The Midday Brief: November 11, 2009

Your afternoon reading:

• “In many ways, it was quite an arrogant performance - answering nothing concretely and accusing (implicitly or explicitly) anyone who disagreed with him of bias.” — Defiant John Bradley rebuffed on secrecy pleas — Grits For Breakfast

• “The Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, facing hundreds of lawsuits stemming from hurricanes Ike, Dolly and Rita, wants to limit how much it pays if it loses in court.” - Windstorm insurer seeks immunity in lawsuits – Houston Chronicle

• “The economy is growing again, but the recovery won't quickly soothe the sting of joblessness, said Richard Fisher, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, in a speech Tuesday” — Dallas Fed chief Fisher predicts long wait for job growth — The Dallas Morning News

• “‘We ought to make sure ‘political correctness’ never impedes national security,’ he said.” — John McCain says Fort Hood rampage was 'terror' — The Courier-Journal

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Republican 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 — 2010: Hopson's BFF — The Texas Tribune

• “State schools chief Robert Scott recently failed to get the Legislature to increase the cap on charter schools — then found a legal way to do it anyway, much to the dismay of state Democrats and teachers unions.” — Robert's Rules — The Texas Tribune

• “State agencies are spending tens of millions of dollars every year on information technology contract workers, employees who aren’t on the state payroll – but whose pay often dwarfs those who are.” — Off The Books, Part One: High-Price High-Tech — The Texas Tribune