Texas Politics Today

Follow-Up On Last Week's Show

2009-07-28T17:45:00.009-05:00

Sorry to be late with a post about last week's show, especially since IT WAS ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS WE'VE HAD. Our guests were State Representative Eddie Rodriguez and Texas Monthly CEO Evan Smith.

Representative Rodriguez talked about the recently completed legislative session and his accomplishments in transportation, affordable housing, public education, health care, enviromental protection. Then we visited with him about his future political plans. He mentioned how Austin's Senator Kirk Watson is being discussed as a potential Democratic candidate for Governor in 2010. If he runs for Governor, his state Senate seat will open up. Eddie announced that, if Watson jumps into the Governor's race, he will most likely be a candidate for the Senate seat.

Evan Smith visited about his recently-announced decision to leave Texas Monthly, where he's been an editor for almost two decades and as President and CEO since last year. Evan is leaving to become the CEO of the Texas Tribune, an non-profit, non-partisan, non-paper "public media organization whose mission is to promote civic engagement and discourse on public policy, politics, government, and other matters of statewide interest." Evan will lead an extraordinary bunch of journalists, headed by Ross Ramsey, editor of Texas Weekly (which the Texas Tribune has purchased) and friend of the show. Other writers include Elise Hu, political reporter for Austin KVUE Channel 11 News (and friend of the show); Matt Stiles, staff reporter for the Houston Chronicle; Brandi Grissom, Capitol reporter for the El Paso Times; Emily Ramshaw, from the Capitol staff of the Dallas Morning News.

This coming Friday (the 31st), Ann Kitchen joins us to help make sense of the national debate over health care.

July 17 -- SD-25, Campaign Finance Reports

2009-07-17T07:47:00.005-05:00

In 20o6 JOHN COURAGE ran a, well, courageous campaign against Republican congressman Lamar Smith, who's represented his custom-gerrymandered district since the Civil War. After his loss, Courage founded the True Courage Action Network to encourage political and legislative activism.

John Courage is out guest today, announcing his run for state senator against incumbent Jeff Wentworth. Wentworth represents SD-25, which runs from San Antonio to South Austin. Courage will make his case for the race.

Also, longtime Capitol reporter PEGGY FIKAC, who writes for the Houston Chronicle and the San Antonio Express-News, will visit with us about the campaign finance reports that came out this week and the SD-25 race.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs every Friday from 2-3 pm Central on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. Tune in at 91.7 FM or over the Web at http://www.koop.org/.

Palin To Step Down As Alaska Governor

2009-07-03T16:17:00.001-05:00

Check it out. More later.

The Sharpest Tool in the Box

2009-07-03T13:04:00.003-05:00

In 1998, John Sharp -- Comptroller and former Railroad Commissioner, Senator and House member -- narrowly lost to Rick Perry in a very close Lieutenant Governor's race. Sharp ran for Lieutenant Governor again, in 2002, and lost to multimillionaire David Dewhurst (whose tenure as Lieutenant Governor has been less than stellar).

Sharp is running again, this time for the U.S. Senate seat likely to be vacated by Kay Bailey Hutchison. Sharp is our guest today on Texas Politics Today. We also interview some Texans old and new about what Independence Day means to them.

Texas Politics Today airs every Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. KOOP can be heard at 91.7 FM in Austin and live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. Tune in, and have a Happy Independence Day!!

I Didn't See That One Coming

2009-01-02T23:19:00.006-06:00

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY has been eager to cover Speaker politics. In Texas, politics is a full-contact sport, and nowhere does it get bloodier than on the floor of the Texas House. At the end of the last session, a full-blown insurgency paralyzed the House during the last four days and provided the best show in town, whether you sat in the House Gallery or watched it on cable TV.
Tom Craddick and his parliamentarians, Terry Keel and Ron Wilson, held off the insurgents with a novel theory of parliamentary procedure: that the Speaker has the right to refuse recognition to any member for any purpose, even if that member is making a so-called "privileged motion," which to ordinary mortals means IT MUST BE ALLOWED, CONSIDERED AND VOTED UPON.

I don't know if parliamentarians get together for conferences, the way lawyers or engineers or accountants -- updates on the latest developments in the profession, with some night life in a fun place like New Orleans or Las Vegas thrown in. But if they did, you can bet all the conference this last year or so have had a seminar on "The Craddick Rule."

In any case, the insurgency did not die and has re-emerged since the November election. Tonight, 11 ABC ("Anybody But Craddick") Republicans announced that they'd agreed upon an alternative to Craddick: two-term House member Joe Straus from San Antonio. Straus seems an unlikely choice: he joined the House less than four years ago, elevated in a special election. He's not distinguished himself in the House, although he seems popular and serious.

On the plus side, he is wealthy and, through his family, very well-connected in Republican circles. He's not a winger, though -- he supports stem cell research, among other transgressions. He's probably pretty representative of the Alamo Heights district he's from.

The ultimate question is, can he translate the consensus among the 11 ABCs into a majority? Will the 64 members of the Democratic caucus who've pledged not to support Craddick "under any circumstances" hold together and, better yet, jump in with Straus? If so, then he's right at the 75 votes he needs. We may see a stampede this weekend or the first part of next week.

