Conducting business for the people of the State of Texas.

Even Ken Paxton is calling for his resignation.

Republicans. The party of family values.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6VuQsKihWk

I wonder if they will remove him like they did the two African American TN state reps for much less?

I doubt it.

wasted, on something .. i thought he was having a stroke --

Maybe he was drunk…I don’t know. And if he was…it was inappropriate. There are other reasons as to why he could have looked as he did.

There is bad blood between Phelan and Paxton.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Maybe he was drunk…I don’t know. And if he was…it was inappropriate. There are other reasons as to why he could have looked as he did.

There is bad blood between Phelan and Paxton.

Maybe he was drunk? Either that or as Jeffe stated, he was stroking out.... and I haven't seen any news coverage of him being hospitalized.

He was drunk as cooter brown. He and Paxton are truly something Texas republicans can be proud of...Paxton entering his 7th year of being under indictment for securities fraud and still can't get the case to trial.

Both are embarrassments to the great State of Texas.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Maybe he was drunk…I don’t know. And if he was…it was inappropriate. There are other reasons as to why he could have looked as he did.

There is bad blood between Phelan and Paxton.

Maybe he was drunk? Either that or as Jeffe stated, he was stroking out.... and I haven't seen any news coverage of him being hospitalized.

He was drunk as cooter brown. He and Paxton are truly something Texas republicans can be proud of...Paxton entering his 7th year of being under indictment for securities fraud and still can't get the case to trial.

Both are embarrassments to the great State of Texas.

There are medical conditions/legitimate medications that can have that effect in circumstances.

I am just saying…we don’t know. It’s not like he had a breathalyzer.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Maybe he was drunk…I don’t know. And if he was…it was inappropriate. There are other reasons as to why he could have looked as he did.

There is bad blood between Phelan and Paxton.

Maybe he was drunk? Either that or as Jeffe stated, he was stroking out.... and I haven't seen any news coverage of him being hospitalized.

He was drunk as cooter brown. He and Paxton are truly something Texas republicans can be proud of...Paxton entering his 7th year of being under indictment for securities fraud and still can't get the case to trial.

Both are embarrassments to the great State of Texas.

There are medical conditions/legitimate medications that can have that effect in circumstances.

I am just saying…we don’t know. It’s not like he had a breathalyzer.

Right. And, he might have fallen down and hit his head. Or, maybe he had just come back from the dentist.

I guess if any of those things were true, we could expect that he would have issued a statement to that effect. Or that he would have responded to the press inquiries to his office about what was going on. But, he hasn't said a word. Maybe he's lost the power of speech due to this supposed stroke?

>>>Calls for Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan (R-Beaumont) to explain concerning video from the floor have gone unanswered, as allegations of drunkenness and concern over a possibly undisclosed medical condition grow.

As reported by The Dallas Express, a video of the House floor during deliberations on May 19 showed Speaker Phelan struggling to speak and seeming unsteady on his feet. The footage went viral on Twitter, leading many to claim Phelan was drunk, while some worried he might have had a stroke.


Furthermore, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has called for Phelan to resign, pointing to the video as proof that the Speaker was “in a state of apparent debilitating intoxication,” as reported by The Dallas Express.

Paxton requested that the House’s General Investigation Committee look into the incident.

Speaker Phelan has been virtually silent on the issue, neither issuing a statement nor responding to requests for comment about whether he was drunk or suffering from a medical condition. This has led to accusations that Phelan is dodging the incident.

Tim Hardin, the president of Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, told The Dallas Express, “I think it is clear from the footage and the viral nature of the clip online that the vast majority of Texans are coming to the conclusion that something is off with the speaker.”

“The general consensus is that he is drunk. This is a natural conclusion since it is well known that Representatives drink on the floor often and it is not unheard of for there to be a bar set up in the back hallway,” he added.

Hardin noted, however, “It is entirely possible that there is a medical condition that caused this, and if that is the case, you would think the speaker would defend himself from the accusations on the internet.”

“I think the people of Texas deserve to know what happened that night, and it is concerning that Speaker Phelan has thus far decided to ignore the issue,” Hardin said. “This certainly only makes it seem more likely he was caught drinking, and would rather wait for it to exit the news cycle than address it.”

