Republican Party of Texas

Today, Democrats Are Officially Gunning for Texas' Electoral College Votes

This is day one of the Battle of Texas, which is mostly marked by a website launch. Battleground Texas, the Democratic Party's efforts to shake the GOP hold on the state, officially starts today. The site comes with a nifty graphic showing a red Texas filling up with blue (it's pretty low right now) ... More >>

Mary Suhm's Secret Drilling Deal Proves That the City Manager System Doesn't Work

Don't think about this: your city manager, the CEO of Dallas City Hall, signed a secret deal five years ago promising to help a gas company set up drilling rigs and processing plants in city parks. Think about this instead: the city manager did not sign a secret agreement with drilling opponents to ... More >>

More Texas Republicans Are Urging the Boy Scouts to Dig In Their Heels on Gay Ban

Texas Values, an organization whose goal is to "preserve and advance a culture of family values," has issued an open letter to the Boy Scouts of America with their thoughts on lifting the ban on gay scouts. They're against it. "While adopting this ill-considered and wrongly devised policy might ear ... More >>

Texas AG Announces "Choose Life Advisory Committee" to Distribute Money Raised by Those Anti-Abortion License Plates

In May of 2011, in the midst of various other anti-abortion measures, Texas lawmakers approved SB 257, authored by Representative Larry Phillips, a Republican from Sherman, and Senator John Carona, a Republican from Dallas. The bill allowed for the sale of state-issued specialty "Choose Life" licens ... More >>

Cathie Adams, Dallasite and Former Chair of the Texas Republican Party, Says "Obama Fried His Brain on Drugs"

Cathie Adams served for less than a year as chair of the Texas Republican Party before being unseated in 2010, but she's long been a fixture on Texas' right wing, particularly as a leader of the virulently anti-abortion Texas Eagle Forum. It was in that role that Adams spoke alongside now-Senator T ... More >>

As the National GOP Leaps into the 20th Century, Ted Cruz and His Texas Pals Cling to the 19th

Last Thursday, New York Times conservative columnist David Brooks said Republicans, smarting from Mitt Romney's defeat, have learned their lesson and are undergoing what Brooks described as a "glasnost," a term defined by Merriam-Webster as, "a Soviet policy permitting open discussion of political a ... More >>

David Barton's Libyan Fever Dream: Obama Was Complicit In U.S. Ambassador's Murder

Today, in The State of American Discourse, I present to you David Barton, religious ideologue, fantastical historian and weeping boil on the hide of Texas. No, he is not an entirely fringe crank. Barton is the former vice chair of the Texas Republican Party. He recently helped draft the ridiculous a ... More >>

George P. Bush's "Future in Texas is Unlimited." And George W.? He's Taken Up Painting.

The latest New York magazine goes all-in on the Bush family, assessing the political hopes of Jeb before finally deciding that it's actually George P., Jeb's half-Mexican son and a rising star in Texas politics, who has the highest political ceiling. "George P.'s future in Texas in unlimited," says ... More >>

Revisionist Historian David Barton's Book Yanked For Inaccuracies. Will He Still Choose Texas' Social Studies Textbooks?

NPR ran a story on Wednesday about David Barton, the Aledo-based pseudo-historian who has built a career arguing that America was established on Christian principles. It found that his claims aren't particularly hard to debunk. For one, Barton has only a bachelor's in Christian education from Oral R ... More >>

Texas Wants 'In' on National Immigration Database, But Why It's Necessary Is A Mystery

Yesterday, Texas Secretary of State Esperanza "Hope" Andrade requested access to a federal database of immigration records as a way to ensure that voters are here legally. It's a little like putting border patrol agents at polling stations -- but without the threat of deportation, at least for now. ... More >>

Republicans Have a Hispanic Problem, But Texas GOP Thinks It Has the Solution [Updated]

Five months to go and Republicans are waking up to the awful realization that over the course of the primary season -- the last five or six years, really -- they've done their level-best to alienate the largest minority demographic not only in Texas, but in the nation. It is as though the throttling ... More >>

