Gov. Rick Perry is making a BIG Impression in Europe...

Can we agree that Texas Governor Rick Perry's presidential run is an unfolding three ring disaster disaster for the GOP?

Perry barely graduated from a minor Texas state college with a degree in animal husbandry, he has no graduate or professional school degree, and now he has serious ambitions to rewrite the United States Constitution and lead this nation?

If you're comfortable with that thought then you're comfortable with hastening the decline of the American century. You have reached the point where your reason has utterly capitulated to your ideology. You've become so used to extremists running the GOP show you can no longer see them.

You've gone nuts, in other words. Pardon me if I don't join you.

A five minute Google search will confirm what Karl Rove has been shouting about Rick Perry all week: if George W.Bush and Rick Perry were brothers then people would refer to Bush as 'the smart one.'

This is a man who last week hosted a high profile prayer rally featuring some of the most bigoted pastors in America prior to announcing his candidacy. If you're not aware Perry's 'prayer rally' was funded and co-sponsored by the American Family Association, whose spokesman Bryan Fischer claimed last week that the Nazi Party was founded by homosexuals in a Munich gay bar.

I'm not kidding, I couldn't make this stuff up, click this link and see for yourself.

Tidy isn't it: first the gays created the most evil far right fascist organization in human history, then they targeted themselves for extermination. Or something. Who the hell knows. I haven't been having seizures or talking in tongues so I have no idea where Fischer is getting his information from.

Giving a big public endorsement to these unhinged God botherers was not wise. Because in announcing their candidacy most politicians want to create a welcoming platform to illustrate they're part of the mainstream - but not Rick Perry. He chose instead to exclusively court his white, mostly southern evangelical base. Everyone outside the circle could take a hike.

Like Chairman of the Federal Reserve Ben Bernanke, for example. Last week Perry described him as 'treacherous' and 'treasonous' - and then he startled his hearers and the watching press corps by adding - 'I don't know what you all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas.'

A treacherous, treasonous Jewish man who would come to harm if he ever visited Texas? Oh boy. Could we have that in the original German, Herr Perry? That's not colorful speaking, that's a despicable threat. It's also a measure of how far to the right the GOP has lunged in recent years that Perry's words were only middy challenged.

But it was Perry's ardent creationism that really made the headlines last week. During a campaign stop in South Carolina on Friday he told a young supporter: 'God is how we got here.'

'In Texas' he added, 'we teach both creationism and evolution in our public schools — because I figure you're smart enough to figure out which one is right.'

In fact Texas public schools do not teach creationism. Texas science standards do not call for teaching creationism in the classroom at all. How does the Governor of Texas not know the curriculum of the state's schools? Oh, right.

Another Perryesque eye-opener last week involved Bank of America Director of Public Policy James Mahoney. It was gratifying to see a beneficiary of bailout money assure Perry of his organizations financial support. Meanwhile Perry likes to talk up his job creation in Texas, which is largely due to stimulus money he said he wouldn't accept but did anyway.

But Texas actually leads the country in low-wage jobs. Texas has the highest percentage of people without health insurance. Texas has the highest rate of uninsured workers in the country at 27.4 percent. Texas leads America in dropouts.

Given these shocking findings, apparently Texas is doing a standup job messing with itself. For all his recent talk of secession from the Union, his state has done well by it.

But I think America can do without another Texas Governor in the White House for the time being. We've had one recently anyway and we all know how that worked out.

http://www.irishcentral.com/story/ent/manhattan_diary/texas-creationist-rick-perry-and-gods-plan-for-america-128175608.html

Why is this guy smiling?

http://www.statesman.com/news/texas-politics/in-texas-legislature-winners-losers-abound-after-170-1573899.html?viewAsSinglePage=true

POLITICOS

• WINNER: Gov. Rick Perry, who walks away from the legislative session with a list of victories on most of the issues he identified as important. Those wins could help Perry if he decides later this year to seek the Republican presidential nomination - or re-election in 2014.

• LOSER: Democrats, who had almost no say on the budget that was the session's defining issue and redistricting that is designed to keep the state Capitol and the state's congressional delegation in Republican hands.

• WINNER: Fiscal conservatives who stood firm on their position that Texas should close its multibillion-dollar budget gap without raising taxes or tapping the state's rainy day reserve fund.

