KiTiRiK

Folk here have been talking about mail ballots, the USPS and the single mail ballot drop off location.  The Texas election code and the Harris County Clerk’s website says that a voter can have their mail ballot delivered by common or contract carrier.  There are some procedures that a voter has to follow. It might cost you some modest change, but still, it is a legal option. Just saying.

They are losing it folks.  This from the Trib:

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick repeated unsubstantiated claims in a Thursday interview that the only way Republicans can lose on Election Day is if Democrats cheat.

“The Democrats have just decided this election, Mark, we don’t have to pay attention to any laws. We’re gonna use COVID as an excuse to steal the election and that’s what they’re trying to do everywhere,” Patrick, a Republican, said during a radio interview on “The Mark Davis Show.” “If the president loses Pennsylvania or North Carolina, Mark, or Florida they’ll lose it because they stole it.”

Here is all the Trib story:  https://www.texastribune.org/2020/10/29/texas-dan-patrick-elections-voting/?utm_campaign=trib-social&utm_content=1604016368&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.

What a joke. Whatever happened to the days when the candidate that got the most votes just won.

Remember a while back when Patrick said Donald Trump would win Texas by a larger margin than his 2016 win.  A few days ago, Patrick said Trump would win by 4 to 9 points.  I wonder what he is thinking this morning.

Commentary had a major duh moment yesterday.  Kitirik was a character with her live afternoon kids show on Channel 13 from 1959 to 1974.  It was a lady dressed in black leotards to look like a cat. I would watch it on occasion growing up.

Check this from Channel 13:

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — In the early 1950s, when KTRK was assigned the potentially unlucky Channel 13, station owners decided to embrace it! A black cat was named the station mascot, and incorporated into our logo.

When station managers noticed young Bunny Orsak applying for a job in their lobby, they immediately knew she would bring them the good luck they knew would override that unlucky channel number.

“I thought they were crazy,” Orsak said to ABC13 Anchor Emeritus Dave Ward. “I came back in a bathing suit. And so they decided that I would put on the leotard and the mesh hose and get the tail.”

Then there was the name for the soon-to-be children’s television host.

“They had a contest and a lot of people sent in all these different names,” Orsak said. “And this woman, who was an artist, sent artwork that had KTRK with an I in between each letter. So we thought that was a really good idea because it could promote KTRK as well as my name. And they called it KiTiRiK.”

I watched the show when I was a kid.  I did not get back then about the i letters that were inserted in between the station’s call letters.  I also did not equate the black cat and 13 luck issue. Duh, me.

“Today” did their Halloween costumes this morning and they paid tribute to Broadway.  Broadway right now is shut down because of COVID-19.

Reliever Roberto Osuna is no longer with the Astros.

Today is the last day of early voting.  In Harris county, we have now surpassed our 2016 vote total of 1,338,898 as Sen. Kamala Harris visits H-Town this evening.

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Battleground H-Town

They are sending Sen. Kamala Harris to H-Town the Friday before Election Day.  Think about that. It is pretty obvious.  Texas is the largest battleground state.  If the Biden-Harris campaign wants to carry Texas, we have to run up the score in Harris and Fort Bend counties.  Good move.

Here in Harris County, we should pass our 2016 total vote turnout by tomorrow morning. 

Texas Monthly has a couple of pieces on the Texas GOP and Texas Democrats here:

https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-gop-off-the-rails-2020/.

https://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/texas-democrats-comeback/.

Commentary is not ready to count the chickens before they hatch but I will say that the GOP’s voter ID laws, banning multiple mail ballot drop off locations, not easing mail ballot restrictions during a pandemic and gerrymandering is not stopping folks from voting.

Royko had this to say on the Omaha folks who Donald Trump left behind in cold weather:

I have not seen anyone blame Trump because the bus contractor failed to get back to pick up a few hundred of the many thousands who attended the “peaceful protest” event.

