Tag Archives: Abbottstan

In ‘Immigration Action’ Lawsuit, Abbott Forecasts Future As Governor

During the 2014 campaign Texas Governor-Elect, Attorney General Greg Abbott said gave this as his current job’s description…

“I wake up.  I sue Obama.  I go home.”

Even as he prepares to assume the state’s highest office, Abbott still has time to file yet another frivolous lawsuit claiming that the President’s Executive Action on Immigration is somehow in violation of the United States Constitution. Here’s more on the news from Michele Richinick of MSNBC

Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott and governor-elect of Texas said that his state’s immigration lawsuit against President Barack Obama is to prevent executive actions from causing “harm” to the U.S. Constitution.

Seventeen states, including Texas, filed a joint lawsuit against the White House on Wednesday for its executive actions. Abbott, who will replace current Gov. Rick Perry next month, is leading the legal action. He previously cited his beliefs that the country’s immigration system is “broken,” and that the Constitution says the immigration policy must be fixed by Congress, not by presidents.

What we’re suing for is actually the greater harm, and that is harm to the Constitution by empowering the president of the United States to enact legislation on his own without going through Congress,” Abbott told NBC News’ Chuck Todd Sunday on “Meet the Press.” He continues to argue that the president’s actions will inspire a fresh wave of undocumented immigrants into the country.

The only problem with Abbott’s argument??  President Obama is not enacting any legislation of any kind.  He has not halted deportations, or granted any form of citizenship to undocumented persons.  The Executive Action has simply created a more logical way to deal with the reality of people that are already here.

Given his new job next month, perhaps the Governor Elect needs to brush up the skills of being an executive.  Continuing to throw useless lawsuits at Obama does not instill confidence that Mr. Abbott is ready to assume the new job.

However, it could get him into hot water with a large part of his statewide constituency, as Alexa Ura of the Texas Tribune reports…

Along with his 20-point margin of victory, Gov.-elect Greg Abbott accomplished something on Election Day that many naysayers doubted the Republican could: He took 44 percent of the Hispanic vote.

For Texas conservatives, Abbott’s performance indicated that Republicans are making headway among this increasingly crucial voting bloc, which tends to lean Democratic. But upon taking office, Abbott will find himself in turbulent political waters.

[…]

Abbott, the current attorney general, had to fulfill a campaign promise by filing a lawsuit challenging President Obama’s executive order protecting up to five million undocumented immigrants, including half a million Texans, from deportation.

“By winning the election and being successful among Hispanics in a low-turnout election, Greg Abbott has not solved the fundamental problem that he has politically,” said Jim Henson, a Texas Tribune pollster and director of the Texas Politics Project at the University of Texas at Austin.

The thorniest issue Abbott may face is a proposed repeal of the so-called Texas DREAM Act, which allows some undocumented students to pay in-state tuition at public universities and community colleges.

For most of his campaign, Abbott avoided taking a definitive stance on the act. He urged reform of the program, not a repeal. In a September debate with his Democratic opponent, state Sen. Wendy Davis, Abbott said he would not veto a repeal of the tuition law if it reached his desk.

Campaign promise or not, why would Abbott, now safely on his way to office, choose to take step guaranteed to divide many parts of the Texas Republican party?  Simple… it’s because Abbott truly doesn’t believe in Immigration Reform.  If he did, he would drop the act and let people know just how non-controversial and sensible the President’s actions are.  Or at the very least, not spend the time and energy needed for this lawsuit.

Ask any politician their most favorite time of their political career, and they will likely tell you it was just after being elected.  The grueling work of campaigning is done, and nothing but a bright future of what could be lies ahead.  This is a time to make big plans, and go for bold ideas.  But for the man set to lead the Lone Star State, that’s not what is happening.  Instead of looking to a bigger and better future for Texas, Greg Abbott has decided to just play in the weeds of blanket Obama hatred like his predecessor.  If first actions are any indication, the Greg Abbott version of Governor really be much the same as that under Rick Perry… maybe worse.

Get ready Texas… it’s going to be a long 4 years.

About the Same

No More Perrystan!! But what’s next?

At least come early 2015.

Yesterday, the longest-serving Governor in Texas history, made his big announcement… Rick Perry will not seek re-election. Here’s more from the Texas Tribune…

Perry announced Monday that he will not run for re-election next year, creating the first open race for Texas governor since 1990 and making Attorney General Greg Abbott the instant favorite to replace him.

“I remain excited about the future and the challenges ahead, but the time has come to pass on the mantle of leadership,” Perry said. “Today I am announcing I will not seek re-election as governor of Texas. I will spend the next 18 months working to create more jobs, opportunity and innovation. I will actively lead this great state.”

This is an historic announcement for the state of Texas. For the first time in the 21st Century, Rick Perry will not hold an elected office in Texas State Government. And as for having an open field for Texas Governor, it’s going to be a welcomed change. And hopefully, for the first time since 2006, Texans will get to observe a General Election debate. In case you forgot, Rick Perry was re-elected in 2010 without even debating Democratic candidate Bill White.

Sure… some people may think of debates as more show than substance, but it’s been an important tool in recent American politics. Debates offer a chance for voters to (potentially) hear both sides of an argument presented on equal footing. Our country couldn’t have had better evidence of this than the debate series between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney. It’s arguable Romney’s performance in the first debate was the only time in his campaign that he felt like a credible candidate for the Presidency, and it was the time that Obama’s re-election hopes were in the most danger. The simple course of 90 minutes and two candidates having to interact had a profound impact on months… years of work.

Is anyone surprised that Rick Perry chose to chicken out of debating a very viable opponent. Why expose voters to the truth?

But thankfully, the time of Perrystan now has a definitive closing date. We can all look forward to seeing honesty and transparency return to the Governor’s office, right?

Hardly.

Though he lacks the showmanship of Governor Perry, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is just as shrewd and potentially dangerous. Don’t let the disability fool you. He’s at constant war with the Obama administration on virtually every major federal law. He’s an adamant Anti- Choice proponent. And if you thought that maybe his brand of Conservatism allows for the freedom to marry or be respected as same-sex partners? Think again. He’s already vigorously preparing to fight every aspect of the latest SCOTUS rulings striking down the Defense of Marriage Act. If you were looking forward to escaping the horrors of Perrystan, Abbottstan would probably be worse.

But here’s the good news… it’s not election day yet. Democrats still have more than a year to get their stuff together. Again it all comes down to doing the hard work of uniting behind the right candidates. The recent protests at the Capitol have proven that progressivism still has a place in Texas. But these protests have to turn into real political action. They cannot fade into the night once the legislature closes. And regardless of the outcome of candidates, all Texans should demand a series of General Election debates. Let’s face it folks… a well-televised debate is the single most important event that can occur for voters whom are less politically engaged. One has to wonder that if Bill White got 42% of a low vote election, how much more could he have gotten with a more informed public?? In the 2014 battle, this cannot be allowed.

Texas Democrats, say hello to your new Public Enemy number 1. No More Abbottstan