Politex

Tarrant County leaders at the White House Mavericks' celebration

Tarrant County was represented at the White House celebration Monday for the reigning Dallas Mavericks champions.

Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairman Steve Maxwell and former Tarrant County Democratic Party Chairman Art Brender attended the event after being invited by the Obama For America campaign.

"It was fantastic, amazing," said Brender, who was able to pose for a picture with the Mavericks' championship trophy. "It was a neat deal."

Maxwell said he was excited to attend the event, getting the chance to both talk to current and past Dallas Mavericks as well as tour the White House.

"President Obama was very warm and friendly," he said. "You could tell this was something he loved to do."

-- Anna M. Tinsley

Texas businesses help fund anti-tax Super Bowl ad

It may not have been as memorable as a kid in a Darth Vader costume, but one of the few politically-oriented commercials that aired during last night's Super Bowl was funded in part by a host of Texas businesses.

The ad from Americans Against Food Taxes features a woman buying groceries complaining about the government "trying to control what we eat and drink with taxes."

The effort to implement a tax on sugary drinks has been floated by numerous public officials. In 2009, President Obama said it's "an idea that we should be exploring."

Americans Against Food Taxes counts dozens of businesses and pro-business organizations as its coalition members including Dallas-based 7-Eleven, Inc., the Texas Association of Manufacturers, the Texas Association of Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, the Texas Beverage Association, the Texas Grocery and Convenience Association and the Texas Travel Industry Association.

Check out the ad embedded below if you missed it last night:

 

-Aman Batheja

Obama coming to Super Bowl?

President Obama said Wednesday that if his beloved Chicago Bears beat the Green Bay Packers on Sunday to advance to the Super Bowl on Feb. 6, he'll be attending the big game in Arlington.

We've got the details over at our Super Bowl 2011 blog.