CHIP Funding Key to Democrats' Strategy
In the words of Democratic political consultant Kelly Fero, the 1.4 million Texas children without health insurance are "the gift that keeps on giving."

Race to Replace Mowery Heats Up
State Rep. Anna Mowery's announcement that she will resign this month has accelerated a fight that was already under way for her seat.

Perry Gets Support Far and Wide for Iran Divestment
People in Texas and beyond have strong feelings about Gov. Rick Perry's push for state pension funds to divest holdings in companies doing business in Iran, with most who wrote him applauding it, according to correspondence obtained by the Houston Chronicle.

AG Challenges GOP to Pick Up the Slack
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott on Thursday told Galveston Republicans that times were getting tougher in the state for the GOP - particularly in big cities like Houston and Dallas.

Romney Faces Fierce Fight for the Right
Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has fought for months to unite social conservatives behind his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.

Iowa Straw Poll: A Carnival with Big Political Consequences
Tens of thousands of Republicans trekked to a college basketball arena to start winnowing the presidential field Saturday. Part carnival, part beauty pageant, the Iowa straw poll is a spectacle so big that Texas Republicans decided to throw one of their own.

In Texas, Clinton Touts Role of Middle Class
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton, continuing her efforts to secure the endorsement of unions, told a crowd of nearly 1,100 people at a labor hall Saturday that she will fight to help the middle class if elected.

Primary Schedule 'A Mess'
Democrats and Republicans readily acknowledge they don't like the increasing front-loading of their party primaries, but few think it will affect the chances of their leading presidential front-runners next year.

Newt Gingrich's Time to Jump into the Presidential Race Could Come This Fall
All along he has said that his game plan was to wait until the fall of 2007 and then jump into the presidential race. Now, it seems, his game plan may have made sense after all.

Cornyn Ready for Ethics Vote Critics
Sen. John Cornyn got a preview of the bruising campaign he may face next fall after casting votes before summer recess against a children's health insurance spending bill and ethics and lobbying reform legislation.

Roddy Stinson: As a Litigator, Candidate Watts Shares Blame for Insurance Crisis
Mikal Watts, the San Antonio personal-injury lawyer who wants to become the junior U.S. senator from Texas, has scorched John Cornyn, the former Bexar County 37th District Court judge who currently occupies the senatorial seat.

Rove Leaving White House
Karl Rove, President Bush's close friend and chief political strategist, plans to leave the White House at the end of August, joining a lengthening line of senior officials heading for the exits in the final 1 1/2 years of the administration.

What Is the Conservative Alternative to Daily Kos?
by Patrick Ruffini
The netroots is reveling in Chicago, and the natural reaction is to ask, "Where's our YearlyKos?"

No One Will Even Try to Blend Party, Government Like He Did by Robert Novak
The most useless speculation today in Washington is whom Chief of Staff Josh Bolten might choose to replace Karl Rove at the White House. He is genuinely irreplaceable. Nobody will attempt to combine the political and policy functions as Rove has done. Indeed, fellow Republicans question whether he should have attempted the feat himself.

Keeping Taxes Down a Must for Texans
by Peggy Venable
Texans may believe we have some of the lowest tax burdens in the country, but a recent study reveals disturbing trends that may turn our low-tax reputation on its head.

A Monopoly by Any Other Name
by Jamie Story
What's in a name? Apparently, to a government school monopoly, it's everything.

Finding Faith on the Campaign Trail
by Nathan Tabor
The 2008 election is already emerging as a faith-filled affair-if you are to believe the rhetoric coming out of some candidate camps this campaign season.

Border Security Is National Security
by Gary Bauer Throughout the debate on immigration reform, conservatives repeatedly stressed the link between border security and national security. It has been a fairly regular theme in this daily report ever since September 11, 2001. However, there was news last week that underscored yet again the urgent need for this country to get serious about border security.