by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
Citizen Journalist
Not every Texas politician is as mean-spirited as Rick Perry
or as egomaniacal and ruthless as Ted Cruz.
A few, admittedly a rare few, have hearts and brains which they aren’t
afraid to put to use for the benefit of the rest of society – and not just the
privileged elite.
The late governor, Ann Richards, was a shining star in the
Lone Star state. Molly Ivins, a
journalist and good friend of Governor Richards, never ran for political
office, but she was a constant burr under the saddle blankets of many Texas
elected officials. The governor and the
reporter never got any warm fuzzies from the good ole boys who made up the
political power base of Texas.
Wendy Davis, a state senator from Fort Worth, stood up to
the Texas political elite when she staged an 11-hour filibuster in order to
block a vote on a draconian anti-abortion bill this past summer.
Her effort helped to run the clock out on the legislative session,
forcing Governor Perry to call a second special session so that he could impose
his fundamentalist religious views on the state. Senator Davis is now running for governor of
the Lone Star state.
A pair of young Hispanic twin brothers are also rising stars
in Texas politics. Julian Castro is the
Mayor of San Antonio and was the keynote speaker at last year’s Democratic
National Convention. His brother, Joaquin
Castro, is a former member of the Texas legislature and it now a first-term
congressman.
Senator Davis and both Castro brothers are graduates of
Harvard Law School. All three are
emblematic of a fresh breeze blowing through Texas politics.
Today that breeze got a little stronger when a Bexar County
(San Antonio) Court-at-Law judge, Carlo Key, announced that he is leaving the
Republican Party and will run for re-election as a Democrat. Actually, Judge Key said that the Republican
Party had left him.
In making his announcement, Judge Key lamented, “I cannot
tolerate a political party that demeans Texans based on their sexual
orientation, the color of their skin, or their economic status.” The judge added, “For too long the Republican
Party has been at war with itself.
Rational Republican beliefs have given way to ideological character
assassination. Pragmatism and principle
have been overtaken by pettiness and bigotry.”
He also took a swipe at the recent GOP government
shutdown. Judge Key said, “I cannot
place my name on the ballot of the political party that is proud to destroy the
lives of hundreds of thousands of federal workers over the vain attempt to
repeal a law that would provide health care for millions of people throughout
our country.”
Judge Key declared, “My principles have led me to the Democratic
Party, and my only hope is that more people of principle will follow me.”
Amen to that, Judge Key.
Amen.
Judge Key was joined at the news conference where he made
his announcement by future President Joaquin Castro.
1 comment:
AMEN.
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