Texas progressives laugh at populist governments

Texas Progressives, beyond crying at home over Donald Trump's latest ineptitude and Joe Biden's latest gaffes, wonder which Parliament will collapse first — the House of Commons with Boris Johnson or the Knesset with Bibi Netanyahu.

In the meantime, dive into this week's Roundup with all sorts of good stuff.

Texas politics

Off the Kuff looks at the Crystal Mason illegal voting conviction, which just had its appellate hearing.

Stephen Young is enjoying the Dan Patrick/MQS fight.

Dallas

The Trib profiles hot-shot lawyer William Brewer III, the legal beagle right arm to NRA executive vice president Wayne LaPierre and the bitter feud between him and Ollie North. Showing modern national neoliberal Dems' issues with reliance on just a few professions for money and political flak, Brewer is a big donor to Dear Leader and others.

Jim Schutze pens, by my count, part four in his ongoing bromance with Amber Guyger, although this one is more dispassionate than the previous three. Dallas Observer colleague Stephen Young gives a more straightforward overview of what to expect in her trial for killing Botham Jean. Per Young's account, you get a better idea than that of Schutze on the iffy issue of charging her with murder, not manslaughter. (I think it's probably a bad charge, myself, even given her alleged racial animus background which Schutze has continued to ignore.)


Houston

The Observer notes that Imelda likely was the FIFTH "500 year flood" to hit the Houston area in five years. Hey, former mayor Annise Parker? Still expecting Helltown's population to pass Chicago? If it does, it will only be because of forced job moves. (Sidebar: Who elects worse mayors, Houston or Dallas?)

And, with this hitting the Petrochemical Coast, OilPrice wonders why eXXXon et al don't have their refineries better protected against such flooding.

In light of the Abiqaiq attack, a reminder that Saudi Aramco owns the largest refinery in the US at Port Arthur.

As promised, David Bruce Collins provides an update on his interview with the Chronic on All Things Green in Harris County, mainly that it's now up. (Sadly, the neoliberal Sunrise Movement, in comments, is kind of horning in. And, if its comments are true, some Houston Greens need to look a gift horse — or rather a horse thief regifting said horse to Democrats — more closely in the mouth.) And, I think Janis Richards is wrong about that thievery putting the GP on people's lips. And as I said in comments there, if a state party co-chair believes that, it means party marketing efforts will remain a long slog. (And, a day later, here's Texas 10 Democratic Congresscritter candidate Mike Siegel, guest-posting at Down with Tyranny, with nary a word about the Green Party.)

Brains updates Houston municipal election news.

Above the Law laughs at Houston mayoral candidate Tony Buzbee.

And, it appears that among the mayoral candidates, Derrick Broze is indeed interesting — three-quarters almost tear-jerking success story, but blended with one-quarter of some combo of Marianne Williamson and Jill Stein on woo plus bad health advice. (Were I in Houston, I'd still vote for him, despite the one-quarter, but it wouldn't be easy.) As for his 5G worries? If Broze were actually informed, he'd know the actual 5G worry is Chinese snooping, not health issues.


Texana

The "abortion sanctuary city" movement gains steam. Please, Austin, counter with the "capital punishment sanctuary city" movement.


National

SocraticGadfly ranks some of the 2020 Democratic presidential candidates by cult level of their following.

Six Green Party presidential candidates were at a forum sponsored by the party's Black Caucus. Independent Political Report has full video.

Decades of U.S. meddling in Central America by presidents of both parties may have hurt El Salvador more than any other country there. Now Trump wants it to be the dumping ground for refugees from all that meddling.

The Lunch Tray has thoughts about flavored milks.

Paradise in Hell channels Trump.