Grass roots vs. cash in Texas GOP
Major donors, social conservatives back
different hopefuls
By WAYNE SLATER, Dallas
Morning News
When it comes to Republican presidential politics in Texas,
the money is going one way and the grass roots another. Texas
donors have contributed more than $7 million to the three
front-running White House hopefuls – Rudy Giuliani, Mitt Romney
and John McCain – 10 times the state total raised by the rest of
the GOP field combined. But the top tier has failed to catch
fire among many social conservatives in the Republican base who
say the second-tier candidates better reflect their values,
especially vigorous opposition to abortion, gay marriage and
illegal immigration.
Craig: "I am not gay”
By Politico.com
Sen. Larry Craig (R-Idaho) denied that he is gay at a Boise
press conference this afternoon, and said he regretted that he
pled guilty to “disorderly conduct” at a Minneapolis airport in
June. “I am not gay. I never have been gay,” Craig said. “I was
not involved in any inappropriate conduct. I chose to plead
guilty to a lesser charge in hopes of making it go away,” Craig
said. The Senate Republican leadership announced that it will be
opening an Ethics Committee investigation into what it calls a
“serious matter.” “Due to the reported and disputed
circumstances, and the legal resolution of this serious case, we
will recommend that Senator Craig’s incident be reported to the
Senate Ethics Committee for its review," it said in a statement.
Men's room arrest reopens questions about
Sen. Larry Craig
By Kerry Maloney, Idaho
Statesman
Sen. Larry Craig, who in May told the Idaho Statesman he
had never engaged in homosexual acts, was arrested less than
a month later by an undercover police officer who said Craig
made a sexual advance toward him in an airport men's room.
The arrest at a Minnesota airport prompted Craig to plead
guilty to disorderly conduct earlier this month. His June 11
encounter with the officer was similar to an incident in a
men's room in a Washington, D.C., rail station described by
a Washington-area man to the Idaho Statesman. In that case,
the man said he and Craig had sexual contact.
Some wonder if PAC will target Craddick foes in his own party
The speaker's opponents may be wondering
if the committee's resources will be directed against them
By Clay Robison, San Antonio
Express-News
Gov. Rick Perry thinks Speaker Tom Craddick is a fine fellow
and a great Texan. But he really doesn't care whether Craddick
survives the current challenge to his leadership, provided the
House majority stays within the Republican family. That's the
official word from the governor's office, but there are
doubters, and their doubts are being reinforced by the fact that
Perry's chief political consultant is now advising Craddick's
political action committee. Dave Carney, the New Hampshire-based
political specialist who helped Perry get re-elected with 39
percent of the vote last year, has been enlisted by Stars Over
Texas, a committee founded by Craddick and administered by his
daughter to help Republicans win election to the Texas House.
Historically, the PAC has raised funds for Republican incumbents
and candidates in selected races against Democrats. But now that
several Republican House members are challenging Craddick's
leadership, some of the speaker's opponents may be wondering if
the committee's resources will be directed against them in next
year's GOP primaries.
No driver's license? No problem
By MARK LARABEE and NOELLE CROMBIE,
The Oregonian
A 24-year-old woman who led police on a chase through
Southeast Portland this week with her 3-year-old in the back
seat has been cited a whopping 43 times for driving without a
license. Seventeen times, she failed to show up in court for
traffic citations. In fact, Kendareen Hudson has never held a
valid Oregon driver's license. But until her arrest Tuesday, it
didn't stop her from getting behind the wheel. That's because
police in Oregon are powerless to arrest people who repeatedly
violate traffic laws or fail to show up for traffic court. "She
gets pulled over, she gets a ticket and never shows up or
doesn't pay the ticket," Shelley Snow, Oregon Department of
Transportation spokeswoman, said of Hudson and drivers like her.
"When she doesn't pay the fine, the court orders the DMV to
suspend her license." In Hudson's case, the suspensions stacked
up like frequent-flyer miles.
