If you prefer to mail a check, make payable to Dallas County Democratic Party and mail to: DCDP, 4209 Parry Ave., Dallas, Texas 75223. If you are mailing in your donation, please call 214-821-8331 so we may be sure your name is on the will-call list.

Democracy Now

Inside Karl Rove's Secretive Effort to Defeat Obama's Re-Election With Help of Billionaire Donors

Karl Rove, the man once known as "Bush's Brain," has helped found two groups that plan to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for television, radio and online attacks ads to defeat President Obama and restore Republican control of Washington this November. The groups - American Crossroads, whose donors are public, and Crossroads GPS, a so-called "social welfare" organization whose donors are anonymous - operate out of the same offices, share many of the same staff, and pay millions to air similar attack ads. We're joined by Paul Barrett, assistant managing editor at Bloomberg Businessweek about his article published today called "Karl Rove: He's Back, Big Time." Watch/Listen/Read

Are We Going to Wait for Another Massacre? Rep. Carolyn McCarthy Urges Stricter Gun Control Measures

Police say the alleged shooter in the Aurora, Colorado, killings purchased more than 6,000 rounds of ammunition online as well as a high-capacity "drum magazine" large enough to hold 100 rounds and capable of firing 50 or 60 rounds per minute. Such a purchase would have been restricted under proposed legislation that has been stalled in Washington for more than a year. We speak to Rep. Carolyn McCarthy, a leading advocate for gun control in Congress. She ran for office after her husband was killed and son seriously injured in the 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting that killed six. Watch/Listen/Read

Texas GOP wages war on thinking

Some recent headlines from the alternate universe of modern conservatism:

Rush Limbaugh claims the bad guy in the new Batman movie was named Bane to remind voters of Mitt Romney's controversial tenure at Bain Capital.

Michelle Bachmann, citing zero credible evidence, accuses a Muslim-American aide to Secretary of State Hillary Clinton of conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood.

Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio's crack investigators announce that President Obama's long-form birth certificate is a fake.

In other words, it's just an average week down there in Crazy Town. And that lends a certain context to a tidbit brought to national attention last week by Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's "The Colbert Report." Meaning a plank from the 2012 platform of the Republican Party of Texas which, astonishingly enough, reads as follows: "We oppose the teaching of Higher Order Thinking Skills (HOTS) (values clarification), critical thinking skills and similar programs that are simply a relabeling of Outcome-Based Education (OBE) (mastery learning) which focus on behavior modification and have the purpose of challenging the student's fixed beliefs and undermining parental authority."

Read more here

Texas Judge Rules 'The Sky Belongs To Everyone'

Is this a "shot heard round the world" for fight against climate change?

Texas judge rules atmosphere, air is a public trust", reads the headline in the Boston Globe. A tiny breakthrough but with big potential consequences.(Wikipedia/Creative Commons)

And as we continue to suffer from one of the most extended heat waves in US history, as major crops have withered and fires raged in a dozen states, we need all the tiny breakthroughs we can get.

The "public trust" doctrine is a legal principle derived from English Common Law. Traditionally it has applied to water resources. The waters of the state are deemed a public resource owned by and available to all citizens equally for the purposes of navigation, fishing, recreation, and other uses. The owner cannot use that resource in a way that interferes with the public's use and interest. The public trustee, usually the state, must act to maintain and enhance the trust's resources for the benefit of future generations.

read on

North Texas Progressive Calendar

Tuesday, July 31:

Democratic Primary Runoff Locations and sample ballot linked in article above. (7 AM - 7 PM, local precinct polling places [many combined, so check locations])

Democratic Primary Run-Off Watch Party ( 7:00pm at Simply Fondue Sundance Square )

Lakewood Democrats (6:30 PM, Times Ten, 6324 Prospect, Dallas)

Wednesday, August 1:

