The Midday Brief: Sept. 3, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• Gov. Rick Perry's newest attack video might prompt a little "revenge of the nerds," as the Houston Chronicle puts it.

• "The 2010 mid-terms may be dominated by antipathy toward incumbents, and political upstarts may be knocking off long-time party favorites from Florida to Alaska, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t extremely difficult to mount a challenge to a well-established incumbent. That’s what Dr. Donna Campbell is discovering as she takes on U.S. Rep. Lloyd Doggett in Congressional District 25." — GOP’s Campbell swings for the fences against incumbent Doggett in CD 25, The Texas Independent

• "The Obama administration today ballyhooed a new Urban Institute report that suggests a path to enrolling 5 million kids in government-sponsored health insurance who are eligible but not signed up. The report says increasing the number of Texas kids on Medicaid and CHIP is 'critical' to reaching this national goal." — Obama administration says Texas must boost enrollment in CHIP and Medicaid, Trail Blazers

• "Don’t expect one of those A-ha! moments to result from the circumstances reported in Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal, in which U.S. Rep. Solomon Ortiz’s name was among six congressmen targeted in a possible ethics investigation. The Journal cited unnamed sources in reporting that the six are under investigation for their use of the daily stipend cash they received for trips abroad. The question is whether they used travel cash for personal expenses in violation of House rules, according to the Journal." — Ortiz has been straightforward about travel, Corpus Christi Caller-Times

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "Gov. Rick Perry's campaign hit the trail with Bill White and captured what it considers to be humorous moments for a new web video posted today: the Democratic nominee tucking one pant leg into his boot, failing to shake someone's hand, looking vaguely reminiscent of Michael Dukakis and more." — Rick Perry Releases "On The Trail" Web Video

• State lawmakers facing an estimated $18 billion budget shortfall will soon wield their knives, but who or what will sustain deep cuts? As Ben Philpott of KUT News and the Tribune reports, county officials are among those waiting to see how the legislative slice-and-dice could affect things back home — and they're particularly nervous about unfunded mandates. — Counties Worry Cuts Lead to Unfunded Mandates