I'm not listing the obnoxious things that offend us about Ted Cruz, Joe Barton, Blake Farenthold and others who feed at the Federal Trough thanks to the Lone Star State. It's about what contributes to getting them elected and what can be done to get them out.
Will Hailer resigned as Executive Director of the Texas Democratic Party effective Jan. 1, 2015. His "replacement", Crystal Kay Perkins, was in Fort Worth and Tyler last week. When asked what plans the party has during a Federal Election year to help Democrats recapture U.S. House seats she said that the party has "no plans". She said they are "listening" and "regrouping for 2018."
It was pointed out that the Texas Democratic Party does not have anyone who coordinates or acts as a liaison for Federal Candidates. Asked if that would be rectified we were told: "We aren't going to do that."
One dedicated former Battleground Texas volunteer listening to this finally had enough. She jumped in and told the State Party's Executive Director: "You say you are going to listen to us but you aren't listening. We are telling you that not doing anything is not good enough. You act like you have it already figured out and know what you are going to do and nothing we say matters."
Hearing that the TDP Executive Director said: "Oh no, I'm definitely not saying that. We definitely do not know what we are doing!"
Well, the catfish was good that we were served, but there was not much I heard that was very encouraging. Afterward, I spoke with Crystal Kay Perkins and pointed out that in 2014 most of the Federal Candidates did not even know each other. I told her that it took time to mine the data to get contact information for some of them. Being able to network and help each other would be a start. I said that a meeting between the State Party and those who have already declared for 2016 would be a good move, even a conference call. She said: "Ok, if you pull it together."
From what I heard Saturday, it seems that the down and dirty truth of it is that the State Democratic Party plans to sit on their hands and bemoan the dismal Mid-Term Elections and ignore the Presidential cycle where Democrats are more likely to win than in the mid-terms. (All current Democratic U.S. House members except one were initially elected to office in Presidential election years. Texas has not elected a Democrat to state wide office in a mid-term election for over 2 decades!)
Perkins also stated that her understanding is the DCCC is only planning on trying to recruit for one Texas U.S. House district "because that is all they see as viable."
I heard nothing to indicate that I'm mistaken in my position that a void in leadership and support contributes to handing over U.S. House and Senate Seats to really awful people. Texas has 36 U.S. House seats and now only 11 are occupied by Democrats. Money is collected from Texans and funneled to other states to support their candidates but a U.S. House candidate in Texas does not even get listed on the web site of the DCCC, let alone get other assistance. Few DCCC donors from Texas comprehend that giving to the DCCC probably will not help candidates in Texas compete against GOP incumbents.
I am glad that we moved forward to establish the Texas Federal Blue Seed PAC. I know that many of the GOP incumbents are not that popular with their voters. It should not be necessary to match them dollar for dollar to gain some of these seats. The reality is that starving out good Democratic Challengers because the seats are occupied by Republicans is a strategy which insures that only Republicans win these seats. We must band together and hold those who vote to the detriment of the citizens of this state accountable. We must create whatever legal venues we can to bring good candidates into the public eye, to help them not have to be forever reinventing the wheel. We must give Texans a venue for joining together to raise money which will support other Texans running for Federal Office. Changing the Federal Delegation from Texas is a goal that will benefit people throughout this nation. The stench from Texas does not stay in Texas. The policies they vote on and vote against impact every citizen in the United States. Therefore the Texas Blue Seed PAC will accept donations and members who are U.S. citizens who are registered to vote from all over the United States. Support from the PAC will go to progressives running for Federal offices on the ballot in Texas.
To get out from under the yoke of Republican oppression, we in Texas must do it ourselves. (There may be a few from other states that assist a little, but basically we on the grassroots must do it ourselves.) Leadership is not coming from the State or National Democratic Party. Recently we founded the Texas Federal Blue Seed Political Action Committee. See: http://www.txfedblueseed.com
This PAC is different from most. Instead of waiting to see who is strong enough to win without much help, the mission of the PAC is to seed progressive challenger races for Federal offices on the ballot in Texas. The intent is to raise money and distribute it early in the election cycle instead of watching to determine who is most likely to win without assistance. Most PACs tend to give money to incumbent and those sure to win so that incumbents will keep their doors open after they are elected. There is a niche for this kind of political action committee. Yet, it does not help much in reversing a bad status quo!
If the National Party simply wrote us off, it would be better than the current scenario. Instead they make it exceptionally difficult for challengers to compete by draining off resources and jacking up the price of resources they control. For example: In 2014 to use the Texas Democratic Party's Voter data base (the VAN) costs a U.S. House candidate $1800. That price has jumped to $4000 for the 2016 election cycle. Ms. Perkins said that the "DNC reevaluated the cost of the VAN. We're (The Texas Democratic Party ) is having to charge what they (The DNC) tell us it is worth!" I am not going to get into that, but I suspect that there is a lot of leeway in how that "market value" is determined. Not only does the National Democratic Party not deploy resources to Texas to help us gain and retain seats, they jack up the price of the VAN so that it drains more resources from the campaigns in Texas. It seems strange to me that a database that was established over a decade ago and is merely updated is now worth much more than it initially cost to develop it! It seems strange that it will be valued in 2016 at over 200% of it's 2014 value! Republicans in office aren't the only ones who pull numbers out of their rear end and set policies which fleece those down the supply chain and contribute to the entrenchment of dangerous GOP incumbents in the U.S. House, Senate, and in state wide offices throughout the United States of America!
