United Republicans of Harris County GOP Primary Endorsements

The Board of Directors of United Republicans of Harris County is proud to announce the following endorsements of candidates in the Republican primary.  Please note the message in the Governor's race instead of an endorsement.


http://www.unitedrepublicansharriscounty.com/2018-Endorsements

CD-2 Candidate Attends State of the Union Address

President Trump delivered his first State of the Union address Tuesday night.  I am happy to say he did very well. 

Some far-left celebrities couldn't wait for the actual event so they made up one of their own and delivered  "The People's State of the Union" hosted by actor Mark Ruffalo -for people in their own political bubble. For example, comedienne Wanda Sykes went off on the "ugly underbelly" of Trump supporters and filmmaker Michael Moore said, "We must remove and replace the system and the culture that gave us Trump in the first place," he said adding "We must also cleanse our American soul of our white male privilege." I may be wrong, but I think a wealthy white male like Moore may need to check his own privilege. Also, Planned Parenthood was a sponsor, so your tax dollars were at work, folks.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg announced she would be a no-show. Just as well, given her tendency to fall asleep at these addresses. It is not unusual for SCOTUS justices to skip the SOTU - the late Justice Antonin Scalia skipped them for some 20 years. He called them "cheerleading sessions". He's wasn't wrong.

Democrat Randy Bryce, a union ironworker challenging Republican Paul Ryan, boasted of plans to attend and "stare from the gallery". It's a stunt - he is being used by a current Wisconsin representative and he even sounds a bit uncertain of how the State of the Union works. Does he not understand that Ryan is the Speaker of the House and as such, he sits behind the president at this event? Anyhoo, it's a chance for him to run an ad on MSNBC (of course) during the SOTU address and try to act relevant. Bryce is the darling of the far left wackadoodle Hollywood elite, too. He made several appearances on the now-defunct Chelsea Handler show on Netflix and is heavily promoted by former Obama staffer, Alyssa Mastromonaco.

The speech was excellent. Trump told some truly inspiring personal stories of American heroes. The Cajun Navy and a Coast Guard member were honored at the very beginning of the speech. Hurricane Harvey and the recovery are still on his mind. When one young North Korean defector was spotlighted, who did I see in the seat next to him?  It was CD-2 candidate Kathaleen Wall. I had to do a double take! 

I think the Democrats will eventually regret their behavior during the speech. Even during the parts where traditionally both sides of the aisle applaud, the Democrats were stone-faced, dour, and motionless. There was no response when Trump spoke about the military, about his very generous immigration reform ideas, no respect for the American flag, and so on from most Democrats. I hope their very bad behavior comes back to bite them in November. It is hard to imagine American voters will reward a party openly rooting against tax cuts, larger paychecks, historically low unemployment for minorities and all Americans, a strong national defense, homeland security, and developing infrastructure. 

To further prove how clueless the Democrats have become as it pertains to reaching out to ordinary Americans, the Democrats offered up five separate responses to the speech on different networks. No unity there. The main response came from a young member of the Kennedy family who is continuing on the political dynasty. Didn't the very election of Trump prove the end of America's fascination with political dynasties? 

Immediate polling by CNN showed that a full 70% of viewers either found the speech excellent or very good. That must be a bitter pill for that Trump-bashing network. 

Onward.

“The people dreamed this country. The people built this country, & it’s the people who are making America great again...Our nation will forever be safe & strong & proud & mighty & free!”

New York Times Notices Trump Era Economic Optimism

The New York Times has a mostly favorable piece about the business community's reaction to the rollback of stifling regulations on the economy. I know, I'm pleasantly surprised, too, that the paper would run such an article, but it's a new year. I'll chalk it up to a fresh start and be happy for some honesty in the press. 

A wave of optimism has swept over American business leaders, and it is beginning to translate into the sort of investment in new plants, equipment and factory upgrades that bolsters economic growth, spurs job creation — and may finally raise wages significantly.

Sounds good, right? More infrastructure, job creation and rising wages were all promised by President Trump when he was candidate Trump. The return of optimism was predictable, too, with the exit of President Barack Obama. His focus was on taking over 1/6 of the economy with Obamacare, the definition of abusive regulations and mandates. 

But in the administration and across the business community, there is a perception that years of increased environmental, financial and other regulatory oversight by the Obama administration dampened investment and job creation — and that Mr. Trump’s more hands-off approach has unleashed the “animal spirits” of companies that had hoarded cash after the recession of 2008. 

