Results tagged “politics”

As they've been promising, the Texas Tribune officially launched its site this morning. With the debut comes a plethora of content, including the results of the first-ever University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll (we'll report on this later), almost a dozen downloadable databases of stuff from gubernatorial appointees to Texas campaign expenditures, and a nifty page that lists all elected officials and what party they belong to.

A judge in Dallas and state Attorney General Greg Abbott are publicly butting heads over a potentially precedent-setting gay divorce case.

Governor Perry's campaign has drummed up a creative way for its supporters to profit off its success.

Members of Governor Perry's re-election campaign are in a huff after the web video feed broadcasting his live speech was hijacked by hackers.

The Austin headquarters for Equality Texas, a statewide organization that educates and engages people on policies and their effect on Texans of all sexual orientations, were vandalized this past weekend. Perpetrators smashed the large plate glass window facing the street, but didn't enter the building or remove any of its contents.

• The uninsured are more likely to have Republican or Blue Dog representatives in Congress.
• The Southeast floods; 8 people lose their lives.
• Obama at the UN to talk about climate today.

• The explains what Saturday’s Longhorn Game really meant in the grand scheme of things.
• Dell Children’s Medical Center has so many flu patients that they are setting up outside tents to deal with the overflow!
• Political Smackdown: Governor Goodhair vs. Senator Goodhair.

• The next Osama bin Laden?
• Best frenemies forever: China talks smack about U.S. tire duty taxes
• New bin Laden tape surfaces

Exuberant Austinite Marc Katz, owner of Katz's Deli, intends to run as the Democratic candidate for Texas' lieutenant governor position next year, he announced over the weekend.

• SMU v. condo owners: the property dispute over the land where SMU wants to set up George W. Bush's presidential library is far from settled.
• A federal appeals court has sided with LULAC (League of United Latin American Citizens) against the Texas Democratic Party's "Texas Two Step" delegate process. LULAC says the TDP's process should be subject to the federal Voting Rights Act.
• One of the memes circulating today after Sen. Ted Kennedy's death last night is a video of him singing a snippet of "Ay, Jalisco, no te rajes" at a 2008 Laredo campaign stop for Obama.

"Look at this shoe," DeLay marvels, his head wagging sassily as he holds the footwear up to the camera. "A Texan doesn't wear a shoe like this ... it's a little pahhhump with high heels!" Matthews responds with an all-too-predictable gay joke about DeLay maybe being too light in the shoes, prompting the disgraced former House Majority Leader to cackle.

• White House considering compromise on health care reform
• Senate Dems propose nonprofit health care co-ops
• American Public: Whazzat?

Former Austin mayor and current State Senator Kirk Watson, who had been rumored to be planning a run for governor, has formally announced that he wants to stay in the State Senate. "There’s been a lot of speculation about my plans for the next election. Well, I’ve decided what I’m going to do. . . I will run for re-election to the Texas Senate in 2010," he said in a statement released this afternoon. So far the Democrats running for governor haven't captured as much attention as the GOP matchup between Perry and Hutchison; without Watson, the biggest name in the Dem race is Tom Schieffer (Bob's brother), with rumors of former Travis County AG Ronnie Earle or past Independent candidate for governor Kinky Friedman possibly running in the Democratic primary also. [Austin Chronicle]

Two Presidents and a Prime Minister walk into a bar... 47 killed in Iraq bomb attacks Economic MadLibs: Cash-for-(insert noun here) Republicans stashing away the pennies for 2012 Back-to-school shopping? Don't forget your sexually transmitted disease vaccine! Porn industry at half-mast Dylan to release Christmas album -- no joke.

Since his first town-hall meeting didn't go so well, Congressman Lloyd Doggett appeared at the CommUnity Care healthy kids fair in Northeast Austin this weekend to further discuss the health care reform bills now being discussed in Washington. As before, impassioned citizens—both for and against the proposed reform plan—came out in droves, though this one seemed to encourage less of the disruptive vitriol that spewed forth from angry "Tea Party Patriots" last week.

Obama administration to overhaul Fannie and Freddie? How will Bill Clinton's visit to N. Korea affect future nuclear talks? 15-year-old Iraqi girl sentenced to seven and a half years in prison for her part in an attempted bombing. But was she a willing participant? Woman and her baby, both kidnapped from North Austin, rescued (sort of) in Uvalde; authorities let their kidnapper walk away. Louisiana politician William J. Jefferson found guilty on corruption charges. ll the cool kids are studying statistics. Bens out of At the Movies; film critics A. O. Scott and Michael Phillips in. Beastie Boy Adam Yauch recovering after having a cancerous tumor removed.

Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison wants to focus on the March Republican primary (so far she has raised $12.5 mil for the governor's race to Perry's $9.3 mil) and mentioned in a radio interview this morning that she expects to exit the Senate somewhere around October or November. When her resignation is official, Gov. Perry is likely to pick someone to fill her seat until a special election is held. Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams (R), former State Comptroller John Sharp (D), Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst (R), and Attorney General Greg Abbott (R) are some of those expected to try for Hutchison's soon-to-be vacant seat in the special election (which might be held earlier than May 2010). [Washington Post]

• Obama pushes on with health reform, Republicans push back
• US Military searches for captured Afghanistan soldier
• Six (more or less) out of 10 (approximately) economists say recession could be kinda sorta maybe easing... or not.

Partisan lines drawn in Sotomayor nomination debate Obama selects Alabama family doc, Genius Grant recipient for Surgeon General Dems nudge harder for CIA/Cheney investigation Kim Jong-Il diagnosed with pancreatic cancer Obama's "tough love" message to Africa In wake of protests, Philadelphia swim club asks kids back Alcohol cuts dementia risk... except when it doesn't

A recent statewide survey shows that Governor Rick Perry is still the favored candidate versus Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison in next year's Republican primary—though not by much.

They say you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Congressional candidate Laney Melnick hopes that isn't true. As a result of a technical glitch, hundreds of people have received multiple emails from the Melnick campaign over the past few days.

in the war-torn country of Afghanistan, there’s a TV show much like our own inexplicably popular American Idol, where anyone can compete regardless of race, age, religion, or any other factor. And people all over the country use their cell phones to vote for their favorite performer. This remarkable film (winner of Directing and Audience Awards at this year’s Sundance Film Festival) follows four finalists as they compete to become the next Afghan Star.It's sure to inform, inspire, enlighten, and entertain you. And that’s a lot more than Simon Cowell could ever do for you.

• Iranian Cleric: Protesters at War With God.
• Record heat prompts weather advisories, all-time energy consumption.
• New 'no refusal' DWI legislation for Texas.

SB 488 would have created a safe zone around special roadway users. Special users included pedestrians, runners, skaters, motorcyclists, cyclists, and more. The bill passed 26-5 in the Senate and passed on the local calendar in the House. It attempted to change current driver behavior (and possibly save lives) by criminalizing the near physical harm of fast-moving vehicles inches from your elbow. Governor Perry has some recent personal experience with pedestrian life on the road; he ran in this year’s Texas Independence Relay, a 203.2 mile race from Gonzalez to Houston. You can view the Governor’s objections here.

Did anyone see any disgruntled legislators fleeing the scene? Hours after announcing to reporters that he intended to call a special legislative session later this summer, Gov. Rick Perry crashed his mountain bike and broke his collarbone. The governor was treated and released from the hospital last night, but has cancelled all of his appointments today. [KVUE]

Today Gov. Perry announced to an unsurprised Capitol Press Corps that there will indeed be a legislative special session, but the schedule for it is still being decided. The special session is likely to deal with the issues the Senate left unresolved at sine die. Whether the session will also include the contentious topic of Voter ID is up in the air. [KVUE: Political Junkie]

• Guantanamo suspect transported to NY under cover of darkness; will face trial.
• This is an interesting kind of opaque transparency.
• Palin vs. Gingrich - the battle heats up.

Yesterday was Sine Die for the Legislature, but the State Senate skipped out before passing legislation to cover the operations of state transportation and insurance agencies through 2011 (the next legislative session). With this hanging over his head, Gov. Rick Perry will have to come up with some sort of solution. Does this mean a Special Session in the near future? Many suspect that one may have to called to resolve this issue, but neither the Governor nor House Speaker Straus think it necessary. . . yet. [Dallas Morning News]

Sen. Cornyn speaks out against Rush and Newt's comments on Sotomayor's "racism." Obama to name a "cyber czar." Texas Senate passes the budget. Dell income plunges 63% in early 2009. Austin woman charged in death of husband. Actress urged me to take ecstasy, says doctor in sex scandal trial. Bye, Jay. Heeeeeere's Conan!

Legislature passes a TV recycling bill: "A zombie TV can rot your brain, literally." It's official: Perry's appointment of a creationist dentist to the State Board of Education has been rejected by the Senate. Gov. Perry says he will veto the CHIP expansion bill if the Senate passes it. Rick Perry among the Political Junkie's "Most Endangered of Getting Knocked Off in the Primary Next Year" list. 24-year-old woman in trouble with the law after leaving her 4-year-old alone in their apartment for hours at a time. AG Abbott charges Conn's with aggressive and deceptive sales tactics. A paint spill closed down IH35 Northbound in Round Rock for a while today.