“If he does have a medical issue that is making him slur his words that much, the people of Texas deserve to know. It is my hope that the Speaker will offer comment and set the record straight soon,” he concluded.

However, at the same time, the House’s General Investigating Committee sent a letter of preservative to Attorney General Paxton.

“The House has been conducting an investigation related to your request for $3.3. million dollars of public money to pay a settlement resolving litigation between your agency and terminated whistleblowers,” the committee’s letter reads.

At this point, Speaker Phelan’s spokesman Cait Wittman issued a statement regarding the matter, claiming that “the motives for and timing behind Paxton’s statement today couldn’t be more evident,” per Brad Johnson of the Texans.

“Mr. Paxton’s statement today amounts to little more than a last ditch effort to save face,” she alleged.

However, the statement did not provide any explanation for Phelan’s behavior in the House and whether it was the result of intoxication or a medical condition.


Several attempts to contact Speaker Phelan’s office were unsuccessful, and he has not issued any response to the incident as of publication.

Regarding Paxton’s call for Phelan’s resignation, Texas GOP Chairman Matt Rinaldi told The Dallas Express, “The House should thoroughly investigate all appearances of impropriety and apply the rules fairly and evenly. We will withhold further comment until the factual record is more fully developed.”

https://dallasexpress.com/stat...s-on-drunken-claims/

Or maybe he is diabetic and was having difficulty regulating his blood glucose, or maybe he has blood pressure issues and his BP meds or lack thereof were affecting him adversely, or maybe he gets migraines and took one of the novel migraine medications like Trokendi.

But typical lawyer attitude…guilty until proven innocent.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Or maybe he is diabetic and was having difficulty regulating his blood glucose, or maybe he has blood pressure issues and his BP meds or lack thereof were affecting him adversely, or maybe he gets migraines and took one of the novel migraine medications like Trokendi.

But typical lawyer attitude…guilty until proven innocent.

Ken Paxton is a republican lawyer. Admittedly, a crooked republican lawyer who is currently under indictment....but, I'd be willing to bet you voted for him.

And, I'll repeat for you since you apparently can't read....if any of that is true, why isn't Phelan saying it? It's been almost a week.

I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

Rest assured if he had a legitimate medical excuse he would have claimed it the moment this went viral in an attempt to quell the speculation. He is probably working hard on developing a medical excuse as we speak . . . looking for some doctor willing to cook up some contention that he was having a medical issue.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

Yeah, but you did in the general. Voted for somebody under felony indictment for securities fraud. And, now he's trying to use taxpayer dollars (over $3 million) to pay his whistleblower settlement relating to him firing people at the AG's office because they reported him for bribery and abuse of office.

Trump, Paxton, Phelan. Makes you proud to be a Texas republican, eh? Numbnuts.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

No, I'm sure you'd be delighted if he never had to explain showing up knee-walking drunk while presiding over the Texas House of Representatives. No reason at all to hold him accountable.

Unbelievable. You folks have no shame. I guess trump taught you that.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

Yeah, but you did in the general. Voted for somebody under felony indictment for securities fraud. And, now he's trying to use taxpayer dollars (over $3 million) to pay his whistleblower settlement relating to him firing people at the AG's office because they reported him for bribery and abuse of office.

Trump, Paxton, Phelan. Makes you proud to be a Texas republican, eh? Numbnuts.

Because NOTHING in the world is worse than facilitating a Democratic agenda.

Anyone who could even think of endorsing the Democratic platform (Manchin possible exception) is certifiably insane in my opinion.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

No, I'm sure you'd be delighted if he never had to explain showing up knee-walking drunk while presiding over the Texas House of Representatives. No reason at all to hold him accountable.

Unbelievable. You folks have no shame. I guess trump taught you that.

Did I not say that if he was drunk that was bad?

But…unlike you…I am unwilling to crucify people without proof.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

No, I'm sure you'd be delighted if he never had to explain showing up knee-walking drunk while presiding over the Texas House of Representatives. No reason at all to hold him accountable.

Unbelievable. You folks have no shame. I guess trump taught you that.

Did I not say that if he was drunk that was bad?

But…unlike you…I am unwilling to crucify people without proof.

The problem is that you don't seem to be able to properly evaluate the proof in front of your very own eyes. Your support of trump would be a good example of that.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
I didn’t vote for Paxton in the Primary and as far as I know Phelan is not required to make any statement to make you feel better.

