Michigan Loses Its Delegates To Democratic Convention

Another state has lost its delegates to the Democratic Convention. This time it’s Michigan because of moving their primary too early in violation of rules. In addition to having their delegates stripped, these states will see no campaigning by Democratic hopefuls. Candidates have pledged to only campaign in states that abide by party rules.

More on this at Raw Story!

I-35 Is God's Highway? Pat Robertson - Still Crazy After All These Years

This clip from the 700 Club is about a wacky as it gets. As a Christian, I find this kind of simplistic brain dead theology offensive. As a gay man, I find it obscene...but it's still somewhat amusing.

World AIDS Day - Always A Good Time To Remember

On World AIDS day I find myself becoming bit maudlin as I searched the Names Project Quilt online. Finding far too many panels that bore the names of friends I finally decided to just log off and write.

I listened to an interview this morning on CNN with a leader in the African American community talk about how it was time that the black churches in America came forward to help stop the spread of AIDS. I found myself talking to the TV saying that, "20 years ago was the time ALL churches came forward to stop the spread of AIDS." And the story was followed by our glorious leader lying about how well abstinence programs are working.

Sometimes I think we live in some sort of alternate universe? Instead of kicking in the TV, I decided it would be better if I continued to work on behalf of people living with AIDS and continue to try educating my community about safer sex. It might not be as dramatic as putting my foot through the TV, but it just might save a life.

The quilt panel here was for John Thomas, a friend and tireless AIDS activist. God blessed us with his presence.

Bush Uses Another Signing Statement To Circumvent The Law

So our glorious leader has once again used a signing statement, a dubiously legal trick, to assert that he will not obey 11 provisions in the Military Appropriations Bill he signed yesterday. In a typical Friday news-dump, he quietly added the "signing statement" to the bill.

As this president continues to add up these signing statements, which claim executive power over the law of the land, he again breaks the record of any other president in their use. Bush has enacted a de facto dictatorship and Congress is silent. Why? That is the $64,000 question.

Write your Congressperson and ask that question. Of course you may not get an answer unless you include the $64,000. The sad truth is that our government is run by the Golden Rule. He who has the most gold, rules!

Now That's Just Plain Odd - Debbie Reynolds Sings Spirituals!

OK, thanks to the folks at McBlogger for this really weird video. Hope it makes your day!

Updated List of Toys & Products With Lead Paint - Merry Christmas!

Here is the Consumer Product Safety Commissions latest list of lead related recalls:

Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Buy-Rite Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Cherrydale Fundraising Recalls Bracelets Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Children’s Metal Jewelry Recalled by Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Due to Risk of Lead Exposure La Femme NY Inc. Recalls Children’s Necklace and Earring Sets Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Pure Allure Recalls Metal Jewelry Sold at Michaels Stores Due to Risk of Lead Exposure to Children Metal Jewelry Sold by Family Dollar Stores Recalled Due to Risk of Lead Exposure to Children Dollar Tree Stores Inc. Recalls Children's Jewelry Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled By WeGlow International Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Bendable Dinosaur Toys Recalled by Kipp Brothers for Excessive Lead Key Chains Recalled by Dollar General Due to Risk of Lead Exposure TOBY N.Y.C. Expands Children’s Metal Jewelry Recall Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Children’s Spinning Wheel-Metal Necklaces Recalled By Rhode Island Novelty Due to Risk of Lead Exposure
Lead Paint Slipcovers Used With Boppy Pillows Recalled Due to Choking Hazard and Risk of Lead Exposure Children’s Pencil Pouches Recalled by Raymond Geddes & Co. Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Discount School Supply Recalls Paint Brushes Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Hobby Lobby Stores Recalls Halloween-Themed Baskets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Children's Sunglasses Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Curious George Plush Dolls Recalled By Marvel Toys Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Schylling Associates Recalls Collectable Toy Robot Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard Schylling Associates Recalls Dizzy Ducks Music Box Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard Additional Spinning Top Recalled by Schylling Associates Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard Schylling Associates Recalls Duck Family Collectable Toy Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard Toy Cars Recalled by Dollar General Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) International Sourcing Ltd. Recalls Toy Dragster and Funny Car Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Northern Tool & Equipment Recalls “Big Red” Wagons Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Toy Figures Recalled by Henry Gordy International Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) Halloween "Ugly Teeth" Recalled By Amscan Inc. Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Pearl-like Bead Attachment Sold with Girl’s Gift Sets Recalled Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard; Sold exclusively at Limited Too Stores Toys "R" Us Recalls Elite Operations Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard SimplyFun Recalls Ribbit Board Games Due to Risk of Lead Exposure Family Dollar Stores Recalls Halloween Pails Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard DecoPac Inc. Recalls Football Bobble Head Cake Decorations Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Jo-Ann Stores Expands Recall of Children's Toy Garden Tools Due to Violation of Lead in Paint Standard Fisher Price Recalls Go Diego Go Boat Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Albert's Recalls Halloween Skull Pails Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) Antioch Publishing Recalls Additional Bookmarks Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Guidecraft Inc. Recalls Children’s Puppet Theaters Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard J.C. Penney Recalls Breyer Stirrup Ornaments Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard J.C. Penney Recalls Deluxe Art Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard J.C. Penney Recalls Disney™ Winnie-the-Pooh Play Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Cracker Barrel Old Country Store® Recalls Travel Art Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Riddell Recalls Collectible Mini Racing Helmets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Kahoot Products Inc. Recalls Cub Scouts Totem Badges Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Sports Authority Recalls Aluminum Water Bottles Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Antioch Publishing Recalls Bookmarks and Journals Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard CKI Recalls Children’s Decorating Sets Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard; Sold Exclusively at Toys “R” Us Dollar General Recalls Tumblers Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Eveready Battery Co. Recalls Toy Flashlights Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Kids II Recalls Baby Einstein Color Blocks Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard KB Toys Recalls Wooden Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Guidecraft Inc. Recalls Children’s Puppet Theaters Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Children’s Toy Rakes Sold Exclusively at Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores Recalled Due to Violation of Lead in Paint Standard RC2 Recalls Knights of the Sword Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard Target Recalls Children’s Toy Gardening Tools and Chairs Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) RC2 Corp. Recalls Additional Thomas & Friends™ Wooden Railway Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) Fisher-Price Recalls Bongo Band Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) Fisher-Price Recalls Geo Trax Locomotive Toys Due To Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español) Mattel Recalls Various Barbie® Accessory Toys Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Español)

Seem like a lot? You bet and this is only the recent stuff. Our friendly trading partner China makes almost all this stuff and obviously has absolutely no safety enforcement. The reason? Profit!

Eventually, we as American Citizens will become weary of having our children poisoned by cheap unsafe goods and will be willing to pay higher prices for toys made with safe materials, maybe even in the good old USA?

Curious George Plush Toy - Recalled For Lead Poisoning Hazard

Curious George! Damn, now even one of my favorite kids characters is contaminated with lead paint! Marvel Toys issued a quiet recall on Curious George plush toys because of unsafe levels of lead paint on the hat and other details of the dolls. The mischievous monkey has long been a children’s favorite and a perennial toy favorite as well.

This recall, issued on the 9th of this month adds another unsafe Chinese toy to the extensive list of unsafe and poisoned toys from Asia. I have to wonder when toy brands will finally look at their bottom line and stop making toys in countries where there is no enforcement of safety regulations? Oh yes, they won’t until people stop buying their products. See the connection here?

Video Thursday! Mike Gravel's Groovy Music Video!

Mike Gravel is kinda kooky, but he knows it and he is unashamedly kooky and that counts for something. Watch this new video by Mike on YouTube:

Huckabee Talks To God On Cell Phone - God Loves Bush!

It sometimes amazes me the insanity that passes for both politics and religion in this country!

GOP Candidates Insult Openly Gay General During Debate

This question shows the problem the GOP has with anything remotely relating to GLBT Americans. It made me uncomfortable to watch it, not because of the subject matter, but because of the amazing hubris shown by the candidates as they talked around the issue and openly insulted the Brigadier General asking the question about gays in the military.

