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Bill Crist ’73 says: I was a fish in Sqdn 4 the year we built the tallest Bonfire on record. I remember the bruises, the muscle pains, the cuts, the blisters, the pushups. It is all pale compared to the sacrifice our 12 brothers and sisters gave to our beloved school. Every Aggie Muster since that day I have said a "Here" for them. Their sacrifice is forever etched in our minds. Whether or not we ever see another official Bonfire does not matter; our traditions will survive. We are great. We are mighty. We are Texas Aggies. (November 5th, 2009 at 10:23am)

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Paul Burka

Paul Burka joined the staff of TEXAS MONTHLY one year after the magazine's founding. A lifelong Texan, he was born in Galveston, graduated from Rice University with a B.A. in history, and received a J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law.

Burka is a member of the State Bar of Texas and spent five years as an attorney with the Texas Legislature, where he served as counsel to the Senate Natural Resources Committee.

Burka won a National Magazine award for reporting excellence in 1985 and the American Bar Association’s Silver Gavel Award. He is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and teaches at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. He is also a frequent guest discussing politics on national news programs on MSNBC, Fox, NBC, and CNN.

Features

The Best and Worst Legislators 2009

It was a new era at the Capitol, with a new Speaker and a new mood of peace, love, and bipartisanship in the war-torn House. But the eighty-first legislative session turned out to be a lot like the eighty that came before it—some heroes, some villains, and enough hot air to last until 2011. (July 2009)

Putter Around

(June 2009)

Regular Joe

How a nobody became the somebody nearly everybody wanted to replace Speaker Tom Craddick. (April 2009)

The Thrilla in Vanilla

The looming clash between Republican gubernatorial candidates Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison may not be as fearsome as the storied Ali-Frazier bout, but it’s the heavyweight showdown every Texas political junkie has been waiting for. (February 2009)

The Idiot’s Guide to the Speaker’s Race

How it works, what it means, and why Tom Craddick may not end up holding the gavel this time around. (January 2009)

The 40 Best Small-Town Cafes

Our exhaustive, exhausting, strictly scientific (and lamentably fattening) survey of the finest home cooking around, from Maxine’s on Main, in Bastrop, to El Paraiso, in Zapata. (December 2008)

My Frail Island

The damage done by Hurricane Ike to Galveston, my beloved hometown, is in many ways worse than you’ve read about. And I’m not only talking about the physical devastation. (November 2008)

State of Play

You may think you know how the Obama-McCain battle in Texas is going to turn out. You may even be right. But the more important outcome is down-ballot, where two dozen or so races—and the future of politics and policy here—will be affected by what happens at the top of the ticket. (August 2008)

The Man Who Wasn’t There

Every family has its myths. Some are intended to reveal, and some are intended to conceal, and sometimes the intentions can get confused. The problem with myth, however, is that it can overpower history. That’s what happened in the case of my father, who died when I was four. Only when I finally learned the truth about him could I come to appreciate him as a real person. (June 2008)

BBQ08

Eighteen hungry reviewers. 14,773 miles driven/flown. 341 joints visited. Countless bites of brisket, sausage, chicken, pork, white bread, potato salad, and slaw—and vats of sauce—ingested. There are only fifty slots on our quinquennial list of the best places to eat barbecue in Texas. Only five of those got high honors. And only one (you’ll never guess which one in a million years) is the best of the best. (June 2008)

Child’s Play

Summer vacation is right around the corner, but that doesn’t mean you should panic. We’ve rounded up 68 of our favorite things to do with your toddlers, teens, and every kid in between. Dance the hokey pokey. Rope a horse. Eat way too many hot dogs. Zip down a waterslide. And yes, feed the animals. (April 2008)

El Gobernador

The first Hispanic to lead Texas will be a Basque jai alai phenom, Dallas attorney, and Democratic state representative whose election, in 2018, will relegate the GOP to semi- permanent minority status. Wanna bet? (February 2008)

Big Red

John Cornyn won a U.S. Senate seat in 2002 by pledging allegiance to George W. Bush and riding a Republican wave to victory. But neither the president nor the wave is as strong six years later, and Cornyn’s bid for reelection may not be either. (December 2007)

