Republican Market, a Florida-based website devoted to all things GOP, was recently spotted at the Republican State Convention in Houston with a booth offering the latest round of politically shallow and morally irresponsible pins declaring "If Obama is President...will we still call it the White House?" ...

Primary results from national/state/local races: So even though it seems that Hillary won the Texas primary (it's interesting that Obama led in statewide early voting), Obama may beat her in delegate numbers. In the GOP race, McCain is now the GOP candidate as Huckabee gives up the ghost. In Travis County, Ron Paul won 17% of the vote . . . ...

Unlike past primaries where the Presidential nominees were already decided by the time we voted, Texas' votes are quite significant this year. After the polls close this evening, the party's not over; it's precinct convention time! This whole caucus thing is new to us, so we thought it was worth posting a refresher....

No survivors in Venezuela plane crash. Protesters set fire to U.S. embassy in Belgrade. "Whatever happens, we're going to be fine." Republican Rep. Rick Renzi has been indicted for extortion, wire fraud and money laundering. McCain manages to dodge "improper relationship" political bullet. ...

...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'....

Austin's Balmorhea released River's Arms last week, and kicked off their tour here in town. Their tour to support the record will follow the east coast, and land them back here in time for some SXSW gigs. Sample some of the instrumental band's lulling, hypnotic tunes c/o Western Vinyl, and check back here for a full-length review very soon....

It shouldn’t take more than 350 words to explain why I intended to vote Ron Paul for President, and roughly two words to explain why there’s now no chance in hell....

If you want to vote in Texas' presidential primary elections but haven't registered yet, time is running out. Monday is the last day for voter registration....

Roy Spence, the Austin advertising legend and co-founder of the GSD&M ad agency, has recently taken a more prominent role in the presidential campaign of Hillary Clinton....

Photo by smellyknee on flickr Sorry, Kucinich fans: Federal judge rules that he won't be on the Texas ballot. Downtown oil-spill sends 1,500 gallons of oil into Waller Creek, and it is still unclear where the oil came from. City of Hutto signs U.S. Mayors Climate Protection Agreement. Seven City of Austin employees alter vehicle inspection stickers, get arrested. Search is still on for Lewisville dad who killed his two daughters; on New Year's Eve......

The week's news on arts, books, film and music....

It seems most of the Republican candidates are bent on showing Iran the gates of Hell. The Onion editor is moving to Moveon.org. What the deuce? Kerry endorses Obama and no one cares, except Edwards. 6th Street between Brazos and Congress still closed due to oil spill. A what? Bush is desperately trying to make some kind of positive impression before being dismissed as the worst president in our history. Too little, too late......

Photo by smellyknee on flickr Kucinich left off Texas primary ballot for not signing Dem loyalty oath, sues. No Republican is running for Travis County DA. How's the City Manager search going? Norman Mailer archive at Ransom Center opens to the public today. We've been told that it is nigh impossible to find a Nintendo DS in town. NYTimes says the DS is as big a hit for Nintendo as the Wii. West Lake Hills......

Elections to continue in Pakistan despite the assassination of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif's vow to boycott them. Republican Mike Huckabee is clueless about Pakistan. Your tax refund could be delayed due to Congress' late fix to the alternative minimum tax. UT won the Holiday Bowl and the sports world yawned. San Francisco zoo director Manuel Mollinedo claims that the tiger's enclosure fell short of the industry's safety standards. Is anyone else......

Photo of Rick Noriega by Matt Wright on flickr After the muggy weekend, some Central Texas counties (not Travis) are under freeze warnings tonight. Today Rick Noriega officially launched his campaign against Cornyn for the Senate seat. Cedar Park police going after drivers who skip out on paying 183A tolls. House State Affairs Committee to review TxDOT's "Keep Texas Moving" ad campaign. Gov. Perry is now heading up the Republican Governor's Association. AT&T is leaving......

Hillary plants one again, this time at the Republican debate. Broadway re-opens tonight. The newly proposed tuition hike brings about protests from the UT student body. Family lawyer claims "Baby Grace" was murdered for not saying "Please" or "Yes, sir". Iran is cracking down on rap music. Half of immigrants in Texas are illegal. We may be late on this one, but has anyone seen the man that is turning into a tree? Click......

Photo of Z. Bechtol from statesman.com Man found dead under car at a Round Rock Walgreens. Zenobia Bechtol, 14, has been missing since last night around 10pm. More than half of the state's school districts pass on the teacher merit pay plan. Smoking ban started today at some Central Texas hospitals. The two suspects who broke into McBrides earlier this week weren't after guns. State Rep. Dawnna Dukes receives a $10,000 donation from Bob Perry's......

Bush wants $45 billion more for Iraq, Afghanistan, and a couple other wars he's not even telling us about. Southern Californian fires drive hundreds of thousands of people out of their domiciles. Police officer in NYC goes off the tracks, shoots man in road rage incident. If that police officer wasn't screwed up enough for you... Republican voters ask: What Would Chuck Norris Do? MySpace soon to feature games (beyond the game you already......

