Lead Stories

PERRY TOUTS HIGHER ED ACCOUNTABILITY, RESPONDS TO RUMORS

Gov. Rick Perry, in town Tuesday to talk about accountability in higher education, found himself addressing questions about his influence and direction of higher education policy. In prepared remarked before other education leaders at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, the governor touted the second edition of the Texas Public Higher Education Almanac, a compilation of statistics — tuition and fees, enrollment, graduation rates and other details — that was released Tuesday.

ALARM GROWS AMONG DEMS ABOUT OBAMA’S CHANCES

It has taken months of bad news, but Democrats increasingly believe that President Obama might just lose his re-election bid. The latest wake-up call comes in the form of a New York Times/CBS poll showing Republican Mitt Romney in the lead not just among registered voters overall, but with women and independents. The Times/CBS survey is unique in that the pollsters called back the same phone numbers they had a month before. In April, Obama and Romney were dead even. Now, Romney leads by 3 points overall. That’s still within the margin of error -- a statistical tie. But the shifts with women, moderates and independents are all statistically significant. Obama lost 5 points with each of those demographics.

AAS: CRUZ CONSISTENT, COMPELLING CONSERVATIVE

We have supported Dewhurst in the past but cannot recommend a candidate who plays hide-and-seek with the public by limiting his contact with voters to controlled events and media buys. Though we have some disagreements with Cruz, we respect his willingness to engage and answer questions. We also respect the passion of his convictions. For Republican primary voters looking for a no-frills, no-apologies conservative, Cruz is the genuine article. The GOP nominee meets the winner of the four-way contest for the Democratic nomination. The best known is former State Rep. Paul Sadler.

GARRETT: SEVERAL FACTS STRETCHED IN PRO-DEWHURST SUPER PAC'S AD BASHING CRUZ

Boy, the Texas Conservatives Fund sure has a rarefied definition of conservative. And it must be very glad that in third-party political advertising these days, there's no three-strikes rule. As we noted in Tuesday's post about the pro-David Dewhurst group's $1 million ad buy, its 30-second TV spot is a real doozy. First, it tries to somehow make out as "un-conservative" rival GOP Senate candidate Ted Cruz's work over the past year or so as a big-law-firm appellate lawyer for a Chinese tire-maker held liable for copyright and trademark infringement. Even Dewhurst's ad blitz on the subject pushes the subtext -- true or false -- that Cruz is an unscrupulous, greedy lawyer.

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State Stories

SAEN: U.S. HOUSE SEATS DRAW COMPETITION

In the first election after redistricting, San Antonio area congressional races have attracted a large field of candidates. The 2012 districts have interim status. Some may change in 2014, but an unstable landscape is often a time of opportunity in politics. Both parties have contested primaries in the 21st Congressional District, which has been represented by Republican Rep. LamarSmith of San Antonio since 1987. Smith is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee. Smith navigated an important patent reform bill through Congress last year. While we disagree with him on his strident approach to immigration, he is an able lawmaker whose experience and seniority are an asset to his district.

PERRY: TEXAS MAKES PROGRESS IN HIGHER EDUCATION ACCESSIBILITY

Last year, I challenged our higher education institutions to develop bachelor's degree programs that cost no more than $10,000, textbooks included. Some shook their heads and said it couldn't be done, others simply went to work. We're seeing great signs of progress. Earlier this month, The University of Texas of the Permian Basin announced plans for a $10,000 degree with a focus on math and the sciences, fields critical to the future of our state. UTPB joins other schools like Texas A&M-San Antonio and Texas A&M-Commerce in offering $10,000 degrees, along with UNT-Dallas, which has developed a $10,000 weekend MBA program. Keeping higher education accessible to Texas students is more important than ever if Texas is going to keep attracting top employers.

SANTORUM BEHIND CLOSED DOORS

Erstwhile presidential candidate Rick Santorum is one of the featured speakers at the state Republican convention in Fort Worth next month — “Taking Back Our Country” is the theme — but only the party faithful will hear what he has to say. We grubby media types are forbidden to darken the door of the banquet hall — unless we want to buy a ticket ($200). “The party is pleased to welcome Senator Santorum as a featured speaker to the RPT Gala Banquet — which is a fundraiser for the state party,” spokesman Chris Elam explained in an e-mail message. “As a general policy, RPT fundraisers are closed to the press.”

