Katherine Haenschen Posts

Good news, women of Texas! Your soon-to-be-senior senator agrees with Indiana senate candidate Richard Mourdock that your pregnancies that result from rape are a blessing.
Mourdock ignited a firestorm of controversy in a debate this week when he said -- out loud, on the TV, when people could hear him -- "Life is a gift from God. And, I think, even when life begins in that horrible situation of rape, it is something that God intended to happen."
Now, NRSC chair John Cornyn is

A private, for-profit healthcare system is putting their own bottom line over the health of our community right here in Travis County.
St. David's Healthcare, a private, for-profit hospital system, is now campaigning against Central Health Proposition 1 because its passage would hurt their corporate bottom line. The Austin American-Statesman reported today that St. David's has come out against the local ballot proposition to raise funds to support bringing a medical...

No surprise here: State Senator Wendy Davis has been named to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee's 2012 Essential Races List. The only Democrat from Texas to make the list, Davis is recognized for her filibuster against the Republicans' $5 billion cuts to public education.
They write:
Texas Senate District 10 -- Wendy Davis
Why this Race Matters:

Last night we broke the story of a man in Northwest Austin who lynched an empty chair from a tree in his front lawn, seemingly intended to represent the first African-American president.

We've since received an updated photo from a neighbor that should clarify whether the homeowner meant the display to make a political statement. The image is at left.

The homeowner has attached an American flag to the chair. If anyone wasn't clear before that he meant the President, hopefully this decorative addition will make it clear: the homeowner is suggesting that Barack Obama be lynched.

This image should curdle the blood of all patriotic Americans regardless of partisan leanings. Our flag is a symbol of our great country, and the ideals of diversity and opportunity that make us a beacon of hope and democracy around the world. Generations of service members have fought and died to protect what that flag represents.

Yet because one sad, old racist can't handle the fact that the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is African-American, he ties that same flag to a public display calling for that President's violent, racially charged death.

Unfortunately, our Austin neighbor is not the first person to come up with the "clever" idea of lynching a chair. A man in Virginia lynched a chair with a "Nobama" sign on it over the weekend, as reported by our friends at Blue Virginia.

Meanwhile, this story is garnering national attention across the blogosphere, and will unfortunately only confirm the worst stereotypes of Texans as intolerant racists. We're not all crazy bigots, and that's why we've got to push back strongly against displays of racism both overt and subtle. Texans, do you really want this kind of imagery to represent our great state? We're the home of LBJ, signer of the Civil Rights Act, and we have a proud history of African-American and Hispanic civil rights efforts.

Demographically, this dude's time is limited. He's 73. Across Texas, the majority of our public school students are Hispanic and African-American. According to the Census Bureau, most children younger than age 1 are minorities.

The Republican Party continues to visibly brand itself as the last respite for public racism, and thankfully it won't win them many elections much longer.

Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina hit the nail on the head when he pointed out that "We're not generating enough angry white guys to stay in business for the long term." That isn't stopping the angry demographic from raging against the dying of their white majority.

Incidents like this remind us that we've still got a long way to go, and that far from "solving" racism, the election of our country's first African-American president only revealed the festering, backwards beliefs clung to by those who fear the increasingly diverse future of our nation.

As of the time of this post's publication, the chair was still hanging in effigy in Northwest Austin. Neighbors report that the homeowner had a "guard" on his lawn yesterday protecting his installation. If the homeowner wanted to draw attention to his backwards views about the President, he appears to have succeeded beyond his wildest imagination.

::

Previously on BOR: Republican Lynches Empty Chair in Racist Presidential Effigy in Northwest Austin

In light of Clint Eastwood's speech at the Republican National Convention, in which he had a largely one-sided conversation with an empty chair he pretended was Barack Obama, this imagery is now associated with the President.

The image of the chair is associated with the President. Now, lynch that chair from a tree, and you've got a pretty awful racist sentiment calling for lynching the first African-American President!

Yesterday on Facebook, a friend posted a link to ClaimItTexas.org, which redirects to the Texas Unclaimed Property Official Website, encouraging folks to look themselves up and see who owes them some property, especially some money. Lo and behold, the financial behemoth that acquired my former bank and sent me skittering to a credit union owes me $20.

