Slow this Planet Down

Things are moving so fast it's hard to keep up. SLOW THIS PLANET DOWN! Umm. That didn't seem to work.

We had great poltical theater on Tuesday, then I took a couple days off to work as a volunteer pilot to give disadvantaged kids their first chance to fly a small plane. Almost all of these kids have never been in a small plane. Through the Air Force Auxiliary (Civil Air Patrol) "0rientation Flight or "0 Flight" program, they get a big ego boost and a major achievement in their young lives. Once we take off we let the young cadet handle the controls until it's time to land (we went to Brenham airport, which has an incredible restaurant). We had about 5 pilots per day for 3 days.

The one negative this time was that we had a lot of mechanical issues with the aircraft. On one flight I was bringing back two cadets -- and the flaps would not work, so I had to make a high speed landing without them. Fortunately, it was one of my better landings. That same plane had an electric failure with another pilot the day before. The Air Force needs to buy us some newer airplanes if we are going to continue doing 85% of its U.S. searches and fly cadets safely around. But the kids loved it and I enjoyed boring holes in the sky instead of my usual work routine of legal stuff (and politics).

The political theatre is this: As Iraqis formed a 10 mile long line demanding democracy, democracy was being bushwhacked back here in America when a GOP challenger was knocked off the ballot against the incumbent Constable in my district (it happened to me two years ago in the GOP primary when I challenged DeLay). The young man was running against a Constable whose friend is a powerful Congressman (yep, the same Tom DeLay). Suddenly he gets called to go to Iraq and they pull out a defense reg that says he's now ineligible to run (but not die for his country) and kick him off the ballot! I was shocked. 

Well, I wasn't alone. ALL the media showed up for the court hearing and the GOP team lasted an hour before they dropped their case and let the kid on the ballot. It was like a circus. So, I'm not sure if our Majority Leader is giving Iraqis an example of democracy they --or we-- want to follow.

Stay tuned. More theatre is sure to follow.

Coast Guard Swim Test

Got up early and drove in a steady rain to Ellington Air Base to take the annual Coast Guard "Swim Test." I was part of a Air Force Auxiliary Squadron that is starting to get to know the "Coasties" (as they call themselves) to work with them under a "MOU" (Memorandum of Understanding).

The Coast Guard flies over the Port and Coastal areas while the USAF Aux flies over land only - but we both do search and rescue.

The test is swimming 50 yards (150 feet) in a pool with flight suit and flying boots on. You can either have a "PFD" (Personal Floatation Device) or not. I went macho and said I'd do it without the buterfly wings. So I jumped in the 10 foot deep pool and went for it. The first half was easy but the last half of the pool, with the heavy flying boots full of water was a struggle. I kept getting slower. There was no time limit thank god and I finally grabbed the edge at the end. Next time, forget macho.

Then there was a raft test you have to take only once to qualify. It looked easy but pulling yourself into a small raft half submerged is tricky. Finally I hurled myself in and the guy said: "You passed." I realized I'm out of shape. It took a long time for me to get my wind back.

Headed home and showered off the clorine. The sun then broke out in the afternoon so we had 60's instead of the deep freeze hitting up north.

Yesterday I became an official independent candidate for Congress via a filing of a document with the Secretary of State. The temp website is at: http://FjetlandForFairElections.Bigstep.com

The incumbent has been in power 20 years, as long as Saddam. It's the 21st Century and American democracy could use some fresh ideas and new leadership. We just fought a war to end a one party state in Iraq, yet our own politicians are trying to create dominance by one party here. That leads to abuses as we've seen in Iraq and countless places like it.

So, I'm doing the American thing, trying to keep our democracy alive by running for office. The odds are very long, but great things have happened with long odds. Columbus discovered America when he was supposed to fall of a flat earth. NASA put men on the Moon after many a rocket exploded on the pad. Regardless of the outcome, it's the journey that is important.

We are still a high priority terrorism target.

Just back from New Hampshire and Boston over the weekend. My wife and I ended up in New England on one of the COLDEST days since 1875 in some places. Not much snow but the biting cold was like ice cubes stuck to your face.

Attended a conference sponsored by Independents and gave a 3 minute speech. Really a great group of people and very diverse. We'll see what comes from it.

News from Iraq continues to be helicopters shot down and soldiers killed. Big controversy on whether former treasury secretary O'Neill said Bush planned the war from the beginning. Apparently he wrote something about Bush acting like a blind man in a room full of deaf people. Not sure what that is all about but something is up to hear that from a former treasury official.

I'm having to refile my papers for Congress - it will be the 3rd boundary for the district since I started this quest in 2000.  It's supposed to change only once every 10 years. We fought a war against a one party state in Iraq and now some would have one man rule here by certain members of Congress. Is this a role model for the Iraqis.

Boston and Manchester were a great change of pace as we begin a new year. More later...

A new year already

New Year's day in Houston was foggy. Then the temps went into the 60's and 70's for a few days. Is this winter? Then suddenly a couple days ago the COLD hit. It started raining last night, a wet, cold rain that makes you glad you are inside instead of camped out by a fire with only a horse and a blanket.

It's been too busy to write the last week. The court just upheld Tom DeLay's GOP redistricting plan that knocks out more Democrat Congressmen in Texas. At the same time, a GOP friend of mine running for Constable in DeLay's home district of Ft. Bend - was told he was being dropped from the ballot because he has to go to Iraq on active duty during the primary. He is running against another Republican incumbent who DeLay uses for security when in town.

So is this how DeLay & Co. treats military guys serving their country - by denying them access to the ballot as a candidate?  So this DeLay's example of Democracy-at-work for the Iraqis? 

It stinks - which is another confirmation I did the right thing when I filed papers at the end of 2003 to become an Independent candidate for Congress in this district. There's no way to get past DeLay in the GOP primary and the Democrat candidate has no global experience and always loses this district (with 35%) anyway. However, if I keep the GOP 21% and can somehow add the Dems 35%, I win and the District gets its first Globally experienced Congressman with expertise as a TV terrorism analyst..

Meanwhile it is as if we have to fight our own power abusing Saddams right here in America - a one man dictator who has just engineered the third boundary change I've had to navigate in this Congressional district since 2000. I know this personally because I ran in the GOP primary in 2000 and 2002 (and got 21% of the GOP without funding and no mailings or TV) -- and in 2004 I face yet a 3rd configuration of District 22.  Redistricting is supposed to be once a decade, not 3. Democrats abused it --and it's no better when Republicans do the same. It should include swing voters and minorities, not cut them out like DeLay's plan does.

It should be an interesting year.

Oh yes, my initial website is at:

www.FjetlandForFairElections.Bigstep.com

then it will become www.FjetlandForFairElections.Org