Rick Perry’s and Kay Bailey Hutchison’s ads seem pretty tame so far, but in an everything’s-contested campaign cycle, even what constitutes an “attack ad” is grounds for debate.
Attack of the Ads
Posted in
Health care
The Prescription: The Doctors are Out
Some physicians in undeserved areas of Texas worry that the doctor shortage is not being addressed in the health care reform debate. As part of his continuing exploration of the effort to rewrite health care policy, KUT’s Nathan Bernier talked to an East Austin doctor who’s doing his best to serve as many patients as possible.
Posted in
State Government
No Dollar Left Behind
Let’s say you’re a donor to a candidate or an elected official who quits a race mid-campaign or chooses to not run for reelection. What if you made a contribution to one of the nine Texas legislators who decided not to seek reelection this year, or to a former diplomat who toyed with a bid for governor but ultimately thought better of it, or to a tech executive who considered a challenge to a member of Congress but decided against running at the last minute? What happens to your money?
Posted inState Government
Is Ralph Hall Too Old?
The Rockwall Republican, first elected to Congress almost thirty years ago, turns 87 in May. His seven challengers — five fellow Republicans, a Democrat, and a Libertarian — aren’t shy about making his age an issue.
Posted in
Health care
Guest Column: The 2010 Agenda: Public Health
Three strategies can move Texas in the right direction, health-wise: a statewide indoor smoking ban, statewide universal K-12 coordinated school health programs, and the serious consideration of all available options to reduce the number of uninsured Texans.
Posted inState Government
Jerry Patterson on Tea Party Republicans
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson, a blood-red Republican, on whether the GOP’s Tea Party wing presents an opportunity or a problem.
Posted in
Demographics
TribBlog: A Bridge to Somewhere
U.S. and Mexican authorities can still put aside their differences long enough to link the two countries together.
Posted inState Government
The Air War
Let the barrage begin. It’s a new year and a new phase of the media race for the GOP nomination for governor.
Posted inState Government
Who’ll Control the Crayons Next Year?
As more candidate filings become available from the state’s bigger counties, it’s apparent that Republicans are going to have a noisy beginning to the year. They’ve got an unusual number of primary election challengers to their legislative incumbents. Democrats, meanwhile, are making a weak play for political control in the next decade. That’s not an assessment of whether their candidates can compete — it’s about whether they’re in position to make real gains even if they do win some elections. Redistricting comes around in 2011, and the minority party needs either a House majority or a majority of seats on an arcane legislative board to control the map-making. They don’t appear to be in position to do that.
Posted inState Government
An Interview with Jerry Patterson
The Texas Land Commissioner talks with the Tribune’s Evan Smith about taking on ExxonMobil, protecting the Texas coastline, what he really thinks of all those Tea Party Republicans.
