And here we are in 2011…

Hi!

As 2011 begins, I wanted to wish you and yours a Happy New Year and let you know about events taking place ahead of, and during next week Tuesday’s noon start to the state’s legislative session.

Here’s a conservative-driven, two-day event taking place in and around the Statehouse, here’s news from another conservative group planning a capitol-based event for opening day and here’s information on the governor’s and Lt. governor’s inauguration, which takes place on 1/18, exactly a week after the Legislature convenes.

Surely many groups and individuals will be in Austin on opening day—and on any number of the other 139 days of the regular legislative session (quite possible a special session could be in play as well).

Whether in person or through various news outlets, I hope you’ll be able to stay in the loop on the variety of issues making their way through the House and Senate that affect our daily lives.

I plan to be in the Statehouse on 1/11 to greet new and returning legislators, with many subsequent visits sure to be made. As the session progresses, I’ll be closely monitoring the crafting of the state budget; and legislative redistricting, a decennial responsibility of state lawmakers that this year features the inclusion of four additional seats in the U.S. House.  Whatever the new district map sorts out to be, I remain in the hunt for a seat in Congress, and with your continued help, we’ll finish what we started!

I hope you had a great holiday season — all the best to you and yours for 2011 and beyond!

Fired Up in the Winter Time

Dr. Donna Campbell’s Christmas Party

On Sunday December 5th Team Donna met in Bastrop for an end of year celebration. On hand with about 200 attendees at Sacred Heart Church on FM 535. Among the crowd were Mike Asmus, Donna’s canny campaign manager, Apostle Claver Kamau-Imani from Raging Elephants and John “Slow-Pokey” Ritter from The Trailer Park Show.

Here are two impromptu trailer park interviews Pokey sent in which may be of interest. He never ceases to amaze and remind me that you don’t need much to do a lot. Here is Mike Asmus. (VIDEO: Source)

VIDEO: Apostle Claver was next up.

http://trailerparkshow.com/

Recap of November 2, 2010

TX-25 Unofficial Results from the Texas Secretary of State’s Office

DISTRICT 25 – ALL COUNTIES

Donna Campbell (R)   84,780  (45%)

Lloyd Doggett (D)       99,853  (53%)

Jim Stutsman (L) 4,424 (2%)

TOTAL                    189,057

Precincts              248 / 248

Travis County

Donna Campbell (R)   32,468

Lloyd Doggett (D)       67,536

Jim Stutsman (L) 2,652

TOTAL                    102,656

Precincts                  94 / 94

Riding the New Wave

By Poor Richard, Contributor | November 3, 2010 | Ramparts360

To quote the editorial board of today’s Statesman:

“U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett struggled early against GOP challenger Donna Campbell, a Columbus physician, before Travis County rescued him. It was a much closer race than many pundits had predicted.”

Dr. Donna Campbell took every county outside Travis, as expected. As well as she did to make a great fight in TX-25 (Doggett’s totals have never been so low), we could not overcome the Travis County prejudice in favor of a statist society.

This will change. Conservative redistricting and huge sweeping wins in state and local races will improve our chances dramatically for 2012.

Doggett has never had to fight so hard to win this district. Donna came within 15,000 votes of defeating Doggett, something that is unprecedented in this part of the State. Despite overturns to the contrary, there was almost a complete lack of support from the Texas GOP absent the phone bank project, and no funds from Dick Morris or any other PAC I’m aware of, to help fund Donna’s campaign efforts or supplement her advertising.

This was a true grassroots effort of volunteers and just plain folks who see the danger to our country and wanted to do something about it help. Donna closed to within 15,000 votes and no other candidate has ever done so well. This will force the GOP to take a hard look at District 25 in 2012.

Mike, TJ, Lori, Lennie, Pokey, Jim, Sibyl, Manu, Sharon, Jim, DJ, Kim, Stan, TMF, Lori, Charlie, “Abe”, George, Preston, Ray, and Robbie are just a very few of the folks whom I’ve had the privilege to meet and work with on this journey. There are so many, many more wonderful folks both in front of and behind the scenes whom I wish I knew better, or could remember, recall and name and thank personally for all they’ve done. Forgive me if I cannot remember everyone I’ve met at this writing. I have been honored to work with every one of you on Donna’s campaign.