If Sarah Palin Hasn't Called You About Ted Cruz Yet, Try Not To Take It Personally

Ever since Ted Cruz announced that Sarah Palin is endorsing him in his bid for Senate, we've been clustered around the office phone (we only have one), waiting patiently to hear a robo-call from ex-Alaska Governor Palin. It never came. That's because, as it turns out, Palin's calls may have been acc ... More >>

Feds: Voter ID Law "Legally Unenforceable," Can't Rule Out "Discriminatory Purpose"

State legislation requiring voters to present state-issued identification such as a driver's license, a concealed-carry permit, or a U.S. passport or military ID was rejected Monday morning by the U.S. Department of Justice. "Because we conclude that the state has failed to meet its burden of dem ... More >>

And Now a Look at a Former Board of Ed "Expert's" Revisionist History Textbook

​David Barton -- founder of Wallbuilders, former State Board of Education "social studies expert" and member of the Religious Right coalition that prodded Gov. Rick Perry to join the insufficiently Christian Republican field -- isn't exactly what you'd call a rigorous academic. What you might ... More >>

State GOP Legislators' Revenge Won't Be on Democrats, But on the Old, Poor and Sick

​People all over America should watch the special session of the Texas Legislature, just now beginning, if they want to see what Republicans are really up to. Among other things, they're out to kill Medicare and Medicaid. The regular session was stymied at the last minute when Democratic sta ... More >>

SMU's Turner, Gov. Rick Perry Send Their Condolences Upon Passing of Bill Clements

​Among the hodgepodge of videos to which we linked only yesterday are a handful of particular note today, as Texans mourn the death of Bill Clements -- the 94-year-old Dallas native, two-time Texas governor, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense under Nixon and Ford and chair of SMU's board of governor ... More >>

News & Notes: Jenkins Surgery Update, Who Sent Sherbet's Stuff Home and Former Cowboys QB Poised to Swap Senate Teams

Photo by Sam MertenClay Jenkins​What a Week For the New County Judge Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins has been pummeled in the media and political circles for playing Scottie Pippen to Commissioner John Wiley Price's Michael Jordan in the game to push out Elections Administrator Bruce Sherbet ... More >>

This Week, Dallas Convention Center was Your One-Stop "Security" "Solutions" Headquarters

Photos by Patrick MichelsAnd these were just the cameras they told you were there.​The Dallas Convention Center was easily the safest place in town this week, as the 56th annual ASIS International seminar had the run of the place, with a showroom full of the latest toys you'd need to spy on the ba ... More >>

The News Has Endorsed Stephen Broden. But What Does the Paper Really Know About Him?

Texas GOP VoteRNC Chair Michael Steele and Stephen Broden​This afternoon, The Dallas Morning News endorsed Stephen Broden, the Republican vying for Democrat Eddie Bernice Johnson's seat in the U.S. Congress. Fascinating -- in no small part because Johnson has been the No. 1 purveyor of federal por ... More >>

Stars and Stripes Go On Forever Among the Downtrodden at the Texas GOP Convention

The Texas Attorney General, Not Keen on Putting the "Open" in Open Records Requests

Patrick MichelsTexas Attorney Greg Abbott with two of his fans at the Texas GOP convention downtown over the weekend​Yesterday's mail included a couple of letters from the Texas Attorney General, which I will share, regarding two unrelated matters. The first was an opinion dealing with my letter t ... More >>

A Few Do's and Don'ts Learned During the 2010 Republican Party of Texas Convention

Photos by Patrick Michels​Happy Sunday, Friends! While you were out having a nice, relaxing weekend full of neighbors and sun and beers and loveliness, I was at the 2010 Texas Republican Party Convention having a blast talking about 'Murka and stuff. It was a fun- and camo-filled two days, but I'v ... More >>

Catching Up With Our Favorite George W. Bush Soundalike at the GOP Convention

Sam MertenWe tried to grab Senator Cornyn after this radio interview, but he scampered off to the VIP area before we could snag him.​As Representative Dan Branch told us yesterday afternoon shortly after addressing the delegation from John Carona's senate district, what a difference two years ... More >>