Dallas Drinking Liberally Event - Playing Liberally Happy Hour Foosball, Billiards and Board Games. RSVP on Meetup. (6 PM, Three Sheets, 3113 Ross Avenue, Dallas)

Thursday, August 2:

Tarrant County Young Democrats ( 7:00pm at El Rancho Grande)

Sunday, August 5:

Dallas Drinking Liberally Event - Trivia RSVP on Meetup. (7 PM, Trinity Hall Irish Pub & Restaurant, 5321 E Mockingbird Ln, Dallas)

Texas Organizing Project

The Texas Organizing Project (TOP) improves the lives of low and moderate income Texas families by building power through community organizing and civic engagement. TOP is a membership-based organization that conducts issue advocacy, lobbying efforts and electoral organizing on behalf of working families in Texas.

We focus on creating effective ways to ensure that voices of low income and minority communities are heard and that they have sufficient power to advance their issues. We provide training, leadership development, and public education, putting community organizers on the ground in low income and minority communities throughout the state. These organizers identify issues of common concern, recruit, develop and train leaders and build partnerships with community, labor and policy groups to strengthen neighborhoods and develop deeply-rooted, cohesive organizations that advocate on behalf of low-income communities throughout Texas.

more info here http://www.organizetexas.org/about they are also hiring for paid positions.
http://www.organizetexas.org/about/employment%20opportunities

As East Texas public-private psych facility struggles, state plans more privatization

As Texas plans to privatize one of its public psychiatric hospitals, another privately-managed, publicly-funded psych facility is running into problems. The facility is facing $53,000 in fines for deficiencies in patient care, including failing to report serious injuries, keeping patients months longer than necessary, and improper restraint and seclusion. The facility is owned by Geo Group, one of the country's largest private prison companies, which has a rocky record in Texas.

read on

The Widening Gap in America

Republicans vs. Women

NY Times Opinion

Even with a persistent gender gap in a presidential election year, House Republicans have not given up on their campaign to narrow access to birth control, abortion care and lifesaving cancer screenings. Far from it.

A new Republican spending proposal revives some of the more extreme attacks on women's health and freedom that were blocked by the Senate earlier in this Congress. The resurrection is part of an alarming national crusade that goes beyond abortion rights and strikes broadly at women's health in general.

read on

North Texas Progressive Newsletter

Nancy Cunningham

Editor Contact: Nancy

This newsletter is a project of the North Texas Progressive , it grew out of the Dallas Air America group, which was founded in 2004 to promote and support progressive talk radio and independent media in North Texas.

Visit the North Texas Progressive web page to get more information.

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Sam Seder on the Romney London gaffs

Romney's Britain Blunders: London is Drowning (in Laughter) and Mitt Lives by the River

Dallas Gas Drilling Ordinances Town Hall Meeting

August 1st' Thrilla on Marilla!

Wednesday, August 1st, 1:00PM

Dallas City Hall Briefing Room

1500 Marilla, Room 6ES

This meeting will feature presentations from two speakers: One for implementing environmental and public health protections adopted by other D/FW cities, the other for drilling near neighborhoods and schools, in parks and along the Trinity River. The stakes are high-we need you to attend and tell a friend.

There will be an opportunity for some folks to speak and testify at the briefing if you register ahead of time. Please contact me, 214-599-7840 or zac@texasenvironment.org, if you are able to testify on August 1st at 9:30AM or 4:00PM. Speaking slots are limited, so don't delay.

Perhaps most importantly, we need you to pass this along to friends, neighbors and anyone who might want to attend. The decisions Dallas is facing now will affect all residents for decades to come, and we must take this opportunity to speak with an organized, unified voice. Thanks for all your efforts!

Zac Trahan- D/FW Program Director

Texas Campaign for the Environment

3303 Lee Parkway #402

Dallas, TX 75219 /Tel (214) 599-7840

www.texasenvironment.org

www.dallasresidentsatrisk.com

Sen. Al Franken (D-MN) eulogy of writing partner Tom Davis