Sunday Postpourri

That big blonde digging out a kill attempt happens to be my niece. She is the star on the University of Arkansas volleyball team.

Last evening the two candidates competing for the US Senate held a debate at Rice University. My birthday buddy Barbara Radnofsky and Scott Jameson, the Libertarian candidate, talked substance for 90 minutes before an assembly of about fifty voters and a few media. Kay Bailey Torture was too scared to show up, and after watching Barbara tear her into little pieces in absentia, I can understand why. Senator Perjury Technicality alleges she will show for another debate scheduled for October 19, in San Antonio and to be broadcast on all statewide PBS stations. We'll see.

The conglomerate that owns the Los Angeles Times fired its publisher because he refused to cut staff. This is amazing to me, because I spent a decade in corporate newspaper management and never met a single man nearly brave enough to do this. I'll have more to say at a later date.

One of the best restaurants in New Orleans is finally open again. I'm not a candidate for the turtle soup, but most everything else on the menu -- including the jazz brunch; they invented that -- is worth the drive over. Right across the street from Commander's Palace is the Lafayette Cemetery, one of the Crescent City's oldest burial grounds. Lots of interesting history when you take a ghost tour and lots of movies filmed there. Here's a good picture of it.

The old I-10 bridge over the Trinity River -- between Houston and Beaumont -- is finally going to be replaced.

If you have ever sold a used car to another person and conspired to report the selling price as lower than reality when you recorded the title change at the courthouse... well, you can't get away with that any more. The state estimates that they will collect an additional $35 million dollars from eliminating the "liar's affidavit", and the county tax assessor-collectors estimate that many will be pissed off about it. Way to go again, Rick Perry and the Republican Texas Lege. At least they haven't raised your taxes, right?

TIME declares that the Republican Revolution is over. Stu Rothenberg says "a true blowout is now possible".

And don't miss the Moral High Ground Mudslide edition of this week's Sunday Funnies.

Bell beat 'em like a pinata

In my humble opinion. Of course, you don't have to take my word for it; you can read the comments at Burnt Orange or the Chron's Texas Politics or the Bell blog or Coyote Mercury, or Vince's analysis or Hal's take or Muse's musings.

There's enough play-by-play to suit anyone at those links so I'll summarize my favorite moments:

-- Bell opening with "I'm glad to be here with my three Republican opponents";

-- Grandma not knowing the recently-elected president of Mexico's name;

-- any of Kinky's disjointed ramblings, but particularly when he turned to Bell and asked, "What do you think the heroes of the Alamo would think of (our cowardly governor refusing to debate more than once)?";

-- the relentless pummeling given the incumbent from three angles, so badly was he hurt that he actually ducked out on the post-debate media Q &A.

Chris Bell was poised, confident, and articulate. He never got cut off for time, and he answered the question he was asked and didn't just spout some talking point. It was such a strong performance in comparison to his inept three stagemates that he likely sent himself to the Governor's Mansion tonight.

Quorum Report quotes moneybags trial lawyer John O'Quinn as saying Bell will not only get his financial help but also that of his fellow Democratic rainmakers:

Houston Attorney John O'Quinn, prominently featured tonight in Chris Bell's post-debate appearance, said he would do whatever it takes to raise Bell's profile in the race. Pressed by Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News in a post-debate press gaggle, O'Quinn said he was ready to put at least a million dollars into the Bell campaign, if not more.

"Chris Bell will not lose because of a lack of resources," O'Quinn said.

Thirty-three days to go, and we'll have a new Governor in Austin.

Update: Somervell County Salon got video of several parts of the debate, but this is the best part. And KHOU has the debate in full (until October 10, according to the debate rules).

Update II (10/7): C-Span will rebroadcast today at 12:59 pm and 10:00 pm (note that the times posted at the C-Span site are Eastern; I changed them for this posting to Central).