Texas Republican State Representative (you’re cringing already, aren’t you?) Tony Dale, who is just about as conservative as they come, has been hollering about allowing Syrian refugees into Texas. He, of course, is against it.

So he put a poll on his Twitter feed to hear from his constituents.

He had to quickly shut it down.

Yeah, well, he doesn’t care what you think anyway.

Thanks to Harold for the heads up on Facebook.

Whoa, Wait —

He says he’s against them coming for an entirely different reason.

In a letter to Texas lawmakers, State Representative Tony Dale (R-Cedar Park) argued that the state should not accept any Syrian refugees because its lax gun-purchasing regulations would make it easy for any terrorists hiding among them to acquire a weapon and carry out an attack.

That makes my head hurt. Republicans believe that Texas needs lax gun purchasing regulations but agree that makes it easier for terrorists (and murderers and crooks) to get guns.

That makes my damn head hurt.

Thanks to Brian C for the heads up.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, with a felony indictment and a persecution complex, is gonna be on the teevee.

The judge presiding over Ken Paxton’s securities fraud case has said he will allow cameras in the courtroom during the trial, over the wishes of the attorney general and his lawyers.

Paxton argues that he’s the victim because these special prosecutors are out to get him.  You’d think he’d want the public to see how mean everybody is being to him, and how securities fraud is just one of those things that happen accidentally.  You know, you go out to a party, someone coughs on you, and the next thing you know you come down with a bad case of felony securities fraud.

As soon as they set a trial date I’m clearing my calendar.

Overstock.com, an online Spend Your Money Here! site, announced that it has some hoarding practices and I’m not talking about towels, plastic containers, or old newspapers.

They have $6 million of gold and $4.3 million of silver stored at a secret location in Utah.

And you thought your roll of pre-1964 quarters hidden in your sock drawer was something special.

“I want a system that can survive a three month freeze,” CEO Patrick Byrne told BuzzFeed News. “If the whole thing collapses I want our system to continue paying people, we want to be able to survive a shutdown of the banking system.”

If there’s a shutdown in the US banking system, I’m betting on which people will get paid.  It’s probably not the stock boy.

Byrne said the company maintains a 30 day supply of food, and has a distribution system to pay and feed employees in case the banking and payments systems collapse.

All you have to do is get to Utah and be willing to eat silver on day 31.

Another benefit?  They can also get you a special guest appearance on Survivalists.

One of my favorite things to do is watch Sarah Palin argue with herself.  CBS News asked Palin if she was to blame for the Republican ticket losing in 2008.

“Well, it takes a team to win, so it takes a team to lose. I was part of a team that came in second outta two. So, yes, yeah, I mean, semantics, okay, words matter. You either win or you lose. We lost. That makes you not a winner. At that time.”

I’m a woman, yeah, who watched.  Watched you run for veep. Clocks matter. I mean, I watched in real time.  You either watch or you don’t watch. I watch. Except when I don’t. A watch can also go on your arm. It’s time.

She says she’s willing to run for office again. That’s good because I’m ready to vote against her. So, you could say we’re on the same page.

Matthew 25.  KJV  The parable the sheep and the goats.

Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

When you say you are a Christian, you need to act like a Christian.  If every church in America took in only one Syrian family, this problem would be solved.

Additionally, Syrian immigrants have added so much to this country, including the father of the man who built my computer.

When did my country stop being the land of the free and the home of the brave?

Texas Governor Greg Abbott celebrates this holiday season.

Texas will not accept any Syrian refugees fleeing their civil war-torn country, Gov. Greg Abbott said Monday, specifically citing the deadly terrorist attacks in Paris last week and a separate shooting in Texas earlier this year.

The “separate shooting in Texas” he’s talking about is an event in Garland, sponsored by crazy people, to have a contest to draw a picture of the prophet Muhammed.

“Given the tragic attacks in Paris and the threats we have already seen, Texas cannot participate in any program that will result in Syrian refugees – any one of whom could be connected to terrorism – being resettled in Texas,” Abbott said.

I checked Google but I didn’t find anywhere that he had demanded that no Christians settle in Texas after the Oklahoma City bombing.

I think it would be a nice gesture to have the Governor read his proclamation while standing behind the manger scene on the state capitol lawn.

Of course, he cannot stop the refugees from coming.  He can only deny them state funds. He wrote the letter just to be mean.  Lord knows, however, that he doesn’t need the practice.

UPDATE:  Here ya go.  Governors can’t overrule Presidents.

Just in case there is any doubt, President Obama has explicit statutory authorization to accept foreign refugees into the United States. Under the Refugee Act of 1980, the president may admit refugees who face “persecution or a well-founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular social group, or political opinion” into the United States, and the president’s power to do so is particularly robust if they determine that an “unforeseen emergency refugee situation” such as the Syrian refugee crisis exists.

So shove it, Abbott.  And, by the way, this country doesn’t like any Republican politician from Texas or even their brothers.  (Cruz has 15% in Iowa.)