Texas Megathread

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The Daily Texan has another piece on the Davis campaign's blurring of specifics


The Daily Texan - Davis Education Policy is Short on Specifics, Just Like Her Campaign
http://www.dailytexanonline.com/opinion/2014/01/15/davis-education-policy-is-short-on-specifics-just-like-her-campaign


Key section:

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Obviously these stories all cover the same basic ground but here's the recent Davis personal story coverage. I've excluded stories that can't be viewed by non-digital subscribers.

But first, the Texas Observer on growing anti-frackism in North Texas.
Texas Observer - North Texans to Railroad Commission: "Stop the Frackquakes"
http://www.texasobserver.org/north-texans-railroad-commission-stop-frackquakes/


DMN, via AP - Davis Dismisses Issue of Discrepancies in Personal Story as Campaign Attack
http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20140120-davis-dismisses-issue-of-discrepancies-in-personal-story-as-campaign-attack.ece
POLITICO - Wendy Davis hits back at questions about her bio
http://www.politico.com/story/2014/01/wendy-davis-texas-governor-race-2014-102402.html?hp=f1
NYTimes - Accused of Blurring Facts of Stirring Life Story, Texas Lawmaker Offers chronology
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/21/us/accused-of-blurring-facts-of-stirring-life-story-texas-lawmaker-offers-chronology.html?partner=rss&emc=rss&smid=tw-thecaucus&_r=1
The New Republic - A Texas Newspaper Takes Aim at Wendy Davis's Cinderella Story—and Spins the Facts, Too
http://www.newrepublic.com/article/116278/wendy-davis-profile-dallas-morning-news-has-its-own-spin-facts
Texas Monthly - Paul Burka: The Troubles of Wendy Davis
http://www.texasmonthly.com/burka-blog/problems-wendy-davis#.Ut69CW9VPy4.twitter
Huffington Post - Sexist Digs At Wendy Davis Ramp Up After A Big Fundraising Report
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/21/wendy-davis-sexism_n_4638465.html
Davis' open letter, released today on her campaign page and sent to all of her e-mail subscribers
http://www.wendydavistexas.com/landing/e140121/


Also on the Gov race:
Texas Tribune - School Finance Trial Reopens, with Political Backdrop
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/01/21/school-finance-trial-reopens-political-backdrop/

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But first, the Texas Observer on growing anti-frackism in North Texas.
Texas Observer - North Texans to Railroad Commission: "Stop the Frackquakes"
http://www.texasobserver.org/north-texans-railroad-commission-stop-frackquakes/

Texas Tribune - Citing Quakes, Brown Calls for Disposal Well Shutdown
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/01/21/citing-quakes-brown-calls-disposal-well-shutdown/

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Lone Star Project has already hit back in the social media war with a recording of a GOP operative here in Texas talking about the race.

http://youtu.be/P-YRlswqrtA

The main thesis:

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I don't necessarily have a problem with her story herself - personal lives should mostly stay out of politics. It's that she withheld the truth from the voters and tried to completely cast herself as the victim instead of owning up to her mistakes.

What specifically are you referring to when you say she "withheld the truth"?

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^I assumed he meant the bio discrepancies there. Tmthforu is pretty much always a respectful poster so I doubt he was inferring something like not giving her ex-husband a shout out in every stump speech as a "mistake"

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^I assumed he meant the bio discrepancies there. Tmthforu is pretty much always a respectful poster so I doubt he was inferring something like not giving her ex-husband a shout out in every stump speech as a "mistake"

You are correct - I don't think it's something that people should hold against her when running for office, but I don't think it necessarily looks good when some of the "weaknesses" in her bio were conveniently left out to paint a better picture of her.

Something should be stated though about her supporters mocking Abbott for being wheelchair bound - I felt pretty disgusted watching that video. Her campaign needs to be flawless to win in November, and so far, it's anything but. "Stand with Wendy" as the campaign slogan was poorly thought out, also.

It should be noted the slogan "Stand With Wendy" is from June, and was the Twitter slogan (aka "hashtag") surrounding her filibuster. Her gubernatorial campaign has never embraced that slogan. If we're going to parse every moment of Wendy Davis' life let's not let ourselves generalize when it suits the narrative we prefer.

I really do want to know if you can specifically point to something to back up your "withheld the truth" claim. Highlighting certain periods in her life is one thing, but I don't believe that in any of this bio debacle that there has been something where she legitimately "withheld the truth."

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Dem pundit Jason Stanford had a Q&A today with the DMN journalist Wayne Slater. Good read, though Slater dodges honest answers if you ask me.

http://jasonstanford.org/?p=408

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Greg Abbot spoke at a Pro-Life rally in Austin today.

Texas Tribune - Abbott: Davis Wants "Late-Term Abortion on Demand"

http://www.texastribune.org/2014/01/25/abbott-and-davis-spar-roe-anniverary/


Thank you Mr. Abbott for changing the conversation, taking a false and extreme claim, and giving Davis an opening.

