David Herszenhorn of the New York Times reports on the efforts by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Schools Chancellor Joel Klein to secure private money to benefit public schools:
New money or old, donors have been enthusiastic enough to write seven- and eight-figure checks. As a result, the school system has been the largest […]

Michael Barbaro of the New York Times reports on the big holiday season enjoyed by 0nline retailers:
Online retailers, whose growth was expected to level off after a decade of dizzying gains, experienced a stellar holiday season, according to two preliminary reports released yesterday, as traditional stores like Wal-Mart and Target cemented their place on the […]

Yesterday, Ciro Rodriguez had lunch with about 180 seniors at his campaign headquarters in San Antonio. I’m sorry I missed it, because I’m sure it was a happy, good-natured affair. After all, Ciro was always among seniors’ most fervent defenders in the U.S. Congress. Ciro stood especially strong once the Bush Administration started dismantling the […]

Michael Shifter opines in the LA Times about the ridiculousness of using just a two-color palette (left and right) to paint a portrait of the new leadership in Latin America:
Despite these labels, viewing Latin America through a strictly “left-right” lens doesn’t make sense today. It is too simplistic, and it obscures the region’s highly differentiated […]

El Universal reports that Republican PR consultant Rob Allyn has been retained by President Vicente Fox to do something about the Republican immigrant-bashing taking place north of the border:
Fox cannot seek re-election next year, and his legacy may rest in part on his pledges to secure an agreement with the United States to grant legal […]

The Red State was the first to take a closer look at the possibility of going back to the old lines if the Supreme Court gets rid of the current congressional map in Texas. Todd J. Gillman of the Dallas Morning-News examines some of the electoral consequences around the state, including the 28th congressional district:
In […]

Mike Sunnucks of the Phoenix Business Journal reports that Governor Janet Napolitano is using her political capital to help former state party chair Jim Pederson take on Jon Kyl:
Pederson was a top ally of Napolitano during her 2002 run for governor. He pumped substantial money into the state party, which helped Napolitano in her victory […]

State Representative Richard Raymond has dropped out of the Texas CD-28 race.
Ciro Rodriguez released the following statement:
“From our first conversations early in the year about this race, I knew Richard and I shared the same motivation — the need to have a real Democratic Congressman who will stand up and fight in Washington for […]

Off the Kuff and The Red State have both noted that money matters in Texas CD-28. Owing to the fact that Ciro Rodriguez is the one candidate from San Antonio while both Henry Cuellar and Richard Raymond are from Laredo, Rodriguez doesn’t need to raise as much as his opponents. After all, the Laredo slugfest […]

Bill Bradley of the LA Weekly files this report from Wednesday’s odd festivities in Sacramento:
More than a week after Arnold Schwarzenegger shocked the political world and enraged much of his own Republican Party by naming former Gray Davis official Susan Kennedy his chief of staff, his scene remains decidedly unsettled. Its disequilibrium was symbolically evident […]