The Midday Brief: Oct. 22, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• "A poll that has accurately predicted the outcome of ever governor's race since 1990 has Gov. Rick Perry leading Democrat Bill White by 11 percentage points in the home stretch of this year's elections." — Poll shows Perry leads among Fox News viewers, Texas Politics

• "Rep. Joe Barton has weighed in on the media controversy of the moment: National Public Radio's decision to fire news analyst Juan Williams over statements he made about Muslims during an appearance on Fox News." — Barton enters the fray over NPR's firing of Juan Williams, supports Congressional hearing, Trail Blazers

• "The unemployment rate in Texas dropped last month, the Texas Workforce Commission reports." — Texas unemployment rate drops, Texas Politics

• "A third-party is trying to sway Fort Worth voters to support statewide Democratic candidates but it's not your typical deep-pocketed political action committee." — Burnam campaigning for statewide candidates more than himself, PoliTex

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "The national group with ties to former Bush White House advisers Karl Rove and Ed Gillespie (and $7 million from Houston homebuilder Bob Perry) steps into the CD-17 race against U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards." — American Crossroads Releases Ad in CD-17

• "Federal immigration officials selectively enforce the law and are dismissing the cases of hundreds of aliens who ought to be deported, according to U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas. He's leading a group of senators unhappy with the Department of Homeland Security for releasing immigrants detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement who haven't committed serious crimes." — GOP Senators Accuse DHS of Releasing Aliens