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December 7th, 2004:

Rick Perry Versus The World

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
4 comments

I don’t know who the author of this blog is, but I’ll be interested to see what he or she has to say about the 2006 GOP gubernatorial primary as it approaches. His or her initial thoughts on the race are here. Check it out.

As long as I’m talking about this race, an unidentified guest poster at BOR has some poll numbers. As commenter KM notes, though, don’t put too much stock in them, since this was a poll of “Texas adults” rather than “GOP primary voters”. I do think that Hutchison would be leading Perry, and Perry would be leading Strayhorn, but I think it would closer in each case than these numbers indicate.

Your tax dollars at work

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
2 comments

Apply for federal money to pay for an undercover narcotics task force, then when the officer you’ve hired to rid your county of drugs turns out to be dirty and blows a hole in your budget with the mess he’s created, apply for more of the same money to prosecute him for his sins. That’s what’s going on in Swisher County, home of Tom Coleman and the Tulia drug bust. Scott has the details.

It’s Just A Game

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
1 comment

Did you know that Charles Shulz drew a second comic strip in the 1950s, before “Peanuts” really took off? I didn’t. The strip was a one-panel, three-day-a-week affair called “It’s Just A Game”, and it featured something you never saw in “Peanuts”: grownups. Mark Evanier has the details.

Once more with Kinky

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
1 comment

Kinky Friedman talks about stray dogs, olive oil, killing off his fictional alter ego, and running for Governor in 2006 on a platform of “dewussification”. I’m especially pleased to see that he’s got some new quips for this sort of interview. Share and enjoy.

Trifecta time

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
Comments are off for this post

Houston has hosted the Super Bowl and the MLB All-Star Game, and in 2006, we’re going to get the NBA All-Star Game.

The Rockets scheduled an 11 a.m. news conference for the announcement, but the Rockets had been considered certain to land the event for more than a year, following the city’s host duties of the baseball All-Star Game and Super Bowl.

When attending the Toyota Center basketball opening last season, Stern said he had been “beaten down” by the Rockets’ lobbying effort.

Congrats to the Rockets for a job well done. And though the event is more than a year away, we can get started on our favorite sideline aspect:

[Greater Houston Convention and Visitors Bureau president Jordy] Tollett estimated the three days of events would bring $60 million to $70 million to the city’s businesses and tourism industry.

Sigh. Go read this while I find a nice wall to bang my head against.

Committee for House challenges named

Dec 7th, 2004
by Charles Kuffner.
3 comments

House Speaker Tom Craddick has named the panel to investigate and rule on the three House challenges. Republican Terry Keel of Austin is the chair, while Democrat Craig Eiland of Galveston is the vice chair. Will Hartnett (R, Dallas) is the “master of discovery”. The panel consists of five Republicans anf four Democrats, presumably not counting Hartnett as there’d be six GOPers with him.

The Republicans are playing for keeps here. Check out this email sent out by State GOP Chair Tina Benkhiser, which throws charges of fraud by Democrats all over the state (and again I have to ask: if the Democrats are that good at stealing elections, why didn’t they steal more of them?) without any evidence to back up her claims. You think that panel’s going to come under some pressure to deliver? It sure looks that way to me.

UPDATE: Forgot to note that one of the panel members is Phil King (R, Weatherford), the author of last year’s re-redistricting bill who testified in the federal lawsuit against that bill “I would look at each district and say, ‘How could I make this district more Republican?'” Just something to keep in mind.