Alec Baldwin offers dog biscuits to Texas governor.

[jsalcedo]

http://www.caller.com/ccct/state_texas_news/article/0,1641,CCCT_876_2329457,00.html

AUSTIN- Actor Alec Baldwin was in town Tuesday night for a fund-raiser for House Democrats and he came bearing a gift: a box of dog biscuits for Republican Gov. Rick Perry.

"I wanted to give this to Tom DeLay's lap dog, Rick Perry," Baldwin said. "I thought maybe he had worked up a big appetite up there on the Capitol so Gov. Perry, AKA Tom DeLay's lap dog in the Texas state Legislature, this box of dog biscuits is for you and I hope you enjoy it while you're toiling away at a redistricting plan."

Republicans have been working to draw a new redistricting plan to increase their strength in Texas' congressional delegation, now ruled 17-15 by Democrats. DeLay, the U.S. House majority leader from Sugar Land, has been one of the strongest advocates for redrawing the lines.

Democrats have been opposed to the move and a few of them joined Baldwin as he launched into a tirade about redistricting, the California recall and Republican gubernatorial candidate Arnold Schwarzenegger, the Republican Party leadership and the Bush administration, of which he said half of its members were either stupid or sociopathic.

"Everything that Bush touches turns to manure in public policy and they're coming down here and they're telling Rick Perry what to do," Baldwin said.

Perry spokesman Gene Acuna shot back: "Mr. Baldwin's political views against President Bush and Republicans in general are well known and documented. I have no doubt that Texans will give the comments made by the star of Beetlejuice all of the attention they are due."

The White House did not immediately comment on Baldwin's statements.

 

[RobW]

Psychologists call this behaviour "projection".

If the actor-millionaires are so in favour of socialism, why don't we tax them 106 % as the Swedish government did to the author Astrid Lindgren?

 

[Delmar]

This fool is STILL in the country? Thought he was the one who threatened to leave?

 

[Mike Irwin]

I thought this hole said he was going to flee the country like a scared little girl if George Bush became President?

 

[Delmar]

Maybe he's staying around to be the host of the Jackass show

 

[Sergeant Bob]

Maybe he's staying around to be the host.....um.....Star! of the Jackass show

 

[Langenator]

It's really, really too bad that duelling is no longer allowed.

/start Texas drawl/

"I don't know how they do things in Hollerwood, Mister Baldwin, but 'roun' here them's fightin' words."

/end Texas drawl/

 

[Thumper]

Actually, Langenator, Baldwin's comments do meet the standard for "fighting words" as upheld by the Supreme Court as recently as 1942.

Edited: Oops, I had assumed from Baldwin's comments that Perry was actually there. Evidently he wasn't. "Fighting words" have to be face to face.

Oh well, I guess some rights aren't balanced by consequences.

 

[Carlos Cabeza]

I could make him eat dirt and say "uncle"

 

[keederdag]

The Gov. otta offer to kick one of them biscuits up Baldwins @ss!

 

[TamThompson]

So nobody but me agrees with Baldwin's sentiment? Why do people have such a problem with allowing Austin to remain Austin? Why try to turn Texas into a one-party state? Why put Austin in a district that runs clear down to the Rio Grand Valley from central Texas? Why not be honest and show the map publicly?

The Texas 11 (or 10) did the right thing in refusing to be bullied. I won't be, either.

 

[keederdag]

I really have no interest in TX politics; and shouldnt I don't live there. I just hate Baldwin he's a Scumbaggreaseballaklebitentreehuggindemocratlovin elitist naziewoosie. Keeder

 

[Art Eatman]

Why, Tam! Are you inferring that it was also a Bad Thing when the Democrats had Texas as a one-party state for almost a hundred years?

The Republicans, now, are merely returning the "courtesy" they received for oh, so many decades. Isn't turnabout fair play?

Not-rhetorical question: Why shouldn't the House delegation in Washington reflect the voting patterns of the state? That's all that the redistricting will accomplish. And that's a fact.

, Art

 

[ahenry]

The Texas 11 (or 10) did the right thing in refusing to be bullied. I won't be, either.

The hell they did!

I send people to congress to do a job, not run and hide when they think they aren’t going to get their way. I say this with absolutely no exaggeration; every single one of those legislator’s that ran away ought to be run out of office and preferably tarred and feathered. Not because I think the republicans should redistrict anything (shoot, what do I care, the dems can’t even hold on to anything with the current districts) but because nobody that runs screaming from a fight ought to have anything to do with running Texas. I tell you what, if I ever happened to cross paths with one of those two-bit, yellow-bellied, suck-egg, panty-waist, spineless, no-account sacks of doggy-doo I’d be more than happy to tell him what I think of him. I’m a laid back guy but that little antic they pulled cost us millions and pissed me the hell off. Ought not to be anything but contempt for those jackholes. And that’s all I have to say about that.

 

[Mark Tyson]

That is so obnoxious and juvenile. I almost wish they'd bring back dueling.

 

[Thumper]

The Texas 11 (or 10) did the right thing in refusing to be bullied. I won't be, either.

Unless you are remarkably uninformed concerning Texas political history, that might be one of the more hypocritical comments made by an Austinite since Queen Ann was in office.

Districts under the Democrats commonly resembled Rorschach tests.

