Bill Burkett: "Charter Member" of the Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party

The Old Press presents Bill Burkett as an alienated lone wolf, a disabled former member of the National Guard working independent of all power bases - but nothing is further from the truth. Far from being a wacked-out loner, Bill Burkett is powerful and influential figure in the Texas Democratic Party.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Texas-Democrats/message/7278


From: "Stan Merriman"
Date: Fri Sep 17, 2004 2:11 pm
Subject: Bill Burkett and David Van Os vs. Karl Rove

Fellow Progressive Populist Caucus Members:

Our brother, Bill Burkett is under siege by the Carl Rove smear machine. Bill is a charter member of the PPC and our friend. Co-founder of the PPC with me,

David Van Os assures me that as Bill's legal Counsel on a longstanding basis, any assertions that Bill has engaged in "forgery" vis a vis the now infamous documentation of the Bush desertion of duty as a Texas National Guardsman is total smear with the footprints of the Karl Rove modus operandi all over it. Representing the PPC, I stand with both our brothers Burkett and Van Os and applaud their guts to stand up to the right wing slander machine; President
Kerry and many of our DNC brethren can take a lesson from our two populist
fellow-Texans who have the cajones to look contemptuously in the eye these
ruthless cowards bringing down our formerly proud democracy and tell them to go
to h*ll.

Stan Merriman
Chair, Progressive Populist Caucus of the Texas Democratic Party.

The Progressive Populist Caucus, in their own words, is "the democratic wing of the Democratic Party in Texas". Their Steering Committee is comprised of a stellar group of Texas Democrats:

OFFICERS

Chair: Stan Merriman, Harris County
Secretary: Kathy Curley, Dallas County
Treasurer: Armando C. Cadena, Bexar County
Sgt. at Arms: Anna V. Casey, Collin County
Membership: John Curley, Dallas County
Strategy Chair: Melissa McIntosh, Dallas County
Convention Strategy Chair: John Behrman, Harris County
Parlimentarian: David Van Os, Bexar County

Vice Chairs:

San Antonio/South: Ann Marie Schroeder, Bexar County
Austin/Central: Bruce W. Barrick, Travis County
Houston/SouthEast: Julie Jackson Lusby, Harris County
DFW/North: Bill Howell, Dallas County
West: Wild Horse, El Paso


Among them, David Van Os - who is Burkett's legal counsel, and is currently running for Texas Supreme Court Judge.

The Texas Democratic Party thinks enough of Stan Merriman to let him write copy for their website - and Merriman, Chair for the Steering Committee of the Progressive Populist Caucus, thinks enough of Bill Burkett to call him "a Charter Member". Clearly, Bill Burkett is not working alone, but is instead working with the blessing of the Democratic Party...