Should Congress salvage health care reform? How? Is it possible? Democrats in the Texas delegation sound off.
Austin
2010: Rallying Cry
More than a week after they surfaced in the Republican gubernatorial primary debate, the politics of abortion are again heating up.
No Love Lost
When George H.W. Bush becomes the latest denizen of Bushworld to endorse Kay Bailey Hutchison at an event at his West Houston home this morning — following on the heels of KBH supporters James Baker, Karl Rove, Karen Hughes, and Margaret Spellings — it will be impossible to pretend any longer that there isn’t a Bush-versus-Perry narrative at play in the 2010 governor’s race. But what’s really going on here?
TribBlog: Avoid These Roads
This week, The Daily Beast released its list of the 75 worst commutes in the country. Is yours on it?
TribBlog: Special Master Recommends Reprimand for Keller
Sharon Keller, the presiding judge of the state’s highest criminal court, will not be removed from the bench following a trial and review by the State Commission on Judicial Conduct.
What Does Debra Want?
Now that she’ll join Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison on stage at the second GOP debate — now that she’s cracked spoiler-worthy double digits in the latest poll and will fundraise, Ron Paul-style, through an online “money bomb” — it’s fair to ask what longshot gubernatorial candidate Debra Medina is in it for.
Abuse of Power
State employees who commit heinous acts against Texas’ most profoundly disabled citizens rarely get charged with crimes, let alone go to jail. A Texas Tribune review of a decade’s worth of abuse and neglect firings at state institutions found that just 16 percent of the most violent or negligent employees were ever charged with crimes.
2010: McDonald’s Rewind
Democrat Jack McDonald surprised his supporters last month by dropping his 10-month bid for Congress. He said at the time he’d give money back to donors who want it back. Now come the details, in an email from the candidate to supporters.
TribWeek: In Case You Missed It
A big week, with the State Board of Education working on social studies textbooks — Thevenot was all over that this week, starting with a story that got national attention — and then the first debate between the GOP gubernatorial candidates, a story we tag-teamed with poll analysis, Hu’s and Ramsey’s live-blogging, Philpott’s audio, and video. Our first TribLive event coaxed some news out of House Speaker Joe Straus, and E. Smith also interviewed Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on beaches, politics, and, um, politics. We featured M. Smith on athletes in politics, Aguilar on the pack of Republicans chasing U.S. Rep. Ralph Hall, Rapoport on women in campaigns, and Hamilton on candidates outside the spotlight. The best of our best from January 11 to January 15, 2010.
History Lessened
On day three of the State Board of Education’s social studies curriculum hearings, targets of the conservatives’ ire included Marcus Garvey, Clarence Darrow, and Ted Kennedy.