FEHRENBACH: LETTING STATES DO THEIR OWN THING COULD SAVE US

Before the federal Leviathan pushed them into political insignificance, the several states created — in addition to the Union itself — most of the innovations (and fads) of our American democratic experiment. Congress was largely a reactive, not pro-active force. Until 1917, child-labor laws, female suffrage, penitentiaries and most other progressive issues were first tested in the crucible of state government. Switzerland modeled its federal system on ours as it was in 1850, with most taxes collected (and spent) within the cantons, and it still ticks as sweetly as a Rolex.

HC: WHO SHOULD FILL HUTCHISON'S BOOTS?

There's a torrid race in the Texas Republican primary to replace a Washington monument. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the first woman to represent the state of Texas in the Senate, is retiring after three-plus terms of service in the world's most exclusive club. Given a magic wand, we'd order up a replacement who would blend the skills of Hutchison with those of Lloyd Bentsen - with just a pinch of the calculated orneriness of Lyndon Johnson. Our dream resume would read: collegial, well-versed on issues foreign and domestic, a tough bargainer who keeps his word; above all, skilled in the traditional Senate ways of civil give and take, and in tune with the needs and views of the millions who make up the Texas mainstream.

TIMMERMAN: LCRA CHANGED QUICKLY TO REACT TO SHIFTING REALITY

Even a casual reader of the fiscal year 2013 business plan approved recently by the Lower Colorado River Authority Board of Directors will recognize that there has been a lot of change at LCRA. Only two goals are outlined in the plan freezing nonfuel rates for our wholesale power customers and finding 100,000 acre-feet of new water supplies in the next five years. Only two goals, but they are ambitious and important ones that illustrate LCRA's total commitment to be efficient, cost-conscious and a worthy steward of our vital energy and water resources.

SMITH SNARES FW MAYOR SUPPORT IN DIST 9 PRIMARY RACE AGAINST HANCOCK

It's not easy predicting how much, if anything, endorsements are worth. But in a competitive race, candidates scramble for whatever backing they can get. Rep. Kelly Hancock, in a hot contest with Rep. Todd Smith for the GOP District 9 state senate nomination, has secured endorsements from Comptroller Susan Combs, Attorney General Greg Abbott, Ag Commissioner Todd Staples and the governor. Hancock got Perry's nod even though he didn't public signed off on the governor's five-point pledge until Tuesday, and had said he leaned toward the other Rick, as in Santorum, during the Republican presidential scramble.

ANTI-INCUMBENT "SUPER PAC" UNVEILS AD ATTACKING REP. SILVESTRE REYES

A "super PAC" targeting congressional incumbents on Tuesday unveiled a TV ad attacking Rep. Silvestre Reyes for spending "too many years in Washington." The ominous 30-second spot, which is airing now, cites a report by a Washington watchdog group that put the spotlight on Reyes, D-El Paso, and 81 other members of Congress for paying family members and themselves with campaign funds. To be clear, these practices are not illegal or unethical (by congressional standards at least), and Reyes is not known to be under any official scrutiny. The Federal Election Commission allows campaigns to pay candidates' family members if they provide legitimate services and receive market-appropriate compensation.

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MAJOR PLAYER IN FIGHT AGAINST COAL COMPANY BOWS OUT

In what the leader of an environmental group said was a surprising and stunning blow to an effort to stop a Mexican company from mining coal on the border, an American Indian tribe has backed out of the fight. The Eagle Pass-based Kickapoo Traditional Tribe of Texas has officially withdrawn its opposition to a permit application filed by the Dos Republicas Coal Partnership, which seeks permission to mine low-grade coal from approximately 6,300 acres of land in the border town. The coal will not be used in Texas, however, but instead shipped to the Mexican state of Coahuila.

FWST: STEVEN STALEY CAPITAL CASE REVEALS ANOTHER GLARING FLAW IN TEXAS DEATH PENALTY

Looking at the case of Steven Kenneth Staley in its starkest terms, surely it's wrong for the state of Texas to medicate a man simply to execute him. But looking at Staley's case stripped to its bare fundamentals, surely a man duly convicted for coldblooded murder must pay for his crime. Like so many aspects of the criminal justice system, Staley's situation isn't simple, straightforward or easily resolved. Instead, it's complicated, emotional, and filled

HD-11 CHANGES ADD TO RE-ELECTION CHALLENGE FOR HOPSON

You’d be hard-pressed to find a Democrat running for office in East Texas. Aware they didn’t stand a chance with a “D” next to their names after Barack Obama won the 2008 election, the blue dogs ran to the Republican Party. But state Rep. Chuck Hopson of Jacksonville, who switched to the GOP after 10 years in office as a Democrat, finds himself still answering for his Democratic past. And now that Nacogdoches County has been added to the redrawn House District 11, he faces new constituents and an opponent, Travis Clardy, a lawyer from Nacogdoches, who has tried to position himself as the conservative alternative. Also in the race is Tony Sevilla, a farmer from Alto. The winner of the GOP primary will win the HD-11 seat, as no other party is fielding candidates in the race.

THE WRONG CARLOS: HOW TEXAS SENT AN INNOCENT MAN TO HIS DEATH

A few years ago, Antonin Scalia, one of the nine justices on the US supreme court, made a bold statement. There has not been, he said, "a single case – not one – in which it is clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit. If such an event had occurred … the innocent's name would be shouted from the rooftops." Scalia may have to eat his words. It is now clear that a person was executed for a crime he did not commit, and his name – Carlos DeLuna – is being shouted from the rooftops of the Columbia Human Rights Law Review. The august journal has cleared its entire spring edition, doubling its normal size to 436 pages, to carry an extraordinary investigation by a Columbia law school professor and his students.

RON PAUL BIOGRAPHER: CAMPAIGN SHIFT IS "UTTER IDIOCY"

"I'm angry beyond belief," said Brian Doherty. We were at the offices of Reason magazine* in Washington, in the high-ceiling library, on Monday night. Doherty, a senior editor of the magazine, was schlepping his new book: Ron Paul's Revolution. He spent more than a year writing and reporting a biography of the candidate and his movement. The release date had arrived. And then Paul's campaign put out a statement announcing the end of active primary campaigning, something that the political press -- led by Matt Drudge -- reported as the de facto end of the race. "I can't think of any explanation that makes sense, so I assume some conspiratorial explanation I'm dreading the conversations I'm going to have with people next week," said Doherty. "They were announcing what they were already doing. Why did they make a big deal out of it? If it's not part of a secret deal with Romney, it's merely utter idiocy."

STATE REP. VERONICA GONZALES TO BECOME VP AT UTPA

State Rep. Veronica Gonzales is to become vice president for university advancement at the University of Texas-Pan American. “I am very excited about this appointment. It will allow me to give back to my community,” Gonzales told the Guardian. Gonzales, D-McAllen, will start her new job on July 1. Gonzales told the Guardian she will have to resign her seat in order to take up the UTPA post. “I will probably resign my House seat in late June,” she said.

EARLY VOTING: SILVESTRE REYES, BETO O'ROURKE NECK AND NECK

U.S. Rep. Silvestre Reyes and former El Paso city Rep. Beto O'Rourke are in a virtual tie in the race for the region's congressional seat, according to a Coronado High School exit poll taken on the first day of early voting. Although the sample was relatively small -- 239 voters, yielding a 6-percentage-point margin of error -- the survey taken Monday at early-voting locations across the city showed O'Rourke with a 50 percent to 46 percent lead. Barring any surprises, those two candidates will face off to see who gets the Democratic nomination on May 29. El Paso County is strongly Democratic, and the primary winner typically wins the general election in November.

BOLDUC: DEFENDING CRUZ

he Texas Conservatives Fund, a super PAC supporting Lieutenant Governor David Dewhurst in the state’s Republican Senate primary, is attacking his main rival, former state solicitor general Ted Cruz. In a television ad airing throughout the Lone Star State, the fund derides Cruz’s reputation as a conservative. “Ted Cruz, a conservative?” the narrator asks. “You’ve got to be kidding.” But it’s the ad’s charges that are laughable. First, the ad alleges: “You already know Ted Cruz was the lawyer for a Chinese company that stole American innovation and American jobs.” Cruz’s campaign refuted this claim a while ago. Yes, Cruz’s law firm, Morgan Lewis, is representing Shandong Linglong Rubber Co., a Chinese tire company, in a dispute with Tire Engineering & Distribution and its owner, Jordan Fishman. The companies are jostling over Fishman’s designs for mining-vehicle tires, which Fishman claims his former business partner stole and gave to Linglong in 2005.

