Who's to blame for Texas budget mess? Dems new ad lays it on GOP

[white cloud]

by KENS 5 Staff
kens5.com
Posted on March 8, 2011 at 5:00 PM

A new radio ad is hitting the airwaves in Texas, and it's blasting Republicans.

The Texas House Democratic Campaign committee is releasing the ad that attacks the Republican backed budget cuts.

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http://www.kens5.com/news/Whos-to-blame-for-Texas-budget-mess-Dems-new-ad-lays-it-on-GOP-117611873.html

[sonias]

1. Blame where blame is due

The truth is the only thing we got left.

:kick:

[northoftheborder]

2. spread the news

:dem:

[onestepforward]

3. Our butchered budget is 100% repub.

This is a great time to remind Texans that this is what they get when they vote repuke. Can't wait to hear the ad!

[The Philosopher]

4. Will this be all we get?

The way I see the Texas Dem Party in the state/local media, it's as if it doesn't exist. When I watch WFAA's political show on Sundays, I often wonder if it's just a Republican hit piece or if I'm the only Democrat here. It's very frustrating.

[sonias]

5. TDP doesn't exist in a way

Texas is so big that if you don't have a lot of money to get your message out the media certainly is not going to help you. Like any big business media sides with money. The repukes have money because the corporations and rich fat cats buy them.

It is a very sad state of our party. :(

There is a good video on Texas Tribune with political consultants on both sides of the aisle talking about the state of Texas mainly with respect to Hispanics. It's a very long video, over an hour, but the points made about why the Democratic party is not competitive in Texas and why the Hispanic vote is not turning out is a very good start explaining where we are.


New Day Rising: Hispanics and the Political Landscape
Texas Tribune video 3/8/11

This video is shorter and really gives you the numbers picture of the huge tide of Latino populace coming - whether they vote or not - it will be huge.
New Day Rising: Steve Murdock on the Coming Hispanic Majority
Texas Tribune video 3/8/11

[The Philosopher]

9. That is sad

I wonder how much outside money the party brings. You'd think with all our votes, anyone who wanted a Democrat in the White House would want to invest in the Democratic Party here.

And what is it we're doing wrong that other states are doing right?

[PDittie]

11. Texas is known as the national Dems' ATM

They come here from all over the country and raise money and spend it elsewhere. I myself have attended fundraisers for Al Franken, Nancy Pelosi (her granddaughter lives in Houston), and of course Obama in 2008. But the DSCC never assists our US Senate candidates, for example. Radnofsky in 2006 and Noriega in 2008 begged for help to no avail. We can probably expect the same cold shoulder from the DCCC when our candidates run for those four new Congressional seats in 2012.

I've railed for years at the TDP and its leadership so there's no point in rehashing that.

[efhmc]

16. Tell them whenever they call that I am only giving to local

elections.

[sonias]

13. Correct - sad state of TDP affairs

We're just a big investment that the DNC prefers to write us off, but they do so at their own peril. If you keep ignoring this huge potential you will end up losing the future.

Who knows how much outside money we bring in. I've never seen a number. Most candidates are expected to "self finance" themselves. There have been some investments in Congressional races but not a whole lot from what I can tell.

They will be trying to take back at least a couple of the Congressional seats they lost in 2010 on the tea bag flotilla. But other than that is the same old, same old - barely breaking any waves.

We should be a bigger prize than California - honestly. If California can do it, so can Texas. But it will take huge amounts of money and effort.

That's what the other states have that we don't have - an investment in the state for the Democrats.

[efhmc]

17. My suggestion to usual Texas bashing DUer.

"Would you like to make a suggestion as to how we liberal, feminists can fight the overwhelming amount of money the right wing has here to scare and coerce the public 24/7 in all media so that the truth never has a chance to be heard, much less flourish? By saying you don't live here, I am saying you have no idea what it is to dedicate yourself to years of fighting to elect decent people to office and to get nowhere; to actually go backwards. And since we have no liberal voice anywhere and no hope of electing the same, we are ignored by the national Democrats. Why don't YOU start a national campaign to help us out? You can join with all the other Texas bashers here to help effect a change."

Wanted to add that I posted this a few days ago in response to sonogram legislation thread. Surprise, surprise, no reply.

[efhmc]

6. Wonder how much it would cost to run here on local

station in this far, far right wing county. I think I could get my local Dem Women to pay for it if within our budget. Any idea where to ge this type of info?

[PDittie]

12. Just call them up and ask them

about an advertising package. I can't tell whether you're asking about radio or TV, but generally radio is pretty cheap while TV isn't. The problem is saturation; you need to buy enough spots so that the impressions will register. That's where any air time can get pricey.

[efhmc]

15. Radio time here is fairly inexpensive. I am new at this.

Would we have to buy the ad and then pay for the local air time? Call whom and at what number. Thanks for answering me.

[efhmc]

7. Did you see those comments? That is the serious

ignorance we are fighting.

[sonias]

8. Can the Democrats Win If They Won't Play?

The Texas Observer 3/7/11
Can the Democrats Win If They Won't Play?

There have been several House Democratic caucus press conferences already during this legislative session, but there really only needed to be one. Let me recite the script: I watch, baffled, as 25 or 30 Democrats file into the small room set aside for these occasions. As they begin to recite their talking points, I can’t help wondering: Aren’t they going to wait for the others to arrive? That’s before I remember, again, that the Democrats are down to fewer than 50 seats in the 150-member House, so 30 people is actually a healthy majority of the caucus. Kind of sad. But even sadder is how, as they speak, they seem to embrace their own irrelevance.

Always, at these press conferences, the Democrats go through whatever issue they’re concerned about—the budget crisis, the governor’s State of the State address—and they needle and poke the Republican behemoth they’re up against. With the state facing a $27 billion shortfall and the Republicans relying almost entirely on cuts to fix the problem, it’s easy to paint the potentially terrifying impact to children, the elderly and the state overall. The Democrats do this with solemn relish. But then, inevitably, someone asks the obvious questions: How would you fix the problem? Would you raise taxes or do something else to raise revenue?

Cue awkward pause. Then something like this: It “is a question better leveled to those who are in control,” Rep. Pete Gallego of Alpine said at one press conference. Another time, the explanation came from Rep. Dawnna Dukes of Austin: “Those who are in control are the ones who are going to make any decision that is made at any given time.” As for raising revenues, Houston Rep. Garnet Coleman offered no Democratic ideas. Why should he? As Coleman said, Republicans “have the power to raise taxes. We don’t.”

The Democrats’ strategy is clear: Make the Republicans own this budget mess. After all, Democrats say, the GOP proposed much of the taxing structure, they got credit for giving out tax cuts, and now they should take the blame for the consequences.

:shrug:

[white cloud]

14. Thanks

K&R:kick:

[kjackson227]

10. K & R!

[white cloud]

18. Protect the Classroom

WATCH :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ektL2tWmmjA&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkwmNU7dAls&feature=player_embedded