Okay, guys, a customer who calls herself shy and doesn’t post here has an electric light idea.

Senator Wendy Davis of Texas will filibuster the Texas Senate tomorrow for women’s reproductive rights.  Cecil Richards is on her way to Austin to have a rally.  This is battleground for warrior women.

I know what we can do – at home and in the gallery – now that the customer told me.

I would not be surprised if those in gallery who can, remain standing with Senator Wendy Davis as she filibusters tomorrow. I plan to turn my chairs upside down, or put pots and pans and books on them and on the couches. I don’t plan to sit while she filibusters, so I know what she is enduring. I will work at my desk standing up. I will take my bathroom breaks. .

Please stand with Wendy.  And if you want to send a selfie or have a friend to take a picture, stand with Wendy and I’ll post it here.  Stand in the gallery of the Senate, move your computer to the drainboard and stand while web surfing, or stand watching teevee.

Just stand, dammit.  Everywhere in America, Stand with Wendy.

As you know, we have been trying to have a citizen filibuster against Texas Republicans wanting to take away our right to a safe, legal abortion.

Here’s the cheery and loving bunch of female Republican State Representatives who are fighting to deny rights to other women.

Good Lord, they all look like they just found out that they were runner up for Homecoming Queen.  Or, they sucked on lemons right before they came out.  It’s hard to tell.

The bimbo in the middle is the one who said they run your coochie through a car wash if you get raped.

I have some rotten news.  The Texas House just passed the nation’s toughest restrictions on abortions. Democrats in the House did an amazing job of stalling as long as they could.

Next up – Democrats plan a filibuster in the Texas Senate where they hold 12 of the 31 seats.   However, even if they are successful, Governor Perry is threatening to call another special session.

This is what the last redistricting gave us – a Texas House and Senate dominated by far right wing Republicans on a mission from God to keep me barefoot and pregnant and you poor and sick.

Texas Democrats will fight.  I can promise you that.  We’ll try to keep you up to date here, but I also suggest that you follow The Texas Democratic Party on Twitter or Facebook.  The new chairman is making sure that their messaging has been great.

One thing we are keeping our eye on.  Senator Leticia Van de Putte’s father died in a car wreck yesterday.  We will need 12 votes to suspect the rules and Democrats have exactly 12 senators.  Without Van de Putte, that only makes 11.  If Republicans try to use that, there will be holy hell to pay.

From last night’s debate. The anti abortion bill’s sponsor responding to Democratic State Representative Senfronia Thompson’s speech on rape.

By the way, Senfronia Thompson gave her speech holding a coat hanger.

My longtime Democratic fighting buddy and regular customer here, TexasEllen, sent me this picture from the State Capitol last night.

I have some business to take care of this morning but  I will be back this afternoon with more commentary on The Hooter Toter Wars in Texas, but THIS is the most important visual image of the day.

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It makes me tear up.  We will not forget.

I need to say something about Paula Deen and this is it.

Screw you, Paula.

Okay, here’s how Paula Deen hurt me personally.  All week long I have been hearing commentators on teevee say that using the N word should be expected from “Southern white women of a certain age.”  I even heard one say it was “understandable.”

Hell, no.  I don’t know where these commentators got that but they need to put it down right now and never touch it again.

I am Paula Deen’s age and I live in the South.  I have not used the N word since I was 6 years old (I heard it at school) and my Irish grandma swatted my bottom for saying it.  I was told that words like that do not come out of a lady’s mouth and that Jesus loves all the little children — red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight. I was told to say “colored.”

I never said it again.  I was 17 years old when Dr. Martin Luther King won the Nobel Peace Prize.  So was Paula Deen.  So, if she used that word after 1964, shame on her.  She knew full well that she should not be saying that.

But now, when people look at me, they think I talk like Paula Deen, but should be forgiven for it based on my age and my birthplace.  No.

Paula Deen knew for a damn fact that those words were hurtful and not acceptable.  My grandmother, rest her precious soul, would have stomped her said indignantly, “And she calls herself a lady?”

My friend Laura sent me this to read.  You will feel far less sympathy for Deen after reading this.

So, Paula, screw you.  Not all Southern women of a certain age are a bunch of classless witches.

That’s what I have to say about Paula Deen.

UPDATE:  If you want to follow along on Facebook, go LIKE the Texas Democratic Party.

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Click right here to Draft Wendy!

Heads up – if you can’t be there, you can watch live.

If you are anywhere near Texas, you are needed in Austin today.  They are voting on whether to deny access to a legal and safe medical procedure for Texas women.

Here’s how it works:

We can’t predict exactly when the debate will begin but we know we want it to go late into the night. Come when you can. Stay til the end. Wear orange.

What: Texas House Debate on SB 5, HB 16 and HB 60

When: Sunday, June 23rd

Doors to the House Gallery open at 1pm

The House convenes at 2pm

Debate on the bills is not expected to begin until late afternoon

Where: Texas House of Representatives

Texas State Capitol

Austin, TX

Who: All Texans who oppose these bills and are ready to end Rick Perry’s War on Women

Doors to the House Gallery are scheduled to open at 1pm

The House convenes at 2pm

Debate on the bills is expected

I am not going to be there this time for several reasons.

Today is my birthday.  If I live 600 more years, I will officially be the sign of the devil.  That would explain a lot of my weird behavior.  But, for now, I am 2/3rds the sign of the devil, which is close enough and ought to scare you anyway.  My son has planned a perfect day for me.  My kids have had to live with a weird mother their entire lives so I don’t want to screw this up.

It’s hot as hell.  No, hotter.  I am old.  I used to have to worry about my garter strap melting into my leg.  Now I have to worry that the wheels on my walker will melt.

I fought like hell for these rights and I figure it’s up to the younger women to fight to keep them.  I cannot believe that I have been fighting this crap since 1967.

Go if you can and tell us about it.

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Thanks to customer John A. Kwitkoski for the above graphic.

My buddy Glen Maxey just sent me this picture of the overflow crowd!