Politex

Honoring Fort Hood soldiers

U.S. Rep. Chet Edwards, D-Waco, will ask the U.S. House today to pass a resolution honoring Fort Hood soldiers and their families, after Thursday's deadly shooting.

"In the days ahead, Fort Hood will become known to the world as a place of unspeakable tragedy, but I know it as a place of great triumph -- a place where service to country isn't just an ideal, it is a way of life, a place where the American spirit is alive and well, even amidst this tragedy," he said.

Edwards, whose district includes Johnson and Hood counties, will present the resolution for U.S. Rep. John Carter, R-Round Rock, who is at Fort Hood today.

-- Anna M. Tinsley

Bush jokes about being called "a terrible president"

Left out of our story today about former President George W. Bush's first motivational speech was a joke he made while talking about the importance of men being good fathers.

Bush told the crowd at the Fort Worth Convention Center yesterday that he would never have achieved what he did in life without "the unconditional love" of his father. A father's unconditional love can help a person feel comfortable taking risks, he said.

“Life is full of risks," Bush said. "It’s risky to run for president. You could lose and say, ‘Oh what a terrible candidate.’ Or you could win and say, ‘Oh what a terrible president.’"

-Aman Batheja

Bush defends his decisions in debut as motivational speaker

Former President George W. Bush told over 11,000 people at the Fort Worth Convention Center that he was confident he made the right decisions as president even if it hurt his popularity.

“Every single day I was honored to be your president by bringing honor and dignity to the office,” Bush said in his first foray into motivational speaking at the day-long Get Motivated seminar.

Bush spoke in a relaxed tone about a few lessons he'd learned in his life including sticking to your principles and living each day to its fullest.

“It’s so simple in life to chase popularity but popularity is fleeting," Bush said. "It’s not real."

The former president also emphasized the importance of generosity, noting how many people were surprised when he promised billions in aid to Africa to fight the AIDS epidemic.

“Apparently Republicans aren’t supposed to be compassionate so it was a shock," Bush said.

Bush also spoke about his faith, promising everyone in the audience that those people who prayed for him and his wife while they lived in the Oval Office made the first couple's lives better.

“From a personal perspective, I don’t see how you can be president without relying upon an almighty," Bush said.

Bush’s speech sounded briefly like a Republican Party stump speech when he spoke about his economic outlook.

"Another principle I believe in is that you can spend your money better than the government can,” Bush said to huge applause. He added later, “The marketplace works. It is fair. It is equitable. It is a fair form of democracy.”

At the end of his speech, Bush received a standing ovation.

-Aman Batheja

Motivational speakers wander into politics

The Fort Worth Convention Center is packed this morning for the Get Motivated seminars. A long list of all-star speakers are scheduled but what's bringing national attention to today's feel good fest is the debut of former President George W. Bush as a motivational speaker.  

Two hours in, we've heard four speakers, all of whom are giving personal anecdotes to deliver similar lessons: be a leader, stay positive, don't give up. 

A couple of speakers have veered briefly into politics.

Former Secretary of State Colin Powell told a funny story about having trouble getting through airport security. He then praised President Bush's policies related to terrorism and foreign policy.

"We are safer than we were before 9/11 because of President Bush,"  Powell said to applause.

John Walsh, of America's Most Wanted, spent most of his speech describing his journey from his son being murdered to helping catch criminals on his long-running TV show.

Near the end, Walsh praised Bush for creating the National Sex Offender Registry and then sharply criticized President Obama for not funding the Adam Walsh Act, named after his son. 

He also complained that federal leaders will let NASA spend millions to find "ice crystals on the moon" but won't put more into beefing up protections against sexual offenders. 

Mentioning the different companies the Obama adminsitration bailed out, Walsh said, "They’ve bailed out out all these creeps but they haven’t funded the Adam Walsh Act.”

Walsh urged the crowd to lobby their members of Congress.

"Send them that letter, 'I'll never vote for you again. I'll never send you five bucks unless you get the Adam Walsh Act funded," Walsh said.

-Aman Batheja

Senate endorsements

 Nine Tarrant County officials came out in support of local man, former Texas secretary of state Roger Williams, who is among those running for the U.S. Senate seat that may open up if Kay Bailey Hutchison does resign to pursue her bid for Texas governor.

Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley, Tarrant County Sheriff Dee Anderson, Tarrant County Tax Collector-Assessor Betsy Price, Tarrant County District Clerk Tom Wilder, Tarrant County Commissioners Gary Fickes  and JD Johnson, Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, Fort Worth Councilman Jungus Jordan and North Richland Hills Mayor Oscar Trevino all endorsed Williams, a Weatherford car dealer.

-- Anna M. Tinsley

Laura Bush accepts Cowgirl Museum award in Fort Worth

She isn’t really a cowgirl, former First Lady Laura Bush insisted on Friday as she accepted an award from the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame in Fort Worth.

Bush received the Gloria Lupton Tennison Pioneer Award from the museum for her work in the area of literacy. 

Though not a cowgirl, she mentioned another ‘title’ she received some years ago when she and President George W. Bush visited England to meet Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife for the first time.

“The London Daily Mail ran a headline that said Our Modern Mum Meets Bush’s Little Woman,” Bush joked.

-Shirley Jinkins

Stimulus continues to stimulate debate in Texas

Texas has received more than $12 billion in federal stimulus money so far, more than most states, but the amount is still drawing some grumbling from around the state.

We reported today that nine states received more stimulus money dedicated to the arts than Texas. Eight of those states are smaller than Texas.

The disparity comes from the portion of the money that was awarded directly by the National Endowment for the Arts to arts organizations. Texas arts organizations competed against museums, symphonies and acting troupes from around the country and most of the Texas applicants apparently didn't measure up, according to the NEA.

Last week, the Dallas Morning News reported that Texas has received less stimulus funding per resident than nearly every other state.

State lawmakers balanced this year's budget with $12.1 billion in stimulus money, nearly 7 percent of the state budget. 

-Aman Batheja

Barton outrage over terror arrest

U.S. Rep. Joe Barton, R-Arlington, sent out a statement Friday about the man arrested Thursday, suspected of trying to blow up the 60-story Fountain Place building in Dallas. The man, Hosam Maher Hussein Smadi lives in Italy, Texas, in Barton's district.

"Good old fashioned Texas justice would suggest that he is to be taken back to Italy and let the local justice of the peace handle him," Barton's statement said. "Mr. Smadi is lucky he's in America, where he's going to get actual justice instead of the vengeance that outfits like the Taliban and al Qaeda mete out. He deserves and I believe he will get a fair trial and if he's convicted, a punishment that fits the crime.

"This episode should remind us that we must resist slipping into a post-9/11 complacency," Barton said. "We're at war with terrorism because terrorists are at war with us."

-- Anna M. Tinsley

Delay's cha-cha draws Democratic attack

Former House Majority Leader Tom Delay made his debut on "Dancing With The Stars" last night. For the record, he danced a cha-cha to "Wild Thing."

Ever the politician, Delay was campaigning for votes even before the show aired. His daughter, Dani Delay Ferro,  sent out an email Monday afternoon urging people to support her father on the show. "Tom DeLay was known as the most effective Whip in modern congressional history, and now it’s our turn to 'whip' the vote for him," she wrote. The email came from a site called DancingDelay.com.

Democrats are also hoping to use Delay's new role to their advantage. The Democratic Governors Association has launched a web site with a similar name -- DancingWithTomDelay.com --  and posted a video yesterday pegged to Delay's performance.

Here's clips of Delay's cha-cha and the new DGA ad.

UPDATE: Star-T TV critic Robert Philpot wrote up his take on Delay's DWTS debut. One image in particular will take "a lot of scouring powder to remove from my mind," he writes. 

-Aman Batheja

Coin toss from George and Laura Bush was a brief taste of luck for Cowboys fans

President George W. Bush and his wife Laura performed the pre-game coin toss for last night's inaugural game between the Dallas Cowboys and the New York Giants.

According to Star-T sports reporter Jeff Caplan, The Giants called heads, Bush tossed tails, and the Cowboys chose to receive. On their way from the field, Bush and former first lady Laura Bush received a quick hello from coach Wade Phillips.

The Bushes are back at the Cowboys Stadium this morning along with Jerry Jones and some former Cowboys to announce a new education initiative. The former first couple were at a Dallas fundraiser last week.

-Aman Batheja