The Midday Brief: Oct. 27, 2010

Your afternoon reading:

• "State Rep. Kino Flores, a South Texas lawmaker accused of using his elected position to sell legislative favors, was convicted Wednesday of multiple counts of tampering with government records and perjury." — Legislator Flores convicted of tampering, perjury, The Associated Press

• "U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., she of the Bay Area, have a little wager going for the World Series." — Barton and Pelosi bet on World Series, PoliTex

• "President Barack Obama took his get-out-the-vote message to Dallas radio this morning, with a call-in to the Rickey Smiley Morning Show." — Obama, on Dallas radio, says GOP should quit fussin' and fightin', Trail Blazers

• "[High-speed rail in Texas] has been buried as surely as some ancient Saharan civilization. It is being unearthed by President Barack Obama's stimulus infusion and a growing interest in Texas and nationally in alternatives to building ever more expensive highways. But this archaeological dig has also uncovered the problems that doomed high-speed rail travel the first time: Who is going to pay for it, and who is going to control it?" — Federal stimulus boosts high-speed rail backers' hopes, but train hasn't left station yet, Texas Watchdog

New in The Texas Tribune:

• "A new independent poll of likely voters in CD-17 shows Republican Bill Flores up 12 points over incumbent U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards." — Independent Poll Shows Flores Up 12 Over Edwards