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Top Stories
- Perry vetoes bill related to online sales tax collection – Barry Harrell, Postcards
- Perry Adds Redistricting to Agenda – Ross Ramsey, Texas Tribune
- Redistricting map targets Doggett, splits Travis into five districts – Jason Embry, Postcards
- Sizing Up a Rick Perry White House Bid – Jay Root, Texas Tribune
“His political opponents spend a lot of time bending over backwards to portray him as just lucky,” said Jim Henson, who directs the Texas Politics Project in the Department of Government at the University of Texas and is co-director of the UT/Texas Tribune poll. “People have to give that up. … That undervalues how politically astute he and his team have been.”
This ongoing speculation has become almost silly at this point, but the excerpt above is worth noting. Rick Perry’s critics have never given him enough credit for being a disciplined, smart campaigner. Think his former staffers who went to work for Newt Gingrich are noticing the difference about now?
Recommended
- GOP happy, no plans to redo budget – Peggy Fikac and Gary Scharrer, San Antonio Express-News
The House on Sunday voted 84-63 to cut $4 billion from public schools before Davis killed the bill with her filibuster.
The state’s lockstep political media keep reporting that figure exclusively, but the Legislative Budget Board says that education spending increased by $125 million from the last budget.
- A Moment Can Change Everything – Nolan Hicks, Chron Texas Politics
“For the Texas branch of party of Roosevelt, Kennedy and Johnson … it was just another example of an opportunity lost due to a messaging failure.
Perhaps the policy, not the messaging, is what failed (this ongoing scolding from the Texas political media notwithstanding). That a Democratic politician vaults to being a possible Dem candidate for statewide office because of a filibuster also says something about failings.
- Heh: ‘We rate PolitiFact’s statement as half true’ – Bryan Preston, PJ Tatler
- New Texas map wins GOP support. Richard E. Cohen, POLITICO.com
- Budget-cutting activist Michael Quinn Sullivan enforces tea-party rule in the Legislature – Wayne Slater, DMN
Too bad this is behind the DMN paywall (because a subscription isn’t a good value propositino for those outside north Texas). Fortunately, Jay Root already covered this ground. - How "Friends" Kill Your Bills – Lyndsay L, Right in Texas
The true politician would say you are a friend, but the anti- lobby was the bigger donor. They would also remind you that you never know who your true friends are until there’s action on your bill. - Christi Craddick pondering run for Railroad Commission – Jason Embry, Postcards
The article dances around it, but TOM Craddick would be the big winner if both his daughter and Chisum were elected. - Controversial driver's license language stricken – Kate Alexander, Postcards