• LOSER: The next Legislature, which will convene in 2013 to fix an array of budget and revenue problems that were not fixed this session and is expected to have to tap the rainy day fund.

• WINNER: Texas senators, who were unyielding in their position that public schools could not absorb more than $4 billion in cuts.

• LOSER: Public schools, college students, state workers and people who rely on Medicaid, who will face cuts in an assortment of programs as a result of an overall 8 percent reduction in state spending.

• WINNER: Federal airport checkpoint screeners, who will not face the prospect of criminal charges for inappropriate touching during security pat-downs, after a bill criminalizing the touching died in the House.

• WINNER: Taxpayers, who will see the first prison in state history shuttered this fall, for an estimated savings of $24 million over two years, as prison officials consolidate programs to deal with budget cuts.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE

• WINNER: Community-based juvenile justice programs, which are expected to blossom with additional funding and a de-emphasis on remote lockups as part of a merger of all state juvenile justice agencies into one.

• WINNER: Teachers, who are required to be informed if one of their students has a criminal history, under a bill sparked by attacks in Austin and other cities.

• LOSER: The Windham School District, one of the state's largest and located inside prison walls, saw its funding whacked significantly, and layoffs already have begun.

• LOSER: Medicaid, the insurance program for low-income families, was underfunded by an estimated $4.8 billion, a debt that will come due next legislative session.

HUMAN SERVICES

• LOSER: Family planning programs that were cut by $74 million, probably eliminating services to 284,000 low-income women and resulting in 20,500 additional births.

• LOSER: Planned Parenthood, which could lose up to $72 million in family planning money over the next two years as GOP legislators targeted the abortion provider, although the money could not have been spent on abortions.

• WINNER: Abortion opponents, who won passage of new rules that require a pre-abortion sonogram and a waiting period, and will cut state funding if the Travis County hospital district, Central Health, continues to pay for abortions.

• LOSER: Home health companies, which face rate cuts that could threaten care that allows people to live at home and avoid more expensive nursing homes.

• WINNER: Parents who oppose school spanking, who won passage of a bill that allows them to opt out of a school district's corporal punishment policy.

IMMIGRATION AND BORDER SECURITY

• LOSER: Mexican drug cartels, which have been smuggling money, guns and other contraband south from Texas. Under a bill expected to be signed into law, state police can operate new southbound checkpoints to curb the illicit trade.

• WINNER: Undocumented immigrants, who won't have to deal with dozens of bills targeting them, including the so-called sanctuary cities legislation and bills that would have required cities to report costs associated with providing services to undocumented immigrants and would increase the surcharge for wiring money to countries south of the Texas border.

• LOSER: Texas voters who have no photo identification. Under a new law designed to curb voter fraud, most voters will have to show a photo ID to cast a ballot.

• LOSER: Texas drivers will now have to prove they have citizenship or are in the country legally to get a driver's license.

LEGAL

• WINNER: Legal aid programs that will benefit from the late addition of $17 million to preserve civil court access for 25,000 low-income Texans.

• WINNER: Defendants in lawsuits, who should benefit from a new law that could cut frivolous lawsuits with a "loser pays" provision.

ENVIRONMENT

• WINNER: Texas Campaign for the Environment, which got a television recycling program established by the state.

• WINNER: State Rep. Jim Keffer, chairman of the House Energy Resources Committee, who held together a coalition of natural gas and environmental groups on a measure that forces companies to tell the state which fluids they pump underground to recover natural gas in a process called fracking.

• LOSER: Emissions-reduction programs that suffered in budget cuts, as did initiatives to cut pollution.

• WINNER: Texans who continue to use incandescent light bulbs. Under a new state law, the state attorney general is required to defend Texans if the federal government tries to prosecute them for alleged violations of federal law encouraging the use of alternative light bulbs.

EDUCATION

• LOSER: Teachers, who emerged from the regular legislative session feeling good that they had defeated efforts to weaken contract rights and reduce teacher pay, only to find that victory quashed in the special session.

• LOSER: The University of Texas, which saw its state funding cut 16 percent. A provision that could have provided $100 million in bonds for a new engineering building failed.

• WINNER: Texas A&M University System regents, who were granted two appointments to the nine-member board of the University of Texas Investment Management Co., which oversees billions in UT and A&M endowments.

• LOSER: Students from low-income families, tens of thousands of whom won't get state financial aid grants in the next two years.

