tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-168695642011-09-23T02:14:15.711-05:00Writings of David Van Os, Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General 2006. If you're tired of corporate handouts, gasoline company price gouging, and Big Brother erosion of Constitutional rights, this is your man.snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.comBlogger991100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-16833437304247885272007-02-12T10:26:00.000-06:002007-02-12T10:20:31.750-06:00

A good friend of mine lamented, "Even a politician with the very best intentions has to compromise integrity to the almighty dollar."This is what the elitists of the Consultant & Donor Party WANT us to think.It is NOT necessary to compromise integrity for the almighty dollar. I reject that premise.Let us together reject the premise that the exercise of self-government has to entail inevitably the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1170358661442573792007-02-01T13:35:00.000-06:002007-02-01T13:43:31.123-06:00

[also published on Texas Blue, in response to On Running Races and Pointing Fingers]Mr. Nassar,You are so obsessed with trashing me it seems you are not capable of hearing anything that is contrary to your formula.The state rep candidates you mention were some of the targeted races. So of course they would have a different perspective.That is just one example of how you mix up all the metaphors

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162838828596637512006-11-06T12:40:00.001-06:002006-11-06T12:47:08.600-06:00

The first meeting of this campaign's steering committee was on March 12, 2005 in my wife Rachel's and my living room. Twenty long months have passed. During that time Rachel and I have met personally with thousands of our fellow Texans who once were strangers and now are friends. During that time a remarkable statewide network of grassroots volunteers and supporters has carried the message of

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162577922726509342006-11-03T12:07:00.000-06:002006-11-03T12:21:43.220-06:00

OPEN LETTER TO THE NEWS MEDIADavid Van Os urges the news media to pursue common sense questions about Greg Abbott's use of state property in his political campaign.Statement of David Van Os:The attorney general of Texas, the state's top lawyer, has publicly admitted through a spokesman that he is using, in his political campaign, videos that he produced with state property and state employees in

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162508072878287322006-11-02T16:48:00.000-06:002006-11-02T16:57:10.306-06:00

PRESS RELEASE"Whether it's using mothers and children as statistics while ignoring them as individuals; building an expensive film department to glorify himself on the taxpayers' dollar; using the Ten Commandments to idolize himself; or using state property for his campaign commercials, Greg Abbott's term as attorney general of Texas has been all about Greg Abbott, not about the people."Statement

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162507222188837132006-11-02T16:28:00.000-06:002006-11-02T16:58:02.190-06:00

PRESS RELEASE"Greg Abbott puts his faith in the false idol of money. I'm glad to put my trust and faith in democracy and the people of Texas. He cannot buy this election." ~David Van OsStatement of David Van Os:"Greg Abbott is outspending me at least 50 to 1. His millions come from corporate executives who are used to buying government. My funding comes from ordinary people who want government to

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162497020264650192006-11-01T13:48:00.000-06:002006-11-02T13:50:20.283-06:00

PRESS RELEASE"Greg Abbott set up his unconstitutional voter suppression program for the same purpose that he does everything else -- to get publicity to promote himself at the taxpayers' expense."Statement of David Van Os:"Yesterday the federal court in Tyler ordered Greg Abbott to stop violating the voting rights of Texas citizens through his unconstitutional 'voter fraud' program."The Attorney

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1162057910493464042006-10-28T12:47:00.000-05:002006-10-28T14:30:47.986-05:00

Hey Greg, WRONG is WRONG, LYING is LYING, and STEALING is STEALING.The "good guy" image of himself that Greg Abbott is spending millions of dollars to promote is phonier than a three-dollar bill. Beneath the glossy campaign ads, he's a thief and a hypocrite, and his claim to be such a nice guy is a pack of lies. Abbott has been caught red-handed using film produced by state employees on state

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1161985903799798402006-10-27T16:49:00.001-05:002006-10-27T18:16:02.120-05:00

While I support stiff penalties for sex predators, I am opposed to punishing a crime that did not result in a death with the death penalty. This makes me the exact opposite of Greg Abbott, who favors the death penalty for 'sex predators' even where the offense did not result in a death.Applying the death penalty to a crime that did not result in death is disproportionate to the crime and thus

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1161891515472428572006-10-26T14:35:00.000-05:002006-11-02T14:06:27.746-06:00

The Bush administration prosecuted less than ten (10) employers nationwide last year for violating laws in the employment of undocumented immigrants. As a loyal Bush Republican, Greg Abbott does absolutely nothing about corporate employers who violate these laws.Employers who pay substandard wages to attract undocumented immigrant workers harm everybody. (1) Those employers foster disrespect for

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1161711616009627022006-10-24T12:36:00.000-05:002006-10-24T12:40:16.036-05:00

PRESS RELEASE :: GREG ABBOTT SHAMEFULLY USING CHILDREN AS STAGE PROPS TO BLITZ THE AIRWAVES WITH LIES AND HYPOCRISY "If the accused predators Abbott's arrested had the money to give him big campaign contributions, instead of being arrested they would have been honored guests at his high-dollar fundraisers." ~David Van Os"Greg Abbott is using his millions of dollars of corporate special interest

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1161023911991854612006-10-16T13:37:00.000-05:002006-10-16T13:38:31.993-05:00

The San Antonio Firefighters Association announced October 13 that it has endorsed David Van Os in the race for Texas Attorney General. David reacted, "It is an honor to be endorsed by our state's finest public servants who risk life and limb to protect the public from fires and natural disasters. I am grateful for this expression of confidence from the San Antonio Firefighters, one of the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1161023523146057302006-10-16T13:27:00.000-05:002006-10-16T13:32:03.196-05:00

PRESS RELEASE :: Van Os Completing 254-County Tour; Proposes Constitutional Protection from Eminent Domain and TollingOCTOBER 16: In the last week of his 254-county whistlestop tour, Attorney General candidate David Van Os suggests Constitutional Amendments to protect Texans from continuing abuses of eminent domain and toll roads. Unveiling what he terms "Citizens' Protection Amendments," Van Os

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1160762413793403652006-10-13T12:57:00.000-05:002006-10-13T13:00:13.796-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"Rural Texans have been pushed to the bottom of the ladder for way too long. Government is supposed to belong to ALL the people, not just the urban elite power brokers." ~ David Van OsIn recognition of David Van Os' demonstrated commitment to addressing the needs of rural Texas and the agricultural community, the Family Farmers United Political Action Committee has

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1160499835992333262006-10-10T11:54:00.000-05:002006-10-13T13:22:30.393-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE"If elected to serve as Attorney General of Texas, I solemnly promise that I will use every legal means available to me by that office to bring to a halt and/or invalidate the unconstitutional and illegal project known as the Trans-Texas Corridor."~David Van Os, from written oath filed in public records at county courthousesDavid Van Os' candidacy for Attorney General has

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1160498260353037552006-10-10T11:33:00.000-05:002006-10-16T14:58:05.543-05:00

Throughout Greg Abbott's term as Texas Attorney General I've been appalled at his rank exploitation of children and human tragedies. During the nearly six months' time that I've been touring Texas and visiting with people in every part of our state, I have listened to many of my fellow Texans and learned many things about real people's real concerns. The time has come for me to speak out against

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com30tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1159895541580584782006-10-03T12:07:00.000-05:002006-10-05T11:20:52.530-05:00

[ audio post ]Government is supposed to belong to all the people, therefore the political process has to include all the people, in every county of our state. That's why I'm spending from April to October personally visiting and speaking to the public at every one of the 254 county courthouses in Texas. Under the Texas Constitution the people are entitled to a state attorney general who serves

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1159893900047084492006-10-03T11:43:00.000-05:002006-10-03T11:45:00.066-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :: October 3, 2006DAVID VAN OS CONTINUES STATEWIDE WHISTLESTOP TOURTour Hit 231st County on September 29"Government belongs to all the people of Texas; therefore the political process must include all the people." ~ David Van OsDavid Van Os continues this week on his whistlestop tour to meet with the public at all 254 county courthouses in Texas. Last week Van Os addressed

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1159891689123243502006-10-03T11:04:00.000-05:002006-10-04T11:26:42.850-05:00

While Barnstorming the State, Van Os Challenges Abbott to DebateYesterday David Van Os, while in the midst of his county-to-county tour in West Texas, sent Greg Abbott a one-line letter challenging the incumbent to a public debate of the issues in this year's election for attorney general. A copy of the letter is below.For approximately the last 5 months Van Os has been on a whistlestop tour to

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1158969086328380422006-09-22T18:50:00.000-05:002006-09-22T18:51:26.363-05:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :: September 22, 2006According to widely circulated reports, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's office dispatched a squad of armed agents with subpoenas to forcibly seize, without permission, thousands of records from the federal court's storage facility, records that were part of pending federal court cases involving possible fraudulent diagnoses of silicosis, a lung

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1156353209107728062006-08-23T12:10:00.000-05:002006-08-23T12:19:12.966-05:00

Greg Abbott is a lawyer and an officer of the courts. Seizing court records from the court's storage facility without consulting the presiding judge demonstrated a shocking level of arrogance and disrespect. But I'm not surprised by this arrogant conduct. Greg Abbott is part of the silk-stocking social clique that runs Texas government as if it were their private club. This it the same Greg

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1155666728126270052006-08-15T13:27:00.000-05:002006-08-15T13:32:50.056-05:00

PRESS RELEASEContact: Kris Graham, Media Relations 713.460.0676 Van Os to Abbott: "What have you done to protect the people from being preyed upon by greedy toll collectors, Big Oil, the Insurance Monopolists, and the other corporate robber barons?"As David Van Os continues his Whistlestop Tour of all 254 Texas counties, he sends incumbent Attorney General Greg Abbott his schedule for

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1155058265021321262006-08-08T12:28:00.000-05:002006-08-08T12:31:05.063-05:00

The actual letter sent out to Abbott:VIA U.S. MAIL & FACSIMILEAugust 8, 2006Greg AbbottTexans for Greg Abbott CampaignPO Box 308Austin, TX 78767Dear Mr. Abbott:Here is my whistlestop tour schedule for August 8-11, 2006. Again, I challenge you to appear at any or all these times and places and advise the people what you have done to protect them from the depredations of Big Oil, the Insurance