Health Care in Texas -- this week on TPT

2008-12-18T23:28:00.009-06:00

Did you know that …
· Over 5.8 million Texans do not have health insurance?
· Texas leads the nation in the percentage of its population without health insurance?
· 84% of uninsured Texans live in households where at least one person works?

This week on Texas Politics Today, we continue our examination of crucial challenges facing Texas as the Legislature heads back to Austin. This Friday, we’ll be visiting about how health care is delivered in Texas – who gets it, and who pays for it. Our guests are Austin’s own State Representative Elliott Naishtat, a former chair of the House Human Services Committee, and Bee Moorhead, executive director of Texas Impact, a faith-based advocacy group for social justice.

Also this Friday: a review of the top political stories of the week and a calendar of upcoming political events.

Texas Politics Today airs every Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 on the FM dial and streams live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. Texas Politics Today is hosted by longtime Capitol insider DeeceX and Austin community activist David Kobierowski.

This Week: The Future of Texas Education

2008-12-11T21:51:00.004-06:00

This week on Texas Politics Today, we continue our examination of the major issues facing Texas today, and how they will be addressed -- or not -- by the Legislature when it comes back to town next month. Our focus this time is on education.

Our guests are State Representative Donna Howard and Eric Hartman. Representative Howard was a Eanes ISD school board member and former candidate for the State Board of Education before being elected to represent her northwest Travis Coutny district in 2006. Eric Hartman is the legislative director of the Texas AFT (American Federation of Teachers). They'll discuss the state of Texas education, and highlight issues the Legislature will be addressing in January.

Also: this week's big political stories and the community calendar.

Texas Politics Today air on Fridays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. KOOP airs at 91.7 FM and streams live over the Web at www.koop.org. Texas Politics Today is co-hosted by Deece X and David Kobierowski.

What, Another Election? The Speaker's Race in Detail

2008-11-13T18:33:00.008-06:00

Last week's elections were very important, and millions of us participated. But there's another election coming soon, one that will affect each and every Texan, and only 150 people can participate.

Unlike statewide officials, the Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives is elected by his colleagues. Nevertheless, the Speaker is one of the most powerful people in state government. Tom Craddick (pictured at left) has served as Speaker of the Texas House since 2003 -- the first Republican since Reconstruction to do so. Craddick's strong will and determined organization have made him a powerful Speaker; his governing style has also made him many enemies. And so it is that a lively, no-holds-barred Speaker's race is already underway.

This week on Texas Politics Today, we look at the crucial role of the Speaker in the Texas House of Representatives and examine the unfolding Speaker's race with two months to go until the 81st Texas Legislature convenes.

Former Speaker Pete Laney will talk about the role of the Speaker and what a Speaker's race looks like from the inside. Pete Laney (pictured at right) represented his West Texas district in the House for over 30 years and served as Speaker of that body from 1993-2003.

Former Speaker Laney then join Texas Monthly President and Editor Evan Smith and Austin American-Statesman political writer Laylan Copelin in an entertaining and absorbing analysis of the current Speaker's race.

Texas Politics Today airs every Friday from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time on KOOP 91.7 FM, and streams live over the web at http://www.koop.org/. Tune in early this week to hear journalist Jeremy Scahill on privatization, US foreign policy, and the next presidential administration on People United at 1:00. Allan Campbell hosts, with a regular commentary by Rahul Mahajan ("Only in America").

Kick-Off Episode In New Time Slot

2008-11-06T22:19:00.005-06:00

This week, Texas Politics Today expands to a new day and time -- Fridays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central time. Join us in our new time slot as we bring you more information, insight and inspiration on Texas state and local politics.

And what a week to kick it off! We had an historic election this week, elevating Senator Barack Obama as our nation's first African-American President. Here in Texas, Democrats gained one, and perhaps two, seats in the Senate and gained three seats in the Texas House. An election contest pending in Irving may yield another seat for the Democrats, creating a 75-75 partisan tie in the House. The changes have already triggered a challenge to Speaker Tom Craddick's hold on that office.

This week on Texas Politics Today, we unpack the elections and talk about the implications for America and for Texas. First, pollster Jeff Smith of Opinion Analysts discusses what the national and state turnout numbers tell us. Then, a distinguished panel of political practitioners and observers discuss the presidential campaign:

Jeff Eller, President and CEO of Public Strategies and former Media Affairs Director in the Clinton White House;
David Beckwith, Communications Director for U.S. Senator John Cornyn and former communications director for Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison and Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst; and
Ross Ramsey, editor and publisher of Texas Weekly, a widely-read and much-respected political newsletter.

KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM and can be heard streaming live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. Texas Politics Today is hosted by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein and Austin community activist (and Austin Chronicle "Best of Austin 2008" winner as "Best Radio Talk/News Host") David Kobierowski. Visit our website at http://www.texaspoliticstoday.net/.

Texas Politics Today Moves to Fridays

2008-11-02T22:13:00.003-06:00

Beginning this week, Texas Politics Today expands to a new day and time on KOOP. Starting November 7, we will air on Fridays from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m. Central Time. We hope you will join us in our expanded time slot.

Election Throwdown: This Week on TPT

2008-10-29T08:25:00.008-05:00

With less than a week to go, we take one last look at key Central Texas races for the U.S. Congress and the Texas Legislature. Plus, we look at the 8-day campaign finance reports and the early voting totals and make some predictions about next Tuesday's elections.

Listen in to this important show. More importantly, GO VOTE!! For more information, including early voting and Election Day locations and times, check out the Voters Tool Kit!

Texas Politics Today airs on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Central Time on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM and can be heard streaming live over the Wev at http://www.koop.org/. Texas Politics Today is hosted by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein and Austin community activist (and "Best of Austin 2008" winner as "Best Radio Talk/News Host") David Kobierowski. Visit our websites at http://www.texaspoliticstoday.net/ or http://texaspoliticstoday.blogspot.com/.

SCHEDULING NOTE: Beginning next week, Texas Politics Today expands to one hour and moves to Friday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. Central Time. Join us next Friday for an election post-mortem conducted by former White House Director of Media Affairs Jeff Eller, Senator John Cornyn's communications director David Beckwith, and Texas Weekly editor Ross Ramsey.

Thanks for your past support of the show and we hope you'll tune in once we move to Fridays!

This Week: Representative Valinda Bolton

2008-10-22T09:17:00.004-05:00

This week on Texas Politics Today: Representative Valinda Bolton, Democratic candidate for State Representative in House District 47. HD-47 covers much of southern and southwestern Travis County. Bolton has been the State Representative since she won a close race in 2006. We'll ask her about her accomplishments during her first term and invite her to make her case for re-election.

Ms. Bolton's opponent, Donna Keel, has declined multiple requests to appear on the show.

Representative Bolton's campaign website is here. Ms. Keel's is here.

Texas Politics Today airs on Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Central Time on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM and can be heard streaming live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. Texas Politics Today is hosted by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein and Austin community activist (and "Best of Austin 2008" winner as "Best Radio Talk/News Host") David Kobierowski. Visit our websites at http://www.texaspoliticstoday.net/ or http://texaspoliticstoday.blogspot.com/.

EXCITING NEWS!: Beginning the week of November 2, Texas Politics Today expands to one hour and moves to Friday afternoons at 2:00 p.m. Central Time. Thanks for your past support of the show and we hope you'll tune in once we move to Fridays!

David K., TPT: Best of Austin

2008-10-16T19:50:00.006-05:00

Congratulations to David Kobierowski, co-host of Texas Politics Today, for being named Best Radio Talk/News Host by the Austin Chronicle. Here's what they had to say about David and about Texas Politics Today:

Best Radio Talk/News Host: David Kobierowski, KOOP
Got a story the dreaded mainstream media is ignoring? Just go to any progressive event, and look for the tall bald guy carrying the bundle of papers. That’s Kobierowski, KOOP Radio’s own speaker of truth to power, whose Texas Politics Today tag team with Deece Eckstein specializes in holding political feet to the fire. KOOP 91.7FM, 3823 Airport Ste. B, 472-1369 http://www.koop.org/

Congratulations, David!!!!

(Photo by Sandy Carson.)

Rick Noriega on TPT

2008-10-14T11:43:00.004-05:00

This week on Texas Politics Today: our exclusive interview with U.S. Senate candidate Rick Noriega, discussing his military service in Afghanistan, the Wall Street bailout bill, and his scrappy campaign against John Cornyn. The program airs Wednesday, October 15, from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Central Time on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP is at 91.7 FM and streams live over the Internet at http://www.koop.org/.

For more information about the Noriega campaign, you can go to www.RickNoriega.com. For information about Senator John Cornyn, go to his website at www.JohnCornyn.com. For more information on Libertarian candidate Yvonne Schick, go to www.YvonneforSenate.com.

Next week: our exclusive interview with State Representative Valinda Bolton, talking about her first session in the Legislature and her plans for her second session. Wednesday, October 22, 2:30 to 3:00 p.m.

30-Day Campaign Finance Reports

2008-10-08T00:36:00.000-05:00

Political campaigns are about great ideas and contests of character -- but they are also about money, money, money, and today on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we're "following the money."

Texas law requires that all candidate for state office file campaign finance reports covering the period up until 30 days before an election. Known as "30-day out" reports, these give an idea of who's raising money and how they're spending it.

Our guests this week are two Capitol insiders and shrewd observers of Texas politics:

Will Lutz is the Managing Editor of the Lone Star Report, weekly newsletter devoted exclusively to coverage of Texas politics and government, largely from a conservative viewpoint. The Lone Star Report has been published since 1996, and its readership includes all of Texas' statewide elected officials and thousands of ordinary people with an interest in Capitol news beyond what their local newspapers provide.
Matt Glazer is the Editor-in-Chief of the Burnt Orange Report, a widely-read blog covering Texas politics from a progressive perspective. Burnt Orange Report has been online since 2003 and had over 7,000,000 page views.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. Central Time on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. KOOP is at 91.7 on the FM dial and streams live over the Internet at www.koop.org.

Join the KOOP Family!

2008-10-05T11:47:00.000-05:00

KOOP is a non-profit organized by members of the Austin community to provide eclectic, locally-produced music and public affairs shows, particularly the kinds of programming you cannot find on any other Austin radio station. KOOP is owned and operated by and for the people of Austin.

Our financial support comes from the community. Twice a year, we hold membership drives that allow you to become a part of the KOOP family. As a member, you get to vote on KOOP's leadership and the overall direction of the station.

Basic membership is only $25. Our popular Sustaining Member level is only $10 a month for one year. We also have memberships at the $50, $75, $250 and $500 levels. At the $50 level and above, we offer terrific gifts to thank you for your support. Check out the chance to get a membership in the Blanton Museum or two round-trip tickets on Southwest Airlines at http://koop.org/#raffles. You can become a KOOP member by calling 512-472-5667 or clicking on the Big Donut at http://www.koop.org/. Tell them TPT sent you!

And remember, all contributions to KOOP are tax-deductible!

Today on TPT: Fall Election Preview

2008-10-01T01:21:00.002-05:00

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is your weekly source for information, insight and inspiration about Texas state and local politics. As we enter the last five weeks of the most interesting campaign season in a generation, we’re looking at the most important and interesting contests on the ballot.

Our guest today is Karen Brooks from the Dallas Morning News. Karen has been with the DMN almost five years, and before that was with the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. She’s been covering the Texas Legislature for over a decade, with a focus on key House and Senate races. Join us for a lively analysis.

Also, this week we’re back in KOOP’s studios on Airport Boulevard. As everyone knows, KOOP suffered a fire at its new studios in January of this year. Thanks to a huge effort from our dedicated volunteers, we are back in our home studios only eight months after the disaster. Many thanks also to the wonderful people at Entercom Communications and its Austin radio stations, who hosted us during our exile.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

KOOP, “the little station that could,” is Austin’s only community-owned radio station. It shares the FM 91.7 radio frequency with KVRX, the University of Texas student radio. It also streams live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. KOOP is on the air on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Vote, Vote, Vote!!!

2008-09-23T15:44:00.005-05:00

Voting is the most fundamental privilege we enjoy as Americans. As we approach the most important presidential election in a generation, TEXAS POLITICS TODAY takes us back to Square One: registering to vote. You can’t vote if you’re not registered, and the deadline for registering for this election is fast approaching — Monday, October 6.

Our guest this week is NELDA WELLS SPEARS, the Travis County Tax Assessor-Collector and voter registrar. She’ll explain how easy it is to register and describe the various ways the county is making it even simpler. Also, we’ll hear from Dave G, a Houston-area musician and activist who’s using music and new media to get more young people to register to vote through his site, http://www.texasstandup.com/.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

KOOP, “the little station that could,” is Austin’s only community-owned radio station. It shares the FM 91.7 radio frequency with KVRX, the University of Texas student radio. It also streams live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. KOOP is on the air on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Archival photo of suffragists from Travis County registering to vote in 1918. Photo Credit: State Archives and Library Commission.

Central Texas House Races: Fall Election Preview

2008-09-10T00:14:00.001-05:00

With the national political conventions out of the way, the fall election season is officially OPEN! This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we're visiting with Ross Ramsey, the editor of the online political newsletter Texas Weekly. Ross has been covering Texas politics for over a quarter century and has built Texas Weekly into a must-read source of political intelligence and analysis. We'll preview the central Texas races for the Texas House of Representatives, including exciting races in southwest Austin, Williamson County and out past Bastrop.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs on Wednesday afternoons from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m CDT on KOOP, 91.7 on the FM dial and streaming live over the Web at www.koop.org. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is hosted by veteran Texas and Austin political insiders Deece Eckstein and David Kobierowski. Tune in and get the best and brightest insights into the ever-shifting universe of Texas politics!

This Week on TPT: Republicans Rendezvous in St. Paul

2008-09-02T11:54:00.002-05:00

Last week, the Democrats met in Denver. On Thursday night, Barack Obama delivered his acceptance speech, wowing a crowd of 85,000 at Mile High Stadium and earning plaudits from the national media.

Friday, John McCain stole Obama's thunder with his surprise pick of Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. Although the Republican convention schedule was cut short on Monday due to concerns about Hurricane Gustav, conventioneers seemed enthusiastic about McCain's unconventional pick.

This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we'll discuss the Palin pick and the Republican National Convention, being held as we speak in St. Paul, Minnesota. Adding insight and color commentary will be two respected journalists checking in from Minnesota:

Gardner Selby is the chief political writer and columnist for the Austin American-Statesman. He has covered Texas politics for over 20 years.
Paul Burka is the Senior Executive Editor of Texas Monthly, its chief political writer, and the author of the popular BurkaBlog. He has been writing about Texas politics for over 30 years.

As always, TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesdays and is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

This Week on TPT: Democrats Meeting In Denver

2008-08-25T23:39:00.005-05:00

The Democratic National Convention is being held this week in Denver, Colorado. America will cross an historic threshold as Senator Barack Obama becomes the first African American to be nominated for President by a major political party. Obama has also announced his vice-presidential choice, Senator Joe Biden of Delaware.

This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we'll talk about the convention and preview Wednesday evening's speech by Joe Biden and Thursday evening's acceptance speech by Barack Obama. Joining us with c-in reports from Denver will be two well-respected political analysts and friends of the show:

Matt Glazer is rhe Editor-in-Chief of the Burnt Orange Report, a widely-read blog covering Democratic politics in Texas.
Gardner Selby is the chief political writer and columnist for the Austin American-Statesman.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on Wednesdays and is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

Americans: Keep Religion, Politics Separate

2008-08-22T07:04:00.011-05:00

A new study by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life shows significant changes in how Americans view the relationship between personal religious faith and political behavior. In the wake of the Saddleback Church forum on faith held last Friday with presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain, this study shows a much different message environment for candidates and interest groups wanting to use hot-button religious issues to motivate voters.

