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Commentary wants former Vice President Joe Biden to pick U.S. Senator Kamala Harris as his running mate. During this pandemic it makes perfect sense and sends a powerful message.  The African American community is being disproportionately targeted by COVID-19.  We also see what is happening in Minnesota.  We need an African American female on the ticket. It is the right and best thing to do.

Minnesota is having a bad week.  An African American male was killed by a Minneapolis police officer Monday evening and the whole world has watched the murder.  The police officer was fired but has not been arrested.  Parts of Minneapolis and St. Paul have been looted and burned down.  Then this morning, an African American male CNN journalist and his crew were arrested on live TV for doing their job.  Way to go, Minnesota.

The CNN crew was later released, and the Minnesota Governor apologized.

A white CNN reporter was nearby and wasn’t arrested.

Nobody needs to explain to Commentary why there is unrest.

Commentary is thinking that U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar from Minnesota just officially saw her hopes of joining the ticket get flushed down the toilet.

Meanwhile, Twitter called out another Donald Trump tweet this morning and Trump’s folks are starting an all-out war with Twitter.  Good. Maybe, Twitter is setting Trump up to kick him off their platform.

Meanwhile, Trump’s punkarse, Ted Cruz, wants Twitter investigated.  Somebody needs to investigate why Cruz is Trump’s lapdog after Trump insinuated that Cruz’s wife was ugly and Cruz’s father was in on the JFK assassination.

In the continuing saga of voting in person is hazardous to your health, Gov. Greg Abbott has announced that he will extend the Early Voting in Person period for the November General Election.  In other words, the State of Texas has no problem if you are under the age of 65 and apply for a mail ballot.  Gov. Abbott just doesn’t want to tell us directly because he is scared Trump will call him out.

Gov. Abbott also said that fans could now attend pro sporting events that are held outdoors at 25% capacity and six feet apart.  Think about this for a second.  Even if you have 25% capacity at six feet apart at The Yard in the summer with the roof open – duh, the sweat factor in H-Town’s heat.  I really don’t believe they think these things through.

What a crazy Friday!

Have a safe weekend and wear a mask if you are out and about.

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100,000

100,000 COVID-19 USA deaths and growing daily.

We have no idea when this will end.

The public health experts are advising us to wear masks.

The Texas Supreme Court has a virtual hearing on mail ballots because they are afraid of COVID-19.

Fu_k them! Vote by mail.

Commentary will say it again.  Here is how to do it.  Let’s go back to the Texas Secretary of State’s April 2 Election Advisory on COVID-19:

Upon reviewing the Advisory, State Rep. (Anna) Eastman directed me to work with the Harris County Clerk’s election officials to develop a vote by mail application to send to all voters based on the Secretary of State’s Advisory. After a few drafts and revisions, that the Secretary of State’s office saw and reviewed, we came up with one that they said, “looks fine to us.”  The last thing we wanted to do was make an investment in an application that would subsequently be rejected by the Harris County Clerk’s and the Secretary of State’s elections folks.

Rep. Eastman’s application included the exact same language on disability from the Secretary of State’s Advisory.

Here is the language again:

One of the grounds for voting by mail is disability. The Election Code defines “disability” to include “a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health.” (Sec. 82.002). Voters who meet this definition and wish to vote a ballot by mail must submit an application for ballot by mail.

Commentary has posted recently on my Commentary the Rep. Eastman campaign application for folks to see.

Let me repeat.  The Chief Election Officer of the State of Texas, the Texas Secretary of State said Rep. Eastman’s Vote by Mail application “looks fine to us.”

The Rep. Eastman campaign did it the right way.

Here is from the Statesman on the Supreme Court hearing yesterday:

The court, however, rejected Paxton’s request to order county election clerks to reject applications for mail-in ballots from voters who fear exposure to the coronavirus.

County officials lack the authority to question or investigate claims of disability, Hecht noted, adding that clerks are expected to faithfully convey the ruling’s outcome to voters.

“The Clerks have assured us that they will fully discharge their duty to follow the law. We are confident that they will follow the guidance we have provided here,” Hecht wrote. “Accordingly, we conclude that (ordering) them to do so is unwarranted.”

From Trib on the hearing:

Although the court sided with Paxton’s interpretation of what constitutes a disability, it indicated that it is up to voters to assess their own health and determine if they meet the state’s definition.

