Texas Republicans appear to be universally outraged by President Obama’s executive order affecting millions of undocumented immigrants, but are far from united on using their own power to police unauthorized workers and the employers who hire them.
Jay Root
Jay Root is an award-winning journalist who reported for the Tribune from 2011 to 2020. He covered the dramatic collapse of Gov. Rick Perry’s 2012 presidential campaign and went on to write an ebook about it called “Oops! A Diary from the 2012 Campaign Trail.” Root also broke the story that put the Texas attorney general, Ken Paxton, on the path toward criminal indictment, co-wrote an exposé that brought an end to privately funded prosecutions in Travis County, and authored a series of watchdog articles that prompted a wave of firings and resignations at two major state agencies.
In 2017, Root co-directed “Beyond The Wall,” a film exploring border politics in the age of Trump, which won a national Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. Root’s latest film, “Border Hustle,” was released in early 2019 and reveals how desperate migrants have become cash cows on both sides of the border.
Previously, for a dozen years, Root was Austin bureau chief of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, where he chronicled the rise of then-Gov. George W. Bush, wrote about cartel violence in Mexico and covered Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita. During a three-year stint at the Associated Press, Root was twice named AP Staff Reporter of the Year for his watchdog reporting, including a story that sparked felony charges against a sitting state representative.
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TribLive
Audio: Assessing the Perry Legacy
Two of Gov. Rick Perry’s top former aides, GOP strategists Deirdre Delisi and Rob Johnson, sit down with two Democrats, consultant Harold Cook and Rep. Donna Howard of Austin, to size up Perry’s legacy after 14 years as Texas governor.
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Politics
Internal Memos Detail Davis Campaign Dysfunction
Consultants for Democrat Wendy Davis warned her campaign months ago that the Fort Worth senator was headed for a humiliating defeat in the Texas governor’s race unless she adopted a more centrist message and put a stop to staggering dysfunction.
Posted inState Government
George W. Bush, Invoking Father, Urges Jeb to Run
Former President George W. Bush used an event designed to promote a new book to give his brother Jeb a boost. Invoking his father, Bush said: “I can speak for 41 when I say this. He ought to run for president, and he would be a great president should he win.”
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Politics
Sophisticated Turnout Machine Fueled Abbott’s Big Margin of Victory
Greg Abbott’s gubernatorial campaign released details this week on its exhaustive ground game and voter targeting efforts. The campaign credits those efforts in aiding his eye-popping margin of victory — 20 points — over Wendy Davis.
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Politics
Davis Campaign Marked by Failed Tactics, Muddled Messages
Many Texas Democrats had said that Wendy Davis was the kind of candidate who could at least move the needle for the bedraggled state party. But failed tactics and other issues helped doom Davis’ bid for governor.
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Politics
Abbott Crushes Davis in GOP Sweep
As expected, Attorney General Greg Abbott crushed Democratic Sen. Wendy Davis in a landslide in the Texas governor’s race. Abbott, 56, who will become the first Texas governor in a wheelchair, presided over a sweep of the statewide ballot and helped usher in a whole new crop of Republican leaders.
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Politics
In Conference Call, Obama Urges Texas Democrats to Vote
President Obama on Monday urged Democratic voters to turn out on Election Day for Wendy Davis and Leticia Van de Putte, the candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, warning in a conference call that voter apathy would ensure Republicans retain control in Texas.
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Politics
Battleground Misfires on Voter Turnout Memo
Oops. Battleground Texas, a liberal group working to boost Democratic hopes in conservative Texas, admitted Friday that its boasts of increased early voter turnout were wrong.
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Politics
Early Voting Turnout Rate Down in Most of State
With early voting wrapping up Friday, turnout numbers don’t seem to reflect much result from Democratic efforts to cultivate new voters.