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1154403051764471232006-07-31T22:30:00.000-05:002006-08-01T18:42:58.946-05:00

My challenge to the Big Oil Monopolies[audio post part 1][audio post part two]This very moment, millions of Texans are struggling to find ways to stretch their paychecks and retirement checks to cover $3 per gallon gasoline. This very moment, local governments all over Texas are struggling to balance budgets in the face of ever-rising fuel costs. This very moment, independent business owners all

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1154538032569050522006-07-24T11:58:00.000-05:002006-08-02T12:00:32.596-05:00

Statement of David Van Os concerning Greg Abbott's partisan court action on behalf of Tom DeLay and the Texas Republican Party:"I'm not going to be polite about Greg Abbott's latest actions as a lackey for Tom DeLay and his other cronies of the corrupt Republican Party establishment. "By intervening on behalf of the Republican Party and Tom DeLay in asking the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1153583058784284932006-07-22T10:40:00.000-05:002006-07-22T10:45:03.113-05:00

NO to greed! NO to cronyism! NO to land grabs! NO to corruption! NO to arrogance! NO to double taxation! NO to foreign control of Texas highways! NO to Rick Perry's tolling plans! NO TO THE TRANS-TEXAS CORRIDOR!"As for the Trans Texas Corridor... Van Os said he will do everything he can to block the project, which he called an 'exercise of incredible arrogance' and an 'attempt to take away

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1153582523526701522006-07-22T10:31:00.000-05:002006-07-22T10:35:23.540-05:00

Greg AbbottTexans for Greg AbbottPO Box 308Austin, TX 78767Dear Mr. Abbott:Your campaign director, Daniel Hodge, when given an opportunity by a reporter for the Wise County Messenger to respond to the comments I made in Decatur on July 13, stated according to the Messenger, "We don't have any comment on anything he has to say." (Wise County Messenger, July 16, 2006)Let me remind you that you do

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151956925519584192006-07-03T14:59:00.000-05:002006-07-03T15:02:05.520-05:00

The U.S. Supreme Court's decision in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, issued June 29, is momentous. Another Branch of government finally informed the Bushites in no uncertain terms that they do not get to make their own laws. In this decision, the Supreme Court ruled that the military tribunals the Bushites set up to try Guantanamo Bay detainees are illegal. In reaching this conclusion the Court held that the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151952377365000512006-07-03T13:46:00.000-05:002006-07-03T15:14:58.793-05:00

[audio post]July 4, 2006, is the 230th anniversary of the American Declaration of Independence. This year let it be a day of reaffirmation. The Declaration of Independence is one of the most revolutionary documents ever written. For the first time in human history, the words, "All men are created equal," were publicly uttered as a fundamental principle of government. For the first time in human

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151951544668672442006-07-03T13:28:00.000-05:002006-07-03T13:32:24.683-05:00

You are worse than clueless Dear Editor: In reference to your June 30 article, "The Fight for Relevance" - to call Dave Mann and The Observer "clueless" would be an understatement. The only suitable words for your smug dismissal of me and the rest of my statewide Democratic ticketmates aren't printable in public. I have been wondering why the Observer wasn't picking up on what is going on in the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151681205615880842006-06-30T10:25:00.000-05:002006-06-30T10:26:45.640-05:00

President Lyndon B. Johnson, from Texas, was right to promote the initial passage of the Voting Rights Act and succeeding presidents, including Ronald Reagan, have been right to maintain it. The current Republican Party power grabbers in Washington are trying to kill the Voting Rights Act, so that they will be able to attack the voting rights of minority citizens with impunity. Their blockage of

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151523401463873622006-06-28T14:28:00.000-05:002006-06-28T14:36:41.530-05:00

Today the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the Republican Party's transparent attempt to protect Republican Congressman Henry Bonilla by decreasing the Latino population in Bonilla's 23rd Congressional District. The Court held that the redrawing of District 23 violated the voting rights of the district's Latino population under the Voting Rights Act. The justices' analysis of voting trends showed

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151002738929558812006-06-22T13:58:00.000-05:002006-06-23T17:54:37.463-05:00

[ audio post ]Live report from Rachel Barrios-Van Os--wife, rights activist, and "Jill-of-all-trades" for the campaign on tour with attorney general candidate David, on a great day for democracy and the enthusiasm of Texans everywhere to take back Texas and take it to the People.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1151001859531519812006-06-22T13:44:00.000-05:002006-06-23T17:39:28.386-05:00

[ audio post ]Live report from the David Van Os WhistleStop Tour of Southeast Texas. Tour through Angelina, Trinity, Polk, San Jancinto counties, with a special shout out to the Courthouse WhistleStop Cafe. ;)

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1150995788613389842006-06-22T12:03:00.000-05:002006-06-22T12:43:36.193-05:00

[ audio post ]David Van Os summary of travels through Orange, Newton, Jasper, Sabine, and San Augustine Counties. Historical remarks about Lyndon B. Johnston; home owner insurance, and hurricane Rita.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1150895476180345572006-06-21T08:11:00.000-05:002006-06-21T18:52:10.516-05:00

