Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all...

Today, I am wishing those who read this blog a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It may seem brief, but that's all I can write for now!

My official endorsement for District 22...

In 2006, Tom DeLay left behind a strongly conservative congressional district that was viewed as "trending Democratic" due to DeLay's gerrymandering that made other Greater Houston districts more Republican (e.g. putting Galveston and Cinco Ranch in Ron Paul's District 14, putting River Oaks in John Culberson's District 7, etc.) while adding a heavily pro-union portion of Galveston County that is chock full of unionized refinery workers. In November of that year, I hoped that Shelley Sekula-Gibbs would help keep our district beaming red, as opposed to the Democrats' perceived confidence that a "real change" meant their so-called New Direction (and in other words, a Nick Lampson victory). I got 50% of what I wanted, with Shelley getting the rest of DeLay's term and Lampson the full new term with a Nancy Pelosi-led Congress. And I then again, I wanted David Wallace to be the GOP candidate instead of Sekula-Gibbs.

Both Shelley and Nick have fallen short. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs has been an embarrassment to the district, because when you begin your stay on Capitol Hill, you expect to serve your constituents (and your staff) with honor, not with a temper tantrum as evidenced by "The Walkout". And Nick Lampson, despite being touted among the least partisan Democrats, has even himself voted in lockstep with Nancy Pelosi's failed agenda (even the conservative Gene Taylor of Mississippi (from a district hit by Katrina) voted for Pelosi), which ranges from locking Republicans out of certain perks despite promises of an open and honest Congress to voting to expand the qualification pool for SCHIP, which is supposed to only go to those who truly need it (the ones who can't afford private plans but are too rich for Medicaid). Special services like SCHIP are meant to be for those who definitely need it, NOT those who choose to bilk the government for money, which in turn bloats our budget and causes deficits. Not to mention Lampson taking money from MoveOn.org, which took out a full page of the New York Times to condemn General Petraeus.

With David Wallace out of the race for Congress (and not running for re-election as mayor), GOP operatives in CD22 had to find a way to court (and energize) the "Anybody But Shelley" movement, because even some of her votes on Houston City Council (e.g. chasing out fellow City Councilmembers because of a debate against immigrant sanctuary on the day of a funeral for a Houston police officer killed by a Mexican national, supporting a national sales tax on many things (even cars), etc.) have been of a flip-flop nature. And the GOP has one candidate (of many) that will stand out amongst the crowd and possesses the best chance to send Nick Lampson back to Beaumont.

The candidate I am endorsing in CD22 is the former Mayor of Sugar Land: Dean Hrbacek. When Dean Hrbacek was mayor, our taxes went down 33%, our economic development rose from the ground, improved our mobility with the US 59 expansion (it may still be clogged now, but don't blame us, Fort Bend is growing fast). He has also enjoyed life in every part of the district, graduating in Pearland, going to college over in Clear Lake, going to the UH Law School, becoming a CPA, and running a tax law firm right here in Sugar Land. I would have still voted for Dean in 2002, only problem was I could not vote because I too young; my first election came in 2004 when I of course voted for DeLay and Dubya. Finally, I should mention that just because Dean Hrbacek supports traditional values (he is a lifetime member of the NRA and supports traditional marriage) doesn't mean there's no room for social moderates and social liberals. Regardless of whether you are pro-life or pro-choice, whether you support the war or don't, or whether you are pro-business or pro-labor, there is room for you in the Republican Party. Below I will explain to you why...

While Democrats choose to pride themselves on heavy cash coffers from corporate donors that tend to support a party that is in the majority more just to be on the "winning" team, and also depend on the support of celebrities and left-wing groups such as MoveOn.org, Republicans aim to attract the average American, and those who believe that good policy, not money is the key to victory. You may find it hard to see it now, and even I myself find it difficult to see positivity in the GOP, but when you look at legends like Abraham Lincoln and Ronald Reagan, as well as current leaders of recent such as Rudy Giuliani (who ran a proven conservative government in one of the most liberal locales, New York City) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (who has come from behind to find new solutions to our global warming problems), you will find that Republicans are proven when it comes to empowering the individual to chart their own course in life, because it's your money and it's your life that matter more, not Washington's. I should also mention that Republicans have America's most popular governor, Charlie Crist of Florida.

In 2008, the GOP is energized and poised to prove the media (even Fox) and celebrities wrong: We are going to make it back to the plateau, and if any race should be a priority for the elephants, it should be getting Dean Hrbacek to Washington and restoring our district's conservative roots. And no, the district is NOT trending Democratic, it only has become fed up with partisan leadership (both of past Republican Congresses and the current Democrat one).

To find out more about Dean Hrbacek, go here: deanforcongress.com