Inside Texas Politics: Changing Tires on a Moving Car

On this week's edition of WFAA-TV's Inside Texas Politics, I talked with host Jason Whitely and the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Bud Kennedy about the possible reasons behind Gov. Rick Perry's refusal to follow new federal guidelines on prison rape; the considerable legacy of recently deceased Ray Hutchison, former state legislator, GOP state chairman, husband to former Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison and author and enabler of major public projects in North Texas and all over the state; how another mass shooting at the Fort Hood military base outside Kileen has politicians visiting and has resurrected gun control talk — this time focusing on the question of having weapons on post; two high-level resignations from Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst's campaign, and whether it signals trouble heading into the May 27 runoff; and finally, how GOP gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott's citation of controversial scholar Charles Murray in his latest education policy rollout, pounced on by his Democratic opponent, Wendy Davis, as more evidence of hostility toward women and minorities, along with Abbott's counterpunch this week highlighting Davis' campaign stop in Midland to a room full of crickets, shows both sides are in full campaign mettle.

Also: Jason and Bud interview longtime state legislator and lieutenant governor candidate Sen. Leticia Van de Putte; Jason interviews state Rep. Jason Villalba, R-Dallas, about the tenor and tone of state Republican rhetoric toward Hispanics; questions about Dallas' move towards "home rule" for its independent school district; and Vice President Joe Biden clocks in at 3.74 seconds.