom-feeders with too much time on their hands.
We just our piece of the pie. And immunity.
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