Standing With Wendy
Okay here’s the deal, Bubba and I had a reception at our house tonight for the three young Battleground Texas fellows. We raised a little money to help them pay for gas and got them some contacts to get to know the activists in the county. I think my county hit the Battleground Texas lottery. We have three great kids – Elizabeth, Brianna, and Larry. Adrienne Bell, the damn near perfect Battleground Texas organizer for 7 counties, including mine, also came and explained their plans.
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The entire time, we had one ear – and a good reporter, thank you Glen Maxey – tuned to Wendy Davis’s filibuster on the Texas Senate floor. Last I heard (about 9:00) there were 1,000 people waiting to get into the senate chambers.
The President tweeted that something special is happening in Texas.
No shoot, Sherlock!
Senator Davis has two points of order (strikes) against her. One for discussing Roe v. Wade, which the Republicans said was not “germane” to women’s reproductive rights. The second was for Senator Rodney Ellis actually touching her very briefly to adjust her back brace. Three strikes and she’s out. That, apparently, is their plan.
If they do, 1,000 Texans in Austin and thousands more at home are ready to stand their ground. Bubba just told me that 36,000 people are watching the filibuster on You Tube.
This is Wendy at 9:30 pm, with 2 and half hours to go. She can have no water, no bathroom breaks, no food, no leaning on the podium, no sitting. She’s gonna make it.
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I’m staying up. I’m standing with Wendy.
With 2 hours to go, Lt Gov David Dewhurt ruled that sonograms have nothing to do with reproductive rights. That’s 3 strikes. He says it is over. Shouts of Let Her Speak from the gallery. The DPS is removing people from the gallery.
Senator Kirk Watson appeals the decision of the chair. I think he’s hoping to keep the appeal going for 2 hours.
The parliamentary debate continues at 10:30. Lt Gov Dewhurst has left the chamber. I just heard that 103,000 are watching on You Tube. Senator Wendy Davis is still standing.
54 minutes left with the microphones off and all manner of cahooting going on.
Senator Leticia Van de Putte is everybody’s other hero tonight. There’s 3000 people in the rotunda yelling even louder. Republicans would be fools to railroad this now.
I am damn proud to be a Texas woman tonight! The citizens filibuster finished the job.
Nobody seems to know what is going on. My state rep just called and fears that the GOP snuck it through. There has been some wrestling in the gallery with DPS officers.
“WHO WOULD HAVE EVER DREAMED THAT THE AMERICAN SPRING WOULD HAVE STARTED IN TEXAS?” Margot Nielsen
I’ll tell you know what happened when I know. It’s 12:30 and nobody seems to know what happened.
As we wait to find out what happened, some of you have asked me where to send money. Contributions both small and large can be made here where I can personally promise you it will be spent wisely.
Okay, it all boils down to when did the vote happen. Republicans say 11:59 and Democrats (and everybody watching) sat 12:02. There will be a court battle.
Oh lord Mike, he’s such a blooming idiot just nearly anything could set him off! I don’t think he can read!
1Unruly mob – no you misogynistic neanderthal those are the “people” as in WE THE PEOPLE
http://www.statesman.com/news/news/davis-starts-filibuster-to-stop-abortion-bill/nYTqs/
Wendy Davis for Governor!!!!
2Bravo to Wendy and all you amazing Texans who fight for what is right against the insanity that is the Texas legislature!
3Just sent my money to Act Blue. Wish it could have been more.
4Kyle, Kirk Watson deserves the Best Supporting Actor honor after the Republicans set off their IEDs to finally interrupt Wendy’s heroic performance. The guy kept his wits about him and used memorable debating skills, parliamentary moxie and oratory to steal more precious minutes from the oafish and ham handed muggers on the other side. They finally had to club him down to take him out of action. Best Supporting Actress goes to Leticia van de Putte for hastening back from her father’s funeral, whose pointed and poignant question ignited the gallery into screams and shouts a
5… nd helped run out the clock.
6I am in awe of Wendy Davis. I’m going shopping today for my own pair of pink sneakers.
7Diane, I sent my bit to Wendy Davis through Act Blue also. And wish it could have been more.
8Congratulations!
From Russia: http://rt.com/usa/texas-filibuster-abortion-bill-257/
9Dewhurst announced around 3:00 a.m. that the bill could not be signed and was dead. But Tricky Ricky will call them all back in for Special Session #2.
10Unfortunately, Edith Ann, I feel sure you are right! Told
11my long suffering spouse the same last night!
UmptyDump: I’m with you. Wendy Davis was amazing. I can’t imagine the physical misery she endured. But without the support and actions of Kirk Watson and Leticia van de Putte we likely wouldn’t have prevailed.
12I keep hearing that Perry will call another session, but I want to believe that this has been such a wake-up call about what the people can do if truly inspired/provoked that he won’t do so. Of course, he has the personality and reflexes of a rattlesnake so who knows.
Another point: a commenter on a news site claimed to be a Texan and insisted that all those thousands of people at the
Capital were from foreign states. She simply couldn’t comprehend that there are sane, intelligent, caring, passionate people in Texas. Eventually we will win. We have to.
Reading all the running commentary gave me goosebumps and tears this morning! And was so glad to see on Facebook that the BILL DID NOT PASS!! God bless Wendy for sticking it to the Good Ole Boys of Texas and all these women … and men … who were cheering her on and backing her up! Lord knows we need more strong, determined women in this country and it will be those women who get this country back up and running and on the right track … taking care of EVERYONE … not just the chosen few!
13Left capitol after midnight, sure that Dewhurst and the Republicans would find some way to declare the bill had passed. And they tried, down to temporarily altering the time step in the journal. For now, the bill is dead but expect another special session to be called before the end of today.
14Was in hall outside the Senate gallery from shortly after the third “violation” was called. And it was loud! Sounded like someone had smuggled in a huge bass drum. The shouts of “Shame” and “Wendy” were deafening. Literally couldn’t hear the woman next to me when she shouted into my ear, asking what was happening. This morning, my ears are still ringing! Driving past the capitol on 11th on way home, could hear the chanting from the rotunda. Amazing! Staying up until the really wee hours is a young person’s chore, but glad I was there for four hours. Watched the senate live feed until after 2 a.m. once I got home although there wasn’t much happening after they called for a members conference away from the chamber. Proud of all those who stayed. And VERY proud of Wendy and all the other Democratic senators.
The important one I often address as, “Yes, dear,” asked to be included in this comment:
First, desired ends cannot justify the means employed. The Republicans cheated: Rules? We don’t need no stinking rules! Actions have consequences and sooner or later they must pay the piper.
Second, to cheat, and cheat again, and again, and still lose? At least Dewhurst can take comfort in knowing he looked almost erudite compared to Senator Duncan when he was in the chair.
Lastly, our senator, Wendy Davis, pitched nine plus fabulous innings, and Kirk Watson was a hell of good reliever, out of the bullpen. The Democrats shined; the Republicans were without honor.
15Row vs. Wade and sonograms have nothing to do with this bill? How do they continue to get away with lies and outrageous over and over again?
16Even though we know Perry will call special session #2, very inspiring to know we have a temporaqry “win” and the rest of the country just witnessed the amount of cheating that the republicans do in TX on a regular basis. Along with Senators Davis, Watson, van de Putte, I feel we need to recognize the assist that was tendered by Senator West. He managed to point out on national TV how they were cheating and “misremembering” the order of things without actually using any offensive words. Of course, it also managed to help run down the clock as he did so in a (explain it all to me slowly again as I have difficulty understanding and reading) slow deliberate way. If anyone actually thinks he is “slow” they need to watch his movements around the floor during all the mess. He managed to twist Duncan and the parliamentarian in knots all while seeming to ask innocent timing questions. A thing of beauty.
17Thought it was 13 innings Uncle Dave? 😉
You know these people yak on about God’s will until you just want to puke. Has it ever occurred to them that they might be WRONG?? That free will trumps all these actions of force majuere? That Copernicus and Galileo were RIGHT and it took the religious goobers 400 YEARS to get around to apologizing and acknowledging it??? Good grief!!
18So proud of you Texas women! I wish I could have been there to stand with you. Repulsive Republicans showed their black hearts to the world.
19Juanita Jean
Thank you for keeping us up to date. I hope everyone who was at the Capitol last night and everyone watching ( thinking people I mean- Democrats) is registered to vote. If not, they need to take care of that this week. Also, those in states like Texas will need that photo ID as well. GET IT DONE this week, people! If we all get ten more (Democrats) folks registered in the next week, wouldn’t that be a great way to celebrate July 4th?
20WOW. What a night. And morning.
Ladies, are you intelligent? Can you multi-task? Would you like to change the lives of women & children in Texas for the better? Then join the Democratic Party of Texas and run for office!
To paraphrase M K Shamalan, “I see electable people”.
21UmptyDump:
My middle child was watching the Texas Tribune feed last night. During her senior year in high school, my middle child was the Lt. Governor of the State of Texas for Junior Statesmen of America. JSA uses the exact same rules as the Texas Senate and she had pulled up a copy of the rules during last night’s event. I kept getting calls as to how Dewhurst and later Sen. Duncan were ignoring the rules. The parliamentarian was just making crap up at the end. Kirk raised a great point and it took the parliamentarian 25 or so minutes to come up with a “reasoned” opinion to get around the rules. It was really sad.
Dewhurst and Duncan ignored and violated Senate rules last night to force the vote and even then they lost. It was a great night.
22I constantly spent my half an hour to read this blog’s articles or reviews all the time along with a mug of coffee.
23I am so happy about you Texas women “baring your arms!” and standing up to those troglodytes in your Lege, words do not come to mind. Congrats and keep up the good fight, because it is the good fight.
24From the State of Illinois, we thank you.
We were watching out here on the Oregon coast and we are proud of you Texas Women. We Love Wendy.
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