After the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in January that a Texas court had gone too far in overriding the State legislature’s plan for redestricting, it seemed likely the state’s important primary would be pushed back, further elongating the protracted GOP presidential nomination contest. Today comes the news that, indeed, the primary …
texas
In Blow to Democrats, Supreme Court Knocks Down Texas Voting Map
Just in time for the renewed talk of a protracted GOP primary fight, the Supreme Court of the United States has crushed a revised redistricting map in Texas and unanimously ordered a lower court in San Antonio to come up with a …
Evangelicals’ Last-Ditch Effort to Unite in the GOP Race
Some 125 evangelical leaders and their spouses will gather this weekend at a Texas ranch to discuss the latest iteration of Operation What To Do About Mitt Romney. While organizers say it is not a meeting to stop the GOP front …
Texas Trifecta: Control of Presidency, Congress and Courts May Be at Stake in Redistricting Fight
For Republicans concerned that a lengthy primary could hurt their chances against President Barack Obama in 2012, the biggest worry right now may not be Iowa or New Hampshire. In Texas, a fight between Democrats and Republicans …
In Perry’s Texas, a Well-Connected DA with a Knack for Blocking New Evidence
Michael Morton faced a throng of reporters last Tuesday just after a Texas judge freed him following 25 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. Now gray-haired and 57, Morton looked on the bright side. “I thank God that this was not a capital case,” he said.
The Controversial Willingham Case: What Rick Perry Knew and When
Correction appended
On the day in 2004 that her first cousin Cameron Todd Willingham was scheduled to be executed in Texas, Patricia Cox had good reason to believe he was innocent.
Willingham was convicted of murder for …
Three Myths About Rick Perry
Rick Perry’s whirlwind arrival on the presidential stage has made him a Texas-sized character in Americans’ political imaginations. But some early black-and-white images of Perry’s life and politics don’t quite square with the …
Lucky and Good: Rick Perry’s Lone Star Rise to Power
At some point in every major national politician’s life, their history becomes mythology and their persona becomes fixed in the public imagination. Rick Perry, his opponents and many pundits like to say, is a fortunate fellow, a …
Why Social Conservatives Met With Rick Perry Last Weekend
Back in May and before Rick Perry was considering a presidential run, a group of social conservative leaders approached the Lone Star governor. “One of our people wanted to take a look at him,” says Rapid City, S.D., furniture-store owner and conservative organizer Bob Fischer. “Perry became anxious to meet with us, the conservatives …
‘Best Governor We’ve Ever Had’: Evangelical Leader Rick Scarborough Backs Perry
Last weekend, Rick Perry privately met some 300 conservative evangelical leaders at long-time supporter Jim Leininger’s home near Fredricksburg, Texas. And on Monday afternoon, reported-attendee and evangelical leader Rick …
Rick Perry’s Complicated Relationship with Latinos
In San Antonio on June 23, Rick Perry addressed the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials’ annual meeting. He was optimistic, focused on Texas’ booming economy, and reminded the crowd – Republicans …
Arne Duncan Pulls Punches On Texas Critique
Education Secretary Arne Duncan came out swinging this week, when he attacked Rick Perry’s education record in Texas, saying that he feels “very, very badly for the children there.” But a few hours later, Duncan had moderated his attack line, in an interview with TIME’s Andrew Rotherham.
When I asked Duncan about this dire assessment in
…
How Rick Perry Aggressively Pursued Federal Aid He Now Decries
In his presidential-campaign kickoff on Aug. 13, Texas Governor Rick Perry burnished his conservative credentials by attacking the idea of deficit stimulus spending. “Washington’s insatiable desire to spend our children’s …