Texas State News

Vol. 1, No. 2--October, 2004

For more information on the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party, email sfm@airmail.net.

The Chair of the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party submitted this endorsement of the efforts in seeking the truth by Bill Burkett and David Van Os and their fortitude in taking on Karl Rove in his effort to discredit both of them vis a vis the recent disclosure of Bush's desertion from duty with the Texas National Guard. (See New York Times, 9/17/04) Here's the endorsement text:

Fellow Progressive Populist Caucus Members:

Our brother, Bill Burkett, is under siege by the Carl Rove smear machine. Bill is a charter member of the PPC and our friend. Co-founder of the PPC with me, David Van Ox assures me that as Bill's legal Counsel on a longstanding basis, any assertions that Bill has engaged in "forgery" vis a vis the now infamous documentation of the Bush desertion of duty as a Texas National Guardsman is total smear with the footprints of the Karl Rove modus operandi all over it. Representing the PPC, I stand with both our brothers Burkett and Van Os and applaud their guts to stand up to the right wing slander machine; President Kerry and many of our DNC brethren can take a lesson from our two populist fellow-Texans who have the cojones to look contemptuously in the eye these ruthless cowards bringing down our formerly proud democracy and tell them to go to hell.

Stan Merriman, Chair
Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party.

Additionally, the Houston unit of our Caucus organized a delegation of 10 distinguished Democrats to visit this week with our County Clerk (R) who administers our elections, to demand she follow the guidelines set forth by the Brennan Law Center, NYU Law School, in providing some electronic fraud protections as an interim step to initiating a voter verifiable paper trail in our upcoming November elections. Our recommendations were rejected out of hand.

Finally, the Houston unit of our Caucus held a fundraiser for Democratic Supreme Court candidate David Van Os with 150 persons attending, raising $2,500. David is an amazing populist orator who makes the brilliant Jim Hightower, our icon, sound lame by comparison, if that is possible.

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