Ruiz complains of chest pains following arrest on corruption
charges
By the Santa Fe New Mexican
Joe Ruiz, a former deputy state insurance superintendent,
was charged Friday with 31 federal counts of fraud, extortion
and corrupt solicitation related to allegations that he
recommended reduced or waived fines against insurance companies
in exchange for donations to two charities. The two charities
identified in the federal grand jury indictment were the Con
Alma Health Foundation and the Southwestern Arts Institute. FBI
agents arrested Ruiz at his Santa Fe home Friday morning, said
FBI spokesman Bill Elwell. However, Ruiz complained of chest
pains, so the agents took him to a Santa Fe hospital, Elwell
said. The FBI released Ruiz from its custody, and Ruiz is
scheduled to be arraigned at 9:30 a.m. Monday in U.S. District
Court in Albuquerque, Elwell said.
Conservative lawmaker’s call for GOP resignations gets mixed
response
By Stefan Milkowski, Fairbanks
Daily News-Miner
Fairbanks Republican Rep. Mike Kelly made a public call this
weekend for U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, U.S. Rep. Don Young, and two
other prominent members of the GOP to step aside to help restore
trust in government and keep the party strong. Kelly, a
Republican, wrote in a letter to the editor published Sunday in
the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner that the Alaska Republican Party
needs new leadership and has only two options in the coming year
— “further revolution” or reform.
Napolitano sets earlier February primary date
By Howard Fischer, Arizona Daily
Star
Arizona Democrats and Republicans will make their
presidential picks the first Tuesday in February — the same day
as voters in about 20 other states. Gov. Janet Napolitano on
Tuesday used the authority given to governors by the Legislature
to move up the primary election date from the end of the month
to the beginning.
Poll: Smith leads in Oregon; so do Clinton, Giuliani (barely)
By The Oregonian
Oregonians would re-elect Republican Gordon Smith to the
U.S. Senate if the election were held today, although a
substantial number remain undecided about the race, according to
a new poll. The poll, by Mike Riley, of Portland, undoubtedly
will anger get supporters of Democratic candidate Steve Novick,
who wasn't included among the candidates surveyed. Instead,
Riley chose to question voters on Smith, Democrat Jeff Merkley
and independent John Frohnmayer. "I figured the most likely
candidates were probably going to be Smith and Merkley," Riley
said, with Frohnmayer a good bet to run as an independent. Smith
leads with 38 percent, followed by Merkley with 19 percent and
Frohnmayer at 7 percent -- 34 percent said they are undecided.
Arizona watching Nevada's request that Mexico pay for immigrants
health care
By HEIDI ROWLEY, Tucson Citizen
Gov. Janet Napolitano is closely watching the results of
Nevada's request that Mexico pay the health care costs of
Mexicans living in the state. "She really wants to know the
details of the discussion," said the governor's spokeswoman,
Shilo Mitchell. "She would need to know more about the details
before she could say if she would ask the same thing." Mexico's
Health Department confirmed late Monday that it is analyzing the
feasibility of covering health care costs for its citizens in
Nevada. According to a University of Arizona study released in
July, immigrants account for $4.9 million in uncompensated
health care costs in Tucson and a total of $149.3 million in
Arizona.
ID governor prepares for closed health summit
The list of those invited includes
representatives from eight hospitals as well as the Idaho
Hospital Association, along with the licensing boards of
dentistry, nursing and medicine
By REBECCA BOONE, Idaho Statesman
Select health industry leaders from around Idaho are
preparing for Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter's hush-hush health summit
here next week. As of Thursday, Otter had yet to reveal details
beyond a vague agenda for the Aug. 21-22 meeting, and some
health leaders feel left out of the invitation-only event. The
meeting is closed to the public, except for a short address by
Otter. "What we're hoping to accomplish is identifying and
setting priorities for making health care more affordable and
accessible in Idaho," Otter spokesman Jon Hanian said. "They're
coming up with recommendations that may or may not be adopted."
The meeting is closed because Otter "wants to ensure that these
issues aren't politicized," Hanian said. "He feels like we will
be able to get more accomplished if we let folks get together
and have a frank, free-flowing exchange of ideas that might be
tempered if cameras were rolling on everything that is said."
Hutchison says new career in private sector a possibility
She's not ruling out a run for governor
in 2010
By PEGGY FIKAC, Houston
Chronicle
Vice president? Doesn't want it. A run for governor? Quite
possibly. Leaving public service for a new career in the private
sector? That's appealing, U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison said
Thursday, in the midst of a three-day West Texas bus tour.
Napolitano 'not inclined' to move up primary date
By the Associated Press, Tucson Citizen
Gov. Janet Napolitano on Wednesday narrowed her options on
when Arizona will hold its 2008 presidential primary, saying she
is "not inclined" to set a date earlier than allowed by party
rules.
State law sets the primary date for the fourth Tuesday in
February - Feb. 26 in 2008 - but gives the governor the power to
unilaterally select a different date. States have been moving
their primary dates forward to acquire higher profiles in the
nominating process, and Napolitano has said she wants to boost
Arizona's standing and has been weighing her options for months.
Napolitano could set Arizona's primary as early as Feb. 5 and
still be in compliance with party rules, but numerous other
states, including such big ones as California and New York, have
already created a logjam of primaries on that date. She
indicated Wednesday she likely won't follow the lead of Florida
and South Carolina to hold primaries for at least one party on
dates earlier than permitted by party rules.
Anti-tobacco groups muster campaign funds
$700,000 will back Measure 50 to raise
cigarette tax
By STEVE LAW, Statesman Journal
Get ready for a multimillion-dollar rumble between health
care advocates and big tobacco. Backers of a proposed
84-cent-per-pack cigarette tax increase to expand health care
coverage have launched their campaign with $700,000 in cash and
pledges, mostly from hospitals, health insurers and the lung,
heart and cancer associations. The proposal, known as Measure
50, is on the Nov. 6 ballot. Support from the health care
industry could enable backers to stay reasonably competitive
with tobacco companies, which spent an eye-popping $70 million
to defeat a 2006 cigarette tax increase in California. Cigarette
companies and their allies are doing polling on Measure 50 and
are expected to decide soon whether to enter the fight.
Democrats tell Jindal: Debate or face tough ads
By MICHELLE MILLHOLLON, Baton Rouge
Advocate
The Louisiana Democratic Party gave U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal
an ultimatum Tuesday. The party plans to dissect Jindal in a
series of TV commercials across the state unless he starts
participating in governor’s forums. “Who is Bobby Jindal? The
Democratic Party is going to let you know and that starts
today,” said Chris Whittington, the party’s chairman. Through
his campaign staff, Jindal, R-Kenner, declined four requests
Tuesday for comment. His campaign press secretary, Melissa
Sellers, said Jindal was at a private event. She refused to say
what the event was.
Kulongoski backs Merkley over Novick for U.S.
Senate
By Harry Esteve, The Oregonian
Gov. Ted Kulongoski has chosen sides in the Democratic
primary for U.S. Senate -- he's hitched his name to House
Speaker Jeff Merkley's campaign. Kulongoski and former Gov.
Barbara Roberts will serve as co-chairs of Merkley's campaign,
largely ceremonial positions but a clear boost to Merkley's
chances. "Jeff's leadership is just what we need in the U.S.
Senate," Kulongoski said in a news release sent by the Merkley
campaign. "He's tenacious, he's principled." The announcement
will help cement Merkley's claim as the choice of Oregon's
Democratic establishment to take on Republican incumbent Sen.
Gordon Smith.
Houston man sues florist for exposing affair to wife
By the Associated Press, Dallas
Morning News
A Texas man didn't mean for his estranged wife to get a copy
of the love note he sent his girlfriend, along with flowers. A
florist's employee faxed the receipt with a copy of the note to
the wife, prompting Leroy Greer to file a lawsuit claiming
mental anguish and asking for damages to cover extra costs of
the divorce. The lawsuit, field this week in Houston, asks
1-800-flowers.com for $1 million, saying the once-amicable
divorce could cost as much as an additional $300,000. In April,
Mr. Greer sent his girlfriend flowers, a stuffed animal and a
card that read: "Just wanted to say that I love you and you mean
the world to me! Leroy." The company promised Mr. Greer that it
would send nothing to his home, according to the lawsuit. But
the Internet florist sent a coupon and a thank-you card to Mr.
Greer's home. His wife saw the card, called the company and
asked for a receipt, according to the lawsuit. The florist faxed
it, and it showed Greer spent $100 and detailed the message on
the card.
Dozens of lawmakers failing to meet ethics rules
Analysis shows lawmakers rarely report
details of campaign credit card spending
By R.G. RATCLIFFE and LISE OLSEN, Houston
Chronicle
The Texas Ethics Commission has fined three legislators in
the last year for failing to properly disclose credit card
expenses charged to their campaigns, but a Houston Chronicle
review has found that dozens of other lawmakers have done the
same without being sanctioned. Texas legislators slapped down
the plastic to charge more than $1 million in political expenses
since January 2005, but failed to disclose who actually received
the bulk of the money, nearly $900,000, the analysis shows. The
Chronicle's review of ethics commission records between Jan. 1,
2005, and June 30 found few complying with a 1981 law that
requires disclosure of the person or company that receives a
credit card payment and the purpose of the expense. But because
the ethics commission only audits candidates when it receives a
sworn complaint, most lawmakers have gotten a pass on how they
report their credit card spending, the Chronicle found.
Perry's border camera project stalls over lack of
funds
The virtual patrol, meant to combat
illegal crossings, isn't backed by the state
By SUSAN CARROLL, Houston
Chronicle
More than a year after Gov. Rick Perry announced ambitious
plans for a "virtual border watch" in Texas, the project has
stalled because of a lack of funding. Perry announced plans for
the camera project, the first of its kind sponsored by a state
government, in the summer of 2006 during his re-election
campaign, making it a centerpiece of his plan to combat illegal
immigration. "Enforcing the border is the federal government's
responsibility, but Texas will not wait for them to act," Perry,
a Republican, said in June 2006. "A stronger border is what the
American people want. And it's what our security demands. And
that is what Texas is going to deliver." But the state didn't
deliver exactly as promised.
Kinky says he might have another go at governor
Friedman won't run as an independent next
time, he says
By W. Gardner Selby, Austin
American-Statesman
Kinky Friedman might run again for governor in 2010,
conceivably as a Democrat. "I'm open to running," Friedman said
Wednesday before cautioning that he won't settle plans until
after the 2008 elections. "Had I run as a Democrat last time, I
think (Gov.) Rick Perry would already be (out of office as) a
lobbyist for a cigar company," he said. The black-hatted
humorist, who has a book coming out on his flashy 2006 campaign,
said he realized after finishing with 12.4 percent of the vote
that Texans wouldn't embrace an independent. Perry, a
Republican, won re-election with 39 percent. Democrat Chris Bell
drew 30 percent, and independent Carole Keeton Strayhorn pulled
18 percent. Friedman has focused lately on promoting his line of
Honduran-made cigars, which he'll be touting in Austin next week
at cigar and speciality shop Heroes & Legacies.
On governor's trips, taxpayers footed security bills
More than $200,000 spent on international
travel for Perry, wife
By CHRISTY HOPPE, Dallas
Morning News
Gov. Rick Perry is happy to say that taxpayers haven't
footed the bill for his international trips, but state records
show that the public has spent more than $200,000 to provide him
security for his far-flung travels. Mr. Perry has been to about
a dozen countries in the past three years, breaking all records
for foreign travel by Texas governors, The Dallas Morning News
reported last month. Corporate sponsors and campaign
contributors have paid for Mr. Perry's first-class
accommodations – including a $40,400 tab for a 2004 Bahamas trip
during which he held a retreat with supporters and the heads of
conservative think tanks. But figures recently released by the
Department of Public Safety show that taxpayers have paid to
keep the governor's ever-present security detail nearby in such
places as Tel Aviv, Rome and Dubai. The state has paid about
$238,500, including about $10,000 for the Bahamas trip.
Suit challenges smoking ban at most Houston bars
By the Houston Chronicle
A coalition of bar, nightclub and cabaret owners has filed a
federal lawsuit challenging a city ban on smoking in most bars
that is scheduled to take effect next month. Members of the
Houston Association of Alcoholic Beverage Permit Holders say the
ordinance will create an unfair competitive environment for
them. The law extends the city's smoking ban to most public
places but continues to allow smoking in outdoor patios and in
bars that promote cigar smoking and derive significant revenue
from tobacco sales. The lawsuit contends the city does not have
the authority under state law to create different regulations
among businesses licensed to sell alcohol for on-premises
consumption.
New law gives gay couples right to adopt
By April M. Washington, Rocky
Mountain News
Colorado becomes the 10th state to allow gay couples to
adopt and the 20th to extend civil rights protections to gays
and lesbians. "We've been involved in pushing equal rights
legislation for 11 years in row. Today is a new day as we take
two great strides toward equality," said Mindy Barton of the
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender Community Center of
Colorado. Colorado's new adoption law is gaining widespread
attention.
