The Midday Brief: November 12, 2009

Your afternoon reading:

• “While Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Phoenix gets all the media attention for his crackdown on illegal immigrants, eight deputies in an unremarkable office at the Harris County Jail are posting similar numbers for deportation -- and doing so without controversy.” — Houston sheriffs round up thousands of illegals — The Washington Times

• “Like I said, she’s cute. Just the way the media likes ‘em.“ — A Shot in the Dark – In the Pink

• “‘I don’t want to be distracted unless there’s a position open,’ he said,” — Dewhurst unsure of potential race for Senate – Midland Reporter-Telegram

• “Skipper Wallace of Lampasas, legislative chairman for the Texas Republican County Chairmen’s Association, said: ‘If this is the only reason she was fired, this was a terrible example of political correctness.’”— An employee’s firing leaves two observers wondering why it happened — Postcards

• “A major procedural vote, if it occurred Tuesday, would be the same day Hutchison is planning on publicly receiving Cheney's endorsement and having him as the featured guest at a fund-raiser in Houston.” — Will health care debate upset Hutchison event with Cheney? – Texas Politics

New in The Texas Tribune:

• “Only Texas and Alaska did not sign on to Common Core State Standards Initiative, an effort to create consistent standards across states.” — Is Texas in the race? – The Texas Tribune