Of course, there’s Donna – without whom this valiant effort would not have been possible. You’ve gained many friends for life and I hope you and your family will take some time to relax, decompress, reflect and assess things later. You finally gave us a candidate worth believing in and voting for. Your honesty, patriotism and love of country are unquestioned and filled us with love for you and yours. Just know that should you choose to run again in 2012, we will be there for you.

If the Texas GOP has a brain in their collective heads, they will get off the collective duffs and make every effort to win this district in 2012. They can no longer lay down for the Democratic machine. They absolutely must make a fight of this district because it can be won. The effect from such a win would be immeasurable. The message from this election is that conservatives can effectively compete in any district, anywhere in the state on any level, and that the Democrat machine, (yes – even in Austin), is in serious trouble.

I’ll be working like many of you for the next 2 years to revisit this fight and put an end to the Era of Obamination and the Lap Dog once and for all.

What is the lesson we should learn from TX-25? Simple — Turnout.

Republicans rode a huge wave driven by tea party and grassroots conservatives that either kept them in the statehouse or swept them into it. Rick Perry (Gov), David Dewhurst (Lt. Gov), Greg Abbott (TX AG), Jerry Patterson (Land) and Susan Combs (Comptroller), Todd Staples (Ag), David Porter (RR) and Debra Lehrmann (Tx SCt), among others, took most every important state office up for election.

Local coattails of this wave were even longer. Many of our friends won. Francisco “Quico” Canseco (TX-23), Bill Flores (TX-17), Melissa Goodwin (3rd CA), Ken Mercer (SBOE 5), Paul Workman (HD-47) and Jason Isaac (HD-45) won.

(Jay Janner AMERICAN-STATESMAN)

Some of our friends like Mary Lou Serafine (S14), Patrick McGuinness (HD-50), Mike Barre’ (JP3) and Marilyn Jackson (HD-51) did not, but their efforts were not in vain.

This should only bring home to us the point that the “enemy” (to borrow Obama’s favorite insult toward any American he disagrees with) was left unchallenged on the field of battle for far too long in Travis County and they remain a formidable opponent. We cannot take success for granted. However, this was a huge first step.

One of the things Conservatives and Independents must come to grips with, it that many Democrats do not care who the person running is. They will pull the (D) lever down the ticket in the knee-jerk reaction that puts ‘Party before Country’. This is their modus operandi and should be their Party motto. They do not care if they bankrupt America while they create an omnipotent statist power. Make no mistake — one party authoritarianism is their aim.

Liberalism has consumed the Democratic Party. Far too many old line Democrats and Reagan Democrats who still understand fiscal responsibility are still going along with their party without ever questioning their own side. Your choice has never been more clear. These are not your Grandfather’s Democrats. They abandoned you. It’s time to change sides.

It is also time for Libertarians to reconsider their role in dividing the vote. Two percent in a District like ours, can make a huge difference. Had Jim Stutsman withdrawn and thrown his support to Donna as the conservative candidate, the percentages would have been much closer at 47% to 51%. Yet this was certainly not the primary problem.

There were 117,000 Conservatives who voted in the GOP Primary. It’s not enough to vote in a primary and stay home on election day. You must follow through. Had all 117,000 Conservatives voted in this general election, we would be writing Lloyd Doggett’s political epitath right now. Turnout is critical. “Boots on the ground” makes the difference. Too many of us stayed home. Whether it was weather, lack of enthusiasm or overconfidence, this should be an object lesson for all of us.

The next fight will be harder. We surprised them this time. They won’t make that mistake again. It will take more effort, more organization and more planning to win, so we absolutely, positively begin right now.

Stay in touch. Stay enthused. See you along the way, and again in 2012.

God Bless the Patriots.

