Pardon You, But President Bush Is One Economic Meltdown Behind

This morning, Harper’s tallies up the lists of President Bush’s pardons past and present and comes up with the following conclusion: “Texas S&L Swindlers Need Apply.” Seems almost retro in retrospect — nostalgic, even, like new-wave hits of the ’80s, as the magazine even brings up the 2004 pardon of…

Hook ‘Em, President-Elect!

BarackObama.com A Friend of Unfair Park directs our attention to this photo of Barack Obama, which was taken by his campaign staff on Election Day. For at least three other Friends of Unfair Park, University of Texas grads all, this will prove much better than porn for a good day…

In Texas, Is Blue the New Red?

Surely you’ve seen the stats by now: 289,092 Dallas County voters went straight-party Democrat on Tuesday, 422,242 folks filled in their bubbles blue for Obama, and even Rick Noriega bested John Cornyn here by some 82,000-plus votes. Elsewhere, Burnt Orange Report proclaimed, “The Death of Travis County Republicans,” which seems…

Jim Did Not Ruin Ron Kirk’s Night

Flickr photo: Obama__Dallas (Adam Jefferson) Love this picture of Ron Kirk taken last night at the Obama victory shindig at Gilley’s on 1135 S. Lamar Street, not the one in Chicago. Very handsome. Almost … mayoral. Cabinet material, at least. –Robert Wilonsky Update: Just spoke with Kirk’s assistant at Vinson…

GOP Kisses Sheriff’s Race Goodbye

Sam Merten Lowell Cannaday and his wife Rose, who was choked up during her hubby’s speech After John Carona, Dan Branch, Angie Chen Button and Pete Sessions celebrated the handful of victories by the Republican Party in Dallas County, Lowell Cannaday — who I had been trying to track down…

Really? Fainting?

Daniel and Megan, frustrated by crapped-out WiFi all night, send this brief dispatch from the Democrats’ victory bash in Bishop Arts. More from them tomorrow, with plenty of pretty pictures. Leading the crowd in triumphant cheers of “Yes, we can!” and “Yes, we did!,” State Sen. Royce West and plenty…

In the Park Cities, All Is Quiet … Too Quiet

Well, uh, here we are at the big Election Night bash in the home of our only Park Cities friends. And, uh … nobody else is here. It’s kind of, how you say, awkward. We parked three blocks away because we know how parked up it gets in the Park…

With Hope Dwindling, Republicans Compete For Next Caption Contest

Sam Merten Dallas County Commissioner Maurine Dickey Things are looking bleak for the GOP, but you don’t have to be at the Radisson to know that. We’re still trying to locate Lowell Cannaday, who’s behind 56 percent to 44 percent with 420 of the 708 precincts reporting. But, in the…

How Lowell Can You Go?

With 200 of Dallas County’s 708 precincts reporting, Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez maintains her lead over challenger Lowell Cannaday: 313,083 (or 56.24 percent of the vote) to 243,632 (43.76 percent). Sam’s with the Republicans and will have more comments and photos from the GOP un-shindig shortly — only, as…

T.D. Jakes Bumped off MSNBC for Big Blue News: Ohio for Obama

T.D. Jakes of The Potter’s House in Dallas was, moments ago, in the middle of telling David Gregory on MSNBC that “it’s anybody’s game” and that “in many cases, we’ve underestimated Sen. McCain,” when Gregory broke in with the news: NBC News has called Ohio for Obama. Dallas County now…

Vaught’s Seat Still Up for Grabs

State Rep. Allen Vaught Lauren Mish, the youngish campaign manager for Allen Vaught, is confident that her candidate will score a victory over former Lakewood-area state Rep. Bill Keffer, the Republican challenger. Talking to her as she set up her laptop in the front corner of the boisterous Lakewood Tavern,…

So, Houston, Do We Have A Problem?

Sam Merten The scene at the Radisson Hotel As Dallas County GOP chair Jonathan Neerman told me earlier, a 20-point margin for Barack Obama would amount to an insurmountable lead to overcome for local Republicans. Of course, with early voting showing just that — a 20-point lead for Obama –…

Dallas County’s Early Birds See Blue

Brandon Thibodeaux Lowell Cannaday and Lupe Valdez during one of their debates The troops are scattered hither and yon: with the Dems at Bishop Arts, with the Republicans at the Raddison, and we’ve even pulled Pulle back into the fold for a night to hang with Alan Vaught at the…