The Evening Brief: July 23, 2012

Culled:

• Perry defends Dewhurst as ‘solid conservative,’ blasts Cruz-backing super PAC as focused on inside-Beltway politics (The Dallas Morning News): "Gov. Rick Perry on Monday morning gave a full-throated defense of the conservative bona fides of Senate GOP hopeful David Dewhurst and also blasted Club for Growth, the main super PAC supporting rival Republican Ted Cruz. 'Craft me a conservative with a more conservative voting record than David Dewhurst, and we can have a conversation,' Perry said after he and Dewhurst cast early votes together at a South Austin Randalls supermarket. 'But there’s not one. David has a record of being a solid fiscal, social conservative — and I can’t wait to see this guy in Washington, D.C.'"

• Perry, Dewhurst on weapons in wake of Colorado shooting (Houston Chronicle): "Gov. Rick Perry joined Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst in early voting today at a grocery store, and the two were asked about issues including whether the deadly Colorado shooting means it’s time to talk about banning some types of weapons. Both said their hearts and prayers are with the victims, and neither thought much of the ban discussion. 'Absolutely not,' Dewhurst, who faces Ted Cruz in the runoff for the GOP nod for U.S. Senate, said when asked whether it’s time to talk about a ban. 'Trying to politicize this issue at this time to me is very distasteful.'"

• Club for Growth buys more ad time for Cruz (Houston Chronicle): "The Club for Growth is giving former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz a boost before the July 31 runoff by pouring an additional $574,000 into ad buys, the limited-government group’s Super PAC announced Monday. That puts the group at $2.5 million in media buys to give the Tea Party candidate an edge over establishment-backed Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who it has slammed for a weak conservative record."

• Al Sharpton attends breakfast with Domingo Garcia, but skips GOTV event (The Dallas Morning News): "Civil rights leader Al Sharpton Monday appeared with Congressional District 33 candidate Domingo Garcia at a breakfast in West Dallas, where he talked about the importance of blacks and Hispanics building coalitions. Sharpton is shown in the photo above at the breakfast today with Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins, state Sen. Royce West and Garcia."

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Cruz Decries Dewhurst "Dishonesty" in Latest TV Ad: "Former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz accused Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst of 'false attacks' and 'dishonesty' in a new 30-second TV ad released Monday — the first day of early voting in the U.S. Senate runoff."

• Dewhurst Ad: Obama Doesn't Understand Business: "There's no mention of his opponent in the latest ad from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst. Instead, he touts his business credentials and says, 'I don’t think President Obama understands business' or 'the potential of the private sector.'"

• Lawyers Argue Death Row Inmate Incompetent for His Aug. 1 Execution: "Marcus Druery is scheduled to be executed for the 2002 slaying of a man in Brazos County. Druery's lawyers say he is too mentally ill to understand his punishment. Druery has said his cell is wired and has sent hundreds of letters describing imagined torture on death row."