Of COURSE Colin Allred is sucking up to Never Trumpers, aka Bushies, for 2026

Last year's ConservaDem (he is) failed Senate candidate says he'll decide this summer whether or not to run again next year against Big John Cornyn — or Kenny Boy Paxton, or whoever is a successful enough RINO hunter to primary Big John out of office. (Cornyn is nowhere near a RINO, of course.)

Per the story, Allred announced a possible run when talking to the Dallas Snooze before meeting with the Bushies, which we all know who the Never Trumper Rethuglicans in Tex-ass are. (I saw this via Kuffner, who of course loves the idea.) I'm sure the SS Texas Democratic Minnow's new skipper, fellow ConservaDem Kendall Scudder, would also like this idea.

I do have to "love" Allred's spinning about why he lost last year.

“It was a tough election,” Allred said at the forum. “In a lot of ways, it was an election that was dominated by things that were not about the candidates … there was a malaise. There was an atmosphere that was difficult to punch through.”

No, no "malaise."

GenocideJoe broke his one term promise, refused to step aside when it looked like he was clearly also DementiaJoe, did so too late for anything other than a coronation of his Veep, Kamala is a Zionist Cop, and watched her run a crappy campaign her own self.

All that while both of them pissed off alleged pergressuve Democrat apparatchiks and leftish but not actual leftist independents.

Texas Progressives — state level; special elections, stings and more

Off the Kuff saw the failure to call a May special election for CD18 coming. 

SocraticGadfly wonders how someone like Coppell ISD's superintendent can get nailed by a sting video in 2025.

Nuclear power to treat oilfield "produced water" to theoretically make it usable for agriculture? Gee, what could go wrong with that idea? The correct answer is, like with much of Aridzona, etc.? Admit that anthropogenic climate change is real, it's too expensive to get water to farm most your crops, and move.

Kenny Boy Paxton's office is investigating an insurance company accused of spying on journalists, among other things. Paxton probably wants their secrets.

The bill that purports to clarify Texas' anti-abortion law may NOT fully clear up what exceptions are allowable, despite many elected state Dems jumping on the bandwagon. There's also other "backdoor" problems with the legislation. Don't forget that this is a Senate bill, not a House one.

Texas Republicans love to hate inflation, as do national Republicans, except when it allows them to cover their tracks on whether they've really increased school funding or not.

Measles cases now at 400 (officially) and still rising.

Texas' "right to farm" law may not include raising Spanish hogs inside a city limits.

Neil at Houston Democracy Project said Whitmire sent 11 HPD units to modest, calm protest about bike lanes. What will be HPD's response when we are on streets for our basic rights this Saturday, April 5?

Nonsequiteuse updates her earlier advice on how to stay safe at protests.

Evil MoPac presents the first items on their list of 100 Fundamental Austin Truths.

The Current has some bad news for San Antonio in the Trump-Canada trade war.

Bayour City Sludge shows that nobody likes Briscoe Cain.

UT alum Luke Winkie explains Signalgate from the frat boy perspective.

Texas Dems elect ConservaDem Kendall Scudder as state party chairman

So, Texas Democrats have gone from finally getting Gilberto Hinojosa to walk the plank from the water-treading SS Texas Democrats Minnow to this, Scudder getting elected in a highly contested race? (Interesting the TDP uses instant-runoff voting; now, along with stopping your effort to keep Greens off the ballot, maybe support it in state races?)

ConservaDem Kendall Scudder is, and I first met him seven or eight years ago. Riding Beto Bob's coattails then promoting Matthew McConaughey to run for gov is proof of that. More proof? In 2022, Kendall, in the DMN interviewing him for his state senate primary, said both parties had moved too far from the center.

As for his plans?

He wants the party to pay attention to areas he says it has previously written off, like rural communities, and put a priority on Spanish-language communications.

Wrote off rural Democrats? Did you forget about Beto, or Beat-0, in Muleshoe, which also involved his being a general PanderBear?

