The Midday Brief: February 23, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

“We have determined that the best strategy for Democrats in this election is to vote in the Republican primary and we urge all loyal Democrats to do so, except in areas of the state, such as South Texas, El Paso and some East Texas counties where most local officials are Democrats.”—  Found in the Democratic party’s dumpster — Burkablog

“In conversations with a number of strategists familiar with the race — and the state's politics — over the past few days, a few common themes emerged.” — What happened to Kay Bailey Hutchison?  — The Washington Post

“That's a formidable sum. Remember how the party's standard bearer last time, Chris Bell, had to beg $2.7 million from the late trial lawyer John O'Quinn, just to remain visible down the home stretch of the general election?” — White raised $2.2 million, has $5.4 million cash — The Dallas Morning News

“An obvious “problem child’’ spouting extremist views, Hasan made numerous statements that were not protected by the First Amendment and were grounds for discharge by violating his military oath, investigators found.” — Ft. Hood suspect was Army dilemma — The Boston Globe

“Overall, state tax collections fell to $134.5 billion in the last quarter of 2009, a 4.1 percent drop from the $140.2 billion collected during the same period a year earlier, according to the report, which will be released Tuesday by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government.”  — Recession Tightens Grip on State Tax Revenues — The New York Times

New in the Texas Tribune:

With one week to go before election day, the latest Public Policy Polling snapshot shows the Republican gubernatorial candidates likely headed into a runoff and Democrats avoiding one. — 2010: PPP Poll and Runoff Likelihoods

It was a short period, but the money flew out of Kay Bailey Hutchison's and Rick Perry's campaign treasuries (as it did, most likely, out of anyone's who is in a real primary race).  — 2010: Spending Spree [updated]

Republican Senate District 5 candidate Ben Bius, who faces an uphill battle in unseating 20-year incumbent Steve Ogden, R-Bryan, likes to tell a story about getting a phone call from Odgen before the campaign ever started. — Primary Color: SD-5

In 2008, as a wave of Democratic victories had the party eyeing a state House majority for the first time since 2003, Republican state Rep. Linda Harper-Brown held on to her Irving seat by the narrowest margin of any incumbent in the state: just 19 votes out of 40,000 cast against Democrat Bob Romano. — Primary Color: HD-105