HAMMOND: LET'S LOOK AT THE EFFICIENCY OF PUBLIC EDUCATION SPENDING

The questions for me are pretty simple. Are school districts using money efficiently? What steps can be taken to ensure they are using money efficiently and getting every dollar possible into the classroom? For example, it costs up to $90,000 to fire one bad teacher in the Houston school district because of the way current Texas contract law is written. That is certainly something lawmakers could take a look at to improve efficiency. Charter schools also appear to do a better job for less money dealing with at risk students, yet the state limits the number of charter schools. Removing that cap and allowing more charter schools might also be a way to improve efficiency. It is absolutely essential for the taxpayers of Texas and the future work force that this issue be discussed by the court.

DEVELOPMENT TRUMPED DRILLING IN FLOWER MOUND ELECTION

Northern said voters who support gas drilling and more development carried Saturday’s election. She and Filidoro sounded a cautionary note about what it could mean for Flower Mound. “The mandate from residents is that they no longer support the master plan and smart growth,” said Northern, referring to protocols that guide the town’s development and ensure that growth doesn’t outpace infrastructure. “A lot of our traditional standards and reviews will be forgone in favor of expediency,” said Filidoro, warning that the result will be “less quality and more development.”

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STUDY: TEXAS ATHLETICS NEARLY OUTEARNED SEC-BOUND TEXAS A&M AND MISSOURI COMBINED IN 2011

It should come as no surprise that the University of Texas takes in more money than any other Big 12 athletics program. After all, the school spent more than $9.2 million on its four highest-paid head coaches last year, which was more than the entire athletic budgets for 31 public D-I programs, according to a USA Today report. But that same report shows just how drastically UT dwarfs the competition nationwide, too. The Longhorns' athletic department brought in $150,295,926 in revenue over the course of the 2011 athletic year. The next closest competitor, Ohio State, finished more than $18 million behind at $131,815,821, while the second-highest Big 12 school, Oklahoma, brought in just over $104 million.

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TEXAS SENATE DISTRICT 5 CANDIDATES TOUT CONSERVATIVE RECORDS

The battle for Senate District 5 ? a 10-county swath of Central and East Texas open for the first time in two decades has become a campaign to be the most conservative candidate. With no Democrat in the race, Libertarian Jeffrey Fox will be the only competition for the Republican winner of this month's primary — meaning either State Rep. Charles Schwertner, a Georgetown Republican, or Ben Bius, a Huntsville business owner, will probably take the Senate seat in November. That winner will have to fill the shoes of Steve Ogden, a 22-year veteran who became one of the most influential legislators at the Capitol.

PANEL TO DEBATE PROS, CONS OF GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF GROUNDWATER

A symposium Thursday at Trinity University will tackle one of the most contentious water issues facing the state: How can government regulate groundwater? In February, the Texas Supreme Court ruled in the Edwards Aquifer Authority v. Day case that landowners have a constitutionally protected right to the water below their land. That ruling assured property owners the right to sue if any regulation limits their use of the water below their property, just as they can with oil and gas. The justices did note, however, that some regulation is needed and left it to the lower courts to decide what regulations should trigger compensation for land owners.

PAROLE RATES SURGE TO AVOID UNSUPERVISED RELEASES

Texas' parole rate for convicted felons has reached new highs in recent months, with the approval rate topping 40 percent this spring after hovering in the high 20s for several years. The parole rate for violent sex offenders reached nearly 60 percent in March. Officials say the higher parole rate is partly due to larger numbers of felons imprisoned in the past 20 years who are now reaching the end of their sentences, some meted out during the three-strikes-and-you're-out era of tough-on-crime laws enacted during the 1990s.

ABBOTT STAYING MUM ABOUT HIS AMBITIONS

When it comes to his political ambitions, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott is playing coy. During a campaign stop Tuesday in Helotes, where he endorsed Republican state Rep. John Garza, Abbott again refused to offer any details about his next step — a question that has followed him for months. “I am working to sue the federal government and protect Texans, and I'm not running for anything right now,” Abbott said. “I've got a full-time job, and I don't have time to be focusing on running.”

TOO FEW DOCTORS FOR A GROWING POPULATION

There is no quick fix for the state's shortage of doctors, nurses and other health-care workers, a legislative panel meeting in Houston was told Tuesday. “It doesn't matter how many physicians we train and how many physicians we retain if the population grows faster,” Giuseppe Colasurdo, interim president of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, told members of the House Public Education Committee. But he and other speakers offered possible solutions anyway.

EYEWITNESS PROCEDURE FLAWED IN DELUNA MURDER CASE, LAWMAKERS SAY

Legislative sponsors of a law tightening procedures for police lineups on Tuesday faulted Corpus Christi police for allowing eyewitnesses in a 1983 convenience store robbery-murder to identify the suspect as he sat handcuffed in the back seat of a squad car. State Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, and Rep. Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, stopped short of claiming Texas wrongfully executed suspect Carlos DeLuna for the February 1983 murder of store clerk Wanda Lopez. Gallego, however, said the way Corpus Christi police handled the suspect's identification was a "textbook example" of why the system needs to be reformed.

JUDGE DENIES MOTION TO MOVE 30-YEAR-OLD MURDER CASE

Kerry Max Cook's fight to legally prove his innocence in the 1977 murder of Linda Jo Edwards will stay in Smith County for now, after a judge on Monday denied a second request to move the case out of the jurisdiction where courts have ruled that prosecutors in the case had committed "egregious" misconduct. Administrative Judge John Ovard signed an order denying Cook's request, a move the former death-row-inmate-turned-author and motivational speaker said could doom his chances for a fair hearing.

HECHT OPPONENT SUES TO HALT BALLOT PRINTING

Texas Supreme Court Justice Nathan Hecht’s Democratic opponent has filed suit seeking to delay the printing of ballots and other election material to allow time to investigate potential problems with Hecht’s candidacy petitions. Several unfilled blanks in petitions from the Fort Worth area could invalidate signatures, leaving Hecht short of support needed to be a legitimate candidate, said the lawsuit by San Antonio lawyer Michele Petty. Statewide judicial candidates must collect signatures from 50 registered voters in each of the state’s 14 appeals court districts.

JEFFERS: CANDIDATES FOR TEXAS’ OPEN U.S. SENATE SEAT ALL KEEP FAR TO THE RIGHT

The candidates for Texas’ open U.S. Senate seat figure the direction to the upper chamber is a hard right. All are taking positions that would make most tea party activists smile: No tax increases under any circumstances, no path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, opposition to President Barack Obama at every turn. Compromise with Democrats? Of course not. Based on their positions, the Senate candidates believe the Texas Republican primary is dominated by the most conservative voters. Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is the clear front-runner in the race and has strong name identification.

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County Stories

IMMIGRATION CENTRAL ISSUE IN DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY FOR TRAVIS SHERIFF

As he seeks a third term as Travis County sheriff, Greg Hamilton would prefer the race be about issues like putting more deputies on the streets and ways to improve mental health resources for people booked into the county jail. But after criticism from Hamilton's opponent in the Democratic primary, John Sisson, the focus has shifted almost entirely to one issue: immigration. More specifically, how the sheriff's office deals with requests from the federal government to hold suspects with questionable immigration statuses for possible deportation.

SAEN: JUDICIAL RACES MERIT CLOSE REVIEW

Incumbent judges once were rarely challenged at the ballot box. In recent years, partisan waves have regularly dislodged judicial incumbents, and a disturbing trend has emerged. Lawyers with minimal experience are filing for office in hopes of winning a judicial jackpot. Some are successful. Voters should pay close attention to the credentials of candidates in judicial races. In the 175th District Court race, incumbent Judge Mary Roman does not face opposition for the Democratic nomination.

City Stories

IN AUSTIN, HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMAS WORTH MILLIONS

A high school diploma is touted as the bare minimum students need to achieve. And now a new study ties the financial value of high school graduation to the Austin region’s economy. The Alliance for Excellent Education, a Washington D.C.-based nonprofit focused on improving national graduation rates, has released a study detailing the effects on Austin’s regional economy if the amount of high school dropouts was cut in half — with benefits reaching into the millions. It’s estimated that in the Austin-Round Rock Metropolitan Statistical Area, some 6,100 students dropped out of the class of 2010. The alliance says the region, home to 45 schools, is one of the lowest performing in the nation, with 28 percent of high school students failing to graduate on time and with a regular diploma.

FBI SEIZES MORE MONEY FROM DALLAS COUNTY COMMISSIONER JOHN WILEY PRICE

An attorney for Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price confirmed Tuesday that federal agents have seized $180,000 that belonged to his client from a Dallas title office. Billy Ravkind said the money was either generated by the sale of a 9-acre piece of property owned by Price to a developer in December, or from a refinancing of the same land. He did not clarify. Ravkind said Price had planned to use money raised from the transaction to pay his legal bills.

