Politics – Page 19 – South of Town: Notes and Scenes from Texas' Upper Gulf Coast

We Visit with Adrienne Bell, District 14 Candidate for Congress

Ann and Mike Lange hosted an event on Thursday to introduce Adrienne Bell to the folks in her Lake Jackson neighborhood. Ms. Bell is a candidate for the Texas District 14 seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. She is running a hard race against the incumbent, Randall Keith Weber, an Alvin heating and air conditioning contractor.

28912621797_ed8b71aee9_k — Adrienne Bell, Candidate for Congress

Ms. Bell is a teacher in the Houston Independent School District who has been politically active but never run for office herself. She was very involved in President Obama’s campaigns in Texas and was honored to receive his endorsement the day before our meeting with her.

In the photo she is sharing part of our meeting with a group of seniors in Texas City. It’s a big district and multi-tasking a requirement. No problem. She teaches second graders.

What Is a Reasonable LJ Citizen to Do? BETO!

You watch the news and read the papers online. You see that we have serious problems and feel that you can’t do anything about it because of the stranglehold Republicans have over political offices in Texas. A letter to Weber, Cruz or Cornyn is pretty much a waste of a postage stamp.

I suggest a better investment – Beto O’Rourke.

Your U.S. Sentaor from Texas, Rafael Edward Cruz (he goes by Ted), has drawn an excellent and serious opponent this year, the sitting congressman from Texas’ 16th Congressional District, Robert Francis O’Rourke (he goes by Beto). The 16th District includes El Paso and my old home away from home, Fort Bliss.

41055138595_18d506f5fd_z — A photocaricature of Robert Francis O’Rourke by DonkeyHotey with permission under Creative Commons agreement. See more of his work on his Flickr site at https://flic.kr/p/25xUjna

I have made a monthly pledge to his campaign through November. When I wake up in the middle of the night in a major fret over the state of the world, I remember that I am helping this man make more ads like this one. I go back to sleep and dream about a Texas that gives me a voice in Congress.

Focus on Governing: A Challenge to Democrats

It was fun while it lasted. President Obama understood the principles and mechanics of constitutional government and he approached the job with the highest ethical standards. And, although one may differ with his policy direction, it cannot be credibly argued that he failed to perform the job of President of the United States with distinction.

That is history. The Democratic Party is now faced with trying to regain a modicum of power in our tripartite system so as to be able to exercise the balance of powers the founders counted on to protect against the concentration of too much power in the hands of one person or party.

How did the Democrats lose power and what can be done to win back a seat at the table of American governance?

The loss of power is not something that happened suddenly in 2016. Although we will apparently be sorting through the problems related to that election for some time, we will not find the answer there in why Democrats don’t compete well in most states today.

Continue reading “Focus on Governing: A Challenge to Democrats”

Category: Politics

We Visit with Adrienne Bell, District 14 Candidate for Congress

What Is a Reasonable LJ Citizen to Do? BETO!

Focus on Governing: A Challenge to Democrats

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