This week, bloggers are investigating allegations of wrongdoing by former and current state representatives. They're also talking about U.S. representatives, exploring a Web-engendered controversy in Travis County and still chewing over results from Election Day. And there are some tidbits left over for the end.
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Getting a Bad Rep
As TW reported last week, the Texas Ethics Commission fined former state Rep. Toby Goodman $10,000 for using campaign funds to pay his wife rent for a home she owned (and for which both Goodmans held the mortgage). Count musings among the unimpressed: "So for stealing over $100,000 of his donors money, he was fined $10,000, only 1/10 of the amount that he stole. And that $10,000 fine can be paid... (wait for it)... with his donors' money, or better yet, with the money he stole. What a sweet deal [1]."
Goodman maintains that he did nothing wrong [2], according to PoliTex, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's blog. "If I had a dollar for every time I heard such bologna [3] in politics I think I would be able to fund every Democratic campaign in the state," replies Burnt Orange Report.
Burnt Orange adds [4] that the ruling might adversely affect state Sen. Kim Brimer, R-Fort Worth, who's facing Democratic challenger Wendy Davis in November, and PoliTex reminds readers not to forget [5] about state Sen. Jane Nelson, R-Lewisville.
The state GOP is accusing state Rep. Hubert Vo, D-Houston, of accepting illegal in-kind contributions from an Asian-American boutique owner. KVUE's Political Junkie assures readers that she is not her [6].
El Paso Republican Dee Margo, who beat incumbent state Rep. Pat Haggerty in the March 4 primary, is benefiting from a fundraiser hosted by someone whom Margo said he doesn't know [7] — House Speaker Tom Craddick, reports Vaqueros & Wonkeros, the El Paso Times's blog. Meanwhile the Houston Chronicle's blog, Texas Politics, says, "don't be surprised if Haggerty endorses the Democrat this fall and don't automatically count on this seat staying Republican [8]."
In other speaker-related news, Craddick's court deposition [9] on March 27 (regarding alleged intimidation of a tour company) will remain in the public domain, says Trail Blazers, the Dallas Morning News's blog.
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes, D-Austin, claims that Austin newspapers were attacking her because she was standing up to the City of Austin [10], reports Political Junkie.
Texas Kaos accuses [11] state Rep. Dwayne Bohac, R-Houston, of engaging in "[Karl] Rovian politics," basically, as far as we can tell, because Bohac is a Republican. And GOP consultant Bryan Eppstein got called out by a client's opponent for producing nearly identical 50-point plans for two of his candidates [12], according to PoliTex.
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King Congress
Burnt Orange is endorsing [13] Eric Roberson in the Democratic primary for CD-32. Either Roberson or Steve Love will face incumbent Pete Sessions in November.
The congressional papers [14] of former Beaumont U.S. Rep. Jack Brooks will be housed at the University of Texas at Austin's Center for American History, reports Chronic, the Austin Chronicle's blog.
Half-Empty crunches the Hillary Clinton-Barack Obama vote in U.S. Rep. Nick Lampson's CD-22, concluding that Lampson — a "superdelegate" — should vote for Obama [15], in part because "anti-Clinton backlash" might hurt him in November, should she win the nomination.
Texas Blue interviews [16] Glenn Melancon, the Democratic candidate taking on incumbent Ralph Hall in the general. And PoliTex says Gotcha! [17] to U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Ennis, for praising an earmark that doesn't exist.
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Rebel Reb
Capitol Annex reports that GOP political consultant Reb Wayne was spotted at a news conference [18] in support of Travis County D.A. candidate Mindy Montford, a Democrat. Montford says that's not true [19], and called around to several local lawmakers to tell them so, says Political Junkie. But Annex claims his "sources" are saying that Wayne is working for Montford [20], and that state Sen. Eddie Lucio, D-Brownsville, is in on the sordid little scheme as well. (Guess we'll have to wait to see if this pans out.)
And Political Junkie has the endorsements [21] for both remaining D.A. candidates Montford and Rosemary Lehmberg.
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Primary Data
The Texas Democratic Party didn't take too kindly to Hillary Clinton's suggestion that it postpone county and state senate district conventions. Texas Observer Blog has the details [22], and Political Junkie has the TDP's letter [23] to the Clinton camp, and some ensuing back-and-forth [24].
Burnt Orange says Clinton's public appeal was a "PR stunt [25]," while the nicest thing mcblogger had to say about Clinton's campaign chair Gary Mauro is that his actions are "an insult to all us Texas Democrats [26]." Half-Empty's take is here [27], and the view from Trail Blazers is here [28]. And ABC13's Political Blog says Obama won Harris County [29] caucuses.
Greg's Opinion maps the Democratic presidential results for Bexar County [30] and the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex [31], and asks for help making more maps [32]. Meanwhile, Off the Kuff tallies results for statewide and Harris County candidates [33], according to state House district. And Texas Safety Forum takes a look at GOP crossover votes in Fort Bend County's Democratic primary [34].
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Easter Eggs
Details of the Bob Bullock book party [35], via Political Junkie.
Gov. Rick Perry offers a job to U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who declines, from Austin Political Report [36] and Texas Politics [37], the Houston Chronicle's blog.
State Sen. Kirk Watson turned 50 [38], according to APR.
New Texas beer blog [39], via I Love Beer [40].
Mapping the GOP results for Harris County [41], from Greg.
Endorsements of Dale Henry for Railroad Commissioner, from Burnt Orange [42] and Brains and Eggs [43].
More than 2.5 million pictures from the Smithsonian Institution [44], via Mike Falick's Blog.
Endorsements by the Houston GLBT caucus and Tejano Democrats [45], via Kuff.
An interview [46] of VetVoice.com's Brandon Friedman, by Blue.
"Superdelegate" Bob Slagle convalescent [47] (not weakening), says Texas Politics.
Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Rick Noriega's national Spanish-language radio address [48], from Trail Blazers.
Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson catching more flak for Christmas Mountains [49], according to PoliTex.
This edition of Out There was compiled and written by Patrick Brendel, who hails from Victoria but is spending the spring in the mid-Atlantic region. 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 [50] 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 [51].