• WINNER: Postdoctoral fellows and graduate students with fellowships, who can now get health insurance through their universities.

• LOSER: Perry appointees to public university boards, which will get new scrutiny by a House-Senate committee established to review policymaking by public university governing boards - all of whom were appointed by Perry.

• LOSER: Perry administration, which failed to win passage of legislation hinging 10 percent of base funding for colleges and universities to graduation rates and other performance measures.

• WINNER: Public colleges and universities, which saw numerous redundant reporting requirements eliminated, potentially saving them millions of dollars.

BUSINESS

• WINNER: About 28,000 small-business owners who are exempted from paying margins tax, if their business has less than $1 million in gross receipts.

• LOSER: Gambling proponents saw legislation die that would have let the voters decide whether they want to allow slot machines at race tracks and bingo halls, and permit the building and operation of full-scale casinos.

• LOSER: Coastal residents in 14 counties insured by the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association. Lawmakers tried to overhaul the quasi-public insurer of last resort. But the House and Senate didn't fully address how to fund the association, and instead reduced the amount of money that policyholders could sue for.

• WINNER: Texas builders, who won't be penalized for hiring undocumented workers.

• LOSER: Homeowners associations, which, under a new law, are prohibited from penalizing residents with solar panels.

• LOSER: Online retailers such as Amazon.com that will have to collect sales tax if they do business in Texas. Perry vetoed an earlier bill making this change, and both sides are waiting to see what he does this time - though the provision is included in a key budget bill.

Gov. Rick Perry is not a Coward or a Chicken, but Rick is Crafty, Cunning and very Cautious ...

What did you say? THE Dallas Morning News Endorses Bill White for Texas Governor...what about Gov. Good Hair?

Texas' longest-serving governor is so certain his tenure should be extended that Perry has glided through this re-election bid with an impervious air, shrugging off tough questions and offering few specifics. Trust me, Perry tells voters, I know what I'm doing.

But in fact, Perry, 60, has done relatively little during a decade at the helm of state government. He can lay claim to few signature achievements. He lacks allies in the Legislature, and whether the issue is school finance, transportation or juvenile justice, he has not managed to see needed reforms through to conclusion.

The Republican governor is counting on the state's relatively strong economy to secure his third full term in office. But Texas' business-friendly environment predates Perry and will extend beyond his time in office. And now, with a deficit of up to $21 billion looming, more than budget bravado and a "taxes bad" mantra will be required to keep Texas on solid financial footing.

The state needs a solutions-oriented leader who is focused on bolstering Texas – not on doing battle with Washington.

Record of pragmatism
Democrat Bill White is better-suited to steer this ship of state through the challenges ahead.

The former mayor of Houston is a fiscal conservative with a progressive bent. He's more pragmatic than partisan. He's proven himself competent in business and in public office. Indeed, he's a bit of a throwback – in the best Texas tradition of the businessman governor.

We don't make this recommendation lightly. This newspaper has a long history of recommending Rick Perry for office against Democrats ­ from agriculture commissioner to the governor's office. But Texas requires a different kind of leadership at this important juncture.

Bill White is an entrepreneur and an energy expert who succeeded in the private sector before branching out into public service. White, 56, has no use for Perry's swashbuckling, coyote-shooting style. The Democratic candidate is meticulous and analytical, hesitant to overpromise but determined to solve Texas' most pressing problems.

As Houston's mayor, White proved himself to be adept at balancing budgets, managing to cut property tax rates repeatedly. He drew national acclaim for his leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

And White laid waste to the idea that environmentally friendly policies inevitably were bad for business – a myth that Perry perpetuates as he fights to maintain Texas' right to pollute with impunity. In Houston, White struck a careful balance, proving that a city could go green and still be open for business.

As governor, White would be well-positioned to deliver in areas where Perry has fallen short.

For example, Texas' transportation infrastructure needs are daunting and urgent. Yet Perry seems to be stumped when it comes to offering workable funding options for building roads. The governor's go-to move is to blame Washington – and he does, for not sending more money. That's a fine lament, but it won't pay for any new lane miles.

White recognizes the need for new revenue sources and supports allowing counties to call elections to raise funds for transportation projects. This local-option approach has the support of North Texas transportation leaders but would stand a better chance in the Legislature with the backing of the governor.

