Category Archives for David Dewhurst

Anti-CSCOPE Witch Hunt Fizzles: Will Teachers Get an Apology?

For well over a year, right-wing activists and pandering politicians like Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and state Sen. Dan Patrick have loudly and recklessly complained that a popular curriculum tool used in hundreds of Texas schools is filled with anti-American, Marxist and pro-Islamic bias. Now a formal review of lessons from the CSCOPE curriculum program confirms […]

Also posted in CSCOPE, Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott, TFNEF | 3 Comments

GOP Candidates in Texas Lieutenant Governor Race Cynically Repeat Calls to Teach Creationism in Public Schools

Each of the four candidates seeking the Republican nomination for Texas lieutenant governor raced as far to the extreme right as they could during their debate Monday night. Each one, for example, expressed support for banning abortion even in cases of rape or incest. Each one insisted that government should intrude into the end-of-life decisions families […]

Also posted in 2014 Elections, creationism, Dan Patrick, evolution, intelligent design, Jerry Patterson, TFN, Todd Staples | 17 Comments

GOP Candidates for Texas Lieutenant Governor Advocate Teaching Creationism in Public Schools

During a debate in Waco on Thursday, candidates for the Republican nomination for Texas lieutenant governor said they support teaching biblical creationism in the state’s public schools. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that teaching creationism in public school science classrooms violates the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Incumbent Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and two […]

Also posted in creationism, Dan Patrick, evolution, Jerry Patterson, TFNEF, Todd Staples | 19 Comments

Texas Politicians Can’t Resist Pandering to Extremists

It seems that Texas is filled with politicians competing with each other for the votes of right-wing extremists. The latest example of this came on Monday at a tea party meeting in the Fort Worth suburb of Bedford. As the Texas Observer reports, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst and his re-election opponents in next year’s Republican […]

Also posted in Cathie Adams, TFNEF, Todd Staples | 5 Comments

Entity Spearheading CSCOPE Attacks Is a For-Profit Political Consulting Business

The Austin-based news website Quorum Report (subscription required) today notes that the entity that helped organize Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst’s Monday press conference attacking the CSCOPE curriculum management system is a for-profit, “Tea-Party-for-hire group” that goes by the name Voices Empower. Run by North Texas political activist Alice Linahan, Voices Empower specializes in marketing and […]

Also posted in Alice Linahan, CSCOPE, TFNEF, Voices Empower | 11 Comments

Lt. Gov. Dewhurst Denounces Politicizing CSCOPE at Press Conference With Political Activists Denouncing CSCOPE

Monday afternoon Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst performed a feat only politicians seem able to do on a regular basis, at least with a straight face. He denounced politicizing an issue that he was holding a press conference to politicize: “This issue is about teaching Texas children. I personally have a problem with any effort […]

Also posted in CSCOPE, Dan Patrick, Steve Toth, TFNEF | 6 Comments

CSCOPE Issue Takes Hypocrisy-Fueled Leap Back into the Spotlight

The absurd, manufactured controversy over CSCOPE in Texas is leaping back into the spotlight. And that spotlight is illuminating just how hypocritical some of the curriculum tool’s political critics really are. On Friday State Board of Education Vice Chair Thomas Ratliff, R-Mount Pleasant, and state Senate Education Committee Chair Dan Patrick, R-Houston, announced that they have agreed […]

Also posted in CSCOPE, Dan Patrick, TFNEF, Thomas Ratliff | 9 Comments

Poopgate: Texas DPS Will Release Docs About Alleged Jars of Feces and Urine at Capitol Protests

The Texas Observer reports that the Texas Department of Public Safety will release documents the Observer and other media outlets have requested regarding allegations that pro-choice activists brought jars of feces and urine to the Capitol when protesting extreme anti-abortion legislation this summer. Religious-right groups and Republican politicians like Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst have used those […]

Also posted in 2013 Texas Legislature, abortion, TFN, war on women, Women's health | 6 Comments

CSCOPE Witch Hunt: Patrick, Dewhurst Compete for the Loony Vote While Throwing Local Control Out the Window

Now Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst has joined state Sen. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, in throwing local control out the window and pandering to fanatics attacking the CSCOPE curriculum program used in hundreds of Texas school districts. In a letter to the State Board of Education on Wednesday, Dewhurst said that he is “deeply troubled” that teachers in […]

Also posted in CSCOPE, Dan Patrick, Greg Abbott, TFNEF | 21 Comments

The War on Women: Dewhurst’s Cynical Attempts at Damage Control

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is in full damage-contol mode following last Tuesday’s debacle (for him, especially) in the Senate chamber. Today he sent out an email insisting that he will push through, in the special session that starts Monday, passage of the same legislation that failed last week — legislation that would have government […]

Also posted in abortion, TFN, war on women | 17 Comments