The Best and Worst Legislators 2007

The eightieth session began with a Speaker’s race, ended with a Speaker’s race, and was consumed in between by the usual mix of nuanced issues and nasty politics. Along the way, a handful of lawmakers put the common good ahead of all else. And a handful of lawmakers didn’t. (July 2007)

North Toward Dome

The best way to visit the Capitol, the state’s grandest public building, is to take the 45-minute guided tour. But there is much more to see if you know what to look for, and I’m going to tell you precisely that. (February 2007)

Agent of Change

In four years as president of Texas A&M University, former CIA director Robert M. Gates—who knows a thing or two about leading a strong, hidebound, misunderstood culture—has left few areas of campus life untouched. But putting sushi in the dining halls is nothing compared with overhauling the Aggie brand. (November 2006)

Thank God It’s Friday

And Saturday. And Sunday. The arrival of fall means weekends spent watching football, up close and on-screen, and yet another opportunity to love the greatest game on earth for all the usual reasons. Forty-nine of them, in fact. (September 2006)

Capture The Flag

As weird as the 2006 governor’s race undeniably is, the goals of all four major candidates are remarkably mundane: Rick Perry wants nothing less than to be the longest-serving chief executive in the state’s history; Carole Keeton Strayhorn means to move her “One Tough Grandma” act into the big house across from the Capitol; Chris Bell craves respect, for himself and his depleted party; and Kinky Friedman intends to lead his band of unlikely voters in a rousing chorus of “Adiós, mofo!” (July 2006)

Without DeLay

He blames the Democrats, the press, Ronnie Earle, the bloggers—the list goes on. But in the end, what did in the most powerful Texan in Washington was his own excess. (May 2006)

The Elephants in the Room

Remember what Ronald Reagan said about Republicans not speaking ill of other Republicans? How quaint. (January 2006)

I of the Storm

The Gulf carried mendacity in every molecule. Its beauty, its tranquillity, was all a lie. It had created Galveston, carved out its deepwater port, tempted us with the promise of greatness, and then betrayed us. (December 2005)

Ten Ways To Fix Texas

They’re obvious to everyone except, apparently, the people we elected to fix Texas. They include some easy solutions and at least one that will probably get me a lot of hate mail (but that doesn’t mean I’m wrong). (August 2005)

The Best and Worst Legislators of 2005

A few lawmakers in both parties distinguished themselves during one of the worst sessions anyone can remember. As for the rest? Well, in the words of Jon Stewart, that famous observer of Texas politics: not so much. (July 2005)

Carole Keeton Strayhorn Has Guts. Carole Keeton Strayhorn Is Nuts. Discuss.

An attempt, however futile, to figure out what the comptroller is up to. (June 2005)

Who Might Make It Next Time

(February 2005)

Who’s Not On The List

(February 2005)

3.—25.

Twenty-three other people with more clout than they know what to do with. (Well, they know exactly what to do with it.) (February 2005)

Power

What it is and isn’t. Who has it and who doesn’t. Our 2005 list. (February 2005)

An F for Effort

Or maybe the grade should be “incomplete.” The special legislative session on school finance proved that Rick Perry and Republican lawmakers care a lot more about reducing property taxes than about improving public schools. Anybody surprised? (June 2004)

Corps Values

What place does tradition have at Texas A&M these days? One by one, the old ways are disappearing from the venerable campus, and many Aggies are up in arms. But embracing change may be the only way to save the school they love. (May 2004)

The Man Who Isn't There

In word and deed, the George W. Bush now residing in the White House bears little resemblance to the Texas governor I gladly sent to Washington. That's why I'm so ambivalent about reelecting him. (February 2004)

And Then There Were None

Call it Perrymandering. Call it Tomfoolery. But whatever you call redistricting, call it successful (for now). And call the white Democrats dead. (December 2003)

Greatness Visible

The dream of a first-rate university rising out of the prairie north of the Colorado River is almost as old as Texas itself. Which prompts the question, When will UT finally live up to its potential? (October 2003)

Las Vegas, Nevada

(August 2003)

Top Fifty

(May 2003)

The Best of the Best

(May 2003)

Pit Stops

Where are the best places to eat barbecue in Texas? Six years ago we published a highly subjective—and hotly debated— list of our fifty favorite joints, and now we’ve gone back for seconds. Ten intrepid souls drove more than 21,000 miles in search of 2003’s worthiest ‘cue. Here’s what they came back with: the top 5 and the next 45, plus honorable mentions, great chains, and meat by mail. (May 2003)

Who's Next?