The blurring of lines
During Perry's decades in elected office and two-plus terms as governor, ethical lines have slowly blurred as more and more high-dollar campaign donors have received appointments or state funds. Perry surrounds himself with a sea of people echoing his views. And he wields his power forcefully, making clear that those who dare to disagree with him can be replaced. When a Texas Tech regent endorsed Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison in the GOP gubernatorial primary, he said he was pressured to resign by a Perry emissary delivering a definitive message: The governor expects loyalty.

Even more troubling is the governor's apparent loyalty to campaign donors. Perry has played a pivotal role in awarding millions of taxpayer dollars from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund to companies with investors or officers who also happen to be the governor's campaign donors – an uncomfortable and unacceptable arrangement that cries out for an overhaul.

Fortunately, White has outlined a number of ethics reforms that would change the way the governor's office operates. His common-sense proposals include limiting contributions from appointees, extending the waiting period before governor's staff members can work as lobbyists and requiring gubernatorial staffers to file personal financial statements.

While White is better-equipped to navigate the state's budget woes and handle a number of other difficult tasks, his ideas about education have disappointed thus far. He has complained about the emphasis on high-stakes testing but failed to offer a specific alternative that would hold schools accountable. White's views may yet evolve in the realm of education, and this one point of disagreement does not outweigh the Democrat's many other good ideas.

Perry's strident, tea party tone and strong-arm style won't serve Texas well for another four years. While White's focus has been on finding solutions in Austin, Perry has done little more than rail against Washington's problems. The governor's gaze seems to have drifted from the tasks at hand, as he openly discusses his aspirations of elevating his national profile.

White is right when he says that leadership has little to do with delivering a speech and much more to do with having a sense of mission. White is a man with a mission, a leader who will bring a purposeful determination to the governor's office.

Libertarian Kathie Glass, 57, a lawyer, and Green Party candidate Deb Shafto, 71, a retired teacher and business owner, also are on the ballot. But White's broad base of expertise and modern managerial style make him the best choice for governor and earn him our recommendation.

All PolitFact Check for Statements Regarding Rick Perry

http://www.politifact.com/personalities/rick-perry/statements/

Gov. Rick Perry told the Newspapers of Texas: "You have out lived your usefulness ... I don't need your endorsements or your reporting..."

http://lubbockonline.com/texas/2010-10-06/texas-gov-rick-perry-regards-newspaper-endorsements-waste-time


Candidates for high political office usually grovel for newspaper endorsements. Not Texas Gov. Rick Perry. Breaking from a decades-old tradition, the governor isn’t even bothering to meet with editorial writers, much less ask for their blessing.

The way Perry sees it, newspapers are old news and have lost much of their influence. In a rapidly changing media climate, Perry said he decided before the March primaries that seeking their endorsements was a waste of time. After winning by 20 percentage points, the governor said he sees no reason to switch strategies in his race against Democrat Bill White.

“The most prized resource that you have is the candidate’s time, and what is the best return on your investment that you can get with a candidate’s time,” Perry told The Associated Press. “It was a calculated decision, but you know the world is really changing, I mean, the way people get their information, who they listen to, etc. Put it all on the balance beam and the balance was toward not doing the editorial boards.”

Newspaper editorialists have responded to Perry’s snub with fury, accusing him of doing a disservice to voters by refusing to submit to unscripted questioning.

The staunchly conservative Tyler Morning Telegraph, which Perry once called his “favorite” paper, slapped the longest-serving Texas governor with a blistering front-page editorial on Sunday.

“Your position to not visit with the editorial boards of Texas newspapers may be astute politically, but it demonstrates a disregard for newspaper readers and voters across the state, who deserve to hear substance rather than silence,” the editorial said.

White — the former Houston mayor who has been endorsed by The Houston Chronicle and the Austin American-Statesman, two of the state’s largest dailies in Democratic-leaning cities — said Tuesday that Perry’s “handlers are afraid of what he’ll say unscripted.”

Perry also drew an unusual rebuke from the National Conference of Editorial Writers, which called him “disingenuous” for saying he didn’t have time to take questions from its members when he spoke to their annual conference last month in Dallas.

“If the governor can’t take questions from the editorial board, from the press, on behalf of the public, it makes you wonder if they’re fit for office,” said Tom Waseleski of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, former president of the conference. “To out and out refuse to meet with editorial boards is cowardly and reprehensible.”

GOP voters are more inclined to view the media as hostile while general election swing voters may be more influenced by newspaper endorsements, said Peter Brown, assistant director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute in Hamden, Conn.

At least one other candidate, Florida GOP gubernatorial nominee Rick Scott, shunned editorial boards in the primary and has yet to schedule any meetings as he faces Democrat Alex Sink.

Brown said that candidates have previously avoided editorial boards during the primaries, but ignoring them entirely throughout an election could represent a new trend in the world of 24-hour news channels and Internet dominance.

“Before the Internet, newspapers in general were a bigger deal and their endorsements mattered more,” he said.

Seeking endorsements from the newspaper boards, made up of opinion writers, columnists and senior editors, is a traditional campaign ritual. It generally is done in a meeting that lasts an hour or more, and it’s not always a walk in the park. Republican political consultant Mark Sanders called it the “second most stressful thing a campaign has to go through,” behind debate preparation.

“You’re meeting with a lot of very smart, opinionated people who are just not going to take any guff off of the candidate,” Sanders said. “You’ve got to be very, very well prepared to go into an editorial board meeting.”

The intentional snub of the newspapers fits squarely with Perry’s damn-the-torpedoes style. He also has refused to debate White, and he hasn’t hesitated to break from other traditional campaign strategies. For example, Perry doesn’t send out direct mail and he will sell — but not give away — yard signs to supporters.

An independent group funded by an emerging Democratic money man has released a second full-page newspaper ad, capitalizing on Perry’s refusal to debate. The ad demands that Perry “FACE US.” The words appear over a dark, shadowy silhouette of Perry with his head down.

Don't Let Anything Stop You From Voting ...

You can tell that the Campaign Season is in Full Swing in Texas...

WHICH SENDS YOU TO THIS URL FOR BILL WHITE:
https://secure.billwhitefortexas.com/page/contribute/EmailContribute?source=mar4&subsource=nonote

The race for Governor of Texas is starting to heat up,

Conservatives will soon have to decide whom we're going to support in the GOP primary. We'll look at the pros and cons of the major candidates in this week's report.

Full report:

Next year's Republican primary is fast approaching, and the
gubernatorial candidates are making it clear that this is going to
be no ordinary GOP primary battle. Governor Rick Perry is up
against Kay Bailey Hutchison, who has been a US Senator for sixteen
years. Primary battles between two political powerhouses don't
happen very often; obviously both camps understand just how
important the office of Texas governor will be in 2012. Besides
the two big names, there's also two other candidates in the GOP
race, Debra Medina and Larry Kilgore.

Which candidate should conservative Texans get behind?
Unfortunately, that's not an easy question to answer. Neither
Perry nor Hutchinson is someone conservatives can wholeheartedly
support, for various reasons I'll discuss below. Let's look at the
pros and cons of each candidate.

Rick Perry is a mixed bag.

In some areas he's a conservative who sides with us on our fundamental values. On the other hand, in his ten years in office he has deviated from some of our core issues on many occasions. Right now, he's sounding pretty conservative, but that's to be expected during a campaign, when he knows he needs to say the right things to get out the conservative vote.

One of his most outrageous actions was using his executive power to
order mandatory vaccinations against a sexually transmitted disease
for sixth grade girls in 2007. Parents all across Texas were
enraged, and rightfully so, at the idea their 12 year old girls
should have to get vaccinated against venereal disease, and that
they should have no say in the matter. There's nothing
conservative about ordering 12 year old girls to be injected with a
vaccine whose risks and effectiveness are unknown, especially one
for venereal disease.

The Trans Texas Corridor was another huge disappointment from
Perry. We fought tooth and nail for years to prevent it from
becoming a reality, and we finally won at least this round, but he
opposed us the entire time.

He has also worked against conservative principles when it comes to
the Texas Supreme Court. Early on, he appointed a moderate (i.e.
squishy Republican), Xavier Rodriguez, to the court. In 2002,
conservative Steve Smith ran against Rodriguez in the primary, beat
him, and won the general election. However, the governor never
forgave Smith for defeating his appointee. He not only refused to
meet with him, he also encouraged others to run against him in the
next election, and Smith lost the election. What makes this
betrayal even worse is that Steve Smith is a real hero - he was one
of the lawyers who argued the famous Hopwood case that led to a
ruling that affirmative action was illegal. He was a true defender
of conservative principles on Texas' highest court, and Rick Perry
stabbed him in the back.

