Texas progressives talk turkey on Beto, Gohmert Pyle etc.

At the Monthly, Jonathan Tilove takes a deeper dive on R.F. O'Rourke's gubernatorial announcement and hopes, complete with interview. I wondered last week, in discussing his announcement, whether we'd get Beto 2018 or Beto 2020, especially on gunz. In the wake of the Kyle Rittenhouse verdict and the misframing of the trial, law, etc. by most of #BlueAnon, we're getting Beto 2020! He stands by his "Hell yes, we're going to take your AR-15, your AK-47." Good luck in the general, Beto, if you're the nominee. You'll need it.

It appears that Gohmert Pyle either got chickenshit on challenging Kenny Boy Paxton or, more likely and with Paxton already facing two challengers, would-be donors got chickenshit on him. UPDATE: Turns out that maybe Gohmert is that much of a tech putz, OR, for whatever reasons, somebody told him to freeze out Mark Davis, because, he's IN that race, and that needs a separate blog post. And, it now has that.

Strangeabbott's new Secretary of State nominee, John Scott, is not a Trumpist on alleged election fraud and actually says a priority is "bringing the temperature down" on such nuttery, while insisting that selected county audits will be bipartisan and won't involve outsiders, unlike Aridzona. At the same time, years back, as an assistant AG, he defended the state's voter ID bill; Texas Dems are split on their takes, especially with the feds suing Texas over its new law. The Trib has more on the county audits portion of the new election bill, including noting that the Lege forgot to dedicate funding for it, so the SoS' emergency fund is being raided.

Robert Santos, originally from San Antonio, is the first Hispanic to head the Census Bureau. Texas Monthly has a profile.

A Texas law firm represents Eric Coomer, the Dominion Voting Systems employee suing Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani, et al. Here's where they're at right now.

Eddie Bernice Johnson says "she's outta there" on Congress. Even though Peanut Butter and Johnson wants a woman to follow her, I'll put a prop bet on Carl Sherman. He's relatively moderate, like her, but can triangulate off of not being under her thumb, especially if multiple women run. Plus, the Best Southwest suburbs are a growing part of the district vis-a-vis South Dallas, and that's his homeland. (The district changed marginally on the southwest and modestly on the southeast.) Related question? Token Republicans have challenged here in about every general since I first lived in the Metromess itself 20 years ago. A couple of times, IIRC, a Libertarian jumped in. But never, even when the Dallas County Green Party was semi-active in the 2000-oughts, did a Green get in. Could an open race change that?

Speaking of Greens? Hunter Crow is running for Railroad Commish. He's got about two more election cycles to go before entering "perennial candidate" territory.

The battle to succeed Pee Bush as land commish has heated up, and includes a party-switching Kleberg family scion running as a Democrap. Kuff, naturally, likes a likely ConservaDem party switcher entering the race. Not yet heard of any Green names for this race, which, per party core issues should be the most important along with RRC. 

Off the Kuff notes and comments on the seventh lawsuit filed so far over the new redistricting maps.

Stace restarts his Thoughts on Viernes series as there were too many news items on which to opine.

Crystal Mason's appeal of her conviction for voting illegally as a felon may have a chance.

The Lake Highlands Advocate analyzes the racial housing wealth gap in Dallas.

Mean Green Cougar Red provides a final update on the Conference USA membership scramble.

The Texas Observer shows the "domino effect" the state's abortion ban is having on clinics around the US.

National and global

SocraticGadfly offers a twofer on environmental-related issues. First, as promised last week, here's his take on Glasgow COP26. Second, he has a long piece on the National Park Service 86-ing an internal study about a mass of employee complaints about sexual harassment, sexual assault and discrimination.

The percentage of voters registered to minor parties (in states that require such) has hit a century-long new high.

Supply chain problems are starting to ease, ease enough that for American hypercapitalism, good wingnut alleged Christians can fill up on made in China shit.

Or, maybe it's "Made in Serbia" shit, as Vietnamese workers at a Chinese-owned factory there are lobbing a variety of human and labor rights allegations against Beijing.

Counterpunch has gone back to the best, or worst, of Alex Cockburn days with a story about how US POWs claim we did germ warfare against North Korea in the Korean War without, at least before the paywall, noting Chinese and / or North Korean "interrogation techniques" that might have induced such statements. With that, Jeff St. Clair, especially given that the late Alex's younger brother Patrick remains a contributor, is getting closer to being deblogrolled again.

Xi Jinping lies about the People's Republic never having made a territorial acquisition.