From the Texas Department of Redundancy Department of Texas...

NEWSFLASH: Texas League of Conservation Voters, who have already endorsed Bill White for Governor in TX will REALLY REALLY REALLY not be endorsing the Green Party candidates.

Just a hint for the TX LCV - if you don't want to endorse Green Party candidates, that's your choice. You can endorse Democrats until the end of time, and then sit scratching your heads wondering why the environment keeps getting worse and worse. However, at least show some spine when the Texas Democratic Party orders you to put out a hit piece on the Texas Green Party.

At the end of the day, when all the phony outrage and political chest-pounding is over, the Texas Green Party is the only party that is serious about protecting the environment in the Lone Star State. And what's worse is, you know it.

TLCV supports third party ballot access and would, under normal circumstances, support Green Party candidates who share the organization’s values and goals.

So, apparently it's ok to support third-party ballot access (until they actually get on the ballot) and Green Party candidates who support the environment (until they actually get on the ballot).

Normally that level of two-faced hypocrisy is reserved for inside the Beltway. I guess things really are bigger in Texas. And yes, it is too bad that the TX Greens had to accept out of state help to get 90,000+ ballot signatures. But, when you are required to get 43,991 valid signatures before the Secretary of State recognize it as an official political party. To further complicate the process, Texas requires that signatures be gathered during a very narrow time period of 75 days, and only registered voters who did not vote in the primary are eligible to sign. This “primary screen-out” provision is exclusive to Texas. All other states that previously had this provision have since eliminated it.

 --

Daryl Northrop