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Talking Tamales (Thu Nov 12 at 11:12 AM)
Alan says: I am in favor of limiting the governor to two consecutive terms. But blacklisting someone after eight years altogether, regardless of how good or bad they did their job, can needlessly force an effective public official out of public service. Many state governors throughout history have served well over eight years without their constituents regretting it. I would point out that such a system is wholly unworkable in twenty-first century America: we live in the era of the permanent campaign and the 24-hour news cycle. A governor facing re-election every other year would essentially do nothing but fundraise (which is close to what most do anyway even with four-year terms). (November 19th, 2009 at 11:09pm)
Jan Jarboe Russell
Features
A Lady First
Today, many younger Texans may be inclined to think of Lady Bird Johnson as belonging entirely to the past. But if her demeanor and style seemed faintly anachronistic, the virtues instilled by her parents back in East Texas—practicality, thriftiness, good manners, and an open mind—made her remarkably effective as a first lady, more so than some of her “modern” successors. (September 2007)
Texas Women
They shouldn't be messed with. But you knew that already. (February 2003)
John Paul Cisneros
He's is a healthy teenager (and nothing could make his dad happier). (September 2001)
Politician of the Century—Lyndon Johnson
“Johnson continues to tower over Texas politics not just because he was the first Texas-bred president but because, 26 years in his grave, he continues to extend the very idea of Texas into American political history.” (December 1999)
Business • Red McCombs
Driven to succeed. (September 1999)
Alone Together
No one denies that there was love at the center of Lady Bird Johnson’s marriage to LBJ. But like Hillary Clinton, she endured quite a bit, spousally speaking, as her husband’s star was on the rise. (August 1999)
Art • Harriet and Harmon Kelley
Collecting their culture. (September 1996)
Lady Bird Looks Back
Frank talk about LBJ’s life, JFK’s death, the promise of Hillary Clinton, the perils of Oliver North—and more. (December 1994)
Sitting Pretty
After years of maintaining perfect public composure, Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison now wears her ambition on her sleeve. (August 1994)
David Koresh and the Myth of the Alamo
He was no William Barrett Travis, but in many ways, the leader of the Brand Davidians was an archetypal Texan to the end. (June 1993)
“Why Us?”
Since AIDS infected their lives, the proud, the deeply religious Allens have been left to ponder the eternal questions of faith and suffering. (April 1993)
The Eternal Challenger
Congressman Henry B. Gonzalez has spent most of his 76 years swinging wildly at political heavyweights. Now he’s finally landed a punch—on the president of the United States. (October 1992)
Ann’s Plans
Is Ann Richards planning a historic move from the statehouse to the White House? (July 1992)
Rescue Mission
The politics of trauma. (March 1992)
Flight for Your Life
When a few minutes matter, an EMS helicopter can make the difference between life and death. (March 1992)
Dog Ghosts and Bottle Trees
A new collection of Keith Carter’s photographs captures the magical mojo of East Texas. (January 1992)
Wonder Drug on Trial
Prozac was supposed to cure Skye Morris’ depression. Now her husband is trying to prove that it caused her to commit suicide. (December 1991)
Secret Summer Places
Follow us for a great vacation, minus something all tourists can do without crowds. (June 1991)
Meaner Than a Junkyard Dog
“Guys like me like Iraq,” says Houston oilman Oscar Wyatt. “That’s the way the real world works, baby.” (April 1991)
Sissy Spacek’s Long Walk Home
You can take the girl out of East Texas, but you can’t take East Texas out of the girl. (February 1991)
A Boy and His Airline
He walks through airports dressed like Elvis. He paints his planes to look like killer whales. He’s Southwest’s Herb Kelleher, and because of him Texas’ psychic landscape will never be the same. (April 1989)
Full of Woe
You see them on TV, adorable youngsters asking to be adopted, But the dreadful odyssey of the Wednesday’s Child rarely has a made-for-television happy ending. (August 1988)
Columns | Miscellany
The Good Wife
Mary Alice Cisneros loved, honored, and cherished Henry’s political career. Now it’s her turn. (May 2007)
The Equity Myth
What happened—and didn’t—when we “fixed” school finance the last time. (September 2005)
The Good Rats
Cancer used to be something you died from. Now, thanks to clinical trials, it’s increasingly something you live with. (June 2005)
Grand Opportunity Party
The Republicans have made real inroads into winning over Hispanic voters. If that doesn’t freak out the Democrats, I don’t know what will. (March 2005)
The Old Gray Mayor
San Antonio politics, it ain't what it used to be—which is why it could be time for a grown-up at city hall. (December 2004)
Into The Woods
My parents and I had a generation gap. My kids and I have a geographic gap, as I learned when I took my son to my hometown of Cleveland. (September 2004)
Viva la Diferencia
A Harvard know-it-all predicts that the emerging Hispanic majority will be a drag on America. Tell it to your friends in Cambridge, bub. (June 2004)
Take Two Tablets
Should a monument featuring the Ten Commandments be allowed to remain on the grounds of the Texas Capitol? A homeless former defense lawyer says no. (February 2004)
Bless This House
Haven't we settled the prayer-in-politics debate and turned our attention to more important things, like the budget shortfall? Apparently not. (May 2003)
An Unmarried Woman
My divorce made me what I am today. (February 2003)
Jung at Heart
When I could no longer tolerate the religious fundamentalism of my childhood, I turned to the teachings of a Swiss psychiatrist—and rejuvenated my spiritual life. (January 2003)
Quite Contrary
Was the sacred image of the Virgin Mary in Mexico City painted by miracle or man? Even science can't say for sure. (October 2002)
Church and Statecraft
Right with his party, wrong with his religion: where God and government intersect for Rick Perry and Tony Sanchez. (August 2002)
Fathers and Sins
What happens to your belief in God when your son commits suicide after being molested by a priest? That's a question Nancy and Pat Lemberger have been struggling with for years. (June 2002)
School Spirit
Even in death, the former principal of El Paso’s Cathedral High is larger than life. (July 1999)
Luci in the Sky
After what seemed like a lifetime as the nation’s first daughter, Luci Baines Johnson has finally come of age. (March 1998)
Politics Red Square
Texas scientist Arnold Lockshin defected to Russia to find a new life. Has the collapse of communism shattered his dreams? (July 1992)
Child’s Play
“Just how hard can it be to build a playground?” I asked. The answer: Harder than anything I’ve ever tried before. (January 1992)
Henry B. Gonzalez
The life and accomplishments of Henry B. Gonzalez. (January 2001)
Reporter
The Last Maverick
With the passing of Maury Maverick, Jr., Texas liberals—real ones, not watered-down versions—are nearing extinction. (July 2003)
War Stories
Jan Jarboe Russell finds a revolution brewing at El Paso's Cinco Puntos press. (July 2001)
Vote of Confidence
Jan Jarboe Russell sizes up San Antonio's new mayor. (July 2001)
Alamodoomed
San Antonio mayor Bill Thornton likes to talk about the future, but he’s still a politician of the past—and so is everyone who’s running against him. (April 1997)
