Texas

The convention has been going strong for about an hour and 30 minutes now and I am setting up. The day is filled with meetings, caucuses and of course the general session at the end of the day. I will be snapping pictures and looking out for any relevant information to report on.

What can I say about the convention . . . this is mayhem! I have never seen so many people dedicated or at least appear dedicated enough that they took a day off from work to travel to the state's capital in order to partake in a two day event for the Texas Democratic Primary. Even though Obama seems to be the shoe in, that does not stop Hillary's delegates to voice their opinion in the last step of the tri-level primary process. Other than the actual caucuses and meetings targeted to specific individuals within the Democratic Party there is an entire floor dedicated to selling Liberal paraphernalia. You can buy anything from t-shirts with witty slogans to Obama jewelry. The big hit in the room was a life size Obama and Clinton poster model.

Founder and CEO of Election Mall Ravi Sing claims that, "the models are the actual height" and people often ask him if they can take pictures with the candidates. He chuckles and adds that he began showcasing the candidates in "the California Primary" and has not stopped since. He plans on going to Denver. "Candidates send in their images to be included," claims Singh who works from the nation's capital. Interested individuals may purchase the carboard models for about $50 a piece. Signh adds, "There are plans to expand the amount of cardboard models," and that he does expect to retire either candidate anytime soon.

In other news, Rick Noriega held a news conference hitting home with the message that Republicans are out of touch with the general public when it comes to the housing crisis, failing dollar and rising gas prices. Party officals believe that about 15,000 individuals from around the state are expected to pledge their votes this weekend. Traffic near the Austin Convention center on Red River and Cesar Chavez seemed to have higher levels of traffic then usual. I have uploaded pictures of the convention which you can check out here and do not forget to check back for more.

I have traveled to Austin this weekend for the 2008 Texas Democratic Party Convention. I will be part of the Press team that will relay the ongoing event surrounding the convention via my blog. I will be assisted by Jeff Crews from Houston who made this opportunity possible. Expect some entertaining posts and lots of pictures. The event does not officially kick off until Friday but there will be a blogger get together today at Cedar Street. Let the good times roll!

American Cancels 850 More Flights - American Airlines canceled 850 flights Wednesday — more than a third of its total — as its efforts to inspect and in some cases reattach wiring bundles in the wheel wells of its 300-plane fleet of MD-80s dragged on. The total could climb above 850, a spokesman said, as only 30 of the 300 single-aisle planes were so far cleared of the inspection process and operating.

IMF slashes world growth forecast - The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has said that the world economy will grow much more slowly in the next two years as a result of the credit crunch. In its latest economic forecast, the IMF says that world economic growth will slow to 3.7% in 2008 and 2009, 1.25% lower than growth in 2007. The downturn will be led by the US, which the IMF believes will go into a "mild recession" this year.

New downtown park's a beauty, but is it money spent in the right place? - Twelve acres in front of the George R. Brown Convention Center have been transformed into Discovery Green, adding green space, restaurants, an interactive fountain, model boats, a jogging path and a small library to the downtown landscape. The new park --downtown's largest-- opens this weekend, almost four years after a massive fundraising campaign that kicked off in October 2004. In total the park cost $122 million, of which the city paid $41 million. The rest came from donors.

Oil jumps to near record on weak supply - Oil prices surged to near record levels Wednesday after a government report showed an unexpected decline in crude supplies. Light, sweet crude for May delivery rose $2.40 to $110.90 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract traded as high as $111.43, within 40 cents of the all-time intraday mark of $111.80 set March 17. Oil prices had risen to $109.31 immediately before the report's release.

Petraeus: Another troop buildup in Iraq unlikely - The top U.S. military commander in Iraq said today that he is unlikely to call for another troop buildup in Iraq, even if security deteriorates after the extra American soldiers return home this summer. Gen. David Petraeus told a House panel that such a move would be considered the last resort, in part because of the strain it would place on the Army. First, the military could try to reallocate existing troops to respond to any hotspots. It also would rely more on Iraqi forces, which are improving in capability, he said.