Read the whole story on www.pageoneq.com.

Personal Rant - Death of Customer Service & Brand Name Quality

I am convinced that the first time I ever said the words, "when I was a kid" in response to some modern day dilemma I officially became a fossil. Well that right of passage happened to me back when I was only in my 20’s so I guess now I am a full-fledged geezer! The latest "geezer moment" happened today while taking my laptop back to Micro Center for the second time to get the same problem fixed. First a little background.

I bought a brand new laptop from Micro Center back a bout 5 months ago. It was an HP, and I made the mistaken assumption that a major brand might be slightly better than an off brand unit. The thing began going on the fritz a few weeks ago and I called the friendly folks in India, where HP phone lines lead, to get assistance. Somewhere in Bangalore, a friendly woman who spoke broken English asked me a battery of questions for personal information and then transferred me to someone in the US who got none of the info I had given previously. He told me that the India folks never forward the information correctly, so I answered the battery of questions again.

Finally I got down to the problem, which he promptly told me was a virus. He said that even though I had the latest updates for my virus protection it must have gotten through and I had to reformat my hard drive. To do this HP has a secondary drive in the laptop…however, this did not work as described, prompting another call to Bangalore and then back to the US. This time the tech person sold me a backup disk, since one was not supplied. $35 later I had a disk being shipped to me.

I re-imaged the hard drive according to instructions and within 3 hours the computer froze again. Off to Micro Center to have their folks look at it, after all I bought a $300 Gold Protection plan, why not use it?
There I was greeted by a guy who took very poor notes about the problem and told me a technician would call me. He did and said it was a software problem, they re-imaged the disk, $75 charge not covered by the Gold Plan. I came back to pick up the computer and asked if they had run it for a while to be sure it was not a hardware problem. They said the diagnostic showed it was OK, a clever way of not really answering the question. Finally after I assured them I would be very unhappy should it crash again, they agreed to keep it a few days and "stress test" it.

I picked it up yesterday and promptly went home to reinstall all my programs. This morning it locked up exactly as before and I returned to Micro Center…and as promised, I was not happy! After explaining the problem again and showing them a picture of the screen when it crashed (I love camera phones), they took it back to a technician. After a few minutes they returned and said that it was indeed a hardware problem.

Now comes the geezer part. When I was younger, stores prided themselves on customer service. Some places would even just replace the product the minute they understood you were having trouble with it. They made the customer feel like you were valued and a genuine human being to be respected and catered to. Boy do I feel old.

The experience with Micro Center and HP has shown me that I am no longer a valued customer, just another sheep to be sheered. I am a number on a profit and loss page and unless I become too much of a liability, I will be dealt with in the most efficient manner possible for the company. With the exception of the last customer service person I spoke with, everyone treated me like I was incompetent, stupid or just another warm body. I was not listened to, I was not treated with respect that I think should be due to every customer and I was not impressed.

UPDATE: Well MicroCenter has made good on their warranty and they replaced my computer with a comparable one. Problem was it was an HP and when I got it home I found the wireless LAN card was defective! Sooo...I took it back and exchanged it for a Toshiba. No more HP for me. The MicroCenter Manager was very understanding and he listened to me (a good thing). He gave me a store credit on the difference in the Toshiba price and the HP and won me over.

I have to retract my rant about MicroCenter, at least as far as their manager in Dallas is concerned. Now about HP? Well still haven't heard from them from my first service case. I guess Bangalore is too far to really care about my "computer being personal again."

Buyer Beware - Texas Legislature Has Gutted Consumer Protections

In the wake of the recent flood of defective and poisoned Chincese products being sold in the US, I was reading a few comments in local papers about consumers experiences with them. What I found in Houston was pretty disturbing. A lawyer wrote to the Chronicle regarding a client who had come to him seeking redress for a defective toy.

