November 2011
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2011
Ron Paul Gets Serious
Never mind the pin-up calendar: Ron Paul’s new campaign video lands body blows on presidential primary opponent Newt Gingrich.
Business
November 30, 2011
The State Made Sure Its Portrayal in “Top Chef: Texas” Was Appetizing
The state forked over $600,000 to lure the Bravo show to Texas, but placed some restrictions on the show for accepting the cash.
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2011
Where Perry stands
As you can see, the task ahead for Perry is enormous. He is at 7% in Iowa and Florida, 4% in South Carolina, 2% in New Hampshire. Here are the main early-voting states ( in voting order): IOWA Gingrich 28 Paul 13 Romney 12 Bachmann 10 Perry 7 Santorum 3
November 30, 2011
Law Enforcement Unions Slam Harris County DA
Organizations representing some 10,000 Harris County law enforcement officers banded together on Tuesday to denounce District Attorney Pat Lykos as being soft on crime.
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2011
Political Obit: Burt Solomons
Solomons is something of a tragic figure, because he had considerable ability but, in nine terms, he never figured out how to put it to use. He was one of the eleven insurgents who led the successful revolt against Tom Craddick in the winter of 2008-09, and one of the
Politics & Policy
November 30, 2011
Shuffling races in the Coastal Bend
The last couple of days has been very active for races in Nueces County. Instead of running against Connie Scott, with whom he is paired, Raoul Torres decided to move to Kleberg County and run against former Democratic representative Abel Herrero in District 34. But the local Republican establishment isn’t
Food & Drink
November 30, 2011
Yao Ming Dabbles in Viticulture
Fresh into his retirement from the Houston Rockets, Yao Ming has taken up viticulture and is hoping his cachet in China will help him sell wine in his home country.
Business
November 29, 2011
American Flies on After Filing for Bankruptcy
“Business as usual” was the phrase on everybody's tongue after American Airlines declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy.
Sports
November 29, 2011
A&M Athletics Employee Calls University President Loftin a “Putz”
On the Internet, nobody knows you’re the Chief Financial Officer of Texas A&M’s athletic department . . . until they do.
November 29, 2011
Perry Manages Two Gaffes in Twelve Words
Speaking at a college in New Hampshire, the governor doesn’t seem to know the legal voting age. Or Election Day. Oops.
Politics & Policy
November 29, 2011
Taking it to the House (of Representatives)
I came across this intriguing scenario, without an author’s byline, on a web site called nextbigfuture.com. The writing isn’t very good but the premise is most interesting: NBC/WSJ polled multiple hypothetical matchups between the candidates in the 2012 presidential general election. The head-to-head matchup between President Barack Obama and Mitt
November 29, 2011
They Shoot Burros, Don’t They?
The unhappy plight of the roving burros in Big Bend has attracted the notice of the San Antonio Express-News’ editorial board.
November 29, 2011
Rick Perry Wages a “Spiritual” War on Abortion
A 5,000-word piece in Religious Dispatches details the “spiritual” war on abortion in Texas under Rick Perry’s watch.
Border & Immigration
November 29, 2011
Family: Immigration Challenges Drive Teen to Commit Suicide
An eighteen-year-old aspiring engineer in Mission killed himself last week, because he feared his immigrant status would prevent him from attending college.
November 29, 2011
Price Slashed on Bob Lanier’s River Oaks Mansion
Are you a political junkie who has always wanted a 13,000-square foot home on the River Oaks Country Club Golf Course? Well, you might want to take a peek at Bob and Elyse Lanier’s mansion.
Politics & Policy
November 29, 2011
Maricopa County (AZ) sheriff endorses Perry
Joe Arpaio, who likes to describe himself as “America’s toughest sheriff,” will endorse Rick Perry for president and will campaign with Perry. But Perry’s statements on the controversial Arizona immigration law may not find favor with Arpaio. Perry has been quoted by local TV stations in Houston (Channel 26) and
The Culture
November 28, 2011
Texas Gets the “Funny or Die” Treatment
Funny or Die's asteroid spoof proves that state size DOES matter.
Food & Drink
November 28, 2011
Austin Restaurant Owner’s Rooftop Stunt Brings Headlines
Pappy’s Bar and Grill owner is playing electric guitar and living on his restaurant’s roof in an attempt to attract business.
Politics & Policy
November 28, 2011
Tea Partiers Have Trained Poll Monitors for the 2012 Election
Houston’s King Street Patriots have trained people in thirty states to monitor polls and guard against election fraud, but some accuse the Tea Party group of intimidation tactics.
Politics & Policy
November 28, 2011
BREAKING NEWS: Scalia requests response from plaintiffs
This is a significant development. It means that Justice Scalia did not deny the State’s request for a stay (nor did he grant it). He has asked the plaintiffs to respond by 4 p.m. on Thursday. It will take five justices, Scalia included, to grant a stay. I spoke earlier with
November 28, 2011
Dust Bowl Texas: Drought’s Impact on Christmas Trees, Grapes, and Quail
The drought leaves nothing untouched. This week the ongoing drought impacts the state’s Christmas tree production, grapes, quail, and peanut butter sandwiches.
News & Politics
November 28, 2011
Karl Rove Has Reinvented Himself as a Powerful Fundraiser
Since leaving the Bush White House, Karl Rove has become “the dominant private citizen in the Republican Party,“ according to a new profile in the New Republic.
Politics & Policy
November 28, 2011
Small Town’s Liquor Squabble Is News Fit to Print
Gun Barrel City’s squabble over local liquor laws graces the pages of the New York Times.
The Culture
November 28, 2011
Rising YouTube Star from San Antonio Dubbed Next Bieber
The San Antonio Express-News calls fifteen-year-old YouTube sensation Austin Mahone the “Second Coming of Justin Bieber.”
Sports
November 27, 2011
UT and A&M: Sports Rivals, Academic Friends
Texas A&M’s athletic department may be leaving behind the University of Texas, but they remain linked through academics.
Politics & Policy
November 27, 2011
Today in Perry: Potential Post-Campaign Scenarios, Arpaio Endorsement, and Jay Leno
The governor may have taken a break from the campaign trail for Thanksgiving, but that didn’t stop the campaign press corps.
Politics & Policy
November 27, 2011
Court’s Interim Redistricting Map Claims Aaron Peña
Longtime Rio Grande Valley legislator and recent Republican convert Aaron Peña won’t seek a seat in the next election.
Sports
November 27, 2011
Did the Cowboys Tweet-Block Their Own Cheerleader?
Melissa Kellerman’s Twitter account went MIA after she posted her amused reactions to being “tackled” by Cowboys tight end Jason Witten.
Politics & Policy
November 27, 2011
Abbott’s statement on redistricting
AUSTIN—Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott will file an emergency stay application with the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday to halt the implementation of legally flawed redistricting maps drawn by a federal panel in San Antonio. At issue is whether the interim maps imposed by a three-judge redistricting panel violate the
Politics & Policy
November 25, 2011
Pena accepts the inevitable, will not run
Like my former colleague, Patricia Kilday Hart, I always found Aaron Pena to be one of the Legislature’s most interesting members. Pena had no use for the Valley Democratic establishment. Hart chronicled his alienation from the power brokers in a profile for TEXAS MONTHLY earlier this year. He was known
Politics & Policy
November 25, 2011
Breaking news: Roll Call says congressman Charles Gonzalez will not seek reelection
This creates new opportunities for Latinos. Joaquin Castro could run in Gonzalez’s central San Antonio district instead of the weird IH 35 district that connects southeast Travis County to southeast Bexar County, the shape of which arguably violates the requirement that districts must be compact and contiguous. [The Texas Tribune
Politics & Policy
November 23, 2011
Iowa social conservatives seek consensus on a candidate to support; Perry one of four on the list, but …
From CNN: Representatives for leading social conservative groups in Iowa held a secret meeting Monday as part of an effort with one main goal: find and support a Republican presidential candidate who can stop Mitt Romney in Iowa. The idea: avoid splintering the conservative vote in the state by
Politics & Policy
November 23, 2011
The CNN/Heritage Foundation/AEI debate
I don’t have a lot to say about this debate. Perry is showing some improvement. He is more comfortable than he used to be, though that isn’t saying a lot. His demeanor could use some work. Perry comes across as outspoken rather than deliberative, menacing rather than relaxed. Substantively, he
Politics & Policy
November 22, 2011
Why Wendy can win (maybe)(and maybe not)
Readers may or may not be aware that Republican consultant Bryan Eppstein has said that Senate District 10, the Fort Worth district that is represented by Wendy Davis, has a +6 to +7 point Republican advantage, based on the new map drawn by three-judge panel in San Antonio. His conclusions
Eat My Words
November 22, 2011
Thanksgiving with the Gilmores: Recipes From Jack Allen’s Kitchen and Barley Swine chefs
In the years since the first Thanksgiving, families throughout the U.S. have created their own culinary traditions, separate from the archetypal choices. Some opt to forego turkey for Cornish game hens, beef tenderloin, or honey spiraled ham. Some would rather buy cheap, canned jellied cranberries than create their
Politics & Policy
November 21, 2011
Legler seeks stay; calls House members to action on Court map
Here is the the letter Ken Legler sent his GOP colleagues: It is time to take a stand against appointed judges who do not care what the elected legislation and the people of Texas want. The recent ruling maps from the judges in San Antonio does not only affect a
Politics & Policy
November 21, 2011
CNN: Perry supporters in NH complain about lack of communication
From CNN: Rick Perry’s national campaign manager met with a small group of supporters in New Hampshire last Monday, as the Texas governor struggled to recover from campaign stumbles and faced reports his fund-raising operation had significantly slowed. Campaign Manager Rob Johnson spent several days in New Hampshire last
Politics & Policy
November 21, 2011
More on redistricting: just 1 R left in South Texas?
