TRAIL BLAZERS

The court battle over a recount in the politically charged House District 105 race had statewide ramifications for Republicans and Democrats. But Dallas County Republican Party chairman Jonathan Neerman had nothing but praise late Tuesday for the Democratic judge overseeing the case.

"You could tell he gave a lot of thought to the issues," Mr. Neerman said of State District Judge Jim Jordan (pictured), who on Nov. 4 unsuccessfully challenged Republican Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson.

Throughout two days of evidence and testimony in Dallas this week, Judge Jordan asked the numerous attorneys present myriad questions and repeatedly asked them to submit briefs and case law to provide him with direction. He ultimately ruled in favor of a Republican motion that he does not have jurisdiction over the case that Democrats brought.

"Regardless of the outcome, that's what we expect of our judges," Mr. Neerman said. "Judges who apply the law don't get enough credit."

Remember all that talk about how Barack Obama rewrote the book on campaign finance by taking zillions in small-dollar contributions to fuel his race for the White House? Supporters touted the idea that nearly half of Obama's money came from people giving less than $200. Not so much.

Turns out that only about a quarter of Obama's campaign contributions came from small donors, those giving $200 or less. That's about the same as George W. Bush in 2004.

That's because a further study of Obama's donations shows that while he had lots of small donations, many of those donors gave several times. And FEC records show that a sizeable number of these repeat donors gave a cumulative amount totaling much more than $200 -- sometimes $1,000 or more. In fact, nearly half of Obama's money came from donors giving $1,000 or more.

The nonpartisan Campaign Finance Institude did the study. This doesn't mean that Obama didn't raise lots of cash from small donors. But it does mean that he, like his predecessors, was highly dependent on big-donor donors in his presidential bid.

Gov. Rick Perry said Tuesday he will join a group of several governors meeting with President-elect Barack Obama in Philadelphia on Dec. 2. The main topic will be the economy and Mr. Perry said he won't be shy in discussing how Texas has fared better than most states in weathering the nation's deteriorating economic conditions.

"It is my intention to be there and add my voice along with other Republican governors who will be there as well," Mr. Perry said. "I appreciate the opportunity to be able to share with him some ideas about how to strengthen America's economy. I think Texas has a great story to tell."

The governor also hopes to be able to use the occasion to complain about proposed Environmental Protection Agency rules from the Bush administration that would sharply regulate greenouse gas emissions. Mr. Perry maintains the rules would eliminate jobs, drive out investment and inflict massive compliance costs on everything from commerical buildings to churches and farms.

Another Texas leader, Education Commissioner Robert Scott, has been appointed to a 10-member panel of state education chiefs who will develop recommendations that will be considered during the first 100 days of the Obama administration. "I look forward to developing education policy proposals that will strengthen and improve the nation's public schools," Mr. Scott said of his appointment.

More than 1,000 people people jammed the First Baptist Church in downtown Austin today for the funeral of former Attorney General and Dallas congressman Jim Mattox. The Dallas Democrat who succeeded Mattox in Congress, John Bryant, called him "a lion of an advocate for the common man and woman in our state." Former aide Lou McCreary recalled how the tough and colorful Democrat was "referred to more than once as a junkyard dog -- but he was our junkyard dog."

The 65-year-old Mattox died in his sleep last week at his home in Dripping Springs. His wife, Marta, said he had suffered a heart attack.

Tuesday's two and one-half hour service featured a gospel choir and attracted a host of Texas Democratic luminaries from the party's halcyon days. Those in attendance included former Gov. Mark White, former House Speaker Ben Barnes and one-time gubernatorial candidate Frances "Sissy" Farenthold, who was part of a progressive political movement that challenged the conservative establishment in Texas beginning in the 1970s and 80s.

Mattox's son, Jimmer Mattox, a high school senior, told the audience his father imparted his staunch partisanship early on. "When I was growing up, I didn't know much about politics -- only that the Democrats were the good guys." He said his father never lost the common touch.

During the service, a family friend recalled how Jimmer chose to play in last weekend's game for Dripping Springs High School because he felt his father would have wanted him to. Before the game, former President Bill Clinton called the younger Mattox and expressed admiration for his father. After the service, Mattox's flag-draped casket was taken by a horse-drawn hearse to the State Cemetery, where he was buried not far from the gravesite of Ann Richards, who beat him for the Democratic nomination for governor in 1990.

Fascinating interplay of opinion in this week's Texas Faith, our discussion of religion and politics. The question is whether there's a fault line between Barack Obama's faith-based supporters and his traditional-left supporters. And what issue might test this political alliance?

