The Texas Blue: News
Cornyn's Online Activism
Tue, 04/08/2008 - 8:52am
This is just weird. Josh Marshall says it sounds like a loyalty oath, but I'll take it one step further and say that it feels like an ideological blank check to classify any future action Petraeus takes as movements in a just war. Or it could just be a craven way to trick people into signing up for Cornyn's email blast / fundraising list. You decide.
Petraeus and the Candidates on the Hill
Tue, 04/08/2008 - 8:47am
General David Petraeus is testifying before Congress today along with Ambassador Ryan Crocker on political and military progress in Iraq. The line from the prepared remarks appears to be that Petraeus will ask for more time and money and will recommend against withdrawing troops for 45 days after July for further assessment. Through two hearings today, Petraeus and Crocker will receive questions from Senators John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and Barack Obama, all three remaining presidential candidates.
News Roundup, 4/8/08: Vote For Railroad Commissioner
Tue, 04/08/2008 - 8:28am
Today is the day of the primary election runoff for the Democratic nomination to the railroad commissioner's race. Make sure to get out there and vote!
Washington Post Wins 6 Pulitzers
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 3:30pm
I'm a fan of the Washington Post, and their work over the last year has been recognized with 6 Pulitzer Prizes. I was particularly glad to see the excellent reporting by Dana Priest and Anne Hull on the Walter Reed scandal, and the work of Barton Gellman and Jo Becker for their series on the Cheney Vice Presidency on the winner's list. If you haven't read those, the fact that they are examples of Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting should be enough of a reason to go check them out.
McCain's March Dollars
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 3:00pm
Yet more evidence of his inability to keep pace with the Democratic candidates: McCain's fundraising brought in $15 million in March.
Bush Forces Vote on Colombia FTA
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 2:05pm
Disregarding the fact that "union busting" in Colombia means "murdering organizers" and most other objections to the proposed free trade deal with Colombia, today President Bush sent the deal to Congress for consideration. This will force a vote on the agreement within 90 days, coming it right before Congress will take off for the fall campaign recess.
Dean: No Deal Before June
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 1:14pm
DNC chair Howard Dean says that a deal on seating the delegates from Florida and Michigan is unlikely to materialize before June. What he's saying makes sense — obviously crafting the deal will be an involved process, and the candidates are running their races at the moment. I can also see how neither campaign would want to agree to something before seeing where they end up in the remaining contests.
Vote Both?
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 1:13pm
Earlier today I came across this interesting bit in NetNewsWire (my feed reader) from Marc Ambinder about a new website launched by a former employee of Senator Hillary Clinton's former Campaign Manager, Patti Solis Doyle: Vote Both.
Vote Both encourages Democrats to support a Clinton-Obama ticket. Note the order there.
Something Funny about Rush Limbaugh
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 12:11pm
Get this: not only are Limbaugh's ratings actually higher during his commercials, but they are also higher when he's saying negative things than when he says positive things. I'm not sure what that all means about him or his loyal listeners, but the line for theses and dissertations by all you communications grad students out there forms on the right.
Railroad Commission Runoff Rundown
Mon, 04/07/2008 - 10:30am
R.G. Ratcliffe has prepared an examination of Tuesday's Democratic runoff in the Texas Railroad Commissioner race between Dale Henry and Mark Thompson. Dale Henry was the Democratic nominee for the open Railroad Commission spot in 2006, but was beaten in the general. Mark Thompson is more or less a total newcomer to electoral politics, but he came out on top of the field on March 4 in a surprising development and forced a runoff with Henry.