Tag: republican

We don’t want a CAVE. We want a WALL.

This morning, I wrote my congressman and the White House.  You should too.  Here are the web addresses and what I wrote:

The White House
Congressman Michael Cloud (CD-27)
Congressman Michael McCaul (CD-10)

To Congressman Michael Cloud:
Trump can’t cave on this. YOU can’t cave on this. DO NOT vote for a CR that doesn’t include at least 1/2 of what Trump needs for the “wall”. Any rational person knows the “wall” includes technological efforts as well as a physical wall where possible. Any rational person knows Mexico was never going to outright pay for the wall, but the reduction in immigration costs for those coming in through that country would pay for it, an improvement in balance of trade would pay for it…. Republican messaging is horrible and never says that. But, we NEED the wall. TRUMP needs the wall or he’ll lose his base. He’ll be likened to GWB about whom many only remember “Read my lips…” and then HE caved. We voted for Trump to clean that swamp, to do what he says he’ll do, and for you to back him up. I’ll support him, and you, as vociferously as possible if he does what he said he would do. Those of us with children know the most important thing we can do is to MEAN WHAT WE SAY, to DO what we said we would do. TRUST falls if that doesn’t happen. Pelosi and Schumer will run the show from now to 2020 if Trump and the House cave on this. Thank you, and Merry Christmas to all of you.

To President Trump via The White House:
We DO NOT WANT A CAVE. We WANT A WALL. Messaging is critical. Of course a wall isn’t always a physical wall but also a technological wall. Of course Mexico isn’t going to pay outright dollars but through lower costs of illegals entering the US and in balance of trade. Republican messaging stinks, but the FACT is that we need the wall. We need you to STAND STRONG. We voted for you to get something different, your business acumen. Please don’t be GWB who is remembered for “Read my lips…” and then caving. Please!!!

Gotta Love SCOTUS

As a follow-up to yesterday’s post, What a Difference One Vote Makes, today’s announcements by SCOTUS hammer home the point.  I’ll discuss today’s opinion on union dues a bit later, but want to first focus on this: the retirement of Justice Anthony Kennedy.  Appointed by President Ronald Reagan, Justice Kennedy has served 30 years on the Court and is now 81 years old.

When Donald Trump ran for President, he was assailed by both sides of the aisle about what kind of judges and justices he would appoint.  There was already an opening on the Court with the death of Antonin Scalia and rumors were rampant that Justice Kennedy would retire.  Retirement discussions also included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is now 85 years young.  Was Donald Trump truly a conservative? Was he a liberal in Republican clothing?

To alleviate these concerns about his judicial appointments, candidate Donald Trump issued a list of 21 potential US Supreme Court appointees.  As President-elect, on November 17, 2017, he reissued the list, which now can be found on Whitehouse.gov.  With so much time to do “opposition research” on each of these individuals, Democrats are likely prepared to go to war over each and every one of them.  It will be interesting to watch.

As for today’s announced decision about mandatory payment of union dues by government employees who are not members of, but are represented by, employee associations or unions, it’s about time!  According to SCOTUSBlog,

In an opinion by Justice Samuel Alito, the court concluded today that the fees violate the First Amendment. No one would doubt, Alito wrote, that the First Amendment bars a state from requiring its residents to “sign a document expressing support for a particular set of positions on controversial public issues.” Requiring someone to pay for speech by someone else also raises First Amendment concerns, Alito noted.

In 2016, SCOTUSblog reveals, “the justices heard oral argument in a challenge by a group of California public-school teachers, but Justice Antonin Scalia died before the court could release its opinion, leaving the eight-member court deadlocked.”

Once again, Justice Neil Gorsuch made the difference, voting with the majority.  Now, these employees will have additional monies in their pockets each month.  They’ll no longer fund a union that doesn’t represent their views.  And, they’ll no longer fund political speech that is diametrically opposed to their own stance on issues, basically funding opposition to themselves.

Diverting Resources Loses Elections

The most qualified candidate for a position can easily lose an election by running a poorly planned campaign, by losing focus, or by letting the opposition distract or divert attention to things that don’t matter to the outcome of the race.

A perfect example of this is happening right now in Bastrop County.

Bastrop Democrats

Early voting for a critical special election starts in just a few days, but the Republican chair-elect has spent her time over the past few weeks with the Democrats, planning a joint fundraiser for a local civic group. On May 19, while the Republican Chair-elect was at a CEC meeting convincing Republicans to do a joint fundraiser with the Democrats, Democrats were on the bridge in Bastrop publicly supporting their candidates.
While support for local organizations is a worthy endeavor, the number one priority of a political organization is to win elections, and winning takes time and money. 

It’s sad, but apparent, that the possibility of giving the Democrats two opportunities in two months to defeat our Republican candidate doesn’t matter to Bastrop Republican leadership. They’d rather fraternize with the Democrats than defeat them.

With such a short window before early voting in the CD27 Special Election, this wasn’t the time to divert Republican resources away from Get Out The Vote (GOTV) efforts. We’ve yet to see any Bastrop County Republican Party emails or postal mails regarding the June 30 Special Election, the impact of this special election on the November general election, or the candidates involved.

I am fully supportive of raising money and awareness for local civic groups. A cursory review of my bio shows a long history of civic engagement. But right now, Republicans should be laser focused on GOTV efforts to win the CD27 Special Election with more than 50% of the vote.

If our primary winner, Michael Cloud, doesn’t get over 50% of the vote and is forced into a September runoff, it gives CD27 Democrats two chances to defeat him in a two month time span.  It’s sad, but apparent, that the possibility of giving the Democrats two opportunities in two months to defeat our Republican candidate doesn’t matter to Bastrop Republican leadership. They’d rather fraternize with the Democrats than defeat them.

The Thirty-Eight Day Countdown

On Saturday, June 30, just thirty-eight (38) days from today, all Congressional District 27 voters will go to the polls to elect an interim congressman.  The winner of this race will serve until the full-term congressman, elected in the November general election, takes office in January 2019.

There are nine candidates in the race.  This is not a primary, but rather a one-day special election.  All nine candidates will be on the ballot and voters will choose one. If a runoff is necessary, it will be held in September.

The June 30 Special Election is not a primary. All nine candidates will be on the ballot and voters will choose only one.

Republicans include Primary winner Michael Cloud as well as Bech Bruun and Marty Perez.  Democrats include Primary winner Eric Holguin as well as Raul “Roy” Barrera and Mike Westergren. Independents Judith Cutright and Christopher Suprun along with Libertarian Daniel Tinus round out the candidate list.

It’s very clear that if the Republican Michael Cloud or Democrat Eric Holguin (primary victors) wins the special election, he will have a leg-up for the November general election.  While CD 27 has been considered a safe Republican district, complacency has been the cause of more than one stunning election defeat.  Democrats are energized and if the 2017 race in Georgia’s Sixth District is any indication, out-of-state money will pour into this district to attempt an upset.

Ballot BoxWinning the special election at the ballot box on June 30 with more than 50% of the vote would be decisive.  Strategically, Republicans should work hard to top 50% for our candidate, eliminating the need for another election. With many Republicans out of their home districts for an entire week because of the RPT Convention (June 11 – 16), we need to double our efforts when on home turf to make this happen.  And, those not going to Convention need to double their efforts during Convention time.

Republican friends: Let’s get to work! The clock is ticking. Keep Texas Red!