The Noise Machine (11/24/09)

First, I'd like to point out a couple of important stories, before the oxygen gets sucked out....

Here's an interesting primer on the budget woes that will confront the next Texas Lege. It's not pretty.


Those who teach the teachers are not doing very well. That's a problem for all save teacher apologists whose default answer to the problems are schools are facing is "raise teacher pay". Some teachers certainly deserve higher pay, some don't however....It'd serve us well to remember that.


What happens when the Lege writes a bonus bill that's not intended to be paid? Not surprisingly, the AG rules that he cannot approve the payment. *Cue partisan mud-slinging now*


Biodiesel is pissed. It seems they're not getting the tax breaks that their political backers are telling the oil companies to grin and bear losing. *Viability be damned*


You just can't run out and start fiddling with embryonic stem-cells willy nilly.


And now, the big* story:


By now it's been well documented that Bill White is (possibly) making the jump from TX-Sen to TX-Gov. In a lazy media State such as Texas these are the stories that stir the souls of reporters and bloggers everywhere....Commence la festivale...

Houston's biggest political blog informs us that Bill White's speaking to pastors, that the path is clearing for his switch to the gubernatorial and provides a lazy man's version of why he's switching. Not much of a value add, but there you go.

The Bill White Tribune is still cranking them out. From Bill White's (considerable) campaign fund to Evan Smith's umbrage to a scorecard (because reporters LOVE scorecards) keeping track of the winners & losers from the White Decision Texas' newest political blog is all over this story.

I noted yesterday that there was much rejoicing amongst the InterLeft. Today I offer proof. From pleas to plow the filed for White to new, invigorated, down-ballow wish-lists to pronouncements of endorsements and candidate crystal ball gazing there ain't no party like an InterLeft party 'cause an InterLeft party don't end.

Finally, Texas Monthly....Burka name drops (and takes another shot at Hutchison) and Swartz reports...Nothing to see here. (of much use anyway)