Many moderate faith-based voters liked what they heard when Obama promised to reduce the number of abortions, said he was opposed to gay marriage, embraced aspects of President Bush's faith-based initiative, and talked about drawing down troops while shifting some forces to Afghanistan. But those positions conflict with the demands of others in the Democratic base (say, backers of the Freedom of Choice Act, which would eliminate many state abortion restrictions; advocates of legalizing gay marriage; opponents of the faith-based initiative; anti-war advocates who want the troops brought home).

So what happens now?

As expected, our panel of distinguished experts offers a lively range of opinion. For example, Brian Schmisek, dean of the School of Ministry at the University of Dallas: "Even though he promised it would be the first thing he would do as President, Mr. Obama will not spend his political capital on FOCA when there are so many more pressing issues at stake."

But Catholic intellectual Deal Hudson counters: "When Obama signs the Freedom of Choice Act his true political colors will be displayed ... and "after four years of an Obama administration, the religiously active voter will come to a full realization of his agenda, and will not be fooled again."

Worth reading at Texas Faith.

In case you haven't been keeping up, Rep. Linda Harper Brown, R-Irving, kept her House seat by only 20 votes (and yes, the state Dems totally wish they'd given Bob Romano some money. $50 woulda done it....) and is now in the middle of a recount.

Sec of State Hope Andrade's office got in the middle of it and told them not to count some types of votes that, earlier in the cycle in another race, they'd said SHOULD be counted. Democrats are mad, suing, saying that no matter who wins, the votes should be counted. And that GOP-appointee Andrade is being partisan in one her first acts as SoS.

They're arguing along the lines of, "You can't have it both ways." Certainly there are nuances to be studied here, which brings us to a quick report by DMN colleague Brandon Formby, who mentions the large amounts of suits in the courtroom today.

If LHB loses the seat, the Texas House becomes divided 75-75 Ds and Rs. So, yeah. There will be a few lawyers sitting around the table on this deal.

Here's the report from Brandon Formby:

Word is that Jim Steinberg, the head of the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas, will be picked as a deputy secretary of state under Hillary Clinton. Steinberg has been mentioned as a possible national security adviser. But indications are that he'll end up at State.

Steinberg has been the LBJ School dean since January 2006. Before that, he was at the Brookings Institution and served in the Clinton adminstration. He was born in Boston and lived in DC before coming to Austin, so his Texas connection isn't all that deep. Still, he's pretty much the only Texan that Team Obama has plucked from the Lone Star State so far.

Lots of people online are claiming they have tickets to sell to Barack Obama's Jan. 20 inauguration as president.

Watch out, warns the Better Business Bureau.

In a news release, the BBB says many online vendors are offering tickets they don't have -- and by the time you find that out, you may have already purchased nonrefundable airline tickets or reserved hotel accommodations.

There are only 250,000 tickets available for the inaugural ceremony, the BBB says. And many times that number of people want to attend.

So how does someone get a ticket?

The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is responsible for distributing tickets to members of Congress, who in turn hand them out -- FOR FREE -- to constituents.

So start by getting in touch with your congressional representative.

If that doesn't work -- an aide to my congressman, for example, said his allotment was long gone -- it's possible to find legitimate re-sellers online. The BBB news release has some tips on protevcting yourself from rip-offs.

As the Christmas season approaches -- and with it the annual debate over whether political liberals are trying to kill the holiday -- here's news of a season's greeting that caught the attention of the estimable Eileen Smith over at In The Pink Texas and Texas Monthly.

You have to wonder. What were they thinking at the politically active American Family Association in marketing what looks like a burning cross at Christmas?

Reps. Linda Sánchez, Rubén Hinojosa of Texas (left) and Raul Grijalva of Arizona

California congresswoman Linda Sánchez announced yesterday that she is pregnant with her first child. She's 39, divorced, about to start her fourth U.S. House term and, according to aides, plans to marry the father -- her boyfriend of 18 months.

Some interesting things about this:

First, the potential for snide quips from right-wing talk radio about Democrats and unwed mothers -- though come to think of it, they laid off the first daughter of Alaska during the presidential campaign. (Remember the joke about how Gov. Sarah Palin viewed marriage as a sacred act between two unwilling teenagers?)

Second, Rep. Sanchez's news means there's another congresswoman about to become an aunt: her sister, Rep. Loretta Sánchez, who represents a nearby southern California district.

And, third, in a sign the glass ceiling ain't what it used to be on Capitol Hill, the Congressional Stork -- that's a patronage job, by the way -- was already preparing to visit another congresswoman.

The Sandlins

The gentlelady from South Dakota, Stephanie Herseth Sandlin and husband Max Sandlin, the former East Texas congressman, are due Dec. 23. They're Democrats, too.

And, we hear congratulations are in order for Martin Frost. The former Dallas congressman has recently remarried.

