Aaron Pena likes to talk a lot about the "professional left" (definition: people like me who don't get paid to work in politics, not people like him who do get paid) and our "intellectual slumber." I gotta say, I have a hard time taking advice on intellect from someone who, between tweeting about testicles and switching parties, seems to not know the difference between "it's/its" and "your/you're." So I got to wondering: Would Aaron Pena pass the standardized TAKS test?

I've collected just a few of his Twitter gems below. You be the judge and let me know either on Twitter or in the comments section below.

Hidalgo County Democratic Party

Update: Does this make you angry?

Dear Aaron Pena from anthony gutierrez on Vimeo.


"Angry people vote."

Those are Paul Burka's words, writing at TexasMonthly.com this week about the potential Democratic candidate for Senate, General Ricardo Sanchez, and how the Latino population would -- or would not -- react to his candidacy.

It was timely that whispers of Sanchez, a Rio Grande City native, began floating around in the days before I made my way to Hidalgo County, where I was invited by the Hidalgo County Democratic Party Chair Dolly Elizondo-Garcia to speak at their County Executive Committee meeting. This trip down to the Valley was to be my first time in the area, outside of the occasional trip to Laredo.

As I drove through Edinburg, I couldn't get past the burn of what that city had become to me: the home of State Representative Aaron Pena, who saw many of the same problems I see in my state party and yet rather than stay and fight to improve our cause, chose to abandon it. Dusty, yellowed and barren, Edinburg looked like what the rest of the Rio Grande Valley looked like to me during my short time there: poor.

My presentation took place at the International Trade and Technology building at UTPA. Dolly had a large spread of breakfast tacos and coffee ready for guests, and a sign-in table was being worked by Hidalgo County Young Democrats wearing matching HCDP t-shirts. For 10 AM on a Saturday morning, the event was surprisingly well-organized and I realized that Dolly -- or perhaps all of Hidalgo County -- has grown used to the rest of the state underestimating them.

In the meantime, they've continued organizing. Unthreatened and open to new ideas, Dolly has catapulted several strong talents in her area into leadership positions. Eli Olivarez, an immaculate, quick-witted man who founded a chapter of the Stonewall Democrats in Hidalgo County, was encouraged by Dolly to run for the SDEC position in District 20.

Eli credits Dolly for the unity that the Hidalgo County Democrats now reflect. A symbol of this unity can be seen on their "passport" page, a landing page showing four online portals to the many faces of Hidalgo County Democrats. The passport page, which features updates from the local Stonewall Democrats, the Young Democrats, the Democratic Women and the county party itself, implies that everyone isn't the same in Hidalgo County but they all believe in a common vision.

During most of the meeting, an image of Aaron Pena laughing with his Republican cronies was displayed on the big screen at the front of the room, captioned with the words "There's nothing funny about these cuts." At one point in the program, Hidalgo County Commissioner Joel Quintanilla addressed the crowd and, pointing at Aaron Pena's image, said, "Look at this photo and tell me what you see." Spanish curse words were thrown out and someone from the audience said "Judas."

There's a perfect storm brewing in Hidalgo County and it's one that the Republicans have every reason to be afraid of. There's a large population with an intimate knowledge of just how bad the Republican Party can treat its poor, its elderly and its children. There's leadership unlike any I've seen in the Democratic Party since I've been active within it, and I'm confident saying that in Dolly Elizondo-Garcia, I've found my heroine.

But perhaps the final missing piece that could springboard action from Hidalgo County to the rest of the state is anger. The feeling in that room when the subject of Aaron Pena came up wasn't the feeling of a meeting but a revolution.

In questioning whether Latinos in Texas will ever turn out to vote like those in California and Arizona, Paul Burka goes on to write, "Hispanics in Texas are not alienated." Well, thanks to Aaron Pena, they're alienated now and they're angry. The future of the Democratic Party lies in Hidalgo County. They know it, they're uniquely poised to take over and, given the people I met down there this weekend, I don't see how they couldn't.

I know it's been a while since I've written about this toad, but State Representative Aaron Pena (tilde purposefully omitted due to his lack of interest in protecting minority voters) has gone and sold out again. Take it away, Anthony Gutierrez of the TDP:

If Republican State Representative Aaron Pena gets his way, voter intimidation will soon be legal. Pena is the author of House Bill 2588, which strikes the part of current law that keeps watchers from being able to be present at the voting station if the voter is being assisted. So basically, if you are healthy and able to vote without assistance, you get to cast a secret ballot. If you have a physical disability or an inability to read the language in which the ballot is written then you would no longer have a right to a secret ballot.

That's right. Mr. "Open Government" Pena wants to make it easier for a poll watcher to peer over your shoulder while you cast your vote for the elected official of your choice. This probably has something to do with the fact that Pena needs to be assisted when casting his own votes, either by a deep-pocketed lobbyist or an influential Republican map-drawer. Or maybe it's because he can't see over his own ego-filled gullet. Either way, I don't understand how Big Brother watching over the shoulders of the disabled, the elderly and those with the inability to read has anything to do with getting back to moderate values or the Obama administration's response to border issues, both of which Pena cited as being his bogus reasons for switching parties.

In related news, I recently announced on Twitter that I was excited to be heading down to Hidalgo County, Pena's home turf, where I have been invited to speak about social media at the Hidalgo County Democratic Party's Spring Meeting on Saturday at UTPA. Pena tweeted at me that I was always welcome in his district and I retorted that it must be awkward for him that they can't say the same thing about him down there.

I'll be giving a social media training as well as selecting a potential Democratic candidate from the audience to receive a consultation on their social media strategy, so it should be an informative, productive meeting. State Senator Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa will also be there giving a legislative update regarding the budget cuts. Democrats are invited to attend and more details can be found here. I found out tonight they had to move the event to a bigger room because of a large amount of interest in it, which means Aaron Pena might want to start drafting his concession tweet now.
Hidalgo County Democratic Party Spring Meeting

Because of these people:



Why are you in?