The Midday Brief: Oct. 19, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• "Democrat Bill White says Rick Perry is not only rewarding political allies with taxpayer money from the governor's tech fund, he's saying today that Perry appointees are pressuring the staff of the Teacher Retirement System to pick investment companies benefitting Perry contributors." — Whistleblower: Teacher Retirement staff pressured to pick politically-connected investment firms, Trail Blazers

• "There were gasps in the audience as U.S. Rep. Rubén Hinojosa told educators Monday how he and U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes had been told to “go back to Mexico” by a group of Tea Party supporters." — 'Go back to Mexico,' Tea Party members tell border congressmen, Rio Grande Guardian

• "Political hypocrisy is as old as politics itself but when it comes to the stimulus, Congressional Republicans and a handful of conservative Democrats who voted against the Recovery Act have it in spades. Of the 22 Republicans in the Texas congressional delegation, at least 16 officially asked for a portion of the $825 billion stimulus package, according to documents obtained by the Center for Public Integrity and shared with the Observer." — Texas lawmakers denounce government spending, but secretly want more, Texas Observer

• "Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson's challenger is unleashing a two-week ad blitz focused on her misuse of scholarship funds — an ad blitz financed largely through donations that began to pour in after reports that the Dallas Democrat steered college aid to grandsons and other ineligible relatives." — Election foe attacks Eddie Bernice Johnson on scholarship scandal, The Dallas Morning News

• "The House Speaker's race is causing a bit of splintering among conservatives. Texans for Life is pushing back against social conservative and former Republican Party vice chairman David Barton, who sent out an anti-Speaker Joe Straus email last week." — Texans for Life refutes anti-Straus charges in speaker's race, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Two weeks before the gubernatorial election, the season premiere of PBS Frontline features a timely topic: the Cameron Todd Willingham case — and despite initial hesitation, all public broadcasting stations in Texas will air it. " — Frontline Season Premiere Features Willingham Case