From the report:

A new survey finds a narrow majority of the public saying that churches and other houses of worship should keep out of political matters and not express their views on day-to-day social and political matters. For a decade, majorities of Americans had voiced support for religious institutions speaking out on such issues.

As you can see from the graph, the lines have crossed since 2004, when Karl Rove and the GOP deliberately placed initiatives to ban gay marriage on the general election ballot as a way to energize social conservative voters.

The report goes on to note that

most of the reconsideration of the desirability of religious involvement in politics has occurred among conservatives. ... As a result, conservatives' views on this issue are much more in line with the views of moderates and liberals than was previously the case. Similarly, the sharp divisions between Republicans and Democrats that previously existed on this issue have disappeared.

Another chart shows this evolution in stark terms:

Among those who think that gay marriage is a very important issue, the percentage of people who favor greater separation between religion and politics has increased 25%! Among those who think abortion is a very important issues, the percentage of people who favor greater separation between religion and politics has increased 16%! These are significant shifts in opinion among social conservatives. There could be several reasons for this.

First, on the issue of gay marriage, the war is over (for now). The self-righteous, er, social conservatives have won. The steam has gone out of arguments from James Dobson, Tony Perkins, et al., that the threat of gay marriage was the end of American civilization.
Second, other issues like the sagging economy, inflated gas prices, and the war in Iraq have supplanted hot-button social issues as concerns for Americans.
Third -- and I think this is most important -- people of faith who thought their religious values were best expressed in issues like abortion and gay marriage have watched the cavacade of corruption, venality, heartlessness and incompetence that characterizes the modern Republican Party and realized they'd been had -- that party leaders like George Bush, Dick Cheney and Tom DeLay cynically manipulated their heartfelt faith to advance a vicious, amoral agenda, all the while laughing behind their back.

In any case, the study shows that a shifting political landscape for social conservatives and the politicians who would exploit them. To be sure, the culture wars are not over, but this election season may pass without them being a central focus of the campaigns.

Faith and Politics

2008-08-19T10:46:00.001-05:00

Last Saturday evening, Rick Warren, the California mega-church pastor and best-selling author, hosted a forum on faith and politics in his church. The forum, televised nationally, included interviews with presidential candidates John McCain and Barack Obama. The fact that Warren could compel the appearance of both candidates (who have not shared a stage in several months) was interesting, and the nature of his interviews as well.

This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we're talking about the intersection of religious faith and civic engagement in American life. Should an individual's faith have nothing to do with her politics? Should a church dictate a person's political values, even how he votes?

Our guide in this inquiry will be Bee Moorhead, the executive director of Texas Impact. Texas Impact is one of those "faith-based organizations," a grassroots network that includes regional and statewide religious organizations, local congregations and alliances, and individuals. Texas Impact strives to make information about state government and public policy accessible to people of faith and all interested Texans. Bee has been with Texas Impact since 2000, but before that served our state as a policy analyst in the Comptroller's Office. Her insights will be both entertaining and, well, insightful.

The show airs every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM in Austin and also streams live over the Internet at http://www.koop.org/. Tune in for this interesting presentation!

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

Energy Policy -- This Week onTPT

2008-08-12T15:29:00.001-05:00

Last week, U.T. politics guru Jim Henson joined us to review the Texas Lyceum Poll 2008 just released last month. Among other things, the poll asked over 1,000 Texas respondents to identify what they thought were the top issues facing the nation and the state. Here they are:

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL ISSUES:
Economy 33%
Gas Prices/Energy 20%
Iraq War 14%
Leadership/Gridlock/Corruption 6%
Security 4%
Immigration 4%
Health Care 4%
Morality 3%

MOST IMPORTANT STATE ISSUES
Gas Prices/Energy 21%
Immigration 20%
Economy 17%
Education 12%
Leadership/Gridlock/Corruption 7%
Health Care 4%
Roads/Traffic 4%
Environment 2%
Taxes/Property Taxes 2%

Dr. Henson discussed these important results with us last week. This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we’re taking issue Numero Uno at the state level — gas prices and energy — and comparing the two presidential candidates, presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain and presumptive Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama, and comparing their positions on short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to America’s over-dependence on foreign sources of energy.

The show airs every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM in Austin and also streams live over the Internet at www.koop.org. Tune in for this interesting presentation!

For more information, you can check out Senator McCain’s energy platform here and Senator Obama’s energy plan here.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

2008-08-12T10:43:00.001-05:00

MOST IMPORTANT NATIONAL ISSUES:
Economy 33%
Gas Prices/Energy 20%
Iraq War 14%
Leadership/Gridlock/Corruption 6%
Security 4%
Immigration 4%
Health Care 4%
Morality 3%

MOST IMPORTANT STATE ISSUES
Gas Prices/Energy 21%
Immigration 20%
Economy 17%
Education 12%
Leadership/Gridlock/Corruption 7%
Health Care 4%
Roads/Traffic 4%
Environment 2%
Taxes/Property Taxes 2%

Dr. Henson discussed these important results with us last week. This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, we’re taking issue Numero Uno at the state level — gas prices and energy — and comparing the two presidential candidates, presumptive Republican nominee Senator John McCain and presumptive Democratic nominee Senator Barack Obama, and comparing their positions on short-, medium-, and long-term solutions to America’s over-dependence on foreign sources of energy.

The show airs every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM in Austin and also streams live over the Internet at www.koop.org. Tune in for this interesting presentation!

For more information, you can check out Senator McCain’s energy platform here and Senator Obama’s energy plan here.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

Today on TPT: What's On Your Mind?

2008-08-06T10:08:00.003-05:00

This week on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY we'll be paraphrasing Sigmund Freud's famous question and asking, "What do Texans want?" Our topics is, "What is on Texans' minds as we go into the election season?" Our guest will be Jim Henson, Director of the Texas Politics Project at The University of Texas at Austin and co-author of the recent poll released by the Texas Lyceum at the end of June. You can read more about the poll here.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

Harvey Kronberg On TPT Today

2008-07-30T09:55:00.001-05:00

Quorum Report owner and editor Harvey Kronberg will preview the fall election season and handicap the most interesting races on today’s episode of TEXAS POLITICS TODAY. The show airs every week from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP broadcasts at 91.7 FM in Austin and also streams live over the Internet at www.koop.org.

The Quorum Report is a non-partisan newsletter focusing on Texas politics and government. Founded in 1983, QR is Texas’ oldest political newsletter. Published online most days, the newsletter combines fast breaking news along with institutional memory and a healthy skepticism as befits a publication whose subscribers include most of Texas elected officials, most of the lobby as well as most law firms with a legislative practice.

Harvey Kronberg has been covering Texas politics since 1989. He also serves as political commentator for News 8 Austin — a 24 hour news channel serving central Texas. He has been cited in publications as diverse as The Congressional Quarterly, The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor and more.

Bill Bishop on "The Daily Show" (updated)

2008-07-29T11:59:00.005-05:00

Bill Bishop, the author of “The Big Sort: Why the Clustering of Like-Minded America Is Tearing Us Apart,” will be Jon Stewart’s guest on the “The Daily Show” tonight. Bill was a guest on Texas Politics Today back in May of this year.

"The Daily Show” airs at 10:00 p.m. CDT on the Comedy Channel.

UPDATE: Watch the "Daily Show" episode here.

Great Minds Think Alike

2008-07-26T15:07:00.003-05:00

On the Texas Politics Today episode on Wednesday, July 16, we joined Markos Moulitsas, founder and chief author of Daily Kos, in a wide-ranging discussion of how the blogosphere emerged as an important force in progressive politics and how they are affecting national, state and local politics in this election year. One of the points in our discussion was a contrast between the conservative/Republican domination of talk radio and the progressive/Democratic domination of the "netroots." As reported by co-host David Kobierowski here, here and here, Markos said, "the right has a top-down approach to governing, where the left has a more democratic/bottom-up approach that allows for blogging to work."

This morning on "Weekend Edition," Scott Simon spoke with Jose Antonio Vargas, Washington Post reporter on technology and politics, about the role of the blogosphere in modern politics. One of the points Vargas made: that Republicans are more top-down and Democrats more, well, democratic. Sounds like Vargas heard our interview with Markos or read our posts about the interview.

Take a listen here.

M-O-N-E-Y, The Mother's Milk of Politics

2008-07-22T15:01:00.000-05:00

Political campaigns are battles of personality and ideas, yes, but they are also big business. In just the primary season alone, all the candidates raised over a billion dollars. Barack Obama led the pack by far, having raised over $339 million and spent over $267 million. Although the levels are smaller when it comes to statewide and local races, there is no doubt that money plays a critical role in the ability of a campaign to function effectively.

This week on Texas Politics Today, we’re taking the advice of Deep Throat and “following the money.” We’ll look at campaign finance reports for the first six months of the year — submitted July 15 — and give an overview of who’s got the scratch and who’s scratching around.

Texas Politics Today airs every week from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP radio, located at 91.7 on the FM dial. KOOP also streams live at http://www.koop.org/

David, Markos and I

2008-07-19T01:55:00.005-05:00

David Kobierowski and I were delighted to have Markos Moulitsas on our radio show Wednesday, but in the hustle and bustle neglected to get a picture with him. Fortunately, we caught up to him at the Netroots Nation 2008 conference this afternoon and he was gracious enough to pose with us.

David K's Thoughts On Markos

2008-07-18T08:57:00.004-05:00

This is co-host David Kobierowski's thoughts on Markos Moulitsas' appearance on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY on Wednesday, July 16.

Texas Politics Today’s Deece Eckstein and David Kobierowski interviewed Markos Moulitsas, Founder Daily Kos today.

The interview was broadcast live at 2:30pm, Wed., July 16th, 2008 on 91.7FM KOOP, Austin’s Community Radio Station.

It was an honor to have Markos join us in-studio at KOOP Radio today.

Early in the interview, Markos commented “I started Daily Kos as a place to vent and react to what was happening in the world…because I was not seeing it in the traditional media”.

He went on to say “there was a yearning for a progressive medium that was not Corporate in nature. Daily Kos provides honest progressivism”

For me personally, having dedicated 15 years of my life to Corporate America, hearing Markos’ story was refreshing. As a believer in Democracy from the bottom up, the success of Daily Kos validates our need for more honest voices from everyday people that are not paid lobbyists with a special interest agenda.

