There’s good news. At 8:00 tonight, it was reported that over 400 people had signed up to speak against the bill denying safe legal abortions to Texas women.

That’s 400 times 3 minutes each. 1,200 minutes. That’ll take us down the road a piece.

Do not screw with Texas women, boyfriend. They own backhoes and high heels.

UPDATE:  At 9:30, the number is 500.  The citizen filibuster is working.

UPDATE: Final Count was 700.  90% of them did not get to testify because the Republican chairman shut down the hearing.  Click here to read about the hearing in the Austin American Statesman.

The Texas Legislature has gotten so damn contentious that Republicans are screaming at each other because Democrats don’t give a big bear’s butt if they’re screamed at.

It’s getting fun.

Pat Fallon, Screamer

We’ve got hearings on safe, legal abortions and redistricting going on.

Two North Texas freshman Republicans got so upset with each other in the redistricting caucus that they continued screaming like little girls in the hallway.

The argument appeared to be about proposed changes to House districts. The chamber is debating redistricting bills Thursday.

“You’re a liar,” state Rep. Pat Fallon of Frisco yelled at his colleague, state Rep. Bennett Ratliff of Coppell.

Other House Republicans tried to hush Fallon, but his fury wouldn’t ebb.

Bennett Ratliff, Touching His Buddy Gene

“Touch your buddy Gene because you’re in the same party as him,” a red-faced Fallon loudly continued, as Ratliff walked away and placed a hand on state Rep. Gene Wu, D-Houston, as he passed by.

I know and like Gene Wu, but I imagine he’s fixin’ to become the most touchable guy in Texas.  Every Democrat in the State will want their picture taken touching their buddy Gene Wu.  In fact, I’m gonna call Gene and tell him that I have a dollar cash money to get my picture with him, touching him.

Hell, I could make a fortune selling “Touch Me.  I’m Gene Wu’s Buddy” tee-shirts to Democrats.

It appears that Mr. Follow-the-Rules Ted Cruz is only in America because his Dad bribed some guy.

How ’bout them apples?

In a report Thursday on NPR about how Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-TX) father shaped his vision on immigration, his father, Rafael Bienvenido Cruz, an immigrant from Cuba, said that while he “came to this country legally,” he basically bribed an official to get to the United States.

“A friend of the family — a lawyer friend of my father basically bribed a Batista official to stamp my passport with an exit permit,” the elder Cruz said.

So surely, armed with this information, Cruz will go stand on the border with his hand out.

Thanks to Carol for the heads up.

Yeah, Louie Gohmert.

When asked about where he stands on the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, Louie didn’t know what that was.

Then, when it was explained to him as protecting “LGBT workers from being fired due to their sexual orientation,” Louie had a faux-shocked response …

GOHMERT: Who wants to go talking about sexual orientation when they’re working? Good grief.

Louie!  Exactly!  All you do is talk about sexual orientation.  At work.  A hundred times a day.  If you can’t get the words “gay agenda” and “Jesus hates you” into a paragraph, you have to call Sarah Palin for pointers.

Good Grief, indeed.

Thanks to Irene for the heads up!

Okay, he’s decided to decide and even tell us.

Perry said he would make a decision to run again for governor before July 1. “Later in the year, if there’s more expansive plans than that we’ll announce at the appropriate time.”

Most calendar watchers are expecting an announcement Thursday, June 27 or Friday, June 28.

Madam Swami Juanita predicts that Perry will not run for Governor, leaving that door open for someone even worse – Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott, an enormous bully and hypocrite.

Madam Swami Juanita also predicts that Rick Perry will run for President on Texas taxpayer money while he continues to serve as Governor, costing us in travel and security alone about 2,000 teachers, 50 repaired major bridges, health insurance for 1.5 million Texans, the world class status of the University of Texas, enough pocket change to fill the Santa Elena canyon.