At This Weekend's Republican Convention, A Showroom Full of Fabulous Merchandise

Photos by Patrick MichelsMay his legacy live forever on women's tote bags.​The good people with the Republican Party of Texas are just beginning to get their biennial convention locked and loaded into the Dallas Convention Center, where the next few days promise a wealth of political theater, and ... More >>

Next Week at the Dallas Convention Center, a Sneak Peek at the Future of the Texas GOP

​If you weren't aware that we're but a week away from the Republican Party of Texas's 2010 convention at the Dallas Convention Center, you'll find Harvey Kronberg's preview at Quorum Report, part one of which was posted yesterday evening, awfully helpful. (If, that is, you're a subscriber -- the r ... More >>

Do Primary Voting Numbers Spell a GOP Trend?

D'oh! Homer Adams is Too Busy Cooking to Talk About Gay Opponent Attempting to Take Over as Precinct Chair in Far North Dallas.

Rob Schlein, president of the Dallas chapter of the Log Cabin Republicans​We admit that of the 14 contested primary races for Republican precinct chairs in Dallas County, the odds are that you aren't paying attention to any of them, even if you live in those precincts. Heck, we hadn't planned ... More >>

Bill White Officially Enters Gubernatorial Fray

Sam Merten​When we cornered Houston Mayor Bill White in late October after his campaign speech in Plano, he said he can appeal to conservatives and moderates as a Democrat because he knows how to make government run efficiently. He added that he's "honest and straightforward," which had been t ... More >>

Former Council Member Donna Blumer Defends Cathie Adams; County GOP Chair Neerman Says He's Done Criticizing Her

One month into her tenure as state Republican Party chair, Cathie Adams has caused the party's executive director to resign and took sides in yet another GOP primary race.​Despite the length of our cover story on the GOP gubernatorial primary, my discussion with former city council member Donn ... More >>

Rick Perry and Kay Bailey Hutchison Are Locked In A Pitched Battle Over The Soul Of The GOP. They Are Also Running For Governor.

GOP Chair Neerman Brushes Off Governor Perry Calling Him "a Great Kid" But Won't Take Back Comments About Cathie Adams

Sam MertenNeerman's right. He does have a lot more gray hair than Perry.When Dallas County Republican chair Jonathan Neerman told us that the election of Cathie Adams as the state party's new chair "set the party back five years," even the editorial board at The Dallas Morning News took notice. A fe ... More >>

Texas GOP Shifts Even Further Right With New Chair Cathie Adams

Dallas County GOP Chair Jonathan Neerman Says Selection of Cathie Adams as New State Chair "Set the Party Back Five Years"

Searching for a link between President Obama and Hitler? No worries. New state GOP chair Cathie Adams has you covered.If you didn't notice when Texas Republican Party chair Tina Benkiser stepped down last month to join Governor Rick Perry's re-election campaign as a senior adviser, you're forgiven. ... More >>

The Other Bailout: Donors Spending Big Bucks on Texas GOP This Week

Rudy Can Fail?

And the Award for Craziest Mockumentary Goes To...

Supreme Suspense

Talon's Out

Groundswell, Sort Of

Richardson stylist mixes politics and hair

Fog of War

A group of veterans says John Kerry stretches the truth about his Vietnam service. Who can you believe? Who knows?

Judge shake-it-baby

Conservative Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Sharon Keller is landlord to a North Dallas topless bar

The Nerd Behind the Throne

Karl Rove has masterminded all of Bush's political victories. Now he faces his toughest challenge: convincing you that the presidential front-runner owns his own soul

Buzz

Buzz

Buzz

Letters

GOP to gays: Butt out

Texas' Log Cabin Republicans find themselves the ultimate outsiders--vilified by both the GOP and fellow gays

Events for the week

White Like Me

A Christian comes to terms with Dallas' Christian Coalition

Breathing life into the party

State Democrats rebuild from the grassroots up