San Antonio's Marshevet Hooker is not just any old high school sprinter; she's an Olympic gold medalist in the making. Meet her and nine other women we're betting will lead the new Texas—and the world. (February 2003)

Galveston to Quanah on Texas Highway 6

A secret garden, a drive-through feedstore, presidential papers, tasty pinto beans—and a Picasso. (May 2002)

Can Rick Perry Stand On His Own?

And just how long are his coattails? Texs politics is always interesting, but this year—with two formidable tickets, four big races, and a healthy debate over whether this is still a two-party state—promises to be one for the books. (February 2002)

The Best and the Worst Legislators

Rodney Ellis was excellent. Gary Elkins was—well, significantly less so. Bill Ratliff was a model of dignified leadership. Domingo Garcia was a one-man leper colony. Our biennial roundup of the Legislature's leading lights and dim bulbs. (July 2001)

The Education of Laura Bush

A first read on the Midland librarian in the White House: what she has learned so far and how her life has changed. (April 2001)

2002: A Race Odyssey

The next statewide elections are twenty months away, but a pack of would-be candidates—from a Laredo oilman to the mayor of Austin—are already running hard. (March 2001)

Politics • Karl Rove

Getting W. to D.C. (September 2000)

The Man Who Saved LBJ

Who deserves credit for Lyndon Johnson's newly burnished reputation? Harry Middleton, the director of the LBJ presidential library, who made hours and hours of White House audiotapes public—and in doing so, remade history. Plus: Listen for yourself as Johnson describes Vietnam as "just the biggest mess that I ever saw". (August 2000)

How W. Can Win

The first test was whether primary voters thought he had what it takes to be president. It was touch and go for a while, but he passed. Now George Bush has to get the rest of the country on his side. An inside look at his plan for doing precisely that. (July 2000)

The Case Against John Cornyn

If it pleases the court, the question before you is whether the attorney general of Texas has served his constituents or, as his critics charge, only his own political interests. What is your verdict? (June 2000)

Great Escapes

From a boutique hotel in hip South Austin to a bed-and-breakfast across the Mexican border, from fly fishing on the Llano River to bathing in the Chinati Hot Springs, 33 getaways the guidebooks don’t tell you about, courtesy of our intrepid staff of weekend warriors. (June 2000)

The Aggie Bonfire Tragedy

What's so important about a stack of wood? Every Aggie knows that the answer is tradition—which is why, after a catastrophe that took the lives of twelve young men and women, the decision of whether to continue, change, or call a halt to the bonfire looms so large at Texas A&M. (April 2000)

The Race Is On

The changing of the calendars marks the start of the presidential campaign (this time we really mean it), and George W. Bush is still the favorite to win. (January 2000)

Water Under the Bridge

Henry Cisneros’ power derived from his ability to bring people together. It was supposed to get him elected governor, senator, president. He’s finally the president, all right —of a Spanish-language TV network. And all thoughts of a career in public life are in the past. (November 1999)

Politics • Karen Hughes

Communicator in chief. (September 1999)

Law • James Byrd, Jr.

Crime and punishment. (September 1999)

The Best and the Worst Legislators 1999

Naughty Nixon and wonderful Wolens, soapy Shapiro and revered Ratliff, and of course, a certain governor who’s ready for his close-up: Our say-so on the session’s standouts—good, bad, and in-between. (July 1999)

The W. Nobody Knows

He’s irreverent and unself-conscious, and that’s not all. (June 1999)

Savoring the Private Ryan

Out of uniform, in his own words, Texas icon Nolan Ryan on baseball, ranching, values, and his love for his native state. (April 1999)

Squares

A masterpiece of courthouse architecture in Waxahachie, a handsome jail of native stone in Marfa: Significant structures line the streets of five terrific town centers. (March 1999)