Many conservatives were shocked in late 2007 when Perry endorsed
Rudy Giuliani for president. Notorious for appearing in makeup and
female clothing on national television, Giuliani was by far the
most liberal GOP candidate, supporting gun control, abortion and
homosexual civil unions. The early endorsement cost Perry even
more credibility because Giuliani's candidacy went nowhere, as most
GOP voters have no use for left wing liberals in the White House.
He got nothing in return for betraying us.

On illegal immigration, Governor Perry has been straddling the
fence, which pleases no one. He sent Texas Rangers to the border,
but opposes a border fence. He says he's in favor of penalties for
hiring illegal aliens, yet he has also denounced what he calls
"mean rhetoric" about illegal immigration, saying "we need to look
at ways to be bringing people together, rather than driving wedges
between them." He also opposes any efforts to pass laws preventing
children born to illegal aliens from automatically becoming
citizens.

On the positive side, Governor Perry has done a lot to make the
Texas economy the strongest in the nation, where more jobs were
created in 2008 than the 49 other states combined. He rejected the
Obama stimulus money, and ignored liberals who wanted him to raise
taxes and increase spending. He has also made some positive
statements about the need for states to take power back from the
federal government. Finally, his opposition to gay marriage and
abortion are strong points in his favor.

That brings us to Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

It's highly unusual for a sitting Senator to challenge a sitting governor for his office, which has led to a lot of speculation that KBH is positioning herself for a possible presidential run in 2012. Let me be clear; I think this is exactly what's happening. It looks like Sen. Hutchison has looked at the massive revolt against Obama and decided that he's extremely vulnerable next election, and that the governor of the largest solidly GOP state will be in an excellent position to run for the Republican presdential nomination. Frankly, her run for governor looks like rank opportunism. It's nearly November, and she still hasn't resigned her Senate seat. Her failure to do so has led some to question if she actually intends to resign before the primary, which makes it look like she's hedging her bets.

Kay Bailey Hutchison has never been known as a strong conservative in her sixteen years in the US Senate. She generally votes the party line, but she has certainly never made a name for herself as
an outspoken defender of conservative principles or family values. Lately she has been attacking Rick Perry for his opposition to the border fence, but she herself has hardly been out in front on this
issue, and she comes off as if she's merely pandering to the millions of Texans concerned about the invasion of illegal aliens.

On fiscal issues, Senator Hutchison has been a huge disappointment over the years. For starters, last year she voted for the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. When she first ran for Senate, she promised to get tough on the growing federal budget, and oppose pork barrel politics. Not only has she not done that, she now brags about being the biggest pork barrel spender in the Senate. According to Citizens Against Government Waste, since 2005, of the billions spent on what are called earmarks, KBH has been responsible for an incredible one out of twelve dollars. This gross fiscal irresponsibility is inexcusable, but Sen. Hutchison seems to regard it as her job, and is quite proud of her record: "Why wouldn't I fight for Texas?" Hutchison said to the Dallas Morning News. "I'm proud of my effectiveness. To be hit for being effective for Texas is puzzling." It's hard to believe she would suddenly turn into a fiscally responsible governor if she gets the nomination.

Finally, on social issues, KBH is a disaster. She has voted in the past for some restrictions on abortion, but has stated clearly and repeatedly that she supports Roe vs. Wade and does not want to see
it overturned. Several years ago she opposed President Bush's nomination of devout Catholic Leon Holmes to the federal bench because of his pro-life views. For this reason alone, I personally cannot endorse Kay Bailey Hutchison. I regard abortion as the taking of an innocent life, and can never endorse a politician who
supports Roe vs. Wade. Kay Bailey Hutchison appointing judges to the Texas Supreme Court (in the case of a vacancy) would be a terrible blow to traditional family values in the Lone Star State.

Debra Medina is a little known, dark horse candidate for the GOP
nomination. It's always exciting to see new faces and fresh ideas
coming into politics, and there's certainly a lot about Debra
Medina for conservatives to like. She's a Christian who's been
married for 26 years; she and her husband homeschooled their
children. She owns her own medical consulting business. She is
also Texas state coordinator for Ron Paul's Campaign for Liberty,
which speaks volumes about her, and Ron Paul has endorsed her.
Medina's stands on many of the issues are right in line with our
own values.