-*-*-

Check out the Austin American Statesman today, too.

Aftermath at a glance

It’s clear where the problem is in Texas.

Michael Q. Sullivan weighs in:

Everything is bigger in Texas — even our political victories! If there was a national wave, Texas just saw a tsunami!

Texans sent two dozen liberals packing in races up and down the ballot last night. From Rick Perry’s landslide victory to unprecedented upsets in the Legislature, voters have clearly made their policy choices known.

Will this affect the Speakership of the Texas House?

When the 82nd Legislature convenes in January, it will be with a decisive conservative majority. These new lawmakers got there not with the help of Austin lobbyists and power-brokers, but the hard work of grassroots activists dedicated to the promises of liberty.

With more than 20 new conservative Republicans elected to the Texas House, we find an indisputable majority in the Legislature. Will they now govern the way voters voted?

Make no mistake: voters embraced not the Republican label, but the conservative message the candidates campaigned on. Texans aren’t interested in mealy-mouthed moderation or compromises to our conservative convictions.

From the lawmakers’ first vote in January, an energized conservative base will be watching carefully for signs of wavering commitment to the conservative principles that sealed the election.

First Test
The first signal to voters about Republican commitment to conservative governance in the Texas House will come as soon as the next several days.

Speaker Joe Straus, originally selected for his post by 65 Democrats and 11 Republicans in a tightly divided 76-74 legislature, now faces a strongly conservative majority. He really has no choice but to move quickly to name a very different, and much more conservative, committee leadership team. Will he?

Texas voters are clearly uninterested in power-sharing and compromising with the failed policies of liberals. There is no longer a need for liberals and moderates to chair major committees, as they currently do under Mr. Straus.

A recent Baker Institute/Rice University study demonstrated just how far off the current House leadership is from the Texas electorate. Indeed, the same author found liberals fared better in this last Session under a Republican speakership than they did when a Democrat held the dais.

Be Cautious Of Moderation
Partisans on the left will claim this strong majority should adopt a “moderate” tone. Moderation, to paraphrase Barry Goldwater, in the pursuit of liberty is not a virtue.

This year’s primary defeats of “safe” Republican moderate committee chairs Delwin Jones and Tommy Merritt should be remembered by legislators as they consider critical votes. The devastating losses by Democrats last night was a loud repudiation of big-government policies.

Keeping elected officials honest requires our constant supervision as citizens. Accountability begins today.

We must be as engaged tomorrow as we were in the weeks before the election. Together, we can ensure a strong, vibrant Texas.

On the national level, Erick Erickson weighs in:

The real story is the underreported story of the night – the Republican pick ups at the state level.

There will be 18 states subject to reapportionment. The Republicans will control a majority of those – at least ten and maybe a dozen or more. More significantly, a minimum of seventeen state legislative houses have flipped to the Republican Party.

The North Carolina Legislature is Republican for the first time since 1870. Yes, that is Eighteen Seventy.

The Alabama Legislature is Republican for the first time since 1876.

For those saying this is nothing because it is the South, consider these:

The entire Wisconsin and New Hampshire legislatures have flipped to the GOP by wide margins.

The State Houses in Indiana, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Ohio, Iowa, Montana, and Colorado flipped to the GOP.

The Maine and Minnesota Senates flipped to the GOP.

The Texas and Tennessee Houses went from virtually tied to massive Republican gains. The gains in Texas were so big that the Republicans no longer need the Democrats to get state constitutional amendments out of the state legislature.

These gains go all the way down to the municipal level across the nation. That did not happen even in 1994.

This was a tsunami.

On Lloyd Doggett’s Tax and Spend Mentality

by Dr. Donna Campbell | October 29, 2010 | Opinion

“Amassing and exerting power in Washington for some 16 years now, lifelong politician Lloyd Doggett labeled me as extreme in a recent campaign mailing for my consideration of various ways to bring the nation back from the brink of insolvency.

“Working out ways to reform the tax code so Texans keep more, and DC takes less is not extreme.

“One potentially viable reform route is enacting a form of a ‘fair tax,’ which centers on sales instead of personal income. A driving tenet of this is eliminating all federal income and payroll taxes. Taxing individuals on items they choose to buy, rather than a forced taxation on income they earn would equate to more take-home pay for everyone, and would lower the overall tax outlay for many American families and businesses.

“Comprehensive tax reform would grow the economy and create jobs. Our current progressive income tax system is complicated, intrusive, and restricts economic growth. It penalizes production, drives up the costs of goods and services, and punishes workers by garnishing wages.

“The thought I’m giving to making the tax system more equitable is hardly extreme. Really, Lloyd Doggett mislabeling me as extreme on taxation reforms—having himself voted against eliminating the marriage tax penalty, and against tax cuts for middle-class families—is somewhere between ironic and un-self aware.

• Extreme is a national debt of nearly $14 trillion.
• Extreme is one in ten working Americans looking for a job.
• Extreme is putting Washington in charge of Texans’ healthcare.
• Extreme is parsing and spinning the bailouts you did and didn’t vote for, while shunting a key national defense responsibility like border security to the states.
• Extreme is fleeing from your own constituents at a town hall meeting when their views differed, and later calling the very people you’d invited to come out and hear you ‘an angry mob.’
• Extreme is withholding nearly a billion dollars in education money from Texas students and their teachers in a feeble attempt to prove a pointless political point.

“Little wonder Lloyd Doggett’s not running on his own record of trillion dollar deficits, auto bailouts, tax hikes on energy and manufacturing, and the Washington power grab of Texans’ health care decisions. One in ten Americans are out of work because of these failed policies that he, Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama pushed through. Why would Lloyd Doggett mislead you about tax reform? Because he believes he and his Washington allies can spend the money better than you can, even though you are the one who worked for it.

“We’ve seen what tax-and-spend has done for our district, state and nation. Now it’s time to take action—in this case, extreme action.”

- Donna Campbell, M.D.

It’s Time to Regain Our Voice

by Donna Campbell | October 25, 2010 | Dr.Donna4Congress.com

Friends,

For the past two years, we’ve watched the nation move in the wrong direction—and fast. We’ve watched big government grow bigger, and the rights of the individual erode. We’ve watched as debt rapidly expanded, and prosperity quickly evaporated. We’ve watched as food stamps and unemployment became reality, and opportunities became history.

We have watched and we’ve waited and finally it’s time, America, to regain our voice—Election Day is just one week away!

The actions you take between now and November 2nd will determine the future course of this great nation. The contributions you make this week will help elect leaders who can reverse the course of ruinous European-style socialism and put America back on the firm footing of our founding principles of limited government. Electing conservative candidates this election cycle is the most important contribution you can make to your children and grandchildren.

We cannot afford Washington’s current power brokers. We cannot allow ultra-liberal Democrats like Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, and Lloyd Doggett to endlessly grow government and redistribute wealth for another two years. We cannot sustain more record deficits, high unemployment, and anemic job growth. We cannot entertain the consequences of not holding our elected officials accountable. These career politicians have delivered change alright, a change in the relationship between government and the people, and Washington’s got the upper hand right now.

The voters of Central Texas stand ready to defend liberty, and the battleground is our nearest ballot box. Patriots like you have moved our campaign from the grassroots of District 25 in Columbus, Texas, to within reach of our nation’s roots in the District of Columbia. We could never have gotten this far without you, and I thank you for your support.

Momentum is gaining. Early voting turnout is strong. This is our last 25/25/25 Money Bomb before Election Day, and I need your help now more than ever. Your final pledge of $25, $50, $100 or $250 could be the amount that pays for one more yard sign, one more TV or radio ad airing, pushing us one more stride toward a bright and brilliant victory on Election Night. (Election law allows you to give up to $2,400, but contributions of any amount are greatly appreciated.)

They say history repeats itself, but remarkable achievements by people in the face of history rarely get a second chance. We must not lose this opportunity. Get involved! Knock on doors, reach out to your neighbors and friends, make phone calls, vote early, and by all means, pleasecontribute one last time. It’s the best investment you can make this week.

Finally, I ask for your prayers.

May we prevail, and may God Bless America!

Donna Campbell, M.D.

Email: drdonna@drdonnaforcongress.com

Phone: 512.750.9166

On the Web: www.drdonnaforcongress.com

Precinct 354 Picnic

posted by Sibyl West

Who are the people in your neighborhood? In southwest Austin we got to find out. Dean Wright (community organizer) and Suzanne Bellsnyder (precinct chair) got the gang together on Sunday October 24 and held an old fashioned “Rally the Vote” Potluck Picnic in Travis County. Among the notables who turned out were Judge Deborah Lehrman of the Texas Supreme Court, Judge Jeff Rose, Paul Workman and his wife Sherry, Dr. Donna Campbell and Mike Barre. Richard Pecore brought along the Gonzales Flag that he took to Washington D.C. for 9/12.

Sights and sounds of the day follow herewith.

TONS OF PICS HERE. Hat tip Suzanne!

Dr. Campbell rant: FOR life!

posted by Sibyl West

Here’s our firebrand standing up for life, on one foot no less (note the crutches at the end). Not cool and subdued like an NPR announcer who doesn’t want to get fired, but fired up and passionate for protecting those who are most vulnerable and helpless.

And yet there are those who might consider her deranged to speak like this. Think about that for a minute. One nation, two planets. I’m with Dr. Donna Campbell.

TakeUpOrg | October 18, 2010

Dr. Donna Campbell describes her Pro-Life commitment to a group in Austin on Saturday, October 16. She is running for Congress in Texas 25th Congressional District. Her opponent, Rep. Lloyd Doggett is a staunch supporter of abortion, and has voted twice to allow partial birth abortion.

Doggett Refuses Debate with Campbell

Candidates talk federal education money with KXAN

by Josh Hinkle | Friday, 22 Oct 2010, 8:06 PM CDT | KXAN.com

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Congressman Lloyd Doggett’s campaign says the incumbent Democrat will not debate his Republican challenger, Dr. Donna Campbell . Doggett’s staff says it is a gimmicky last-minute attempt, but Campbell insists the invitation is still open.

Keep in mind, these two candidates for District 25, which covers part of Austin, shared a stage with their Libertarian opponent Jim Stutsman on Tuesday in Bastrop at a candidate forum. But after speaking with Doggett and Campbell, it sounds like there is still a lot left unsaid.

Campbell took the opportunity to explain her position on education funding when sitting down with KXAN on Friday. Doggett is currently airing a television ad saying she wants to end federal funding for education.

“You know, I have to laugh because of all issues for him to take me to task on, he’s the one who’s our Texas representative and put an amendment that singled out Texas which successfully blocked $830 million of education funding that was destined for our schools,” Campbell said.

As close to a debate as can be, before sitting down with Campbell, we caught up with Doggett to ask him about the amendment that keeps popping back up in this race.

Go here now and read the rest…

Campbell Beats Doggett on Immigration Reform

NumbersUSA has graded Donna Campbell a True Reform candidate regarding immigration, based upon her stand on specific issues.

The grid below shows a comparison of the candidates and their position on a variety of immigration issues. The ratings are based on responses to our immigration-reduction survey, indicated by the “Yes” and “No” icons, or statements made by the candidates themselves, indicated by colored circles.

NumbersUSA DOES NOT endorse candidates, but we do tell you who has the best immigration platform based on the information we’ve been able to gather. Candidates labeled as True Reformers have completed our immigration-reduction survey and agree with NumbersUSA on most of our key issues. An incumbent can earn the True Reform label if they have sponsored our “5 Great Immigration-Reduction Bills” and have a career grade of an A.

See the chart here***

SPECIAL NOTE: Find out who wins and how it impacts immigration by visiting our website http://www.NumbersUSA.com on Election Day. We’ll have LIVE STREAMING VIDEO coverage of the election results as they come in!