The Six-Billion-Dollar Men

How to spend a huge budget surplus will be the defining issue of the coming legislative session. It will also determine the political futures of George W. Bush, Rick Perry, and Pete Laney. (January 1999)

The Disloyal Opposition

How five right-wing members of the State Board of Education are making life miserable for their fellow Republicans—especially George W. Bush. (December 1998)

Two for Texas

Candidates Rick Perry and John Sharp donÕt agree on much, but they both say the race for lieutenant governor is the most important one on the ballot this fall. They’re right. (October 1998)

SPORTS • Dennis Rodman

As the Worm turns. (September 1998)

POLITICS • Paul Begala

The great defender. (September 1998)

President Bush?

He’s the front-runner even before he has officially entered the race, but sky-high expectations are the least of the obstacles George W. Bush faces in his quest for the White House. (July 1998)

The Hero Had Two Faces

For fifteen years Galveston knew Tim Kingsbury as a civic leader and do-gooder. Then the wife—and life—he deserted back in Ohio caught up with him in Texas. (May 1998)

We Are the World

Want to see Kuwait, Iowa, and Washington, D.C.? Go to El Paso, Austin, and Houston. (May 1998)

You Lose Again!

A billion-dollar drop in revenue? You bet. How politics ruined the Texas lottery. (March 1998)

What’s Black and White And Red-faced All Over?

The University of Texas at Austin, whose paralysis in response to the Hopwood decision ignited racial tensions. And that was before Lino Graglia said a word. (December 1997)

Las Vegas

No good food? Don’t bet on it. (November 1997)

The Revision Thing

The opening of the George Bush presidential library at Texas A&M is a good occasion to ask two questions on the mind of everyone but Bush himself: How good a president was he? And what sort of ex-president has he been? (November 1997)

The Real West Texas

High peaks, scant rain, and hardpan soil—but also high art, hip hotels, and a new telescope that’s a star in its own right: Snapshots from a remote region of our state unlike anyplace else on earth. (October 1997)

Public Service • Bill Hobby

Governed by generosity. (September 1997)

Politics • Bill Archer

Taxes are his target. (September 1997)

The Best Worst Legislators 1997

From Bush’s good try on property taxes to Bullock’s grand finale, from savvy Sadler to weaselly Wohlgemuth, from Duncan’s beginning to Howard’s end: Our sorting of the session’s standouts—best, worst, and in between. (July 1997)

Did You Hear the One About The New Aggies?

They overcame politics, poverty, isolation, and Old Aggies to make Texas A&M the state’s academic powerhouse. (April 1997)

The Honeymoon Is Over

In the last legislative session, George W. Bush’s moderate program won over Bob Bullock, Pete Laney, and other top Democrats. But this time, Bush’s agenda is more partisan, and Republicans are measuring his presidential potential—so Texas politics is going to get ugly. (January 1997)

Carl C. Waitz Elementary

At a school whose children come from some of the poorest communities on the border, the way to excellence begins with sheer will and a culture of success. (November 1996)

Home on the Range

Home on the Range All over Texas, small ranchers are giving up and moving to the city. But the Stoner family of Uvalde is as determined as ever to hold on to its land—and its way of life. (October 1996)

Law • Cheryl Hopwood

Sins of admission. (September 1996)

National Politics •T om DeLay

Cracking the whip. (September 1996)

Perot and Con

From the war on drugs to education and his new Reform Party, Ross Perot has ideas about everything. Too bad they’re usually wrong. (August 1996)

Life After Oil

Midland’s energy companies are still laying people off a decade after the bottom of the bust. But—surprise—the city’s economy is booming again. (April 1996)

Major Barbara

Barbara Jordan saw herself not as a black politician but as a politician who happened to be black—and that was one of the things that made her great. (March 1996)

State of Mind

On February 19, 1846, the flag was lowered on the Republic of Texas for the last time. Here’s a look back at what was our national interest, and all that it might have been. (February 1996)

The Best and the Worst Legislators 1995

From the respected to the rascally, our regular roundup of the session’s most renowned pols. (July 1995)

Seasons to Remember

The end of the Southwest Conference was predictable, but for eighty years it gave Texas fans a brand of football that was anything but. (May 1994)

The Best and Worst Legislators 1993

Our biennial boosting and bashing of the state’s most beguiling politicians. (July 1993)

Honesty is the Best Politics

When you hold public office, the differnece between truth and fiction is more than a matter of degrees. Ask Lena Guerrero. (November 1992)

“Read My Lips: No New Texas”

George Bush has given Texas the Republican convention—and little else. (August 1992)

Perot in ‘92?