That’s the gist of an e-mail I received from a Republican friend who analyzed the revised House maps. My correspondent believes that the Court sought to eliminate most Republican districts in South Texas, and when the dust clears, only one Republican rep will remain. Start with Aaron Pena. My correspondent
Politics & Policy
November 21, 2011
About Abbott
Republican sources tell me that there is disgruntlement toward the attorney general among Republican House members. Their gripe is: The attorney general’s office had a “lackadaisical” attitude toward the case; or, alternatively, “Abbott didn’t have his A team on this.” Abbott’s ballyhooed strategy was an attempt to win the case
Politics & Policy
November 20, 2011
The Senate redistricting map: why?
The district court left most of the map unchanged. But it did make two significant decisions–one active, the other passive–in the Metroplex, and it did so for no apparent reason. The first major decision involved Craig Estes’s district. It changed Estes’s district from a rural district anchored in Wichita County
Politics & Policy
November 19, 2011
Hemlock by the gallon
The R/D split can be rounded off to 90-60, a solid R majority but enough meat on the bone for the Democrats to mount real opposition. More important, the trend line is in the Democrats’ favor–inexorably so. This year — 2011 — is the last time that Republicans will dominate
Politics & Policy
November 18, 2011
Roll Call on Texas congressional redistricting
This story appeared in today’s edition. A federal court in San Antonio will release an interim Texas Congressional map in the next couple of weeks, and it’s anybody’s guess what the plan will look like. “Based on what happened 10 years ago when a similar process occurred, who the
Politics & Policy
November 18, 2011
Perry defector cites “difficult” staff
From the Houston Chronicle: Former Georgia state Sen. John Douglas blamed his decision to abandon Perry to the candidate’s “difficult” staff and his plummeting public support. Douglas announced his switch on Facebook, both on his personal page and the Rockdale County Republican Party’s page: After very careful consideration and
November 17, 2011
Bum Steer of the Week: Literally
University of Texas fans are fuming about the photo of a “Horns Down” Longhorn that the Alcalde put up on its website.
Politics & Policy
November 17, 2011
Redistricting: the House
I will leave to others an analysis of winners and losers in redistricting. The only point I want to make is something the Republicans refuse to accept: You can’t ignore demographics. Republicans drew a map that maximized Republican seats and ignored Hispanic population gains. No one should be surprised that
Politics & Policy
November 17, 2011
The Interim Redistricting Maps Are Revealed
Instead of drawing you a map, how about a few shortcuts? Here are the key takeaways of what Thursday’s interim redistricting maps mean for our elected officials.
Eat My Words
November 17, 2011
Trailer Thursday: Food Truck Park in Fort Worth Coming
How a food truck scene evolves. First, trucks move around from place to place, in many cases because that’s what city law requires. Then they find a parking lot or vacant lot in which to stay parked all the time. If the landlord has more room to add in
Politics & Policy
November 17, 2011
New UT College Republicans President Continues Offensive Tweeting Tradition
Cassandra Wright is the second University of Texas College Republicans President in just over a month to get into hot water for a tweet about President Obama.
Eat My Words
November 17, 2011
Seasonal Texas Sides for Turkey Day
Next week, we celebrate my absolute favorite food day of the year. The turkey’s nice, don’t get me wrong, but I’ve always been a bigger fan of that particular bird the day after Thanksgiving, served between thick slices of white bread slathered with a healthy dose of mayonnaise and