Former Attorney General Jim Mattox, the colorful one-time Dallas congressman who was part of a team of Democratic progressives that dominated Texas politics in the 1980s and early 1990s, has died. He was 65.

Mattox died in his sleep at home in Dripping Springs, near Austin, according to family friend Kelly Fero.

He was elected Texas attorney general in 1982, the same year Ann Richards, Mark White and Garry Mauro also won statewide offices.

He ran unsuccessfully for Governor in the Democratic primary in 1990. He quickly became known as the "People's Lawyer" and built the office into a modern law firm. He and his staff handled more than 2 million cases, won judgments totaling more than $2.5 billion for the state, and opened up the diversity of the office by hiring more women and minority lawyers than the top 10 Texas law firms of that era combined.

After leaving the AG's office, he twice ran for public office after leaving the AG's office -- in the 1994 Democratic primary for U.S. Senate (against Richard Fisher) and the 1998 general election for AG (against John Cornyn).

Mattox attended Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, worked his way through the Baylor School of Business and earned a law degree from SMU.

He served as an assistant DA under the legendary Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade and began his political career in 1973 when he took office as a state representative from East Dallas. He gained a reputation for ethics reforms, including the Big Five package of open government legislation -- open meetings, open records, full financial disclosure, campaign finance reform, and lobby registration.

Mattox was elected to the 5th Congressional District in 1976, 10 years after serving as an intern in the office of then-Congressman Earle Cabell.

As attorney general, he was acquitted of charges of commercial bribery in case in which he was accused of threatening the business of a large law firm that he believed had dealt unfairly with his sister, Janice.

He is survived by his wife Marta and their two children, Jim and Janet, known as Sissi, as well as his sister, Janice, and brother, Jerry, both of Dallas.

The funeral is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Tuesday, November 25 at the First Baptist Church in Austin. Burial will follow at the State Cemetery.

The gentleman from Beverly Hills toppled the gentleman from Motor City this morning, and that may not be great news for the gentleman from Ennis, Texas.

Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., managed to wrest the chairmanship of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee from Rep. John Dingell, D-Mich., who is 82 and the longest-serving member of the House.

Texas Republican Joe Barton chaired that committee when his party controlled the House, and remains the top Republican. So he knows both men well, and he knows the huge clout the committee wields. This is the panel that will handle environmental rules, health care reform and a host of other burning issues.

Only Democrats got to vote this morning on whether to replace Dingell with Waxman. "If I had a vote, I'd vote for John Dingell," Barton said a few days earlier. "I like Waxman. Henry and I personally get along well. But Dingell is just such an institution."

And, Barton said, if President-elect Obama wants to govern in a centrist, bipartisan way, "somebody like John Dingell could be very effective .... Waxman is very smart, very capable, very hard working. But Henry is just more left of center and has a little more confrontational style."

In Barton's view, it "would be better for the Democratic caucus and better for the country" if Waxman stayed put -- he has been chairman of the government reform and oversight committee -- and left Dingell alone.

So, it should be an interesting 111th Congress over there at Energy and Commerce.

Heres the initial report from the Austin American-Statesman.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn's job just got a little tougher. Tuesday morning, his Senate Republican colleagues elected him to chair their campaign arm, the National Republican Senatorial Committee. His assignment: win back a bunch of Senate seats in two years, by raising money and recruiting good candidates. Well, the hill got steeper tonight with word from Alaska that convicted felon Ted Stevens had lost his reelection bid. The count of absentee and mail-in ballots finally put Democrat Mark Begich over the top.

Republicans were hoping Stevens could pull it off, because even though they were sure to eject him from the Senate, they might have had a shot at holding the seat when the dust settled and a replacement was named.

So, that puts the Democrats at 58 in the 111th Congress, which convenes Jan. 6, counting the two independents who caucus with them: McCain-lover and former Dem VP nominee Joe Lieberman of Connecticut, and former Socialist Bernie Sanders of Vermont, who unsuccessfully led the effort to form a lynch mob and seriously punish Lieberman at Tuesday's party caucus for his Obama-bashing in the presidential race.

A very steep hill for Mr. Cornyn.

The House Republicans apparently couldn't get a quorum for their caucus meeting today - and so they cut it short and try again tomorrow to do their caucus business.

Now, the rest of the two-day retreat at the Austin-area resort is still intact. At least three of the GOP speaker candidates were there, reportedly - Merritt, Jim K and Solomons - but they were a few members shy of doing the business meeting. Solomons, who has to be sick of hearing from me today, said it was just a routine meeting to update any bylaws (which might include how to call a meeting, etc.) but that "it's hard to get members together, especially when they're not in session."

Any potential bylaw changes, he said with a laugh, would be to "take over the world."

I guess that's what the House rules are for.

(Did I say that out loud?)

