TxSkirt’s Blog

Having a hard time getting http://txskirt.com to post, so thought I'd post here. 

I was at the Corpus Christi, TX Recess Rally in front of Congressman Solomon Ortiz' office. About 300 people braved the 100+ mid-day heat to tell Washington to stop spending our money. About 50 eventually people showed up to show their support for socialized healthcare. We mixed it up pretty good, and there were several spirited debates, but there was no violence or purple shirts. 

Here is some video I shot from my iPhone:

Click here to download:

IMG_0000.mov (6641 KB)

More "angry mobsters":

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IMG_0001.mov (3679 KB)

Here's what the opposition looked like when the rally began:

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IMG_0002.mov (945 KB)

Pictures.  The third one is my favorite (Gee, with all that astroturf money being handed out, you think they could have made fancier signs):

       

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recess-rally-corpus-christi-tx-ubgkFBAkDqlCbdlEtfsc.zip (3435 KB)

This on is almost 3 minutes long. The interesting part happens at the end. Some lib comes up and starts trying to argue with the wheelchair bound vet. The vet shuts him down. Then my phone died--RATS!

Click here to download:

IMG_0006.mov (16122 KB)

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I just read the post in the New York Post about President Obama telling Republican leaders that they "You can't just listen to Rush Limbaugh and get things done." http://www.nypost.com/seven/01232009/news/politics/prez_zings_gop_foe_in_a_timulating_talk_151572.htm
 
I'm afraid I have to agree with Mr. Limbaugh when he said to Sean Hannity on his new show "So I shamelessly say, no, I want him (Obama) to fail, if his agenda is a far- left collectivism, some people say socialism, as a conservative heartfelt, deeply, why would I want socialism to succeed?" Full text here: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,481484,00.html
 
Rather than address the President (other than to say--your hubris is showing, Mr. "I-won"), because what more can be said after Rush has said it (and besides Rush is a big boy and can defend himself), I'd like to address all Texas Congressmen and Senators.
 
Ladies/Gentlemen:
 
I am a conservative constituent of the Great State of Texas. I buried my head in the sand during the Bush years and trusted that my Republican President with his majorities in both houses would work to keep government small, lower my taxes, and stay out of my business. I was wrong on many of those accounts. My representatives and my President disappointed me by continually "reaching across the aisle " (moving to the left) and abandoning the conservative principles I sent them to Washington to protect.
 
Folks, my head is now out of the sand, and I am fighting mad. I will not tolerate anymore milquetoast Republicans. If you continue to be "moderate" in your views and do not work tirelessly --including filibustering 24/7--to defeat the socialist agenda that is being brought before you, then I will work tirelessly 24/7 to defeat you in the next election cycle. I do not want you to "get along", "reach across" any aisles, create "bipartisan support" or "unify" with any Democrat that wants to use you to further President Obama's socialist agenda. Will it mean you won't get invited to any fancy dinners or be on speed dial at CNN? Yes. But I'll make it up to you. You can come to dinner at my house the next time you are in town and I make you some of my famous chili.
 
In closing, do not grow weary manning your post. If you do not stay vigilant and protect this country from stimulus packages and universal healthcare, we will lose the vision that the founding fathers had for this country. History will not be kind to you. And neither will I.

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Here's the details for those of you that are curious. Feel free to retweet or put it on your blog pages. It's going to be GREAT! We have some fabulous (and famous) speakers. Might as well come. Its not like there's going to be anything on t.v. ;-)
 

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Click here to download:

H.R.45, Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009 - Inbox - Yahoo! Mail.webarchive (538 KB)

Got a tip from my brother, James, about this one. Like any gun lovin' Texas male, he monitors such things really closely.

"It has begun. Despite assurances to the contrary, some democrats are champing at the bit to institute citizen disarmament, and like impulsive children, can't even wait for their guy to be inaugurated. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you H.R.45, Blair Holt's Firearm Licensing and Record of Sale Act of 2009, introduced in the House one week ago today by Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL). I have attached a PDF copy of the bill to this email.
 
Regards, James"
 
I attached the draft of the house bill, but let me summarize it for you:
 
* It requires you to get a license for each gun that you own, thereby registering with the federal government each and every handgun and semi-automatic weapon you own. Not just the ones you purchase after this becomes law, but the ones you purchased before as well;
 
* They get to look at your medical records before issuing a license to make sure you're not crazy;
 
* You have to take a gun safety class, get your picture taken, give them a copy of your birth certificate and your thumb print in order to acquire the license. You must also sign an affidavit that you will keep guns out of kids hands. The license is good for 5 years. Then you get to do it again.
 
Free Republic does a nice synopsis here. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2163608/posts
 
There must be a draft in here. A chill just ran down my spine.

UPDATE:

Another nice article outlining how our 2nd Amendment rights are being threatened:

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=86039

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I just returned from my very first meeting of my local Republican Women's club. I was both elated and disappointed.
 
Let's talk about the bad stuff:
 
1. It's old. Of the 80 people there, 15 were under 60 and no one was under 30.
 
2. It's expensive. The fancy hotel that the club holds there meetings in charge $18 for lunch. They do have a "reserved" table in the back for those of us electing to not eat lunch. Of course, that ensured that not one member spoke to me.
 
3. It's full of moderates. They spent a great deal of time encouraging us to support the new Texas speaker of the house because "he's a nice guy from a good family." I am not kidding you. One member even stood up and said that he had been to dinner at Straus' daddy's house and could vouch for what a decent human being he was. Is this our vetting process? This is how the Republican party now chooses their candidates? By how nice the dinner was at his momma's house?
 
4. It was full of white people. There was maybe 10 people that didn't fit the W.A.S.P. criteria that most people associate with our party.
 
Now the good stuff:
 
1. Sitting at the back table, I met two other young(er) members and we got to talking about the state of the party and our local representatives. We came to a consensus that the future of the Republican party will be determined not by how far to the center we can move, but by how effectively we can communicate true conservatism. Moving to the center (which is actually moving to the left when you think about it), especially just for election purposes, belies who we are and betrays the people who elected us.

2. I got a chance to talk to a local talk radio host. I found him delightful! He was well educated on Texas history, he's conservative, and he's an African-American!

Conclusion:
 
1. The Republican Party must stop feeding the image that it is the party of the wealthy and snotty. Let me assure you that no one in jeans or sneakers would have been welcomed in that room;
 
2. The Republican Party must start reaching out to minority groups NOT by moving to the left (centrist), but by being true to our conservatism and showing them that they are conservatives, too. In their hearts, Hispanic and African-Americans are conservative. The things that are important to them--life, family, jobs--are actually conservative issues that we have allowed to be kidnapped by the Democratic party because of our ineffectiveness in delivery the message.
 
3. The Republican Party must embrace technology. There are so many available tools to communicate with each other and we are still focused on phone banks and mailers. We can do this better and faster electronically. Open a twitter account and join the conversation.
 
Again, I'm just a chick with a keyboard and an opinion. If you have a better idea, I welcome your responses.

UPDATE:

Apparently I am not the only one experiencing this. Beth Donovan blogs her experience here:

http://www.thedonovan.com/the_farm/2009/01/conservatism-going-forward-tco.html

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WTW?! Granted, the outgoing speaker of the House, Craddick, was in need of replacing. He had angered and polarized more people than any Texas House Speaker on record. But what in tarnation were they thinking in asking Joe Straus III (R-San Antonio) to fill his shoes?
 
Who is Joe Straus III?
 
A quick Google search shows that he is from a family with deep ties to gaming in Texas (used to be called "gambling", but now the pc term is "gaming") with his family owning interests in three different horse and dog racing parks in Texas. He went to Vanderbilt in Nashville and then worked in insurance for awhile before being elected to the House of Representatives in a 2005 special election.

2005.
 
That's right, he's had exactly ONE full session in the Texas Legislature and now he is the leader. What's even more unsettling is what he voted for and against in that session. David Barton, founder of Wallbuilders (www.wallbuilders.com), sent out an e-mail outlining how Rep. Straus voted in the 2007 session. They give this conservative blogger heart flutters. (H/T mycalltorise.blogspot.com)
 
Rep. Joe Straus Supported:
 
* Making it easier to perform late-term, third-trimester abortions (SB 419, vote 672, 2005). And in the 2007 session, he received a 100 percent voting record from the radical pro-abortion group NARAL, and the pro-abortion group Planned Parenthood contributed to his reelection campaign
* Homosexuals as foster parents (SB 6, vote 327, 2005)
* Expanded casino gambling (HB 10, vote 939, 2007)
* Increased gaming and gambling (HB 2265, vote 749, 2007)
* Increased sale and consumption of alcohol during Sunday morning church hours (HB 168, vote 357, 2005)
* Making it easier to sell alcohol without community approval, as is currently required (SB 1626, vote 852, 2005)
* Increasing state budget spending by an amazing 19 percent over only two years (SB 1, vote 946, 2005)
 
Rep. Joe Straus Opposed:
 
* Using statistically-proven methods to strengthen marriage and reduce divorce by encouraging pre-marital counseling (HB 2685, votes 384, 437, and 1407, 2007)
* Parental rights, opposing a bill to let parents know the service-referrals that school counselors are making for their children (HB 2136, vote 592, 2007)
* School choice (HB 1, vote 235, 2007)
 
Full e-mail here: http://mycall2rise.blogspot.com/2009/01/every-texans-call-to-rise-urgent.html
 Finally, as a clue to how Rep. Staus may lead the Republican majority House of Representatives can be found in this interview he did with Texas Monthly in January 2008. He states:
 
"Any party that aspires to majority status or wishes to retain its majority needs to find balance. We need to be an inclusive ("big tent") organization and one that keeps its focus on specific principles in a way that doesn't drive away centrists."
 
We apparently learned nothing from the John McCain middle-of-the-milquetoast fiasco last election. Straus goes on to say:
 
"At the end of the day, we have the responsibility to govern. And governing requires compromise..."
 
OOOkkkkkkkkkaaaaaayyyy.
 
The problem with that statement, Mr. Straus, is that when "moderate", "inclusive" RINOs like you "compromise", you give the store away. I've never seen you actually REQUIRE the liberals you are negotiating with to give up anything. Conservatives are the only one compromising in hopes we can have peace, but what happens is the liberals just whine about the parts they didn't get, so they come back to the table and bitch and moan until you eventually give them the whole of what they want and IT STILL ISN'T ENOUGH. That, sir, is unacceptable, an will ultimately cost us future elections. Strong leadership will not the the hallmark of this Legislative session. Compromise and peaceful negotiations will be the norm as our rights as parents and citizens, our money and our property get "compromised" away.
 
God save us.

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I've been a member of Top Conservatives on Twitter since day one. I've been on conference calls, monitored and participated in petty power squabbles, and asked Mike Leahy a lot of annoying questions. I have come to the conclusion that TCOT cannot save or resurrect the Republican Party.
 
However, TCOT members sure as hell can.
 
I came off the conference call last night with RNC Secretarial Candidate Sharon Day excited for the first time since Sarah Palin took the stage in Ohio. Sharon talked at length about her frustrations with the slow moving national republican party that she experienced as an organizer in Florida this past election. I know what she means. We Republicans are so ingrained with respect for our elders that we forget to pursue our next generation. I have been a young woman that walked into a Republican Women's meeting and found no room for me or my ideas at the table. Technology is the WMD in politics--use it or it will kill you.
 
Twitter has made me realize that there are literally thousands of men and women that are incredibly busy with raising families and working jobs that still want to effect change in their society. We don't want to JUST gripe about what is being done, we want to change it to reflect our conservative values. We have been busy and silent for too long. Social Media has given me an outlet to express my opinions and I will be silent no longer.
 
So how are TCOT members going to change the Republican party?
 
1. Get to know your local Republican leadership. This is where future leaders and party platforms are decided. You cannot skip this step and expect any change nationally. They're a bunch of good 'ol boys/gals that aren't welcoming to new people and ideas? Well, nobody ever said this was going to be easy. Open your mouth at meetings and express your opinions. That is how change happens.
 
2. Get to know your state government. How much to you really know about your local state reps and senators? Join a blog or news site that just covers your state and stay informed. When they are about to do something you don't like, LET THEM KNOW. That is the ultimate use of twitter--instant communication. Rouse the troops and start writing and calling your reps. They work for you, and should be reminded of that on a regular basis.
 
3. Get to know your states RNC delegates. Many of them have been delegates since Nixon and that needs to change. However, until that time, it's good to let them know what you think.
 
Basically, it's time to become major pains in the butt. We need massive changes in our party in the next 2 years and being "polite" and "fair" is what lost us this last election. As conservatives and TCOT members we must be willing to do what ever it takes to save the Republican Party.

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It's a love story for the ages. Girl sees boots, girl checks bank balance and saddly denies herself boots. Fade to girl walking away in a slow rain. Months go by. Girl is cruising around web and spies THE SAME BOOTS on sale PLUS has an extra $20 off coupon. Girl and boots are united and live happily ever after. Sigh

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