You need to realize that the multitude of patriots endured the winter weather to have a chance to see and hear Trump. They wouldn’t have bothered to see the Marxists candidates, and forced to stand in a stupid circle, which may be worse than being left after a Trump event.

Millions have voted already to reject the horrific Socialist Harris-Biden/Bernie-AOC & Squad Agenda. They will also crawl over the broken glass, created by the rioters and looters in the Democrat-controlled cities, to prevent the nation from Democrat’s Socialist goons.

Here is part of MLB’s statement on that fuc_ing moron Dodger Justin Turner who went and celebrated with his team after he tested COVID-19 positive:

Immediately upon receiving notice from the laboratory of a positive test, protocols were triggered, leading to the removal of Justin Turner from last night’s game. Turner was placed into isolation for the safety of those around him. However, following the Dodgers’ victory, it is clear that Turner chose to disregard the agreed-upon joint protocols and the instructions he was given regarding the safety and protection of others. While a desire to celebrate is understandable, Turner’s decision to leave isolation and enter the field was wrong and put everyone he came in contact with at risk. When MLB Security raised the matter of being on the field with Turner, he emphatically refused to comply.

The idiot easily deserves a 60-game ban and throw in a high six figure fine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci says we won’t see normalcy until the end of 2021.  If that’s the case, you won’t see me at The Yard next season.

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Cheating Dodgers

It’s official folks!  Put an asterisk on the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series trophy.  They just about admitted it.  No reason to waste MLB’s time conducting an investigation.  They cheated throughout this season.

Last night it was announced that Dodgers starting third baseman Justin Turner had tested positive for COVID-19 and was pulled during the game. You would think that he would have been sent away from the stadium.  Nope.

After the Dodgers won the game and the World Series, the Dodgers piled on each other, then lo and behold, Tuner came back out and joined the celebration with his teammates. Major league stupid move.

Let’s see.  Over 225,000 dead.  We lead the world in infections.  We had to reduce the MLB season to 60 games.  The final three rounds of the MLB playoffs were held in neutral locations. We didn’t get to go to any home games this season.  It was just announced yesterday that the Astros will start laying off employees and this COVID-19 idiot comes back on the field and infects others.  What a moron.

It is pretty obvious that the Dodgers cheated throughout the season and played with COVID-19 positive players.  Sad.  Sorry Clayton.  Your ring is tarnished.

Commentary fully expects MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred to slap a 60-game suspension on Turner next season and stick a $5 million fine on the Dodgers, the same amount we got fined back in January.

Fuc_ing cheaters. Scumbags for sure.

Royko responded to my take yesterday on this election being a rout:

Interesting. I view the current situation differently.
The issues are Law & Order and Biden’s corruption, and the Thursday admission that the Democrats are coming after our oil & gas industry and our rights.
All the legitimate polls show Biden is fading in the home stretch, while Trump is surging.
Voters see Trump as a Winner, and the 47-year swamp-dweller as a LOSER.

At least we don’t leave our supporters stranded in freezing weather after a campaign event.

We are done with the 2020 MLB season.  Who knows what 2021 will look like.

Election Day is Tuesday.

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40 Years Ago

Democratic State Rep. Trey Martinez Fischer from San Antonio filed to be a candidate for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.  Democrats better win 76 or more House races next week for Trey to have a shot. Texas House Speaker races are a House member only thing. That’s the way it should be.

I wonder if the Democratic reps from RGV will have a candidate or is Trey the South Texas candidate?  I wonder if DFW will have a candidate.  I wonder if Central Texas will have a candidate.  El Paso?

Forty years ago, we were headed into the presidential election on November 4, 1980, exactly one year after the U.S. embassy in Iran was overtaken by Iranian revolutionaries.  Fifty-two American diplomats were held hostage for over a year. 

The Iranian hostage crisis dogged President Jimmy Carter for the last year of his presidency and was a major contributing factor to his loss to Ronald Reagan in 1980.  It was a rout for sure. Democrats also lost control of the U.S. Senate in that election.

Donald Trump’s botching of the pandemic is a lot worse than Jimmy Carter’s handling of the Iranian hostage crisis.  225,000 Americans and counting didn’t lose their life in 1980.

I see a rout coming next week.  Over the next week nothing really matters that will alter the election outcome.  Up and down the ballot the GOP is going to get creamed across America.  Voters have had it.

I wonder if the team is making the move to keep #SpringerDinger.

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Happy Birthday, Senator Alvarado!

I saw and tweeted this great line from the obituary of Beverly Manne that was in this past weekend’s Chron:

She never voted the straight ticket because, as she put it, “It’s much more fun to vote for each Democrat separately.” 

Nice.

Today is State Senator Carol Alvarado’s birthday.  As Chair of the Texas Senate Democratic Caucus, she is a key member of the Texas Democratic Party’s leadership team.  She’s been campaigning everyday for Democrats up and down the ballot.  I kind of know this because she has called upon me to help her a bit.

I have known Senator Alvarado for over 30 years now.  I have had a front row seat to witness her growth in politics.

She works hard.  Puts in the long hours. Does her homework. Absorbs the intricacies of the difficult issues.  Speaks and communicates with clarity.  She has also never forgotten where she came from.

She has a great sense of humor, quick wit and sharp mind.

Senator Alvarado is one of the best if not the best campaign candidates I have every been around.  Just plain ferocious.  Nobody is going to out campaign her.

I have had the honor and privilege of working with and knowing Texas Democratic Party stalwarts throughout my 45 plus years in Party politics.  Senator Alvarado is certainly among the stalwarts.

Did I also say that she is a huge Astros fan?  Yep, she sure is.

Happy Birthday, Senator!

My friend State Rep. Senfronia Thompson filed to be a candidate for Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives.  Democrats better win 76 or more House races next week for Mrs. T to have a shot. She has respect from both sides of the aisle.  Texas House Speaker races are a House member only thing. That’s the way it should be.

Donald Trump mocked COVID-19 at one of his rallies this past weekend.  I am sure the families of the 225,000 COVID-19 victims appreciated that.

Mike Pence is the Chair of the Coronavirus Task Force and at least five of his top staff have COVID-19.  Pence should be in quarantine, but because he is a moronic arsehole, he is out there campaigning and being a super spreader.

Mark Meadows, Trump’s top staffer, said yesterday on CNN that we were not going to get COVID-19 under control.  This is called an unconditional surrender.

We had the highest number of infections per day this past weekend.

These folks at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue are the biggest dumbsh_ts ever.

Hopefully, the GOP will pay a price up and down the ballot for siding with COVID-19.

Too bad The Roundtable is no longer around. We certainly would have had a juicy ballot picks this year.  Along with picking the winning candidates and margins of victory, we would have also had categories on Electoral College totals, state and local turnout and who wins the Texas House.

Our weekly community newspaper, The Leader, had a trashy insert a week or so ago.  It’s a Newsmax 12-page piece for Donald Trump.  Hope The Leader made some good dough off of it.

Hillary Clinton, Jaclyn Smith and Rita Wilson are also celebrating birthdays today.

We beat the Nationals 8-1 in Game 4 of the World Series a year ago this evening. That was so long ago.

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Refinery Question

Commentary has said it before.  Nobody is going to lecture me on what it is like living near a refinery and the pollution.  My home growing up is four blocks from the ExxonMobil refinery.  The refinery is the second largest refinery in the USA and seventh largest in the world. My Dad still lives in that home.

One of the main entrances to the refinery is a block away from a home where my grandparents used to live.  The home is no longer there but the property is owned by our family.

I can very well relate to this question last night asked by debate moderator Kristen Welker:

“Some people of color are much more likely to live near oil refineries and chemical plants in Texas. There are families who worry the plants near them are making them sick. Your administration has rolled back regulations on these kinds of facilities. Why should these families give you another four years in office?”

Here is part of what Donald Trump said:

 “They are making a lot of money, more money than they’ve ever made.”

Here is a part of what former Vice President Joe Biden said:

“Those people live on what they call ‘fence line’ — he doesn’t understand this. They live near chemical plants that, in fact, pollute — chemical plants and oil plants and refineries that pollute.”

And this:

“The fact is those frontline communities, does not matter what you’re paying them, it matters how you keep them safe.”

The question and responses hit very close to home for Commentary. 

Trump has no clue who these folks are.  Biden clearly does. 

State Sen. Carol Alvarado grew up in the Manchester neighborhood in Houston’s East End.  Manchester sits next to chemical plants.  Her Mom still lives in Manchester.  Sen. Alvarado can relate to Biden’s mention of his childhood and waking up to find oil residue on the family car windshield from the nearby refinery.  Manchester has experienced that problem.

Trump sounded like an idiot.  Biden sounded like me. Biden gets it, man does he get it. Starkly different takes for sure.

On the transitioning out of energy question.  The oil companies themselves are trying to grapple with this.  They know they can’t be doing what they are doing.  They are not dumb.  They see the writing on the wall.

The Conservative Republicans of Harris County PAC again have the 12 page insert on Trump in today’s Chron.  Hope the Chron is making some good dough off of it.

11 days until Election Day and COVID-19 is still not under control.

Game 3 of the World Series is still being played tonight at a neutral site because COVID-19 is still not under control and not turning the corner.

Stay safe this weekend.

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Debate

Yesterday was my birthday and I got some nice well-wishes.  Thanks to all.  It was fun!

Just to remind you.  NBC’s White House correspondent and “Weekend Today” co-anchor Kristen Welker asked Donald Trump the question that got the following response:

“I don’t take responsibility at all.”

Everyone knows Commentary watches “Today” in the morning and I have seen Welker in action for many years.  She is good at her job.  She has a tough job this evening moderating the debate.  She has to deal with a racist nut job.  Good luck!

Too bad Trump and his folks have to trash her beforehand.  Classy move.

We are 12 days from the election of our lifetime.  To my fellow Texas Democrats.  Doesn’t it feel good and exciting that we are in the game?  Gone are the days when we just sat around and watched the rest of the country decide our next president. 

We have ads running out the wazoo.  I see more and more Biden – Harris signs.  Heck, my Dad has one in his yard.   You have to figure if the polls still have Texas as a toss-up state and voter turnout is way up – well – you get the picture.

President Obama was on his game yesterday. 

It says a lot that as COVID-19 infections increase again, Biden-Harris have these safe drive-in rallies and Trump has super spreader rallies.  What is the GOP thinking?

The World Series is tied at one game apiece.  In case you are interested.

Don’t forget to watch the debate this evening.

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Stealing Votes

The Texas GOP trying to suppress our vote is one thing.  Stealing votes is another and totally unacceptable.

This is from Channel 11 News:

The concerns over drive-thru voting continue. Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins is asking the Texas Secretary of State to assure him that the drive-thru votes will count. The request comes after several lawsuits from the Texas Republican Party over how drive-thru voting is being conducted.

Hollins is requesting a response from the state by Wednesday.

Here is the letter form the County Clerk to the Secretary of State:

“Secretary Hughs:

“Under the Texas Election Code, one of your primary duties is to “assist and advise all election authorities with regard to the application, operation, and interpretation of this code…” TEX. ELEC. CODE 31.004(a). As is customary for elections officials across Texas, my office regularly seeks out your trained election experts for exactly this reason—to get advice and assistance from your office about all manner of election-related questions. My office sought such advice regarding drive-thru voting. One of my senior staff spoke with a seasoned attorney in your office about the Texas Election Code polling place requirements for Early Voting and on Election Day.

“As you know, the law providing for Early Voting polling places is crystal clear—such a polling place “may be located…in any stationary structure as directed by the authority establishing the branch office. The polling place may be located in a movable structure…. Ropes or other suitable objects may be used at the polling place…” TEX. ELEC. CODE 85.062. Likewise, the law providing for Election Day polling place is also clear—“Each polling place shall be located inside a building.” TEX. ELEC. CODE 43.031(b).

“Your office has repeatedly expressed that drive-thru voting fit the definitions and requirements for a polling place provided in the Texas Election Code for both Early Voting and Election Day. In fact, Director of Elections Keith Ingram has stated under oath in a court proceeding: “It’s a creative approach that is probably okay legally… we’ve told counties who want to try this is that they need to have the location associated with a physical building and that they need to take whoever shows up at that location, whether they are walking, riding a bicycle or driving a car.”

“However, after the Republican Parties of Texas and Harris County sued my office to stop drive-thru voting, and after the Attorney General sent a letter expressing his dislike for drive-thru voting, you and your office have gone conspicuously silent. My office has attempted to contact Mr. Ingram multiple times with no success or response.

“I am thus writing to you as Secretary of State seeking to ensure two things:

“(1) That you stand by your legal guidance—which your Director of Elections gave under oath— that drive-thru voting is lawful in Texas; and 

“2) That you are committed to defending the votes (over 60,000 so far, and increasing daily) that have been cast at Harris County’s ten (10) drive-thru voting centers.

“Given the seriousness of this matter, I respectfully request a response by 12:00 PM tomorrow, October 21. I look forward to continuing to work with your office to protect the right to vote for all Texas voters.

The Texas GOP has totally lost its way. My goodness.  Contemplating stealing votes is criminal and sad.  Do they think they are going to get their arses kicked that badly in 13 days? 

Commentary is thinking if things go sour for Donald Trump and his crooks, the folks at ICE are going to head for the hills. Someone is going to have to be held accountable for the 545 kids who can’t be reunited with their parents.

The headline in today’s Chron hard copy is this:

Houston’s virus rate taking turn for worse

If the GOP leadership across the state had signed on to do the right thing from the very beginning, we would be in a better place.  Hopefully, the GOP will pay dearly on November 3 for their behavior.  It didn’t have to get to this.

Zack Greinke is 37 today.  Happy Birthday, Zack!

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Fauci Factor

Commentary likes Dr. Anthony Fauci.  When a COVID-19 vaccine is ready to go and Dr. Fauci gives it the thumbs up, I will get in line.

I have said it before though. Dr. Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx, and Dr. Robert Redfield all let themselves get rolled over by Donald Trump. We can debate whether they should have resigned or pushed back in a public manner, but I won’t.  We are where we are.

The Trump campaign is using Dr. Fauci in a campaign ad and yesterday Trump called Dr. Fauci an idiot and a disaster. Trump also said that if former Vice President Joe Biden is elected, Biden will listen to Dr. Fauci. Now that’s your definition of bonkers.

The question yesterday was why was Trump attacking Dr. Fauci? How does that get him more votes?  It doesn’t. Trump is just swinging and missing at everything.

A lot of folks are going to great lengths not to get complacent two weeks before the election.  A lot of folks are also not getting out there and making predictions.  I get that.  I feel good about the Democrats two weeks before Election Day.  We are doing what we have to do.  We are not denigrating the medical experts.  We are also not chasing down emails.

Some HISD schools had to be shut down today because of COVID-19.  That doesn’t surprise Commentary.

This is what Royko had to say about my take yesterday on the Trump Bootlicker:

I have long criticized Cornyn for being a swamp critter, and he is admitting he is a Sissy (can’t use the P word ‘cuz he doesn’t wear a pink cap) that tried to change a dominant “Winner.”

It is sad to witness his pandering to potential voters that would never vote for him anyway, and, he thinks nothing of alienating conservatives because he knows they will not vote for the Socialists.

He is also a shameless back-stabber, and thankfully Cruz won in spite of his reluctance to endorse him while he fended off a skateboarding Anglo with a Spanish alias who had $70 million to spend.

Got it.

Channel 2 News had an interview yesterday evening with former Astros General Manager jeff Luhnow.  I really don’t care.

The World Series starts this evening in Arlington.

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Define Bootlicker

Luis Salinas sent me this on Friday:

Mark: My 92 year old dad went to the Post Office to mail his ballot in. He handed it to a clerk who told him it needed an additional $.15 stamp. What is going to happen to all the ballots that were just dropped into a mail box?

My Dad stuck a forever stamp on his mail ballot envelope and it’s in the can.  I went online and looked at the ballot by mail roster that is posted every day and voila, he’s listed as the County having received his ballot.  You can go online to Harrisvotes.com and find the link to the rosters.

I drove my ballot to NRG and I didn’t notice if a postage amount was stipulated on the envelope where the stamp is affixed. If you put a regular stamp on the envelope, it is going to be delivered.  As I recall, I forgot to put a stamp on my mail ballot for a recent election and it was still delivered.  I wouldn’t worry about this. If the post office gets it on time, it will be delivered.

Savannah Guthrie is getting good reviews on how she handled the Donald Trump townhall.  From the clips I have seen, I can’t disagree.  I was watching “What’s Your Point” yesterday and the Urban Reform fella took a shot at her.  Something about her being married to a Democratic strategist, as if that was influencing her. Wow!  That shows no respect to this woman who has made it on her own.  She grew up in Arizona.  Lost her dad when she was a teenager.  Went to college in her home state. Went to law school and became a lawyer.  She then pivoted to journalism.  Climbed through the ranks.  Now she is the lead co-anchor on “Today.” 

I have watched her interview folks before and sometimes have disagreed with how she handled Democrats. The Urban Reform fella needs to show Savannah a little respect.  Don’t you think?

I hadn’t checked the state’s county-by-county COVID-19 numbers in a while.  253 of our 254 counties have the virus.  Loving County and its 134 residents are the lone holdouts.  GOP Gov. Greg Abbott is doing his best to hit all 254. Nice job!

The Early Voting locations opened at 12 noon yesterday.  I was at one on Spencer Highway yesterday at 11:15 am and folks were already in line to vote.

Evers since MJ Hegar called U.S. Sen. John Cornyn a Donald Trump bootlicker, I have been meaning to put out a take on a good example of Sen. Cornyn’s bootlicking.  He saved me the trouble and told the Star-Telegram editorial board himself. 

This is from yesterday’s The Hill:

Sen. John Cornyn (R-Texas) said Friday that he disagreed with President Trump on issues such as the deficit and a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border, but that Senate Republicans doubted their capacity to “change” the president on such issues.

The Texas Republican told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that his relationship with the president was “maybe like a lot of women who get married and think they’re going to change their spouse, and that doesn’t usually work out very well.”

“I think what we found is that we’re not going to change President Trump. He is who he is. You either love him or hate him, and there’s not much in between,” Cornyn said. “What I tried to do is not get into public confrontations and fights with him because, as I’ve observed, those usually don’t end too well.”

Now that’s the definition of a Trump bootlicker.  To Texas GOPers: This is your gutless boy. 

The Conservative Republicans of Harris County PAC had a 12 page insert on Trump in yesterday’s Chron.  Hope the Chron made some good dough off of it.

I have been to 28 Early Voting locations.  Mostly on the Northside and East Harris County.  There are a kazillion candidate campaign signs at every location.  It sometimes makes me wonder if putting your candidate’s signs out there is worth it.  The only ones I have really noticed are those belonging to Constable Sherman Eagleton and constable candidate Jerry Garcia. They each put out a bunch.

The Astros certainly gave us a nice ride the last three weeks.  Commentary is not bummed out.  We weren’t supposed to get three runs from making the World Series.  It was nice.

I am not going to worry about next season and what the team will look like. I will just put away the gear and worry about the next 15 days for now.

I would probably make the Dodgers a slight favorite to win the Series now that they don’t have to play us.  Just saying.

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