For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Vickie Vogel, Committeewoman for Senate District 18.

Apparently, Wired News thinks that the ban on online gambling has its days numbered. And they're probably right. The reason it's likely to fold, however, illustrates a growing Republican rift that is already seen often in Texas, and is accelerating across the nation.

Our fellow Democrats get feisty in this edition of the Texas Blue Mailbag.

As I mentioned earlier, the Republicans are not having a good time of it here in Texas, despite how happy some of them might look about sticking it to Craddick on a daily basis.

The GOP has problems.

Kuff tells us the motion to vacate is Coming Soon. KVUE has a readable version of the 60,000 pages from the Craddick fishing trip lawsuit. And it wasn't just in Texas that Republicans encountered some difficulty.

For this episode of On The Record, we speak with Kay Sweat, Committeewoman for SDEC District 5.

Edwards just scored big. Anti-war groups and powerful Democratic netroots are expressing outrage over Congressional Democratic leaders’ compromise with President Bush and the resultant benchmark-free war spending bill. Yesterday morning, before all hell broke loose, Edwards came out on the Today Show criticizing Democratic Congressional leaders for not standing up to the President.

No matter how much one tries to build an institution impervious to morality, expressly for political benefit, it seems like there's no way to stop someone from having a conscience somewhere in there.

Not surprisingly, the Illegal Immigration Ordinance passed by the city of Farmers Branch in the May elections has been blocked by a federal court. Now it is a race of time to see who comes out on top in defending the United States against illegal immigrants: the federal government or cities like Farmers Branch who are willing to do the dirty work on their own.

Apparently Gov. Rick Perry and his special tolling interests are going to try to force toll roads on Texans even though it's been documented that they aren't needed.