(cause i'm not a lawyer)

what if he was just tired? it happens on the campaign trail, and the candidate can't predict what every jr speechwriter is going to come up with every day. suppose he was tired, got pushed on stage with a sheet and told, "you're on!" and had to run with it?

campaigns are funny, in a lot of ways they are like a circus. every once in a while the guy juggling all the balls drops one.

here's my question, and i honestly don't know: has he stabbed the netroots in the back before? one is a data point, two is a line, three is a pattern. that's my general rule.

Look, it was a stupid thing to say. However it was taken out of context.

My take on it is over at TK.

I like and respect you, Sean-Paul. Frankly, the hate-on you've got for Rick is something you might want to explain, because it doesn't make much sense to me.

Before you win, you have to fight. Come fight along with us at TexasKaos.

This is in no way an accurate representation of the feelings of the Texas Netroots, specifically the dozens of Netrootsers who are part of the Draft Noriega and/or Bloggers for Noriega movements.

Every campaign makes mistakes, period. Show me a netroots candidate who is perfect, and I'll sell you some ocean front property in East El Paso.

Rick Noriega is the real deal, and the only candidate in this race worthy of netroots support.

As Democrats, we're often too eager to throw our own people under the bus when they make minor mistakes. We stand behind Rick Noriega.

I'm not sure why you think I got "pwned", Sean-Paul. I believe, from my personal knowledge of Rick Noriega, that he and his campaign screwed up. Nobody's perfect, after all. He's going to address the matter today on Firedoglake, and I have faith that he will satisfy most of the people who were justifiably disappointed in what he said. Feel free to join in and draw your own conclusions afterwards.

I have to say, I'm a little insulted to read that you think I'm too stupid to realize when someone is bullshitting me.

Pete Gallego hired me to work Natural Resources legislation for the session only. The letter signed by 49 sitting Texas State House members was signed and delivered after I left Rep. Gallego's office in June. I was not involved in that process in any way, shape or form.

You can call conspiracy all you want, but there are no dots to connect. I started StopCorny.com to help elect the Democrat and I have worked tirelessly to promote a balance of stories that are pro-Watts, pro-Noriega, and anti-Cornyn.

The odd thing is that people in the Watts campaign have gone around trying to undermine my credibility and lied about my relationship to the campaign even though I have never once been asked to help or get involved (even though I have offered to the entire communications team and many in the political department). Rather than embracing my offers to help, some have gone to reporters saying I am a paid Noriega shill and that my bias is overwhelming.

Let me state unequivocally, no U.S. Senate campaign is paying me for my service or my words. No person or organization has told me what to write about. I have not endorsed and do not plan to endorse any candidate until after January.

Rather than looking whiney or self-important, I took down the post. To my surprise, another writer at BOR, Phil Martin, has written something on the issue.

Instead of questioning my motives and reading between the lines, I hope you and your readers will feel comfortable contacting me on this issue. My e-mail is Matt-at-BurntOrangeReport.com

Read Burnt Orange Report

He attacked liberal bloggers as a way of pandering to the media. Liberal/progressive bloggers are his true base and he blew that base off to pander. If I were y'all I'd be pissed off. But since everyone seems to have thrown their lot in with the guy it's swept under the rug. That will not help Texas blogs in the long run or the Texas netroots. That's how I see it and that's the call I made. If you don't like it, make a post of your own about it and criticize me. We're all grown ups here, right? And as long as the posts are polite I am always inclined to link to them.

^{"There is a principle which is a bar against all information, which is proof against all argument, and which cannot fail to keep a man in everlasting ignorance. This principle is, contempt prior to examination."}