Put me Squarely in Texas's Column

The Essence and Future of Texas vs. California Newgeography.com

First, Texans on average believe in laissez-faire markets with an emphasis on individual responsibility. Since the '80s, California’s policy-makers have favored central planning solutions and a reliance on a government social safety net. This unrelenting commitment to big government has led to a huge tax burden and triggered a mass exodus of jobs. The Trends Editors examined the resulting migration in “Voting with Our Feet,” in the April 2008 issue of Trends.

Second, Californians have largely treated environmentalism as a “religious sacrament” rather than as one component among many in maximizing people's quality of life. As we explained in “The Road Ahead for Housing,” in the June 2009 issue of Trends, environmentally-based land-use restriction centered in California played a huge role in inflating the recent housing bubble. Similarly, an unwillingness to manage ecology proactively for man’s benefit has been behind the recent epidemic of wildfires.

Third, California has placed “ethnic diversity” above “assimilation,” while Texas has done the opposite. “Identity politics” has created psychological ghettos that have prevented many of California’s diverse ethnic groups and subcultures from integrating fully into the mainstream. Texas, on the other hand, has proactively encouraged all the state’s residents to join the mainstream.

Fourth, beyond taxes, diversity, and the environment, Texas has focused on streamlining the regulatory and litigation burden on its residents. Meanwhile, California’s government has attempted to use regulation and litigation to transfer wealth from its creators to various special-interest constituencies.

GOP could do worse than this guy, and probably will

I guess I'm wondering at this point, with alternatives like Thune, Jindal, Huckabee, Pawlenty; Why do so many in the GOP seem so intent on following Romney and Palin?????

'Regular guy' Thune is hot commodity in GOP circles - CNN.com

With just 40 Republicans in the Senate now, Thune insists that there is
still a diversity of GOP views -- but one that he argues must be
expanded.
"We want to see more people joining our party," Thune
said.
"We've got to be able to accept the fact that a senator from the
Northeast, for example, from the New England states, isn't going to be the same
as a senator from the South."
In a leadership made up mostly of veteran
senators from the South, 47-year-old Thune brings youth and what he calls the
prairie sensibilities he learned growing up in small town South Dakota.

Schakowsy Will Vote Against Bill with Stupak

Schakowsy Will Vote Against Bill with Stupak

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Dems in Blue Seats Who Voted Against Choice

Dems in Blue Seats Who Voted Against Choice

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Good Luck in the Senate, Health Care Reformers -- You'll need it!!

Democrats have no margin for error -- they control exactly 60 seats in the 100-member Senate. Some moderate Democrats have rebelled at Reid's plan to include a new government-run insurance program, known as the "public option," in the bill.
Senator Joe Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with Democrats, renewed his promise on Sunday to help Republicans block a final vote if the bill contains the government-run insurance option backed by Senate liberals.
"If the public option plan is in there, as a matter of conscience, I will not allow this bill to come to a final vote," Lieberman said on "Fox News Sunday.


Healthcare measure faces tough path in Senate U.S. Reuters

Republican-leaning pollster is, as we have known for a long time, completely fraudulent

FiveThirtyEight: Politics Done Right

A very cool guide to the House Blue Dogs

Wild Cards: A CQ Guide to the Blue Dog Coalition

Wishful Thinking, KOS

Right, KOS, because you would never start a civil war with moderate / conservative Dems, right? What a Joke!!!

With Scozzafava’s de facto ouster from the GOP, moderate Republicans are
now included in the movement conservatives’ enemies list, which already includes
African-Americans, gays, immigrants, Latinos, single women, urbanites,
non-Christians, Northeasterners, Hollywood, San Francisco, Chicago and
Massachusetts.
Forget a “big tent”; a pup tent would likely be too spacious
for what’s left of the so-called Republican “coalition.”
Ultimately, whether
Hoffman wins or loses is irrelevant — Democrats don’t need the extra seat, and
it’ll likely be eliminated in post-census redistricting anyway. The tarring and
feathering of Scozzafava is far more significant — emboldened conservative
activists have their first trophy victory in their jihad against the Republican
establishment, and are hungry to beat non-ideologue Republicans across the
country. Senate candidates Mark Kirk in Illinois and Rob Simmons in Connecticut
may be electable statewide because of their moderate history, but that’s
irrelevant to activists who’d rather purge than win elections. So Kirk is
running from his record, while Simmons is pathetically carrying a teabag around
to curry favor with conservatives. It remains to be seen if such empty gestures
will mollify angry teabaggers.




The GOP’s civil war - TheHill.com