Secede? You Never Know, Says Texas Governor

Perry and KBH face off; Tea Party mounts challenge in Fla.

(NEWSER) - The 2010 primaries will see the GOP repairing its identity and soul-searching among Democrats. The 10 most important races, according to Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post :

1. Texas governor, R: Rick Perry is running for an unprecedented third term, and voters seem to approve. But Kay Bailey Hutchison is a popular, crafty, and well-funded opponent.
2. Florida Senate, R: The looming battle between Gov. Charlie Crist and former state House Speaker Marco Rubio is being closely watched as a bellwether of the rift between GOP moderates and the insurgent Tea Party movement.

Will stay put to fight health care reform, cap and trade

(AP) - Republican Kay Bailey Hutchison, who is challenging Texas Gov. Rick Perry for his job, is planning to keep her US Senate seat until after the state's March gubernatorial primary. Hutchison, a Republican, plans to tell Republican women in a speech in Galveston today that she is stepping down in 2010 because she is needed in Washington to fight against Democratic proposals to limit carbon emissions and overhaul the health care system. More»

Nate Silver does electoral math for 5 Lone Star States

(NEWSER) - An obscure provision of Texas statehood gives it the right to split into five smaller states, writes Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com. He outlines the potential new entities:

1. New Texas: Centered on Austin, as populous as Kentucky, and split down the middle politically—city vs. suburbs.

(NEWSER) - The fallout from Texas Gov. Rick Perry's rejection of $555 million in stimulus funds for unemployment benefits could threaten his re-election bid—but as other politicians cave to public pressure, Perry has yet to waver, NPR reports. "Everything's going to be viewed through that prism," says the editor of Texas Weekly of Perry's principled stand against federal interference, which is sure to be "brought into high contrast " by likely challenger Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison. More»

Home state paid for food and lodging for bodyguards

(NEWSER) - Gov. Rick Perry's ill-fated presidential run cost the taxpayers of Texas nearly $800,000, spent on travel fees for the security detail that followed Perry around on his campaign from September through November, a state report reveals. Perry took 48 trips across state lines, mostly to primary battlegrounds Iowa, New Hampshire, and South Carolina. One trip in September from South Carolina to Iowa and back racked up $45,122 in charges, including $10,834 for hotels and $7,526 for food, reports the Austin American-Statesman . More»