It’s his race to win—or lose. (June 1992)

“This Is the Alamo!”

If Congressman Charlie Wilson has his way, the humble wood chip will be the focus of a trade war between East Texas and Japan. (April 1992)

The Best and the Worst Legislators 1991

We bring you the heroes and the villains of the Capitol circus. Guess which list had more contenders? (October 1991)

What a Dish!

We cleaned our plate at restaurants across Texas. Here are the results: 66 irresistible specialties of the house. (October 1991)

Into The Storm

In normal times, Fort Hood teems with troops training in tanks and helicopters. But in their absence, the huge base is left with a scattering of soldiers and a uneasy sense of peace. (March 1991)

The Best and the Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1989)

Texas Primer: Football Hand Signals

From “Hook ‘em, Horns” to “Peck ‘em, Owls,” the Southwest Conference is football’s most hospitable habitat for hand jive. (October 1988)

A Stately House: A Photographic Portrait

Even on her one-hundredth birthday, the Texas Capitol looks good in places other building don’t even have places. (May 1988)

Power

From H. Ross Perot to the people who will run Texas in the nineties, from couples with clout to the Brownwood Mafia, we present the most complete guide to power in Texas ever compiled. (December 1987)

The Best and the Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1987)

Beating the Good Ol’ Boys

(August 1986)

The Soul of a Huge Machine

(August 1986)

The National Car of Texas

It’s big, it’s fast, it’s powerful, it eats gas, it’s the Suburban. (August 1986)

The Ten Best and (Groan) The Ten Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1985)

The Man in the Black Hat

Clinton Manges built his empire on brushland and oil wells, political contributions and lawsuits. His influence extends to the state capitol and oil company boardrooms. To get where he is, he studied under three masters of South Texas. (June 1984)

Grande Dame of the Gulf

She may be past her prime, but Galveston still clings to her aristocratic heritage and her precarious place on the sand. (December 1983)

The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1983)

Texas Primer: The Farm-to-Market Road

The last best way to see the real Texas. (April 1983)

The King of the Forest

He’s Arthur Temple, Jr., ruler of a million acres of East Texas and the last of the timber barons. (August 1982)

The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators

Nineteen people you voted for and one you didn't. (July 1981)

The Law West of the Trinity

Justices of the peace, maligned since the days of Roy Bean, don’t operate like other judges. But if lawyers want to get ride of them, they can’t be all bad. (March 1980)

The Truth about John Connally

There are two questions about John Connally: Is he good enough to be president? Is he too bad to be president? (November 1979)

The Ten Best and The Ten Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1979)

The Ten Best and Ten Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them. (July 1977)

Power Politics

How Coastal State Gas pulled the plug on the Texas consumer. (May 1975)

Columns | Miscellany

Cap and Tirade

Especially in Texas, the fight over carbon restrictions might make health care reform look like, well, a tea party. (November 2009)

Seeing Red

One year after President Obama’s election, what does the world look like in the county that voted against him more overwhelmingly than any other? (November 2009)

No Man’s Island

A year has passed since Hurricane Ike slammed into Galveston, but my hometown is still reeling from a storm without end. (September 2009)

Lowe and Behold

An open letter to the lucky new chair of the most dysfunctional agency in Texas, the State Board of Education. (September 2009)

Hullabaloo

Rick Perry is the first Aggie governor in history. But as the current crisis shows, he’s been nothing but trouble for Texas A&M. (August 2009)

The Secret of My Secession

Rick Perry, Mirabeau B. Lamar, and the two visions of Texas. (June 2009)

Elephant Dung

Political grandstanding, no leadership—is this a dismal legislative session or what? (May 2009)

Manic Suppression

Why voter ID is bad for democracy. (April 2009)

Two-Party Animal

Why November 4 was a good day for everyone. (December 2008)