I know one Federal Multi-candidate Political Action Committee cannot compensate for all the failures and challenges we are facing. However, it's a start. It's a beginning. Hopefully it will stimulate some positive changes. Hopefully it will help some to be better able to help others. We are looking for dedicated Democrats all over Texas to form and serve on regional Blue Seed Steering Committees. There are about 30 PAC giving money to GOP Federal Candidates running for office in Texas for every one that gives to Democrats. Few county Democratic party's have Federal PAC.
Unlike on the state level, to raise money for more than one Federal Candidate at a time requires a multicandidate Federal PAC. Federal donations direct to the campaigns are limited to $2600 per person per election. Qualified Multi-candidate Federal PAC can give up to $5000 per Federal Candidate per election. The misconceptions many have about "unlimited donations to federal candidates" deters many from giving a little. The reality is that "dark money" and "unlimited donations" does not apply to Political Action Committees which give directly to the candidate's campaigns. In Texas the cap is much lower for Federal candidates than it is for statewide candidates. However, deep pocketed individuals can give to multiple Federal PACs which channel money to Federal Candidates. The Koch brothers do that!
I'd like to see some response on the Democratic/Progressive side..So I'd love to see others share our vision, and jump in and stimulate giving directly to progressive Democratic candidates. (I use progressive because the voting record of at least one Democratic U.S. House incumbent is almost identical to that of the GOP members of the Texas delegation!)
Hopefully the Blue Seed adventure will inspire others to jump in and establish similar (but non-associated and non-connected) Federal multicandidate PACs and support most of the same candidates we do. This gives ordinary working men and women and folks like me who live off of social security income voice and opportunity to fill voids which the very rich and powerful are neglecting. Helping a few folks succeed in winning a few seats will demonstrate that "IT CAN BE DONE." Then some of the naysayers may jump in with their checkbooks and write checks to help these candidates also! My goal is not to "control the flow of money" but to stimulate it and get some flowing!
Membership is $25 a year. We encourage members to make a modest additional monthly donation. Act Blue is an easy way to make donations. Unlike other Federal PAC which accept money from non-citizens with green cards, the Texas Federal Blue Seed PAC aspires to being a coalition of voting progressive activists. Therefore, to be a member, you may live anywhere but must be a U.S. Citizen who is registered to vote. Granted, we do not have the resources to verify out-of-state voter registration but we are hoping that by making this a requirement, most people will comply.
Each member will be allowed to vote on the GOP incumbents from Texas they want to see targeted and the Progressive's running in the Democratic Primary and General Election they want to see the PAC support financially.
The Texas Federal Blue Seed PAC aspires to being one of many similar multicandidate Federal PACs that we hope will spring up across the state with a mission of supporting Democratic Federal Challengers statewide. We must stop thinking only of our own District. Personally, I live in Congressman Marc Veasey's district. Therefore I volunteer (instead of getting a pay check) full time to try to get Democrats elected in other U.S.House districts. I've survived decades in Joe Barton's district, and by the grace of God and the gerrymandering of the GOP, they very carefully, surgically redistricted me out of the US 6th into the 33rd. Others are not so fortunate.
There are already a number of really strong, intelligent, capable, ethical Democratic Congressional Challenger who have declared their intention of running for Congress in Texas U.S. House districts in 2016. Dr. Shirley McKellar, David E. Cozad, Louie Minor, Pete Gallegos and others have already declared and are building on their political organizations from their 2014 races.
Please check out the Texas Blue Seed webpage. It is currently on a freebie site. http:/txfedblueseed.weebly.com Soon it will be moved to www.txfedblueseed.com/The PAC was only founded Feb. 26 and only authorized to begin accepting donations and members a couple of weeks ago. All start-up costs are paid, all the legal work is competed, and there is some money in the bank and more coming in. Our goal is to raise $110,000 through the General Election of 2016 and to distribute the maximum allowed of $5000 per election ($10,000 a year) to 9 non-incumbents who are progressives challenging for seats in the U.S. House of Representatives currently occupied by Republicans and to one U.S. Presidential Candidate. Although PAC members may live anywhere, financially donations from the PAC will only go to candidates on the ballot in Texas.
To Join the Texas Federal Blue Seed PAC go to https://secure.actblue.com/...
Contribute $6, $16, $26, $60 or whatever you can afford to help rid this nation of some of the obnoxious members of the U.S. House and Senate from Texas!
Thu Aug 06, 2015 at 8:05 AM PT: The Texas Democratic Party applied for a waiver to the DNC to allow Texas to deviate from complying with National Democratic Party Rules and to continue counting 25% of the delegates to the National Convention which nominates the Party's Presidential candidate at the Caucus (or precinct convention) and 75% from the Democratic Primary vote. No accommodation was to be made for the handicap or those who must work at the time of the "caucus" or "convention" or for those who are physically out of the precinct (such as active-duty military).
The DNC refused the waiver. In 2016 100% of the delegates who nominate the President will be determined by the vote at the Democratic Primary.
In 2008 Hillary Clinton received the highest number (and percentage) of votes during the Primary. Barack Obama received the highest number of Delegates from Texas because of delegates assigned during the caucus or convention.