Twenty whole dollars!

You may find out you're owed much more, or perhaps only a few bucks or nothing at all.

But here's my challenge to you: take whatever money you're owed (or some of it, if you're owed a LOT of money, claim it, and then donate to the Democratic candidate of your choice.

I'm giving my $20 to Elizabeth Warren, candidate for US Senate in MA, because I find her inspiring, and because working folks desperately need her in the Senate to help rein in the biggest abuses of the biggest banks. Since my $20 comes as a result of some anti-consumer conglomeration practices, it's only fitting. (Fear not, I've given lotsa dollars to Texas Democrats this cycle already, with more to come.)

There are plenty of worthy and deserving Democrats who should get whatever you find you're owed, so check out the Burnt Orange to Blue page for more ideas, OR advocate for your favorite candidates in the comments.

End of quarter FEC deadlines are coming soon, as are the 30-day TEC reports. Claim your money and give it to a Democrat, and invest in a Bluer tomorrow!

Back in Charlotte, KVUE caught up with BOR's own Joe Deshotel about the convention, our party, and our President. Take a look:

Here's what Joe had to say during the clip:

"It's very clear on social issues he's the most progressive, most forward, most inclusive candidate in this race, and I think the information about the economy has picked up, but it's still slow," said Joe Deshotel, a Texas delegate from Austin. "Obama has said his job is incomplete, and he needs another four years to push his economic agenda and continue to grow the economy."

I guess you could say KVUE is Fired Up and Ready for Joe!  

Proud Laredo native, University of Texas graduate and President of College Democrats of America Alejandra Salinas made a strong pitch at the Democratic National Convention for why young voters need to support President Barack Obama. Here's the video:

Alejandra hit the nail on the head in her speech: "Some people say young people aren't excited about this election; that it isn't about us. But the decisions made over the next four years will affect us more than anyone." Young voters need to get back to the polls to support Barack Obama, and we should be eager to do it because of the support Obama has given us.

Healthcare: Insured 3.1 million more young Americans through Obamacare, allowed people to stay on parents' plan to age 26, ended insurance companies' discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions


Education Access: Doubled Pell Grants, reformed student loans, created a path to student debt forgiveness, expanded the GI Bill


Economy and Jobs: 30 straight months of added jobs, 4.6 million new jobs created since he took office


Financial Reform: Signed a law protecting young people from abusive practices of the credit card industry, created Consumer Finance Protection Bureau to prevent worse abuses of big banks


LGBT Rights: Repeated Don't Ask Don't Tell, signed a Hate Crimes Protection Act, first sitting President to publicly support same-sex marriage


Women's Rights and Health: Signed Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act to end sex-based pay discrimination, expanded women's access to birth control and preventative care, supports abortion rights, and supports Planned Parenthood


Clean Energy: Doubled fuel efficiency standards, doubled wind and solar energy sources, invested in 15,000 clean energy projects that provided 225,000 jobs


Immigration: President Obama supports the DREAM Act and has already stopped deportations of DREAM-eligible students.

Meanwhile, Mitt Romney wants to shut down Planned Parenthood, opposes marriage equality and the DREAM Act, and wants to return to the robber-baron era of letting fat-cat corporatists rule the country while young people can't afford to get an education or pursue our dreams. Mitt Romney is out of touch with our generation's inclusive, open-minded cultural attitudes, and will do serious harm to our economic and educational opportunities.

Mitt Romney has called young Americans a "lost generation." Now, it's time for us young voters to tell Mitt Romney to get lost. Make sure you're registered to vote at your current address, so you can vote for President Barack Obama this November. Go to GottaRegister.com and get it done NOW. The future you save will be your own.

Want to learn more? Check out the gorgeous Young Americans for Obama website. Meanwhile, the full text of Alejandra's speech below the jump.  

Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by Alejandra Salinas, President of College Democrats of America

Buenas noches, democratas!

My name is Alejandra Salinas, a native of Laredo, a proud, recent graduate of the University of Texas, and on my way to law school at Boston College.