Inflexible Fliers

Both parties have wrapped themselves in the mantle of change this year. Only one appears capable of making it happen. (October 2008)

Leave It To Weaver

Who better to diagnose John McCain’s woes than the man who used to be his Karl Rove? (September 2008)

The Final Bell

An East Austin high school shuts its doors. (August 2008)

Almost Blue

What the massive Democratic turnout says about the political landscape in Texas. (May 2008)

Fed Up

An FBI investigation is only the latest of El Paso’s problems. (April 2008)

The Democraddick Primary

It’s the only election that matters. (March 2008)

The Capitol Press Corpse

Is it really time to pronounce the body? (January 2008)

No Niño Left Behind

What part of “demography is destiny” does Texas not get? (December 2007)

43 Skiddoo

Exit George W. Bush. Enter . . . change. (November 2007)

Requiem for a Heavyweight

Karl Rove’s mixed legacy. (October 2007)

Speaker for Life!

Don’t bet against Tom Craddick. (September 2007)

School for Scandal

Texas Southern University’s missed opportunity. (August 2007)

Everything Is Illuminated

The Best and Worst list explained. (July 2007)

Road Warrior

How Ric Williamson became public enemy number one. (June 2007)

A Bronx Tale

Ruth. Gehrig. Mantle. Jeter. Ohlendorf? All of Austin, and Texas, is waiting to see if one of the newest New York Yankees earns his ’stripes. (May 2007)

More Power To Him?

Our weak governor asserts his strength. (April 2007)

The Secret History

The real reason to worry about the Bush library. (March 2007)

Animal House

The wild and woolly Speaker’s race. (February 2007)

Minority Report

What the Hispanic vote tells us. (January 2007)

His Way or the Highway

Rick Perry’s Trans-Texas conundrum. (December 2006)

His Thoughts Exactly

Rick Perry’s inner monologue. (November 2006)

Grand Old Parry

My solicited two cents about the Republicans’ agenda. (September 2006)

He Walks The Line

Silvestre Reyes has a plan for the border. (August 2006)

Trees v. Forest

The trouble with law school— and how to fix it. (July 2006)

Blown Away

Rita, the forgotten hurricane. (June 2006)

The Tax Man. Yeah, the Tax Man.

Can John Sharp save the Republicans? (May 2006)

Maybe Not

My ambivalence about George W. Bush continues. And grows more pronounced. (April 2006)

Duty Calls

How Rick and Melissa Noriega served their country—and their constituents. (March 2006)

First, Dew No Harm

A challenge for the lieutenant governor. (February 2006)

The M Word

The conservative case for gay marriage. (January 2006)

Hammer Time

Tom DeLay versus Ronnie Earle. (November 2005)

Is Wright Wrong?

The case for flying anywhere I want. (October 2005)

Three Blind Elephants

The GOP leadership blows it. Again. (September 2005)

Adiós, Mofos

Rick Perry wins a few rounds. (August 2005)

Uncivil Union

Dewhurst versus Craddick: This time, it’s personal. (June 2005)

Kay Sera, Sera

The future is hers to see. (May 2005)

Disaster!

The House botches school finance. (April 2005)

That Blog Won’t Hunt

Why old media hacks like me matter. (March 2005)

The Games Begin

What 2005 has to do with 2006. (January 2005)

Why Bush Won

Or, if you prefer, why he didn’t lose. (December 2004)

Rescuing Rick

Advice for the governor’s chief of staff. (November 2004)

Incomplete

The politics of the high-school dropout rate. (October 2004)

Up and Away

My favorite not-so-small town. (September 2004)

War Stories

The Vietnam non-issue. (August 2004)

Gas Pains

We need an energy policy. Now. (July 2004)

To My Ears

Texas music matters—even to me. (April 2004)

Troubled Waters

Water, water, everywhere. (March 2004)

A Giant Void

Master of the Senate. (January 2004)

Ruthless People

Yes, I don't get it. (December 2003)

Judging Priscilla

Priscilla Owen judged. (November 2003)

Sizzle and Stakes

Dallas mayor Laura Miller is hungry to take on the big problems facing the city. (September 2003)

