BREAKING: Texas Abortion Bill Falls After Challenge ('Gallery Filibuster' PHOTOS, VIDEO)

[Hissyspit]

Last edited Wed Jun 26, 2013, 05:57 AM - Edit history (26)

Source: Associated Press / Guardian

The Associated Press @AP 11m
BREAKING: Texas lt. gov. reverses himself, declares vote on tough abortion bill came too late to pass.

https://twitter.com/AP/status/349795897737089024

Updated:

TEXAS ABORTION BILL FALLS AFTER CHALLENGE

By CHRIS TOMLINSON and JIM VERTUNO
— Jun. 26 4:01 AM EDT

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Texas' lieutenant governor has acknowledged that Republicans missed their deadline to pass new abortion restrictions after protesters screamed down lawmakers as the final 15 minutes passed before the special legislative session's deadline.

Senators from both parties emerged from a private meeting with Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and said they were about to officially acknowledge that fact.

Immediately following the vote, Republicans insisted they had started voting before the midnight deadline and passed the bill that Democrats spent much of Tuesday filibustering. But after official computer records and printouts of the voting record showed the vote took place Wednesday, and then were changed to read Tuesday, the senators convened for a private meeting.

More than 400 protesters erupted at 11:45 p.m. when Republicans suspended an 11-hour filibuster staged by Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth.



Read more: http://bigstory.ap.org/article/texas-senator-filibusters-against-abortion-bill

---

VIDEO: Planned Parenthood's Cecile Richards Announces SB-5 Fails to Pass

VIDEO: Texas Near-Ban on Abortion Foiled by People's 'Gallery Filibuster'

http://www.juancole.com/2013/06/abortion-gallery-filibuster.html

Posted on 06/26/2013 by Juan Cole

This is the “gallery filibuster” — shouting by pro-choice advocates in the Senate halls after Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis’s filibuster was shut down– that so delayed the vote on a proposed law virtually banning abortion in Texas that it took place too late to be valid.

#TIMESTAMPGATE: After A Crazy Night, This Photograph Helped Kill A Controversial Texas Abortion Bill

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099905

http://www.businessinsider.com/texas-abortion-bill-timestampgate-2013-6

According to Jones, Republicans had to admit that that they were a few minutes late on the bill, when Texas State Senator Juan Chuy Hinojosa tweeted this photo showing that the initial readout of the vote indicated it happened on June 26, but that a subsequent readout had been changed, showing June 25.

The initial time stamp on the Capitol website and on Senate documents placed the vote at 12:02 or 12:03 on June 26. But then someone mysteriously changed the time stamp to make it appear SB 5 passed before the deadline (see the post below for photographic evidence). The time stamp evidence, circulated on Twitter, eventually forced GOP leaders to admit defeat, at least for tonight.

PHOTO: Hinojsa holds up document showing time change on SB 5:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099395

(Hat-tip: The Straight Story)


EMAIL FROM SEN. WENDY DAVIS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023099683 (Hat-tip: MagickMuffin)

Wow. What a day.

I cannot believe the amazing outpouring of support and encouragement that you delivered over the course of my 12 1/2 hour filibuster on the Senate floor.

This may seem hard to believe but I only have a few additional words to share at this time. First, I want to say an incredible and heartfelt thank you to the ten of thousands of Texans and Americans that offered their support and wishes of kindness throughout the day. Your presence at the capitol and your calls, emails, Facebook messages and tweets have sustained us and gave me the opportunity to make your voice heard.

Most importantly, I simply have no words to express my gratitude to those who lent their voice in the over 12,000 personal stories that you bravely and selflessly shared with me to object to this dangerous legislation.

Although I was the one with the microphone on the floor of the Senate today, it was your voice and your words – it was your filibuster.

Now we can’t fool ourselves. Governor Perry and the legislative leadership see their own political livelihood tied to denying women their full rights to make their own health decisions, and they won’t stop here.

I will admit I am a bit tired. But I’m ready to keep fighting and assure you I won’t stop. And, without a doubt I know you will never stop fighting for the Texas we love.

Thank you with all my heart and we will be back to fight another day.