Obama gains more ground in Texas conventions - As the smoke cleared from this weekend's regional Democratic conventions, Barack Obama emerged with a majority of the state's at-large presidential nominating delegates and possibly a majority of all Texas delegates.

Justices Let Stand Ruling on Illegal F.B.I. Search - The Supreme Court on Monday let stand a lower court ruling that the F.B.I. went too far in searching the office of Representative William J. Jefferson, a Louisiana Democrat accused of using his position to promote business deals in Africa.

Sources: Iran helped prod al-Sadr cease-fire - Iran was integral in persuading Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to halt attacks by his militia on Iraqi security forces, an Iraqi lawmaker said Monday. Haidar al-Abadi, who is with Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's Dawa Party, said Iraqi Shiite lawmakers traveled Friday to Iran to meet with al-Sadr. They returned Sunday, the day al-Sadr told his Mehdi Army fighters to stand down.

US plans finance system overhaul - The US Treasury has revealed its blueprint for the biggest overhaul of regulation of the financial sector since the 1930s. Critics have said that the credit crunch and resultant market turmoil made a strong case for change. But Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson rejected claims that existing regulations have led to the turmoil. And he said the plan should not be implemented until current difficulties roiling financial markets are resolved.

Cubans can now stay in hotels for foreigners - New President Raúl Castro's government has lifted a ban on Cubans staying at hotels previously reserved for foreigners, ending another restriction that had been especially irksome to ordinary citizens. Some hotels scheduled meetings with all staff members to discuss the changes, and officials said new rules also will allow Cubans to rent cars at state-run agencies for the first time.

I am currently blogging live from the Harris County Delegate Convention taking place at the Geroge R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. The hype about the Texas Primary and Caucus may be over but the this two-step continues. Unlike the Precinct Convention, this convention is a bit more organized which makes sense. Texans learned the hard way how democracy works during their Precinct Convention so most expected the next step to be a bit more brutal since it is larger That is not the case though. I would estimate that there are around 1000 delegates and it seems like they expected around 2000 with all the empty chairs visible.

Currently we are waiting for the event to take off at approximately 9 am CDT. I spoke to my girlfriend briefly who is a delegate out in Travis County aka Austin, Texas and she said parking and signing in was hectic. I understand why parking may have been an issue since their convention center provides free parking unlike Houston. I had to shell out about $15 but thats okay because I am contributing to the democratic process right? It is no secret that Obama won the caucus in Texas and I expect that to play out our convention since we are the largest urban city in the state. The Obama supporters and Clinton supporters are out in full force and it was pleasant to see a Rick Noriega volunteer informing fellow Democrats of this fellows run for the Senate in November.

[Update @ 10:25 am] So the convention had been at full swing for about 1 hour or so. I was surprised with the morning prayer that began the convention . . . so much for separation of church and state. Nonetheless, after the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem, we heard several local politicians speak about the change in administration and policy expected in November. We currently voted for the delegates that will represent this Precinct at the State Convention. My Precinct was only allocated 2 delegates. Nonetheless, I am going to apply for an at-large position and hopefully make it out on the first weekend of June to Austin. I now understand why there are not as many people as I expected at this convention. Apparently, this is a Senatorial convention, unlike what is going on throughout the state in which there are county conventions. Houston and what I expect is going on at other large metropolitan areas is divided into conventions based on the Senate district. That explains why the process has been smooth so far.

[Update @ 3:50 pm] I am still at the Senate Convention and two cups of coffee later we have ordered pizza and expect to spend the next three hours here. Currently, we are approving and amending resolutions. Most of our precinct has left and only those that are going to be delegates are hanging around. I spoke to Becky and it seems that it is the same situation in Austin. There was a moment when there was a heated debate about recognizing same-sex marriages.