After eight years of business crushing actions and governmental overreach by the Obama administration, the indicators of a strengthening in financial markets and optimistic growth remain strong. The DOW has reached all-time highs since Trump's inauguration. A record number of consecutive days with record closing numbers occurred in 2017. Companies are committing to bringing operations back from overseas, giving workers year-end bonuses and paycheck raises and hiring more people. 

The Business Roundtable, a corporate lobbying group in Washington, reported last month that “regulatory costs” were no longer the top concern of American executives, for the first time in six years. Mr. Zandi said that regulation was still the top concern in Moody’s survey of business confidence, but that it was rapidly losing ground to concerns about the availability of labor.
The National Association of Manufacturers’ fourth-quarter member survey found that fewer than half of manufacturers cited an “unfavorable business climate” — including regulations and taxes — as a challenge to their business, down from nearly three-quarters a year ago.

2018 is off to a good start.

A Glance Back at 2017 and Trump's Successes

Happy New Year! 

I have a confession to make. I am quite pleased with the results of President Trump's first year in office. While we were all told that the world would end if Donald Trump became President of the United States, it turns out 2017 was a good year. In fact, 2017 was the best year conservatives have had in many years. 

Conservative writer Matt Lewis summed the year up best: 

"GOP can say they (a) passed tax reform, (b) repealed individual mandate, (c) confirmed Gorsuch AND a ton of fed judges, & (d) got rid of job-killing regulations.
12 circuit court judges confirmed in one year- more than any president."

 If you are a conservative voter, you probably held your breath and voted for Trump. Hoping for the best, most Republican voters and lots of conservative Independents and Democrats were willing to give him a chance because the thought of Hillary Clinton in the Oval Office was a bridge too far. For many, the Supreme Court and judicial nominations were at the top of the list of reasons to vote Republican. Economic issues and a strong national defense were all factors, too. After eight years of overreaching regulations and several world apology tours, it's good to hear the full-throated support of America and her people, especially when Trump travels overseas. 

2017 was a wild ride, that's for sure. Standard, traditional thought in politics and governing were tossed out and a new approach to old problems began. That's not all bad. We are reaping the benefits of a businessman at the helm, though, and not a typical politician. Do any of us honestly think that if another Republican candidate had been the victor in 2016 (it's doubtful that any of them would have been able to beat Hillary) the economic markers would have moved into such positive territory? 

It is fascinating to see how the #NeverTrump holdouts navigate in today's reality. Some are so bitter that acknowledging any successes for conservative governing is impossible. This is why the holdouts are rendered not relevant. The old political class of consultants and advisers - those who made lots of money off Republicans in the past - no longer hold court in D.C. Attention to flyover America is finally taken. The swells on both coasts scrambling to be taken seriously while most people now just scroll past their tweets and Facebook remarks. Is there anything more pathetic than tweets from Matt Dowd or consultants who used to get gigs on cable television? How about John Kasich or Evan McMullin? Political writers like Bill Kristol and Max Boot claim conservative purity forces them to continue their temper tantrums - Boot even proudly boasted he'd vote for Hillary Clinton. There was absolutely nothing pure and conservative about giving Hillary Clinton a vote. These two, among others, will never be taken seriously by conservatives again and that is fine by me.

Overseas, Trump and America are doing much better than I expected. Trump has been instrumental in the release of Americans held by brutal dictators. Even stupid college basketball players acknowledged his help in their release after stealing high-end sunglasses from a store. Former President Obama refuses to leave the stage and spouts off overseas when traditionally that is not done. America's relationship with Israel is strong now. There may be a reason to be hopeful for the people of Iran who now are rising up against their corrupt theocracy. The successes of Nikki Haley at the U.N. are unprecedented. 

I'll continue to be thankful for the successes. It's a good start.

Democrat Candidate in CD-36,Houston Resistance and Bad Night Twitter

Texas CD-36

It is not at all unusual for me to be scrolling through social media in the middle of the night. What can I say? Here's the thing, though. Night Twitter is different than Day Twitter. Something I noticed over the weekend was that local lefty fundraising efforts were aggressively over-the-top. It is common for political campaigns to use social media for fundraising efforts - I would argue it is mandatory - but Night Twitter brings out a strong whiff of desperation. 