The reality is that rural Democrats, as in county-level political organizations, have long written themselves off. Those that aren't totally moribund welcomed Beto in Muleshoe for a bit of recognition in turn for a bit of his low-level grifting. That's in counties that even have a county level organization. Many don't, and the state party admits this.

And, Scudder, you served on the state party executive committee. You know this.

One other thing on Scudder, per my ConservaDem link? He bragged on his podcast about having a concealed carry permit, even with living in the Metromess. And yes, I saw it as bragging.

That, in turn, ties back to my post Friday: "With Texas Democrats, who needs Texas Republicans," as one part of that was about a majority of Senate Dems voting to get even tougher on the death penalty. In the DMN interview, Scudder wasn't asked about the death penalty. However, one of the other four candidates in that same state Senate race, Charles Gearing, twice volunteered his opposition to the death penalty, under the same question, about criminal justice reform. Maybe the fact that one of Scudder's three (step)-parents worked for either a county jail or TDCJ, as a correctional officer, per his website campaigning to replace Hinojosa, indicates he might tilt toward frying people, even if that was the dad his mom divorced. This would probably tie to his concealed carry permit, too. As would his being a "volunteer in patrol" with the Dallas PD. A more righty junior Jim Schutze? Gack.

I've done plenty of teh Google and can't find his stance. In addition to all of the above, IMO, if he actually opposed the death penalty he would have volunteered that info somewhere. 

I also don't know his position on Zionism and Palestine.

One-third trollingly, two-thirds seriously, I rhetorically asked about this on Shitter Monday night. Non-rhetorically, I asked Texas Progressive Caucus on Hucksterman, and Texas Democrats on Shitter. The purpose there is to see if THEY know, more than to get the answers themselves, since I already indicated I think I know what they are.

And, 24 hours later, neither has answered me.

So, contra Michelle Davis at Lone Star Left, in my world, Kendall Scudder is NOT a "pergressuve." Well, he surely is on LGBTQAI (If we're doing alphabet soup, I'm adding "Incel") issues, but not likely other than that. 

But, Jim Hightower supported him, because he has know-how and can raise bucks. Careful, Jim, or you'll find yourself in the neighborhood of yellow stripes and dead armadillos.

I mean, sexual orientation issues and abortion are important. So is combating US imperialism (Russia-Ukraine and NATO) and Israeli imperialism. So is real action, not fake action, on climate change. (Remember, in 2022, Beto-Bob discovered the religion of "drill, baby, drill.")

Scudder DOES know about running for office. Huntsville city council, multiple times. State Senate. The new elected member slot on Dallas County Appraisal District. Now this, and I'm probably missing something. In short, he's a permacandidate. Will he use the party chairmanship to run for office again at some point?

RIP Grandma Carole Keeton Strayhorn Rylander

RIP Carole Keeton McClellan Rylander Strayhorn Grandma. A symbol — one of four — of Tex-ass politics in the 2006 gubernatorial race, all of whom eventually shot themselves in the foot politically. (Libertarians had a candidate and there was a write-in, but they don't count.)

I wrote about the campaign at the time it was breaking out.

She herself? Siring future Texas GOP progeny by her first husband while eventually exemplifying Texas and national GOP hypocrisy by becoming a three-time divorcee.

Kinky Friedman? Couldn't stop cracking jokes long enough to get serious, despite advisors from then-Minnesota Governor Jesse The Body Ventura helping him out — before most quit. Frankly, I think Kinky was afraid of the possibility of winning, as I noted at his death.

Chris Bell? Eventually showed how much of a ConservaDem he is, despite Progress Texas anointing him, and that his ethics schtick was bullshit. More here, from his own mouth, on his shallowness.

Tricky Ricky Perry? Failed presidential runs and getting high on back pain meds while being tough on drugs.

Sadly, sites like "Reform" Austin (really?) have non-takedown encomium obits.