Nazigate Has Taken Over Texas Politics By Storm

Updates on the Nazigate fall out and the voucher scam being pushed by the recipients of the neo-Nazi money.

Yesterday, I spent all day watching the school voucher hearings. I posted testimony clips to Twitter X if you follow me there. However, everything you want to know about the Senate’s voucher scam can be summed up in this video:

Here is the quick run-down. This program is only for about 60,000 kids. It gives them an allotment of $8,000, nearly $2,000 over the basic allotment for public schools. The bill has a cap on how many low-income and disabled students can use the program, and the GOP is back at it with their “blind to race” bullshit. The Senate’s bill is terrible, racist, and a handout for the wealthy. I doubt the House bill will differ significantly, but we must wait and see.

The Senate Committee on Border Security met yesterday as well. I’m planning on catching up on that video today. Nothing else is scheduled in Austin until tomorrow when the House gavels back in for the first reading of bills. There may or may not be drama, looking at where the House is in cohesiveness. I’m hoping for it, though. The more drama there is in Austin, the less chance they have of getting things done.

House committee hearings for vouchers and other GOP priorities will likely occur next week.

Republicans in DC are also in complete chaos.

Today, they finally plan on having their election for a new speaker. That’s set to take place at 2:00 p.m. After that, they’ll have 34 days to fund the government. There is no telling what will happen, but I had to share this hilarious moment with you. (It’s just too funny not to share.)

South Carolina Republican Nancy Mace wore a white t-shirt with a red letter ‘A’ on the front of it to Capitol Hill yesterday. She said it was supposed to symbolize how she was being demonized because she was a woman.

For those of you who missed reading the Scarlet Letter in high school or even seeing the movie (starring Demi Moore), the red ‘A’ is supposed to symbolize “adulterer,” not “woman.” Congresswoman Mace would have looked less dumb if she put a ‘W’ on her shirt instead. Obviously, she didn’t read the book.

It speaks volumes about the current cast of characters who’ve taken over the Republican Party. They’re the party of stupid and aren’t even trying to get better.

The fight that we didn’t know we wanted.

Back in Austin, as the Nazigate fallout continues, far-right Republican Jared Patterson and far-right Republican Steve Toth have spent the last two days fighting on Twitter.

It all started when the Texas Conservative Report posted a video featuring Nick Fuentes’s terrible white supremacist, anti-semitic rhetoric and linked it to Fuentes’ meeting with Jonathan Stickland at the Pale Horse Strategies Office. I’m not linking the video because the racist language in the video is that horrific.

Patterson responded about how Nick Fuentes’ rhetoric is evil. Mark this day down in history because it’s likely the only time we’ll ever agree with Patterson.

Toth called Patterson’s rhetoric evil and equated denouncing Nazism to a Democratic policy. He accused Patterson of lying about Ken Paxton’s impeachment and Nick Fuentes.

If you are unfamiliar with Nick Fuentes or some of his previous antics and rhetoric, look it up. It’s terrible.

The bickering continued as Patterson called on Toth, Nate Schaztline, and Tony Tinderholt all to denounce Nazism and return any Defend Texas Liberty PAC money.

Toth completely went off the rails after that. He attacked Chris Tackett, called Olivia Julianna a liar for saying Nick Fuentes was a white supremacist, and called a Democrat who said “Republicans are Nazi” Patterson’s fan.

Toth also said he hadn’t taken any money from the Defend Texas Liberty PAC. I looked into it, and he’s right. He didn’t. So, the refusal to denounce them and Nazism is purely based on his beliefs and not money. But if you remember, this isn’t the first time that Representative Toth refused to denounce white supremacy. Here is back in 2021:

Ironically (or unironically, depending on how you want to look at it), both Steve Toth and Brandon Creighton (who doesn’t want to protect the voucher scheme from discrimination) are from Montgomery County. Toth lives in the Woodlands, and Creighton lives in Conroe.

Is there something in the water in Montgomery County making all the old white Republicans extra racist?

It should be noted that while Toth has not received the Defend Texas Liberty PAC money, Brandon Creighton has.

Meanwhile, in Houston…

Houstonians held a banner action this morning at Dan Patrick’s rightwing radio station KSEV to demand he give up the $ 3 million he took from Defend Texas Liberty PAC after their 5 hr meeting with Nazi Nick Fuentes.

This was a great direct-action moment, and hopefully, we’ll see more of this in the coming weeks and months.

The Nazigate drama has also made its way to the Republican primary.

Tom Glass is a long-time Republican activist running against Stan Gerdes in the GOP primary. But it’s so funny because Gerdes ran his entire campaign last year on saving the Confederate Statue in Bastrop County.

Here is Gerdes with the white supremacist rock:

What’s the difference between Nazi ideology and Confederate ideology? This is a serious question because I really don’t know. Both are based on white supremacy, both are responsible for genocide, and neither will die despite the years between now and their glory days.

Rockwall Rep Justin Holland also put out a statement urging his primary opponent to reject any funds from Defend Texas Liberty.

His primary opponent basically responded, “It wasn’t me, bro.”

The question is now, will Nazigate destroy the Republican Party of Texas?

It’s too early to say, but in all of my years watching Texas Republicans, this is by far the most interparty drama I’ve ever seen. In the long run, we need as many Democrats running against them as possible. I’ll update you soon about which seats are still unopposed. Stay tuned.