The tax reform bill vote really got the political left - and their willing cohorts in the #NeverTrump universe - all wee-weed up. The phony outrage machine aptly illustrated the very basic difference in party philosophies - the left thinks your money is the government's, not yours. The left thinks the government will spend your hard-earned dollars better than you will spend them. 

You'll notice a common thread in all this: a real dependence on outside money and influence in Harris County politics for Democrats seeking to score victories in 2018.

Two efforts, in particular, caught my attention. The first was by the leftists in the Indivisible Houston crew. Twitter followers of this account were told of a rally to be held at City Hall as "The People Rally Against Robbery." The tweet included a re-tweet of a picture from a rally in Pennsylvania Sunday night. That rally was organized by MoveOn and the tweet came from the Soros-run operations in Washington, D.C. That's right - returning a very unremarkable amount of your own money in the form of a tax break back to your wallet is "robbery".

Along the way, Indivisible Houston mocked religious conservatives and also claimed a "chill in the air" as Senator Cruz promoted his filing for re-election in Houston (though it was only a photo op, as he has to file in Austin). All of the local Democrats and the local media (sorry for repeating myself there) were invited to the rally using their Twitter handles. Several tweets were put up simply using Twitter handles and that looks particularly lazy. Also, spelling isn't a strong suit, either. For instance, when calling out local area Republicans specifically over voting for the reform, Rep. McCaul is "McCall".

Then there is Dayna Steele, running in CD-36 hoping to take out Rep. Bruce Babin. She claims she's the one to "flip Texas blue". She is a former radio personality and what strikes me in her Twitter pleas is the number of tweets aimed at specific musical/entertainment celebrities who don't even live in Texas.
She wants her slice of the outsider money pie. She even throws her nephew under the bus - a Republican lobbyist, according to her claim - by tweeting that "even he" realizes the need for change. Such disdain for a young man of another political party and a relative, too! Imagine the holiday dinners in her family. David Crosby, Melissa Etheridge, Bette Midler, Sheryl Crow all make an appearance on her timeline. She loves her some Dan Rather and Matthew Dowd, too. Can her caricature of self-important leftist get any stronger? Yeah, probably. There is time. She did, after all, re-tweet someone labeling Trump as "America's version of Bin-Laden." I don't know - do the good people of CD-36 want a representative that doesn't know the difference between a murdering Islamic terrorist and a duly elected U.S. President?

Night Twitter would be really solid entertainment if it weren't so sad and desperate. And, in the end, I suspect really ineffective.

Houston Veterans Day Parade Cancelled. Shame on You, City Hall

The City of Houston has cancelled the Veterans Day parade. Instead, the city will host Travis Manion Foundation's 9/11 Heroes Run. The worst part, after the whole disrespecting veterans thing - the city didn't even bother to announce the decision. How many people will wake up Saturday morning thinking they are going to attend the annual parade? 

So, the city took down the relevant page on their website and eliminated it from their Facebook page, according to this article. How's that for cowardice? I checked out the website accounting of this year's activities and it only made me angry.

This is what is now on the city website:

Houston is a cornerstone of Veterans Day celebrations in the United States.  As a city, Houston is proud to pay tribute to our men and women in the military by providing an annual “Houston Salutes American Heroes Veterans Day Celebration”.  This civic celebration honors and celebrates the brave men, women, and families who pay the ultimate sacrifice for liberty and freedom.
The celebration this year will begin at 8 a.m. on Saturday November 11, 2017 with the 9/11 Heroes Run which was cancelled on 9/11 this year due to the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.
All proceeds from registration (excluding cost of shirts/fulfillment) will be donated to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund.
The salute continues with the AARP Veterans Job & Resource Fair complete with Symbols of Freedom - military displays and activities surrounding the reflection pool in Hermann Square at City Hall.
The traditional Veterans Day Ceremony presented by H-E-B will begin at 10:00 a.m. on the steps of City Hall ending with a moment of silence in memory of the signing of the WWI Armistice.
The entire event will take place from 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. on Saturday, November 11.

Are city officials telling Houstonians that there is no way the nation's 4th largest city can possibly schedule '9/11 Heroes Run' at better time than Veterans Day weekend? It's not like Veterans Day wasn't already on the calendar when the Run was cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey. Why was this parade bumped? 

