Richardson Republican Hill to Retire from Texas House
Fred Hill, a laid-back businessman who rose from the Richardson school board to be one of the most influential lawmakers in Austin, will not seek another term in the Legislature.

Legislator Changes His Affiliation to Democrat
State Rep. Kirk England of Grand Prairie announced Wednesday that he is switching his affiliation to the Democratic Party, a rare occurrence in state political history.

Suit Against Blogger Weaves Legal Web in Paris, Texas
An unlikely Internet frontier is Paris, Texas, population 26,490, where a defamation lawsuit filed by the local hospital against a critical anonymous blogger is testing the bounds of Internet privacy, First Amendment freedom of speech and whistle-blower rights.

Poll Suggests Friedman Would Be Severe Underdog as Democrat
Surely it's too early to dismiss humorist Kinky Friedman as a Democratic candidate for governor in 2010.

Democrats Can't Afford '08 Promises
The 2008 Democratic presidential candidates are promising voters billions of dollars in new government spending, paid for in part by "rolling back" the Bush tax cuts.

Thompson Defends His Lobbying
Republican Fred Thompson opened a two-day Texas fundraising swing Wednesday, taking a subtle jab at rival Mitt Romney and fending off questions about his work as a lobbyist.

Fred Thompson, in Austin, Warns of Democratic Tax Changes
Actor-lawyer Fred Thompson, a former Republican U.S. senator from Tennessee who declared his candidacy for president two weeks ago, talked down Democratic tax plans Wednesday after visiting Dell Inc., where an executive told him that taxes on manufacturers merit attention.

Longer Leaves for Troops Blocked
Senate Republicans yesterday rejected a bipartisan proposal to lengthen the home leaves of U.S. troops fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan, derailing a measure that war opponents viewed as one of the best chances to force President Bush to accelerate a redeployment of forces.

President Announces Limited Drawdown
by Gary Bauer
President Bush delivered a well-reasoned speech last night and told the country that some of our troops in Iraq will begin returning home.

Here Comes "Hillary Care"
by Gary Bauer
Hillary Clinton unveiled her health care "reform" plan today. Predictably, it's another gigantic government mandate and the first step toward nationalized health care, with an estimated cost of more than $100 billion a year. How will she pay for it? The same way Senator Barack Obama and John Edwards are suggesting they would pay for their health "reform" plans - with higher taxes!

One Spendaholic Announces Retirement from Legislature
by Michael Quinn Sullivan
The Dallas Morning News is reporting right now on their blog that State Rep. Fred Hill (R-Richardson) isn't seeking re-election. This is welcome news for Texas' taxpayers!

Hillary's Silence
by Gary Bauer
Senator Hillary Clinton announced her health care plan yesterday, but she continued to be silent on the vicious attack by MoveOn.org against one of America's heroes, General David Petraeus. As you know, the general, who has served our nation in three wars, was smeared by the leftwing character assassins at MoveOn.org. They ran a full-page ad in the New York Times referring to the general as "General Betray Us."

Scattering Spendoholics, Liberal Water, Taxes Up And Away
by Michael Quinn Sullivan
You can watch the TFR Spendometer to see how fast state government is spending your money, but a great feature at Comptroller Susan Combs' official website lets you see where the money goes once it leaves your wallet.