Thursday LINKORAMA!

Rick...
NEWS- More stories about Rick meeting with the family of the dead death row inmate (who died of asthma, not execution) who was exonerated by DNA evidence (link), (link), (link) and (link). Rick supports a bill to help those wrongly convicted.
NEWS- North Texas transportation issues flaring up, and Rick is going to have to make a decision on local option taxes (link) and (link). Right of center groups hate the plan. It looks like Rick is leaning toward vetoing it (link).
NEWS- Will casino gambling pass the legislature, making it an issue in the Rick vs. Kay race (link)? The lobbyists are out in full force on this issue, and legislators are suckers for lobbyists. If Rick vetoes gambling, will Kay agree with him or take a more libertine position?
NEWS- Rick is waiting on a budget (link). How much federal stimulus will be in there?
NEWS- Rick talks hurricanes (link).
BLOG- Rick is going to moderate a conservative themed 12 city tour called "Obama: The First 100 Days" in Garland on April 27 (link). What does "moderate" mean? Are we talking about a talk show host format?

Kay...
NEWS- Visited Midland to dedicate a park renovation project (link). They spelled her name "Hutchinson." Just say Kay. It's easier to spell.
NEWS- Dodged campaign talk in Amarillo (link).
NEWS- Also in Amarillo, a reporter transcribed Kay's comments word for word, which was not especially flattering for Kay (link). Excerpt follows:

"Now that is going to be useful everywhere in Texas where we have agriculture need and we need to make sure that the resources, uh, the research we have here, will help us with water management everywhere," said U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison.

Usually it is journalistic courtesy to remove the "uh" and "umm" and even sometimes the "you know" and other repetitive phrases.
NEWS- Mentioned in story about Ron Kirk (link).
BLOG- Empower Texans talks about Kay's work on federal deductibility of taxes (link).
BLOG- The Austin Young Republican blog does not seem very happy with Kay's recent votes in favor of bailouts and earmarks (link). I am planning on doing a blog on these votes at some time as well.