Texas Could Soon Be a Republican Presidential Nightmare

Here is my take on what Democrats should do to make Democratic Party in majority in Texas legilsature and Governor.

Ambassador Syed A.Ahsani,Chairman,Amercian Muslim Task Force for Civil Rights and Elections,Southwest,Dallas/Fort Worth

1. Select the most qualified candidates for various offices.

2. Prepare issue agenda to introduce change for the better in Education,Health,Economy,Energy,immigration,trade,homeland security and foreign policy

3.bring Texas at par with the top States in Education urban Development,Healthcare,etc.

Read on:

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Dying for Nurses

March 20, 2009 | Political Intelligence

When dozens of nurses from around the state rallied at the Capitol on March 4, everyone had a story. Anita Prinz, from outside Houston, told of nurses having to care for a dozen hospital patients at once. Tom Laughlin, from the Dallas area, said he frequently has to choose which critically ill patient to care for and which to leave alone for a few minutes. There were sad anecdotes about unattended patients falling, unnecessary deaths, and overworked nurses leaving the profession.

Even Rep. Senfronia Thompson had a tale. The Houston Democrat, who has filed legislation to require minimum nurse-to-patient ratios in Texas hospitals, told reporters that one of her grandchildren had been rushed to a Huntsville hospital a few days earlier with a temperature of 104.6. The child and mother waited four hours and eventually left without receiving treatment. (The next day, Thompson’s grandchild was diagnosed with strep throat and an ear infection.)

“This is why nurses quit,” said Beverly Leonard, a registered nurse for 40 years. “They can’t stand going home at the end of the day and thinking, ‘How could I not treat that kid with the 104 temperature?’”

Texas ranks 43rd nationally in the number of nurses per capita, with roughly one RN for every 149 Texans in 2008, according to the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners. The Legislature is considering two competing proposals to address the shortage. Thompson’s House Bill 1489 requires hospitals and other inpatient facilities to meet bedside nurse-to-patient ratios. (Sen. Mario Gallegos Jr., a Houston Democrat, has a Senate companion.) That proposal is backed by the National Nurses Organizing Committee, a branch of the nation’s largest nurses’ union. The group says similar legislation enacted in California in 2004 has greatly improved the quality of care there.

The Texas Hospital Association, which helped kill similar legislation last session, opposes ratios, fearing the up-front costs. Hospitals prefer a bill by Sen. Jane Nelson, the Republican from Flower Mound who chairs the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. Her legislation would give nurses more whistle-blower protection, but would only require hospitals to consider nurses’ input when deciding on staffThe Current State Of Political Parties -- Part II

By Bill Burch

June 5, 2009

The Republican Party

You must know how Republicans got to where they are today in order to understand how Republicans can make a resurgence. Unlike the Democrats, where the leadership and the base seem to walk in lock step with each other, the Republicans seem to be all over the place. While the party was largely united in the 1970s and 80s, cracks began to show in the 90s and today we have wide canyons dividing the Republicans. The Democrats have opened the door for the Republicans to make massive gains throughout the United States, but can the Republicans get their act together in time to take advantage of the opportunities presented to them?

Senator Barry Goldwater was the architect of conservatism in the Republican Party. His brand of conservatism consisted mainly of less government, lower taxes, individual freedom and responsibility, and states rights. In Goldwater's bid for president, he lost by one of the largest margins in history. But this was more due to his stand against the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (a Republican piece of legislation) and the recent assassination of President John F. Kennedy, than to his conservative views.

Sixteen years later, Ronald Reagan, using the economic conservative principles of Barry Goldwater, supplemented by the social conservative principles of Jerry Farwell's Moral Majority, as well as his strong conservative foreign policy agenda, won an overwhelming victory over President Jimmy Carter and the liberal Democrats. Four years later, President Ronald Reagan won forty-nine of fifty states based on his successful implementation of conservatism.

In 1988 three things occurred that would lead to the eventual decline of the Republican Party. First, Jerry Falwell shut down the Moral Majority, an organization that welcomed into its fold Catholics and Jews as well as Protestant Christians. Second, after losing his presidential bid Pat Robertson used his remaining campaign funds to start the Christian Coalition which used heavy-handed tactics to get its way and began pushing out of the Republican Party Catholics, Jews, pro-abortion advocates, and others it didn't agree with. Third was the election of George H. W. Bush as president with a campaign based on Reagan conservatism (and the shadow of President Reagan), but then serving as the true moderate that he was.

It's important to know that what you do today in politics may not have an effect for years to come. And the shadow of greatness of President Ronald Reagan took an extraordinary effort to undo. In the nineties, you had in place three of the four factors needed to bring down the Republican Party. A move away from Reagan conservatism, the bullying of the Christian Coalition, and the push away from Ronald Reagan's "Big Tent" philosophy of inclusiveness by the social conservatives.

The final nail came in the mid-nineties with Republican political consultants. Aside from the political philosophy of Ronald Reagan, the next most powerful asset of the Republican Party was its base and in particular its network of Republican Clubs. In an effort to increase the reliance of candidates (and increase profits), consultants drove a wedge between the grassroots of the party and the candidates. This separation created the atmosphere that ultimately led to a disconnect between the grassroots and the Republican office holders. The synergy between the two, thus being broken, led to many office holders moving to the center, the Republican grassroots leadership working to push out all but the born again evangelical Christians, and "true Reagan conservatives" looking around going, "What happened?"

What this shows is the Republicans have a leadership problem. They're flopping around, scratching their heads, wondering what to do. Well let me point out a few things. First, we are at war. I don't mean war with the terrorist, which everyone recognizes. No, I mean a potentially much more deadly war with the Marxist. They are out thinking, out organizing, and out financing the Republicans in every way. They have learned that if a Republican says, "Isn't it a beautiful day for the President to give a speech outside in the rose garden with the blue skies and white clouds", then the Democrats respond with, "You're a racist, what do you have against black clouds?" Most current Republican office holders would say, "I'm sorry about forgetting about those beautiful black clouds". Why not simply say, "Black clouds mean it will rain on the Presidents speech, which might be a good thing now that you bring it up". It's the Democrats who are racist not the Republicans. The Democrats are now, have been in the past, and always will be racist. Remember that racism is not bound by color or national origin but only by intellect.

Regarding the Hispanics, simply tell it like it is, in English, and stop trying to pander. Hispanics are not stupid and pandering just makes them wonder about you. Most are believers in Reagan conservatism and honesty.

Republicans must embrace what works and that is Reagan conservatism. Lower taxes, smaller government, states rights, support of small business, strong for individual rights and freedoms, personal responsibility, pro-gun, pro-life, pro-family, equal rights, and religious freedom for all religions. Republicans must quit fighting each other. Were it not for the Republicans in recent history, the Republicans would win overwhelmingly. Republicans must turn off the TV and get back involved. If Republicans don't do this, then we must all prepare to be citizens of a Marxist or Communist nation.

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Chairman of Grass Roots Institute of Texas (GRIT), Member of the American Mensa Society, Member of the American Legion, Past Public Director of the State Bar of Texas

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In a democracy, voting should be easy. Hassle-free. A simple, rewarding experience. So why are voters being bound up with miles of red tape and bureaucratic hassles? Why are Republicans trying to make it harder to vote?

With SB 362, the Voter ID bill, Republicans will force Texas citizens to go through multiple contortions just to exercise their right to vote.

AUSTIN — The majority of Texas voters would be required to present photo identification in order to cast ballots under a retooled voter identification bill being circulated by House Elections Committee Chairman Todd Smith.

Smith, R-Euless, backed away from his original plan, which allowed voters to present a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID, after 71 of the 76 House Republicans issued a statement insisting on a strict photo ID law.

In another major change, Smith also modified a provision in his earlier proposal that would have kept the bill from taking effect for four years in order to educate voters about the new ID requirements. Now it would become effective in January 2011.

