The Austin-American Statesman ran a full-color review of the new Molly Ivins biography, Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life, by Bill Minutaglio and W. Michael Smith, today. I picked up a copy of the book at the Texas Book Festival a few weeks ago, where I...

Last Monday, I had the opportunity to go to the fifth annual fundraiser luncheon in Dallas for Annie's List, an organization that raises money and provides resources for progressive female candidates in the state of Texas. Donna Brazile, a woman whose cadence often makes me feel like I'm living...

Last Friday morning when I woke up, the last thing I expected to do was see President Obama speak later that afternoon. But a text from a friend who had secured tickets from Obama For America organizers changed my days' plans, and by noon I was on the road to...

You know those billboards you see on the side of freeways advertising new subdivisions built in rural areas outside of town? "If you lived here, you'd be home by now."

Someone needs to throw up a similar one next to the "Welcome to Texas" signs you hit when coming in...

I've chosen to ignore most of the health care rhetoric. I know what I believe -- the health care industry is so clearly broken that a thousand monkeys typing explanations of benefits could come up with that conclusion -- and I'm sick of hearing Republicans argue otherwise. But on the...

I've got nothing against Republicans. Well, I do find them kind of boring and grumpy and clearly not thinking straight on the old "Who controls my ovaries?" issue, when I'm the one who has to endure menstrual cramps every third Saturday. However, do not, I repeat, do not...

As I listened to Texas Congressman Lloyd Doggett speak at the Kerr Community Center in the rural town of Bastrop, Texas last Saturday, I studied the aged, concerned faces of the congregation. They were old Democrats -- they cross their legs, and put an arm around their wives and dab...

Today marks the first flight for the new PetAirways, a "pets-only" airline that caters only to the four-legged traveler. While their red carpets and wagging tails may seem glamorous, a business model that rewards quantity over quality and discount over value may not fly in the long run with...

Are the property taxes in Florida on the upswing? If so, it might begin to explain why Texas Democrats are currently staring down the barrel of two primary candidates (three if you count glory campaigner Mark Thompson) who most accurately could be described as political snowbirds.

Wikipedia defines snowbirds...

Dick Cheney's press junket over the last few weeks seems to be coming up short on the list of important things to talk about, slated below GM going bankrupt, Sotomayor's "reverse racism" and Dr. Tiller's death. And if he weren't such a calculating, snake-like creature, one would wonder if he...

On Mother's Day, I participated in my usual Sunday morning ritual: reading the headlines on my Blackberry, checking my @replies on Twitter and scrolling through my friends' Facebook status updates. Among the chatter of "Happy Mother's Day" and dreary "Headed to the in-laws..." was another update -- words from one...

Stephen Colbert must be having a hard time coming up with material these days. It's difficult to create political satire when the GOP's reality has become more like an HBO one-man comedy show, live and uncut. Texas Governor Rick Perry, the new Sarah Palin of the South, rallied with teabaggers...

In the Texas House this week, it was Take Your Bigoted Representative to Work Day. For North Texas residents, that resulted in the softly-coiffed and loudly-talkin' Republican Betty Brown once again putting the proverbial Chico's pump in her mouth. This time it was on the issue of voter ID, also...

A question missing from the recent Tom Schieffer interview, executed by excellent Burnt Orange Report writer Todd Hill, could have been "What have you done for me lately?" If you haven't read the interview, you should.

Call me selfish or just an Austinite, but while reading...

Monday, as I stomached another lunch in a brown-bag economy, I flipped on CNN to catch up on the latest. As is often the case with my late lunches, I came face to face with Press Secretary Robert Gibbs giving a press briefing, which centered around questions about the...

A few months ago, I signed a lease on a new apartment. It had everything I was looking for: wood floors, great location, and mid-century charm. It was me.

I signed the lease and paid my deposit, never once showing any form of ID, photo or otherwise. Rachel Farris, whomever...

My Uncle Billy is racist. That statement might cause him to disown me, or perhaps solicit several angry emails from my immediate family, but I wouldn't be stating any more than he already demonstrates to be true - sometimes blatantly so. Uncle Billy lives in a small town of 2600...

Back in August, I wrote a blog entry about a stifling hot day when I blockwalked for Democrats running in Bastrop County -- pols including Larry Joe Doherty, Chris Duggan and Donnie Dippel, the Democratic nominee for State Representative in Texas, District 17. The volunteers all met at a...

Texas has a long history of breaking quorum to influence change. In 1979, the original "Killer Bees" were State Senators who went into hiding to prevent a presidential primary bill from being passed. More recently, in 2003, Texas Democrats faced down a Delay-backed redistricting bill, which prompted House members, later...

The summer before my ex-boyfriend, a captain in the U.S. Army, deployed for the second time to Iraq, he became consumed with a video game. The game was in "first person shooter" format - when he played, the image on TV was as if it was seen from the perspective...