I did hear that some members decided not to go to the retreat, possibly because they caught some grief for being lavish and for basically, blatantly, selling tickets to hang out with prominent House members.

For his part, Solomons isn't going to the rest of it because he's got other things to do. Like, you know, run for Speaker and such.

Here's what GOP Rep. Burt Solomons of Carollton - soon-to-be-ex House Financial Institutions Committee Chairman and newest candidate for Speaker of the House - had to say on May 26, 2007, as the melee over the speaker's power in the House grew louder and more divisive. With apologies for the self promotion. Just thought you might find it interesting.

From this story on the following day:

Most are determined to help the speaker stay in office through the final weekend of the legislative session, which must end Monday. And after that, they note, he can use his fundraising prowess to try to elect lawmakers more favorable to keeping him in one of the most powerful jobs in state government.

"As the person who did the rules and served under a number of parliamentarians, I was unaware that there was that absolute power on the part of the speaker," he said. "The speaker always had a lot of power, but not absolute power. That was not the intent of the rules. ... No legislative body in the country provides absolute power to any one individual."

Wow, what a spin there is out there. This Solomons development is, like, the first red meat on the speaker's race that we've gotten in about a week.

My life has meaning again.

So, I'm hearing that as many as 7 or 8 Republicans are automatically, hands down, with Burt Solomons if he makes this a real, actual run. Who knows how many more there are to come.

I also have it on good authority that Craddick is already meeting with people who might be on the Solomons Bandwagon and has managed to peel off at least one. What on EARTH is he saying to these guys? For more than half an hour?
Man. Dude works FAST.

Anyway, someone mentioned earlier that Solomon's (dwindling?) followers bring the "anti-Craddicks" to around 80. I say that's a soft number that could change - easily - if Solomons decides not to make a go at it or steps back or whatever.

Or, as we've started to see him do already, Craddick starts bringing people into the Prinicipal's Office. (Or the woodshed, not sure which)...

Now, I'm not really a fan of predictions because I tend to think that it's basically just a way to try and show everyone how smart you are, and at the end of the day who the HECK knows how it's going to go, and there's only so many kinds of predictions you can make, and you can wind up looking stupid in the end anyway, and it can close your eyes to possibilities you might never have thought of if you're too busy hanging on to your prediction, and frankly the whole game bores me on that level anyway.

I mean, what fun is it if you know how it's going to turn out?

Not to mention, you can't really trust any of these guys to stay where they are. I mean, Craddick had PLEDGE CARDS last time and you saw how difficult it was for him to pull out another win.

But hey, doing a little math never hurt anyone. And if you're doing your math correctly, you still don't know who's going to win anyway.

So that brings us back to Solomons.

Rep. Burt Solomons, R-Carrollton, chairman of the House Financial Institutions Committee and the person who oversaw the rules bill last session, has thrown his hat into the ring for the speakership.

"I did file this morning. I believe it's time for a change," he said. "We are in a position now, as Republicans and for the entire body, to have a different governing style. ... I've been a past supporter of Tommy (Craddick), I like him, but I think it's a whole different management style. I've had a number of members calling me about problems they forsee. We (the GOP) have been trying to govenrm the House and we're at a crucial turning point, and I think it's time to let another Republican - since we have a slim majority - have a shot at how we're going to govern."

"We have different management styles," he said. "We have different perspectives on the body, and in my opinion I believe the body wants to have more meaningful input into the issues of the day, how we're going to govern, into our rules, into everything. I believe it's time to try to ensure that happens. And that's really what this is about. It's really putting the entire body in a position to feel good about being public servants, address the issues of the day and make sure that everybody has equal input. Everybody."

Mr. Solomons' entrance into the speaker's race makes 10 candidates, five of them Republicans.

Toward the end of last session, Mr. Solomons surprised everybody when he told us at the DMN that it was probably time for Mr. Craddick to finish his post. He also said that he - as the head of the committee that helped propose the House rules - was shocked to see that the speaker was interpreting those rules in a way that gave him "absolute authority" to step on any attempts to throw him of the seat.

Rep. Chet Edwards will stay put.

President-elect Barack Obama considered the Waco Democrat as a possible running mate. Rumor has it the congressman has been eyed as a potential Veterans Affairs secretary, though his prospects have never been clear.

On Sunday, Edwards said he'll stick with his current job, representing the district that includes President Bush's ranch in Crawford and as a "cardinal" of Appropriations, chairing a subcommittee that controls billions in spending for military construction and veterans.

"While it is an honor to have been considered for the position of U.S. Secretary of Veterans Affairs, I believe I can make the most difference for veterans, our district and country by continuing to serve in Congress. That is why I have informed President-elect Obama's transition team that I intend to continue representing the 17th Congressional District of Texas," Edwards said in a statement released by his office.

More from the statement: