The Midday Brief: Aug. 27, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

"The negative ads are flowing in the hot congressional race between Waco Democrat Chet Edwards and Republican challenger Bill Flores. See for yourself. First, we have Edwards' new negative ad catching Flores in a lie (saying he'd voted for Rob Curnock in the last election when he didn't vote). Then we have former Sen. Phil Gramm blasting Edwards in a radio ad." — The Edwards-Flores race goes negative, Texas on the Potomac

"The Rick Perry campaign is not printing or distributing yard signs for supporters, opting instead to use new technology, social media and other avenues to reach voters. But local Republicans across the state still see the value in old-fashioned yard signs, so they are paying the cost of Perry campaign material with their own dimes." — Local party buys Perry yard signs, Trail Blazers

"About two-thirds of Texans want Congress to extend the Bush-era tax cuts that are scheduled to expire at the end of the year, a new Rasmussen Reports poll finds." — Poll finds overwhelming support in Texas for extending Bush tax cuts, Texas on the Potomac

"An image of Texas' Confederate-era state constitution appeared — by mistake, the Republican Party of Texas says — in a handout for reporters at a Waco press conference Thursday. At the event, party chairman Steve Munisteri charged that House Democratic leader Jim Dunnam doesn't live in his district and should step down." — GOP handout cites state's Confederate charter, Trail Blazers

New in The Texas Tribune:

"A new ad from Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, went up on television today." — Chet Edwards Releases Ad Attacking Bill Flores

"The first female district attorney of Harris County on the massive scope of her job, softening her office's tough-on-crime reputation, the link between mental health care and criminal justice, why she set up a Post-Conviction Review Section and what she's learned from innocence cases so far." — An Interview With Harris County DA Pat Lykos