Tag Archives: John Cornyn

Dowd declines to run for Senate

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Not a surprise. Matthew Dowd, a political commentator and former strategist for George W. Bush, announced Wednesday that he will not challenge U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, in 2018. Dowd had been considering an independent run against Cruz, who is … Continue reading →

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Cornyn on shortlist to replace Comey

Posted on May 13, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn is on the short list to succeed James Comey as FBI director, according to a White House official. Cornyn is one of about 11 contenders for the post, according to Fox News. He has strong … Continue reading →

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Steve Stockman claims he’s broke

Posted on April 9, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Pobrecito. Former Congressman Steve Stockman told a federal magistrate Wednesday he can’t afford to pay for a lawyer to represent him against allegations he helped steal about $800,000 in charitable donations intended for conservative organizations. U.S. Magistrate Judge Nancy Johnson … Continue reading →

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A closer look at the Stockman saga

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Chron reporter Lise Olson takes a deep dive into the charges against former Congressman and fulltime hot mess Steve Stockman. Steve Stockman was soon to board a plane for the United Arab Emirates this month when his unorthodox life took … Continue reading →

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An ironic might-have-been on redistricting

Posted on March 27, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

From Rick Casey. The three judges who decided the case include one Democrat and two Republicans. Ironically, the decision may have gone the other way if one of the judges hadn’t been punished for joining in an earlier ruling in … Continue reading →

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More on the Stockman arrest

Posted on March 24, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

I’m just going to leave this here. Former U.S. Rep. Steve Stockman, a Republican whose district stretched from Houston to Beaumont, allegedly conspired with two staffers to bilk conservative foundations out of at least $775,000 in donations meant for charitable … Continue reading →

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How all that activism is being received

Posted on February 11, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

Texas Monthly looks at the recent spate of rallies and visits to Texas elected officials’ events and offices to see what’s up. John Simpson and Mark Leech had never participated in a protest before last month. In fact, the couple—who … Continue reading →

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Look for the helpers

Posted on January 31, 2017 by Charles Kuffner

They’re at the airports now. Luis Ruiz, an immigration attorney with his own practice, set up shop early Sunday at Bush Intercontinental Airport. He’d seen news of attorneys around the country flocking to airports to help people detained under the … Continue reading →

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Obama signs Cornyn flood mitigation bill

Posted on December 22, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

The title to this post is a bit of an overbid, but this is still a good thing. President Obama on Monday signed into law a bill that could help expedite the long process of constructing a hurricane protection system for … Continue reading →

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Beto O’Rourke talking about the Senate

Posted on November 13, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Another Democratic Congressman is thinking about trying for an upgrade. U.S. Rep. Beto O’Rourke, an El Paso Democrat, told The Texas Tribune he is considering running for the U.S. Senate. “I am,” the sophomore congressman said when Tribune CEO Evan … Continue reading →

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Two Ike Dike updates

Posted on November 5, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Ike Dike could be hidden by dunes: The “Ike Dike” that is being proposed to protect the Galveston-Houston area from a potentially catastrophic hurricane storm surge could take the form of undulating sand dunes hiding a steel or concrete core. … Continue reading →

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“Grab her by the p—-“

Posted on October 8, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Donald Trump, ladies and gentlemen: Donald Trump bragged in vulgar terms about kissing, groping and trying to have sex with women during a 2005 conversation caught on a hot microphone, saying that “when you’re a star, they let you do … Continue reading →

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Abbott pushes for hate crime status for targeted killing of police officers

Posted on July 20, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Gov. Greg Abbott wants the targeted killing of a police officer to be deemed a hate crime in Texas and urged lawmakers to send him such a bill to sign … Continue reading →

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Alabama-Coushatta casino opens

Posted on June 11, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Get your gamble on, y’all. Fourteen years after it was forced to close under threat of legal action by the state, the tribe’s modest casino reopened three weeks ago with little fanfare but great expectations. Now, the vast, once empty … Continue reading →

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Texas tobacco litigation, 20 years later

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Interesting look at something I don’t think about very much. Twenty years ago, then-Texas Attorney General Dan Morales filed a federal lawsuit accusing the tobacco industry of racketeering and fraud. He said the case would make Big Tobacco change how … Continue reading →

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Cornyn files bill to speed up floodgate construction process

Posted on April 30, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

Credit where credit is due. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn filed legislation Wednesday that he says would expedite the long process of constructing a hurricane protection system for the Texas coast, including the particularly vulnerable Houston region. But while local officials … Continue reading →

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Don’t expect Congress to pay for a Gulf Coast floodgate system

Posted on April 25, 2016 by Charles Kuffner

I sure don’t. After nearly a decade of bickering and finger pointing, Texas scientists and lawmakers finally seem to agree that building some version of a “coastal spine” — a massive seawall and floodgate system — would best help protect … Continue reading →

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The forthcoming fight over the Alabama-Coushatta casino in Texas

Posted on December 30, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

I missed this report from November. After more than 13 years, the feds say the Alabama-Coushatta’s casino in Livingston can finally reopen. And here’s the kicker: according to the federal government’s reasoning, the tribe’s casino should never have been forced … Continue reading →

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Al Bennett confirmed to federal district court

Posted on April 15, 2015 by Charles Kuffner

Great news. After months of delay, a unanimous U.S. Senate on Monday confirmed Alfred Bennett to the United States District Court for the Southern District of Texas, cracking open slightly a national logjam of judicial nominations and a backlog of … Continue reading →

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Alameel 2018?

