Three-Point Shots, Vol. 2, No. 16: November 22, 2024
A moronic Congressman, a low-IQ state rep, and some corrupt legislators walk into a bar …
Welcome to another edition of Three-Point Shots, a part of my Life Its Ownself Substack page. If you enjoy reading it, please 1) hit the Like button, 2) subscribe to Life Its Ownself, and 3) share it with others in the link below. Comments are welcome and encouraged.
But first, your moment of Zen … Lupita, who hangs out with her owner at the Marathon Public Library.
Friday, November 22, 2024
Quote of the Day: “If Donald Trump says, ‘Jump three feet high and scratch your head,’ we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads. That’s it.”
Rep. Troy Nehls, (R-MAGA Insanity)
Today is the 61st anniversary of the assassination of President John Kennedy in Dallas, Texas. For people of my generation, the Kennedy murder was the 9/11 event of our lifetimes – nothing after it would ever be the same.
As a public service, from time to time I publish a list of some of the Substack feeds that I like and rely upon to shape my thinking. Usually, I put them at the end of a newsletter. Today I am putting them up top, in hopes you will check out some of them and subscribe. Tell them I sent you!
LoneStarLeft’s Newsletter by Michelle H. Davis. Her well-researched takes on Texas politics and elections will deepen your understanding.
Texas To The World by Jim Bob Moore. Jim bring years of experience reporting on Texas government and politics to bear in compelling essays. But his writer’s eye wanders far wider.
The Border Chronicle, by Melissa del Bosque and Todd Miller. Good writing, free of political cant, about what’s happening at the border.
In the Pink, by Eileen Smith. Can one be funny and acerbic consistently? She can.
On Texas Nature, by Misti Little. Misti reminds us that, yes, we have nature in Texas, no matter how badly we abuse it.
Unf*cking Midlife, by Ashley Kelsch. The trials and tribulations of a smart, self-aware Texas woman navigating her 40s.
1. Troy Nehls Is a Moron. But More Dangerously, He Is a True Believer.
I have written before about Texas GOP Congressman Troy Nehls, whose entire political career is a tribute to the bad judgment of the voters of CD-22 southwest of Houston. This is, you may recall, the district that gave us Ron Paul, the first certified loon to be elected to Congress, and Tom DeLay, whose corruption and ruthlessness set a new low back in the early 2000s. The good people of CD-22 have apparently learned nothing since.
Some reporter or reporters – those responsible have been sacked – mistakenly asked Rep. Nehls how he viewed the coming congressional session. He responded with a masterclass in moronic sycophancy and incipient authoritarianism:
“There’s no question [Donald Trump] is the leader of our party. So now he’s got a mission statement, and his mission, and his goals and objectives, whatever that is, we need to embrace it. All of it. Every single word. . . . If Donald Trump says, ‘Jump three feet high and scratch your head,’ we all jump three feet high and scratch our heads. That’s it.”
Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Van Down By the River
The orderlies were able to restrain him and drag him back into the bowels of whichever House office building they let him visit, but the damage was done.
People of CD-22, meet me at camera three:
“Listen, we have to talk. I believe in all this democracy stuff as much as you do. Come to think of it, probably more than you do, but let’s not quibble. I respect your right to elect leaders of your choosing. All I’m asking is that you respect yourselves enough to quit choosing people who make you look like goobers.”
(Keep reading to find out why this is ironic.)
2. Fire Ted Cruz? Fire John Cornyn? If Only We Could!
I’m sure we all have those moments where we think to ourselves, “Self, I wish we could just fire our U.S. Senator, voters be damned!” Well, State Rep. Brian Harrison (R-Ignorant), must agree with you. He’s filed H.B. 1267, which would allow a U.S. Senator to be removed from office by a majority vote of both houses of the Texas Legislature.
A few things to note here. First, Brian must have been dozing through civics class on the day they explained the 17th Amendment, which provides in part, “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, …“ The 17th Amendment was passed by Congress in 1912 and quickly ratified by the states in 1913. Prior to that, senators were elected by state legislatures, and Harrison has proposed we return to that. Nothing like going backwards a full century or more.
Second, Harrison’s bill is thus unconstitutional. Being unconstitutional is not an automatic death sentence for a bill in the Texas Legislature, but were it to pass, it would be quickly struck down by a court.
Third, Harrison filed this bill, allowing the Lege to take down U.S. Senators by a mere majority vote – the same margin required to congratulate the Dime Box High School marching band on winning a regional piccolo competition – when Texas has two GOP Senators and one of them – the repellent Ted Cruz – has just been reelected by a comfortable margin. Why would a GOP member propose something so potentially disastrous to his fellow travelers? Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men, but Harrison is part of the extreme reactionary MAGA crowd that is making Texas government more venal and stupid.
3. Pre-Session Bill Filings Never Fail To Entertain
For lovers of its intricacies, one of the great rituals of the Texas Legislature is the early bill-filing period that begins the Monday after the general election and continues until the Lege convenes on the second Tuesday of January. Longtimers like Sen. Judith Zaffirini (D-Laredo) delegate a staff member to camp out in front of the Senate Secretary’s Office so they can be first in line and get coveted low bill numbers. Other legislators file bills that have no chance of passing but will make great press release fodder back home. Still others file bills on, say, vouchers, hoping to make themselves part of the conversation next spring.
This year, 1,511 bills or resolutions were filed on the first day, a record. To identify the Worst of the Worst would, unfortunately, strain my attention span and tolerance for b.s. beyond the breaking point, but the Texas Tribune has a summary of some bills filed, broken down into subject-matter categories. Also, check out LoneStarLeft Newsletter’s highlightsof first-day filings.
The 89th Texas Legislature will begin on Tuesday, January 14, and end on June 2. It will only seem like it lasts forever.
Jiminy Crickets, Deece, I can't believe you didn't mention Texas' Board of Education voting to allow public schools to start using bible-based lessons in their reading and language arts curriculum next year.
Here's a few explanatory excerpts from today's NY Times article by, Troy Closson:
"The curriculum incorporates into English lessons stories from the Bible such as Jesus and his Sermon on the Mount, the parable of the Prodigal Son and the Old Testament tale of Esther.
...The state’s largest teachers’ union and many parents — including some Christians — argue that the lessons blur the line between instruction and proselytizing, and present scripture as factual truth to children as young as 5.
But Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican, and other supporters of the new program say that the Bible is a fundamental text in American history and that students’ reading comprehension will suffer without a robust knowledge of its stories and themes.
...About half of Texas students in third through eighth grade read below their grade levels on state tests; the state’s education commissioner says he is hopeful that the new curriculum will improve their outcomes."
Obviously our State Board of Education is taking "Reading is Fundamental" literally. Our blessed Guv sees the value in raising a fresh crop of the faithful to be voters, commissioners, and legislators who'll work to replace the law book with The Good Book to help guide our Lone Star State. It's about time we showed Florida who's on top of the nut pile.
Beautifully said - every jot and tittle. (Give Lupita a good ear scratch next you visit the library).