The Evening Brief: March 9, 2012

Culled:

• Kansas Governor Sam Brownback joins Ron Paul at a Topeka rally (Houston Chronicle): "In his quest for support, Ron Paul has turned to Kansas, where Republicans weigh in tomorrow with their choice for the Republican nomination. This afternoon, Kansas Governor Sam Brownback joined Paul at a rally in Topeka, according to the Texas congressman’s campaign."
  

• Who will win rural Kansas? (The Washington Post): "Rick Santorum and Ron Paul are both barnstorming the Sunflower State today ahead of Saturday’s GOP caucuses. And the state has some factors that play in both candidates’ favor. For Paul, who has yet to win a contest, Kansas is the latest caucus state on which he’s pinning his hopes."

• Former Bastrop judge sets sights on Capitol Hill (Austin American-Statesman): "Ronnie McDonald is running for U.S. Congress, the former Bastrop County judge said Friday. “I’m starting to make phone calls, raise money and put on my best boots to walk the streets and meet the constituents we want to serve,” said McDonald, 41, who will be challenging incumbent U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, for the Congressional District 27 seat."

• Ron Paul: Unemployment rate is ‘probably closer to 20 percent’ (The Washington Post): "This morning’s jobs report was only a token sign of progress for the economy, Rep. Ron Paul (R-Tex.) said at a campaign event here Friday. Speaking to a crowd of several hundred supporters at the Topeka Performing Arts Center, Paul contended that the actual unemployment rate is much higher than today’s report would suggest. 'You know what the unemployment rate really is? It’s probably closer to 20 percent,' Paul said to a cheering crowd at his first of three Kansas events Friday. 'Today they were talking about the good news reports, but they’re very, very token.'"

New in The Texas Tribune:

• Despite Perry's Pledge, Questions Linger Over Women's Health Program: "Now that Gov. Rick Perry has vowed to keep the Women's Health Program afloat without federal help, his opponents must make a math argument: that without Planned Parenthood clinics, the program won’t have the capacity to operate."

• Texas Still On Track to Economic Recovery: "Still on the track to recovery, Texas added 67,200 jobs in January. For the 18th consecutive month employment in the state has grown. In 2011, the state gained a total of 258,200 jobs."

• Political Districts Expose Split in Minority Ranks: "New congressional maps reveal splits between lawyers for minority groups over districts in the metroplex and in the Hill Country. In one, Hispanics dominate a district that some groups thought should include more blacks. In another, Latino groups cut a deal with the state that lost a district some of their fellow plaintiffs wanted to protect."