Rice and Shine

Rice guys finish first. (August 2003)

Altered State

Why Texas politics will never be the same. (July 2003)

Can't Hardly Wait

The Legislative Follies 2003. (June 2003)

So Far, So Bad

Capitol hell. (May 2003)

Hoodwinked

My solution for the school-finance mess. (April 2003)

Mr. Speaker

Speaking of the Speaker. (March 2003)

My Texas Women

I was raised by one, I married one, and I raised one myself—and I wouldn't be who I am without them. (February 2003)

By George

Can the Republicans govern? (January 2003)

Swept Away

Election nostalgia already! (December 2002)

Left Out

Billie Carr, R.I.P. Liberals too. (November 2002)

Our Number Is Up

The year of demographic inevitability. (October 2002)

Keep the Change

Houston, we don't have a problem. (September 2002)

Sinking Flagship

Free advice for the UT System's new chancellor. (August 2002)

It's Crazy

It's the insanity defense that's insane. (July 2002)

Hughes and Loose

Communicating with Karen Hughes. (June 2002)

Gig 'em, Ray

Farewell to an Aggie prez. (May 2002)

Life of the Party

Night of the living Democrat. (April 2002)

Spare The Message

The real Enron scandal. (March 2002)

Onward, Christian

George Christian, one of a kind. (February 2002)

War and Peace

Over there, and over here. (December 2001)

A Report Card

Why principals matter. (November 2001)

9/11/01

The need for leadership. (October 2001)

Senator A. R. “Babe” Schwartz

(September 2001)

Ben Barnes

The former golden boy of Texas politics is still running hard. (September 2001)

POTUS Operandi

Governor George W. Bush, M.I.A. (September 2001)

No! No! No!

Vetoing the Perry vetoes. (August 2001)

Twin Piques

Fake IDs and real issues. (July 2001)

You've Got Mail

Free advice for Tony Sanchez. (June 2001)

Apply and Demand

Playing God at UT. (May 2001)

Techs and the City

A tale of two Houstons. (March 2001)

Spare the A-Rod

Is A-Rod good for baseball? (February 2001)

Now What?

And the campaign goes on—into the legislative session. (January 2001)

Clearing the Air

Clearing the air about pollution politics. (December 2000)

Empathy Note

George W.'s endgame. (November 2000)

Little Big Man

Ross Perot's lost legacy. (October 2000)

Storm Without End

How Galveston weathered a once-in-a-century storm. (September 2000)

11/26/99

Texas A&M, November 26, 1999. (January 2000)

Having a Ball

It’s no easy task to run the two-time champs of the Ro-Tex-Erie Fantasy Baseball League. But I’m managing. (December 1999)

Obstacle Course

Drugs. Cussing. Funeral home regulation. George W. Bush is on the ropes—or is he? (October 1999)

The Dominator

Remembering the real Bob Bullock. (August 1999)

Jewel of the Forest

Jasper in black and white. (August 1998)

Filling the Shoes

(August 1997)

Food for Thought

Once, before fast-food franchises and ecotourists took over Alpine, the Gallego family’s Mexican restaurant survived and thrived. Today, the kitchen is closed. (July 1997)

For an Income Tax

Why Texas needs an income tax. (May 1997)

Not Guilty

Two former high-level administrators at Texas A&M may have acted unethically—but that doesn’t make them criminals. (April 1997)

The Tort Tax

No high diving boards at public pools. No cameras in operating rooms. All this and more, thanks to lawyers. (June 1996)

Battle Lines

The weird shape of a new Houston congressional district guarantees a power struggle between Hispanic and Anglo politicians. (March 1992)

Getting My Kicks

How I learned that the toughest job in sports is umpiring girls’ kickball. (August 1991)

Behind the Lines

Something special. (January 1986)

At Play in the Fields of the Lord

Baseball, an old and idiosyncratic game, loses and old and idiosyncratic field. (April 1974)

Behind the Lines

(January 1974)

Y2Kay

Is Kay Bailey Hutchison plotting a run for Governor? And other questions about Texas politics in the new millennium. (February 2000)

Ballpark Figures

(September 1998)

Poll Taxed

(August 1998)

Family Values

(June 1998)