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DOZENS OF DISD EMPLOYEES, INCLUDING MANY LEADERS, WILL HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR JOBS

Dozens of Dallas ISD employees, including many in high-level positions, were told Tuesday they would have to reapply for their jobs under the first phase of a massive overhaul by new Superintendent Mike Miles. Sixty-eight employees are affected, interim Superintendent Alan King said. In addition, 11 vacant positions are being eliminated. There will be 36 openings under Miles’ plan, meaning not everyone will land a job, King said.

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TEXAS TEEN SUES OVER SCHOOL HOLOCAUST ROLE-PLAYING

AMARILLO, Texas (AP) — A teen who says he was injured at his Texas Panhandle high school in a Holocaust role-playing exercise has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the school district. Andrew Yara alleges he was seriously hurt in a fall when he was jumped while carrying a classmate on his back two years ago. The suit says the annual two-day exercise at Perryton High School teaches students about the Holocaust. Students who play Jews are required to obey demands by classmates playing Nazis — and will get a failing grade if they don't.

This article appeared in the Houston Chronicle

NO TAX HIKE IN PARKER'S $4.5 BILLION SPENDING PLAN

Mayor Annise Parker has proposed a $2 billion general fund budget that includes plans to increase curbside recycling, restore night and weekend hours to the city's 311 assistance line and open a sobering center as an alternative to jail for people whose only crime is being drunk. What Parker emphasized in unveiling her spending plan for the year that starts July 1, however, is what is not in the budget. No tax increase. No new fee hikes. No layoffs. No furloughs. No service cuts. No borrowing to pay pension costs. No relying on real estate sales to balance the budget. Few new initiatives.

National Stories

HUTCHISON: WHY MITT ROMNEY IS THE BETTER CHOICE FOR WOMEN

When it comes to dividing Americans on the basis of their gender, I know a little something about the subject. I grew up in a time when many people believed that men and women should not always be treated equally. It wasn’t easy to break through the barriers of discrimination, and I’m glad I didn’t have to do it alone. When I became the first woman to represent the state of Texas in the United States Senate, it was with the help of a lot of women – and a large number of men, too. Over the course of my life, I’ve learned that something we take as an article of faith in our country is profoundly true: United, we can accomplish anything. I’ve also learned to question those who would seek to divide us. As we enter this election season, I’m afraid we are witnessing just such an attempt.

FBI OPENS INQUIRY INTO $2B TRADING LOSS

The FBI has opened a preliminary inquiry into the $2 billion trading loss at JPMorgan Chase & Co. “We are aware of the matter and are looking into it,” said a Justice Department official who has been briefed on the probe of the trading loss but was not authorized to speak publicly. “This is a preliminary look at what if anything might have taken place.” The news came on the same day that CEO Jamie Dimon offered a quick but blunt apology to shareholders for the loss that “should never have happened” and survived a push to strip him of the title of chairman of the board at the annual meeting Tuesday.

This article appeared in the San Antonio Express News

KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON OFFICIALLY ENDORSES ROMNEY

Retiring U.S. Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison announced Tuesday that she is officially and “enthusiastically” endorsing presumed GOP nominee Mitt Romney for president. The Senator has hinted at backing the former Massachusetts governor since early this year, but had not officially endorsed the candidate. In an interview with CNN, Hutchison cited Romney’s business experience as a key to revamping the dragging economy.

GEORGE W. BUSH SAYS ‘I’M FOR MITT ROMNEY’

Mitt Romney has the support of George W. Bush. “I’m for Mitt Romney,” Bush told ABC News this morning as the doors of an elevator closed on him, after he gave a speech on human rights a block from his old home — the White House. Bush’s endorsement isn’t a surprise, given that Romney is virtually the Republican Party’s nominee. But the 43rd president has been absent from the 2012 campaign and hasn’t made any public comments showing his support for Romney.

MILBANK: WHERE HAVE ALL THE CANDIDATES GONE?

Americans Elect had taken care of just about everything a third-party candidate would need. It spent about $35 million on marketing, technology and ballot access. As of Tuesday it had won a place on the November ballot in 28 states (and it still expects to be on the ballot in all 50 by Aug. 1). It had attracted 3.5 million people to its Web site. But what it couldn’t — or hasn’t yet been able to — do is persuade a plausible candidate to submit himself or herself to the ravages of a presidential run. “We’ve had hundreds of [candidate] briefings,” Kahlil Byrd, the group’s chief executive, told me on Tuesday. “We have met with current and former governors, current and former senators, university presidents, think tanks, mayors of large cities and people who have been running Fortune 300 companies.”

Copyright May 16, 2012, Harvey Kronberg, www.quorumreport.com, All rights are reserved