It seems this toy pinched the finger of her child and it was amputated as a reslt. The pinching hazard is something that is a recognized problem and is regulated here in the US. The toy was branded by a US company and sold in a US store. The problem was hat the toy was manufactured in China. Here in the Great State of Texas, our legislature, a governing body hat is completely in the pocket of corporate lobbyists, passed a law back in 2003 (H.B.4) that limits liability for sellers and companies here in Texas. In his letter Randal Roberts explains.

“Unfortunately, the toy set was manufactured in China. I had to explain to this mother that in the name of protecting the "innocent retailer," the Texas Legislature in 2003 granted immunity to every business that had profited from the sale of this unsafe product, except for the shop somewhere in China that actually made this toy set. Sellers, even the largest national retailers, distributors, wholesalers and importers, have no liability for the harm caused by the products they sell in Texas. They cannot be held accountable, so long as they can identify the "responsible" manufacturer in court.”

Under the disguise of helping to protect “mom and Pop” stores, the real agenda funded by national retailers protects the deep pockets of Wal-Marts and others. Once again proving that our laws and our lawmakers are employees of big business and not public servants. It’s time to change that.

More Cheney Predictions - Dubai?

Back in March, Halliburton moved its corporate headquarters to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Around that same time I made the prediction that Dick Cheney would soon resign and move there to be closer to his money. Well I was wrong. Cheney has refused to follow my prediction, so I will have to revise it I guess.

I still believe he will resign before the end of his term and move to Dubai. It just my take longer than I figured. Still the latest news of his heart problems leads me to believe his cover story of a bad heart will still work for the ploy to put possible Republican Presidential candidate in the VP seat for the incumbent boost.

Again, revising my prediction, McCain, who is no longer much of a candidate won’t get the VP prize. I suspect it may be someone trusted like Condi Rice, who would be a valuable part of a GOP ticket should she accept a VP seat. Stay tuned!

RNC Out Quarter Of A Million To Recover Rove Email

As the RNC struggles to recover the lost email that was destroyed by Karl Rove they have had to hire former FBI agents to do it. Rove apparently destroyed extensive records before leaving and now since those records are under investigation by Congress, the RNC has to get them back.

The price tag for the electronic archeology so far, $250,000. Sounds like things re starting to get expensive for the RNC, and maybe, just maybe these emails will hold the smoking gun that can finally get Rove, Bush and the rest of the criminals brought to justice.

Ashcroft Defends Waterboarding - Would Undergo It Himself!

The part time crooner and former Attorney General John Ashcroft is going around the country defending Waterboarding and other torture used by the US. In a recent speech at the University of Colorado he even intimated he would be willing to undergo it himself.

I would like to formally offer to help Mr. Ashcroft out and do the procedure myself to him. I have experience with it since I have used it in interrogations in dungeon setting. Of course I give anyone I play with "safe word" to stop the procedure at any time. I suspect our interrogators don’t use such safe sane and consensual rules.

So what about it John?

Trent Lott Gay Sex Rumors?

The Trent Lott gay sex scandal rumors have taken on a life of their own. The DC blog, BigHeadDC has published what it claims are emails from the escort who is the alleged liaison of Sen. Lott. They are well parsed and worded to really make me wonder. Additionally, why would someone make this stuff up when there is already plenty of scandal spinning around Trent Lott. Of course the hints from Larry Flynt that he has a bombshell of a sex scandal coming may also be what is fueling these rumors. Your decide!

Video: Neocons In Love!

Thank you Brave New Films!

Lott Retirement May Be Scandal Related After All!

According to the American Spectator, a right wing magazine, Trent Lott might be retiring for other reasons than previously stated.

"Lott, Stevens, as well as Rep. Dennis Hastert all have ties to Bill Allen, a larger than life Alaskan businessman who owned Veco, an oil-field services company, and who was a huge benefactor of Republican politicians."

So I stand corrected, perhaps. I assumed Lott was getting out while the revolving door to Lobbyland was still working, however the real reason may be preparing his defense team. Durn I love the smell of scandal in time for the holidays!