[ audio post ]David Van Os live WhistleStop report on travels through Kountz and Beaumont. Remarks on radio interview with Jack Pieper of KLVI and the Acapulco Grill.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1150833327987417622006-06-20T14:55:00.000-05:002006-06-21T11:11:15.380-05:00

[ audio post ]Candidate for Attorney General of Texas David Van Os reports from outside of Liberty on the warm welcoming committee and radio interview with KTSN FM 99.9.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1150827390096811912006-06-20T13:16:00.000-05:002006-06-20T13:44:35.006-05:00

[ audio post ]David Van Os, candidate for Texas Attorney General, reporting live from Chambers County Courthouse, Anahuac, on the Southeast Whistlestop tour.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1150152363312445042006-06-12T17:41:00.000-05:002006-06-12T17:46:03.330-05:00

WATCH VIDEO >>[ Jim Maddox, former Texas Attorney General introduced David Van Os as a, "A Harry Truman type give 'em hell type Democrat!" ]I am David Van Os and I'm looking forward to being sworn in as your people's Lawyer next January. I've got a message...I've got a message for the big oil companies and the insurance monopolists and the utility barons and all the other robber barons that are

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1149699024173232112006-06-07T11:49:00.000-05:002006-06-07T11:50:24.186-05:00

I am neutral in the Texas Democratic State Party Chair race. I have known Boyd Richie, Glen Maxey, and Charlie Urbina Jones each for a long time. Any one of them will be a step forward for the party in comparison with the past.I am offended by the demonizing that is going on of the other candidates by some of the supporters of each candidate. All three of these candidates are good persons and

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1149637171265000112006-06-06T18:36:00.000-05:002006-06-07T12:35:23.086-05:00

[audio post ]If Connecticut and California can do it, so can Texas!A couple of weeks ago the Connecticut Attorney General initiated an investigation of major oil companies' gasoline pricing tactics. Now the California Attorney General has also launched an investigation, publicly calling the outrageously high gasoline prices Californians are paying, "legal thievery." California Attorney General

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1148925112392055172006-05-29T12:50:00.000-05:002006-05-29T12:51:52.413-05:00

My father and mother named me in memory of an uncle I never knew, my father's older brother David, a naval fighter pilot in the Pacific theatre who did not return from his last mission and of whom it is said no trace was ever found. On the occasion of Memorial Day it is impossible for me not to think of this and of the similar sacrifices that have been made by so many Americans and their

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1147716502802295542006-05-15T13:05:00.000-05:002006-05-15T15:32:10.236-05:00

[audio post]People everywhere are outraged to learn that telephone companies turned over millions of private call records to the federal government. David Van Os was one of the first public voices to speak out against the regime's unconstitutional spying actions. David publicly called the situation a Constitutional Crisis [see Constitutional Crisis, Message to Bush and Gonzales, Constitutional

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1147108110563775642006-05-08T12:03:00.000-05:002006-05-08T12:09:28.156-05:00

"I am mad as hell about our about government being run for the benefit of the privileged few. Chalk another one up for Corporate Mouthpiece Greg Abbott."On Greg Abbott siding with homebuilders against consumers, David Van Os had this to say:"I am mad as hell about our government being run for the benefit of the privileged few at the expense of everybody else. "What a neat deal it must especially

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1146509624476810182006-05-01T13:52:00.000-05:002006-05-01T13:53:44.486-05:00

On the occasion of Cinco de Mayo, May 5-6, San AntonioThe spreading popular rebellion against Big Oil represents the growing realization that we the people must win a revolution at the ballot box to reclaim our rights and liberties from the corporate and political power grabbers who seek to destroy democracy and abolish Constitutional checks and balances. As a fitting opportunity to spread that

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1146431095984640052006-04-30T16:03:00.000-05:002006-06-28T12:09:57.100-05:00

UPDATE :: JUNE 27Thanks to all of you who contributed to this fund, four billboards will be going up in about a week. Stay tuned for unveiling details!They'll be up for two months initially; please tell your friends to contribute so we can keep them up longer/raise them in more areas. :)Texas was the second political jurisdiction in the world to enact an anti-trust law. We did it in the 1880s.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1146085672692400262006-04-26T16:07:00.000-05:002006-04-26T16:33:36.236-05:00

[audio post]David Van Os reporting from the Southwest Texas Whistlestop Tour outside Del Rio. Taking democracy to the people is easy--when everyone wants it back!"...people are fired up. They want to take it back. They know that democracy... I mean they FEEL instinctively--people feel it in their guts that democracy is being stolen, and they want it back."

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1146077487288355952006-04-26T13:51:00.000-05:002006-04-26T16:39:25.943-05:00

[audio post]David Van Os mid-day report from the Southwest Test Whiststop Tour, on the winds of change (more like a hurricane) and changing strangers to friends."Taking Texas back by taking it to the people, returning the political process to the people, talking to peole--spontaneously--in public places, in the open air. It's very exciting. I wish you could all be here..."

