This week bloggers are following the runoff in House District 97. They're also talking about federal House happenings, the fresh face in the U.S. Senate Democratic Primary and an excerpt from a book by the Son of One Tough Grandma. Closing it out is a list of brand-new things, and an award for Headline of the Week.
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Runoff Run-Up
Chronic, the Austin Chronicle's blog, summarizes the situation in HD-97, concluding that the biggest thing at stake is the free parking downtown.
PinkDome says Gov. Rick Perry's decision to hold the runoff on Dec. 18 "ought to go over like a turd in a punchbowl." "Seriously, a team of monkeys with darts could have selected a better election date," adds Capitol Annex. According to Eye on Williamson, "The strategy is the last-gasp attempt by the right-wing political machine to extend their majority for a scant few years, pass their extremist agenda, preserve their rights to despoil the environment, exploit workers, loot the treasury and widen the gulf between rich and poor."
Burnt Orange Report tells us why they're against Republican Mark Shelton, including his support from House Speaker Tom Craddick and his lack of support for CHIP, while Off the Kuff reports that Democrat Dan Barrett has gotten nods from the Texas Parent PAC and the Texas League of Conservation Voters. And BurkaBlog wonders why Parent PAC would "risk the organization's hard-earned credibility in a race that means nothing."
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The Wrath of Congress
Kuff has "mixed feelings" about Congressional District 22 incumbent Nick Lampson's seize-the-middle-ground reelection strategy. Meanwhile, Rick Perry vs.the World alerts us to the existence of a new blog devoted to watching CD-22, called cd22 watcher, which in turn alerts us to the existence of another CD-22 blog, called Anti Corruption Republican.
And The Wartime Consigliere has a post on Lampson here, featuring a comment by Republican dark-horse candidate Alan Steinberg, as well as a couple of comments by "Anonymous," who thinks like and advertises for cd22 watcher.
Observer catches up with U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett, D-Austin, here, while Walker Report says that James Leininger is vouching for Republican challenger Quico Canseco in CD-23.
Big Brother's black helicopters are scrambling to document the alliance between presidential candidate and U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Surfside, and local Prison Planet patron Alex Jones, says Chronic.
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Corpus Christi Ray
Chronic has a lengthy repartee with new Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Ray McMurrey, a Corpus Christi teacher who says he wants to be the "Texan Paul Wellstone."
Kuff expects McMurrey's announcement to be the highpoint of his campaign, but he'll "keep an eye on him anyway."
"Why would a 'lifelong' Democrat want to run as an independent? Color me skeptical," says South Texas Chisme.
R.G. Ratcliffe of Texas Politics, the Houston Chronicle's blog, takes his first crack at video journalism in this moving picture of McMurrey. Here's a story by Trail Blazers, in which McMurrey is cited as almost calling himself a leper.
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McTell-all
Like psychiatric patients identifying Rorschach inkblots, bloggers are coming away with different takes after reading a teaser from a book by former White House press secretary Scott McClellan (of the Carole Keeton Strayhorn brood).
"Bush is a LIAR!!!!" says Rhetoric & Rhythm. "Scott McClellan admits he is a liar," says Brains and Eggs.
McClellan is throwing his former superiors under the bus, says Texas Blue. Chronic, the Austin Chronicle's blog, wants to know why McClellan is writing a book rather than speaking with the media or investigators. And Trail Blazers observes that McClellan "sounds ticked."
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New to You
New IVR poll, posted on Burnt Orange.
A shocking parking lot encounter, by muckraker.
A faster online dictionary, courtesy of Mike Falick's Blog.
Free e-books, from Mike Falick.
A challenging world geography game, via Mike Falick.
A job opportunity with a new conservative website, relayed by Pink Dome.
New border cameras, as seen by Observer.
Andy Griffith's police car, from Walker Report.
Another Hutto [detention facility]? warns Texas Prison Bid'ness.
Laredo's "Superjail," via Prison Bid'ness.
Rushing the field, Lubbock-style, from Houston's Clear Thinkers.
Rural folks using subprime mortgages to get new homes, by Burnt Orange.
Denise Davis to chair new task force, says Annex.
A new rule on baiting snitches, by Grits.
A new candidate for senator or governor? by Texas Kaos and Annex.
Headline of the Week award goes to Wartime Consigliere for a post on the Mayor of Houston called, "Bill White -- Unstoppable liberal machine?"
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.