“We agree, of course, that a voter can take into consideration aspects of his health and his health history that are physical conditions in deciding whether, under the circumstances, to apply to vote by mail because of disability,” the court ruled.

The high court also rejected Paxton’s request to prevent local election officials from sending mail-in ballots to voters who were citing lack of immunity to the coronavirus as a disability. Those officials denied they were operating outside the law and argued they cannot deny ballots to voters who cite a disability — even if their reasoning is tied to susceptibility to the coronavirus.

When voters cite disability to request an absentee ballot, they’re not required to say what the disability is. The voters simply check a box on the application form, and if their application is properly filled out, locals officials are supposed to send them a ballot. The state ultimately conceded that officials can’t reject those voters.

And from Kuffer on the hearing:

Now for that caveat. The Supreme Court has made it clear what the law is, and what is – or, more to the point, is not – a disability. Your county clerk will send you a mail ballot if you ask for one, but Ken Paxton could have you arrested, or some wingnut activist like Alan Vara could file a complaint against you, if you request one because of COVID concerns. I think the risk of the former is small unless you make yourself a target, but the latter is non-trivial since who gets a mail ballot is a matter of public record. That doesn’t mean that your local DA will agree to press charges, or that they would be able to get a conviction, but who wants to deal with that? We know how vindictive the legal system can be to people charged with violations of the electoral code, especially to voters of color. I’m planning to vote in person regardless, but if I had been thinking about applying for a mail ballot, this would definitely make me reconsider. You have to decide for yourself what your risk of exposure is.

Here is all of today’s Kuffer that has nothing but good takes today: http://www.offthekuff.com/wp/.

It is all about today’s Chron front page headline: 100,000.

It is a fu_king pandemic.

Go to Harrisvotes.com and fill out a mail ballot application, check the Disability, annual, and Democratic Primary boxes, sign it, stick it in an envelope, slap a stamp on it and mail it. It is a lot safer.

We need to encourage folks to vote by mail.  Get a lot of folks to do it and when it is all said and done, folks will see that it is not a big deal.

63 years ago today, MLB’s National League owners gave permission to the Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants to move to Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The MLB owners and MLB players can’t agree to terms on compensation for a short season if we have a season at all.  If this dispute heats up and forces fans to pick a side, you know it is going to be players.  They never have owner bobblehead day.

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State of Texas to Voters: Vote by Mail

Here is what is on the Texas Secretary of State’s main webpage:

COVID-19 – As recommended precautions continue to increase for COVID-19, the James E. Rudder Building will be closed to visitors and customers beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020. The Office of the Secretary of State is committed to continuing to provide services to ensure business and public filings remain available 24/7 through our online business service, SOSDirect or use the new SOSUpload. Thank you in advance for your patience during this difficult time. Information on Testing Sites is now available.

Here is what is on the Harris County Clerk’s webpage:

Harris County Clerk offices remain closed to the public until further notice. Employees will continue serving the public by email and phone, but residents are reminded that they can access most services online.

If you want to visit the elections folks, you have to call and make an appointment.

Let that sink in for a minute.  These are the folks that are in charge of the elections in Texas and in Harris County and for the most part they are closed to the public – thanks to COVID-19.

It is pretty clear to Commentary and it should be pretty clear to you that despite what Lt. Governor Dan Patrick is saying, the folks in charge of running the elections would not have a problem with those under 65 years of age applying to vote by mail using the Disability excuse because they don’t want to risk exposure.

Think about it.  Do we need to be discussing health protocols for voters in an eight-page document that was put out yesterday by Texas’ Chief Election Officer? The Texas Secretary of State put out a “Health Protocols for Voters” and here are parts:

Voters should consider bringing their own marking instruments such as a pen, pencil with eraser, or stylus to use when checking-in to vote and for marking their ballot. Voters should contact their county election office to determine what type of marking devices are appropriate to use for the ballots in their county.

Voters should bring their own hand sanitizer into the polling location and should use hand sanitizer to disinfect their hands after leaving the polling location.

Here is the scariest one:

If the election judge is not able to determine the identity of a voter wearing a face covering, the voter should be prepared to lower or remove their face covering when checking-in at a polling place.

Here are the entire protocols: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/forms/health-protocols-for-voters.pdf.

You don’t want to tell the election judges to fu_k themselves if they ask you to remove your mask.  Vote by mail.

Think about it.  You are asked to bring your own pen to sign in, hand sanitizer and you might have to remove your face mask. Why? Because voting is risky.  You could get real sick and it is a serious health concern.  Voting in Person, it turns out, is hazardous to your health.  Think about that?

Read between the lines, please.  The Texas Secretary of State wants you to go look at her April 2, 2020 Election Advisory on COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Voting and Election Procedures.

Here is the first line of the advisory:

The purpose of this advisory is to assist election officials in facilitating voting for individuals that may be affected by COVID-19, and in preparing for the conduct of elections in the context of this public health issue.

On page two of the Advisory, Voting by Mail was addressed, and the four excuses were listed but only the disability excuse was addressed with this:

One of the grounds for voting by mail is disability. The Election Code defines “disability” to include “a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health.” (Sec. 82.002). Voters who meet this definition and wish to vote a ballot by mail must submit an application for ballot by mail.

Look.  This isn’t a Democratic Party Primary thing.  The Secretary of State is also talking to GOP voters who still have key runoffs in some parts of the state.

The Secretary of State and the Harris County Clerk, the folks who are in charge of elections, want us to pursue the Vote by Mail option.  They just don’t want to say it outright.

Go to Harrisvotes.com and fill out a mail ballot application, sign it, stick it in an envelope, slap a stamp on it and mail it. It is a lot safer.

State Rep. Anna Eastman demonstrated outstanding leadership by sending HD 148 Dem voters a mail ballot application.

We need to encourage folks to vote by mail.  Get a lot of folks to do it and when it is all said and done, folks will see that it is not a big deal.

Royko responded to my take yesterday on H-Town not being interested in a GOP National Convention in three months.  Here is Royko:

I disagree.

Houston would benefit having the Republican National Convention at the GRB.

The Mayor would love the extra hotel and sales tax revenue, and this type of windfall economic activity would help the airports, car rental companies, restaurants, and all sorts of small businesses. The local Pravda and TV stations will get additional advertising revenue. Even those businesses owned by zealot Democrats.

This would make a great turn-around story. Exactly 3 years after the Hurricane Harvey destruction, and trying to recover from the economic shut-down, Houston would be host to both the Republican State Convention (July) and the Republican National Convention, bringing world-wide attention to Houston. Just think, more riders for the 3rd-world-class METRORail.

I can think of no better optics than Texas Governor Abbott welcoming the President to Houston at Ellington Field (now a Space Port).

It is not the kind of worldwide attention H-Town needs right now.

Former Vice President Joe Biden said Donald Trump was an “absolute fool.”  Good.

Last night was Dollar Dog Night.

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No Thanks, Mike

Donald Trump threw a temper tantrum yesterday and threatened to pull the Republican National Convention out of North Carolina unless he was guaranteed a packed convention.  Mike Pence then said Texas would be one of the states that could host the convention.  No thanks, Mike.  Not in H-Town.  We aren’t in the hate importing business.  You are not going to come to H-Town, pack NRG or Toyota, and talk sh_t about immigrants who are the backbone of our community. We also wouldn’t take too kindly to host a few thousand mask eschewing guest arseholes in our fine city for a week or so this August.

In these times, I probably shouldn’t mind if 20,000 or so hard core GOP leaders gather in a packed convention hall and yell like crazy for four straight days.  That is not how it works though.  We have the folks who would be working at the convention hall and hotels that I worry about.

Fox News personality Brit Hume kind of poked fun at former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a face mask.  You have leave it to Fox idiots to poke fun of someone for doing the responsible thing.

Here is what is puzzling.  If the November election is going to be about how Donald Trump handles the pandemic, shouldn’t it make sense for all of his supporters including Trump himself, to be all wearing masks, so we can get through this quickly?

Back to Biden and the mask thing.  If he is going to be wearing a mask, I would advise his campaign to devote a little effort into developing custom theme masks that showcase issues, locales he’s visiting – you get the picture.  It would also add a little personality.

Commentary signed up to be a delegate to the Texas Democratic Party State Convention.  The past couple of weeks I have gotten a bunch of emails from Democrats wanting my vote for DNC, National Delegate and other Party positions.  I need to figure out who is running in each race.

Ulysses S. Grant was our 18^th President.  The History Channel is currently airing “Grant.”  He is also on the $50 bill.  Care to know when he first appeared on the fifty?  1913.

MLB players are going to start working out.  There will be protocols in place like all coaches have to wear PPE. Pitchers will have their own baseballs.  There will be limits on how many players can work out at one time.  No media will be allowed. Sigh.

I wonder which Astros will show up at The Yard?

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Memorial Day

Today is my little sister’s birthday.  Happy Birthday, Aida Garza!

I wonder if Siete is selling face masks?

Stephen Zepeda tested negative.  Nice.

Commentary thinks some folks are overdoing it this weekend.  I might be wrong, but I don’t think you take a weekend off on the social distancing and expect Señor COVID to do likewise.

Governor Greg Abbott jumped the gun and wanted stuff to open up.  It is his call.  Abbott and other GOP leaders don’t take this seriously, so why should folks who went partying this weekend?

Former Vice President Joe Biden said something dumb the other day and then he came around and apologized.   Then some Donald Trump supporters pounced on Biden’s dumb remarks.  I didn’t pay attention to these arseholes because Trump says racist mean dumb sh_t on a daily basis, never apologizes, and his arsehole supporters are uniformly silent.  F_ck these arseholes.

From the ghoulish news department, I wonder if CNN is having internal meetings on which anchor will be on the air when we hit 100,000 COVID-19 deaths in the USA?  Wolf, Erin, Brooke, Jake, Poppy, Kate, Brianna, AC360, John K, John B, Chris or Don?  I didn’t include the weekend anchors because it will happen in the next couple or so days.

Former H-Town Council Member Bert Keller and former Harris County Clerk Stan Stanart will be seeking the Harris County Republican Party nomination for County Clerk. Commentary still hasn’t heard of a Democrat running.

Commentary is doing most of my groceries via online ordering and curbside pickup.  I don’t want to spend my time going up and down the aisles.  It is easier to go up and down my computer screen. There are still hassles though. For my latest order the site wouldn’t display some products like whole bean coffee and fruit preserves.  Substitutions sometimes miss the mark.  I always order the cheapest napkins because they really don’t have a whole lot of meaning to them.  Yesterday, instead of getting the cheapies, they substituted with the really fancy napkins, like I am going to reuse them.  They charged me for bananas, but when I got home, there weren’t any bananas.  When I got home, I saw some things that I didn’t think I ordered.  I checked my online receipt, and sure enough, I didn’t order them.  I wasn’t charged, so, it was a wash, I guess.  You can’t really go through every grocery bag there curbside when you make the pickup.

I had the golf match on the flat screen yesterday.  It was entertaining. I had CNN on my phone at the same time.

We have missed 53 regular season games. 26 of them at The Yard.

We were supposed to play at Fenway this past weekend.  Last night’s game was also an ESPN Sunday Night Game.

Stay safe this Memorial Day and wear a mask because dumbarses won’t.

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Underlying Health Condition

This is scary and something I hope doesn’t happen.  Here is from the Chron:

Using cellphone data, national study predicts huge June spike in Houston coronavirus cases

Houston is one of several cities in the South that could see spikes in COVID-19 cases over the next four weeks as restrictions are eased, according to new research that uses cellphone data to track how well people are social distancing.

The updated projection, from PolicyLab at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, found that traffic to non-essential businesses has jumped especially in Texas and Florida, which have moved aggressively to reopen.

In Harris County, the model predicts the outbreak will grow from about 200 new cases per day to more than 2,000 over the next month.

“Some areas—particularly in the south—that have moved more quickly to reopen are showing a higher risk for resurgence,” the researchers wrote in a blog post. “If people in Houston and Palm Beach, Fla., for example, aren’t being cautious with masking in indoor crowded locations and with hygiene and disinfection, local governments may need to intervene again should they lose control of the epidemic.”

Thank you, knuckleheads!

My old pal Keith Wade left us way too soon yesterday.  He was taken by the virus. I first met him when he was working for my friend Mickey Leland way back then.  We worked together a few times including in 1991, when we handled the state representative special election win by Garnet Coleman.  Our conversations were always thoughtful. I last saw him at the GLBT endorsement meeting earlier this year. Keith will be missed.

Underlying Health Condition is the term I often see next to a death caused by COVID-19.  I guess to let folks know that a lot of those that are dying were sick to begin with.  And? It will say like AA. Male. 80s, Underlying Health Condition.  So? If COVID-19 were not around.  It would be AA, Male, Underlying Health Condition, went to go see his grandkids earlier today.

I am sure Donald Trump never maskers are going to be let down big time when they see the photo of Trump wearing a mask.  They will call it fake photojournalism.

Yesterday was also Baseball Hall of Fame great Bobby Cox’s birthday.  My best friend told me yesterday that Bobby Cox holds the record for most times being ejected by an ump in MLB games.  161 ejections.  For those who don’t know, Cox was a skipper.

Yesterday was also one of my best friend’s birthday.  I texted Julie Luna a happy birthday yesterday.

Stay safe this Memorial Day weekend and wear a mask.

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Rubber Soul

Today is my Mom’s birthday.  Happy Birthday, Mom!  Of course, she left us three years ago next month.  She probably wouldn’t be missing what is going on these days.  She left us just in time with plenty to spare.

The public health experts say wearing a mask reduces the spread of COVID-19.  Commentary wears a mask if I have to be out among the public.  I have a few that I will be wearing throughout the summer. I am part of the face mask wearing community who are being responsible and want to get through this sh_t with not that many more folks getting infected.  Those who don’t wear masks don’t give a rat’s arse about nobody but themselves, and because of them, more folks are going to get sick and die, and it is going to take us longer to get through this sh_t.

That sums it up in my book.

If you folks continue to go barefaced during the pandemic, you can’t be opposed to those under 65 years of age wanting to vote by mail.  I encourage those under 65 to fill out a vote-by-mail application, check the annual box, the Democratic Primary box, and the Disability box.  I can pretty much guarantee you that AG Ken Paxton is not going to pay a visit to you and ask to explain your Disability.  That’s the VBM strategy, folks.

As of this morning, no one has filed an Appointment of Treasurer for Harris County Clerk according to the Harris County Clerk’s webpage on filings.  Someone has to be thinking about running.

I wore my Beatles Rubber Soul t-shirt the other day.

What tune from the “Rubber Soul” album would definitely not be cool if it were to be released today?  “Run for Your Life” for sure would not be cool.

Stay safe, wear a mask, and show some respect.

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Out of the Blue

The Houston Food Bank distribution that co-sponsors State Rep. Anna Eastman and Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle help put together served close to 3000 families yesterday evening.  Good job!

This is what the federal judge said yesterday when he ruled that all folks could vote by mail during the pandemic here in the Lone Star state:

“One’s right to vote should not be elusively based on the whims of nature.  Citizens should have the option to choose voting by letter carrier versus voting with disease carriers.”

Here is the deal.  In Texas, there are four ways you can vote by mail. I call it the four excuses: you are 65 or older, you are in jail but have not been convicted of a felony, you are out of the county, or by disability.

On April 2 of this year, just over seven weeks ago, the Texas Secretary of State put out an Election Advisory with this in the subject line:

COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Voting and Election Procedures

Here is the first line of the advisory:

The purpose of this advisory is to assist election officials in facilitating voting for individuals that may be affected by COVID-19, and in preparing for the conduct of elections in the context of this public health issue.

On page two of the Advisory, Voting by Mail was addressed, and the four excuses were listed but only the disability excuse was addressed with this:

One of the grounds for voting by mail is disability. The Election Code defines “disability” to include “a sickness or physical condition that prevents the voter from appearing at the polling place on election day without a likelihood of needing personal assistance or of injuring the voter’s health.” (Sec. 82.002). Voters who meet this definition and wish to vote a ballot by mail must submit an application for ballot by mail.

Upon reviewing the Advisory, State Rep. Eastman directed me to work with the Harris County Clerk’s election officials to develop a vote by mail application to send to all voters based on the Secretary of State’s Advisory. After a few drafts and revisions, that the Secretary of State’s office saw and reviewed, we came up with one that they said, “looks fine to us.”  The last thing we wanted to do was make an investment in an application that would subsequently be rejected by the Harris County Clerk’s and the Secretary of State’s elections folks.

Rep. Eastman’s application included the exact same language on disability from the Secretary of State’s Advisory.

Commentary has posted recently on my Commentary the application for folks to see.

The Texas Election Code says the Texas Secretary of State is the Chief Election Officer of the State of Texas.  The Code does not bestow that title to the Texas Attorney General.

The Secretary of State is also one of the Governor’s more important and high-profile appointments.  I really don’t think that they would have issued the April 2 Advisory without giving the Governor’s folks a heads up of sorts.

Commentary’s opinion is the Chief Elections Officer of the State of Texas wants to give all voters the option to vote by mail during this pandemic.

Commentary stayed up last night to watch online who Harris County Commissioners Court would pick as the Interim Harris County Clerk.  I was surprised by the selection.  This was out of the blue so to speak.  Here is from the Chron today:

Harris County Commissioners Court on Tuesday appointed an attorney and Texas Democratic Party official as interim county clerk.

Christopher Hollins, vice finance chairman for the state party, will serve until a new clerk can be elected in November. Incumbent Diane Trautman, who was elected in 2018, announced May 9 she would step down because of health issues.

The court voted 3-2 along party lines to approve Hollins. Five public speakers urged court members to choose Teneshia Hudspeth, Trautman’s chief deputy. County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said Hollins’ pledge to serve only on an interim basis factored in their decision.

Hollins was selected after 10 p.m., more than 12 hours after Commissioners Court convened, and was unavailable for comment.

Here is the entire read from the Chron: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Texas-Democratic-Party-official-appointed-interim-15282265.php.

A handful of folks spoke yesterday in favor of Teneshia Hudspeth, Trautman’s deputy, for the interim position.  I don’t recall anyone speaking for Hollins.

My takeaway on this.  By not picking someone from within, the Democrats on Commissioners Court are signaling that they had no confidence in how Trautman ran her shop.  That’s sad.

Bringing in a new Interim County Clerk in the middle of one of the most important elections in our lifetimes is interesting to say the least.  Good luck!

Like I said.  Out of the blue for sure.

On another matter.  Do Commissioners Court meetings have to last more than 12 hours?

I saw some Trump 2020 face masks online. They are not selling.  Trump folks don’t wear masks.

Stay safe today and wear a mask for others.

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Phase Two

State Rep. Anna Eastman and her office help put together and co-sponsored a food distribution event today that is also being co-sponsored by the Houston Food Bank and Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle.  It is from 4 to 8 pm at the old Park and Ride at Pinemont and Federal Plaza off of Highway 290 in HD 148. In Northwest Houston I might add.

The frontpage headline of today’s Chron, pretty much sums things up here in the Lone Star State.

Here is what it says:

Key benchmarks not met as Texas reopens

You are on your own as we head into Phase Two.  Even though we are still trying to get through Phase One.

I did notice that at Governor Greg Abbott’s press conference yesterday, most of the participants reminded folks to wear face masks.  They need to get the word out to their followers.

I will be sticking to my face mask and be very selective on where I go these days.

Donald Trump said yesterday he is taking hydroxychloroquine.  He’s lying.  They put out a statement from his doctor and nowhere in the statement did the doctor say he’s taking the drug.  Commentary has to question the ethics of his doctor for going along with this falsehood and endangering the lives of a bunch of folks, err suckers.

Here is what U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said about Trump:

“He’s our president and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists, especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group, morbidly obese, they say.”

Here is from the Chron:

According to the CDC, for an individual to be morbidly obese, his or her BMI must be over 40. Trump’s 2019 White House physical revealed he has a BMI of 30.4, which is defined as obese, but not morbidly obese.

Now that is what I call a morbidly correction.

We will probably have an Interim Harris County Clerk selected today and have an idea if a Harris County Elections Administrator is headed our way.

I still have not heard who is seeking the County Clerk nomination from the Harris County Democratic Party Executive Committee.  Have you?

MLB.com has a take today on each team’s weirdest promotions of all time and this is what they said about the Astros:

Astros: Beers with which to troll Mike Schmidt

With Houston’s attendance numbers sagging in the mid-70s, Tal Smith came up with an idea. It was pretty simple: A large lightbulb near a digital clock in right field would light up on every even-numbered minute. If an Astro homered while that light was on, it meant one free beer for every adult in the park. For one night in 1976, though, Smith threw in a wrinkle.

Mike Schmidt had already established himself as a superstar, MLB’s two-time reigning home run champ en route to a third-place finish in NL MVP voting. Such a superstar, in fact, that Smith altered the rules of his own promotion — if Schmidt struck out with the light on, everyone would get a free beer. At exactly 9:12, Mike Cosgrove got to two strikes on Schmidt, and after staring in for the sign for what seemed like an eternity — the entire Astrodome crowd begging him to hurry up — he threw a fastball by for strike three. In the words of writer Roger Kahn, “grown men sprinted up the aisles.”

I wasn’t there.

I thought they might name the Brad Ausmus with the surfboard bobblehead.

Stay safe because there are a bunch of knuckleheads out there.

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Harris County Elections Administrator

Amid all this, my great friends James Rodriguez and Melissa Martinez got married last week.  He told some of us yesterday.  Congrats to the newlyweds!

At the same time, it’s sad that we couldn’t be there with them and celebrate.

My Dad finally got his stimulus check in the mail.  Finally!  Donald Trump’s name is on the check.  I asked my Dad if he wanted to write arsehole under Trump’s name and he laughed.  He reached over to grab a pen, but I said nah.

Former First Lady of Kentucky Phyllis George left us last week.  She was only 70. She was a native Texan and was born in Denton.  She was also a Miss America.  She was a trailblazer when CBS named her as a Co-Host of “The NFL Today” back in 1974.   I actually got to spend a day with her and her husband, Governor John Brown, when they campaigned for Governor Mark White back in the 1980s.  She was the real deal for sure.

This is the start of an article that is the lead story from the latest edition of The Leader:

To help ensure that her supporters cast a vote for her, Anna Eastman’s election campaigns have historically provided ballot-by-mail applications to potential constituents who are at least 65 years old. That demographic is among the groups allowed to request absentee ballots in Texas, which requires most of its citizens to vote in person.

Two weeks ago, though, Eastman said she sent vote-by-mail applications to every voter in her campaign database. The state representative for District 148 said she did so after receiving an advisory from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office, which indicated that absentee balloting could be expanded during the COVID-19 pandemic based on language in the Texas Election Code.

“We thought that was something we should do,” Eastman said.

Here is the entire Leader story: https://theleadernews.com/mail-in-voting-question-lingers-over-upcoming-election/.

Regarding the primary runoffs on Tuesday, July 14, Early Voting in Person begins on Monday, June 29 and runs through Friday, July 10.  There will not be Early Voting in Person on Friday, July 3 and Saturday, July 4.  The holiday thing.

This was part of an email from Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis from a few days ago:

Another priority for Harris County’s electoral process involves choosing an election administrator who is committed to the protection of free and fair elections. This will also be discussed at the upcoming Commissioners Court on Tuesday because generations of people have fought for the right to vote and our community entrusts us to carry out elections that uphold these values. This role of election administrator is critical and must be selected with great consideration to guarantee elections move forward as planned.

If you want to know about the County Elections Administrator – how it is created and duties, go to the Texas Election Code, Title 3:  Elections Officers and Observers, Subchapter B.   It is a very informative read. If Harris County gets an Elections Administrator, this new office will conduct the elections and even handle voter registration.  Plus, they get their own seal. The Elections Administrator also can’t make financial political contributions.

A County Elections Commission made up of the County Judge, County Clerk, County Tax Assessor-Collector, the Chair of the Harris County Democratic Party, and the Chair of the Harris County Republican Party, will select the Elections Administrator.

If you are going to make a major elections department change within Harris County government, you might as well do it when you have a lame duck Harris County Clerk.

If Commissioners Court goes through with this and goes with an Elections Administrator, the Interim County Clerk will have to agree if she, yes, I said she, wants to be appointed.  Whoever decides to seek the Harris County Democratic Party Executive Committee nomination will also have to agree with this.  How would they get nominated if they are opposing the Democrats on Commissioners Court?  Nice play, if it happens.

Sara Sidner from CNN had a pretty cool mask on the air yesterday.  I will tweet it out with today’s Commentary.

We have missed 47 regular season games. 26 of them at The Yard.

We were supposed to host the Yankees this past weekend.  Last night’s game was an ESPN Sunday Night Game.

Stay safe and keep wearing a mask to help us get through this if you are out and about.

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