This is HUGE news everywhere this morning ~ apparently Texas state senator Wendy Davis was spectacular last night ~ there is a video clip, along with "live links" to more/corroborating info that includes a 2d video clip, accessible via the end link below ~ Sooz

Those who chose to 'Stand With Wendy' prevail in Texas
By Steve Benen - Wed Jun 26, 2013 8:36 AM EDT

Yesterday was not a slow-news day. A Supreme Court majority gutted a landmark civil-rights law; President Obama unveiled a sweeping new policy to address the climate crisis; there was a Senate special election in Massachusetts; the search is still on for Edward Snowden; there was a deadly and critically important attack on the presidential palace in Afghanistan; and the IRS "scandal" came to rather abrupt end.

But it was a story out of the Texas state legislature that managed to capture the attention of millions across the country.


Chaotic, indeed. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R), acting in his capacity as state Senate president, initially said the proposal had been approved before the midnight deadline, but reversed himself three hours later, conceding that the vote on SB5 was just a few minutes too late.

The victory was the result of an extraordinary effort from Wendy Davis, a Democratic state senator from Fort Worth, who, in a back brace, filibustered the measure for nearly 11 hours -- and would have kept going had Republicans not shut her down, saying her speech strayed from the chamber's filibuster rules.

To get a sense of what it was like in the building, take a look at this video, tracked down by my colleague Tricia McKinney, recorded last night. Davis and many of her Democratic colleagues came out to speak to supporters around the 23:34 mark, and the video is well worth watching.

Let's also pause to note that Texas Republicans also tried to redistrict Davis out of a job, but their plans were thwarted -- by the Voting Rights Act conservatives on the Supreme Court gutted last night.

As for the bill that Davis and her allies helped kill, GOP lawmakers in the state intended to ban all abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy, and close all but five of the 42 abortion clinics in Texas.

For proponents of reproductive rights, last night offered a genuinely inspirational moment, but it's worth noting that this fight may soon have another round.

Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R), who's eager to sign the sweeping new restrictions, may very well call state lawmakers back to work for another special session, at which point the same proposal will be considered once more.

Dewhurst hinted that this scenario is, in fact, quite likely. "It's over. It's been fun. But see you soon," he said.

Regardless, I don't think anyone will soon forget what we saw from Wendy Davis, or just how many people were eager to #StandWithWendy.


http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/06/26/19151826-those-who-chose-to-stand-with-wendy-prevail-in-texas?lite

I saw the tweet yesterday. I follow Obama.

Go Wendy!! It's refreshing to see someone stand against the majority when the majority is so wrong.

She was terrific. The repubs would have still been able to pull it off if not for the crowds in the gallery. They may still if Perry calls another specal session. It was a beautiful thing though. That is my Texas.

i was watching this. it was amazing. it didn't move me to tears or anything, and it is probably a phyrric (sic) victory, but it was fun to watch a minority get really scrappy and kill a bill.

I knew when Wendy did this that Perry would call another session. He's such an idiot.
Still, I am glad to see her stand up for what's right.

it is hard to judge the ultimate effect of this, since it was well publicized. i doubt it will stop passage of SB5, but it sure is making the stink of it well known.

Rick Perry is despicable ~ and, as is often the case, by being despicable he is boosting Wendy's overall popularity ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating info in the original ~ Sooz

Texas' Perry tries mansplaining abortion to Wendy Davis
By Steve Benen - Thu Jun 27, 2013 12:38 PM EDT

Just yesterday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) called for a second special session of the Texas Legislature, specifically in the hopes of passing sweeping and legally dubious new restrictions on abortion rights. The Republican governor said such a move is necessary because "Texans value life." (Perry's administration executed a 52-year-old woman a few hours later.)

This morning, Perry followed up the move with a speech at the National Right To Life conference, where he chose to discuss state Sen. Wendy Davis' (D) personal background. Igor Volsky posted this remarkable clip:


For those who can't watch clips online, the Texas governor said, in reference to Davis:


In the same remarks, Perry added, "The louder they scream, the more we know that we are getting something done."

The Washington Post's James Downie summarized the problem well this morning, noting, "I don't care what your stance on abortion is. Using an opponent's teen pregnancy in any debate is unbelievably vile."

I'll confess that when I saw some emails about Perry's comments, I thought someone must have made a mistake. The Texas governor is out there, but is he really that far gone?

Alas, the quotes are real. This really is Perry's character on full display.

How's that outreach initiative going, Reince?

Update: Wendy Davis responded to Perry's comments with the following statement: "Rick Perry's statement is without dignity and tarnishes the high office he holds. They are small words that reflect a dark and negative point of view. Our governor should reflect our Texas values. Sadly, Gov. Perry fails that test."

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/06/27/19172634-texas-perry-tries-mansplaining-abortion-to-wendy-davis?lite

I love the state of Texas since having lived there for 23 years but having the Republicans take over that state has done more harm than anything that has taken place there. IMO. Rick Perry is so simple minded there is no hope fore him.