 

[Holly76201]

Tam,
I agree with you. I think the Texas 11 did the right thing.
For the rest of you TEXANS who think the republicans are on the the right track, can you say "Jerrymandering"? It wasn't right when the dems did it and it's just as wrong now, and No, turnabout is not fair play, it is returned vindictiveness and powergrabbing.
And for all you non-Texans, you have my sympathy that you don't live here. And when Bush tries to send his minions to control your state politics, don't say we didn't warn you.
And for the record, I'm not a Dem OR a Rep, heck I'm not even a registered Libertarian.

 

[labgrade]

Face it, folks.

Doesn't matter either way - Texas, Kali, no matter - The Shrub, Gore, whatever.

Our "reps" just do what they want, as they see fit & have no interest for you or yours.

We've a US constitution that limits their (assumed) powers, they're further restricted by the (several) states' constitutions as well.

Does it matter? No. Will any of the states' supreme courts uphold their constitutions? no.

Will the SCOTUS uphold the "supreme law of the land?"

No.

Redistricting? Just sauce for the goose.

The rest is pure entertainment.

Until there is an upholding of the law as was previously written to curtail these yahoos from doing any thing they want, we're toast.

Proove me wrong.

 

[Johnny Guest]

IT IS CLEARLY SHAMEFUL BEHAVIOR.

- - Reprehensible and shameful.

No, not so much Alec Baldwin coming to Texas and trying to tell Texans how to run our bidness. You kinda come to expect this sort of behavior from him and his ilk. After all, he couldn't keep his word to leave the country . . . .

No, the real shame is a person who holds public office and then fails to uphold his/her oath. The elected legislators swore to represent their constituents in the legislature. By running away, they not only abdicated their responsibility to the rule of law, but also prevented others from discharging their own. If an elected or appointed publc employee feels he or she cannot do the job they sought, they have a responsibility to RESIGN. Sometimes, resignation can be a proper course of action. Indeed, tt may be the ONLY honorable course of action in certain situations. But overt refusal to remain at their posts and perform their jobs was spiteful, small, and cowardly.

Those individuals who fled their duty without resigning have shamed a proud state before the rest of the nation. I am sorry to have witnessed it. I will always do all I can to expose their dereliction of duty, and to support those who oppose them for any public office they seek.

Sorrowfully,
Johnny

 

[Thumper]

Why do the honorable thing when the audience you're playing to applauds dishonorable behavior?

These guys, this reprehensible bunch, were the same individuals responsible for Democratic party "Jerrymandering" [sic] for years.

Evidently what's good for the goose ain't good for the gander.

 

[labgrade]

"The elected legislators swore to represent their constituents in the legislature."

To a point, but within certain & specific limitations. That the constituents don't understand the rule of law ..... nope.

"No, the real shame is a person who holds public office and then fails to uphold his/her oath."

Yup. & that oath was to uphold & defend the constitution. Primarily & foremost. What the constiuents wants really has no bearing on this primary aspect.

Not disagreeing per se, only a clarification.

No matter what the constituents want, there are clear limitations on government that specifies where government is allowed, or not, to intrude.

Specifics deliniated by the fed & states' bill of rights are one. No matter where the constituents wish to intrude, they are not allowed to, no matter.

Any poltico should have, at the least, this beat into their head - figuratively, or litterally.

 

[Bill Hook]

I'd like to offer him some w(h)ine.

 

[jimpeel]

"... can you say "Jerrymandering"?"

No, but I can say Gerrymandering.

 

[DRC]

Tam and Holly...

From Websters dictionary:

"ger·ry·man·der ( P ) Pronunciation Key (jr-mndr, gr-)
tr.v. ger·ry·man·dered, ger·ry·man·der·ing, ger·ry·man·ders
To divide (a geographic area) into voting districts so as to give unfair advantage to one party in elections."

Since I live in Texas and keep up with it's history (especially in politics) as you should both do as well let me enlighten you a little further. The Texas legislature has been in the control of the Democratic party for 106 yeras. Refer to the definition above and then rethink your assessment of what is going on.

The problem the Democrats face is that even though, for the last 106 years, they have divided up the districts for their own political purposes the districts voted Republican. The Republicans have control now and are trying to undo, not the viable district lines, but the mess the Democrats have drawn and voted on everytime it came to the floor after the Census. Voting on redistricting is part of the legislatures job and is in fact listed in the Texas legislatures rules and laws. In other words it is part of the job they are required to do.

I like the way this is played out to be a power grab for the Republicans when even though the odds and the deck were stacked against them they gained power anyway. The way the current maps (as put into place by the Democrats) are layed out actually hamper equal representation in many districts for Republicans and Democrats alike and it's been that way for 106 years.

Gerrymandering is absolutely the correct term for what has been happening and it was done by the party in control at the time; The Democrats! I'm not sure why it was okay for the Democrats to do this for so long and then when the Republicans come in and do it it's a slap in the face. To say it was wrong then and wrong now shows complete and total ignorance of fact as well as history. Districts change and must be redefined in order to be properly represented, in some instances during Democratic control these districts were addressed properly but have not been for some time for political gain only. If the Republicans gain an unfair advantage BUT do in turn give equal representation to all districts in the process then so be it and more power to them.

Take care folks and no, the Republicans in Texas aren't the bad guys.

DRC

 

[Bruce H]

Governor Rick Perry should put a really good shocking collar on Alec Baldwin. Next would be several days of manners training. He might even turn Baldwin into something useful but he doesn't have much to work with.