UPDATE: In the probably not true department, Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler, says this about Lott's hasty departure:

"HUSTLER Magazine has received numerous inquiries regarding the involvement of Larry Flynt and HUSTLER in the resignation of Trent Lott. Senator Lott has been the target of an ongoing HUSTLER investigation for some time now, due to confidential information that we have received."

Big Red Wagons - Tinted With Lead Paint

Now another icon of American childhood falls victim to the Chinese lead paint fiasco. The "Big Red Wagon" from Northern Tool has been recalled just in time for Christmas. The classic wagon, very much resembling the Radio Flyer wagons has excessive levels of lead paint.

Check the recall notice in the link above. And have a Merry Lead-free Christmas!

GOP Resignations & The Revolving Door of Lobbyists

With the announcement of Trent Lott’s resignation following that of Dennis Hastert and other GOP faithful, I began wondering what caused the wave of exits. Thanks to my friends at ThinkProgress.org, I have found a possible explanation. New rules go into effect after the first of the year making the revolving door between elected office and paid lobbyist more problematic. In order to skirt those new ethics regulations, the rats are jumping ship early to settle comfortably into lobbyist jobs.

I guess the old excuse "spend more time with my family" will now mean, "get rich as a lobbyist" instead of "I am preparing my defense team". So once again the GOP shows it’s true color, green - the color of money. I have no problem with money, but I do have a problem with the bloated and corrupt lobby system on Capitol Hill and the endless stream of ex-Republican officials that occupy those offices over on K Street.

Next time you hear of an elected official retiring early, give them a call and ask them which lobby firm they are going to work for.

Dick Cheney's Heart and Other Fictional Creatures

At the risk of being somewhat of a conspiracy nut, I think you might find some interesting stuff in todys news about our real president Dick Cheney.

In a recent Fortune magazine interview, Dick Cheney conceded that as Halliburton CEO he opposed unilateral sanctions on Iran, even though he now strongly supports them. IN fact his company, Halliburton set up an offshore subsidiary in order to circumvent the law prohibiting doing business with "Rogue Nations", as in Iran!

Now comes the news that Dick has an irregular heartbeat. No surprise there since he has a history of heart problems. I predict he will decide to resign this year because of health reasons, opening the VP position to the GOP front runner or whoever made a backroom deal with Bush. He will need a friend in the VP seat when he is impeached so he can be pardoned.

Trent Lott To Resign

Trent Lott (R-MS) is resigning. What does that mean for America? Well it’s one less voice of bigotry and intolerance in the Senate. Lott was forced to step down as Senate Majority Leader back in 2002 when he praised Strom Thurmond at his 100th birthday with a comment that had Thurmond been elected President when he made his unsuccessful bid, the country "wouldn’t have all these problems." It was a not so veiled remark about segregation and nobody was fooled.

Lott stepping down before the end of the year will trigger a special election in Mississippi, and though that may or may not change the party affiliation of the seat, I suspect it will give us a glimpse into the inner thoughts of Mississippi’s political views.

I have a dear friend whose family is from Mississippi, and he remarked to me several months ago that his mother, who had long been a staunch Republican had taken to referring to the President as that "Bastard in the White House". Apparently the Deep South can change.

Latest List of Recalled Chinese Poisoned Toys

Speaking of Chinese recalled goods….here is the list for this month:

Slipcovers Used With Boppy Pillows Recalled Due to Choking Hazard and Risk of Lead Exposure (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Children's Pencil Pouches Recalled by Raymond Geddes & Co. Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Buy-Rite Due to Risk of Lead Exposure (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Cherrydale Fundraising Recalls Bracelets Due to Risk of Lead Exposure (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Children's Metal Jewelry Recalled by Colossal Jewelry & Accessories Due to Risk of Lead Exposure (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

La Femme NY Inc. Recalls Children's Necklace and Earring Sets Due to Risk of Lead Exposure (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Pure Allure Recalls Metal Jewelry Sold at Michaels Stores Due to Risk of Lead Exposure to Children (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Discount School Supply Recalls Paint Brushes Due to Violation of Lead Paint Standard (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Metal Jewelry Sold by Family Dollar Stores Recalled Due to Risk of Lead Exposure to Children (Wed, 21 Nov 2007 15:00:00 GMT)

Merry Christmas! Might want to consider a book or software for your kids instead of poison toys.

