EA and the R Word

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett’s idea of an Elections Administrator (EA) got some serious run today in the Chron.  Here is what the Chron’s Columnist has to say.

Here’s what the E-Board says.

The Chron’s Columnist kind of says it is a good idea.

The E-Board says it is a good idea but wants the change to happen after the elections.  The E-board also questions the motives of the County Judge and the lame duck County Clerk.

Commentary wants to see us go with an EA so I can wait until after the elections so the new County Clerk and Tax Assessor Collector can have a say.

The President sure isn’t afraid to embrace the “R” word – RESPONSIBILITY.  I was watching his press conference yesterday and he made it very clear that fixing the BP oil spill mess was his responsibility.  I would call it his “the buck stops here” press conference moment.  A lot of other politicians would probably be kicking the problem over to someone else or spending a lot of time blaming other folks.  The President owns it.  This President sure has had to deal with big league problems.

Meanwhile, the BP spill is now the biggest oil spill in U.S history and Dems are beginning to worry that the spill could hurt Dem candidates in November – go figure.

The Crosstown Cup is like our Silver Boot.  The Silver Boot is the trophy that goes to the winner of the ‘Stros–Rangers annual series.  The Crosstown Cup is the trophy that goes to winner of the annual Cubs–White Sox six game series in Chicago.  Guess who sponsors the Crosstown Cup?

About the only good thing about Michael Berry’s remarks yesterday was that he made them on KPRC 950 AM and not on the ‘Stros Flagship Station KTRH 740 AM.

BP of course is the sponsor of the Chicago’s Crosstown Cup – yikes!

We should have won yesterday afternoon if we would have just gotten one measly hit with runners in scoring position.  You know our season is wacky when we’re going to play the first place Reds this weekend – huh!

 

Technorati Tags: Marc Campos,Campos Communications,Latino politics,Texas Latino Politics,Houston Latino Politics,Houston Politics,Houston Elections,Houston Astros,Major League Baseball,President Barack Obama,National Democratic Party,Polluting the environment

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Thanks, But No Thanks!

The President announced he was sending National Guard troops to the border.  Guv Dude says it’s about time and at least it’s a start.  The Former H-Town Mayor says it’s too little and too late.   Sen. McCain says it’s not enough.  Dems in the Senate says that’s all for now.

The President’s EPA says it might take over enforcing the Clean Air Act in the Lone Star State and Dude howls about the federal government violating the 10^th Amendment.  The former H-Town Mayor blames Dude for the feds having to step in.

According to the latest poll, The President has a 55% job disapproval rating in the Lone Star State.   Guess who won’t be invited to campaign for Dems in the Lone Star State this year?

This former MLBer played 15 seasons.  He is ranked 34^th all time for dingers, 45^th for RBIs, 26^th for walks, and 31^st for slugging average.  Is he Hall of Fame worthy and who am I talking about?

The local GOP set up shop in H-Town’s East End and gave out bicycles to Latino students according to a story in the Chron.  They will also be offering English classes.  Hey, at least they are trying.

From Alyson’s Footnotes:

“Major League Baseball will be observing a National Moment of Remembrance on Monday, for three reasons: 1) to remind all Americans on Memorial Day the importance of remembering those who sacrificed their lives in serving their country; 2) provide an opportunity to join this expression of gratitude in an act of unity; and 3) make Memorial Day more relevant, especially to younger Americans.

“Games played Monday afternoon will pause precisely at 3 p.m. (local time) in order for the host teams to play a one minute video in observance of a Moment of Remembrance, to honor those Americans who have sacrificed their lives in serving their country. The Astros are hosting the Nationals that day at 1:05 p.m. CT, so assuming the game moves at a normal pace, the game will probably be in the sixth or seventh inning when the video runs. “

Jeff Bagwell of course had 449 dingers, 1529 RBIs, 1401 walks, and a .540 career slugging average, and also won the 1994 NL MVP and 1991 Rookie of the Year Award.  Baggy is celebrating his 42^nd BD today.  Happy Birthday Baggy!

Sofia Luna Schnieders made her MLB debut last night as she made it to Miller Park last night in her cute brick pink ‘Stros gear with her parents.

Roy O is celebrating his third victory and now has a 2.35 ERA which ranks seventh best in the MLB this season.  If he keeps it up he’s All-Star Game bound for sure.  CNN will be moved aside this afternoon as the ‘Stros wrap it up in Milwaukee.

 

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The Latino Vote 2010, Part 4

From Marisol from my office:

Prior to the passing of SB1070 of Arizona, the focus was on Education within the Latino community. President Obama wanted Education reform and that meant talking about the alarming rate of dropouts among Latinos.  The Pew Hispanic Center has its top two “Featured Research” topics dealing with Education and Immigration:

Hispanics, High School Dropouts and the GED.  &    Hispanics and Arizona’s New Immigration Law .

The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund (NALEO Fund) had this press release in March:  03/19/10:  Latino Officials Urge For ‘No Child Law’ With Stronger Latino Student Focus  .

After the passing of SB 1070 the issue being discussed by NALEO was Immigration.  04/23/10:  NALEO Educational Fund Urges Veto of Arizona Legislation.     04/30/10:  Action Urgently Needed on Comprehensive Immigration Reform.

Univision, the leading TV network in Spanish language programming launched a campaign earlier this year titled “Es el momento” addressing Education among Latinos:  http://www.univision.com/content/channel.jhtml?chid=2&schid=150.   While that campaign is still ongoing, the passing of SB 1070 is now the focus of newscasts, special programming and heated debates on Univision’s TV and radio stations:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_d7IPFWMJ58 .

The two largest national Latino civil rights and advocacy organizations in the United States, National Council of La Raza (NCLR) and League of United Latin American Citizens, (LULAC) have at the top of their webpage links addressing SB1070 titled “Boycott Intolerance”

Thanks Marisol!

Immigration reform and Arizona is the lead topic on the Willie Velasquez Institute website.

Over the past decade, immigration reform has been the only issue that has brought tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of Latinos together at rallies across the country.  Right now immigration reform stirs up passion in many Latino communities.  It is an issue that could determine Latino voter turnout in some communities.

Rahm Emanuel, the President’s Chief of Staff, has called immigration reform the “third rail of politics.”  This kind of rhetoric probably scares some non-Latino Democrats away from the immigration debate.  That is understandable.  However, understand that if some in the Latino community feel that the Democratic Party has abandoned them on this issue, they just might not be enthusiastic voters this fall.   Democrats need to consider making immigration reform the rallying cry in key Latino communities throughout the state.

Here is a related piece on a recent poll:  http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37344303/ns/us_news-immigration_a_nation_divided.

There have been four no-hitters thrown against the ‘Stros.  In only one was the ‘Stros the home team.  In what yard was it thrown?

In today’s Chron.com:  No apologies at HCC

Houston Community College trustee Yolanda Navarro Flores has been asked to apologize for overstepping her role in urging Deputy Chancellor Art Tyler to hire Hispanics to lead the college’s work in building a community college in Qatar.

Don’t expect an apology, said political consultant Marc Campos, who on Tuesday released a 13-page report filed by attorney Alvin Zimmerman on the incident.

Flores’ fellow board members requested the investigation after Tyler reported the incident, which allegedly took place following a trustees meeting in March in which the board approved HCC’s participation in a $45 million deal to create the Persian Gulf nation’s first community college.

"If the board acts on this and reprimands her, what message does it send to other future Latino board members that want to advocate for their community?" Campos asked. "It seems like some folks over there at the community college need to have some thicker skin."

The report outlines interviews with eight people — identified only as Person 1, Person 2 and so on — about their interactions with Flores.

Two people said they overheard the conversation between Flores and Tyler. The others did not.

Tyler is quoted as saying that Flores "demanded that Dr. Tyler insure (sic) that Hispanics be hired to be the leaders" of the contract. He felt the comments "were inappropriate and threatening," according to the report.