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1146063963192564682006-04-26T10:06:00.000-05:002006-04-26T11:34:41.826-05:00

[audio post]David begins his Whistlestop Tour of Southwest Texas in Hondo -- AM report from the road.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1145896948175055442006-04-24T11:19:00.002-05:002006-04-24T12:27:42.816-05:00

"Texas belongs to the people, not to the corporations."~ James Stephen HoggAccording to recent studies and reports, a small number of insurance companies dominate the health insurance industry through virtual monopoly power. [Health Insurers Are Near-Monopolies :: Associated Press] However the average Texan doesn't need an academic research study to know that health insurance companies control

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1144686134416338372006-04-10T11:21:00.000-05:002006-04-10T11:24:29.456-05:00

David Van Os's original statement published November 2005 on paperless voting technology:With the touch-screen electronic voting machines that the Republican political cabal is forcing on all Texas counties, the voter cannot see his own ballot being cast. The visible touch screen is not the ballot; it is only a purported replica of the ballot. The electronic ballot is within the innards of the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1144429642949526622006-04-07T12:07:00.000-05:002006-04-07T13:29:46.293-05:00

Audio post from David describing the past few days in Northeast Texas, and what the people he's spoken to really want.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1144260227342195852006-04-05T13:03:00.000-05:002006-04-05T13:09:46.643-05:00

David Van Os's commentary from the first whistlestop on the Northeast Texas Tour. Stay tuned throughout the day for more, or check the homepage for when he'll be in your town.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1144262586560074912006-04-04T13:38:00.000-05:002006-04-05T14:12:12.306-05:00

Yesterday the chief political writer of a major urban daily newspaper asked what I meant by "consultantocracy". This is the answer I gave him:You ask what I mean by "consultantocracy". The consultantocracy is the collection of unelected operatives who direct Democratic Party strategies and tactics from behind the scenes down the path of relentless failure. The consultantocracy operates in

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1143483803765287072006-03-27T12:22:00.000-06:002006-03-27T15:11:58.810-06:00

I am responding to Larry Wilson's post about the absence of support for me last night at Drexler's from other Democratic candidates and official Party apparatus. Thank you very much, Larry, for pointing this out. I am gratified that someone finally took enough note of it to start a public discussion. I am sorry, but this post is necessarily going to be long due to the subject matter. One might

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1143149567021772872006-03-23T15:27:00.000-06:002006-03-23T15:32:47.036-06:00

"For 24 hours from noon April 17 to noon April 18, I'll be filibustering in front of the Capitol with fellow citizens, demanding a just and Constitutional system of free public education for all Texas children, like our forebears demanded when they declared independence from despotism in 1836, and like every generation of Texans has demanded ever since. Like every fight I take on, I'll fight this

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1141743475572442302006-03-07T08:57:00.000-06:002006-03-07T11:30:50.460-06:00

I want to thank all the many individuals whose presence and participation made the Filibuster for Independence a success, and whose hard work made the occasion possible. I know that everybody who participated felt the power, as we reclaimed the fighting spirits of our forebears and declared our independence from corruption, cronyism, corporate government, and Bushite tyranny.As I speak these

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1141323983578103562006-03-02T12:26:00.000-06:002006-03-02T13:48:10.466-06:00

[audio post]So now we know. So now we have it, the red-handed proof that George W. Bush was specifically informed before Hurricane Katrina hit that massive calamity was about to happen. So now we know that while Bush and Michael Chertoff were jetting around the hoity-toity circuit in the first days, they knew what was probably happening to the residents of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1140987385294544272006-02-26T14:54:00.000-06:002006-02-26T14:57:18.500-06:00

It's been well known for a long time that the Bush royal family is tied at the hip to the kingdoms of the Arabian Peninsula. Nevertheless many well-meaning and good-hearted citizens were unable to see it thanks to being incessantly bombarded with Bushite propaganda by the embedded corporate media.This time it's too open and obvious for anybody not to see. The Middle East is the world's hottest

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1140452526597285252006-02-20T10:18:00.000-06:002006-02-21T12:22:21.690-06:00

[audio post]Letter to the editor of the Texarkana GazetteDear Editor:In the recent indictments of Texarkana City Councilwoman Willie Ray and two other citizens by Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, the charges are alleged misdemeanors for picking up completed mail ballots from voters and carrying the ballots to place them in the mail for the voters. No voters are claimed to have illegally

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1140123849430649322006-02-16T14:57:00.000-06:002006-04-26T19:51:18.606-05:00

Dear Mr. Abbott:The Bush administration's contention that the chief executive of the United States possesses the authority to decide unilaterally what the laws and Constitution mean without subjection to the checks and balances of other branches of government is alarming, to say the least. I've listened to and read the arguments offered by Bush Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to justify the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1139942676555275082006-02-14T12:40:00.000-06:002006-02-14T12:45:37.596-06:00

Texans have a Constitutional right to uncorrupted government that serves and benefits the people instead of power-hungry political dictatorships. Texans most especially have a right to expect the state's chief lawyer to be independent of any such taint.Texans have a right to know that wheeler-dealer Republican political operative John Colyandro, a central figure in the Tom DeLay-TRMPAC

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1139444451556646852006-02-08T18:20:00.000-06:002006-02-08T19:13:32.910-06:00

