Why doesn't anybody want the Harris DA job? *Updated*

Update (1 pm): Surprise, surprise.

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That's the real question.

Devon Anderson, the widow of recently deceased Harris County District Attorney Mike Anderson, is the local GOP leadership's choice to replace her late husband, the head of party said Monday.

"The person who would be the best to fill Mike's shoes, and they're big shoes to fill, would be his wife," said Jared Woodfill, chairman of the Harris County Republican Party. "I'm hopeful that the governor will appoint her to carry on Mike's legacy. She's very, very qualified for the position."

Woodfill put his sentiments in a letter to Gov. Rick Perry who will appoint someone to fill the unexpired term of Mike Anderson, who lost his battle with cancer Aug. 31.

Woodfill said he is urging Devon Anderson to ask for the appointment, and said she is considering it.

So let's reset: the chair of the county's Republicans has asked the governor to appoint someone to be the district attorney who hasn't said she wants the job yet.

The slot has previously been offered around with no takers.

Rumors have it that Gov. Goodhair has shopped the position to various folks who have been prominent in the Harris County criminal (in)justice system but that no one has expressed any desire in serving as the temp. It looks like Belinda Hill will get the nod by default. But whatever's going to happen needs to happen fast because so long as no one's in charge confusion will continue to reign at 1201 Franklin.

Texpat with some more on that.

Reportedly, (acting DA) Belinda Hill is also interested in maintaining the office permanently. KTRK notes a list of four other candidates being discussed by local Republicans. Given that Perry makes the call, it is a foregone conclusion that a Republican will get the nod. The other names include Marc Carter, the judge of the 228th District Court ...

Jim Leitner, a key Lykos aide, and Rachel Palmer, both prosecutors, were other names mentioned. Palmer has some skeletons in her closet relating to being investigated for criminal wrongdoing and pleading the Fifth. Leitner was also involved in this controversy.

The last name mentioned by the KTRK article is Ted Poe. Being a Congressman with unbelievable job security, and being a mere 65 years of age, I cannot understand why Poe would consider leaving Capitol Hill for this job.

Yeah, Poe already turned it down almost three weeks ago.  Nobody who works this beat regularly -- Grits for Breakfast, Big Jolly -- seems to have anything recent to say about it.  Grits last had Anderson's obit in August, while Jolly's last post, also three weeks ago, puts him on record as opposing Hill.  Not a word from uber-lobbyist (literally, he's Uber's lobbyist) Robert Miller except the usual nothing.  With baseball season nearly over, Marc Campos is now providing movie reviews.  Riveting.

So why isn't anybody talking about why nobody except Belinda Hill wants the job?  Seems to be a lot of insiders on lockdown about whatever is developing down at the county courthouse.

Or maybe they're in the dark, like the rest of us.

Update: Paul Kennedy, this morning.

Why doesn't anyone want the job? It's the highest profile county-wide post in Harris County -- aside from being county judge when a hurricane strikes. It will give whoever accepts it a big leg-up in the special election. You get to be the top law enforcement agent in the largest county in Texas. What could beat that?

Well, I guess there's the issue of managing an office with well over 200 attorneys plus staff. Then there's that whole "tough on crime" thing that doesn't take into account that it costs a bunch of money to lock folks up in jail. And then there's the state of the Harris County Jail -- it's full to the gills with folks who can't make bond.

As we can see by the grease fire that is the DWI pre-trial intervention program, it's not enough to make promises and speak in sound bites on the campaign trail. In order to make things work it takes attention to detail and an office that "buys into" a program. The PTI program was cobbled out of Pat Lykos' illegal DIVERT scheme without much thought as to how it would be implemented.

On second thought, maybe it's no wonder no one wants the job.

KHOU poll is more bad news for Hall

Annise Parker's challenger can only hope that his supporters have been seriously undersampled.

Annise Parker seems headed for a runoff in her campaign to keep her job, but she commands more than twice as many supporters as her leading challenger in a newly released poll commissioned by KHOU 11 News and KUHF – Houston Public Radio.

Still, just six weeks before Election Day, roughly half of all surveyed voters either didn’t know or wouldn’t say how they’re going to vote.

Parker leads the pack of candidates at 34 percent, with former city attorney Ben Hall at 14 percent. About 48 percent of voters are classified as undecided, indicating the incumbent mayor will have to fight to keep the post to which she was narrowly re-elected two years ago.

