Joe Lies
We have heard it before. In politics your word is your word. As an officeholder, you are expected to be honest and truthful. The Nick Hellyar for City Council District C campaign caught his opponent Joe Panzarella in a big lie.
In a candidate forum on March 18, Panzarella said: “I voted in the Democratic primary in 2024 and every primary before that.” Nope. He lied. Panzarella voted in the 2016 Texas Republican primary in Travis County.
After being caught in the lie, Panzarella said he “misspoke” on March 18. If you believe his BS that he “misspoke” you are dumber than dumb. Now Panzarella is lying about his lie. How does one misspeak about recalling your party primary voting history. Upon examination, he only voted in four party primaries – 2016, 2018, 2024, and 2026. He is a liar, pure and simple.
If you are involved in a Democratic campaign in Texas, you probably use the Democratic National Committee’s voter file, the VAN. That is how you can search the voter history of voters.
If you have gone door-to-door on behalf of a candidate or have talked to someone who has volunteered to go block walking, you know full well that many voters want to know which political party the candidate runs with. It is a highly partisan climate we live in these days. Folks want to know if you are a Democrat or MAGA.
Panzarella wasn’t being honest and lied. You know that. If you cut him some slack, then you are no better than others who tell lies in politics and we have way too many of those.
Donald Trump has allowed lying to become the norm with a huge segment of our politics. Democrats should not accept lies and become MAGA like.
That is Joe in the featured photo.
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Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick is getting some buzz today about his recent take on Texas politics. See this from the Trib:
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on Wednesday said Texas Republicans are “going to have a tough time” holding onto their majority in the state House this fall, the latest and perhaps most notable sign yet of GOP unease about the midterm elections.
Speaking at the Texas Public Policy Foundation’s annual conference in Austin, Patrick said it is imperative for the loser of Republicans’ rancorous Senate primary runoff — whether it’s U.S. Sen. John Cornyn or Attorney General Ken Paxton — to support the winner against Democratic candidate James Talarico. The Austin state representative locked up his party’s nomination in March and will face whoever emerges from the May 26 GOP election, which has already seen both candidates resume their mudslinging after a vicious first round.
Without a unifying endorsement from the runoff loser, Patrick cautioned, Republicans could lose the Senate seat, an outcome he said would guarantee Democratic control of the upper chamber in Washington. A divided GOP also could imperil down-ballot candidates, he added, pointing to the 2018 midterms when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz narrowly defeated former El Paso congressman Beto O’Rourke and a recent special election for a ruby red Texas Senate seat won by a Democrat in a district President Donald Trump had carried by 17 points in 2024.
“Get over it and come together as one,” Patrick said, aiming his comments at Cornyn and Paxton. “We’re going to have a tough time holding the Texas House.”
Patrick, the presiding officer of the Texas Senate, said he thinks his own chamber ”is in good shape,” then repeated his point that Cornyn and Paxton are “going to have to help House members.”
In 2018, when Trump was first in office, Texas Democrats flipped 12 seats in the state House. Republicans have controlled the lower chamber since 2003 and currently hold 88 of its 150 seats. Democrats would need to flip at least 14 seats to win a majority.
In the state Senate, the GOP has a 20-11 advantage.
House Speaker Dustin Burrows, R-Lubbock, responded to Patrick’s remark on social media without mentioning his counterpart by name.
“We will not lose the Texas House. We will fight to retain every Republican seat,” Burrows said. “I look forward to the fall campaign where we get to talk about Texas’ prosperity under Republican leadership; and, I trust the voters of Texas to continue to vote for conservative government up and down the ballot!”
State Rep. Christina Morales of Houston, who chairs House Democrats’ campaign arm, said Patrick’s warning was well founded and pointed to factors like high everyday costs, Republicans’ school voucher program and federal deportation efforts.
Here is the entire Trib read: Dan Patrick says GOP will have “tough time” holding Texas House.
A bit of correction here. MAGA holds a 18-12 advantage over Democrats in the Texas State Senate with one vacancy.
At least Lt. Gov. Patrick is hearing what we are hearing from voters.
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This is from Houston Public Media:
In a stinging loss of a staunch ally, Houston Mayor John Whitmire will not receive the Houston Police Officers’ Union’s endorsement because he voted for an ordinance limiting the police department’s coordination with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on Wednesday.
“I was blown away by that because originally he was with us and thought it was a horrible idea,” union president Douglas Griffith told Houston Public Media. “All we want to do is go out and do our jobs as police officers. We don’t care about the politics. But then, when the mayor signed off on it, it blew me away. I don’t support any of them that supported this. I just don’t. And moving forward, I will not support them.”
During the city council meeting Wednesday morning, Whitmire voted in favor of a measure prohibiting officers from detaining people or prolonging traffic stops due to civil immigration warrants.
The Houston Police Officer’s Union is tone deaf. They are not hearing what folks in H-Town are saying. Oh, well.
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This was supposed to be the season where the Astros were going to focus on staying healthy. It looks like they are losing focus. It is a good thing we have today off.