Thank You Rachel & David Van Os For Your Service To Your Party And Your State

I wasn't planning on posting anything tonight because I'm pretty beat after spending seven hours in the airport and taking two plane rides home. But I read something on another blog that I thought was uncalled for -- a blog I normally respect and regularly read. That blogger felt the need to take a couple of shots at David and Rachel Van Os. It wasn't enough that the blogger's own candidate beat Rachel for the party chairmanship, but that blogger felt the need to rub it in.

The statements that offended me were that David felt he was the only progressive in Texas, and that he had his wife Rachel run for party chair so he could make a speech to the convention. Neither of those statements are true. David spoke to nominate Rachel for the party chair position because the person who was supposed to nominate her was unable to attend. That person was Hank Gilbert (another Democrat that I highly respect).

And David knows that there are a lot of good progressives in the state party, and he reaches out to them on a regular basis -- not for his own self-gratification, but for the good of the party and the state. I regularly repost many of his intelligent and well written posts here on this blog. And having met and talked with David several times, I have to say that he respects other Democrats and never gives the impression that he thinks he is better or more special than anyone else.

I met Rachel for the first time at this convention, and I was impressed. I found her to not only be very nice, but also a progressive who is passionate about the future of her party and state. She and David believe the party needs to change and become a more dynamic party that offers real choices. I totally agree, and I have said that many times on this blog (both before Rachel ran for party chair and after).

In summation, let me say that I consider Rachel and David Van Os to be friends and good progressives. The Texas Democratic Party is better because they are in it.