Posted on October 24, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Sure, why not? Even against long odds, David Alameel hasn’t thrown in the towel in his bid to unseat Sen. John Cornyn. “I’m in it for the long run,” the Dallas investor and dentist told The Dallas Morning News editorial … Continue reading →

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On Greg Abbott and who gets to get married

Posted on October 23, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As you may have heard, Peggy Fikac got to ask Greg Abbott the obvious question about how exactly the state’s law against same-sex marriage, which Abbott is diligently defending in court, differs from the old laws that once banned interracial … Continue reading →

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Comptroller candidates will debate

Posted on October 16, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

It’s a trend! Candidates in the race for state comptroller have agreed to one televised debate, though watching the debate requires a Time Warner Cable subscription fo North Texas viewers. Mike Collier, a Democrat from Houston, and Sen. Glenn Hegar, … Continue reading →

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YouGov: Abbott 54, Davis 40

Posted on October 12, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

As Ed Kilgore noted on Friday evening, YouGov dropped a load of gubernatorial race polls, including another Texas result. You may look at the topline number and feel dejected, but let me point out two things. One is that YouGov … Continue reading →

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More suspects arrested from the rape kit backlog

Posted on October 10, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

More good news. Houston’s effort to test a nearly three-decade backlog of sexual assault kits has resulted in new charges filed against 19 people, city officials said Monday, including 10 suspects identified and arrested for the first time. One of … Continue reading →

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Endorsement watch: Probate courts

Posted on October 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

The Chron makes its endorsements for Probate Courts, and as they have done recently stayed mostly with incumbents while having nice things to say about the challengers. The one Democrat they recommended out of the four races was as follows: … Continue reading →

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Alameel and Cornyn will debate

Posted on October 4, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ve had Davis-Abbott, we’ve had Van de Putte-Patrick, and we’ll get Alameel-Cornyn. Sen. John Cornyn and Democratic challenger David Alameel have agreed to one face-to-face televised debate. They’ll meet in Dallas at Mountain View College on Friday, Oct. 24. The … Continue reading →

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Lyceum: Abbott 49, Davis 40

Posted on October 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Pretty decent result that will hopefully put the “double digit lead” narrative out to pasture. Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott leads Democratic opponent Wendy Davis by 9 percentage points, 49 percent to 40 percent, according to the latest Texas Lyceum … Continue reading →

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Perry doesn’t have to show up at his court hearing

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

He’s excused this time. But don’t push it. Gov. Rick Perry does not have to appear at an Oct. 13 court hearing in his case, but that does not mean he has a pass to skip all future hearings, Visiting … Continue reading →

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Rasmussen: Abbott 48, Davis 40

Posted on August 9, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Make of it what you will. The gubernatorial race in Texas is slightly closer than it was earlier this year. A new Rasmussen Reports statewide telephone survey of Likely Texas Voters finds Republican Attorney General Greg Abbott picking up 48% … Continue reading →

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Three new judges coming

Posted on June 28, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

Nice. Breaking a longstanding logjam, President Obama announced nominees for three vacant Texas federal court benches late Thursday. If confirmed, U.S. Attorney Robert Pitman of San Antonio, Texarkana lawyer Robert Schroeder III, and Sherman Magistrate Judge Amos Mazzant III will … Continue reading →

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We could have better transportation infrastructure if we wanted it

Posted on May 20, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

House Speaker Joe Straus embraces the end-the-diversions approach to transportation funding. Texas’ booming economy and massive transportation needs are inching the state toward simplifying highway spending, officials say. The latest move to end so-called diversions from the State Highway Fund … Continue reading →

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SEC complaint filed against Paxton

Posted on May 13, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

We’ll see if anything comes of this. Days after Texas regulators fined Sen. Ken Paxton $1,000 for working for a financial firm without registering with the state, a plaintiff’s lawyer filed a similar complaint with the U.S. Securities and Exchange … Continue reading →

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Precinct analysis: Republican primary election

Posted on April 2, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’ve done the Democrats, so now let’s take a look at the Republicans. In this case, I did have a few specific questions in mind, so my approach here will be a little different. First, we all know that Steve … Continue reading →

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We may still have Steve Stockman to kick around

Posted on March 7, 2014 by Charles Kuffner

I’m not sure if the right expression for this is “Praise the Lord!” or “Lord help us”. Rep. Steve Stockman is down for now, but not out forever, he says. In his first interview since Tuesday night’s primary defeat to … Continue reading →

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