Topic: Texas Politics

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Briefing
Six 2012 races where the tea party counts

After playing kingmaker in the 2010 election cycle, the tea party movement is having a less prominent role in 2012. But its support or opposition could swing some key races and even determine whether Republicans win control of the Senate. Here are six US Senate contests where the tea party could make a difference.
Christopher Hitchens: 10 memorable quotes

Some of the more pithy quotes by Christopher Hitchens
Election 101: What's the Republican primary calendar for 2012?

Here are the ins and outs of the road to winning the Republican Party presidential nomination.
Five US states that use the death penalty most

It's not often that the US Supreme Court stays an execution, as it did in the Duane Buck case on Sept. 15. But the justices routinely consider such requests, given than 34 states permit capital punishment. Here are the five states with the most executions between 2007-10.
How well do you know Rick Perry? Take our quiz

Gov. Rick Perry of Texas is now the frontrunner in a crowded Republican primary race, according to polls. How well do you know the man from Paint Creek, Texas?

All Content

Obama to Romney: congratulations on winning the nomination

President Obama called GOP nominee Mitt Romney on Wednesday to congratulate him for winning enough delegates to secure the Republican nomination.
Tea party drools over Ted Cruz, but can he survive Texas primary?

Ted Cruz is running for the US Senate seat being vacated by Kay Bailey Huchinson, and in many ways he's the ideal tea party candidate. But his best hope Tuesday is to force a runoff.
Mitt Romney courts evangelicals at Liberty University

Mitt Romney’s Mormon religion has been a problem for some evangelicals. At conservative Liberty University Saturday, Romney stressed Christian values without mentioning his own faith, part of an apparently successful effort to win over evangelicals and other social conservatives.
Bake sale ban in Massachusetts sparks outcries over 'food police'

A cookie crackdown? A brownie ban? The time-honored bake sale falls under a new Massachusetts law that limits students' access to junk food before and after school. Aim is to fight obesity, but critics decry a nanny state of 'food police.'
Why Texas judge lifted ban on state funds for Planned Parenthood

US District Judge Lee Yeakel ruled Monday that a law banning Planned Parenthood from getting state health funds may be unconstitutional. The judge's injunction is temporary.
Briefing
Six 2012 races where the tea party counts

After playing kingmaker in the 2010 election cycle, the tea party movement is having a less prominent role in 2012. But its support or opposition could swing some key races and even determine whether Republicans win control of the Senate. Here are six US Senate contests where the tea party could make a difference.
Orrin Hatch close call in Utah: Tea party rising?

Sen. Orrin Hatch is favored to win reelection, but first he faces a primary election against tea party favorite Dan Liljenquist. Can Hatch avoid the fate of former Utah Sen. Bob Bennett, ousted in 2010 by the tea party?
Surge, sag, repeat: Why the Republicans are so volatile.

Super PACs, the tea party, a surging and sagging field, and a party rule requiring proportional awarding of delegates in early-voting states are contributing to an unusually unsettled GOP race.
The Vote
Where does Newt Gingrich go after big losses Tuesday?

Newt Gingrich got trounced Tuesday. His plan has been built on surviving until Super Tuesday, where geography favors him more. But it's hard to see how Mr. Gingrich will be able to rebound.
Romney wins big in Nevada; Gingrich vows to fight on

Mitt Romney cruised to a comfortable win over his GOP rivals in the Nevada caucuses Saturday. Following strong recent debate performances and his big win in Florida, that gives him momentum going into the next presidential nominating contests.
Mitt Romney favored in Nevada caucuses: Three big reasons why

Mitt Romney has three big things going for him in Saturday’s presidential nominating caucuses in Nevada: Momentum from Florida, a splintered tea party, and many fellow Mormons backing him.
Mitt Romney super PAC outspending rivals 20-to-1 in Florida

Restore Our Future, a super PAC backing Mitt Romney, has already spent $5 million on ads in Florida. Can Newt Gingrich raise enough money to compete with Romney in Florida?
Newt Gingrich strikes back, family by his side, in South Carolina

Newt Gingrich fired back against explosive allegations from his ex-wife by wrapping himself in family at an event South Carolina, a state where family values loom large.
Supreme Court tells Texas judges to do a better job on election maps

Saying federal judges in Texas exceeded their authority in rejecting election districts drawn by the Republican-controlled Legislature, the Supreme Court instructed the judges to find remedies closer to the state's maps.
Like Obama? Vote for Gingrich.

In most states, unaffiliated voters can vote in either party’s primary, and in some cases, partisans can cross party lines to vote in the other party’s primary. In these states, Obama supporters should – for strategic reasons – show up and vote for Newt Gingrich in the Republican primary.
The verdict on Rick Perry: He just wasn't ready, analysts say

The excitement about Rick Perry, with his red-state bona fides and potential as a bridge-builder between the tea party and the GOP establishment, faded as his lack of preparation became evident.
Will Mitt Romney get the military vote in South Carolina?

Ron Paul has the most active-military donors. Mitt Romney say he will increase Navy shipbuilding. Newt Gingrich is surging in the latest poll.
Mitt Romney's 15 percent tax rate: How does it compare to Obama or Perry?

Mitt Romney said Tuesday his tax rate is about 15 percent of his income. Barack and Michelle Obama paid 25 percent.
Next stop South Carolina: Can Romney's train keep chugging ahead?

If the trend so far in the primaries has been for Republican voters to vote for Mitt Romney with their heads and not with their hearts, some in conservative South Carolina are saying: 'Not so fast.' Most evangelical leaders meeting in Texas Saturday voted to back Rick Santorum.
Haley Barbour's pardons put Southern redemption on trial

Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour defended his mass pardon of over 200 current and former convicts, quoting the Christian principle of redemption enshrined in Southern law and tradition.
Top GOP candidates won't qualify for Va. primary ballot

Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, Rick Perry, and Jon Huntsman have all failed to qualify for the ballot in at least one upcoming GOP primary.
How Mitt Romney's GOP foes are doing Obama's work for him (+video)

The Mitt Romney campaign will leave New Hampshire with new battle scars. It pains some Republicans to see their candidates going after one of their own, but it may not help Obama either.
Supreme Court justices face tangled mess with Texas redistricting plan

Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments Monday over competing plans for redrawn legislative districts in Texas amid allegations the state Legislature was diluting Latino political power.
Supreme Court to enter tangled Texas redistricting case

The Supreme Court on Monday will hear arguments over whether federal judges overstepped their authority when they revised state and congressional districts drawn by the Texas Legislature.
Rick Santorum gains in N.H., but Mitt Romney still leads, says new poll

Rick Santorum rose to 11 percent, but still trails Ron Paul and Mitt Romney, says a new 7 News/Suffolk University poll.