It was clear that Markos was not happy with the power of lobbyists in our government…he said at one point that “AT&T Lobbyists often have more influence than we (Daily Kos) do”.

Offline I asked Markos why blogs have been more successful on the left than the right and he commented that “the right has a top-down approach to governing, where the left has a more Democratic/bottom-up approach that allows for blogging to work”.

Yea!! That’s what I’m talking about!! With 92% of US AM Radio programs being Conservative, possibly the right doesn’t need to blog?? Well, I’m just glad the people’s voice is getting heard!

When asked about the mission of Daily Kos going into the Nov. elections and 2010 Markos explained “to find candidates that represent the “NetRoots values”…which Markos added “is a lot easier now than it was in 06′”

Another goal of DailyKos is “to push the Democratic Party to represent the people more, as opposed to representing the Corporate Interest”.

Referring to the potential of a major victory in Nov., Markos said “Republicans have made such a mess out of this country that you could be a Monkey and win some of these elections”

Specifically in TX, Markos commented “there’s a possibility for an upset in TX for Obama and the Democratic Party, IF the voters turn out”.

Markos talked about NetRoots Nation (YearlyKos) being “a truly bottom-up event. We didn’t say lets get a bunch of people together to go see Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. But we got a bunch of people together and then Nancy Pelosi wanted to join us”.

Referring to BOR, off-air Markos commented The “Burnt Orange Report is easily one of the top three ‘State Political blogs’ in the country”. NICE!

Thanks again Markos for joining us today on “TX Politics Today”!!

"It's Time For Some Campaignin'!"

2008-07-17T10:22:00.001-05:00

This is the latest from the nutty geniuses at JibJab. Did they catch the zeitgeist of the election and the essentials of the main characters? You decide. Comments, please.

Send a JibJab Sendables® eCard Today!

TPT Show With Markos Generates Media Interest

2008-07-16T20:55:00.000-05:00

This week’s episode of TEXAS POLITICS TODAY, which aired yesterday with Daily Kos founder Markos Moulitsas as our guest, was terrific. Markos turned out to be a smart and engaging interview, in one of the few interviews he’ll give while in Austin this week. His presence on the show garnered lots of local media attention.

Austin American-Statesman political reporter Gardner Selby previewed the interview, then live-blogged it. His thoughts can be read here. (The most interesting part of his story may be the comment by “Rick,” who fretted that “this radical left element is responsible for the internet attacks on government/Whitehouse/NASA/CIA/NASA/USAF website—-anything the radical left disagrees with” and expressed his ”HOPE the FBI tapes this outfit—-I am sure they will find more than a few ‘persons of interest’! ” I hope the FBI did tape the show — they can give a copy to us so we can put up a podcast.)

Elise Hu from KVUE News plugged the episode on her Political Junkie blog. She also did a story on tonight’s news that included an interview with Markos. She inserted some B-roll of our show into the segment. If you can’t remember what the “On Air” sign in the studio looks like, or wonder what the back of David Kobierowski’s head looks like, check out her report here.
Speaking of David, he’ll share his thoughts about what Markos had to say in a future post.

Markos on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY

2008-07-15T08:50:00.000-05:00

Join Markos Moulitsas Zúniga on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY for a lively discussion of Internet activism and the 2008 elections. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT every Wednesday on KOOP, Austin’s community radio station. KOOP is located at 91.7 on the FM dial and also streams live over the Internet at http://www.koop.org/.

Markos Moulitsas is the founder and principal author of DailyKos.com, the widely-respected political blog with an average daily readership of over 750,000 people. He has written several books, including Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics and the forthcoming Taking On the System: Rules for Radical Change in the Digital Era. He also is a contributing columnist to Newsweek Magazine. He’ll be talking with us about the netroots phenomenon and how it’s transformed politics, and giving us his thoughts on the fall elections here in Texas.

"The Big Sort" In The News Again

2008-07-15T08:46:00.000-05:00

As Wayne Slater mentions in this blog post, former President Bill Clinton spoke to the centennial meeting of the National Governors Association. In his remarks, he referenced Bill Bishop’s book “The Big Sort.” Bill Bishop was a guest on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY on May 28, 2008. Read our post about his visit here.

Celebrating Independence In 2008

2008-07-08T08:45:00.000-05:00

We used to celebrate Independence Day in the United States. It was held on July 4, and it commemorated the day on which the Declaration of Independence was approved in Philadelphia in 1776. It was a day to consider the blessings of liberty, to recall the struggle for independence that is our heritage even today, and to celebrate the values, until then unpracticed in the world, that fundamentally shaped the American political identity — the notion that the State existed to serve its citizens, not vice versa; the ideal of government of, by and for the people; the (literally) revolutionary idea that, when government failed to serve its people, it was their right, indeed, their sacred duty, to throw off that government.

Now, it seems, we celebrate the 4th of July — a midsummer day’s dream of mattress sales, keg parties on the lake and fireworks shows. And it’s all great fun, fellowship, and mercantile profit, as it should be. But does anyone besides me worry that we’ve lost touch with the reason for the holiday?