Your friend and, proudly, your State Senator,

Wendy

PHOTOS:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023098499



https://twitter.com/shefalil/status/349739114616197120/photo/1




(Hat-tip: Cal04)




Opponents to an abortion bill sit in the senate chamber as Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, filibusters in an effort to kill the abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, stands on a near empty senate floor as she filibusters in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)




Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, wears tennis shoes in place of her dress shoes as she begins a one-woman filibuster in an effort to kill an abortion bill, Tuesday, June 25, 2013, in Austin, Texas. The bill would ban abortion after 20 weeks of pregnancy and force many clinics that perform the procedure to upgrade their facilities and be classified as ambulatory surgical centers. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)


STORY AS IT DEVELOPED:

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

Texas senators are trying to get to the bottom of whether Republicans successfully pushed through a vote on Senate Bill 5, the omnibus abortion restriction bill, ahead of their midnight deadline.

Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, says the bill passed at 12:02 a.m.; if that's true, the vote may not withstand legal scrutiny.

"It's pretty conclusive that it didn't pass," said Whitmire.

But the Senate still has not officially adjourned sine die. When Senators resume floor proceedings, Whitmire said Democrats will call a point of order on the motion to vote on a bill after the midnight deadline.

http://www.texastribune.org/2013/06/26/dems-approach-abortion-victory-special-session-wan

@AP: BREAKING: Republicans pass new restrictions expected to close almost every abortion clinic in Texas.

@CBSNews: BREAKING NEWS: Texas Republicans pass strict new abortion curbs, overcoming long filibuster, and chaos in Senate chamber as deadline neared

@guardian: Gallery has taken over the Texas abortion filibuster with ten minutes left. Cheering disrupting the roll call vote. http://t.co/9MX4I6sKwY

@BreakingNews: Validity of Texas Senate vote over abortion bill is currently unclear - @TexasTribune

@mikestatesman: Senate just ordered senators back for a caucus to determine whether they passes SB5. Just when you thought it couldn't get stranger. #txlege

http://www.guardiannews.com/world/2013/jun/25/texas-senator-wendy-davis-filibuster-abortion

Tuesday 25 June 2013 17.48 EDT

Texas senator Wendy Davis stages marathon filibuster against abortion bill

State politician must speak for 13 hours in order to prevent stringent bill reaching the desk of governor Rick Perry

Amanda Holpuch and Helen Davidson

A Texas senator, Wendy Davis, has launched a marathon filibuster of an abortion bill that would severely restrict abortion access in the state.

To be successful, Davis must talk for 13 hours, during which she will not be allowed to sit, lean or take any breaks to go to the bathroom or eat. She is only allowed to stop speaking when listening to questions.

The Democrat senator is attempting to prevent the stringent bill from reaching the desk of Texas governor Rick Perry. The bill would ban abortion at 20 weeks gestation, place limits on abortion-inducing drugs and introduce other restrictions that advocates say would close 37 of the 42 clinics that provide abortions in the state.

The Texas House version of Senate Bill 5 passed on Monday morning, after major stalling by House Democrats. Davis's filibuster began at 11.18am CDT on Tuesday. She has argued her case by reading letters from women and doctors who would be impacted by the bill and speaking with politicians from both sides of the aisle.

VIDEO: Young Turks Explain Texas Bill & Its Implications

[alp227]

1. The clock has struck midnight, and now everyone chanting SHAME! SHAME!

YouTube video stream is at /watch?v=2Q8Hr0O20LY

[Coyotl]

69. I #standwithwendy photo

From previous thread = filibuster live blog
Democrats Plan to Kill Texas Abortion Bill With 13-Hour Filibuster
http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014518211

[Hissyspit]

2. @GregMitch: 19-10 vote announced anyway.

@GregMitch: 19-10 vote announced anyway.
P

[alp227]

12. And another senator says 17-12.

https://twitter.com/TexasTribune/status/349755256944599040

meanwhile official bill info is at http://www.capitol.state.tx.us/BillLookup/History.aspx?LegSess=831&Bill=SB5

the TX Legislature website doesn't have official vote total yet.

[BlueCaliDem]

3. The "Democrat" Senator?? Is the guardian news rightwing or is the GOP slur against the Democratic

Party members now becoming mainstream?

[grantcart]

8. Outside of the US parties that have the word Democrat or Democratic in the name

are frequently used interchangeably. They are not aware of the rather odd American situation where the word 'Democrat' was turned into pejorative term.

[SunSeeker]

24. Democrat and Democratic are not grammatically interchangeable.

Democrat is a noun. And no, it is not a pejorative.

When describing a noun, i.e., a Senator, the adjective you use is Democratic, not the noun Democrat. That is why it is called the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party.

