Politex

Mansfield Republican Larry Kilgore: "I hate the U.S." and the flag

Mansfield Republican gubernatorial candidate Larry Kilgore is drawing a lot of blog attention around the state for his speech Saturday at the "Draw A Line" rally Saturday at the Texas Capitol, which called for "sovereignty or secession."

Speakers included secessionist Daniel Miller, who has claimed to be the legal president of the government of the Republic of Texas,

Organizers estimated the crowd at between 1,500 and 2,000. One writer from the liberal Texas Observer blog estimated it at 200.

Kilgore, a perennial candidate, has run for House seats in Colorado and Texas and has also run primary campaigns against Texas Gov. Rick Perry and U.S. Sen. John Cornyn.

--Bud Kennedy

Friedman plans statewide media tour to kick-off gubernatorial campaign

Calling himself the "only true man of the people" in the race, Austin author-entertainer Kinky Friedman plans to launch his Democratic campaign for governor Tuesday with a statewide media tour starting in Austin.

Reached on his cell-phone, Friedman had little to say about the other Democratic candidates, declaring that his main objective is ousting Republican incumbent Rick Perry for the governor's office. "I'm concentrating on Rick Perry," Friedman said, spinning off a campaign line from the dust-up earlier this year over Perry's references to secession. "I think it's time for Texas to secede from Rick Perry."

-- Dave Montgomery

Tom Delay preps for "Stars"

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay is busy preparing for his premiere on "Dancing With The Stars." 

ABC has posted some photos of the former Texas Congressman practicing with his dance partner, Cheryl Burke. Click here to check them out.

Earlier this month, Delay wrote on his Twitter feed, "After two dance sessions I can tell you Cheryl Burke is the most patient person I have ever met."

Delay is wasting no time promoting his upcoming career change to his conservative followers. He recently posted this video on his web site (To put your own head shots in the video, click here)

-Aman Batheja

Kinky's in the governor's race--but this time as a Democrat

Hill Country novelist Kinky Friedman, who drew more than 500,000 votes in 2006 as a third-party candidate for Texas governor, will announce his 2010 candidacy as a Democrat Tuesday, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

Friedman, 64, of Medina, drew 12 percent of the vote in a campaign that produced a documentary, Along Came Kinky.

He joins a Democratic field that already includes Fort Worth schoolteacher Felix Alvarado, Whitehouse rancher Hank Gilbert, Fort Worth lawyer and former Ambassador Tom Schieffer and Garland therapist Mark Thompson.

--Bud Kennedy

Perry spokesman calls Hutchison's comments "insulting"

Gov Rick Perry's campaign has responded to comments today from Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Speaking in Dallas, Hutchison said that her win over Perry in next year's Republican primary would send the message “that the biggest state that is still reliably Republican is a state that has enlightened Republicans in leadership.”

Campaign spokesman Mark Miner responded that Texas has enjoyed a strong economy with balanced budgets, and reduced spending and taxes under Republican leadership.

“Since her attempted announcement the senator has not said one positive thing about Texas or the Republican Party,” Miner wrote in an email. “Her comments today are insulting to countless Republicans who have worked tirelessly to make our state the envy of the nation.”

-Aman Batheja

Hutchison: Texas must show it supports "enlightened Republicans"

    Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said Friday that the primary matchup between her and Gov. Rick Perry will serve as a bellwether of where the Republican Party is headed nationally.

    Hutchison gave a speech on federal issues to the Dallas Friday Group, a nonpartisan business organization, but answered questions from the audience about her bid for governor afterward.

    Hutchison said it was important that the outcome of the primary sends the message “that the biggest state that is still reliably Republican is a state that has enlightened Republicans in leadership.”

    Though she barely mentioned Perry throughout her appearance, Hutchison did comment that “silly rhetoric about secession from the country being an option is not a good image…for Texas.”

    Hutchison predicted that if Texas were to turn blue, George W. Bush would be the last Republican president because no future party candidate could get enough electoral votes from the remaining purple or red states.

    “The stakes are very high,” Hutchison said.

-Aman Batheja

Rolling billboard in Cleburne

Crowd growing in Cleburne

The crowd of people here in Cleburne, lining both sides of Main Street to protest the proposed overhaul of the health care system, is growing.
Around 50 people are holding signs and chanting "Just say no, Chet."
They are in front of U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards' office, hoping to encourage him to oppose the plan when Congress goes back to work Sept. 8
Anna M. Tinsley

Tea party protesters in Cleburne

CLEBURNE -- "No Obama care." That's the chant by more than 25 locals opposed to the proposed congressional overhaul of the nation's health care system. A "Silent No More" rolling billboard just pulled up outside the office of U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco. A pickup just drove by, with the driver yelling "Go Obama." But those attending this rally who oppose the proposed plan outnumber those who support it. Anna M. Tinsley

New law will apply to one building in Granbury

Here's a lesson in legalese.

More than 600 new laws go into effect on Tuesday, Sept. 1, but a provision in one bill will only impact the new conference center in Granbury. Despite this, the word "Granbury" doesn't appear in the bill once.

House Bill 4498 includes a provision that will allow patrons of the city-owned Granbury Resorts Conference Center to take a stroll on the boardwalk next to the facility while holding an open liquor container.

City Manager Harold Sandel said Granbury needed the exception because its conference center is adjacent to the Hilton Garden Inn.

“By current state laws, you can leave the hotel and walk out with liquor but you couldn’t do that in a convention center,” Sandel said. “It was confusing a little bit to staff.”

Sandel said Rep. Jim Keffer, R-Eastland, and Sen. Kip Averitt, R-Waco, helped steer the language through the Legislature. Both lawmakers’ districts include Granbury

So how do you write legislation that only applies to one city's facility without even naming the city? The relevant language from the bill is after the jump: