Happy Thanksgiving Day
Sigh. Here we go again. I saw this post on Facebook yesterday:
The Country is on fire yet the Harris County Democrats are wasting their time on stupid and petty shit. Gdamnit dont you have something better to do? “Harris County Democrats are one step closer to barring Houston Mayor John Whitmire from receiving the party’s endorsement in future elections.”
Cobarruvias is talking about this in the Chron:
The Harris County Democratic Party will vote on a resolution that would bar Houston Mayor John Whitmire from receiving the party’s endorsement on Dec. 14.
The resolution was advanced this week by the party’s Steering Committee, which voted 17–7 to send it to all Democratic precinct chairs for consideration. The measure was authored by Cameron “Coach Cam” Campbell, a precinct chair and member of the Houston Progressive Caucus, who said he drafted it earlier this year after Whitmire headlined a fundraiser for Republican U.S. Rep. Dan Crenshaw.
“That was the beginning of it,” Campbell said. “Every penny raised to support a Republican is a penny used to defeat a Democrat. It’s not ideological purity — it’s about what a good Democrat is.”
The resolution accuses the mayor of undermining the party by appearing at the Crenshaw event alongside Republican County Commissioner Tom Ramsey. The resolution cites Crenshaw’s past statements on diversity initiatives, Planned Parenthood and his response to the Jan. 6 attack; Ramsey’s vote against certifying the 2021 Harris County election; and Whitmire’s decision to attend the fundraiser despite Crenshaw being endorsed by the county GOP.
The resolution concludes that Whitmire’s “political behavior…undermines the values and mission of the Democratic Party,” and calls for denying him endorsement in all future elections.
Campbell said Whitmire’s relationship with local Democrats soured further after recent revelations about coordination between Houston police and federal immigration authorities. Campbell also said any pushback the resolution received in the party has mostly been from Democrats who feared being on the mayor’s “bad side.”
“You have to remind folks that he works for us. We don’t work for him,” Campbell said.
Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle said the resolution has moved through the party’s standard multistep process. It first passed the Resolutions Committee, then the Steering Committee, and now moves to the County Executive Committee — the full body of roughly 590 precinct chairs.
That meeting will take place Dec. 14 at Baker Ripley House and is open to the public.
The Houston Chronicle reached out to Whitmire’s spokesperson for comment but did not receive a response.
Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor at the University of Houston, said the resolution is a blow to Whitmire, but, “not a fatal one.”
“Most people aren’t slavishly voting based on party in city elections,” Rottinghaus said. “Most Democrats recognized he was not the most liberal Democrat and never has been. So in that sense, it doesn’t change the status quo that much.”
Rottinghaus said the vote could encourage a challenger in the next mayoral race but noted that few prominent Democrats appear poised to take Whitmire on. He also suggested that in light of recent events, Whitmire may not want to be closely aligned with the Democratic Party.
“He’s running on traditionally Republican issues like safer streets, keeping taxes low and aiding first responders,” Rottinghaus said. “This gives him a pivot point to say he’s above politics.”
I guess these local Democrats haven’t heard that MAGA Gov. Greg Abbott is going to put a chunk of his $90 million war chest into Harris County. These Democrats are dumbarses and morons for sure. Screwed up priorities. Sad and pitiful.
_____
On Thanksgiving Day Eve in Washington, D.C., two national guardsmen from West Virginia were critically wounded by gunfire. The alleged shooter is an Afghan refugee who was allowed entry into the USA under the Biden administration. Of course, MAGA pounced on this. We learned this morning the alleged shooter was granted asylum under the Trump administration. I will let you know what MAGA has to say about this.
_____
Last night I had dinner with my best friend – as in the featured photo – and his family. Yesterday was Al’s birthday. We ate at a Mexican restaurant in Missouri City. At dinner, Al’s granddaughter, Sofia, told me she visited Texas A&M this past weekend. That is where she wants to attend college. Sofia’s mom, Lisette, and Uncle Matt are Longhorns and attended UT Austin. Oh, well.
_____
I will be having dinner today with my family at my niece’s. Commentary baked two apple pies yesterday that I will take to our dinner along with some other goodies. Have a safe and Happy Thanksgiving Day!