Four years ago, on campuses all across the country, young people rose up to change the course of American history. In record numbers, we came together and finally elected a president who understands our struggles, shares our dreams and believes in our future.

Some people say young people aren't excited about this election; that it isn't about us. But the decisions made over the next four years will affect us more than anyone. And on November 6th, we're going to send Barack Obama back to the White House!

Because of the president's Affordable Care Act, 3.1 million young Americans who were previously uninsured can stay on their parents' health insurance. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan want to repeal health reform and take that coverage away.

President Obama doubled funding for Pell Grants. Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan would cut scholarships that are so critical to creating opportunities for those that need them most.

This president, on so many issues-immigration, LGBT rights, women's health -has proven that he cares about all of us, and that he'll keep on expanding opportunity. As a young, LGBT Latina, it seems to me that Mitt Romney only cares about an elite few.

Mitt Romney recently called my generation a "lost generation."  He's wrong. We know exactly where we're going: forward, not backward. We're going to register voters, knock on doors, turn out the vote-and on November 6th, re-elect our true champion, President Barack Obama!

Greetings from Charlotte! It's early on the delegation, but the crowd is already up on their feet clapping along to Mavis Staples. Energy is running high, and the arena looks mostly full even though President Obama isn't set to speak for almost five hours. The most notable Texan in the program tonight is Eva Longoria, who joins a star-studded lineup of people eager to see President Barack Obama re-elected. Those of us in Charlotte will be posting photos and tweeting from the floor, while our friends back in Austin will update us from the watch party there.

Update 6:14 p.m. University of Texas student and national president of College Democrats of America Alejandra Salinas took the stage to outline the many ways that President Obama has helped young voters, from health insurance reform to student loan reform to support for LGBT rights. Great job, Alejandra!

Greetings from Charlotte, where the Democratic National Convention heads into its second evening of business, featuring an impressive roster of speakers on a wide range of issues: immigration, small business, women's health, education, and energy. Rather than organize each night of the convention around one individual theme (as the RNC did), the Democrats demonstrate each and every night that we're better on a wide range of issues, and offer a broader array of policy solutions and ideas to address the challenges we face and move America forward.

Tonight's speakers feature a dizzying array of elected officials, candidates, distinguished party leaders, and regular folks who can testify to the positive impact President Obama's first term has had on their lives and livelihoods. Just a cursory glimpse at the prime-time coverage makes clear how much more diverse the Democratic convention is than the DNC in terms of ethnicity and sexuality. Heck, the line for the bathroom here in Charlotte probably has more people of color in it than the entire RNC delegation.

We'll keep you updated throughout the evening, and we'll start our live-blogging around 7:00 p.m.

One of the featured speakers tonight is University of Texas grad Austin Ligon, Co-Founder and CEO of CarMax, Inc., the country's largest used auto seller. Ligon is also a well-known and widely respected Texas Ex: along with his wife, Pan Lamsan he donated $1 million to UT's Plan II study abroad program to ensure that students have the opportunity to experience international cultures during their undergraduate years. As Ligon said when he founded the fund, international travel "opened my eyes to the fact that my perspective on the world was just one tiny little portion of the ways in which the world could be viewed."

However, Ligon won't be speaking about the importance of  broadening horizons and experiencing diversity -- he'll be talking about why President Obama is better for business than Mitt Romney. During the Republican National Convention Ligon was on hand to rebut erroneous GOP assertions about Obama's economic policies, so it should be interesting to see what he has to say tonight.  

Ligon steps on the stage right before a section of the program about President Obama's rescue of the Detroit automakers, which kept manufacturing in America and prevented thousands of workers from being laid off. Given his background with CarMax it's plausible that Ligon could touch on that topic as well. We'll find out later tonight!

Keep checking back throughout the evening as we update from Charlotte! We'll start our live-blogging Twitter feed around 7:00 p.m.  

Texans are still aglow from Mayor Julian Castro's keynote address last night. Delegates from across the rest of the nation also seem eager to compliment Texas on promoting a leader to the national stage who isn't a complete and utter disaster.

