Kamala Harris

We lost Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee on Friday. She certainly made her mark on the political landscape in the H-Town area and country. She was one of a kind for sure. She didn’t shy away from letting folks know her takes. I give a ton of credit for the energy she had in showing up everywhere. Press conferences, meetings, funerals, birthday parties, State of the Union addresses – you name it. Folks would joke about that, but folks also respected her for that.

I don’t think I ever disagreed with any of her positions on public policy. Maybe a minor one here or there. Our differences were in supporting candidates who ran for political office in a few races.

A Cong. Sheila Jackson Lee story that I will never forget is our State Senatorial District 15 Democratic Party Convention that was held in 2008. That was the Sen. Barack Obama – former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton presidential primary. I was asked by my good friend then State Sen. John Whitmire to help oversee the gathering because an overflow number of delegates was expected.

The convention was overwhelmingly attended by Obama supporters. I was a Clinton delegate. Cong. Jackson Lee was a Clinton supporter and took to the microphone to speak and she was relentlessly booed. Obama folks there didn’t take too kindly to an African American member of congress not supporting an African American running for president. She stood there, didn’t lose her composure, didn’t back down, stayed at the microphone and tried to give her speech. After a few minutes or so, Sen. Whitmire got on the microphone and asked the Obama supporters to show some respect and allow Cong. Jackson Lee to speak.

She spoke and I have always wondered how many other elected officials or candidates would have kept cool and maintained their composure under similar circumstances. Not many.

She was my congresswoman for as long as I can remember. Her Heights office is right next door to my bank.

This was posted in the Chron the day after she left us:

U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, one of the longest-serving members in Congress and an icon of Houston politics, died Friday. 

Jackson Lee was up for re-election in November. After handily clinching the Democratic nomination over former Houston City Councilor Amanda Edwards, she was widely expected to win another term representing the deep blue district that includes part of Central Houston and vast portions of northwest and northeast Harris County. Lana Centonze is running as the Republican. 

Under state law, the Harris County Democratic Party’s executive committee will have until Aug. 26 to nominate a candidate to run in the Nov. 5 general election.  

If the committee does not choose a candidate in time, then the Texas Democratic Party would have two days, or until Aug. 28, to make the choice.

Chad Dunn, a lawyer for the Texas Democratic Party, said state party rules advise that, if possible, there should be at least 10 days from the creation of the vacancy before a meeting is called.

County executive committees will sometimes create an informal filing period, or they may create a survey for candidates to fill out, or they may notice the meeting and ask the candidates to show up in person and make their pitch in front of the committee, Dunn said.

Here is the entire read: Who will replace Sheila Jackson Lee in Congress? (houstonchronicle.com).

It is the duty of media outlets like the Chron to publish stories like this one. There is no so-called grace period. Don’t kid yourself. Conversations have been going on possible successors since she announced her illness last month. Commentary has not been a part of those conversations and I don’t know who is having them, but believe me, they have been happening. It is just a matter of time who first officially contacts the Democratic Party committee members who have a vote.

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See the featured photo. AP tweeted this after the historical announcement yesterday:

President Joe Biden is dropping out of the 2024 race for the White House, throwing the Democratic party into chaos just months before the election.

Hardly on the chaos thing.

Then this ABC 13 tweet came out:

Kamala Harris is Joe Biden’s heir apparent, but some Democrats not sold: ANALYSIS

Nope. We are sold.

Vice President Kamala Harris has been by President Joe Biden’s side for close to four years now. She campaigned for the Biden-Harris ticket in 2020 and this year, 2024. She also campaigned throughout the country in 2022 for Democratic Party candidates.

She hasn’t been sitting on the sidelines during this administration. She deserves credit for the accomplishments of the Biden administration.  She is tested and knows the job.

Yesterday was one for the books. I was watching Jen Psaki at around 12:55 pm when she read President Biden’s announcement. Wow. CBS and ABC broke into their regular coverage about nine minutes later. NBC stuck to its race car coverage.

It is a different race. The dynamics have shifted.

Meanwhile dumbarse Cancun Cruz tweeted this:

I endorse Ilhan Omar as the Democrat nominee for President.

Cong. Omar replied to Cancun with this juicy comeback:

Hey Ted

You know I’m not even eligible to run for president. Maybe it’s time to brush up on the Constitution.

While you’re supporting Donald Trump, a candidate who traffics in hate and called your wife ugly—I’m supporting a capable and qualified candidate to lead our country.

Cancun just loves to get his arse owned politically.

The Chron E-Board has a take today on President Biden’s decision and here is how it ends:

He also likely understood, as we do, that it’s risky for a political party to push out an incumbent, almost any incumbent, because incumbents generally have a built-in advantage with voters. 

In the end, though, the guy who, during his callow youth, always had an answer still has an answer today, regardless of whether he’s willing to admit it. For the good of this nation, the nation he loves with all his heart, the nation he has served for almost his entire adult life, he has finally said the words “Bye-Bye” for himself.

Biden has indicated that he’ll serve out his term so we won’t say goodbye just yet. Only, thank you, Mr. President, for your service, and for being a leader in a time and place where they are in perilously short supply. We’ve got a democracy to save and you have done your part.  

Here is the entire E-Board take: Joe Biden’s exit from presidential race isn’t a defeat. It’s love. (houstonchronicle.com).

It is being reported that Vice President Kamala Harris will give remarks from the White House later this morning.

Finally, let me say this. President Joe Biden is a great American. He puts the country first. He has my full admiration. Thank you, Mr. President.

This being Olympic week, it is now appropriate to say, let the 2024 games begin.

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The Astros took two out of three in Seattle this past weekend and are tied for first place in the AL West. We start a three-game series in Oakland this evening.