Scott Rasmussen is among the most accurate pollsters in America.  However, he seems not to know that there are two Democrats seeking their party's nomination for Governor of Texas.  Still, his most recent poll on the Texas race shows the incumbent Republican Rick Perry with something to worry about.  The just released poll shows Perry with 41% versus 21% for Independent/Republican Carole Keeton Strayhorn, 14% for Independent Kinky Friedman and 13% for Democrat Chris Bell.  Although Rasmussen apparently didn't poll for Democrat Bob Gammage it is reasonable to assume his numbers at this point would be roughly the same as Bell's.

Perry, of course, boasts a 19% lead and according to Rasmussen "must be considered the favorite." Strayhorn would have to pick up 20% of the vote just to catch Perry, but polls indicating she is the clear second in a November race may well attract votes from Friedman and the Democrat.  A clear question is how well Friedman's candidacy will stand up over the long haul.  Many political observers assume many of his voters won't bother to vote, or will eventually switch to either the Comptroller Strayhorn or the Democratic nominee.  The question then is can Strayhorn capture any of Perry's current support and whittle the Democrat down from 13%.  Both appear tall orders but the Rasmussen poll indicates the fall may be more interesting than many now expect.

Texas' largest teacher organization, the Texas State Teacher's Organization (TSTA) will endorse Carole Keeton Strayhorn for Governor of Texas today.  The TSTA is the state affiliate of the National Education Agency (NEA) the largest teacher organization in the country. 

The organization is generally considered the most liberal of several state organizations that represent teachers and retired teachers.  The fact that the TSTA is endorsing a Strayhorn candidacy that will extend to November is bad news for Democrats Chris Bell and Bob Gammage as the winner of the Democratic primary would normally expect to recieve the teacher endorsement.  The fact TSTA is backing Republican Strayhorn who is seeking the office as an independent on the ballot means a base constituency for Democrats has abandoned them.

It also provides a strong base for Strayhorn.  Few TSTA members vote Republicans in a General Election and the organizations support means a base of workers and money for the Comptroller that she would likely not have had in a March GOP primary.  The organization's endorsement may also provide a signal to other normally Democratic constituents that Strayhorn is the real November option and not either Democrat.

Cecile RichardsPlanned Parenthood Federation of America, the largest abortion provider in the United States, announced today that it has hired longtime Democratic activist (and daughter of former Texas Governor Ann Richards) Cecile Richards to be its new President. Planned Parenthood was responsible for performing more than 244,000 abortions in 2003, according to an Associated Press story on the appointment.

The announcement of the Richards selection indicates that Planned Parenthood is becoming more overtly political and even more closely identified with the liberal wing of the Democratic party than it has been in the past. Richards has served on the staff of Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and ran the Texas Freedom Network in our state for a number of years, an organization opposed to the religious right similar to Norman Lear’s People for the American Way.

The Richards appointment comes at a time when Liberal, activist organizations are waging a major campaign to defeat the Supreme Court nomination of Samuel Alito, principally over Alito’s perceived opposition to abortion.

There is a segment of this area’s football fans who want Terrell Owens here. They want him regardless of the type of emotional burden he brings.

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Y'all can have your mamby-pamby Pollyanna-ish 'Best Stories.' Me, I like it gritty, real, nasty. And usually, embarrassingly funny. In that spirit, The School of Fish presents 'The Bottom 10 Sports Stories of 2005'

The conservative group Texans for Texas has launched a campaign to oppose any attempt by plaintiff's attorneys to exert influence in Republican politics. The group has set up a website and a blog, where it will track efforts of the plaintiff's bar to influence Republicans. It has also issued a report that is highly critical of some GOP office holders.

Janelle ShepardThe group's executive director Janelle Shepard is a nurse who has been very active in the past in efforts to pass caps on non-economic damages in medical malpractice lawsuits. The group is distributing a pledge that it wants lawmakers to sign where they pledge not to work for a major plaintiff law firm and not to accept campaign donations from the "Tobacco Five" attorneys who sued the tobacco industry for the state or from Baron & Budd or Mark Lanier.

Already convicted of negligent homicide and serving a 7 and a half year sentence, former Dallas Cowboy cornerback Dwayne Goodrich was sentenced to an additional term of five years for fleeing the scene of an accident in which a vehicle driven by Goodrich killed two men.  Goodrich will have to serve the additional five year term after he completes the time in prison on his negligent homicide case.  Judge Lana McDaniel imposed the maximum sentence that Goodrich could be given for the offense of fleeing the scene of the accident.