I have nothing against the 9/11 Heroes Run. The proceeds are going to Hurricane Harvey relief. What? Seems to me, if this is the substitute for the annual parade, the least that could be done as a gesture of goodwill would be for the proceeds to go to a charity for veterans. Is that too much to ask?

It is worthy to honor the fallen and it is worthy to honor heroes. However, veterans deserve their own day and separate recognition. Veterans Day honors all veterans, not just the fallen. It is the very least we can do as grateful Americans.

Shame on you, Houston leadership. How unfortunate that this bad decision now tarnishes the goodness felt about a city pulling together in a really tough year. This is disgraceful.

After local television and radio coverage began of this story, some well-known Houstonians have stepped up and, in an impromptu move, have organized a parade. That's what leadership is. That's #HoustonStrong.

Texans Take a Knee and I Take a Pass

Sometimes I read something so stupid that I have a hard believing that someone in America really believes what he is saying. Case in point - the outrage over Texans owner Bob McNair's comment on a conference call with other NFL team owners. Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill. 

McNair is a well-known Houston zillionaire and philanthropist. He owns the Houston Texans football team. He is an older white man and for that he must be punished. This is where we are in today's world. McNair used an expression that each and every one of us has heard come out of the mouths of our parents or grandparents. He said, of the mess that the NFL finds itself in over players taking a knee instead of standing for the National Anthem, "We can't have the inmates running the prison." First, some of the Texans threatened to walk out of practice, then McNair apologized. Twice.

"McNair released a second statement Saturday afternoon and insisted he wasn't referring to the players with his "very regretful comment." Instead he says he was "referring to the relationship between the league office and team owners and how they have been making significant strategic decisions affecting our league without adequate input from ownership over the past few years."
He then apologized to NFL players saying: "I am truly sorry to the players for how this has impacted them and the perception that it has created of me which could not be further from the truth. Our focus going forward, personally and as an organization, will be towards making meaningful progress regarding the social issues that mean so much to our players and our community."

As you may imagine, apologies are not good enough any more. The 79 year old owner is presumed racist and that will not be easy to overcome in our hyper-sensitive environment. I've heard reasoning that because a large percentage of players are African-American, this comment must be directed at those players - that McNair isn't sensitive to the life experiences of black men. I get it. There are a lot of black men and women in prison. There are also a lot of other demographics, too, including white Americans. 

So, then I read Sunday that the Texans were going to do a big protest against McNair before the game in Seattle. Left tackle Duane Brown led a call for the protest and successfully encouraged all but four players to take a knee before the game. I find it interesting that it happened at an away game, not in Houston. I have to think the response from the ticket holders would have been a bit different at home. I watched just enough of the broadcast to see that happen and listen to the announcers give me their hot takes on it and then I changed the channel. Yes, I only watched because I am writing this

Here's the thing - I say, the more protests, the better. I'm a political person and I like discourse. I encourage all people to get involved and make use of their God-given rights, within our Constitution. What better way is there to honor the sacrifices of those who came before us? I have lots of veterans in my family, both living and deceased, who fought for my right to speak up.

Here's the flip side of that - I utilize my right to protest with my feet and my pocketbook. Or, in this case, my remote control. I no longer support the NFL. When President Trump tweeted that players should be fired for not standing for the National Anthem and then the gesture escalated as the players reacted to that tweet, then I said, "I'm out." A handful of players taking a knee doesn't sway me one way or the other. This all began last season with a now unemployed social justice warrior disguised as a football player. Barack Obama was the president, if you remember. A couple of his teammates did the same and that was that. Now it's just all about being anti-Trump or, now, anti-McNair. 

I love politics. I love football. I hate politics taking over football. I watch sports to escape the current events of the day. I love competition. It's a game, it's not rocket science and it will not cure disease. It is grown men making lots of money playing a game for a living. Taking advantage of that high profile life to divide and not unite - the current cry from those doing the exact opposite - is wrong. I have stopped watching professional football and it makes me sad.

Thank God for the Houston Astros. I am a "bandwagon" fan as I watch the World Series. I was once a baseball fan, back in the day, but lost interest as the greats of my day retired. With this current Astros team, though, I have found renewed zest in watching them play. What a joyful team! These guys are young and talented and eager to win. It has been heartwarming to see the Astros and their opponents stand and sing the National Anthem, as is the custom. It is particularly wonderful to see all the players who are immigrants to America participate. 

Go Astros. And, thank you.