I left around 7:30 while resolutions were being read. I grew restless and tired after being there for over 10 hours. For about 15 minutes there was controversy as some Obama supporters failed to follow parliamentary procedure when nominating a secretary for the convention. That was laid to rest once their concerns were taken care off. Nonetheless, it went smoothly after that. The resolutions took a while since some people had opinions about certain ones such as tolls, same-sex marriages and medical marijuana to name a few.

Iraq forces battle Basra militias - Heavy fighting has been raging in Basra as thousands of Iraqi troops battle Shia militias in the southern city. At least 30 people have died in the operation, which is being overseen in Basra by Iraqi PM Nouri Maliki, a day after he vowed to "re-impose law".

Supreme Court backs Texas in Houston murder case - President Bush overstepped his authority when he ordered a Texas court to reopen the case of a Mexican on death row for rape and murder in Houston, the Supreme Court said today. In a case that mixes presidential power, international relations and the death penalty, the court sided with Texas 6-3.

Hope and Fear for Zimbabwe Vote - Voters will go to the polls Saturday, with President Robert Mugabe, the iconic leader of a nation enduring catastrophic hardship, trying to retain the power he has held for 28 years. Here in Harare, there is the usual speculation about the political winds. In what provinces is the president’s party strong? Where is it weak? But the more frequent conjecture involves the mechanics of an outcome that is presumed to be rigged.

Appeals court overturns passenger rights law - A federal appeals court Tuesday struck down a state law requiring airlines to give food, water, clean toilets and fresh air to passengers stuck in delayed planes, saying the measure was well-intentioned but stepped on federal authority.

McCain Warns Against Hasty Mortgage Bailout - Drawing a sharp distinction with the Democratic presidential candidates, Senator John McCain, warned Tuesday against hasty government action to solve the mortgage crisis, saying “it is not the duty of government to bail out and reward those who act irresponsibly, whether they are big banks or small borrowers.”

Global Warming has dominated the market when it comes to Environmental Issues the past 5 years but that does not mean that we have overcome other major issues. For example the Associated Press reports that pharmaceuticals have been detected in the drinking water supplies. Before you scoff this off since you only drink bottled water, unfortunately this includes you as well.

The AP claims, "A vast array of pharmaceuticals — including antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers and sex hormones — have been found in the drinking water supplies of at least 41 million Americans." Although the "concentrations of these pharmaceuticals are tiny" the implications and negative ramifications are unknown and this is what worries scientists.

Houston was not tested on this round but Austin passed with flying colors. Results for Dallas are still pending although nearby Arlington acknowledge the presence of a drug but refused to clarify which one in particular.

On a similar topic, Houston air pollution due to the nearby chemical industry has not improved. The AP states, "levels of the carcinogen benzene in the Houston region's air have risen from four months ago when the mayor challenged the chemical industry to reduce toxic emissions."

Pollution of our air and water it seems has not yet been tackled. Although we have come along way since 50 years ago, it is still our duty as citizens of our nation to protect our welfare. Health issues that we end up paying years down the road can be prevented if we take a proactive approach to protecting our environment. Environmental issues do not just affect those in the immediate proximity. It affects all of us as residents of the world.

I just finished participating in my first Texas Primary Caucus and what can I say. It was hectic. Good thing I was trained on how to be a Precinct Captain because my precinct sure needed the help. Although there were only 116 people that came out to caucus out of some 2000 eligible voters it was overwhelming. I was able to help out and sign people up and it made the process go by faster.

One thing is for sure, I did not expect it to last 90 minutes. People became agitated and many were confused why they should vote a second time. Some did not know how to spell the candidates names and others were intimidated by the process. Don't get me wrong, I felt intimidated myself at first but was able to gain composure and help people understand what was going on. This was a first for many of us. I had a great time participating in this democratic process and as a delegate I will vote in the county convention come March 29, 2008. It seems this night will be long.

