Trick or Treat

Fox "News": Opinio-tainment

Continuing the theme of the previous post, Jon Stewart surgically eviscerates Fox Not-the-News:



More here (if you really think you need it).

Nothing to eat here

Dick and Kay

This ought to really sway that all-important Democratic cross-over vote.

Former Vice President Dick Cheney, a longtime acquaintance and supporter of U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, will be in Houston on Nov. 17 to formally endorse her in the race for governor against fellow Republican Gov. Rick Perry. ...

... Cheney knew Hutchison and her husband, Ray, while he lived in Dallas as the chief executive officer of the oil-field service company Halliburton from 1995 to 2000, and when he became George W. Bush's vice presidential running mate.

“I am so pleased,” Hutchison said Wednesday. “I respect the former vice president so much. We've worked together. He knows my record as a conservative in the Senate.”

Just don't think this helps her all that much. Judging solely by the comments, it appears to be backfiring.

With all of his own disastrous campaign twists, I still believe Rick Perry wins this primary.

Why is Peter Brown pouting?

He's stinking-ass wealthy and he's ahead in the polls for mayor of Houston (but only because he's stinking-ass wealthy). So why does he look so unhappy?

Seriously.

Hank Gilbert's "Scoop" and more postpourri

-- My choice for Texas Governor has established a rapid response site for the jumble of news associated with the half-dozen or so Texas gubernatorial candidates. Don't miss the hilarious mugshots of Tom Schieffer and Farouk Shami (who is a dead ringer for Cesar Romero). Update: Ask Kay Bailey's Magic 8 Ball a question.

-- Glenn Smith has been doing some excellent writing over at his new place, but my favorites have been his reminiscences about H-Town back in the day. Here's a bit about Telephone Road, and here's one about Brays Bayou.

-- Passings I should have blogged about: William Wayne Justice, William Safire, Soupy Sales.

Justice was as powerful a liberal lion for us in Texas as Ted Kennedy was for the country. His loss is deeply felt, and recalls a time when the disadvantaged actually had a shot in the legal system. Grits is good. So is Harold Cook.

I loved Safire's column "On Language", little else he said or did. But he was civil, and a gentleman, something conservatives these days gravely lack. As a result I thought this was a little harsh. Serves to remind me that I am hardly the most severe.

And I was a little too young to enjoy the highlights of Soupy Sales' career, but he was a very special comedian. Pee Wee Herman in particular stole a lot from Soupy. This is a nice remembrance, written almost fifteen years ago.

-- Also missed Vic Mizzy, who wrote the theme songs to "The Addams Family" and "Green Acres". Great epitaph: "Two snaps got me a mansion in Bel Air"

-- In the wake of last weekend's March to Stop Executions in Texas, this report says that ending the death penalty could save the United States millions of dollars.

-- Saturday was also the International Day of Climate Action.

-- Two excellent book excerpts: this one has the play-by-play of the 1980 New Hampshire Republican primary debate where Reagan bellowed "I paid for this microphone!" Riveting. And this one is a previously undiscovered Vonnegut.

-- Will Texas opt out of the public option? Signs point to 'no'.

US Senate Candidates Forum

Very little mudslinging, a good bit of humor, and plenty of respect for physicians marked the first forum for all six prospective candidates for the 2010 U.S. Senate race in Texas. Hosted by the Texas Medical Association’s political action committee, TEXPAC, and moderated by former Lt. Gov. Bill Ratliff, the forum gave the four men and two women the chance to share their views on health system reform, Washington politics, and other key issues. The race will be to replace Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is expected to resign soon to campaign full-time for governor. All six candidates who have filed campaign committees with the Federal Election Commission participated in the event.

• WHAT: 2010 U.S. Senate candidates’ forum
• WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 24, 2009, 7 pm
• WHERE: Westin Stonebriar Hotel, 1549 Legacy Dr., Frisco, Texas

Each candidate was asked to present his or her qualifications and positions on health care reform and other key federal issues of interest to Texas voters. The six candidates who participated were:

• Texas Railroad Commissioner Elizabeth Ames Jones
• State Sen. Florence Shapiro (R-Plano)
• Former Texas Comptroller John Sharp
• Texas Railroad Commissioner Michael Williams
• Former Texas Secretary of State Roger Williams
• Houston Mayor Bill White

TEXPAC speaks on behalf of more than 44,000 Texas physicians and medical students, and nearly 8,000 alliance members. Organized in 1962, TEXPAC is one of the oldest political action committees in Texas. TEXPAC also is one of the largest bipartisan PACs in the state and ranks first in size among other state medical association PACs.

Go to the link for video in thirteen short segments of the entire forum. Part 13 (at the top) picks up with some jokes by John Sharp.