City Limits

(May 1998)

Tom Foolery

(August 1996)

Beef Choice

(June 1996)

Fight Bakke

Will UT get affirmative action on affirmative action? Plus: A runoff rundown. (May 1996)

Right On

Primary color: Dole on a roll, a report card for the Religious Right, and other fallout from Election Day. (April 1996)

Current Affair

Why electricity is a supercharged political issue. Plus: Who cares about the Democrats running for U.S. Senate? (March 1996)

Poll Positions

The right’s phony gay-bashing campaign. Plus: Poor Phil Gramm. (February 1996)

Water Grab

Why farmers and big-city folk are at war over water. Plus: Jane Nelson for comptroller? (January 1996)

Merry-go-round

(November 1992)

Hurricane Warning

Hurricane Andrew’s winds had a message for the Texas coast. (October 1992)

Copper Plea

(September 1992)

Party Poopers

Republicans stew over Democrats at the GOP convention. (August 1992)

Aggie Land

Can the Aggies turn land in Guam into a record donation? (July 1992)

Westward H₂O

(June 1992)

Split Personalities

(April 1992)

Floating Crap Game

(March 1992)

Male Delivery

(February 1992)

Uncandid Camera

(December 1991)

Dirty Deal

(November 1991)

Reporter

Joe Wayland

Oilfield worker. (April 2008)

Loyalty Oaf

Going, going, Gonzales. (October 2007)

The Natural

Why all the fuss about Craig Biggio? (October 2007)

Left Behind

The Texas Education Agency flunks out. (August 2007)

State of Flux

What 2008 means for Texas. (August 2007)

The Great Undoing

Impressions of the session. (May 2007)

Squeaker of the House

The Democrats and the Speaker. (December 2006)

Wait Till Next Year

One, two, three strikes they’re out. (November 2006)

Mapmakers, Mapmakers

Re-re-re-redistricting. (August 2006)

Operation Rescue

Can this presidency be saved? (July 2006)

None of the Above

Vince, Reggie, or none of the above? (April 2006)

Map Quest

The battle lines over redistricting. (July 2003)

Divide and Conquer

(November 1999)

Shore Thing

(September 1999)

A Census of Power

(June 1999)

Not So Rosy

(May 1999)

Grading George W.

Is George W. Bush’s nascent presidential campaign making the grade? (March 1999)

No New Tax Cuts

(February 1999)

Surprised Parties

(December 1998)

More Precious Than Oil

(November 1998)

The Bucks Stop Here

Who gave—and to whom—in this year’s big statewide races. (September 1998)

Primary Cullers

(April 1998)

Learning His Lesson

(March 1998)

Primary Color

Handicapping the Republican primary: Will far-right might carry the day? (March 1998)

President and Accounted For

(January 1998)

Brown in Front

(December 1997)

Taking a Chance

(November 1997)

The (Non)candidate

(October 1997)

Air Fair?

The plane truth about airline surcharges. (October 1997)

Power Surge

(September 1997)

Lights! Camera! No Action!

(June 1997)

Power Outage

(May 1997)

Out of Control

(March 1997)

In Play

A pregame analysis of the sports-stadium showdown. (March 1997)

Fratricidal Black Politics

(February 1997)

Burning Bush

(December 1996)

Non-Issues

Greece, lightning, and other non-issues in last month’s election. (December 1996)

California Scheming

(November 1996)

The New Fat Cats

Meet the newest Texas fat cats - the well-heeled contributors financing political campaigns in and out of our state. (November 1996)

America’s Marketer

(October 1996)

No Contest

If Bill Clinton wants to get elected president, he’ll have to do it without Texas—just like in 1992. (July 1996)

Race Value

Rating our primary concerns. (March 1996)

Cutthroat Island

Once upon a time, Galveston was an isolated island with few big-city problems. Recent flaps over civic corruption, press bias, and race suggest those days are over. (February 1996)

Bad Medicine

By vetoing the Patient Protection Act, Gearge W. Bush put cost before care. (August 1995)

The Sheets of Laredo

Life after the oil bust is fair-to-Midland; bad News, hard Times in Laredo; I hear a timpani; a coach who believes winning is everything. (November 1984)