This week, bloggers are adding to the legend of House Speaker Tom Craddick, R-Midland. They're also bestowing awards, talking Oval Office politics and chatting about state races, too. And there's a very short list of extra items.
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Moby Tom
Attorney General Greg Abbott didn't attempt to interpret House rules in his opinion on the House Speaker's authority because he knew the rules would conflict with his own opinion [1], claims Half-Empty. [ed's. note: The AG said the constitution lets the House make its own rules and run its own business and that the executive branch — that's the AG, among others — had no legal business there.]
Off the Kuff says the conclusion that it takes Senate action to remove the House Speaker is "Utterly ridiculous [2]." Here's a sneak peek of Annex's judgment: "incredible misinterpretation of the state constitution... totally emasculates... astonishing conclusion... A true travesty. [3]" Annex has head House Democrat Jim Dunnam's reaction here [4].
PinkDome thinks the AG's opinion says absolutely nothing [5], while Texas Blue calls it "The Non-Opinion [6]." Texas Observer Blog reminds everyone that many of the same people donate to both [7] Craddick and Abbott. "Abbott agrees with Craddick [8]," reports Trail Blazers, the Dallas Morning News' blog, who did not appreciate [9] the last-minute release of the opinion by Abbott's office Friday night.
KVUE's Political Junkie confirms [10] that Craddick is indeed seeking another term. The official statement [11], via Texas Politics, the Houston Chronicle's blog.
WilcoWise says an anonymous little birdie told them that a Craddick-engineered push poll [12] took incumbent Mike Krusee out of the HD-52 race. Meanwhile, BurkaBlog reports that the ubiquitous Craddick [13] has found a Republican challenger, one Dee Margo, for El Paso Rep. Pat Haggerty. Rumors abound on the Internets that have Haggerty jumping ship to the Ds. If the rumors are wrong and Haggerty stays put, Burka says, then expect a Democratic candidate to surface in the district.
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Prez-ing Matters
Ron Paul's people say the libertarian Lake Jackson congressman is not planning a 20th anniversary comeback tour [14] as the Libertarian Party's nominee for President, according to Trail Blazers, the Dallas Morning News' blog.
Gov. Rick Perry remains pithy [15] regarding Paul, reports Political Junkie. Video from Texas Politics here [16]. Muckraker has a Pauline video [17] here and one of Perry here [18]. The same sequence of Perry from a different angle here [19], courtesy of Texas Politics.
Democrats hold steady, but former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee takes the lead [20] among Texas Republicans after a recent round of presidential primary polling, says Burnt Orange Report. Here [21]'s Texas Politics' take.
Burnt Orange publicizes an online Democratic presidential poll here [22]. PinkDome circulates an anti-Huckabee video [23] and sort of comes to term with the possibility of Perry becoming Vice-President [24]. And Texas Politics reminisces about a bad parking job [25].
Grits for Breakfast pens an open letter to Perry asking him to return [26] from Iowa to take care of Texas Youth Commission business.
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Winners' Circle
The Texas Progressive Alliance, a bunch of blue blogs in the state, recognizes its Texans of The Year for 2007 [27], Reps. Dunnam, Garnet Coleman and Pete Gallego. This year's "Gold Stars" are Sen. Mario Gallegos [28], former House Parliamentarian Denise Davis [29], U.S. Senate nominee Rick and Houston City Councilwoman Melissa Noriega [30], and writer Molly Ivins [31], who died earlier this year. Right of Texas is "amazed that [Rick] Noriegawho often mentions his military credentials would choose to accept an award that is only given to the family members of fallen soldiers [32]."
PinkDome dubs Sen. Kevin Eltife, R-Tyler, a "young Dustin Hoffman [33]" and files him under "cute republicans." San Antonio's WOAI Radio names toll critic Terri Hall San Antonian of 2007 [34], according to Move It!, the San Antonio Express-News' traffic blog.
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Campaign Commentary
Off the Kuff stumps for [35] Rep. Jessica Farrar, D-Houston. Burnt Orange is canvassing the Net [36] for Democrats to run for the Texas Criminal Court of Appeals. More and more Texas Hispanics are turning Democrat [37], says Burnt Orange.
Chronic, the Austin Chronicle's blog, comments on the possible HD-46 challenge [38] by Democrat Brian Thompson. McBlogger bashes [39] House District 52 GOP candidate John Gordon, but is a little easier on [40] Congressional District 10 GOP challenger Charles James. And Trail Blazers speculates about HD-144 aspirations [41] by Amber Moon, currently the communications director for the Texas Democratic.
Texas Blue profiles CD-10 Democratic candidates [42] Larry Joe Doherty and Dan Grant, while Political Junkie relates a case of mistaken identity [43] by Doherty.
Kuff has some things on Harris County races [44] up and down the ballot. Texas Politics has video [45] of John Cornyn's reelection bid announcement, and Texas Blue has an audio interview [46] with HD-101 candidate Robert Miklos.
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Etc.
A list of the top Internet searches [47] for 2007, via Half-Empty.
An interview [48] with TDP deputy communications director Hector Nieto, from Texas Politics.
The South Texas Republicans newsletter [49] is out, via [50] Walker Report.
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This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Patrick Brendel, who hails from Victoria and finds Austin's climate pleasantly arid. We cherry-pick the state's political blogs each week, looking for news, info, gossip, and new jokes. The opinions here belong (mostly) to the bloggers, and we're including their links so you can hunt them down if you wish. Our blogroll — the list of Texas blogs we watch — is on our links [51] page, and if you know of a Texas political blog that ought to be on it, just shoot us a note. Please send comments, suggestions, gripes or retorts to Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey [52].