Regent defends vote against Churchill firing
By the Rocky Mountain News
The sole University of Colorado Board of Regents member to
vote against firing a professor who compared some Sept. 11
victims to a Nazi said she followed the recommendation of a
faculty committee, which suggested suspension. Regent Cindy
Carlisle told the Summit Daily News that the Privilege and
Tenure Committee had voted 3-2 to suspend former ethnic studies
professor Ward Churchill for one year and demote him. CU
President Hank Brown recommended Churchill be fired. "I thought
that they were the reviewing body who had the most at stake in
terms of reviewing this," Carlisle said when contacted while on
vacation in Hawaii. "They're active faculty. They're upholding
the reputation of everything. They do the research, the
teaching, the everything. I thought they would be in the best
position to judge what the outcome should be." Churchill,
formerly a tenured professor of ethnic studies, had triggered a
national outcry with an essay comparing some World Trade Center
victims to Holocaust organizer Adolf Eichmann.
Men in courthouse scandal rode free on state
aircraft
By the Associated Press, Santa Fe
New Mexican
Two men who weren’t involved with a redevelopment project at
state Department of Transportation headquarters in Santa Fe flew
with DOT officials on state aircraft to project meetings in
Texas. Engineer Raul Parra and architect Roger Basarich flew
with Toby Martinez, the project manager, and Transportation
Secretary Rhonda Faught to Dallas on Jan. 20, 2005, according to
aircraft-use records. Basarich and Faught shared another state
plane to Dallas on Feb. 1, 2005, while Parra flew that day with
Martinez and Transportation Commissioners Johnny Cope and Jim
Franken. The cost was more than $11,000, with no reimbursement
by Basarich or Parra. Parra and Martinez were later indicted in
a scandal surrounding construction of the Metropolitan
Courthouse in Albuquerque. Indictments allege both were key
players in a scheme that looted about $4.2 million.
Medicaid changes alarm rural drugstores
By ROB HOTAKAINEN, Wichita Eagle
For Mark Williams, it's a simple business proposition: He
can't afford to sell medicine for less than what he paid for it.
But he says that's what Washington expects him to do, come
January. "When I talk to other businesspeople and say that, they
look at you cross-eyed, like 'No way,"' said Williams,
pharmacist and owner of the Medicine Shoppe in Kansas City,
Kan., for the past 18 years. "But it's going to happen." It's a
common warning from the nation's community pharmacists, who have
been watching their ranks dwindle in recent years. Now they're
looking for help from Congress, fearful that coming changes in
how the federal government reimburses them for drugs for
Medicaid patients will drive more of them out of business. Yet
much more than the livelihood of pharmacists is at stake. If the
changes proceed, critics warn, tens of thousands of the 53
million Americans who depend on Medicaid could be denied
life-saving drugs or forced to drive long distances to get them.
Medicaid is the federal-state program that subsidizes health
costs for 53 million low-income people and those with
disabilities.
Tax bills leave some with sticker shock
"Some areas have not been appraised for a
long time, we brought them up to market value, and it's a shock
to the people"
By Cathy McKitrick, Salt
Lake Tribune
Pumped-up property valuations, mailed to landowners late
last month, follow on the heels of Davis County's hefty tax hike
last December. Both provide plenty of fodder for Davis folks to
grouse over. "The big problem is, they're assessing the homes at
the time that real estate is probably highest," said Bountiful
resident Ronald Mortensen, leader of grass-roots group
CitizensForTaxFairness.org. "This locks it in for a number of
years unless people request individually that it be reduced."
Mortensen has seen beefy bumps in his own tax bill two years in
a row - the first due to renovation, the second because of the
county's reassessment of homes in the Bountiful and east
Kaysville areas, part of a cycle to update valuations countywide
every five years. "It's supply and demand," said County Assessor
Jim Ivie of the vaulting valuations. "People have just found out
that Davis County exists, and that it's a pleasant place to
live." Ivie said he heard from several homeowners after they
tore open their recent tax notices. "Some areas have not been
appraised for a long time, and their values have been low for a
while," he said. "We brought them up to market value, and it's a
shock to the people."