Zimmerman concludes that Flores broke board policies against harassment, among other things, and recommends she be required to apologize to Tyler and barred from retaliation.
Campos said Flores decided to release the report in advance of Thursday’s board meeting.

"The board may act on it in executive session," he said. "She wanted to put it out there so folks could see it beforehand."

He’s not denying that Flores pushes the college, and its vendors, to hire Hispanics.

"I think Yolanda has been aggressive, which is what a lot of us want her to be, in terms of promoting Latino professionals," he said. "I think sometimes folks misinterpret her aggressiveness."

Here is one of the things that Trustee Flores is accused of saying:  “I expect some Hispanics in leadership on the International Initiative – Community College of Qatar.”

I think there are a whole lot of us that would expect the same.

Miller Park in Milwaukee of course on Sunday, September 14, 2008, Carlos Zambrano of the Cubbies threw a no-no against the ‘Stros who were the “home team” in the Ike Games thanks to Bud Selig.  There has never been a no-no thrown against the ‘Stros in H-Town.

The Big Puma reads Commentary.  Here is what he had to say after last night’s game:  "We’re just not very good.  We’re not a good offensive team.  Nobody’s hitting. And until we do, what can you say but that?  You can say we’re in a slump, you can sugarcoat it all you want, but we’re just not good.”

Roy O will go tonight – yikes!

 

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The Latino Vote 2010, Part 3

My old pal Billy Leo, a veteran Dem Party leader from Hidalgo County had this to say on Chron.com last week about the Bill White Campaign:  "He might be doing well in Houston with Mexican Americans, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he’s doing well statewide.”

I want to explain to my pal Billy what makes the Houston area Latino community different from other Latino communities across the state.  According to recent census surveys, in Billy’s Hidalgo County, there are 631,194 Latinos and 95.4% are of Mexican descent.  In Harris County, there are 1,506,566 Latinos and 77.1% are of Mexican descent, 13.41% have Central American roots.  In Bexar County, there are 911,852 Latinos and 84% are of Mexican descent.  Dallas County has 903,574 Latinos and 86% are of Mexican descent.

Not all Latinos in the Houston area are Mexican American.  There are 345,058 Latinos that are not.  So the challenge here is more diversity within the Latino community that requires different campaign approaches.   There is also a disconnection of sorts between some parts of the growing Latino community and local elected Latinos.  Let me explain.    We all know that district representatives by nature are closer to their constituents like city council members, state representatives, members of congress, county commissioners, and school board members.  A lot of the recent Latino growth in Harris County has occurred in Southwest Houston, West Houston, and parts of Spring Branch that don’t have Latino elected officials.  So they haven’t experienced electing one of their own from one of their own neighborhoods so you really can’t blame them for feeling a bit disenfranchised and not turning out to vote. They might get excited if they had one of their own Latino elected officials being vocal on issues like immigration reform.

Much of the Latino growth is in areas where we really haven’t mounted consistent campaign organizational efforts.  They haven’t seen campaign workers going through their neighborhoods putting up yard signs and engaging the voters on behalf of credible Latino candidates. So getting them to the polls in an election like the one this November takes extra effort and resources and investment.    This is new territory that is definitely worth an investment….to be continued.

Who holds the ‘Stros record for grounding into the most double plays in a game?

The Texas Tribune put out a poll yesterday that had Rick Perry leading Bill White by nine points in Texas – 44% to 35%.  White leads Perry 43% to 32% among Latinos.  That is pretty much the way Latino numbers look in a poll in Texas a few months before an election.

A number of folks including Dr. Murray are providing their takes on what the poll really says and what it means.  The poll is also being compared to previous polls.   I want to see what the numbers look like once the air wars begin.  I want to see who can best handle the incoming.   I want to see how they react to negative TV and radio campaign ads.  Stay tuned!

CEWDEM gave some run on the issue of an elections administrator in Harris County that County Judge Ed Emmett has floated.  Former State Dem Chair Molly Beth Malcolm likes the idea.  Former SDECer Mary Edwards from Tarrant County likes the idea.  Former local Dem Party Chair Sue Schechter also likes the idea. 

