BAR vs. KBH

Watched the one debate KBH has graciously agreed to attend and Barbara Ann, after a shaky start, was great. "Feisty" sounds like a condescending term, but BAR is clearly a scrapper; I wouldn't envy anyone who has to face her in a debate on the Senate floor. She was very direct, blunt even, and not afraid to give straight answers to questions most candidates would tapdance around. She also showed a firm knowledge of the issues, and KBH's record, and managed to work a bite-worthy zinger into almost every answer.

It's also obvious that KBH is not much of a politico and likely could never have been elected but for the incredible weakness of the Bob Krueger debacle, combined with the Republican landslide in 1994. She is stiff and patrician, with a faintly hectoring delivery and body language that makes it pretty obvious she thinks all this is beneath her dignity. Probably her worst moment was defending earmarks, and then hautily asserting, "I don't do pork-barrel." Barbara Ann quickly shot back that KBH was even lousy at bringing home pork, underscoring how Texas is used as a giant ATM machine by the federal government.

BAR is a great candidate with a tough race. Go over to her site and giver her some love.

Kay Bailey Hutchinson "Emboldens Al Qaeda"

From Unclaimed Territory, Glenn Greenwald brings us another astonishing case of SRA (Selective Rightwing Amnesia) Syndrome, by pointing out that it was Republicans, including Hutchinson, who were calling for the US to "cut and run" in Somalia. Now would be as good a time as any to hop on over to Barbara Ann Radnofsky's place and give her some love.

Don't Look Now...

...Hutchison, you may smell good, but Barbara Ann is gaining on you. And Bell has closed to within single digits of Perry. From Eye on Williamson.

UPDATE: Kuff has a more sober assessment of the numbers.

Rally On!

Chris Bell, the next Governor of Texas, addresses the annual Johnson County Democratic Party Rally on Saturday. I unfortunately was not able to attend due to a death in the family, but I'm told Barbara Ann Radnofsky, David Van Os, Hank Gilbert (candidate for Agriculture Commissioner), and Dale Henry (candidate for Railroad Commissioner) were also there, along with local candidates Greg Kauffman (state representative), Janet Thomas (county commissioner), Ray Torres (justice of the peace), Michael Tomasic (justice of the peace) and Teresa Bolt Martinez (county clerk). Photo courtesy of Bill Conover, who tells me I was presented with the Earl Pierce Award, a wonderful and unexpected honor. Thanks to everyone who attended and worked hard to make this year's rally such a spectacular success.