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The Texas Blue
Advancing Progressive Ideas

News Roundup, 4/4/08: A Veritable Quagmire of News

As news goes, the weeks really seems to cycle between one of three varieties: a week with almost no news, a week with a few gigantic stories, or a week with many interesting happenings. This week has turned out to be of that last variety.

For instance, yesterday we pointed you to a story about Ron Paul's supporters putting together enough votes to wrestle control of a convention away from rank and file Republicans. In Democratic politics this happens from time to time — a younger or newer group of Democrats will get motivated to start showing up and they will either mesh well with the extant power structure, or they won't. It is never a world-destroying moment either way, and I guess the big tent nature of the party fosters a durability that allows sea changes to happen with some regularity.

The Republican Party, of course, is fundamentally different. They do not suffer uprisings gladly and the usual normative standard is for everyone to shut up and sit down. This is not politically ineffective, it is just different than what Democrats do. So when there's an uprising from the ranks of the Paulists, it must be a terrific surprise and something that sticks in the collective craw.

Along with that was an analysis from office favorite Campaigns & Elections concerning where redistricting is likely to be particularly energetic depending on different electoral results. As I have been involved in or covering politics, I have learned more and more that what happens in the state house matters, and redistricting is an abject lesson on why.

The Democratic candidates are, of course, still battling it out, and the finance figures for March were released yesterday. The battle is pitched, although March's numbers ran a little lower than February's totals. It still seems odd to say that — that $40 million or $20 million in a month is a reduction of any kind — but there it is.

The Democratic VeepStakes is also at issue, and while candidates for potential running mates must be on the minds of the campaign, I can't imagine that who the VP nominee won't have a role to play in how the party shakes out who the nominee will be. It just seems like the kind of thing that might happen.

Lastly, yesterday I was happy to put up this week's episode of Who's Blue. In it I speak with Alex Winslow, the executive director of Texas Watch, an organization that, if I Can describe them in an incredibly over-simplified way, fights against companies that seek to take advantage of Texas families, and likewise fights against laws and institutions that would allow them to do so.

Have a great Friday and an even better weekend. Thanks for reading.

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