[audio post]The argument that George Bush's puppet Alberto Gonzales uses to defend illegal wiretapping to the United States Senate boils down to the outrageous assertion that neither the Congress nor the courts have any authority to place limits on whatever the president decides the Constitution means or an act of Congress means. Gonzales and his master have made it as plain as day that they do

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1138894896453592912006-02-02T09:41:00.000-06:002006-02-02T09:42:11.700-06:00

While working Texans were struggling harder and harder to deal with the vicious catch-22 of not being able to afford not to go to work and not being able to afford to go to work at the same time due to $3 per gallon gasoline, Exxon-Mobil was raking in a staggering amount of profit far surpassing any other corporation of any kind in any industry in any year--36.1 billion dollars net income for

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1138140980619248512006-01-24T16:15:00.000-06:002006-01-24T16:16:20.650-06:00

Dear Mr. Abbott:As you know, Article 4 Section 22 of the Texas Constitution requires the Attorney General to "take such action as may be proper and necessary to prevent any private corporation from... demanding or collecting any species of taxes, tolls, freight or wharfage not authorized by law." Many Texas citizens are concerned about the anticipated usage of public authority to enable private

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1137797910648948562006-01-20T16:55:00.000-06:002006-01-20T16:58:58.883-06:00

Government by self-service, secrecy, and cronyism was not what the American Revolutionaries of 1776 had in mind when they proclaimed government by the consent of the governed. Nor was it what the fathers and mothers of Texas had in mind when they declared their independence from despotism in 1835. The toll road plans foisted by Slick Rick Perry and his political puppets and corporate cronies are

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1137437613970729152006-01-16T12:49:00.000-06:002006-01-17T13:27:15.966-06:00

When the American Revolutionaries proclaimed government by the consent of the governed in 1776, they did not intend for future Americans to be ruled by autocratic executive power. Yet here in 2006, our government has been hijacked by gangsters who care not about the stirring vision of government that was willed to us by our revolutionary founders.It is clear that the gangster Bushite machine is

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1136220772881745362006-01-05T22:36:00.000-06:002006-01-10T18:46:35.786-06:00

[audio post]Ripping up good Texas farmland, imposing double taxation on good Texas citizens, and misusing public authority for private enrichment. Do these sound like the kinds of things a public servant would want to do? You wouldn't think so. But when it comes to toll roads, these things are no obstacles to the sellout politicians, resume-building government bureaucrats, and greedy private

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1136392935796123762006-01-05T10:38:00.000-06:002006-01-04T22:17:28.760-06:00

The last day for candidates to file for places on the ballot in Texas in 2006 brought exciting news. Contrary to what the political reporters of the major daily newspapers predicted, a full statewide ticket of Democrats will be taking on the Bush-Perry-DeLay Republicans in the general election. By the filing deadline of 6:00 p.m. January 2, Democratic candidates had filed for the statewide

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1135702460183496952005-12-27T10:54:00.000-06:002005-12-27T13:19:11.870-06:00

[audio post]Even the Republican-dominated state legislature thought it was a good idea to let Texans who need prescription drugs have information about Canadian sources for the prescriptions they need in order to live. But naturally, the giant corporate parasites that make tons of greedy profits off the medical needs of the disabled and the elderly would rather not have to compete with cheaper

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1135703085094481402005-12-27T10:51:00.000-06:002005-12-27T12:23:58.280-06:00

[audio post]The party of the people is returning to its roots and democracy is on the rise. All over Texas, grassroots Democrats who are fed up with one-party monopoly government are filing for local offices in supposed Republican strongholds. There are too many to list here. But just for example, seven Democrats so far are running for countywide offices in Fort Bend County; and Democrats are

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1135702184218750242005-12-27T10:49:00.000-06:002005-12-27T12:29:10.353-06:00

[audio post]Unconstitutional spying not allowed in Texas!Let me make this perfectly clear. As Texas Attorney General I will tell George W. Bush, his puppy-dog Alberto Gonzales, and all the rest of the corrupt Constitution-hating Bushites, "Unconstitutional wiretapping and spying is not allowed in Texas!"As the elected lawyer for the people of Texas I will fight the corrupt federal agencies every

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1134966828480875052005-12-18T22:33:00.000-06:002005-12-21T12:38:22.270-06:00

[audio post]George W. Bush has plunged the country into the kind of Constitutional crisis that was resolved in 1974 by the issuance of articles of impeachment against Richard Nixon and Nixon's subsequent resignation. Make no mistake about it -- the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution covers telephone communications, and warrants are required for wiretaps. (See for example, Berger v. New York,

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1134927740822028592005-12-18T11:41:00.000-06:002005-12-18T11:42:20.836-06:00

On Friday, December 16, the Senate blocked the proposed renewal of the Patriot Act. Forty-two Democratic and five Republican Senators joined forces to block cloture easily. Grassroots America's public outcry against the Bushite assault on our Bill of Rights was heard. I'm happy to have been wrong in my prediction that the Senators might not do the right thing. But it's no time for complacency.

