Laughing gull over Padre Island National Seashore.

Thankfully, I took in the election from Big Bend National Park, which made it more bearable to see fellow beings self-immolate. When I worked on the Hill, Senator Yarborough, my boss, was eking out funds to set up that park, along with the Guadalupe Mountains and Padre Island National Seashore. Of course, there was strong opposition, and he did a bunch of exchanging votes to get them going. Those parks have always felt like my children to me, since I had the job of keeping track on the legislation and watching for pitfalls. Being able to step onto that ground I worked for, see incredible unspoiled beauty and spend the night in a tent on the Rio Grande River there, is a reward I completely can savor.

Partly because of that sense of accomplishment, I cannot understand the present day version of el Senador who are working to obstruct instead of accomplish real good for the very ones who voted them into office.

Leading senator from Texas presently is John Cornyn, who scores a Zero from the League of Conservation Voters. He is distinguished for other great notes he has struck as well.

In the 2004 debate surrounding the Federal Marriage Amendment, Cornyn released an advance copy of a speech he was to give at the Heritage Foundation. In the speech, he wrote, “It does not affect your daily life very much if your neighbor marries a box turtle. But that does not mean it is right … [N]ow you must raise your children up in a world where that union of man and box turtle is on the same legal footing as man and wife.” He removed the reference to the box turtle in the actual speech, but the Washington Post ran the quote, as did The Daily Show.[22][23]

Cornyn sponsored a bill that would allow law enforcement to force anyone arrested or detained to provide samples of their DNA, which would be recorded in a central database.[24] He voted to recommend a constitutional ban on flag desecration and for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. He also voted for the reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act and extending its wiretap provision. He is rated an A by the National Rifle Association.[20] Cornyn said on December 20, 2005: “None of your civil liberties matter much after you’re dead” in a speech supporting reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act.[25]

I picture his type setting foot on the ground we worked to keep safe for future generations, and seeing their feet wince.  . . .

My equally remarkable junior senator is Kay (Ba’al) Hutchison, okay, that’s Bailey. While she’s probably best known for proposing legislation to limit the governor to two terms when running against Rick Perry this year, although she’d already violated her own commitment to leave the Senate after two terms, she has other distinguishing points of dishonor as well.

In 2006, Hutchison received more campaign contributions from members of large oil and gas corporations than any other member of Congress.[28] In 2005, Hutchison voted against prohibiting oil leasing in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, and has supported legislation promoting drilling in the refuge in 2002 and 2003. In 2005 she also voted against including oil and gas smokestacks in the Environmental Protection Agency‘s mercury regulations.[29][30] In 1999, she voted to remove funding for renewable and solar energy, although she has more recently stated she supports the development of alternative energy sources.[31] According to the League of Conservation Voters environmental scorecard, Hutchison received a rating of zero — the lowest possible score — in the 104th Congress.[32] However, they have since upgraded her to a grade of 18% in the 110th Congress[33]

Term limits
Senator Hutchison has proposed limiting Texas governors to two four-year terms.[citation needed] Senator Hutchison promised not to serve more than 2 terms as U.S. Senator, but then changed her mind and ran for a third term. She has made many statements concerning whether she would continue in office which were subsequently refuted by herself when she decided to remain in power as US Senator.[34]

Walking in the path of  greatness must be discomfiting for these midgets of such hilarious characteristics, if “character” isn’t totally out of place in describing these poor imitations of public servants.

The country that has so benefited in civilizing effects and prosperity from the education given veterans by Ralph Yarborough’s Cold War G.I. Bill of Rights just voted against those who want to bring it back from the gutter it’s been pitched into. That’s hard to understand. I’ll just be proud of what we could do, and wait for an electorate to redevelop for the treasures we have in our hands.

Visiting a vast expanse of beauty I was privileged to help preserve is an experience no deluded wingnut can take away from me.