It's a Barack O'Lantern. Thank you to KVUE viewer Rachel for sending this. She carved it at the Dripping Springs Pumpkin Carving Contest.

Categories: Randomness |
Posted by Elise Hu at 9:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

After famously not naming any newspapers or magazines she's currently reading, McCain running mate Sarah Palin told People magazine she's "not a bubblehead" and is currently reading "The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11". That's the Pulitzer Prize-winning book by the Austin-based writer Lawrence Wright. For your convenience, I linked you to the Texas Monthly talks piece with Wright from last summer.

Categories: 2008 Presidential Race | Miscellaneous | People and Places |
Posted by Elise Hu at 7:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Rep. Michael McCaul's opponent is up with a new commercial criticizing the congressman's role in the current economic crisis. Since congressional district 10 stretches from the Austin market into the Houston market, I'm not clear whether this is just in one market or in both. (Houston's far more expensive.)

The commercial was produced by Doherty's consultants, Message, Audience and Presentation (James Aldrete's outfit out of Austin).

More to come.

Categories: US Congress |
Posted by Elise Hu at 5:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yes, this is not ideal timing for a political reporter. But I'll be out of the country for this next week and only able to blog sporadically. Good thing this world wide web creation is actually worldwide... staying connected should be pretty simple!

Categories: Miscellaneous |
Posted by Elise Hu at 12:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A big thank you to the editors at The Austin Chronicle, who gave me a Critic's Pick Award in this year's Best of Austin issue. The category for which I (perhaps ironically) won? "Best TV Reporter Who Can Write". The write-up:

The sound-bite world of TV news can make the on-camera talent look a little superficial, but that's just image. When KVUE's Elise Hu isn't skillfully trimming down policy nuance for the idiot box, she's raising hell in her sometimes scathing, take-no-prisoners Political Junkie blog. She writes so well that she's good enough for print. (Just don't tell her she looks like former Council Member Jennifer Kim. She hates that.)

Categories: Media | Randomness |
Posted by Elise Hu at 10:24 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)

The 30-day-out federal campaign finance reports are trickling out, and U.S. Rep Michael McCaul, R-Texas, is sitting on almost 600K for the final stretch.

McCaul reported $597,740 cash on hand in his third quarter filing. He raised $283,000 in the third quarter from 406 individual donors. So the average size of a donation to McCaul was $697.

"I am pleased with our fund raising efforts and the number of individual contributors to our campaign," McCaul said. "It shows our message of reform and responsible government is resonating with the residents of the 10th Congressional District."

Challenger Larry Joe Doherty's report matched McCaul's fundraising strength last quarter. Doherty raised $213,000 in 558 individuals. His average size donation is $381. Doherty's behind McCaul when it comes to money available to spend, however. His cash-on-hand is at $220,675.

"Our campaign is in the homestretch and we are prepared to unseat a Republican incumbent who is a rubber stamp, not a representative," said Doherty. "I have received strong support from voters who are responding to our message of holding Washington accountable."

Categories: Campaign Finance | US Congress |
Posted by Elise Hu at 8:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)