The process had several hiccups in my opinion. Although my precinct was rather small we were able to tackle the procedure in a timely fashion. My girlfriend who is out in Travis County participated in a 300+ person caucus and devoted about 2 hours. It was pandemonium in other parts of the state with over 800 people in certain precincts in Austin and people herded like cattle into small rooms. Fire Marshalls had to step in in certain locations because to many people were in a room. The meetings had to be conducted with 1/3 sitting in a break room and the other 2/3 sitting outside in the cold. 

This Texas Two-Step does not come with some surprise calls of disenfranchisement. Clinton supporters reported being shutout of the process by Obama supporters and other such shenanigans. Was this really surprising? Not really, but perhaps this may turn off certain voters in the future of participating in such process in the future.

When I am in Austin I like to read John Klesko's column on the American-Statesman in the Metro/State section. He is like our version of Ken Hoffman (Houston Chronicle) yet much older but just as funny. This Sunday, he wrote a piece about his reflections on immigration. I loved the satire he used. If you are from Austin or have been here in the last few months you may have noticed all the new condos springing up near the downtown/78704 area. Well, Klesko has noticed and he gives his two cents.

Klesko claims, "I've come up with a more attractive way to keep the Mexicans out of
Texas. Instead of putting up an ugly wall, why not build a solid wall of really tall, expensive condominiums right next to one another all along the Texas-Mexico border?"

You may wonder why, right? Well he states that, "building beau coup condominiums would provide work for the potential immigrants. Instead of sneaking across the border and continuing on to, say, the day labor corner on Interstate 35 in North Austin, they'd stop at the border for condo construction jobs and stop driving some Americans crazy."

Just in case you thought he was a crazy right wing minuteman gun toting American he delivers the punchline. "As tense as the immigration situation is now, I can hardly get any sleep at night from worrying about Mexican immigrants sneaking into my neighborhood and trimming my hedges. Or mowing my lawn at a reasonable price."

Nonetheless, I am glad that some peope are getting tired of the fear that certain politicians attempt to engrain on people about immigration. Folks . . . there is no invasion from the South. About 1 million people immigrate "illegally" to the U.S. every year. 50% of those folks come here legally but overstay their work/student visa so they then become illegal immigrants. The other half come through the South. Quite an invasion huh? It's like we never saw it coming. If you wish to read the entire commentary then click here and you will be redirected the Austin American-Statesman.

It's "Do or Die" for Clinton now. The way that Obama has consistently beat her in the last 10 elections but in particular in the proportion she has been suffering the losses (at times 75-25%) has taken its toll. I predict that if Obama is able to pull off Texas then she will end up losing the nomination come convention time. I will also go on a limb and claim that if Obama upsets her with a 6 to 3 voter difference then her camp will call it quits shortly after.

It isn't that Clinton is not qualified. She is, perhaps better qualified then Obama but she is not the change the majority of people voting in the primaries want. Clinton represents change but it is Obama that has been able to capitalize on it.

One would hope that her camp can persuade her to concede if she were to have no hope. The Democratic for the first time in a few years had two attractive candidates that has made it hard for the people to unite behind one. As the primaries continue though, it seems Obama is the one that is getting the nod from the people.

What does this mean for Clinton? It means that if it comes close and she continues to battle it and win, she may undermine her support come November. She may stir up the Evangelical Conservative Bloc to show up in numbers to counter her. This predicament is not unlikely and it is unfortunate I believe that she would lose due to this scenario.

What does this mean for Democrats but in particular Obama? It means that he will be winner if it comes to a tie. Party members know that if Clinton does not beat him then anything that gets her foot in the door due to a tie will be looked at suspiciously. The media has already speculated that "men in smoked filled rooms" will be deciding the candidate come convention time. This folks is not an option for those that will feel the party has sabotaged the nomination. They may retaliate by not voting for that person, in this case Clinton.

Thus, it is quite clear. All Obama has to do in Texas is win either by a large or a small percentage or lose by a small percentage to get the nod. On the other hand Clinton has to pull one of the greatest upsets in Primary history. This can be done . . . but it is quite unlikely.