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A Pennsylvania waitress said a customer left her a note about face masks on his receipt in lieu of a tip after she reminded the man that he needed to cover up when he's not seated. A photo of the receipt with the word "mask" written on the tip line was shared on the Facebook page of John Henry's Pub of Ardmore, where the waitress works. "When your staff politely asks a customer to wear a mask until seated, this is how they are disrespected. Totally unacceptable. 'YOU' should be ashamed of yourself!!" a caption on the post reads.

GEORGETOWN, Texas — Stung by criticism from Republicans that they are "cut and run" candidates on the war in Iraq, a group of Texas Democrats running for Congress who are also military veterans pushed back Thursday. The "Texas Fighting Dems" staged a small rally at the Sun City retirement community to support fellow Democrat Mary Beth Harrell, the wife of an Army veteran and mother of a soldier in Iraq. She is running against incumbent Republican John Carter of Round Rock in the 31st Congressional District. With a color guard, American flags and red-white-and-blue bunting on the podium in front...

JPost.com » News » Security-Diplomacy » PM fires Elon and Lieberman Jun. 1, 2004 23:47 | Updated Jun. 4, 2004 16:19 PM fires Elon and Lieberman By TOVAH LAZAROFF Cabinet secretary Yisrael Maimon spoke Friday morning with all Israeli Cabinet ministers, informing them of prime minister Ariel Sharon's decision to dismiss Transportation Minister Avigdor Lieberman and Tourism Minister Benny Elon. Once all the ministers were informed, as is demanded by Israeli law, messengers were sent to Elon and Lieberman's homes with their letters of dismissal. "According to the protocols of the law I have decided to relieve you of your...

For the first time in almost 30 years, District 131 in Houston will have a new representative in the Texas Legislature after Alma Allen upset longtime incumbent Democratic state Rep. Ron Wilson, an often controversial figure who most recently drew fire after siding with Republicans in last year's acrimonious battle over redistricting. With all precincts reporting, Allen, a member of the State Board of Education, beat Wilson by a margin of 55 percent to 44 percent. Allen will face no Republican opposition in the November general election. According to one of his fellow Democratic state representatives, Wilson lost the seat...

By KELLEY SHANNON Associated Press Writer AUSTIN Dominance was the magic word for Texas politics in 2003. Republicans dominated the political landscape as they made deep budget cuts, placed limits on civil lawsuits and pushed through a GOP congressional redistricting plan despite the protests and road trips of Democrats. ”Texas politics? Year of the elephant,” summed up Tony Proffitt, a veteran political consultant who was an aide to the late Democratic Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock. The GOP already held all the statewide offices and had the edge in the Texas Senate before the 2002 elections. With a sweeping victory, Republicans...

Story last updated at 8:52 a.m. Wednesday, December 10, 2003 Carjackers make big mistake jumping this Lone Grove man By Wilbert Wiggs Staff Writer   Ratliff   And the moral of this story is: Don't be fooled by a relaxing "old" man kicked back with his boots off. Especially if that "old" man happens to be Pat Ratliff of Lone Grove. That's the first mistake a Dallas carjacking team made a few days ago while scouting a parking lot for an easy mark. At 83, Ratliff can strike one as an easy mark. That was the second mistake, as they...

Raymond takes tough stand against redistricting BY CHUCK OWEN LMTBusiness writer Laredo is an economic anchor for the state and nation, but to continue to play that role it must take tough stands, State Rep. Richard Raymond told the Laredo Manufacturers Association members and guests Thursday morning. The "tough stands" he was talking about are comparable to his and the state Democratic legislators' tough stand with regard to state redistricting. Raymond was there to give the LMA an overview from his perspective of what has happened at the state level with regard to congressional redistricting, particularly during the regular legislative...

Democrats fail to get info on role in Texas rebellion BY SUZANNE GAMBOA Associated Press Writer Congressional Republicans turned back a Democratic effort Wednesday to compel the Justice Department to release information about its involvement in a Texas redistricting dispute. Democrats want to know whether federal agencies helped chase down 53 Texas Democratic legislators who left the state for four days in May in an effort to kill a Republican-sponsored congressional redistricting bill. Republicans didn't outright reject the information request sponsored by Rep. Gene Green, D-Texas. Instead, the House Judiciary Committee voted 19-15 on party lines to approve the measure...

This is a parody about the Texas Democrats who fled to Oklahoma because they couldn't have their way on redistricting.

Public Hearings on Congressional Redistricting have been scheduled for NEXT WEEK. Speaker Tom Craddick has divided the House Redistricting committee into 3 subcommittees to take public testimony on the issue before the beginning of the special session June 30. The subcommittees and hearings are listed below. Please contact your reps and do everything you can to make it to the hearing nearest you. SUBCOMMITTEES AND THEIR HEARINGS: ---------------------------------------------- The Subcommittee on Congressional Redistricting One: Chair Rep. Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria) phone: (512) 463-0456 Vice Chair Rep. Ron Wilson (D-Houston) phone: (512) 463-0744 Rep. Phil King (R-Weatherford) phone: (512) 463-0738 Rep. Vilma...

Probe finds no wrongdoing by federal department in search for Texas lawmakers Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — In vestigators found no wrongdoing by a Department of Homeland Security agency that helped Texas police track down the private plane of a state legislator who fled with other Democrats to Oklahoma in a political dispute. The department's inspector general concluded in a report released Monday that a dispatcher at the California-based Air and Marine Inter diction Coordination Center made eight phone calls that took no more than 40 minutes to track down a Piper Chey enne belonging to state Rep. Pete Laney,...

U.S. House Majority Leader Tom DeLay admitted Thursday he provided Texas Speaker Tom Craddick with the same information that state police used to enlist a homeland security agency in the search for runaway Democratic legislators. DeLay said his staff used public information at the Federal Aviation Administration to track former Texas Speaker Pete Laney's airplane. Laney was among 55 Democrats who broke a House quorum on May 12 to kill a congressional redistricting bill sought by DeLay, R-Sugar Land. Craddick and DeLay wanted the errant legislators arrested and returned to the House to force a vote on the bill. "I...

Just beneath the partisan tug-of-war at the Capitol that has Republicans pushing redistricting and Democrats resisting it is another struggle. This one pits white Democrats against African American and Latino Democrats.Tom DeLay and company masterfully exploited those tensions when they introduced a new plan to redraw congressional districts for Texas. In explaining the need for new congressional districts, Jim Ellis, a DeLay spokesman, said weeks ago: "We believe the court map is deficient because it underrepresents Hispanics and African Americans and Republicans. "That's what we are trying to fix."Regardless of what you think of DeLay, you must admire his political...

Was it mere coincidence that in the same week Democratic legislators in Texas hit the road and Tom "I am the federal government" DeLay announced that Republicans in the U.S. House would let the federal ban on assault weapons expire? It shouldn't be too hard to connect the dots. DeLay, the U.S. House majority leader, may have reasoned that the FBI, ATF, CIA, DEA and Agricultural Extension Service would refuse his order to make the Holiday Inn in Ardmore, Okla., look like Ruby Ridge and Waco? DeLay might then have had to turn to Republican vigilantes (folk who have not...

AUSTIN, May 16 -- The man who strode into the Texas Legislature's committee room last month with a sheaf of maps under his arm was an out-of-towner, but everyone knew his business. He was Jim Ellis, a political aide to House Majority Leader Tom DeLay (R-Tex.) in Washington, and the maps contained an incendiary proposal for redrawing Texas's voting districts to pack a half-dozen more Republicans on to the state's congressional delegation. DeLay's fingerprints -- and literally those of his aide -- were all over the Texas redistricting plan, which erupted in a partisan brawl this week when more than...

Webb Demos salute peers at courthouse ROBERT GARCIA Times city editor Members of the Webb County Democratic Party, led by party chair Robert Balli Friday, honored state Rep. Richard Raymond and the 54 state Democrats who fought the Republicans "who were trying to pull the wool over on citizens." A brief gathering took place at the Webb County Courthouse. By setting up camp in Ardmore, Okla., the Democrats did not allow for the House of Representatives to have a quorum, fighting off a redistricting proposal that would have split Webb County. Splitting the county would have hurt the local process,...

Democrats say retreat reinvigorated party BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer AUSTIN - Democrats in the Texas House of Representatives quickly showed their Republican brethren Friday morning they were serious about tackling the legislative calendar. Some also commented, "finally, the Texas Democratic Party is showing some backbone." "I want to thank Tom Delay for galvanizing the Democratic Party," state Rep. Aaron Peña (D-Edinburg) said Friday morning before entering the Capitol for 9 a.m. roll call. "He has done what we Democrats have been unable to do for a couple of decades-unite and excite the party." State Rep. Jessica Farrar, a...

"Texas House Dems--Bad Sports and Poor Role Models" Posted by Doc Farmer Friday, May 16, 2003 I've never been much of a sports person. I didn't run, I didn't swing the bat, I didn't punt, pass and kick. I can't skate well (roller or ice), my jump shot doesn't work because it involves the word ''jump,'' and skiing to me is just a fancy term for strapping a couple of two-by-fours to your feet and falling off a cliff in cold weather. And I've only been golfing once in my life. I shot an 89. Luckily for everybody else in...

Mrs. Raymond proud of husband's actions BY TRICIA CORTEZ Times staff writer From their home in northwest Laredo, Michelle Raymond beamed with pride Tuesday for her husband Richard and the 50 other Texas Democrats who stealthily made their way to Ardmore, Okla., busting the two-thirds quorum needed to vote on a controversial GOP redistricting bill. "I just have enormous pride for Richard and all the House members taking this stand. It's a relief for people to see what has been going on in the Capitol," Michelle said. "As his wife, I get to see what's going on and have had...

I'm sitting here watching a report that the Texas democrats have fled the state because they cannot deal with being in the minority.....Are these fellows realizing how big an asshole they look like.....children on the playground have more class.....Governor Perry should arrest them when they return or extend the deadline of the congress....What kind of human being acts like this.....If it was me, I'd shoot them all when the re crossed the state line......Bob Graham showed us all that he's not afraid to prove he has no idea what the President does....his accusations that attacking Iraq caused the bombing in...