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The McAllen Monitor calling on the Dem Party to raise Van De Putte's profile in the election - http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/columnists/carlos_sanchez/article_684cdca2-8557-11e3-97b4-001a4bcf6878.html


POLITICO profiles George P. Bush
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/george-p-bush-texas-the-next-george-bush-102619.html#.UuXBBnl6iia

POLITICO also has what I think is the best piece on Davis:
http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2014/01/wendy-davis-the-most-judged-woman-in-america-102598.html?hp=t1#.UuXCR3l6iiZ

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Thanks for the run down, Indy. Missed the debate while I was at work but from what it sounds like, Leticia Van De Putte came away from the debate the clear winner.


Dallas Morning News - Is Greg Abbott Sponsoring a Super Bowl Pool? You Bet!
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/01/is-greg-abbott-sponsoring-a-super-bowl-pool-you-bet.html/

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Today was a special election in a north Austin State Legislature district. With about 77% reporting, turnout was 10.7% and Democratic candidate Celia Israel has won with 60% of the vote. The district has gone from a 62% victory for the Dem candidate in 2008 to being vaguely competitiven in 2010 (54%D/41%R/3.5%L), and Republicans didn't even field a candidate in 2012.

http://traviselectionresults.com/enr/contest/display.do?criteria.electionId=20140128&contestId=78

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I guess people assume because of how she became a household name she is left on every issue. The thing is, Wendy Davis' record on gun rights is very strong and supporting "open carry" is backed up by that record, making it hard to accuse her of pandering.

R: "You only support this because you're pandering for moderate voters and trying to take the issue away from me."

Davis: "In the state Senate I supported x, y, z, so no, I support this because I believe in it and I believe in the 2nd amendment."

More than the policy itself, I think this is a move to show she's not afraid to buck the national party and distance herself from the possibility of accusations of Obama puppetry.

I've been frustrated with her campaign's missteps too, Indy. But the candidate I support is still there. I could tell in the speech she gave the same night as the State of the Union. Her campaign seriously f***ed up there, because coverage of that speech really could have changed the tide on her bio issues. I've read (though the article had a paywall so I only saw the first two sentences) that the campaign has hired a new press liaison, or something, (they aren't firing anyone yet) which I hope will help. We probably won't be able to tell for a week or two, since she has been fundraising out of state this week.

She did give a Univision interview that, from what I can tell, was really good. I don't speak spanish and they lower the volume on the english voice tracks, but here you go: http://noticias.univision.com/video/386591/2014-02-02/al-punto/videos/wendy-davis-senadora-democrata-texas-candidata

To top it off, Wayne Slater of the Dallas Morning News, published another scoop revealing that Davis used to be an active Republican until she switched parties in 2006.

This is old news, and very common for moderates especially in the panhandle and north Texas. You have the choice between voting for the Democrat that will lose later that year, or having a say in how crazy your future representative is.

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Dallas Morning News - Wendy Davis backs medical marijuana, would consider decriminalization.
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/wendy-davis-backs-medical-marijuana-would-consider-decriminalization.html/
Dallas Morning News An Impressive Conversation With Wendy Davis
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/an-impressive-conversation-with-wendy-davis.html/

Abbott has been under some fire for describing corruption in the Rio Grande Valley (southern Texas, Latino-rich) as "third-world." The McAllen Monitor called on him to apologize, as did Wendy Davis. Abbott responded today in the Monitor by doubling down. Seriously, can any Texan here imagine him describing corruption in the north Texas (DFW/Gainesville/Tyler) area as 'third-world?' I can't.
Run Down:
Texas Tribune Governor Candidates Sparring over "Third-World" Remark
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/10/latest-spar-governors-race-over-third-world-remark/
McAllen Monitor COMMENTARY BY GREG ABBOTT: Third-world comments not directed at RGV
http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/columnists/article_d6d33a72-92b3-11e3-b173-0017a43b2370.html
McAllen Monitor LETTER: Wendy Davis responds to Greg Abbott's third-world comment
http://www.themonitor.com/opinion/letters/article_e2746da2-9104-11e3-b380-0017a43b2370.html


Davis yesterday held a press conference (and invited everybody! Progress!) as Abbott was in court on the school finance lawsuit.
Video http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/10/video-davis-speaks-about-school-finance-trial/
Article http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/10/davis-says-abbott-should-settle-school-lawsuit/

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In Non-Gubernatiorial News:

Newspaper Endorsements

San Antonio Express News
Maxey Scherr for Democratic U.S. Senate nomination
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Scherr-for-the-Dem-Senarte-nomination-5215173.php
Fitzsimmons, Carnes for ag commissioner nominations
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Fitzsimmons-Carnes-to-run-for-agriculture-5215220.php
John Cornyn for Republican U.S. Senate nomination
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Cornyn-for-the-GOP-nomination-5215170.php
Hecht, Brown, and Johnson for high court
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Hecht-Brown-and-Johnson-for-high-court-5225578.php
Novak best choice for [state] Senate seat
http://www.mysanantonio.com/opinion/editorials/article/Novak-best-choice-for-Senate-seat-5222022.php

