‘Tis the season for retrospection.

A major chapter of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison’s fight in DC may be drawing to an end.

In a couple of weeks, they'll be all over the place. But political ads at this time of year are dangerous. Ben Philpott filed this report for KUT News and the Tribune.

Just like Santa needs Rudolph et al. to get him through Christmas, Democrat Farouk Shami needs a good team to carry him to the March gubernatorial primary.

Surely they don’t do it this way in Peoria?

Not many local polls have been made public, but this one confirms the rumor mill: One, Rick Perry’s lead in conservative areas of the state is a few points above what the UT/Trib poll found statewide. And, two, the impression that, as of now, the Kay Bailey Hutchison campaign is floundering if it's really trying to peel conservative voters away from Perry in significant numbers.

Newsweek has done its best Carnac the Magnificent impression and divined that the ultimate victor in the race to be the next governor of Texas will be...drumroll please...

Farming’s more than just a state of mind.

If at first you don't succeed, you'd better hope the GAO gives you a second chance.

Say what you will about Republican gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina — she delivers (on commercials, at least).

Stiles and Babalola's long-awaited red-light camera data app. Grissom's two-parter on a powerful Texan's quest to change the DPS report on the crash that killed his son. Ramshaw's two-parter on transitional medicine. Thevenot on the charter school queue. And a ton of political news: KBH filed (but our TribCasters wondered about her path to the GOP nod); Debra Medina filed (and Hamilton tried to sort out what effect she'll have on the race); Farouk Shami defiantly remained in the Democratic primary (but Hu couldn't find evidence that he'd voted very often, let alone like a Democrat); and Rick Perry sent personalized messages to every Tom, Dick, and fill-in-the-blank. The best of our best from December 7 to 11, 2009

Gotta hand it to these young Republicans for not letting a bitter battle between their bosses get in the way of polite pleasantries on the street.

We are one third of the way through the Rick Perry & Kay Bailey Hutchison Christmas sing-along.

Kay Bailey Hutchison wants Debra Medina included in gubernatorial debates.

Gov. Rick Perry has some things to say about the federal government.  Hint: They are not good.

In 2008, the file at DPS headquarters in Austin still said Scotty Caven III caused the August 2004 car crash that killed him and two others. Officials there had declined to reopen and investigate the case. But his father, UT System regent Scott Caven Jr., wouldn’t take no for an answer.

Governor Rick Perry's campaign using an innovative way to reach out to voters: a modern-day personal touch.

Rick Perry attacked the Environmental Protection Agency’s decision yesterday to declare carbon dioxide a public danger, arguing that the ruling lacks scientific evidence. The EPA's move could propel the cost of carbon reduction onto the list of issues in play in the governor’s race.