Many Republicans like to break the rules of grammar and change the name of the Democratic Party to the Democrat Party for the purely juvenile reason that they like to emphasis the "rat" syllable. Yes, they really are that banal.

[grantcart]

71. See 68 below

Obviously Democrat is a noun and that is the whole point. Outside of the US it is common for Newspapers to refer to the "Democrats" as a noun or the shorter Democrat Party as a noun without referencing the US controversy. In the US the Republican Party is referred to in the US at times as the "GOP" as noun. Living outside of the US for 20 years I was accustomed to reading daily about the Democrat Party in the various local newspapers and was completely unaware of the history of the controversy inside the US.

[SunSeeker]

83. Democrat Party is not short for Democratic Party.

I could understand if they called it the "Dems" or something like that for short. But dropping 2 letters in a 16 character name (including the space) is hardly an abbreviation a la "the GOP." It is simply wrong.

[grantcart]

85. You are still projecting an American useage to foreigners.

Democratic is an adjective so when they are referring to a Democratically named party as the Democrat Party they are using the noun form of the word. When it is appropriate to use the full official name they will do so but when they use it in context it will be used commonly, as a regular noun.

For example

John Doe, a Democrat spokesman, denied the rumor.

would be the preferred usage because Democratic as an adjective would be used to describe the spokesman's ideological intent while Democrat as a noun would refer to the party.

As this article explains, the controversy is a completely American phenomena and does not exist outside the US.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)

But please continue to lecture a British newspaper on correct use of English terms.

Having spent time there I can tell you how ludicrous they find the experience, it lightens up their whole day.

If you really want to make an Englishman laugh then correct their grammar with an Americanism while you cut your meat and then switch your fork so you can eat it with the right hand. The result will be gales of laughter.

Now if you want to consider to argue that your position is not only correct in the US but is the mandated correct usage world wide then please find some reference outside of the US that backs up your provincial view.

[SunSeeker]

95. It is not a "provincial projection" to expect our party to be called by its actual name.

The name of our party is the Democratic Party. You do not and cannot dispute that. Being British does not make one immune from grammatical errors, typos or ignorance. The Guardian is simply wrong here.

[still_one]

29. sorry, that has been going on for quite some time to insinuate the Democratic party isn't Democratic

and any paper anywhere who uses that term is either not well informed, has a typo, or has an agenda

[grantcart]

68. Sorry but you are projecting an exclusively American useage to English speakers outside of the US

Here is a history of the useage in the US:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democrat_Party_(epithet)

Here is a list of parties around the globe that use "Democrat" or "Democratic" or some other derivative of the word:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democratic_Party_(disambiguation)

Outside of the US newspapers use normal grammatical rules to use Democrat as a noun when it is called for without concerning itself with the attempt to use the word in a pejorative way, which is exclusively an American controversy.

The Guardian, obviously, is an English paper and they quite rightly follow the non American conventions that are followed by the vast English speaking world living outside of the US.

[SunSeeker]

81. The Guardian should know the name of our party.

And English grammar. What other parties call themselves is irrelevant. I am willing to believe it was a typo on their part, since I find it hard to believe they are that ignorant or doing it on purpose.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

9. One, they are a British paper --

and may not adhere as stringently to our political terms as we do. Two, the Guardian paper leans liberal and has had an excellent reporting record.

[SunSeeker]

32. Being British, you would think they knew English grammar.

...if not the name of the POTUS' party. "Democrat Senator" is grammatically incorrect. It is using a noun as an adjective. Even if they did not know the name of our party and mistakenly adopted the Limbaugh mislabeling of our party as the "Democrat Party," they should have at least followed the rules of English grammar and called her a Democratic Senator.

[BlueCaliDem]

72. Thank you! That is exactly correct.

The Democratic Party was never Democrat Party. The Party was originally the Democratic-Republican Party in Jefferson's days. Democrat Party is and was used, pejoratively, by Republicans, making it into an epithet. Then the Republicans finally returned to common sense and merely used Democratic Party when referring to their opposition party for decades . . . until Newt Gingrich revived the "Democrat Party" label in the early 1990's when Bill Clinton, not GHWBush, won the White House.

I guess they're ok referring to our Party as Democratic Party only when Republicans hold power. The moment the Democratic Party holds power, they revert back to "Democrat" Party. Childish behavior, and it should be called out as such, but it also helps to show how petty one political party really is and what huge sore losers they are in heart and soul.

