.

My running buddy Joy Demark is one of my favorite people to chat politics with.  Joy lives in Houston and knows everybody and everything in Houston Democratic politics.  She’s a total hoot and that’s why I adore her.

So yesterday she went to the post office in Houston and damn near got into a fight with the Lyndon LaRouche people.  I mean, Honey, it’s one thing to lie about the President, but when you start lying about Santa Claus AND the President, Joy is coming after you with intent to barbeque.

So, you need proof?

So, Joy threatens Santa Claus with a cell phone and ends up getting Santa’s rump in her face.

The LaRouchies are nuttier than Aunt Mabel’s fruitcake.  They have also taken to changing the lyrics of Christmas songs and entertaining shoppers. They even have an Impeach Obama song.  And I’m certain there’s a verse about Britain because they are very frightened of the Queen of England.

You gotta admit – that’s entertainment!

.

I’ve been joking with my buddies Al in Vermont and Carl in Cheboygan this morning.  Carl says they have have survived a three day blizzard, and Al sent this rare picture of him doing something productive.

I just went Christmas shopping — while wearing flip flops.  It’s 70 degrees in my backyard.  However, I had to put on a coat to look at Al’s picture.

.

Meet Pearland State Representative Randy Weber, who can now add Biggest Jerk In Texas to his resume.

Weber went to his Facebook page to announce the withdrawal of his support for Joe Straus for House Speaker.

“Well, I have formally requested that Speaker Joe Straus take me off of his pledged list. My District has spoken & I have listened. Please pray that Texas will be strengthened and in GOD’s will, no matter who the Speaker is. We will be Stronger for it. rw”

Straus is Jewish.

Ingrate, you ask?

The Pearland Republican who today withdrew his pledge of support for House Speaker Joe Straus, R-San Antonio, was the beneficiary of two fundraisers this month at which a featured guest was … House Speaker Joe Straus.

“Way to go, Randy,” Juanita stomped with glee, “check gratitude and loyalty off that Good Christian list, Honey.”

.

Now, here’s a budget cut that makes sense.

Governor Rick Perry has asked all State agencies to cut their budget by 20% next year because we don’t any money because Texas Governor Rick Perry gave it all away to his friends.

The Court of Criminal Appeals, which is a collection of 9 rightwingers, has a better idea.

Here’s one way to cut the budget at the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals: Trim it by one judge, at least temporarily.

The state’s highest criminal court made the suggestion earlier this year during the first round of cuts to help address a looming, massive state budget shortfall.

Judge Charles Holcomb is retiring at the end of this year because of age restrictions — he’s 77 – and GOP Gov. Rick Perry would appoint his replacement to serve until the next general election.

But the nine-member appellate court, faced with a preliminary cost-savings target of $487,376 for the current fiscal period, said one option would be to ask Perry to leave the seat vacant until the end of the fiscal year next Aug. 31.

“Now obviously the big problem is that a appellate court needs an uneven number so that decisions will never be a tie,” Juanita explains.  “However, I have to admit that with this court, they all pretty much vote alike:  if the police arrest you, you’re guilty and you should go to prison pretty much forever.  And if you get the death penalty, you need to aware that they don’t work on the days before your execution.  It makes their work load pretty easy when only one of them has to say NO and the rest just say DITTO THAT.”

“But, of course, I have a better solution,” Juanita grins.  “Hell, if we can do without one member of the court, we can make this math thing easy and away with two.”

Killer Keller

“There is not a Texan on this planet who would miss even one minute with Sharon Keller, who is also known as Killer Keller.  So, she could resign, too, which would save us even more money and some embarrassing headlines, too.  That would solve the whole uneven numbers thingy because 7 justices seems to be enough.”

“But, there’s more,” she continues, “while we’re rolling along with this sucker, we could do away with Clarence Thomas, too.  Heck, he’s just Scalia with a dirty joke and a crazy wife thrown in.  But if we get rid of Thomas, another has to go with the numbers thing to work out.  Shoot, I say Scalia because he’s had two votes for a long time to make up for no votes now.”

“Okay, that problem is solved, so hop on over here in the chair and let’s see if we can solve your problem hair,” she suggests.

.

If only Boehner wept as copiously for the poor and the sick as he does when confessing his own greatness.

— Roger Ebert

.

.

Juanita’s Facebook friends got to chatting about Bernie Sander’s amazing performance on the Senate floor on Friday.  I was pretty impressed myownself.

So, I fessed up to something.  Bernie’s finance director is an adored friend of mine.  Carol Davis is a Texan who owned a really fancy winter coat so she moved to Vermont so she could wear it more often.

I let Carol know how much applause Bernie was getting in Texas and asked her where folks could send snail mail that would actually get to him.  (Remember the problems we had trying to get books to Senators?)

Carol has given me permission to share her chatty response with you —

Bernie has a crack staff  and when people have gone to them for help they are just amazed at the support they get. Just a point you may not realize, this is pure Bernie, he’s never changed from when he started way back when he won the Mayor job in Burlington by 12 votes.  A lot of people were terrified that this “Socialist ” was the mayor, but he did such a good job that he won by a landslide in the next election. When he ran for Senate the only real opposition could have been Gov. Dubie (R) ( we call him Gov. Scissorhands here because you can’t open up a can of tuna without him being there for the opening). He’s been replaced by a Dem. Peter Schumlin, who will be in office next year.  Anyway he was the best shot the R’s had was polled against Bernie and only got 30% of the polling oks so he decided not to run. The R’s had to get a guy named Tarrent to run who could fund his own campaign since he was a multimillionaire and he only got 34% of the vote after millions going to that campaign. You are probably aware of recent Vermont history but of the Senators only Pat Leahy, Bernie and Jim Jeffords when he bailed ever caucased with the Dems. This was a solid Republican State but Liberal Republicans, when the party changed so did the voting trends here. But even with the Bush voters in the North east Kingdom it was not uncommon to see a Bush and a Bernie sign on lawns there. Bernie’s secret is he talks to people who (think) they don’t agree with him. Then they realize he makes sense.

Bernie has not changed over time, he works constantly, a true believer. when he walks down the street in Burlington people shout “Hey, Bernie, Hi!” I myself run into Pat Leahy and Marcelle in the supermarket from time to time and we are all on a first name basis with our congressmen.

Also, if you’re not aware Peter Welsh, our congressman who replaced Bernie in the house, was putting his own position paper in circulation in the house and the two of them worked as a team. Leahy also is in support of this. Not to mention DFA , Dean’s old group was circulating a petition which BTW you folks should sign.

Again, if Bernie is home this weekend , (he might not come home between his long day today and the storm coming up on Sunday/Monday he may stay in DC) you have the Burlington address and the DC address.

I’ll send a copy of the facebook coments you got to his Email.

Here’s the snail mail addresses:

Burlington, 1 Church St., 2nd Floor, Burlington,VT 05401

Washington D.C., 332 Dirksen Building, U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510

Carol comes here pretty often so send her a hug!