Anybody here from Texas? If you are and don't like this redistricting stuff, it's time to get busy! Call these people:

Governor Rick Perry- R (512) 463-2000

Lt. Governor David Dewhurst - R (512) 463-0001

>>>THE UNCERTAIN FIVE<<<

Senator Bill Ratliff- R (512) 463-0101

Senator Jeff Wentworth- R (512) 463-0125

Senator Ken Armbrister- D (512) 463-0118

Senator Frank Madla- D (512) 463-0119

Senator Eddie Lucio- D (512) 463-0127

If you don't make your opinion known, it is worthless. Silence is consent, remember? E-mail is fine too, but from what I was told, your elected officials respond best to personal visits and then to phone calls. You can call your house member as well, but the house is considered a done deal. If anyone needs help with information on how to contact someone other than those above, feel free to contact me and I will help you any way I can. If you want to see the latest map, go here and click the button at the bottom of the bulleted list. Look for the last congressional plan on the list.

I want to recommend a Texas organization you can register with. They are sending e-mail updates about what is going on with the legislature: Texas Grassroots Network. Their name should make it obvious what they are about. They are starting in Central Texas, but want this to go statewide. So, if you live outside the counties listed, please contact them about your county.

The special session does not seem to be going the way the Republicans/DeLay wanted it to. I don't think they wanted this much publicity. They were hoping just to slide this through and hope nobody noticed. At this point, at least, it looks like they miscalculated.

There are some very good signs out there: All the people showing up at the redistricting hearings; growing pressure on the Bush administration about the war--even some of the press are starting to pay attention. There's even a woman at my daughter's day care who is fed up. Another person now knows she is not alone. This is what we have to do. Any time you hear someone complain, drop this on them: "Welcome to George Bush's America!!", and wait for their response. Maybe you can bring someone along.

What I say next is a caution and it is not something I like to think about: If the pressure gets too bad, it may be time to ratchet the fear back up. Last time Bush was getting trouble this bad was around September 2001. They govern with fear and division--remember that, no matter what they say!

A recap of the Moveon primary: After The MoveOn Primary.

War without end, Amen. Bush: Iraq Transformation Is a 'Long-Term' Project .

This is really long, but looks good: BEYOND BUSH - Part I.

More of our humble foreign policy: U.S. Bans Military Aid to Almost 50 Countries.

This looks very interesting, A Declaration of Energy Independence.

I can't remember if I already posted this but it is a good read. US shooting in the dark in Afghanistan.

Do you know how Bush is treating the military? Army Time editorial, complete .
- posted by Mom/Dad @ 8:28 AM