Patricia Hart

George W. Es Muy Bueno

The selling of George W.—in Spanish.

Out Man In

UT regents want their next chancellor to be an academic? Whatever. At Texas Tech, a politician is the one in charge, and he's more than making the grade.

Let There Be Lite

Forgive state senators like David Sibley and Bill Ratliff their jockeying to succeed Lieutenant Governor Rick Perry. They want to be number two; they have to try harder.

1999: The Best and the Worst Legislators

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.

Not So Great in ‘78

How his one and only loss shaped his view of politics.

Boom Doom

How exceptionally good economic times are coming back to haunt us.

The Capitol Gang

The power brokers at this year’s legislative session aren’t elected officials. They’re lobbyists—and we know which ones have the most clout.

1997: The Best and Worst Legislators

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.

By Paul Burka, John Spong

John Spong

John Spong writes primarily about popular culture.

View Articles

• Email
• Website
• RSS

, Patricia Hart and Tania Krebs

1995: The Best and the Worst Legislators

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

Home a Loan

1993: The Best and Worst Legislators

Our biennial boosting and bashing of the state’s most beguiling politicians.

1991: The Best and the Worst Legislators

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

State Secrets

The right angle for striking oil; making book on the Bush library; a roving eye for GOP money; reining in rogue cops.

1989: The Best and the Worst Legislators

We just rate them. You voted for them.

State Secrets

Food for thought: agriculture commissioner Jim Hightower may get plowed under; Coastal tries to cut the golden parachute; calling all cars in El Paso.

Jailhouse Hock

Bill Clements’ ambitious—and expensive—prison-expansion plan is only a tiny first step toward escaping the overcrowding problem.

Power Play

Houston Lighting and Power’s purchase of a Canadian cable TV company may come as a shock to HL&P ratepayers.

State Secrets

It’s beef against chicken in the war of weights.

Country Boys

A battle over a vacant state Senate seat reveals that the scars from years of Democratic party infighting haven’t healed yet.

State Secrets

Go to junior college and see the world; the U.S. Supreme Court looks askance on Texas’ legal bills; a Hispanic political institution at the crossroads; does George Bush have coattails?

State Secrets

Why Continental isn’t in Love (Field); Clinton Manges takes the horns by the Bullock; tort reform and the good bidness climate; logic in advertising.

Disorder in the Court

An eleventh-hour filing by two candidates for the state Supreme Court has kicked off a season of judicial campaigning unprecedented in Texas history.

State Secrets

The new tax bill kicks oil when it’s down; the Houston Chronicle is alive and kicking the Post); the premature end of TranStar: the premature beginning of Jim Mattox.

State Secrets

Fort Worth factions fight over expanding the zoo; Galvestonians derail a tourist trolley; Mattox’s political plans go awry.

State Secrets

Poor school districts strike it rich; nursing homes want more money too; the savings and loans aren’t banking on Bill Clements; a veto for political buttons.

Hobby may be a Hartbeat from the president; the feds dump nuclear-waste workers on the Panhandle; Cisneros’ future remains rosy; Kath Whitmire’s doesn’t.

State Secrets

Can the Cotton Bowl survive the SMU scandal? a Mexican American major for Corpus Christi—maybe; the water bureaucrats are up to no dam good.

State Secrets

A busing controversy at the prison system; the high cost of free rent; the GOP goes to town; a well-known private eye loses his license; rotten eggs at Bentsen’s breakfasts.

State Secrets

A gloomy prediction for Texas banks; the oil crisis becomes a steel crisis; how Lloyd Bentsen’s new chairmanship can help Texas.