Governor Rick Perry today announced his official support of Republican presidential candidate and former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose pro-abortion stance has enraged many conservatives. Perry, in today's declaration, admitted that reconciling the hot-button issue was the biggest obstacle in his endorsement. Giuliani, in turn, pledged to nominate hard-line "strict constructionist" judges to the Supreme Court. Perry replied that he was "comfortable" with this answer. "For the last six months, I have cogitated,"......

Kay Bailey Hutchison may be running for governor and detests your anonymous blog. Retiring Republican Reps may lead the Dems to a larger majority in the House when election time rolls 'round. Temporary pedestrian islands to go up on S. Congress Avenue, in the area between Riverside and Ben White. Live bat found at McNeil High School yesterday has tested positive for rabies. And another rabid bat was found this weekend at the Convention......

DPS will let the neighbors know that an Austin couple (mentioned in yesterday's Extra Extra) are not sex offenders. Because of "grade issues" and injuries, Johnston High's football season may already be kaput. So teens can't vote? A former Texas Secretary of State thinks they should be able to work at the polls anyway. City of Austin releases schedule for free flu shots; check eligibility requirements. Some North Texas sex offenders arrested for posting......

The Lamar Train Bridge has forever been a canvas for local graffiti artists, Austin High seniors, and hopeless romantics with poor penmanship. Long gone are the days of "EMINEM IS GOD"; a few months ago, the most prominent thing on that rusty old bridge was a declaration of peace. Now, looking east from Lamar, you'll be reminded of the grassroots appeal of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul. Let's see how long this one lasts.......

Hillary Clinton compares Dick Cheney to infamous science fiction character. Guess which one. Thousands are gathering in Jena, LA today in support of the 'Jena 6.' Republican representative claims just too many mosques in this country. The UN's General Assembly is next week and Iranian President Ahmadinejad asked to lay a wreath at Ground Zero. The NYPD is not having it. One heck of prank or one heck of a hangover. 100,000 cans of......

The mother of a missing British girl to become a suspect in the case. Republican Fred Thompson focuses on Iowa voters. A US district judge strikes down portions of the Patriot Act. US forces at a all-time high in Iraq. Osama bin Laden dyes his beard to look younger. Democratic fundraiser, Norman Hsu, faces sentencing on 16-year-old grand theft conviction. Paul McCartney is still cool.......

In Texas, one arrest for possession of marijuana costs the taxpayer $2,000, takes the police officer off the street for about three hours, and fills a space in an already overcrowded jail system for at least one night. However, once House Bill 2391 goes into effect on September 1st, you'll no longer get immediately carted off to jail—it's now up to the officer's discretion to cite individuals found in possession of four ounces (a quarter-pound)......

UT Austin dropped from its much-heralded top spot in this year's rankings of the country's Best Party Schools, published in The Princeton Review's annual "Best Colleges" survey. Based on input from over 120,000 students across the nation, the rankings are a decent barometer of general public opinion among the notoriously fickle college set. Students were asked to rate universities based on "use of alcohol and drugs, hours of study each day, and the popularity......

Don't look now, but Mitt Romney might really be the Republican nominee. They found that fake Steve Jobs guy. Some couple in Arkansas just had their seventeenth child. Would it be rude for us to send them a copy of The Population Bomb? Stevie Wonder is going on tour! (The real Stevie Wonder, not the fake Stevie Wonder.) Bad cops in Bangkok have to wear Hello Kitty armbands. That's supposed to be a punishment?......

Yesterday, the 80th Texas Legislature officially ended. And if you thought this session was fraught with partisan bickering and political vendettas... baby, you ain't seen nothing yet. On Monday morning, just after midnight, the long-brewing attempt to dethrone the powerful Tom Craddick, Speaker of House, reached a fever pitch as several Republican anti-Craddick members rose up to move for a vote on whether Speaker Craddick should vacate his position. The Speaker's chair fought back......

Our Craigslist Missed Connections guru is taking a break this week, but one of our readers was kind enough to pass along this, uhh, little treasure. Let's just say this isn't the first time we've come across an anonymous admirer fawning over the Mayor of Rock and Roll: Mayor Will Wynn and the Gold-digging Hoochie Mamas - w4m - 33 Reply to: pers-322663324@craigslist.org Date: 2007-05-01, 8:54PM CDT Mayor Will Wynn, you are hot. Really, what......

And he's telling us all about it. Mr. Bush is just not the man Dowd thought he was when Dowd first signed on with him, he indicated today in a New York Times interview. Dowd, an Austinite and longtime key Texas Democratic strategist, switched parties and joined the Bush campaign team in 1999 because he believed then-Governor Bush would make a sincere attempt to bridge the partisan divide. His disillusionment during the Clinton administration left......