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Around the State |
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As her first term in office neared its end, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez was suffering what many in her party considered a form of political paralysis.
The 5th Circuit Federal Court of Appeals issued its decision in the case of Karen Jo Barrow v. Greenville ISD upholding a decision that awarded Mrs. Barrow a victory and assessed $650,000 against the Superintendent.
DA Decides to Hold Off on Some Death Penalty Cases
The Harris County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday it will place some of its capital cases on hold until the U.S. Supreme Court rules on the constitutionality of the lethal injection process next year.
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| Presidential Election |
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First came the Orwellian mashup YouTube video that portrayed Hillary Rodham Clinton as Big Brother. Then came a clip of her off-key rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner. Now, a stinging 13-minute video by a bitter Clinton foe is finding its own Internet audience.
Giuliani Still Working at Firm He Promised to Leave
Ten months into his presidential bid, Rudolph W. Giuliani continues to work part time at the security consulting firm he promised to leave this past spring to focus on his pursuit of the Republican nomination.
Polls Don't Reflect Obama's Star Power
Hutton Street, a modest, racially mixed working-class neighborhood on the city's east side, was unprepared for the miniature army that invaded it one recent Saturday morning when Barack Obama decided to pay a call.
Obama Promises a Forceful Stand Against Clinton
Senator Barack Obama says he will start confronting Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton more forcefully, declaring that she had not been candid in describing her views on critical issues, as he tries to address mounting alarm among supporters that his lack of assertiveness has allowed her to dominate the presidential race.
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| National News |
Charlie Rangel's Very Revealing Tax Increase: Trillion-Dollar Baby You can't say Charlie Rangel lacks for ambition. The House Ways and Means Chairman has been saying he wants to pass "the mother of all tax reforms," and even that doesn't do justice to the trillion-dollar tax baby he delivered unto Washington yesterday.
Court Puts Child Porn Law to Test The Supreme Court appeared open Tuesday to arguments that a law intended to criminalize the advertising of purported child pornography is constitutional and would not cover promotions of Lolita and American Beauty as challengers say.
To Implement Policy, Bush to Turn to Administrative Orders
The White House plans to try implementing as much new policy as it can by administrative order while stepping up its confrontational rhetoric with Congress after concluding that President Bush cannot do much business with the Democratic leadership, administration officials said.
Rangel Offering Broad Tax Plan, and Big Target
When the Democratic chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee proposed a sweeping overhaul of the tax code last week, aimed at shifting more of the burden of taxation to the wealthy, Democrats were lukewarm and Republicans loosed a fusillade of attacks.
lukewarm and Republicans loosed a fusillade of attacks.
Loathing Nancy
Congress: Speaker Nancy Pelosi's popularity is plummeting as Democrats realize she is ineffective, Republicans find her dishonorable and voters feel betrayed. That's what she gets for putting politics first.
Hutchison Changes Stance on Path to SCHIP Bill
Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who last month was the highest-ranking Republican to support a Democratic bill to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program, flipped her stance Wednesday on a key procedural vote.
Democrats Calculate Risk on Tax Hikes
More than two decades after presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale called for tax increases -- and lost the White House in a landslide -- the Democratic Party is on the verge of a major political gamble: Some of its leading members are proposing an array of tax hikes on wealthier Americans.
Top Players Go to Bat for Pal Cornyn
Sen. John Cornyn couldn't make his own campaign fundraiser in Dallas Thursday headlined by Vice President Dick Cheney, but that's OK - Cornyn was with the administration in spirit.
No Regrets for Karl Rove
Unlike his former boss who was born into politics, former deputy chief of staff and senior advisor to President Bush, Karl Rove admits having it beat into him -- by a girl.
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| Immigration |
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Until Tuesday night, the Democratic presidential candidates had largely ignored the subject of illegal immigration. The topic, Democratic strategists concluded, was fraught with too much potential for alienating general election voters.
The operation began quietly Tuesday in Laredo as the Border Patrol apprehended 31 illegal immigrants from Mexico in the urban area.
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| Commentaries |
Counterfeit Conservatives vs The Real Right
by Michael Quinn Sullivan
That conservatives haven't seen the kind of significant budget reforms we would have expected under complete Republican control of state government almost goes without saying. No strong spending-limit measures, no property tax appraisal reform just... to name two.
by David Yepson
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's been the hot candidate in the Republican race since he finished second in the Iowa GOP's straw poll back in August.
The Demise of the Religious Right?
by Chuck Colson
The cover story of Sunday's New York Times Magazine pronounced the demise of the religious right in America. The ranks are demoralized, split, and liberal evangelicals are taking over with a new agenda for the environment and the poor. On the editorial page, the acerbic Frank Rich coordinated his column with the magazine, concluding, "Inauguration Day 2009 is at the very least Armageddon for the reigning ayatollahs of the American right."
by Tom Pauken
Hillary Clinton is very fortunate that her principal challengers for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008 are Barack Obama and John Edwards. I watched the televised debate in Philadelphia on Tuesday evening and have to agree with the headline writer of the Daily Telegraph who led the story on the debate with the following: "Rivals 'swing at but miss' Hillary Clinton."
Conservative Vision, NFL-Cable Fight, the Corpus Right
by Michael Quinn Sullivan
Principles matter: That lesson was driven into me by my first scoutmaster, Mr. Burleson, who led me from Tenderfoot to Eagle Scout in Wichita Falls. He didn't mind mistakes, but he hated the idea of kids not being exposed to core principles. I was reminded of his lessons during a speech I attended this week; more about that at the end.
Thompson on War and the '08 Campaign
by Jed Babbin
Hey, senator. Thanks very much for taking the time. We know a little about what your schedule looks like If your not careful, you're gonna get the reputation of being a real hard working guy.
Republicans Have Reason to Smile
by Jennifer Rubin
Hillary Clinton seems unbeatable in the Democratic presidential primary and tops all GOP challengers in most head-to-head polls, Larry Craig won't leave the Senate but re-electable GOP incumbents will, and President Bush's approval ratings remain at record lows. So for conservatives inclined to be depressed there is plenty of reason to conclude that the future is grim for Republicans.
Looking for Mr. Right
by Patrick Buchanan
"I was conservative yesterday, I'm a conservative today, and I will be a conservative tomorrow," declared Fred Thompson to the Conservative Party of New York, billing himself as the "consistent conservative" in the GOP race -- in contrast to ex-mayor Rudy Giuliani.
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| Miscellaneous |
The Evangelical Crackup
The hundred-foot white cross atop the Immanuel Baptist Church in downtown Wichita, Kan., casts a shadow over a neighborhood of payday lenders, pawnbrokers and pornographic video stores. To its parishioners, this has long been the front line of the culture war. Immanuel has stood for Southern Baptist traditionalism for more than half a century. Until recently, its pastor, Terry Fox, was the Jerry Falwell of the Sunflower State - the public face of the conservative Christian political movement in a place where that made him a very big deal.
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Sincerely,
Tim Lambert
Texas Home School Coalition PAC |
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Evans-Novak Political Report |
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The Iraq War may be fading as a transcendent issue for the '08 election, partly from the result of reduced casualties and partly because of Democrats' inability to agree on a coherent, unified policy in Congress. Anti-war hawks are furious with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for refusing to take the risk of cutting off war financing.
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