Overall, energy is high, and delegates are clearly having fun attending caucus meetings and panel discussions. In addition to the official events at the convention center, there are panels and speakers over at The PPL, and plenty of parties, gatherings, and events thrown by progressive organizations. Our Texans are certainly having a good time, as evidenced by how few people were at our delegation breakfast before 8:00 a.m. today!

Here's a quick run-down of what's going on today, and what to expect tonight.

Blogger Briefing with Sandra Fluke: The now-famous Georgetown Law student who spoke up in favor of women's health and helped make a mockery of the GOP in the process stopped by our daily blogger briefing today. She framed the election as a really important choice for women not only on reproductive health issues, but economic ones as well. Mitt Romney refuses to say whether he supports fair pay for women, and has at least admitted he won't "make things worse." That's just downright inspiring. Not.

I asked Fluke if in her travels she thought the message about women's health was getting out past the hyper-informed folks who follow politics closely. She said yes, and that women understand what's at stake and are taking this threat to our healthcare access very seriously. Fluke noted that on the trail she also stresses issues beyond birth control and abortion, including Republican opposition to reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act, and Ryan's support of personhood laws that would make parts of in vitro fertilization illegal. Fluke didn't mince her words: "This election is about information. If you know [Romney] vetoed a bill that would give victims of rape access to emergency contraception in the ER, it's a clear choice."

Texans on the Stage Today: While our delegation is still full of pride over Mayor Castro's speech last night, several more Texans will take the stage and speak to the assembled convention tonight.

Congressman Al Green will be speaking shortly before 6:00 p.m. Texas time along with other members of the Congressional Black Caucus. After 7:00 p.m., Cecile Richards will take the stage as the cornerstone of the section of tonight's program about women's health. During the 8:00 hour, University of Texas graduate Austin Ligon, Co-Founder and Former CEO of CarMax, will speak about how President Obama rescued the American auto industry. After President Clinton wraps up his remarks, the nomination process will begin, and Texas will vote to nominate President Barack Obama. Should be a long, fun night!

Odds and Ends: Just so you don't feel like you're missing out...

* Our boisterous Texas delegation showed so spirit during Mayor Castro's speech that they caught the eye of the Tumblr Elections blog.

* The Texas Tribune has a good piece on Linda Chavez-Thompson's address to the Latino Caucus today. I spotted LCT on the floor with our delegation last night and she was in high spirits!

* Julian Castro's daughter Carina has already become a hair-flipping Internet sensation.

* Last but not least, here's a photo of our BOR crew here in Charlotte, hanging out at the Texas delegation party last night. Consider it a caption contest and weigh in on our Facebook page.

We'll start our coverage of the convention proceedings from the arena tonight around 5:30 p.m. Our embedded live-blog will kick off around 7:00 p.m. Check back for more from our merry band of Texans in Charlotte!

This morning I headed out from the Great Wolf Lodge extra early to catch a small discussion with Governor Howard Dean and AFT's Randi Weingarten over at The PPL about education and what we can do as progressives on this crucial issue.

Education looks to be a key issue in Texas this election cycle, after the Republican legislature cut $5 billion from our kids' public schools. Now, Republican Senator Dan Patrick is clamoring to remove even more funding from our communities' public schools via vouchers. These are the kinds of policies that Weingarten and Dean spoke out against, along with other efforts to exacerbate the gap between the "haves" and the "have nots." Weingarten noted that the gap between the rich and poor is wider and starker than it has ever been before, and that our public schools are on the front lines of addressing the needs of the 1 in 4 children that live in poverty. She made clear that public education answers the question of how we as a society can mitigate poverty and provide the best and brightest future for all of our kids.

Dean and Weingarten directly called for bold leadership to address the multitude of crises our students and teachers face. Weingarten described it as a "triple whammy" facing our education system and the people in it: schools are getting cut and losing funding, students aren't getting the information they deserve, and for-profit enterprises are trying to harvest what money remains in our schools through strategies that have been proven not to work for our children. She noted the sharp difference between those of us on the Left trying to make schools and education better using techniques that are proven to get results, and those on the Right who want to tear down our public schools, demonize teachers, and abandon investment in education.