Voters who are indigent, have a religious objection to the documentation, or live in a nursing home would be exempt from the photo ID requirements in Smith’s revised plan. The bill would also exempt voters who are at least 70 years old and never had a birth certificate because their births weren’t recorded with a state vital statistics office.

Smith acknowledged that he couldn’t muster enough votes for his original proposal to get it out of his committee, which Republicans control by a 5-4 vote. In addition to demanding a photo ID, a statement from the House Republican Caucus also called for a new voter ID requirement to be in place for the next election, effectively repudiating Smith’s proposed four-year delay.

"If there were sufficient support for that," he said of his first plan, "then we would have just voted it out."

The voter ID issue has been repeatedly characterized as a partisan standoff between Democrats and Republicans. But Smith is facing formidable challenges within his own party as he attempts to cobble together a bill capable of gaining bipartisan support in the House.

Plan still evolving

Smith described his latest proposal as "conceptual" and said he may present further modifications in order to find consensus.

"What is necessary to get it out of committee may be different from what [is] needed to get it off the House floor," Smith said.

Smith’s original proposal, which he said remains his "No. 1 choice," was similar to the Senate-passed bill that would allow voters to present either a photo ID or two forms of non-photo ID, such as a utility bill, handgun license or a pilot license.

A voter ID law is one of Republicans’ top legislative priorities in response to what they say are constituent demands for strengthened ballot security. But Democrats say the requirements would disenfranchise poor, elderly and minority voters who might not have the required identification.

'Bad for Texas’

Although Smith said his proposed exemptions are aimed at addressing Democratic concerns over photo IDs, the election committee’s Democratic vice chairman signaled sharp disapproval with Smith’s latest draft.

"I think it’s bad for Texas, plain and simple," said Rep. Aaron Pena, D-Edinburg.

Democratic committee chairmen and vice chairmen, in a letter to House Speaker Joe Straus, are also asking for a further round of public hearings. Smith presided over two days of hearings before unveiling his original plan.

DAVE MONTGOMERY, 512-476-4294

Ambassador Syed Ahsani of TX 6:54PM June 17, 2009

They also have Conservative Government policies that are Creating Jobs instead of losing them like the majority of the Country. I know individuals from Texas "ethnic" groups and they ARE surprisingly Conservative because Texas has set a good example.

Becoming American has a unique effect on people of all cultures and many of them came from Governmental Dictated Countries.

My Russian neighbor is terrified by what he sees as the US sliding toward Socialist/Communist policies but is somehow confident that the American people will not ALLOW that to happen.

TeaParties on July 4th AND in Washington on Sept 12th.

Check the web and SPEAK UP.

Join the TeaParty Patriots from all Parties and reign in OUR Government! They WORK for US. Prove IT and DEMAND IT!

Chris Petty of GA 11:52PM June 16, 2009

we will have a better govenment and a better country. Can't happen soon enough.

There are lots of nice people in Texas who have been electorally enslaved and misled by rednecks for too long. Yahoo and Yeehaw and all that! Bye, bye, fellas. The voters are a changing" to "Less "hat", more sense".

May take a few years, but sounds inevitable.

Muser of NM 10:11PM June 15, 2009

We should not assume that the Democrats will retain a lock on recent emigrant groups such as Hispanics. Remember, fora long time the Democrats thought they had a lock on European emigrants such as the strongly Catholic Irish, Italians and Poles. Once McGovernite radicalism took over, these groups deserted to the GOP and in the 80s became the 'Reagan Democrats'. They were socially conservative groups and resented the socially radicalism of the Democrats. As recent ballots in same-sex marraige have shown, Hispanics are overwhelmingly conservative on social issues. Obama and his supporters are now on the extreme end of the pro-abortion spectrum. Yet all recent polls show that America leans more to the pro-life end of the spectrum. Expect to see the rise of the 'Palin Democrtas'.

Emerson C 2:59PM June 15, 2009