Bloggers are imparting a Texas twang to Presidential political commentary this week. They're also squawking about the legal showdown between the top-two vote-getters in the 2006 gubernatorial race, buzzing about a hypothetical move by the House Transportation Chair and leveling diverse attacks and commentaries at and about various individuals. At the end, there are some posts that didn't fall into neat categories.
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Hocus POTUS
Several blogs documented Barack Obama's return to Austin: Texas Politics, the Houston Chronicle's blog, says an initial crowd of about 2,000 was augmented by 1,500 late arrivals. Political Junkie, Cue's blog, live-blogged the event and has a video. Trail Blazers, the Dallas Morning News's blog, comments on Obama's clothing and opening acts. (Here's our two cents.)
Burnt Orange has a couple of polls on whom Texans like for President. Looks like good news for Hillary Clinton, comments McBlogger.
[Mike] Huckabee and the Clintons will soon be tromping through Texas, writes Postcards from the Trail, the Austin American-Statesman's blog. Postcards also has word from Mitt Romney's Texas finance team, while Trail Blazers blogs about two new "Mittites" — U.S. Reps. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, and Kay Granger, R-Fort Worth. And Trail Blazers reports on an upbeat John McCain and a disillusioned Matthew Dowd.
Gov. Rick Perry has been stumping out in Iowa for Rudy Giuliani. Texas Politicshas the skinny on the Gov's schedule. Houtopia is just glad Perry's out of Texas, and Burnt Orangereports that Perry is obviously aiming to become Giuliani's running mate. Caption this! commands Trail Blazers, also offering up some pre-captioned photos.
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So Sue Me
In case you're interested in the million-dollar lawsuits filed by Chris Bell against Perry and Republican Governors, here's initial coverage by Texas Politics, and here's some by Political Junkie.
Half-Empty says Perry's actions amount to money laundering and merit arrest. Travis County Attorney David Escamilla plans to look into it, says Texas Politics. And Off the Kuff says scrutiny of the transactions might uncover more misdeeds.
Meanwhile, PinkDome wonders why the individual Bell had to take action, rather than the Texas Ethics Commission.
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Krusee, or Not Krusee
Austin Political Report set the rumor mill into motion this week by floating the idea that state Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, might retire in favor of a place on the Texas Transportation Commission. (Our take on that notion — that it's unlikely and, for now, illegal — is here.)
Nevertheless, Capitol Annex corroborates the rumor with the anonymous testimony of "several tipsters," and muckraker does likewise with "whispers from sources," also tossing out the idea that Round Rock Mayor Nyle Maxwell could toss his hat in the ring. "The heck you say," adds WilcoWise, while Muckraker teases he'll have inside insight later on.
Burnt Orange says Democrat Diana Maldonado will make the race for Krusee's House District 52 worth watching, while Eye on Williamson still thinks Krusee could draw an opponent in the GOP primary, despite the recent truce between Krusee and House Speaker Tom Craddick. And Political Junkie has a running tally of retiring state reps, purported and confirmed.
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This Time, It's Personal
State Rep. Aaron Peña, D-Edinburg, goes on the offensive against opponent Eddie Saenz for what he calls a dirty trick by Saenz consultant Kelly Fero.
Burnt Orange lauds Texas Monthly's Paul Burka for a story on Cornyn, while alleging that the subject of said article is "such a tool." In response, Greg's Opinion is that "BOR's Phillip Martin seems to have a little something on his nose" and that Burka's article is "a bit more vapid than normal." More from Greg on Burka here, while McBlogger titters at the gauge of Cornyn's shotgun.
Burnt Orange takes some extra time to biographize on its own three senior members, to attack embattle Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Sharon Keller and to promote the website SharonKiller.com. Here's a legal update by Texas Lawyer Blog.
One of the Professors-R-Squared will provide expert commentary on a film about Watergate prosecutor Leon Jaworski (grandfather of SD-11 candidate Joe Jaworski).
BurkaBlog has a triumvirate of posts on who will become the main man at Texas A&M University, mentioning Gov. Perry and retired Gen. T. Michael Moseley, as well as an unrelated item on the state of the House Speaker.
The Capitol Crowd's Person of the Week is "Renaissance Man" Walt Roberts. And Grits for Breakfast laments the passing (into other employment) of Elizabeth Pierson Hernandez, the lone Austin Bureau reporter for the Valley Freedom newspaper group.
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Et Cetera
Is the new Virginia the future Texas? wonders Professors.
Democrat Diane Trautman is challenging HD-127 incumbent Joe Crabb, R-Atascocita, again, says BurkaBlog.
There's going to be a big bloggers' convention in Austin in July, writes Trail Blazers.
Trail Blazers shares some thoughts from former San Antonio Mayor Henry Cisneros.
Notwithstanding the retirement of Rep. Robby Cook, D-Eagle Lake, the Democratic Party is still strong in rural Texas, says Burnt Orange.
Former U.S. Senate candidate Barbara Ann Radnofsky is backing Larry Joe Doherty in CD-10, says Burnt Orange, and former U.S. Senate candidate Victor Morales will challenge state Rep. Betty Brown, R-Terrell, says Annex.
Rick Perry vs The World analyzes the CD-22 race, predicting dire results for incumbent Nick Lampson, D-Stafford.
Walker Report relays a post by the South Texas Republicans confirming the unofficial intent of Lyle Larson to run in CD-23.
Finally, in case you were wondering what Tom Delay is up to these days, Trail Blazers has the details.
This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Patrick Brendel, who hails from Victoria and finds Austin's climate pleasantly arid. We cherry-pick the state's political blogs each week, looking for news, info, gossip, and new jokes. The opinions here belong (mostly) to the bloggers, and we're including their links so you can hunt them down if you wish. Our blogroll — the list of Texas blogs we watch — is on our links page, and if you know of a Texas political blog that ought to be on it, just shoot us a note. Please send comments, suggestions, gripes or retorts to Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey.