For a few months now I’ve been telling you folks that the candidate to watch in Texas is Senator Leticia Van de Putte.

She’s hotter than road tar in August and she is damn set and determined tall to change the face of Texas politics.  She has a favorite saying, “If Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy.”

She’s one tough Momma.  There ain’t no slack in her fishin’ line.

She gained national attention the night of Senator Wendy Davis’ filibuster.  Leticia (in Texas, it’s pronounced La-tea-see-uh with the accent on the tea) had just left her father’s funeral after a completely unexpected death.  She came to the floor of the senate in an attempt to help prolong the filibuster after the Republicans tried to shut it down.

It was Leticia who set off the crowd.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iZSANd0PZmk

If you watch it closely, you can see that she had a second sentence to say but she stopped and let things take their natural course.  Rare is the politician who knows when to shuddup and trust the people to carry her message.

If I had to make a list of people not to get into a fight with, Superman would be #1, but Leticia would be #2.  Okay, so maybe Godzilla would be #2, but she would definitely be #3.  She’s funny, quick witted, smart, and tough as a three dollar steak.

So, it appears that the rest of the country is catching up to what we’ve known in Texas for a long time.  Today’s Washington Post —

… on the ground in Texas, attention is shifting to San Antonio’s Van de Putte, who is running for lieutenant governor, a position that is in some ways the more powerful one in Texas, because that official presides over the Senate.  Van de Putte is quietly emerging as a favorite among some Democrats, who see the Hispanic businesswoman and mother of seven as the more likely candidate who could help revive her party’s chances.

Now let me make it real clear that I adore Wendy Davis and I work for her election every damn day.  All I’m saying is that it’s time we stop under-funding and under-appreciating Leticia Van de Putte.  It is likely that any statewide Democrat who wins in Texas does it on Leticia’s coattails.

Trip on over and get on her mailing list.  It doesn’t cost anything and it’s gonna make you smarter.  Lord know you need that.

You know who I’m going to talk about, don’t you?

Paul Ryan.

Yep.  The Veep Loser has learn from Lee Atwater’s Southern Strategy interview, telling Republican politicians how to say the N word without saying the N word.

[Paul Ryan] told [Bob]Bennett there is a “tailspin of culture, in our inner cities in particular, of men not working and just generations of men not even thinking about working or learning the value and the culture of work.”

In the radio interview, Ryan also referenced conservative author, American Enterprise Institute scholar, and self-described “right-wing ideologue,” Charles Murray, who wrote the controversial book “The Bell Curve,” which claims that black people have inferior intelligence and is the reason for social disadvantages.

“Your buddy Charles Murray or Bob Putnam over at Harvard – those guys have written books on this, which is – we have got this tailspin of culture,” Ryan said.

Now, who could he be talking about?

Me?  Is he talking about me?  Maybe he’s talking about people who can go borrow money from their parents to start a business?  Or maybe that 47%?

Thanks to Lorraine In Spring for the heads up.

I’m getting a little too old for most of South By Southwest in Austin.  But, many of my younger friends are not.  I’ve gotten through to most of them and they are fine.  They think it’s sweet of me to check on them, not knowing that’s the job of every Texas woman of a certain age.

It is a tragedy and my heart breaks for those who have lost so much.

There have been excellent reports on Austin’s first responders and that’s reassuring.

The injuries are horrible and so far there has been two deaths.  All young people.

After all, it is Kentucky.

Kentucky Pastor Jeff Fugate said this week that his assistant pastor, Joseph Pickens, felt hurt by Internet comments from people who did not appreciate him wearing blackface for a church skit.

It appears that the assistant pastor was trying to be “cool” for the kids and wore blackface to be Mr. T in a skit.

Oh dear Lord.  Then Pastor Fugate grants a teevee interview and says he didn’t mean to be racist and that they have “lot of black folks” in their church and none of them complained.

Ya know, I somehow doubt there at “lots” of black people at the “Clay Mills Road Baptist Church 2014 National Young Fundamentalist Conference.”  And if there are, they more than likely were terrified.

And, as happens in all these cases, the right-winger  becomes the victim and there is a non-apology …

Fugate said that the boxing skit was supposed to be “inspiring” and humorous to teens. Instead, Internet commenters accused Pickens of making Kentucky look bad.

“He is so hurt,” Fugate said. “I’m not a racist, and I sure am sorry if I’ve offended you or anybody.”

Yeah, he’s so hurt that he can’t even walk out here in blackface and do a tap dance.

Thanks to Karl for the heads up.

AOL news page was fun today.

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The “Beast” is the President’s Limo, but the juxtaposition is wonderful.

Thanks to Star for the heads up.

I don’t know about you, but I am having a great day.  First, the weather is gorgeous – sunshine and 68 degrees.

I replaced my XM radio and my clock radio and got them plug together with only two trips to Best Buy.  I think that’s a record.

I found a sweater that I thought I had lost.

Is it just me or have the blueberries been especially good lately?

And this – ta da – this.  (work safe link) (it’ll make you grin, too)