She's a strong fiscal conservative, as you might expect from her
support of Ron Paul. Her position on illegal immigration is also
quite sound - she says it has a negative impact on many areas of
American life, and should be stopped. I'd like to hear more
specifics from her on this, but that's encouraging. She wants to
take back state sovereignty from Washington, and make schools truly
local again. On health care, she's one of those rare persons who
says free markets are best.

She's unapologetically pro-life, and says she will never compromise
on our 2nd Amendment right to bear arms. The list goes on and on -
if you go to her website, you'll be pleasantly surprised to find a
candidate boldly speaking up for the issues we care so much about.

However, she wrote an article after the Sotomayor hearings that is
quite troubling, which you can read on her Facebook page. Here's
an excerpt:

"The GOP really need look no further than George Lopez's tear into
KBH's vote against Supreme Court Justice Sotomayor to see an
example of the seriousness of potential Hispanic voter back lash.
Indeed if Republicans here in Texas expect to win this next
election, no longer can the GOP not see the disparity between its
future and its rhetoric. No longer can the GOP wait until the
fourth quarter to include Latino voters. No longer can the GOP be
sideways or indecisive on immigration and border security and other
Latino interests as both KBH and Gov. Perry have been."

It's not exactly clear what she's driving at overall, but parts of
it are cause for grave concern. She seems to be criticizing Sen.
Hutchison for voting against confirming Sotomayor because that will
make it harder to bring Hispanics into the GOP. She refers to
immigration and border security as "Latino interests", and says the
GOP must take stands on these issues that won't anger Hispanics.
This kind of talk is extremely hard to square with her views on
immigration and liberty as expressed on her official website.
Usually this kind of rhetoric means someone supports amnesty and
open borders because they think that's what Latino voters want.

Larry Kilgore is probably the least well known candidate. He's a
Christian who's been married for 20 years. He formerly served in
the Air Force. He's never been elected to office, but has run
several times before, including in the 2006 gubernatorial
Republican primary, in which he got 50,000 votes. I don't know
much about him, but his website is listed below for those
interested.

In conclusion, right now I'm not endorsing anyone.

Kay Bailey Hutchison is personally out for me because of her views on
abortion. Rick Perry has done some great things for Texas, but
seems to be a lot more conservative during campaigns than after
he's elected. His propensity to discard his conservative
principles is disconcerting. Both Debra Medina and Larry Kilgore
are long shots that have never held a major office; Medina,
however, has been elected to her GOP county chair. That is always a
two edged sword. Career politicians aren't to be desired, but they
do have a voting record and so you have a pretty good idea of what
you're going to get. New faces can sometimes shine brighter at
first than they really are, but someone's potential will never be
realized if they aren't given a chance.

Whatever happens, the 2010 Texas gubernatorial election will be an
interesting race to keep an eye on.

Last minute update:

Hutchinson's campaign has just released a new website called
SlickRickPerry.com. On it she documents that Perry also supported the Wall Street bailout and joined with a Democratic governor to encourage it to pass last September.

It's funny watching these two tear at each other for not being true
conservatives. Both sides have lots of ammunition. Perry has his
own snipe site at WashingtonKay.com.

Sources:

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/region/legislature/stories/02/06/6hpv.html

http://www.cultureandmediainstitute.org/articles/2008/20080821120743.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Perry#Supreme_Court_Justice_Steve_Smith

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/101807dntexperry.17bf40158.html

http://24ahead.com/blog/archives/006987.html

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTFH0UtWBmAsxfwLIvKwMumHyYJQD9ATS0Q83

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/120706dntexperry.e08679.html

http://www.star-telegram.com/politics/story/1683471.html

http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/columnists/scott_stroud/64187727.html

http://www.kwtx.com/home/headlines/30085729.html

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/latestnews/stories/100909dnmetearmarks.3ed6311.html

http://www.rnclife.org/faxnotes/2004/july04/04-07-08.html

http://www.mwilliams.info/archive/2004/07/marriage-and-submission.php

http://www.medinafortexas.com/issues.php

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=117013909655

http://www.larrykilgore.com

http://startelegram.typepad.com/politex/2008/10/perry-joins-wit.html

The Peter Morrison Report
http://www.petermorrisonreport.com/
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