DMN We recommend Harper-Brown in GOP race for Texas House District 105
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140209-editorial-we-recommend-harper-brown-in-gop-race-for-texas-house-district-105.ece
We recommend Branch for attorney general in GOP race
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140210-editorial-we-recommend-branch-for-attorney-general-in-gop-race.ece
We recommend Ratliff in Texas house district 115 GOP race
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140211-editorial-we-recommend-ratliff-in-texas-house-district-115-gop-race.ece
We recommend Morgan Meyer in GOP race for Texas house district 108
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140211-editorial-we-recommend-morgan-meyer-in-gop-race-for-texas-house-district-108.ece

...


DMN Record, Mug Shot from Steve Stockman's drug arrest that he now denies.
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/record-mug-shot-from-steve-stockmans-drug-arrest-that-he-now-denies.html/

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Abbott says he's standing by the comments.

Well summarized

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lol I know. He looks so grungy!

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So Davis now backs a 20-week abortion ban, albeit a slightly significantly different one than the [one included in the omnibus] bill she became famous for [filibustering].

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In other Texas news, this NYTimes Magazine story is making waves today:

NYTimes Magazine Can Wendy Davis Have It All?
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/16/magazine/wendy-davis.html

Davis' campaign schedule has her rolling out the third plank of her education plan today:
Texas Tribune Davis Calls For Increased Access to Full-Day Pre-K
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/12/davis-calls-increased-access-full-day-pre-k-progra/

Texas Weekly (warning: paywall after 1st paragraph) Van De Putte Disses Comedian Kinky Friedman
http://www.texastribune.org/2014/02/12/van-de-putte-disses-comedian-kinky-friedman/

Dallas Morning News Greg Abbott sticks with status quo on marijuana
http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/greg-abbott-sticks-with-status-quo-on-marijuana.html/

Rep. Stefani Carter, once seen as a rising GOP star, could be going down in flames in the GOP primary for her old seat that she left for a failed Railroad Commissioner campaign last fall.
Dallas Morning News Accident Report shows Rep Stefani Carter at fault in accident she cited at candidate forum
http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/2014/02/accident-report-shows-rep-stefani-carter-at-fault-in-accident-she-cited-at-candidate-forum.html/

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The Dallas Morning News needs to FIX the Carter story.

She dropped our of the Railroad Commissioner race

That's what it was! I forgot which primary she had dropped out of.

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Carter dropped out of the Republican primary for Railroad Commissioner

Retread.

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The Dallas Morning News has endorsed Patterson in the Lite Guv race.
http://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/20140214-editorial-we-recommend-patterson-in-gop-race-for-lieutenant-governor.ece?nclick_check=1

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Let's take a moment and talk about Senate district 10. For those not in the know, district 10 is Wendy Davis' district, which she has won twice in presidential years where the Dem at the top of the ticket lost. In the Texas Senate, a two-third majority is required to allow bringing legislation up for a vote. Davis' place in the Texas Senate has given Democrats some leverage;without her occupying that seat Republicans wouldn't even need to consult their Democratic counterparts when working on legislation in the state senate. So, the race for this district is very important to the next two legislative sessions.


Ft. Worth Star Telegram has endorsed Libby Willis for the Democratic nomination.
Democrats: Willis is a fighter
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/15/5570923/democrats-willis-is-a-fighter.html?storylink=addthis#.Uv-j90NcXRs.twitter&rh=1

They have also endorsed Mark Shelton, the man Davis beat in 2012, for the GOP nomination
Shelton best fit, but Pompa strong
http://www.star-telegram.com/2014/02/15/5570917/shelton-the-best-fit-but-pompa.html?storylink=addthis#.Uv-jZQUbEtc.twitter

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I've seen this mentioned before, but I think Davis/TX Dems are afraid to bring this up. For obvious and realistic reasons, if you ask me. It's something that'll have to permeate independently. edited to add: Well I clicked the link to this article, and the headline coupled with a picture of Abbott shaking hands surely does the job.

The Beaumont Enterprise has released their endorsements for the 3/4 primary:
http://www.beaumontenterprise.com/opinions/editorials/article/EDITORIAL-Enterprise-endorsements-for-March-4-5237193.php

The Tyler Morning Telegraph has published an interesting editorial endorsing the primary challenger for the state leg seat covering Tyler...
http://www.tylerpaper.com/TP-Editorials/194719/ogle-bakerreceive-our-endorsements#.UwGGj3mM6f1

In Lite Guv endorsements, Todd Staples has earned the support of Corpus Christi Caller-Times
http://www.caller.com/news/2014/feb/16/editorial-todd-staples-is-gops-best-choice-for/

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Badger, I'm NOT trolling you uppity agitator

Hahahah