Miguel “Miggy” Tejada of course grounded into three double plays last September 10 in a 9-7 loss to the Braves.  Miggy is celebrating Numero 36 BD today.  Feliz Cumpleanos Miggy!

Am I disappointed in our season to date?  Yep!  Am I giving up hope?  Nope!  We still have over four months to go and I have to believe that Numero 45 and The Big Puma will get it going.  Let’s see how we do on the road against division rivals over the next six games.

 

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The Latino Vote 2010, Part 2 and Judge Emmett’s Idea

Whenever I am asked about H-Town Latino voter turnout, I like to bring up the 1991 H-Town mayoral race.  In 1991, Mayor Kathy Whitmire was facing a challenge from Bob Lanier and State Rep. Sylvester Turner.  I signed on with the Bob Lanier campaign.   Early on during the campaign, it was decided that in order for Lanier to win, a coalition would have to be put together that included Lanier handily winning the Latino vote.  Lanier who is a numbers guy personally told me that he couldn’t get elected mayor unless Latinos supported his candidacy.

Prior to the race, Lanier wasn’t exactly a household name in H-Town much less the Latino community.  Lanier Campaign Manager Craig Varoga and unpaid advisor Dave Walden were both smart enough to know that we had to invest campaign resources in the Latino community.  They were huge proponents of this strategy.  We had to spend some major bucks.

We were on Spanish TV and radio shortly after the campaign went on English language TV and radio.  We actually were on the two major Spanish language TV stations and four radio stations.  We also had a mail program directed at Latino neighborhoods.

We had a message that was directed at Latino voters.  It was something along the lines that the Latino vote would make the difference and the Latino community would be a full partner at City Hall.  The latter message was developed after a year of local media coverage on Latinos and the 1991 redistricting process, so the message resonated in Latino neighborhoods.

It also helped that we, the Lanier campaign, were the only ones on the air in the Spanish language community for the first election.   Of course, not all Latino voters tune in to Spanish language TV or radio, but a lot of Latinos that I know, including friends and family do.  So discussions were occurring among families and friends on the Lanier candidacy because all Latino voters were able to view and hear the Lanier ads in their preferred language.   A side benefit was the fact that the absence on Spanish language airwaves by Whitmire and Turner was viewed as a slight of the Latino community.

Leading up to the first election, we kind of had an idea that the investment was paying off.  Latinos would come up to Lanier at events like church bazaars and tell him that he had won their family’s vote.  In the first go around, Lanier handily won the Latino vote with a higher than expected Latino voter turnout

In the runoff, we immediately went back on the air on Spanish language TV and radio and thanked the Latino voters and told them their vote made the difference and would continue to make the difference in the run-off.  As I recall, with a couple of weeks left before the runoff, the Turner campaign finally got on Spanish language radio with an attack ad calling Lanier a fat cat or something like that but we had pretty much solidified our presence in the community and again won handily in the Latino community in the runoff.  In this instance the investment paid off…… to be continued.

On June 2, 2001, Roy O made his first start as a ‘Stro.  Who did he replace in the rotation?

In today’s Chron there is a story about Harris County Judge Ed Emmett floating the idea of an elections administrator and taking voter registration and election activities away from the Tax Assessor Collector and County Clerk.  Commentary thinks this a very good idea.   Check out the piece.

I like the idea of the County Judge, County Clerk, Assessor Collector, and both party chairs at the same table overseeing our elections.   The Dem candidates for County Clerk and Assessor Collector oppose the idea.   What happens if we don’t win in November?  Do we want a fella like Don Sumners fully in control of voter registration?  I applaud Judge Emmett for putting out an idea whose time has come.  I don’t know why Dems would be opposed to this.  I would hope Dems are not opposing just because Emmett is the proposer.  Way to go Judge Emmett!

The Statesman has a story today on Guv Dude going after the Former H-Town Mayor and Houston METRO.   It looks like METRO is going to be part of Dude’s campaign like Commentary predicted.   Here are some killer lines from the piece.

“He (White) was also quick to point out that Metro’s board, and not the mayor, oversees the agency. The mayor names five of Metro’s nine board members.”

"’Almost everyone would be of the opinion that Metro was run in a very nontransparent manner,’ said Mark Jones, chairman of the political science department at Rice University.”  Check out the piece.

There was a column in yesterday’s SA Express News about the race.  Check it out.

Roy O of course replaced Jose Lima in the starting rotation.  Lima Time left us way too soon.

My favorite Lima Time story happened on June 17, 2000 in San Francisco.  My Best Friend, his son Matt, and I were at PAC Bell Park watching the ‘Stros and Giants.  It was a Saturday afternoon game that Lima Time started.   He was knocked out of the game in the sixth inning.  We ended up losing 6-4.    On our way out of the stadium we were walking past the restaurant/bar in PAC Bell and there was Lima Time already in street clothes holding court along with Octavio Dotel.  They both autographed a baseball I had.  Lima Time was one of a kind for sure….ole!

Dante came of age of sorts yesterday.  We were in Pam-In-Charge’s seat and a foul ball skipped past us as Dante lunged for it and partially barehanded it.  He missed it but I was impressed with his effort.

I wasn’t impressed with way Roy O handled his request to hit the road.

We actually should have swept the Rays this past weekend but our pitching collapsed yesterday and our defense sputtered Saturday.   On Roy O, let’s hang on to him until the last minute of the trade deadline when teams will part with more than what they will now.   

 

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The Latino Vote 2010, Part 1

Commentary has spent a lot of time talking about the importance of the Latino vote in the Houston area and its impact on the local Democratic Party and the Party’s candidates.  I’ve discussed the Latino voter turnout rates and have compared them to other voting groups.   I want to now begin a serious and constructive conversation that I will conduct over the next couple of months on what I think ought to be done to get more Latinos to the polls this November.  I will focus on investment and communications.

In yesterday’s chron.com, there was a mention in the politics section about the GOP candidate for Harris County Tax Assessor Collector, Don Sumners, saying he was going to start cracking on Democratic gubernatorial candidate Bill White because he was afraid that White’s coattails were going to swamp the down ballot GOP countywide candidates.   Sumners could be right, but he also could be wrong.

A month or so ago, White was four points down in a Rasmussen poll and a few days ago he was thirteen points down.  As we move into the summer, more polls are going to be released.  The race will likely be a topic on the cable news political shows.   What happens if by the end of the summer, White never gains any traction and Governor Rick Perry still has a double digit lead?  This is just one of many scenarios I could lay out.  We just don’t know today because we don’t know where the economy will be in a few months, how many people will still be out of work, and how will folks feel about President Obama.    I always go into an election thinking it will be close.

Let’s make an investment and let’s communicate.    In last year’s H-Town mayoral campaign, Latinos stayed home.  Why?  Because none of the campaigns invested in the Latino community and none of them communicated with them.  Annise Parker ended up winning the Latino vote that showed up because I suspect that the more disciplined voter showed up and new her better than Gene Locke.

The major candidates for mayor last year spent a lot of money on mail and I don’t recall ever seeing a single piece in Spanish or even bilingual.  They all spent a lot of money on TV and radio, but I don’t think that they bought a whole lot of air time on Spanish language TV or radio.

The local Univision TV affiliate and La Tremenda radio are among the highest rated in the region.    Their audience includes Latino voters that prefer to get a lot of their news information in Spanish.   We need to stop ignoring them.  I know that some political consultants will say that they can get a bigger bang for their buck on Magic, The Box, or Channel 11 news, but that’s why it is called an investment.  We have to start making the investment in the Spanish language media.

When we do make the investment, don’t treat it like a side thing meaning, don’t buy a couple of months worth of the English speaking media and only spend one week’s worth of Spanish language ads….to be continued.

Commentary’s Mom is celebrating BD 84 today.  Happy Birthday Mom!

Which Hall of Famer holds the record for the most games played at first base?

From an AP story today:  “Who’s discriminated against in America? More people say Hispanics than blacks or women — and it’s far from just Hispanics who feel that way. An Associated Press-Univision Poll found that 61 percent of people overall said Hispanics face significant discrimination, compared with 52 percent who said blacks do and 50 percent who said women.  The survey also underscored how perceptions of prejudice can vary by ethnicity. While 81 percent of Latinos said Hispanics confront a lot or some discrimination, a smaller but still substantial 59 percent of non-Hispanics said so.”

The good news about the ‘Stros’ weekend opponent is that we have a 5-1 all time record against the Rays.  The bad news is that they are the best team in baseball right now and we have the second worst record in the MLB.

Eddie Murray of course played 2,413 games at first base.

Oh by the way, the Rays just got through sweeping the Yankees and 10,000 Michael Bourn bobbleheads will be given away tomorrow.

 

Technorati Tags: Marc Campos,Campos Communications,Latino politics,Texas Latino Politics,Houston Latino Politics,Houston City Hall,Houston Politics,Houston Elections,Texas Politics,Latino Voter turnout and analysis,Houston Astros,Major League Baseball,Mayor Annise Parker

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Spin Less

Both political parties need to stop spinning Tuesday’s election results, please.  In Kentucky, Rand Paul stuck it up the arse of the U.S. Senate Minority leader in his own front yard.  In PA, in the special election, Dems elected a pro-life, anti-Obama health care fella to Congress.   Also in PA, Dems elected a fella over a turncoat former GOPer who had the backing of the Democratic Party establishment and The White House.  It looks like the only folks that can spin anything are the voters.

Jason Embry of the Statesman has an interesting piece on the race for Lone Star State governor.   Check it out.

Remember the Austin Dem State Senator that got stumped on national TV a couple of years ago during the Texas Two Step because he flubbed the Obama talking points.  Here’s what he told the Statesman yesterday:   “Bill White’s a nerd. But that’s a good thing. Bill White is going to be the kind of governor that will take the time to get the details.”

I think the Former Mayor’s campaign needs to send the state senator their talking points.

In which decade did the Yankees win their most World Seriouses?

Sweet Marisa got engaged this past weekend to a fella named Michael. 

Yesterday, things got a little testy over at The H-Town City Council meeting over deed restrictions, folks with AIDs, PWAs, HUD, the Fair Housing Act, and one of the strongest Dem voting neighborhoods in the state.  A few accusations were made and rumors were floated.  Late last night, The H-Town Mayor sent out an email to clear things up and set the record straight.

That’s why I like this Mayor.  She is going to do her best to shoot straight with us and not let things get out of hand.  Folks would be wise to follow her lead.

That’s why I also like The President.  He’s going to take advantage of the visit by the President of Mexico to crack on Arizona and send us a message that he’s with us.

On the Chron’s website they say “Sayonara Kaz.” Commentary got home last night to watch GM Wade say that Kaz Matsui was released and the team will eat the four or five mil that we owe him.  So ends the Matsui experiment.

The Conoco Dinger Pump is at 998.   There have been 998 dingers hit by ‘Stros players since The Yard opened in 2000.  When we reach 1,000 dingers, the fan that snags the dinger numero 1,000 ball will get $1,000 worth of ConocoPhillips gas.

It looks like H-Town CM James Rodriguez has 130 golfers lined up for his golf classic tomorrow at Gus Wortham Golf Course.  The H-Town Mayor will be among those teeing it up.  The golf classic benefits Wortham Golf Course.

The Yankees of course won six World Seriouses in the 1950s – 50, 51, 52, 53, 56 and 58.

The ‘Stros may not be winning but tonight’s game is one not to miss because it features Roy O going up against “No-No” Ubaldo Jimenez.   It has the makings of being classic baseball.

When I got to The Yard last night and saw the roof open, I thought we were in for a miserable muggy night.  It turns out it was quite breezy and we won for a change. 

 

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Terms in Motion

The City of Houston’s Term Limits Review Commission finally got some “focus” last night and set a direction.  The commission adopted motions to change the length of terms thus eliminating the two-year term.  They will look at the three or four-year term option.  They voted to consider staggering terms of council members.  In my opinion, staggering terms work only under a four-year term system.  They also voted to do away with the “lifetime ban”, in other words after a member serves the maximum allowed, he/she can sit out a term before running again, the so-called opt in – opt out provision.

The goal of the Commission is to adopt a more concrete city charter change recommendation early next month then forward to the Houston City Council by June 30.  The Mayor and City Council will then decide in July or early August if they want to put it on this November’s ballot. 

H-Town CM Melissa Noriega addressed the Commission last night and supported three four-year terms or four two-year terms.  She said she wasn’t cool to two four-year terms.

Rice University’s Bob Stein, a member of the Commission, and his students reported on a poll they had conducted April 26 – May 3 on the issue.  On the initial response to preference, 51% want to keep the current system, 24% support two four-year terms, and 8 % support four two-year terms.  After a series of questions on term limit related issues, the support for the current system decreased to 39% and support for the two four-year terms increased to 36%.

On the overall question on term limits, 60% support, 20% oppose, and 20% are neutral. So Commentary is in the minority on this issue.

You can find Dr. Stein’s poll on the City’s Term Limits Review Commission website at  http://www.houstontx.gov/termlimits/ .

Who led the MLB in dingers in the 1950s?

A few days ago, Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia announced he was appointing a committee to help him with 287(g).  Here’s what immigration reform activist Cesar Espinosa said:  “There really is no representation of the grass-roots community or the immigrant community.  Is this committee going to protect the interests of the office of the sheriff, or is it going to represent the interests of the immigrant community?”

Here’s how the committee co-chair and V&E attorney Beto Cardenas responded:   “I think the strength is in the diversity of our intellect, in the diversity of our opinion, not in the ethnicity or the skin color that we represent.”

Some folks thought that Beto sounded a bit arrogant. 

The ‘Stros now are on a five game losing streak in the season of streaks.

Duke Snider of course hit 326 dingers in the 1950s.

I don’t have a good feeling about the ‘Stros tonight as they didn’t get in until 5:30 am this morning and have lost twice as many as they have won (13-26).  I don’t think there will be long bathroom lines at The Yard either.

Technorati Tags: Marc Campos,Campos Communications,Latino politics,Texas Latino Politics,Houston Latino Politics,Houston Politics,Houston City Council,Houston Term Limits Review Commission,Houston Term Limits for Mayor and Council,Immigration,illegal Immigration,Immigrant discrimination,Houston Astros,Major League Baseball,Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia

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A Lone Star Statement

In looking at the Rasmussen poll, it looks like Dems are losing the PR battle in the Lone Star State.  I don’t think the Democratic Party is doing a good job of articulating on the key issues. 

Here’s what the Statesman’s Jason Embry writes:

“Also troubling for the Democrat: Perry’s approval rating is at 55 percent, and 63 percent of Texans say they want to repeal the new health care law.

“Among those who don’t identify themselves as Democrats or Republicans, Perry leads 49-34.

“Perry leads 54-36 among men and 48-40 among women.

“57 percent of respondents say they favor passage of an Arizona-type immigration law in Texas, 32 percent oppose.

”President Barack Obama’s approval/disapproval in Texas is 42/57.”

Here’s what the Chron added:

“Have police check immigration status? Favor, 62 percent; oppose, 25 percent.

“Should "illegal immigrants" be eligible for in-state tuition? Yes, 10 percent; No, 81 percent.

“Are "illegal immigrants" a strain on the state budget? Yes, 64 percent; No, 21 percent.”

It looks like the other side is driving the agenda.

Here’s how it works.  Guv Dude and his campaign folks look at The President’s disapproval and approval numbers and hammer away knowing that our Dem candidates will be reluctant to fight back for fear of getting associated with The President’s policies.    What do we do instead?  Dems hit Dude on running state government into the ditch, high tuitions rates, and spending a lot of money on his new digs.  The problem with this is that at least for now, their issues are getting more run in the press.  It makes for better TV to cover a fella with a sign that says “go back to Mexico” than covering a poor kid that can’t afford to go to college.