Not surprisingly, the AFT chief -- who is an extremely impressive and inspiring woman, might I add -- called for collective action to remedy what ails our public schools. "Individuals don't have any power without collective action," she stated. We need to stay united and resist right-wing tricks to pit parents against teachers and divide us by socio-economic status. While some kids are born with all the opportunity in the world, there are a whole lot of people that need to have the field leveled in order to achieve their potential. We need to raise up the level of opportunity for those on the bottom. If we want to excel in the STEM fields, Weingarten stated, we must create an environment where kids imagine what it is like to be a scientist. She spoke of 5th graders in New Mexico who were clamoring for science, but due to high-stakes-testing-driven curricula had never had science or social studies classes. She called on those in attendance to help get these stories out and share the on-the-ground struggles faced by our educators.

It was a great session. We need to tell the stories about what is going on in our Texas schools, and get the message out about the dire costs of Republican budget cuts to our Texas schoolchildren. That's definitely something we can bring back from Charlotte and start implementing in our communities, and a great way to keep living our Democratic values long after the convention gavels out.  

One of the more moving parts of last night's program was a video tribute to the late Senator Edward Kennedy. His lifetime of advocacy for progressive causes -- healthcare, education, fair wages, voting rights, immigration reform -- lives on today. Every value we hold dear as Democrats and progressives is something that Ted Kennedy fought for during his legendary career.

Beyond honoring Kennedy's own achievements, this video includes a clip of Kennedy debating Mitt Romney in 1994 when the Republican challenged him for US Senate. The clip highlights Romney's previously held support for safe and legal abortion in America, a view Romney has apparently abandoned in an effort to court the right-wing conservatives that dominate his party. Kennedy skewers Romney, and calls him "Multiple Choice" long before it was cool.

Take a look, have a laugh and a bit of a cry:

Admit it, it made you well up a little bit too.  

Mayor Julian Castro proved to the world tonight that Texas has real leaders ready to meet the challenges of our state and our nation.

In his historic keynote tonight, Castro reminded the rest of the country that we're not just a state of bumbling Republican yahoos who can't count to three, who proffer endless ideological lawsuits intent on ginning up partisan fervor rather than policies that solve the pressing problems facing everyday Texans.

Castro's speech outlined the infrastructure of opportunity that has been a hallmark of his service as Mayor of San Antonio and his brother's service in the Legislature and soon Congress. Castro is not content to see only himself succeed: he wants everyone to have the same opportunity to maximize their potential. His answer to how we multiply the success of one individual is the reelection of Barack Obama and his investment in infrastructure, education, and jobs. As Castro made clear, "opportunity today leads to prosperity tomorrow."

Here in Texas our Republican majority in the Legislature and our Republican governor have already stopped investing in that opportunity, and as a matter of fact are making steep and risky withdrawals from our future, to be paid back dearly by subsequent generations. Slashing billions from education, preventing women from accessing healthcare, running up steep and irresponsible bills that will come due next session, and refusing to be honest about the tremendous challenges facing our state now and in the years ahead -- this is not political courage, but political cowardice.

Meanwhile, President Obama is committed to pursuing the policies that build this opportunity for all, the opportunity that allowed Castro's grandmother, a maid, to see her two grandsons go to Stanford and Harvard and build the foundation for tremendous careers in public service -- as Castro put it, to make sure he was on that stage tonight holding a microphone and not a mop.

President Obama wants to move this country forward and provide that opportunity, a message all of tonight's speeches underscored. Shore up the middle class and build our economy from the middle out, not top-down. Provide opportunity for all, not just those who can afford to live off of their millions in investment income.

This message was not only repeated by but also embodied by tonight's keynote speaker, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro. Castro has a bright future ahead of him, in our state and perhaps nationally. But we can't merely hope that leaders like Castro take office and help lead our state back to greatness, to a Texas that provides opportunity for all of us and showcases leaders of which we can be unabashedly proud. It's going to take hard work to turn our state Blue and give leaders like Castro the chance to take the helm. After tonight's speech, however, I think we'll have a whole lot more hands ready to pitch in.

