Friday, May 20, 2005

About the Texas Politics Blog

Some blogs contain large amounts of insightful, reasoned analysis--DailyKos for example. You probably won't see much of that on the Texas Politics Blog. I'm not so modest to say I don't have the ability--for more than a few years I helped myself through college as a part-time freelance journalist. I just don't have the time. I may include short comments, but don't expect long analysis posts.

Texas Politics is more of a news aggregator for any and all news stories, editorials, letters to the editor, and blog posts that relate to Texas Politics. But be forewarned, I am
a human aggregator, with a liberal bias. And my definition of Texas Politics will be very broad--education, business, culture and religion can and do all intersect with politics, and I will post about these subjects as well.

Posts will remain on the main page for two days, and then will be available in the archives. Be aware that not all news sites provide permalinks, and many don't allow free access to material that is archived after a certain amount of time. If you feel you must have access to certain post and the links, archive the links yourself.

I will not link to some of the more incendiary, blasphemous or just plain rude sites out there. I do believe we need more civility in politics, in spite of the fact that I myself am perfectly capable of the occasion liberal rhetorical rant. Civility in politics, particularly Texas Politics, is something of an oxymoron. But I don't have to participate in that oxymoron.

That being said, I will stand by my own words. I do not implicitly endorse the viewpoints expressed in the stories I link to, the comments, links or advertising that might derive from those stories, or the comments on my own posts. If you choose to comment on any of my posts, please refrain from obscenities, death threats, racist statements, etc. I want to allow free and open commentary. But I am also a public school teacher who has openly associated my name with the Texas Politics blog, and I don't want my students Googling my name and coming across a bunch of obscenity. If it happens I will delete the post and do my best to publically ridicule the offending commentator, whether they come from the Left or the Right. But I encourage reasonable commentary and debate from anyone, no matter their political leanings.

You might notice links to other sites, or small ads for Texas political candidates in the sidebar. If you would like me to add your site or ad to this list I will be glad to do so--no matter what flavor your politics happen to be. But let the buyer beware--I lean to the left, and if your blog or candidacy lean to the right, you might not want to draw my attention.

Texas Politics can be fascinating sport, albeit often bloodsport. It can be hilarious, heartbreaking, vicious, heartwarming, and sometimes just vacuous. As I write this the 2005 legislative session is drawing to a close, and the campaigns for 2006 are just beginning to start. I invite you all to join me on what is sure to be a wild ride.

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