“I don’t see the mayor losing this race,” said Bob Stein, the KHOU political analyst who conducted the survey. “I’m not certain she’ll win it in the general election, like she did in 2011. But the mayor, who tends to get high marks as a mayor, simply doesn’t get what I’d call great public support as a candidate.”

Stein has it right.  It's possible that Hall can shore himself up a little in the next seven weeks, but only enough to force the mayor into a runoff.  More Stein...

“(Hall) expects to bring out a large number of African-American voters and win 80, 90 percent of that. Doesn’t seem to be working. Turnout may be a little bit higher among African-American voters, but he’s only winning 29 percent of the African-American vote, to the mayor’s 24 percent.”

Meanwhile, Parker garners 27 percent of Anglo Republican voters’ support compared to Hall’s 11 percent.

The biggest surprise in this polling is that the mayor is getting the Republican votes, and she isn't losing the black votes by enough to make a difference.  Actually it's not that surprising; Hall is just a terrible candidate with an even worse campaign.  And  'delusional' isn't helping.

"These numbers show what we hear every day: Ms. Parker's tenure has been repudiated by the people of Houston and she will not be re-elected as the next mayor," (Hall campaign spokesperson Julie Smekalina) said. "As Houstonians are beginning to see the vision Ben Hall has set forth, they are rallying behind his ideas for the city's future. The grass-roots momentum that we see supporting Ben's candidacy is growing and will secure his election as mayor."

You have to be on LSD to see that.   I'll go out on a very thin limb and say that a runoff is still possible.  But with numbers like these for the campaign operatives to spin, it's growing unlikely for Ben Hall.

If you're one of that 48% who haven't decided whom to vote for, go out to one of the forums on this schedule and see what the candidates have to say.

Mike Morris at the HouChron, KUHF (which conducted the poll with the TV station), Dos Centavos and Texpatriate also weigh in.

The Weekly Wrangle

The Texas Progressive Alliance is thoroughly enjoying some Republican slapstick comedy as it brings you this week's roundup.

Off the Kuff implores Sen. Leticia Van de Putte to run for lieutenant governor.  One look at the group vying for the GOP nomination shows how much Democrats need her on their ticket.

Eye On Williamson is having some technical difficulties, and hopes to be back next week.

Texas Leftist takes an early look at Annise Parker's political legacy as mayor of Houston, and why lacking a third term isn't the only reason it seems incomplete.  Also, we remember some wisdom from Ann Richards on why Texas Democrats are different.

Once PDiddie at Brains and Eggs declared this year's municipal election season in Houston "the most boring ever", things started to pick up a bit.

Horwitz at Texpatriate discusses the controversy that has arisen in a Houston city council election after one leading candidate allegedly made some unspeakably offensive comments.

Over at TexasKaos, Libby Shaw explains that cravenness hasn't gone out of style, no sir. Check out More of the Same. Cruel, Crazy and Craven.

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And here are some posts of interest from other Texas blogs.

John Coby has some advice for David Dewhurst.

The Great God Pan Is Dead showcases an excellent graphical guide to the insurance exchanges.

Better Texas Blog covers young adults and the insurance marketplace.

Texas Living Waters Project calls out Lite Guv candidate Jerry Patterson for his ignorant remarks about endangered species.

Nonesequiteuse has an action item for everyone who believes in reproductive justice.

Prairie Weather examines the link between Obamacare and ego.

TFN Insider reminds us why Don McLeroy should never be allowed near a textbook.

Sunday Funnies

"If you define 'mass shootings' as four or more people getting shot at one time, we've had nearly 250 so far this year. We've only had 260 days! Our mass shooting average is 96 percent. Our mass shooting scores shouldn't be that much higher than our math and science scores. There have been more mass-shooting days than Jewish holidays---and there are a shitload of Jewish holidays."

-- Jon Stewart

Paula Deen was a big butterball of emotion today during her first public appearance since settling the racial discrimination lawsuit that destroyed her career ... and we've got the pics.

Paula appeared in Houston, Texas for the Metro Cooking and Entertainment Show to mark her return ... and got choked up after receiving a standing ovation when she hit the stage.

The 66-year old chef told the crowd she had been wanting her return to take place in Texas all along ... and was just shedding tears of joy.