Vol 30, Issue 46 Print Issue

Quotes of the Week

You can't be conservative enough to satisfy the Tea Party base of the Republican primary electorate. Cornyn has been rated the second most conservative member of the Senate, and the question comes from them, why not first? They say gut up, look at Ted Cruz and be like that.

Southern Methodist University political science professor Cal Jillson, on the Senate minority whip's current difficulties with the right wing of his party

There's no question. All the money that's not under the Vatican is at UT.

Red McCombs, asked if Texas can get Nick Saban

Just a few weeks ago, people in Washington were saying, ‘Why on earth are you fighting so hard against Obamacare?’ Now, nobody’s saying that. Over and over again you run into people who say, ‘Now I understand what this is all about.’

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, claiming some vindication for using the threat of a government shutdown to force the defunding of the Affordable Care Act

You can still elect a Democrat to a statewide office in the South, if you have the right candidate, with the right biography, in the right cycle. And then hopefully you get some help from the Republicans’ nominating a bad candidate. But that’s a lot of ifs.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County, political science professor Thomas F. Schaller on the challenge facing Democrats throughout the South

The Week in the Rearview Mirror

The Monday filing deadline for the GOP party primary election ended up dominated by the last-minute filing by U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman in the Senate primary against incumbent John Cornyn. Filing in the now open CD-36 was extended until Dec. 16, as required by law.

Meanwhile, Texas Democrats earlier in the day touted their own surprise — the announcement that Court of Criminal Appeals Larry Meyers will run for the Texas Supreme Court as a Democrat. That gives the party its first statewide official since 1998.

The three-day removal trial for Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg wrapped up Wednesday. Visiting Judge David Peeples denied the request to remove Lehmberg whose DUI arrest in April had led to multiple attempts to make her leave office.

Texas GOP gubernatorial hopeful Greg Abbott held back from taking a position on private school vouchers or state education funding during a Wednesday appearance at a San Antonio charter school. Education has begun to take center stage in the contest for governor between Abbott and Democrat Wendy Davis.

A sworn ethics complaint against state Sen. John Carona, R-Dallas, has been thrown out, his lawyer said. The complaint alleged Carona failed to disclose various companies to the Texas Ethics Commission. Carona called the complaint a "stunt" by his opponent.

Political People and their Moves

Brandon Hurley of Grapevine was appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to the Low-Level Radioactive Waste Disposal Compact Commission. His term runs until Sept. 1, 2019.

Doug Shaw has been named Texas Water Development Board's (TWDB) first Agriculture and Rural Texas Ombudsman. He has worked in the agency's water planning division since 2006.

Monica Martinez was named Associate Commissioner for Standards and Programs at the Texas Education Agency with oversight over division areas related to Curriculum; Instructional Materials and Educational Technology; and Federal and State Education Policy.

Manny Garcia, the Mexican American Legisltive Caucus' policy director, will move to the Texas Democratic Party where he will be its new communications director. Garcia's position at MALC will be filled by Lyndsey Rodriguez, the group's current deputy communications director.

The Texas Trial Lawyers Association has installed Michael Guajardo of Dallas as its president and Bryan Blevins of Beaumont as its president-elect for 2014.

Former Texas Insurance Commissioner Eleanor Kitzman has been hired as vice president of Starr Insurance Holdings, Inc.