Tonight's the night for Texas, as San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro gives the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention. His speech is scheduled to start after 9:00 p.m. Texas time (8:00 p.m. for those of you in El Paso). Before that, the DNC will conduct business and hear from other speakers, with several Texans playing a prominent role. Watch it all live at DemConvention.com!

Our staff will be liveblogging starting at 7:00 p.m. Texas time, and I'll post updates from Charlotte as we get underway.

Hispanic Democrats and leaders certainly will play a more prominent role here in Charlotte than they did in Tampa, where Canadian Cuban Ted Cruz was one of the few prominent non-Floridians of Hispanic descent to take the mic. Just after 4:00 p.m. Central time the convention will call to order, and during that first hour Mayor Julian Castro will give the report of the Credentials Committee, which he co-chaired (shout out to Karl-Thomas Musselman, who served on the committee). Later on during the 5:00 p.m. Central hour, Congressman Charlie González will join Congresswoman Nydia Velazquez of New York to give remarks from the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. González is retiring this year, with State Rep. Joaquin Castro set to follow in his footsteps in Congressional District 20. Gonzalez's father, Henry B. González, who held the seat previously, was one of five original organizers started the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in 1976. Castro is stepping into a seat that embodies a long tradition of Hispanic leadership. Mayor Castro's speech will begin after 9:00 p.m. local time. He will be introduced by his brother, Joaquin.

We'll also hear from Nancy Keenan, President of NARAL, Mayor RT Rybak of Minnesota, and Joe Kennedy III, candidate for Congress in Massachusetts, who will follow a video tribute to the late Senator Ted Kennedy.

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Update 5:43 p.m. Congressman Charlie Gonzalez spoke on behalf of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus about how President Obama's administration has given Hispanics a bigger seat at the table than any administration before. In particular he referenced proud Latina Justice Sonia Sotomayor's appointment to the US Supreme Court. He also noted that Mitt Romney has embraced the extremist anti-immigrant policies of Arizona Governor Jan Brewer and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. He closed with a strong economic message about strengthening the middle class and making sure all Americans are equipped to "make their optimum contribution to this country."

"President Obama believes in an America where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded; where everyone gets a fair shot, does their fair share, and plays by the same rules." -- Congressman Charlie Gonzalez

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Update 6:49 p.m.

Earlier tonight, the Democratic Party platform passed on the floor. The platform reflects President Obama's forward-looking vision, and an embrace of building our economy from the middle out, not the top down. Meanwhile the Republican Party passed a platform featuring economic policies that hurt the middle class, extremist positions on immigration, women's health, and Medicare.

President Obama and Democrats are working hard to move America forward, while Mitt Romney and the Republican Party want to drag us back to the Middle Ages. I'm glad to be a member of the party whose platform doesn't call for overt discrimination and second-class status for our fellow Americans! Read the platform here.

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We'll start our staff liveblog shortly after 7:00 p.m. and I'll be updating throughout the evening, so keep checking back for more from Charlotte.  

Greetings from Charlotte! I am coming to you live from the DNC convention, where Burnt Orange Report will be covering all things Democratic over the next few days. Fellow staffers Karl-Thomas Musselman and Joe Deshotel are also here too, so BOR is well represented in the Queen city.

Excitement is high among the Texans and non-Texans alike today in advance of Mayor Julian Castro's big keynote speech. His personal narrative, an only-in-America story that demonstrates how Democratic policies can provide opportunity for all, will be a key element of his message tonight. Our coverage of the speech and the events on the floor of the convention will start around 6:00 pm Texas time.

In the meantime, here's some of what has been going on at the DNC today.

Women's Caucus: The ladies were up and at 'em early this morning to hear from an impressive, all-star roster of female Democrats. I stopped by just in time to hear Minnesota Senator Amy Klobuchar rattle off the progress female Democrats have made in the upper chamber: we now have women chairing the Intelligence, Environmental, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture Committees in the Senate. However, Klobuchar made clear the stakes in this election: Republicans want to take women -- and women's basic reproductive rights -- back 50 years. She urged those in attendance to reach out to other women when they return home, find that common ground, talk to independent and Republican women, and spread the word.

The highlight of the morning was Democratic strategist Donna Brazile, who gave a rousing speech, naming off the proud female Democratic and progressive standard bearers from Bella Abzug to Barbara Jordan. Brazile had the boisterous crowd on its feet repeatedly as she made clear that Mitt Romney and the Republican Party offer nothing for women.

Ashley Judd spoke briefly about the importance of access to birth control and the good work of Planned Parenthood, before handing off to proud daughter of Texas, Cecile Richards, who spoke passionately about everything President Obama has done to provide access for women -- all women -- to basic and reproductive healthcare. "Being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition!" Richards triumphantly told the cheering crowd. She emphasized that if her mother was still around, she'd be telling women to get to work and make sure we elect Democrats up and down the ballot.

Blogger Briefing: I stopped by a mid-day blogger briefing with the Obama campaign, where staffer Brent Colburn had great things to say about Mayor Julian Castro's speech tonight. "We're very excited to have the mayor here," said Colburn. "His story really speaks to the opportunity that is inherent to the United States."

The Obama staff also emphasized the importance of the convention as an organizing tool. North Carolinians who wanted to attend Thursday's speech by the President could earn their way in by doing three three-hour volunteer shifts at a local OFA office. This model was used in Colorado in 2008 and produced many repeat volunteers through Election Day. The campaign will also be registering voters (woo!) at the arena on Thursday, making sure all of the President's supporters are ready to go for November. Additionally, over 4000 house parties are planned across the country for Thursday's speech.

Castro Fever! As I type this, MSNBC is featuring a preview of Mayor Julian Castro's speech tonight. Excitement is high, and folks across the country recognize Castro (and his brother Joaquin, soon to be a member of Congress) as rising stars. Everywhere I've gone today, from the Women's Caucus to the Blogger Briefing, from a pit-stop at the PPL to the Texas delegation shuttle bus (Ok that last one is a gimme), people have been buzzing about Castro. It's great to see someone from Texas gaining national attention for not embarrassing the state for once.

Not even the 3:00 a.m. fire drill in our hotel can quell the excitement the Texan delegation feels at seeing one of our own take center stage tonight. It's hard not to draw parallels to the 2004 speech from my former State Senator, Barack Obama, and tonight's speech from Mayor Castro. While Castro may not ascend to the White House in a mere four years -- I'd love it if he stayed in Texas, ran for governor, and fixed our broken state first -- this is an exciting and tremendous opportunity for the Mayor of San Antonio. We'll certainly be rooting him on.  

What a mean way to kick off the school year: Governor Rick Perry has appointed former Railroad Commissioner and failed Congressional candidate Michael Williams to the top job at the Texas Education Agency.

Williams recently shopped around for a Congressional district after pulling out of Republican US Senate Primary, landing in CD-25 where he failed to even make the run-off. The former Railroad Commissioner -- aka shill for the oil and gas industry -- will take over for former head Robert Scott, who left last month after give years at the TEA. Scott spoke openly about the "perversion" of our public school system's high-stakes testing system.

Michael Williams has little-to-no background on education policy. His Congressional campaign website does not list education on his "Issues" page. Instead, he seems primarily obsessed with slashing taxes and cutting revenue, and repealing Obamacare.

It is unlikely given his background that Williams will oppose the $4 billion cut from public schools last legislative session, or play any role in finding legitimate solutions to funding our public schools and enrollment growth, and preventing our school districts from hemorrhaging education workers.

From the Statesman:

He will have to contend immediately with school finance litigation that goes to trial this fall; battles over a controversial standardized testing system; a continuing budget crunch; and an in-depth review of the agency by the Legislature.

Despite Williams' previous experience Assistant Secretary of Education for Civil Rights in Washington, D.C., he has not been actively involved in education policy in Texas. His primary policy expertise has centered on energy issues. The Texas Railroad Commission regulates the oil and gas industry.

This is more bad news for students and teachers. Williams will be just another sycophantic Perry appointee who won't do anything serious to address the disastrous lack of funding for our Texas public schools. Heck, that's probably why Rick Perry gave him the job!