Even though we have a democratically controlled House, we have committee chairmen from both political parties in the Texas House of Representatives.

I knew that the folks in D.C. were going to be surprised and some were going to be chagrined. But it's not all that uncommon here in Texas.

That's absolutely correct. The district is traditionally a Republican district and it would take something unusual to shift them out of that column. A scandal-ridden congressman is the major hope for Lampson.

It takes out a big organizing force. He was really a centerpiece in terms of fundraising, and he was an ideological anchor, and, obviously, as the majority leader in Congress had a major ripple effect on the flow of money to Texas.

What we're seeing right now is kind of a groundswell, for lack of a better word, of pro-education candidates challenging Republicans.

You could have a dramatically different House of Representatives - one that's far more independent of the leadership than currently exists.

If you look at polling out there, the governor does much better among traditional Republican primary voters than he does among general population voters.

The speaker is weaker today than he was a week ago.

When Bush was sworn in the second time as governor, his father is standing behind him, and as he turns after taking the oath of office, he walks past his father's outstretched arms to Bullock, who truly was his practical political mentor, and he embraces Bullock first.