This week, TEXAS POLITICS TODAY looks at Independence Day 2008. Over the 4th of July weekend, we went out and talked to ordinary Texans about how they were celebrating the 4th and what independence means to them. Tune in for a entertaining, informative perspective on Independence, 2008 style. The radio show airs from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP radio, located at 91.7 on the FM dial. KOOP also streams live at www.koop.org

Also, next week we’re thrilled to have Markos Moulitsas Zúniga with us. Markos is the proprietor of DailyKos.com and co-author, with Jerome Armstrong, of Crashing the Gate: Netroots, Grassroots, and the Rise of People-Powered Politics (Chelsea Green). He is a contributing columnist to Newsweek Magazine. He was named one of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in the world by People en Español, clocked in at third in Forbes’ Web Celeb 25 rankings, and was listed 26th in PC World’s list of the “Most Important People on the Web“.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY "Feet On The Street" In SoCo

2008-07-03T08:42:00.000-05:00

The TEXAS POLITICS TODAY team will be down on South Congress Avenue tonight, meandering around the First Thursday happening and asking people what the Fourth of July means to them — all in anticipation of our Super Duper Independence show next Wednesday, July 9. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY airs every Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP, FM 91.7 and streaming live at www.koop.org.

Look for us if you’re down there!

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!

2008-07-02T11:45:00.004-05:00

On the TEXAS POLITICS TODAY episode today, we played a recitation of the Declaration of Independence by a distinguished group of American actors. The recitation was off a video made by Declare Yourself and Constitution Live and executive produced by the incomparable Norman Lear. The actors appearing in the video (and whose voices were heard) include:

Mel Gibson
Michael Douglas
Kathy Bates
Kevin Spacey
Whoopi Goldberg
Edward Norton
Renee Zellweger
Ming-Na
Winona Ryder
Benicio Del Toro
Graham Greene

Please watch and enjoy the video!

The Real Deal on the REAL ID Act

2008-07-01T13:25:00.007-05:00

Melissa Del Bosque of the Texas Observer, whose coverage of the border wall controversy along the Rio Grande has won national acclaim, will discuss the border wall battle on TEXAS POLITICS TODAY this Wednesday, July 2. The radio show airs from 2:30 to 3:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP radio, located at 91.7 on the FM dial. KOOP also streams live at http://www.koop.org/.

In 2005, Congress passed the REAL ID Act, which (among other provisions) directed the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to meet a 2008 year-end deadline for completing 670 miles of fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border. The Act also gave DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff broad authority to waive property rights, environmental, labor and other laws in order to get the job done.

Del Bosque began writing about the border wall fracas last year as the Department of Homeland Security ran roughshod over local communities, longtime landowners, and even the University of Texas System. The Observer’s coverage has won widespread praise and can be viewed here, here and on the Observer’s blog.

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court declined to intervene in the case of Defenders of Wildlife vs. Chertoff, in effect legitimizing the huge grants of power given to DHS in the REAL ID Act. Del Bosque will discuss the Chertoff decision and its implications for the civil liberties of all Americans. She will also discuss yesterday’s action by a Brownsville federal judge encouraging DHS and the University of Texas-Pan American to work out an alternative to DHS’s plan to bisect the campus with a section of the wall.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is collaborating with another KOOP program, “Shades of Green,” in reporting on these issues this week. “Shades of Green,” the environmental talk magazine, airs on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. CDT on KOOP. ”Shades of Green” hosts Ken McKenzie-Grant and John Hoffner will have a representative of the national Defenders of Wildlife organization to discuss the Supreme Court decision as well as Sheila Dean, a nationally-known activist and blogger on REAL ID issues.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is the weekly radio show devoted to Texas state and local politics. TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is produced by longtime Capitol insider Deece Eckstein, who shares hosting duties with Austin community leader David Kobierowski.

KOOP, “the little station that could,” is Austin’s only community-owned radio station. It shares the FM 91.7 radio frequency with KVRX, the University of Texas student radio. It also streams live over the Web at http://www.koop.org/. KOOP is on the air on weekdays from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and on weekends from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

Welcome to Texas Politics Today!

2008-04-23T22:49:00.000-05:00

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY is a radio program on KOOP, Austin's community radio station. As described on its website,

KOOP is a community radio station owned and operated by its members. Any member of the community can apply to produce a radio program, and KOOP provides facilities and training. KOOP has about 60 different locally-produced programs airing every week, in time slots of 30, 60, 90, or 120 minutes. Each of these programs is produced by an individual member or by a collective of members. KOOP provides a diverse array of programming, emphasizing programs that deal with local issues and/or serve communities which are under-served by the mainstream media.

TEXAS POLITICS TODAY will address a vacuum in radio programing. It will be the only weekly radio program in Texas that focuses on Texas state and local politics. We believe that, just as war is too important to be left to the generals, politics is too important to be left to the politicians. Our goals are to inform, entertain and inspire our listeners.

This blog will be a part of the TEXAS POLITICS TODAY experience. We will eventually set up a website, www.texaspoliticstoday.net, but for now stay tuned to this blog. We will post information about coming shows. and -- once we master the technology -- podcasts of previous episodes. We also want this blog, and eventually the website, to contain links to other websites that are referenced on the show.

You can leave comments on this site, or email us at TexasPoliticsToday at gmail.

This is your radio show. Well, not really, but you know what we mean. We challenge you to challenge us. Suggest topics you want covered. Identify guests from whom you want to hear. Criticize us for what we do wrong, and praise us for what we do right. Most of all, INTERACT!