No, I'm sure you'd be delighted if he never had to explain showing up knee-walking drunk while presiding over the Texas House of Representatives. No reason at all to hold him accountable.

Unbelievable. You folks have no shame. I guess trump taught you that.

Did I not say that if he was drunk that was bad?

But…unlike you…I am unwilling to crucify people without proof.

The problem is that you don't seem to be able to properly evaluate the proof in front of your very own eyes. Your support of trump would be a good example of that.

You support the Democratic Platform. The illogical stupidity is written down for you and you still agree to it. Now that is insanity. If you say wait…I agree with platform…that just makes you a certifiable nut or just plain dumb.

I have never stated that those Republicans are perfect. I just see the in general Republican trend to be far more logical and economically sound and sane than that of any Democrat led government.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Or maybe he is diabetic and was having difficulty regulating his blood glucose, or maybe he has blood pressure issues and his BP meds or lack thereof were affecting him adversely, or maybe he gets migraines and took one of the novel migraine medications like Trokendi.


But typical lawyer attitude…guilty until proven innocent.

Or maybe his body was temporarily taken over by aliens. Or maybe the devil was waging war on his eternal soul…

I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

You have evidence…thus the accusation is factual.

We will let the reporting and process play out in TX.

quote:

Originally posted by jdollar:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
Or maybe he is diabetic and was having difficulty regulating his blood glucose, or maybe he has blood pressure issues and his BP meds or lack thereof were affecting him adversely, or maybe he gets migraines and took one of the novel migraine medications like Trokendi.


But typical lawyer attitude…guilty until proven innocent.

Or maybe his body was temporarily taken over by aliens. Or maybe the devil was waging war on his eternal soul…

Damn, I hadn't thought of the alien take-over theory. Surprised Lane didn't raise it.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
You have evidence…thus the accusation is factual.

Only you could think that the video wasn't evidence.

If the problem was medical, we would have heard about it from Phelan's office the same day it happened. If we do eventually hear that, it's what Jines said....took a while to find that doctor.

Crickets from Phelan.

at first i thought "doctored video" -- then, wow, his eyes don't look smashed, but his mouth sounds it ... then "is he having a stroke" -

blood sugar issues can make a person appear to be passing out drunk too.

. . . anyone having a medical theory the Speaker might be able to get some doctor to sign off on after-the-fact should drop Phelan an email asap.

Phelan Email

quote:

Originally posted by Lamar:
blood sugar issues can make a person appear to be passing out drunk too.

So can alien possession…. if this guy had ANY plausible medical excuse, his office would have been broadcasting full blast from the day this video went viral…..

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
You have evidence…thus the accusation is factual.

Only you could think that the video wasn't evidence.

If the problem was medical, we would have heard about it from Phelan's office the same day it happened. If we do eventually hear that, it's what Jines said....took a while to find that doctor.

Crickets from Phelan.

I used the wrong word above. Joshua had ‘proof’…thus his accusation was factual.

Proof is a breathalyzer result or a blood alcohol concentration. The video is evidence the man had an impairment…nothing more. I conceded early into this discussion that alcohol is one plausible theory and if so it is bad.

I still subscribe to innocence until proven guilty! No proof bas been provided and there are plausible alternatives.

Physical Manifestation is considered proof at trial.

Since KY S. Ct. banned non consent blood test, I was the first and may still be the only prosecutor in the state to win a physical manifestation trial.

The Defense tried the o have this condition defense.

Your possession of a medical condition is true. We will see.

A PBT test is not admissible at trial. A jury will never hear he blew a .167,

The trial will be on his physical manifestations.

As a doctor, a manifestation is a symptom. Similar symptoms occur over a variety of of diseases. Symptoms are often “subjective” unless it can be measured like body temperature for a fever.

The “art” of being a good diagnostician is not getting too hung up on single “subjectives” and putting to together the larger puzzle.

Physiologic manifestations vary widely across individuals. The only clues in diagnosis that can be marked down as absolutes are “objective” measurements…ie: breathalyzer readings and blood alcohol concentrations.

When condemning a person…I will stick with the absolutes for my judgements.

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

Like Schrödinger says…some people will do ANYTHING to avoid anxiety. Sad.

do not know the man nor his history, either medical or social.

the dysarthria could have been related to chemical, vascular or neuro-electrical issues

all are worthy of investigation

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

Like Schrödinger says…some people will do ANYTHING to avoid anxiety. Sad.

Seems like if a person has to get drunk to do their job, they ought to get another job.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
As a doctor, a manifestation is a symptom. Similar symptoms occur over a variety of of diseases. Symptoms are often “subjective” unless it can be measured like body temperature for a fever.

The “art” of being a good diagnostician is not getting too hung up on single “subjectives” and putting to together the larger puzzle.

Physiologic manifestations vary widely across individuals. The only clues in diagnosis that can be marked down as absolutes are “objective” measurements…ie: breathalyzer readings and blood alcohol concentrations.

When condemning a person…I will stick with the absolutes for my judgements.

That is not the law. Like I said, a PBT is not admissible at trial, but can be probable cause for the arrest and search warrant.

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

Like Schrödinger says…some people will do ANYTHING to avoid anxiety. Sad.

Seems like if a person has to get drunk to do their job, they ought to get another job.

Totally agree.

The thing today is to smoke/vape Cannabis while working.

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

Like Schrödinger says…some people will do ANYTHING to avoid anxiety. Sad.

Seems like if a person has to get drunk to do their job, they ought to get another job.

Totally agree.

The thing today is to smoke/vape Cannabis while working.

Are you serious?

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:

quote:

Originally posted by Mike Mitchell:

quote:

Originally posted by LHeym500:
I just had a mistrial because the Defense lawyer shows up this morning falling down drunk. He blew a .167 and has blood per search warrant pending.

However, he claims it is all politically motivated.

Always someone else’s fault.


He may not be required to make a statement. However, he is required not to show up to Court drunk.

I had an expert witness show up to testify at trial one time drunk as a skunk. He had a bottle of Gatorade that he had about half filled up with vodka. I had my people get him some coffee and water and skipped to the next witness. By then, it was lunch time and the judge gave us an hour and a half so we took him to lunch, got him fed and I was able to put him on that afternoon.

Like Schrödinger says…some people will do ANYTHING to avoid anxiety. Sad.

Seems like if a person has to get drunk to do their job, they ought to get another job.

Totally agree.

The thing today is to smoke/vape Cannabis while working.

Are you serious?

I’ve seen it.

Thanks for the legalize it crowd.

Heck, maybe that’s what Paxton is on…

Cutting to the chase; the greater evil is Paxton the known criminal, the guy ledvm voted for because ledvm couldn't live with himself if he voted for a known non-criminal.

Paxton wanted to use taxpayer money to pay his legal liability. Phelan objected. ledvm would have just taken a knee and let Paxton "steal" from the state.

"Paxton was sued by four of his former aides in 2020. They alleged that he fired them in retaliation for reporting him to federal law enforcement for allegedly taking bribes and using his office to help one of his campaign contributors. The parties reached a settlement of $3.3 million in the lawsuit, but the Texas Legislature has not agreed to fund it using taxpayer dollars.

Phelan previously voiced opposition to Paxton’s request for the state to pay $3.3 million to settle the lawsuit.

“I don’t think it’s the proper use of taxpayer dollars,” Phelan said during an interview in February."

quote:

Originally posted by ledvm:
As a doctor, a manifestation is a symptom. Similar symptoms occur over a variety of of diseases. Symptoms are often “subjective” unless it can be measured like body temperature for a fever.

The “art” of being a good diagnostician is not getting too hung up on single “subjectives” and putting to together the larger puzzle.

Physiologic manifestations vary widely across individuals. The only clues in diagnosis that can be marked down as absolutes are “objective” measurements…ie: breathalyzer readings and blood alcohol concentrations.

When condemning a person…I will stick with the absolutes for my judgements.

I've noticed that your standard of proof for Republican misconduct is more strict than for Democrats.

You're insisting on an impossible standard of proof for this R speaker. A blood test? Really? When and how, when his handlers probably hustled him home to sober up.

I've seen a lot of drunks, and he sure looks drunk to me. Show me a negative blood test.

It's also very telling that the speaker has offered no other explanation. When a politician has a basis to deny an accusation, they take it.

Be honest now. Doesn't he look drunk to you?