Tuesday, May 31, 2005

Cartoon #64: “Deep Throat”

Title: Deep Throat; Text: Deep Throat shown addressing Univ. of Texas conference on Woodward-Bernstein papers

I had to get this one up. I did it in April 2003 when the Woodward-Bernstein papers were donated to the University of Texas.

I am withholding judgement on the Mark Felt ID until Bernstein joins Woodard in confirming it. I've long thought Deep Throat was Adm. Bobby Ray Inman, now interim dean of the LBJ School of Public Affairs.

Cartoon #188: “79th Legislature”

Title: 79th Legislature; Text: The Congressional Medal of Dishonor. The State of Texas, 79th Legislature, 2005
The regular session of the 79th Texas Legislature ended yesterday. For the third time since 2003, they failed to fix the state's school finance system. That was the top campaign issue last year. No doubt, heads will roll.

Sure, the lawmen finally gave state workers a pay raise. But as usual, it is too little, too late. Sure, they increased spending for health insurance for kids and protective services for kids and needy adults. But that was damage control from the last session when they slashed those services. Sure, they gave jurors the option of sentencing the guilty to life without parole. But in doing that, they actually narrowed juries' choices. And the innocent are still dealing with 'life without payroll' (i. e., unemployment and underemployment).

That 'good news' hardly makes up for the fact that this session became known near and far for wacky lawmaking aimed at:

1. stopping school cheerleading that is too sexual (cartoon #168: Cheerleading);
Title: Cheerleading; Text: I miss the uniforms they had before that legislator's ban on 'sexually explicit' cheerleading.

2. preventing gay folks from being foster parents (cartoon #180: Straight by Choice);
Title: Straight by Choice; Text: Eighty-one Texas legislators believe homosexuality is a choice. If they're anti-gay, wouldn't they have to? What do you mean? If they were born straight, they would know it's not a choice.

3. banning gay marriage (cartoon #187: Same-Sex TRMPAC Marriage);
Title: Same-Sex TRMPAC Marriage; Text: ...and do you, Rick Perry, take Tom Delay to love, honor and obey as long as you both shall rule?

4. ending the widespread abuse of cheeseburgers, or at least lawsuits over them;
5. assuring that kids will be able to sell cupcakes (and other sweets) for school fundraisers;
6. naming the state cooking device: the dutch oven;
7. naming the state vehicle: the chuck wagon.

Ahhh, Texas! Gotta go.