[BlueCaliDem]

75. I know that. I read the Guardian before the 2000 elections and that's when I learned about

Cheney's PNAC {Project for a New America}. They warned that because of its establishment in 1997, if GW would win, they would take this country to war in the M.E. almost immediately. And their reporting was, sadly, vindicated.

That's why I was astonished to see that the Guardian, a reliable progressive news source, would use a Republican epithet of the Democratic Party instead of the correct name that was established by two of our founding fathers, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as the Democratic-Republican Party, and later, when it split over some disagreement about candidates, it was renamed by Andrew Jackson and Martin van Buren as the Democratic Party. In no time in history has a Democrat referred to the Party as Democrat Party.

It's perfectly fine to refer to the members of that Party as Democrats or Democrat such-and-such, but the name of the political party is and always has been Democratic Party, unless one conforms to allowing Republican word-wizards to get away with that epithet.

[90-percent]

52. The origins of that slur

I'm pretty sure you can lay it at the feet of that damned Republic radio propagandist Rush Limbaugh.

I remember Keith Olbermann scolding GWB for using that pejoratively; "....Show some respect!"

Those that use it are making it quite clear they are merely paid propagandists prostituting anything left of their journalistic integrity. It does make the cartoon steam come out of my ears every time I hear it.

Ewwww. I just feel so dirty and cheap sinking down to their level.

Damn you, Republics! Just damn you! (in Jon Stewart voice)

-90% Jimmy

[tofuandbeer]

4. This is really awesome.

I know too many great folks in Texas who aren't callous, right-wing billionaires.
C'mon folks! Show 'em what Texas is REALLY about!

[Iliyah]

5. Why the eff is the Guardian all over the place

on anything American, ewwwwwwww.

Cheated as ususal re GOPers.

[Hissyspit]

6. Guardian has NY headquarters, too.

And they do an excellent job.

[Kablooie]

10. They are a newspaper. Not like the American noisepapers.

[Iliyah]

13. uh huh

. . . . . . .

[Zoeisright]

15. Yeah, uh huh.

You work for Fox perhaps? You sure sound xenophobic.

[PatrynXX]

22. the three strikes rule...

talking about sonograms ultrasounds is off topic? since when? thats cheating. not off topic since they are forcing women to do ultrasounds. All it comes down to is if deaths will skyrocket or not. So a bunch of men decided deaths will skyrocket and thus cheated. thus chaos because the rule of law just got thrown out of court. Anarchists have taken over the Texas Senate.

[tofuandbeer]

7. Who's the pissed off guy with the shaved head? :D

[DURHAM D]

11. Is it this guy?

http://www.whitmire.senate.state.tx.us/

John Whitmire

[tofuandbeer]

14. Oh. I believe that was him.

I was mistaken. The way he was pacing around and pointing, I thought he was an angry Republican.
Thanks!

[MrMickeysMom]

16. They had to cheat to do this...

They wouldn't let "the people" from the gallery get in the way... no sir....

[DemoTex]

17. Good.

Now Texas Swing means a lot more than Bob Wills. I thank the Texas GOP for pushing Texas back to the great days of Barbara Jordan and Ann Richard.

[Mkap]

18. Going blue

Texas a blue state by 2016!

New York, California, and now Texas....electoral college in our favor

[alp227]

19. Well it'll get thrown out in court one way or another,

Either a state court will find the senate violated its own rules, or a federal court will rule no because of stare decisis on Roe v. Wade.

[abq e streeter]

20. Maybe a stupid question, but why do they have to close if they just refuse to?

Of course, the authorities would force them physically, but the eyes of the nation witnessing mass arrests of doctors and nurses all over Texas could be a huge galvanizing moment much like the civil rights struggle when America was forced to confront the reality of Jim Crow at it's most brutal. Yes, these people would have a lot to lose by doing that, maybe their freedom even (i.e. jail) ,but what if Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King had just said, oh well, I guess we have to obey the segregation laws? There comes a time of such importance for the entire nation and its future, that masses of people have to stand up and say finally, NO...no more,and make it so America can't turn its head away from what these forces of darkness are doing any longer.

[LeftInTX]

33. What they did was make the standards extremely high

This will force the clinics to close. The medical practice and nurse practice acts will be updated. Nurses and doctors would get their licenses revoked if they don't follow the rules.

