John Whitmire's Tortured Logic
No, there's no Abu Ghraib references here, but there is a good deal about this thorny local issue of Mayor Bill White's SafeClear towing policy. After White worked in a bipartisan manner to get a solution for clearing stalled vehicles off the highway - the law has the imprimatur of one Michael Berry and Shelley Sekula-Gibbs-Whateveritisnow among others - a move is now afoot in Austin to take a tire iron to Bill White's political fortunes, courtesy of the GOP establishment.
And who better to lead this foray than John Whitmire (D? - Locke, Liddell, & Sapp). Yes, the same John Whitmire that stabbed Democrats in the back on redistricting. Now he's up for running interference on any possible future plans of Bill White. As the lead sponsor of a bill (Republican State Rep. Robert Talton is carrying the companion bill in the House) to make any city control over major highways possible, Whitmire now stands on the side of those in Lubbock who wish to tell Houston how to enforce public safety. And the reason? Seems he's worried about poor folk having to pay for a tow and possible storage fees. It'd be a worthwhile concern ... if only it was true. Unfortunately for Whitmire, the very first reform White offered was to subsidize free tows for a short distance to clear the highway. No money? No problem. Just get the stalled vehicle off the highway and do what you have to do. But don't let these details concern John Whitmire. He's got his hands full wondering how he can sell out his party for the sake of his employer one more time.
Comments
Tell me where to send my check, Greg. You can tell someone's a true DINO when even you won't stand up for them :-)
It's been difficult, but I've managed to restrain myself from not noting mulitple times how Joe Lieberman was the only "blue state" Democratic senator to vote to confirm Al Gonzales...
Posted by: Byron L | February 6, 2005 11:40 PM
Byron L -- "You can tell someone's a true DINO when even [Greg] won't stand up for them?" Why take a slap at Greg? He doesn't seem to take swipes at you. In any case, go ahead and comment on Senator's Lieberman's vote. For the life of me, I also can't understand why Joe Lieberman voted the way he did on the nomination of Alberto Gonzalez. I regard Gonzalez's behavior as White House counsel regarding the U.S. legal code, international law and torture to be inexcusable. Lieberman's vote on Gonzalez was inconsistent with his own philosophy on human rights and liberal pro-democratic internationalism. I understood the vote for Rice, but thought Lieberman should have been critical of her reference the conduct of the war in Iraq, even though a supporter of it. After all, as Greg has rightly commented, Lieberman had complained as a presidential candidate that Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz had given the war a "bad name."
Posted by: Scoop Jackson Democrat | February 8, 2005 05:07 PM
Fear not. Byron's a good kid. Well, as good as any Deanie Baby can possibly be ;-) The reference you quote had nothing but the best of intentions behind it.
Now, that said ... of course I'd think nothing of taking a swipe at Byron. I have a pretty firm "pro-swipe" policy I try and abide by.
Posted by: Greg Wythe | February 8, 2005 05:18 PM