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1134496350302787232005-12-13T11:42:00.000-06:002005-12-16T13:15:45.933-06:00

[audio post]When he got the news that the U.S. Supreme Court has decided to hear arguments in the Texas redistricting case, Bushite Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott quickly issued a press release blithely stating that it was "not surprising" for the Supreme Court to hear arguments on the case and that he expects the Court will find the Texas redistricting plan to be "wholly constitutional."

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1134426823118030052005-12-12T16:33:00.000-06:002005-12-13T12:46:22.296-06:00

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3][audio post]When the Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a Constitution to the people of the new nation known as the United States of America, the people demanded that a Bill of Rights be added, or else the Constitution would not be ratified. Thus we have the First Ten Amendments, the majestic Bill of Rights of the American Constitution. The Americans of 1787

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1133389517883889032005-11-30T16:21:00.000-06:002005-11-30T16:27:30.546-06:00

Members of the public have asked me whether as Texas Attorney General I will apply a "three strikes and you're out" policy to corporations such as is applied to human beings, meaning whether I will take action to revoke a corporation's charter if it receives three criminal convictions. Article 4, Section 22 of the Texas Constitution lays upon the Texas Attorney General the duty to monitor the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1132686247121504532005-11-22T13:03:00.000-06:002005-11-30T16:33:19.006-06:00

With the touch-screen electronic voting machines that the Republican political cabal is forcing on all Texas counties, the voter cannot see his own ballot being cast. The visible touch screen is not the ballot; it is only a purported replica of the ballot. The electronic ballot is within the innards of the machine, hidden from the voter's sight. You would think as a matter of common sense that

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1132605747509430292005-11-21T14:30:00.000-06:002005-11-21T14:48:26.776-06:00

If we want to restore government to the people, we also have to restore to the people the election process by which the people exercise their political choices. This means no "battleground" type strategies -- we write nobody off and we trust the people. We trust the people's capacity to understand truth and their capacity to be motivated to vote for truth. We go to the people. We go to the small

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1131727640010702572005-11-11T10:47:00.000-06:002005-11-15T15:04:41.790-06:00

audio postI'm David Van Os and I have something to say. Government by lies, secrecy, and cronyism was not what the American Revolutionaries had in mind when they proclaimed government by the consent of the governed. Bushite government is crumbling by the day, and it is up to us, the grassroots American people, to pick up the pieces and rebuild self-governing democracy the way it is supposed to be

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1131485193154728022005-11-08T15:26:00.000-06:002005-11-22T12:31:59.873-06:00

audio postTexans have always believed that government belongs to the people. All over our state people from all walks of life are fed up with the rip-off of their democracy and they want it back. The Texas Constitution (Art. 4, Sec. 22) directs the Attorney General of Texas to protect democracy from corporate special-interest government and gives him the tools of office to do it. I've received

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1131381998104354412005-11-07T10:42:00.000-06:002005-11-07T10:47:35.433-06:00

My opponent in the 2006 general elections, incumbent Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott, is campaigning on behalf of the passage of Proposition 2. So is the Ku Klux Klan. Let there be no mistake about where I stand and what I appeal to you to do.If you did not vote early, please let nothing stop you from making it to your polling place on Tuesday and voting AGAINST Proposition 2. The vote on

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1131382778631119432005-11-07T10:30:00.000-06:002005-11-07T11:09:21.276-06:00

Democratic Texas Attorney General candidate David Van Os has this to say about current Attorney General Greg Abbott's active support for Proposition 2 in the November 8 vote on proposed Constitutional Amendments:"It is outrageous that Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is campaigning publicly arm-in-arm with the forces of prejudice in support of changing the Texas Bill of Rights, much of which

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1130878557532806052005-11-01T14:44:00.000-06:002005-11-01T14:55:57.546-06:00

On October 27, Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott issued on State letterhead an unsolicited letter in support of Proposition 2 to State Representative Warren Chisum and State Senator Todd Staples, the co-sponsors of the legislative resolution that put the proposed Constitutional amendment on the ballot. Proposition 2 would amend the BILL OF RIGHTS of the Texas Constitution. Abbott's open

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1130777541854456012005-10-31T10:51:00.000-06:002005-11-02T15:04:50.493-06:00

In the last few days Texans were greeted with the news that the oil companies raked in staggering profits in the third quarter of 2005 at the same time that working people couldn't afford to drive to work in the face of $3 a gallon gasoline. Exxon-Mobil for example took in 10 billion dollars profit, an increase of 75 percent over its already obscene profit level of the second quarter. But

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1130777339589868922005-10-31T10:44:00.000-06:002005-10-31T10:50:27.486-06:00

On November 5, the hooded bigots of the Ku Klux Klan will descend on Austin to march in support of the passage of Proposition 2. These masked shock troops of hate do Texans a favor in exposing the real meaning and significance of the proposed amendment in all its shining glory. There could be no greater barometer of what is really at stake in the vote on Proposition 2. The Klan does not show up

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1130170933646795732005-10-24T11:12:00.000-05:002005-10-24T15:06:17.860-05:00