It will require a lot of money to keep a clinic open that meets the state's standards.

[Hissyspit]

21. @BreakingNews: Validity of Texas Senate vote over abortion bill is currently unclear - @TexasTribune

@BreakingNews: Validity of Texas Senate vote over abortion bill is currently unclear - @TexasTribune http://t.co/YSj4xx8U9W

[still_one]

31. Either way this ends up in the courts, which will expose the repuke extremism even more

[avaistheone1]

23. Republican taking women and our country backwards.

Shame on them!

[still_one]

27. except because they didn't learn from 2012, they will continue to lose elections. Women vote. It

seems repukes didn't know that

Let them keep it up, with their anti-women, anti-gay, anti-minority legislation and see how they do

[avaistheone1]

30. They need to go into extinction

like the dinosaurs.

[still_one]

34. They are doing it to themselves. In addition, this will go to the courts, and only provide even

more coverage on their insanity

[avaistheone1]

35. Let's hope there is this upside.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

25. The Republicans went insane after they got away with lying us into a war.

[blkmusclmachine]

28. GOPee is now fully The Constitution Party,

but what are the Democrats???

[Spitfire of ATJ]

55. About where Republicans were under Carter.

[still_one]

26. The republicans have just sealed their fate with American women. They may think they have a victory

but these republican idiots in Texas and other states, have just declared war on women, and they will NOT forget that.

What happened in 2012 to a large degree was their assault against women, and minorities, and by failing to recognize that, they will lose, regardless of voter IDs, or gerrymandering, they are screwed, I truly believed.

I said the same thing that the 2012 election they would lose because of their war against women, and they have even moved further in that attack

Those that control that party are evil

[TexasTowelie]

38. A minor correction,

this is just one of many battles on the war on women. It began in 2011 with the sonogram bill.

The Republican strategy is that they have to cheat to win. They know that they cannot push any of their 16th century legislation otherwise.

The official Senate Website shows that the billed passed before midnight, but anyone who watched the livestream could hear the chair call the roll and it extended after midnight. Even though the noise is loud it proceeds alphabetically and ends with Judy Zaffirini (D) from Laredo who took office in 1987 and represented the area where I was raised. Zaffirini has never missed a roll call vote in her time as a senator and also brought up points of order during the last two hours as they tried to stall the bill.

[still_one]

44. If they push that fraud, it will go to the courts. In addition, 2012 demonstrated that women were

not going to just sit back and take it, they actually vote in their own interest

[longship]

42. The GOP is nothing but a fundie religious cabal.

It's been that way for years, when the fundementalist wackaloons starting taking over precinct positions in the party.

Once you have the precincts, you have the district. Once you have the districts, you have the state. Once you have the states, you have the national party. Game over for the non-fundies. Bunch of Jesus freak loonies. All of them.

I was a county party officer in the 90's in Wichita, KS. You wouldn't believe what the GOP was doing. Their monthly newsletter read like a Jack Chick religious tract. Jesus this and Jesus that.

The GOP has done the same everywhere. It's disgusting.

The GOP is a bunch of theocrats. Once you realize that, everything they do makes sense.

[Ash_F]

36. If they could vote to end the filibuster, why did they wait until 12:02?

Why not do it at the start? Can someone explain?

[TexasTowelie]

47. They couldn't vote to end the filibuster until three points of inquiry were sustained by the Senate

chair. One point was on germaneness early in the afternoon when she discussed the defunding of Planned Parenthood in Texas, the second was when Sen. Davis received assistance putting on a back brace, and the third happened about 10 p.m. again about germaneness when she brought up discussion of the 2011 sonogram bill.

[Ash_F]

53. Wow why can't US senate filibuster rules be that strict? /nt

[rdking647]

37. word is the bill is dead

evidently dewhurst is pissed but the timeclock is proving to be a fatal blow to the bill. thats the word im hearing from the capital

[TexasTowelie]

39. Oh please let Dewhurst piss on himself.

Wendy Davis had to hold it for 13 hours!

He ducked from the mic when Watson appealed his decision on the germaneness of Davis' filibuster. He is such a loser that Ted Cruz beat him in the Republican primary for Senate even though he spent millions of dollars in the campaign and had greater name recognition among voters.

[rdking647]

40. OFFICIAL: SB5 is dead

just announced in the rotunda.
the GOP shenanigans failed!!!!!!!!!

[Hissyspit]

41. Let me know if you find a link

And I will update.

[rdking647]

43. im working on it

the dems are talking in the rotunda now.

[Hissyspit]

49. @TexasGOP: Senators are still in caucus, no official decision has been made yet. #txlege #sb5

@TexasGOP: Senators are still in caucus, no official decision has been made yet. #txlege #sb5

[rdking647]

50. this is all i found so far

a photo of a text message send from wendy davis

https://twitter.com/UniteBlueTX/status/349792251121131520/photo/1

[TexasTowelie]

51. I was watching the livestream and the clock.

Will the Republicans try to convince everyone who was watching this travesty occur that it didn't happen that way?

[AnnieK401]

45. This is what you get with Republicans!

Do you want abortion completely banned in this country. Do you want people who think that early humans hung out with dinosaurs in Congress. Do you want to ensure that there are never any universal background checks so anyone no matter what criminal history or diagnosis of a serious mental disease they might have can get a gun at a gun show. Do you want even more conservatives on the SCOTUS. Keep thinking that the Democrats are no better and continue to bash Obama. You'll see how bad it can get when they control both houses of Congress and the White House. I understand survival and we can't afford to be purists.

[rdking647]

46. they just sang the eyes of texas in the rotunda

very appropriate

the eyes of texas are upon you all the live long day......

[TexasTowelie]

48. +52,000,000

For the two eyes of each Texas citizen whether they agree or disagree on the bill.

[TexasTowelie]

54. YouTube video from Capitol Rotunda where Cecile Richards announces SB 5 is dead.`

[Hissyspit]

56. Wonderful!

I just posted that to the VIDEO forum so it is on the front page.

[TexasTowelie]

58. Thank you Hissyspit!

The Republicans mishandled this bill, the other Senate bills and companion House bills so badly that they aren't going to gain any support in the future. While I would like for the transportation bill to have passed, I doubt if it is so vital that it would merit another special session so that they can consider these crazy abortion bills again. The death penalty bills for 17-year-olds isn't a significant enough issue to warrant a special session.

So the GOP got about 25% of what they wanted in this special session--which is about as much as you can ever expect from a Republican.

Did they take the John Boehner course in effective legislative leadership?

[Tx4obama]

57. SB5 dead Officially at 3:05 am 6/26/2013.

[uppityperson]

59. !!!!!!!!!!!'!!!!!!!!

[calimary]

77. Hallelujah!!!!! That Senator is a HERO!!!!

She's an inspiration! She gave all of us women a voice!!!! Politicians: Get the Fuck OUT OF MY DOCTOR'S OFFICE (and MY DAUGHTER'S doctor's office, since I'm too old to get pregnant but she's not!)!!!!

Maybe there's hope for Texas after all...

[Hissyspit]

60. kick nt

[Sparky 1]

61. Woohoo! Sen. Wendy Davis is a hero!

[Kolesar]

62. Dig the pic with the running shoes!

kick

[another_liberal]

63. What a great Woman!

I can hardly believe this actually happened! What a great woman! What great supporters! If this can happen in the State of Texas, our country can surely still be saved from the narrow-minded, women-hating, greed-driven goons who would see it destroyed for their own supposed gain.

Wendy Davis is a champion. Run her against Ted Cruz next time he's up for reelection. She'll kick his shabby butt!

[kentauros]

65. US Senator Davis would be sweet!

However, I'd also like to be able to say Governor Davis, too

Perhaps a few terms as Gov and then on to the US Senate? Hell, she'd be able to beat Cornyn without a problem!

[another_liberal]

84. Perhaps Governor of Texas first would be good.

There is no doubt that much-abused State could use a decade or so with a thinking, caring human being leading its government (instead of the clueless rednecks and dingbats it has suffered under for the last nearly twenty years). I was being selfish, just wanting to eliminate Cruz from the national scene as soon as possible.

[kentauros]

86. I agree on eliminating Carnival Cruz as soon as possible.

Perhaps Sen. Leticia van de Putte could run against him next cycle

[another_liberal]

87. I know little about her . . .

I know little about Senator van de Putte except that she stood up to the Republican goons who were trying to ram through their anti-choice/anti-woman bill last night. Nevertheless, that alone tells me she would have to be much better for Texas and for the country than that crooked, lying thief, Cruz.

[kentauros]

89. I don't know enough about her, either.

So, I'd better go look her up!

http://www.vandeputte.senate.state.tx.us/

[another_liberal]

90. I guess she's yet another good thing about Texas.

Thanks for the link. I had no idea Texas was home to so much excellent Democratic leadership.

[kentauros]

91. Yes, we're here.

It's just taken us this long to get the attention of the rest of the Dems across the country. DNC/DLC/whoever, wrote us off as a lost cause after Dumbya and are only now taking interest again. We've had to work hard to get this far. It sure would be nice to have national backing and help again.

I just went through the list of senators, by district, and noticed the strong Democratic representation along the border with Mexico. San Antonio's got a lot of good Democrats, too.

One reason I went through the list was to find a rather disrespectful Repub that tried to interrupt Sen. Davis yesterday and without permission. Turns out it was Bob Deuell. I'd recognize that long white hair anywhere now. At least when I saw him on the streaming video, he looked downright pissed, so I would bet he was likely apoplectic when the vote was found to be taken too late.

Too bad no one took photos of them when they learned that (or if they did, haven't posted them yet.)

[Manifestor_of_Light]

97. Love it!!! ROFL!!!

"Carnival Cruz"!!!!



Ken, you MADE MY DAY!! Thanx for that huge laugh!!!!!

[kentauros]

98. Glad you liked that! :)

I'm not the originator, but I don't mind re-using it wherever I can.

He's definitely a floating, fiery, septic shipwreck, that's for sure!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

99. Reminds me of a Star Trek line.

The original TV series, of course.

Scotty called the U.S.S. Enterprise a "garbage scow".

[kentauros]

100. I think we have a full title now:

"USS Carnival Cruz - Garbage Scow"

[Manifestor_of_Light]

101. I stand corrected.

Dear Hubby informed me that some enemy called it a garbage scow. Scotty defended the Enterprise.

And some people don't like that terrible old joke about TP and the Enterprise.

[Jefferson23]

64. Spectacular!!!!!!!!!!

[BlancheSplanchnik]

66. she is a hero!

Repuke-Jesus demands dead women !

[DCBob]

67. Wow.. very inspiring.

maybe there is hope for this country.

[malthaussen]

70. Defeated by the will of the people!

Great stuff. When parliamentary procedures failed, the voice of the people demanded to be heard. Even the lies of the GOP were not enough this time.

-- Mal

[freshman22]

73. Wonderful

Now send her money so she can kick Rick Perry out.He is to dumb to be gov anyway.It's about time we fought back

[decrepittex]

102. Too dumb but

that doesn't always prevent being elected in Texas. We have a whole host of elected officials who should be selling cars.

[Warpy]

74. I wish they'd send the little pricks who thought they could get away

with altering the time of that vote to prison. It's where they belong.

[Aristus]

76. Finally! Someone who makes me proud of my (former) home state.

Well done, Senator Davis!

[MotherPetrie]

78. K&R

[mountain grammy]

79. Right on! Inspiration right here in America.

[yardwork]

80. That's how it's done!

[kestrel91316]

82. Wow. I went to bed bereft for the women of TX and woke up to this.

[neffernin]

88. Honestly this means much much less than the 2012 election

but for god knows what reason this caught my attention way more. Maybe because I never worried about Obama winning. Maybe because I feel like this is a victory our country needed.

[PatrynXX]

92. nothing like trying to break the law. oh wait they did break the law

who's going to jail for that. nothing like caught outright cheating. that in and of itself is a severe setback to the anti life lobby (I say that because it's becoming more apparent every day that Pro life is absurd the moment IT's no longer in the womb..

That and even if it's in the womb they have no wish to protect the fetus. as the horror stories of it slowly being crushed to death in extreme cases. I continue to fail to see why so called Pro lifers continue to fail to offer incentives $$$ or housing or assistance but continue to force a woman in America from having the legal right to her body. Everywhere else woman are more free in that area. Unless your radical Muslim.

[PatrynXX]

93. Shoes could almost help the shoemaker :P

although mom wears New Balance because the bottoms are easier to modify for cork. never saw it that way before. Unfortunately many have the assumption NB is American made. More often than not it's china

but think proper dress shoes should be made to help a persons feet.

[savalez]

94. Amazing!!!!

[okasha]

96. Wendy for Governor!

Thanks for the photos. I wasn't able to be there, but I see a friend in that third photo down.

[Kurovski]

103. K&R (nt)