The Tea Party is a conservative movement made up of loosely affiliated groups unified around the central principles of limited government and fiscal responsibility. While most of the various groups that compose the movement agree on the Tea Party principles — limited government, fiscal responsibility, personal responsibility, the rule of law and national sovereignty — they often disagree on individual tenets ...
One of the most interesting phenomena of the 2010 election cycle is the number of so-called Tea Party Republicans entering GOP primaries to challenge incumbents they consider RINOs: Republicans in Name Only. Ben Philpott, who's covering the Texas governor's race for KUT news and the Trib, has this report.
Full StoryRemember Van Taylor?
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Education has emerged as one of the more contentious fronts in the gubernatorial campaign, with Kay Bailey Hutchison this week releasing a barrage of school proposals and attacks on the status quo. But the differences between the candidates have more to do with execution than with design.
Full StoryDemocrats are still talking about who'll fill out their statewide ticket, and it doesn't look like they'll know by the end of the week. Republicans might not see everyone's filing this week, but expect all of their non-judicial statewide incumbents to file for reelection.
Full StorySen. Florence Shapiro, R-Plano, will seek reelection next year. Is that really a ray of hope for Elizabeth Ames Jones? Really?
Full StoryThey certainly provide daily fodder for campaign news coverage, but there’s no guarantee that endorsements will translate to anything positive for a candidate — let alone an electoral victory.
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Two Houston bloggers duke it out over the wisdom and promise of the mayor's gubernatorial candidacy.
Full StoryYour afternoon reading.
Full StoryWith the Thanksgiving behind us, it’s time to put noses back to the grindstone — unless you are state Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown.
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Congressional Quarterly's latest rankings of congressional races has only three Texas contests in the "likely" category, two on the Democratic side and one on the Republican side.
Full StoryWho is this bald, wonkish, moderate Democrat, where’d he come from, and why’s everyone talking about him?
Full StoryYour afternoon reading.
Full StoryReady to welcome U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and Gov. Rick Perry into your living room?
Full StoryRepublicans Kay Bailey Hutchison and Rick Perry have started their air war, and Democrat Farouk Shami — new to the race — starts on TV at the same time.
Full StoryYour afternoon reading.
Full StoryThe race for governor has a future in radio.
Full StoryCould Sarah Palin be far behind?
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We live in an era of rudeness, in society in general, in the popular culture, and in our political life. Our culture today rewards incivility, crudeness, and cynicism. You can get on TV if you out-shout and offend the other guy. Everyone screams. No one listens. People don't just disagree; the challenge to the other is a battle to the death. What happened to us?
Full StoryI must put what's best for my campaign aside and do what is best for Texas. That is why I must stay in the Senate while running for the Republican nomination for governor. I cannot walk away while this fight is being fought by our fellow Republicans. I must stay and fight with them.
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Should the state set limits on political contributions? Depends on which candidate you ask.
Full StoryOne little speech and everybody’s all atwitter.
Full Story"It’d be like someone standing at the Alamo going, ‘I’m not gonna survive this thing,’ and all of a sudden he jumps up and starts speaking Spanish!" says Rep. Mark Homer, D-Paris. Maybe so, but switching parties usually works out.
Full StoryRepublican Brian Walker, who lost a close race to Democrat Chuck Hopson in 2008, endorsed Hopson's reelection bid next year — now that Hopson has switched to the GOP.
Full StoryYour afternoon reading.
Full StoryRep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, is endorsing State Board of Education wannabe Thomas Ratliff, an important move because Collin County is a key part of that race's geography.
Full StoryThe SBOE's Don McLeroy might miss Rick Agosto more than he thought.
Full StoryIf Williamson County DA John Bradley is sick of the spotlight, then he got appointed to the wrong commission. Of course, many people would argue that regardless.
Full StoryYour afternoon reading.
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