It's that frisky season when politicians of the same stripe nonetheless go neck to neck with their sometimes-allies to differentiate themselves while ripping their brothers-in-arms a new one. In the presidential primary, the corn belt has been shaken with a barrage of negative ads from Republican party hopefuls - Mitt Romney (who isn't taking responsibility for said ads) blasts Newt Gingrich, and now Newt's associates are blasting back. It's all very exciting, but even with two Texas dogs in the hunt it feels very removed. The good news is that a debate is headed not just to Texas, but to Austin - and though it probably won't have the vim and vigor of the Perry Vs. Perry debates we've seen, at least this one doesn't take place in Iowa. more ›

Sick pleasure alert! Those goony GOPers are at it again, and Austinist is in the thick of it with a enough snark to choke…well…an elephant. This time around, we're camped out on the back patio at The Dog and Duck Pub, so if you wanna come out and pound a few pints, we'd be happy to see ya.
The fun starts at 6:30PM. If you make it out to the D'n'D, just look for our laptops and hunker down. The secret password is "GINGRICH/PAUL 2012!!!"
more ›

Sick pleasure alert! Those goony GOPers are at it again, and Austinist is in the thick of it with a enough snark to choke…well…an elephant. This time around, we're camped out on the back patio at The Dog and Duck Pub, so if you wanna come out and pound a few pints, we'd be happy to see ya. The fun starts at 6:30PM. If you make it out to the D'n'D, just look for our laptops and hunker down. The secret password is "GINGRICH/PAUL 2012!!!" more ›

Calloo, callay - another primary debate. We're live blogging these televised gifts that keep on giving tonight from an undisclosed location. Tonight, the bullpucky is hitting the fan at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina where the eight GOP candidates will be orally sparring over foreign policy. So, yeah-Jon Hunstman aside-this oughtta be awesome. Let's get to it. more ›

It's that time again, Austin! At 7pm Central this evening, Austinist's venerable Politics section will continue its relentless flogging of the Republican presidential candidates as they convene once again for a "debate". We reserve the right to use the term loosely. more ›

Howdy y'all! Katie Friel and Elizabeth Nowrouz are joining me at Scholz Beer Garden to dork out on the Republican debate. After a few technical issues, we're up and running just as the candidates are starting… more ›

Howdy y'all! Austinist factotum Joshua Huck here, along with fellow Isters Gregory Haley, Elizabeth Nowrouz, and the inimitable Politics Section Editor Barbara Strickland. We'll be liveblogging tonight's debate and getting lightly sozzled along with the good folks at Burnt Orange Report out at The Tavern, so pull up a chair and enjoy! more ›

Governor Perry continues to duck debates, and a chicken finds a new home to roost. more ›

Gov. Rick Perry (R) has refused to debate his Democratic challenger Bill White until White releases his tax records for the years he's been in public office. Today White did just that. Is Perry ready to rumble? more ›

Sunday, October 19, Speaker Tom Craddick and his District 82 opponent, Bill Dingus, squared off in a televised debate in Midland. Candidates discussed issues from the merits of CHIP, TxDOT, property taxes, and lobbyists. The surprise at the debate, however, was that Leslie Ward, a vice president and lobbyist for AT&T, was allowed to sit at the table with local journalists and have a turn at asking questions. AT&T was the debate's official sponsor, and its Political Action Committee (PAC) recently donated an even 50 G to Craddick's own PAC three days before the debate. more ›

• Stakes are high as Obama and McCain head for final debate
• President Bush says he's confident that the economy will come back "in the long run"
• Hurricane Omar nears Puerto Rico with 80-mph winds

• The second presidential debate: "remarkably sedate", "low-voltage", "tedious"
• The Federal Reserve and other world banks enact an emergency rate cut
• Work with glowing jellyfish leads to Nobel Prize in chemistry

...Obama delineates his popularity, and receives the longest applause yet. Hillary shifts, the glow in her eyes flickers. Something has changed, and she can taste it. Maybe the phrase that crosses her mind is 'tipping point'. more ›