The ‘Stros are currently 13-25.  What is the best record the ‘Stros have ever posted after 38 games?

Commentary will be heading over to a meeting of the City of Houston’s Term Limits Review Commission this afternoon at 3 pm, at the City Hall Annex.  I hear they might talk about a recent poll of H-Town voters and their feelings about term limits. Stay tuned!

From a ‘Stros press release:   “This Saturday, May 22 the Astros and Waste Management are hosting an e-cycle drive at Minute Maid Park on May 22 from 12:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Recycling receptacles will be set up on Avenidas de las Americas for fans to exchange old electronics for tickets to that evening’s game. Items that can be accepted are computers (CPUs and laptops), computer monitors, computer peripherals/keyboards, printers, fax machines, photocopiers, televisions, VCRs, stereos, cell phones and home and office phones. Items that will not be accepted include microwave ovens, smoke detectors, fire alarms, fire detectors, thermometers, large appliances, medical equipment, and any product with sludge or liquid. A pair of tickets to that night’s game will be given to the driver of each vehicle that drops off electronics for recycling. “

FYI: The ‘Stros host the Rays May 21-23.

In 1998, the ‘Stros we’re 25-13 after 38 games.  We went on to win a club record 102 games that year with players like B-G-O, Baggy, Alou, Wagner, and The Big Unit.

Last week we won four in a row including a sweep in San Luis and now we’ve lost four in a row as the season of streaks continue. It would be nice to get a win tonight in LA so we could come home with a split on the road trip.

 

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A Long Hot Summer, The Dem Party Chair, and Beth!

From today’s Rasmussen Poll:  “Texas Governor Rick Perry earns himself a little more breathing room this month, crossing the 50% mark for the first time in his bid for reelection against Democrat Bill White.   The latest Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Voters in Texas shows the Republican incumbent with 51% support, while White earns 38%, his poorest showing to date. A month ago, Perry held a modest 48% to 44% advantage. Perry, who is seeking an unprecedented third term as governor, has been sharply critical of the federal government in recent months and more specifically of the national health care bill passed by Democrats in Congress. Sixty-three percent (63%) of Texas voters favor repeal of the health care law while only 33% oppose repeal. Opposition to the health care law is even higher in Texas than it is nationally.”

Thirteen points down ought to put a damper on the glee that Dems have been feeling lately here in the Lone Star State.  Commentary was talking to a respected GOP consultant late last week and they were pretty darn confident on how things were going for them in the race for Guv.  They like the fact the The Former H-Town Mayor has still hasn’t released his tax returns and they like the fact that Guv Dude was still on message.  I wonder what the internals look like.  It looks like it is going to be going to be a long hot summer for the Dems.

Speaking of, the Texas Tribune did a piece last week on the Chair of the Dem Party of the Lone Star State.    Check it out.  It looks like a few Anglo Dems are making a whole lot of money and they still haven’t crafted a credible Latino GOTV strategy in the Lone Star State.   You get what you pay for I guess.

Who has the record for playing the most games in a ‘Stros unform?

Congrats to Bethany!  The Former Young Political Consultant That Used To Work Here, Bethany Arnold, graduated from UH Law School yesterday!  Commentary was there and heard Rudy G deliver a pretty good commencement address.  Bethany gave a thank you speech at her mom’s pad yesterday and gave Commentary a few props.  Way to go Beth!

B-G-O of course played in 2,850 games and by the way his St. Thomas High School baseball team won a state championship this past weekend.

The Chron had a piece yesterday on the ten most powerful Texans in DC these days and included the head of the DC ballet and Ron Paul – huh?  We’re hurting!

Saturday afternoon baseball on Fox was classic.   It was a pitcher’s duel.  Too bad as we lost even though Matsui’s last at bat was baseball at its best.  You know it is an unusual season when the Reds are in first and Matusi was used yesterday as pinch hitter batting a buck fifty – ouch!

 

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