How many World Serious at-bats does Justin Verlander have in his career?
Former Gov. Mark White’s son, Andrew, is thinking about running for governor next year. He describes himself as a “very conservative Democrat.” Ok. What the heck does that mean?
I certainly am not going to pass judgement. Heck, his dad is probably one of the best campaigners I have ever worked with and certainly one of the most courageous public officials in Texas history.
Here is from the Trib:
Andrew White, the son of late Gov. Mark White, is mulling a run for governor as a Democrat in 2018.
White, a Houston investor, told The Texas Tribune on Tuesday that he is going on a “social media listening tour” before making a decision whether to challenge Republican Gov. Greg Abbott. He said he expects the process to take three or four weeks.
White said he never had a desire to enter politics, but that began to change after the death of his father earlier this year and then Hurricane Harvey. Describing himself as a “very conservative Democrat,” White suggested he would run a campaign appealing to Texans who are fed up with policymaking exclusively aimed at the Republican primary electorate.
“Most Texans don’t care about the bathroom bill, and when you call a special session … for the bathroom bill, you know you’ve got a problem with your leadership, and it’s repulsive,” White said, referring to a controversial proposal to regulate which restroom transgender Texans can use.
Here is the entire Trib piece: https://www.texastribune.org/2017/10/24/andrew-white-son-late-gov-mark-white-explores-2018-gubernatorial-campa/.
Here is his statement from his website:
I’ve never been elected to anything.
So I thought I’d start with Governor.
Why? Because, while other states are making advances in everything from education to technology, our politicians are stuck on bathroom bills, pandering to extremists. Texas deserves better. I’m Andrew White. I’m an entrepreneur, and I’ve started six businesses. I think we should run our state like a business. Math and data can guide us to make better decisions. Common sense and decency will solve just about everything else.
It’s easy to create division. It takes a leader to build consensus. Let’s take a 4-year break from what divides us and come together as Texans to restore our state’s leadership in jobs, education, and prosperity.
I’ve made a bunch of friends – Democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, and Independents. I’m running as a Democrat, but I agree with Republicans and Libertarians on some issues, Independents on others, and Democrats on many.
Let’s forget the labels. I’ll work everyday with all parties to make real progress. All credit will go to the Legislators who do right and risk consequences. I’ll take the blame for failures.
I want people from other states to wish they lived here. I want Texas to win in everything. Education. Jobs. Self-driving cars… (that can fly!)
We can do this together. Let’s get started. What’s important to you? Send me a note, then join us on Facebook.
R.G. has a take: https://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/andrew-white-son-late-governor-mark-white-explore-democratic-run-governor/.
Ok. Let’s see what Andrew has to say.
The two GOP Senators who are retiring and taking parting shots at Donald Trump don’t get a badge of courage from Commentary. Check these:
This from The Guardian
Arizona senator Jeff Flake on Tuesday launched an extraordinary attack against Donald Trump and the “complicity” of the Republican party while announcing his decision to leave the Senate.
Flake, a key Republican critic of Trump, said he was retiring at the end of his term in 2018 because there was no room for him in the party under the current president’s stewardship. He then delivered an emotional appeal from the Senate floor against the state of affairs under Trump, bemoaning that his Republican colleagues had “given in or given up on core principles in favor of a more viscerally satisfying anger and resentment”.
“It is time for our complicity and our accommodation for the unacceptable to end,” Flake said. “There are times when we must risk our careers in favor of our principles. Now is such a time.”
“We must never allow ourselves to lapse into thinking that that is just the way things are now,” he added. “We must stop pretending that the degradation of our politics and the conduct of some in our executive branch are normal.”
“Reckless, outrageous, and undignified behavior has become excused and countenanced as ‘telling it like it is’ when it is actually just reckless, outrageous, and undignified.”
He said such behavior was “dangerous to our democracy” and projected not strength but a “corruption of the spirit”. He then asked his colleagues: “When the next generation asks us, why didn’t you do something? Why didn’t you speak up? What are we going to say?”
This is from the Tennessean:
President Donald Trump and Tennessee Senator Bob Corker traded Twitter punches Tuesday morning, evoking dog catchers, tax reform and, once again, adult day care.
The battle continued with Corker, one of the most powerful Republicans and lawmakers in the country, saying the president is dividing the country. Corker told CNN he would “not do that again” when asked if he regretted supporting Trump in the election.
When asked if Trump is a role model to children in the United States, Corker said no “absolutely not.”
He later added: “I think at the end of the day, when his term is over. I think the debasing of our nation, the constant not truth telling, just the name calling, the things… I think the debasement of our nation will be what he’ll be remembered most for and that’s regretful.”
This Sen. Corker fella is a pretty smart dude. He is also very disingenuous. He’s known since 2015 that Trump has been a liar and incompetent, and yet he supported him.
Same thing for Sen. Flake, of course Flake said he didn’t vote for Trump.
They have both given up on their political party. I guess it ain’t worth fighting for. I would have some admiration for them if they stuck it out and won hard fought primary races and kept taking on Trump. Instead they are quitting the game. Gutless if you ask Commentary.
The Chron E-Board weighs in today here: http://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/editorials/article/Trump-poses-a-threat-to-our-national-ideals-12303542.php.
Justin Verlander has 3 World Serious at-bats of course and he is 0 for 3.
I am hoping that last night was a case of first game jitters.
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