Early voting starts October 24 on the Texas Constitutional Amendments. There are nine proposed amendments. I recommend a vote of NO on all nine. Consider the source. These amendments were generated by one of the most special interest-dominated legislatures in the history of our state. Every one of the proposed amendments serves a Perry-Craddick special interest -- be it banks and big corporations

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1130189388246746252005-10-22T16:29:00.000-05:002005-10-24T16:29:48.256-05:00

I don't know about you but I'm sick and tired of corporate government. The Bill of Rights of the Texas Constitution (Art. 1, Sec. 26) proclaims that monopolies 'are contrary to the genius of free government and shall never be allowed.' When it's in the Constitution that means it's a permanent guarantee to the people. Don't you think it's high time somebody looked the Big Oil and Big Insurance

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128384690692920132005-10-03T19:06:00.000-05:002005-10-03T19:11:30.700-05:00

San Antonio lawyer David Van Os, candidate for the Democratic Party nomination for Texas Attorney General in 2006, made the following statement about gasoline prices:"The newspapers are telling us consumers what we already know. People who work for a living are being squeezed to death by the price of gasoline. Every day the price of gasoline is causing people to fall further behind on paying

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128357910712706802005-10-03T11:36:00.000-05:002005-10-03T17:47:15.736-05:00

[also published as one of the Greatest Threads at Democratic Underground]In my humble opinion, interest-group politics within the Democratic Party over the last 20 years has resulted in pandering, patronage chains, cooptation, fracturing, and defeat. This pattern operates across the board, from racial minority interest groups to issue-specific interest groups. The resulting failures are

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128357001302741492005-10-02T11:26:00.000-05:002005-10-03T11:30:01.310-05:00

Dear Sisters and Brothers:I am very sorry that an unexpected death in the family renders it impossible for me to attend this important conference today as planned.America is the home of the Declaration of Independence, which delivered to the world the twin revolutionary visions of equal endowment with the rights of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, and government by the consent of the

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1127940949822359952005-09-28T15:53:00.000-05:002005-10-06T12:27:05.473-05:00

San Antonio lawyer David Van Os, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for Texas Attorney General in the 2006 elections, issued this statement today on the indictment of House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas:"It is a sad day for our great country when a public prosecutor of impeccable reputation finds cause to indict the Majority Leader of the United States House of Representatives for

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1127500502766105812005-09-21T13:33:00.000-05:002005-09-26T10:11:24.620-05:00

Dear Fellow Citizen and Friend:I have a notion, which some would call quaint, that politics in our democracy is about people first. Since the spring, I have been working very hard to talk with and listen to grassroots voters across Texas, and all of you have proven to me that the support base for this campaign is deep, broad, and enthusiastic.I thank you, everyone, for your incredible dedication

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128620490441126792005-08-23T12:38:00.000-05:002005-10-06T12:46:10.956-05:00

An August 22, 2005 story in the Austin American-Statesman describes the plight of immigrant workers who perform some of the most laborious jobs in our economy yet have difficulty obtaining the pay they have earned for their work. (see footnote*) Under state law the Texas Attorney General has the power to come down hard against unscrupulous employers who exploit low-wage immigrant workers by

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128957952408470382005-07-25T09:24:00.000-05:002005-10-24T14:59:06.966-05:00

The Texas statewide Democratic vote for state offices in the last 3 non-presidential general elections (1994, 1998, and 2002) was not representative of the Democratic base. The Democratic base is much bigger than the votes the Democratic statewide candidates received in those elections, but the party's message in each of those elections was not designed to motivate growth in the base voter

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1128620541577117352005-07-04T12:41:00.000-05:002005-10-06T12:42:21.576-05:00

"July 4, 2005 will be 229 years to the day since the Continental Congress of the Thirteen Colonies audaciously declared the Colonies’ independence from Great Britain.They knew their prospects for winning an armed rebellion against the might of the British Empire were exceedingly slim; and they also knew that if they didn’t win the struggle they would be treated as traitors to the Crown.But they

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1127501016856501582005-06-28T13:42:00.000-05:002005-09-23T14:01:14.116-05:00

Texas Attorney General Candidate David Van Os Calls US Supreme Court Ruling on Private Property a "Dangerous Departure" Texas Attorney General candidate David Van Os said today he disagrees with last week's U.S. Supreme Court decision allowing cities to bulldoze people's homes in pursuit of economic redevelopment and increased tax revenues. In a 5-4 ruling the majority held that private

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1127501381931273722005-06-18T13:46:00.000-05:002005-09-23T14:03:03.223-05:00

Austin, Texas: "As I left, a friend commented about finally finding a bumper sticker to put up over his Kerry sticker." ~Aldon Hynes MORE >>

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16869564.post-1127501617849531242005-06-14T13:52:00.000-05:002005-09-23T14:04:05.796-05:00

Press Release Brenham, Texas: David Van Os, a Democratic candidate for Texas Attorney General, visited Brenham, Texas, on June 14, 2005 and made the following statement: "The Attorney General of Texas is Constitutionally charged and empowered with the duty of protecting the people from lawlessness and injustice. Lawlessness comes in many forms. It includes predatory big-business tactics

snarko!http://www.blogger.com/profile/09317635799641286718noreply@blogger.com0