The Texas Home School Coalition PAC is proudly endorsing Mike O'Day in the race for District 29 State Representative. Early voting is scheduled from January 8-12. Click here for a list of voting locations. Election Day is Tuesday, January 16th. Don't miss out on this chance to elect a strong supporter of home schooling freedom!

Two Pearland Republicans will face each other in a runoff next month to decide who will replace state Rep. Glenda Dawson in District 29. Dawson was re- elected last month even though she had died before the election.

Voters will decide Jan. 16 who represents northern Brazoria County and Matagorda County — a week after the Legislature begins its new session.

Is last week's defector this week's kingmaker? State Rep. Jim Pitts, who shocked Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick's camp last week by announcing his candidacy for House speaker, said Tuesday that he continues to talk to Craddick and his primary challenger, Rep. Brian McCall, R-Plano, about resolving the standoff over who will lead the Texas House of Representatives.

A bi-partisan panel including former Cabinet secretaries, educators, business and civic leaders has concluded that a dramatic shake-up of American public education is our only choice if we are to remain competitive in the global economy, the Washington Post reports today.

A U. S. president never really dies -- he takes a kind of celestial powder, enabling the "experts" to talk themselves blue in the face about the meaning of his life and his tenure. Welcome to the gabfest on the late Gerald Ford, an occasion worth joining briefly for the perplexities it raises concerning so-called "social conservatism."

Gambling advocates wanting to bring Las Vegas-style games to Texas are dangling big bucks in front of the state, up to $3.8 billion a year, and proposals to dedicate money to tuition assistance or health insurance.

Here are the 32 words that have the state's city/county politicians shaking in their tax-and-spend boots:

"What is wrong with allowing taxpayers to have a direct say whenever spending levels exceed a reasonable level of growth, such as 5 percent or the consumer price index plus population growth?"

The state has billions of surplus dollars even as Republicans ride high on billions in fresh property tax cuts. That should be good news for state leaders as the 2007 Legislature convenes next week, but instead it has presented a challenge: How to balance budget needs and pay for the property tax cuts, which count as state spending, while keeping political promises to keep government lean.

Media mogul Oprah Winfrey anointed him presidential heir-apparent on "Larry King Live." Three-thousand adoring fans clung to his every word in New Hampshire. His new book sits atop the New York Times bestseller list. Over on "Monday Night Football," he announced, after "a good deal of soul- searching," that he is ready (wink-wink) . . . "for the Bears to go all the way!" (How's that for free advertising?)

We are still getting feedback from our earlier request about the 2008 presidential candidates, but there are a number of trends I can safely comment on at this stage. First, folks are not very excited about the current field of candidates. It appears as though there is an "enthusiasm gap" on the Right, whereas activists on the Left appear genuinely excited by the prospects of a Clinton or Obama candidacy.