Court Ruling Has Implications In Legal Abortions For Texas

Well the "activist judges" have done it again. This time they have provided a nice backdoor way to stop legal abortions in the state in the guise of a homicide law. In the case of Lawrence Vs. State of Texas the Court of Criminal Appeals ruled that homicide laws extend to the deaths of fetuses even if they are not viable outside the womb.

This issue came from a case where Terrance Lawrence was convicted of murdering his girlfriend after finding out she was between 4 to 6 weeks pregnant. In the ruling the judge stated, "The Supreme Court has emphasized that states may protect human life not only once the fetus has reached viability but 'from the outset of the pregnancy'. The Legislature is free to protect the lives of those whom it considers to be human beings."

Though this was about a criminal case, abortion foes will seize this as legal precedent to begin pressing for criminal prosecutions of doctors offering abortions. Just wait for the dust to settle. I doubt that these same folks who have decried "Activist Judges" will have little but praise for this decision.

Another Rant About China - Go Figure?

After spending the entire day yesterday reinstalling Windows Vista because of a supposed virus that the kind folks at the HP Tech Center in India insisted I had, I have my computer crash yet again. Not wanting to confront the language barrier again I took it to my local HP Service center. Luckily it’s under warranty.
These people told me, ironically in a thick Indian accent, that it was probably the hard drive.

Oh boy! I just love these kinds of problems. I bought an HP because I figured it had better quality components that other off-brand machines. Wrong again! The drives are all made in China by 3 or 4 companies with different brands put on them for export.

Yes America has faded from the manufacturing playing field, and we have relinquished all our technology to a budding 3rd world superpower. Now not only do we get tainted toys filled with unsafe levels of lead, drug components with poison ingredients, dog food that kills our pets, but every laptop and desktop is actually made in China by semi-slave labor and the profits line the pockets of corporate fat cats in the US.

Ranting? You betcha! If I could find an American made computer I would buy it in an instant, but alas, they no longer exist. So my advice to you is, buy the cheapest off-brand you can find, because the only difference in that no-name bargain brand and the big name one is the label. And of course the year end bonus for the CEO and board of the American company that sold off all the jobs and the quality to China for a fast buck. Sometimes I think America deserves to fade as a superpower. We have so little faith in ourselves and our people that we gut our industry in the name of profits. Wonder where the consumers will come from in a few years when no Americans can afford the cheap Chinese-made goods?

State Rep. Kirk England & The Changing Wind In Texas

While attending my monthly meeting of the Dallas Stonewall Democrats I got the opportunity to meet and talk with State Representative Kirk England of Grand Prairie. He seems like a nice enough guy and I suspect his switch from Republican to Democrat may have something to do with the failures of the Republican legislature to address the real needs of his constituents. However, part of me has to wonder about the timing.

It came at a time when the majority of urban areas in Texas are turning blue and as the Republicans lose favor, mainly because of the Iraq War and President Bush and his cronies high jinks in Washington. It would not be the first time a politician, sensing the way the wind was blowing changed parties to avoid being ridden out of town with the trash. Those old enough to remember will recall Phil Gramm when he was a conservative Democrat. Now that the breeze is blowing blue, I suspect we will se more GOP folks rediscovering their “moderate” side.

The real test for Representative England will be when he has to vote on the tough issues for any politician, and that means things like including gender identity in legislation and assuring gay and lesbian parents that they can continue to be foster parents and adopt. These issues keep resurfacing in the Texas Legislature every year or so. Stay tuned. The encouraging thing was that Kirk England took the time to sit down with GLBT Dallasites and actually discuss substantive issues. Of course the good food at Ojeda’s Restaurant didn’t hurt matters!