NOVEMBER 17, 2006 I $2.25 I OPENING THE EYES OF TEXAS FOR FIFTY ONE YEARS The Spies of Texas Newfound files detail how UT-Austin police tracked the politics, drug habits and sex lives of Sixties dissidents NOVEMBER 17, 2006 Dialogue TheTexas Observer JOBS WELL DONE Prisonville," October 20). Reporter Forrest Wilder did a great job of FEATURES Good article by Jake Bernstein on Chris Bell ("Why the Bell Not," explaining the complex way private November 3). Hard to be even close investors make money and circum- 6 THE SPIES OF TEXAS to "serious" with the field in which vent the public in their dealings with Newfound files detail how UT-Austin he found himself. What a really odd corrupt officials. The use of revenue police tracked the lives of Sixties dissidents state this is, two ex-Democrats- bonds allows privateers to dangle the by Thorne Dreyer one the guv and a Republican, the economic development lure in front other the CPA and an independent of the faces of struggling county rep- DEPARTMENTS after using the other two parties to resentatives as if there were no finan- her advantage—a musician/merry cial consequences to the county. As DIALOGUE 2 prankster, and the other candidate, a Willacy County struggles to meet its Libertarian. next payment of $700,000 to investors, 3 EDITORIAL Dunya McCammon Municipal Capital has already walked Anger Triumphs Over Fear Via e-mail away with its $453,900. Let that be a POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE 4 warning to others. Wonderful expose on the scandal Ken Kopczynski MOLLY IVINS 14 in Willacy County ("Welcome to Private Corrections Institute Start With Basics JIM HIGHTOWER 15 NEW MANAGING EDITOR Heartsick in Bangalore We are pleased to announce that veteran journalist David Pasztor has OPEN FORUM 16 joined the Observer as our new managing editor. Pasztor has worked as a Habits of Democracy reporter and/or editor at the late Kansas City Times, the late Dallas Times by Ernesto Cortes Jr. Herald, Phoenix New Times, the Dallas Observer and SF Weekly. Most recently, he was special projects editor for the Austin American-Statesman. LAS AMERICAS 18 Welcome Mr. Pasztor! Let Them Eat Microcredits by Beatrice Edwards DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS BOOKS & CULTURE In our October 20 story on the gubernatorial debate ("Better Debate than POETRY 20 Never"), we confused two of Carole Keeton Strayhorn's sons. Strayhorn by Naomi Shihab Nye appeared at a post-debate press conference with her son Brad McClellan. Mark McClellan runs the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid STAND AND DELIVER 22 Services in Washington and wasn't present. We regret the error. by James E. McWilliams TRUE GRIT 24 by Char Miller DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTED CORRECTIONS REDISCOVERING ELROY BODE 26 Slippery 'til the end, former Ohio Republican Congressman Bob Ney by Marian Haddad compels us to correct a previous correction. To recap: We wrote an October 20 editorial assuming Ney would resign his seat promptly after his AFTERWORD 30 indictment on corruption charges. He didn't, and remained in Congress A Salute to Molly Ivins as we pointed out in a correction published on November 3. Which was by Lewis Lapham the day Ney did resign. On January 19, Ney will be sentenced and is not expected to be going anywhere other than prison for the next few years. Cover by Matt Omohundro 2 THE TEXAS OBSERVER NOVEMBER 17, 2006 EDITORIAL Anger Triumphs Over Fear emocrats have emphat- Wyoming four days before the vote. their way through Republican prima- ically ended 12 years (The election results sent the Dow ries and buy their way into Democratic of Republican rule Jones Industrial Average to a new high. strongholds to no avail. In two of in Congress. On Go figure.) Singling out Democratic the more notable examples, Leininger November 7, they resistance to legislation that bestows favorite Kent Grusendorf went down picked up at least 28 on the president extraordinary new to an anti-voucher Republican in the seatsID in the House of Representatives. power—unchecked by the courts or primary. In San Antonio, Leininger (As the Observer went to press, 13 addi- Congress—such as the Patriot Act and dropped $1 million on behalf of George tional races, some leaning Democrat, the Military Commissions Act, Bush Antuna. Democrat Joe Farias man- were still too close to call.) In the said in Iowa, "...the vast majority of aged to win even though he had only Senate, Democrats gained six seats and Democrats voted against giving the about $300,000 with which to compete. control of the upper chamber. professionals the tools necessary to Democrats eked out victories against And in Texas, while Republicans protect you." well-financed opponents in districts in once again swept all statewide offices, a Fear has been a potent GOP weapon Corpus Christi, East Texas, and West majority of voters made it clear they'd in Texas as well, with House Speaker Texas that normally would have gone prefer someone other than Rick Perry as Tom Craddick using the party's intimi- Republican. governor. In the Statehouse, Democrats dating financial superiority as a cudgel Nationally this election means real picked up as many as five seats, a solid to enforce legislative majorities and oversight of the Bush administration start to a future takeover. to win elections. Legislators knew for the first time. In Texas, perhaps The Observer will provide more cov- that if they didn't follow the speaker, most significantly, it has left behind a erage of the consequences from the Republican sugar daddies Bob Perry, much weaker Speaker Craddick—per- election in its next issue, but if there Jim Leininger, and Texans for Lawsuit haps fatally so—and a state Senate that was one immediate message that voters Reform might not support them, or nobody—least of all David Dewhurst- seemed to be sending on Election Day, worse, use their nearly unlimited funds will be able to control. it was that anger had finally triumphed to back an opponent. But this cycle, But before Democrats get carried over fear. with anger boiling over against the rad- away in their euphoria, they would do President George W. Bush and Vice ical policies of the Republican right and well to understand the limits of anger. President Dick Cheney barnstormed the emergence of organized opposition It provides the adrenaline to get off the country promising every calam- like the Texas Parent PAC, the money the couch, but it's not a plan or a strat- ity but frogs and locusts if Democrats didn't seem to matter as much. In the egy. They need look no further than took the reins of power. "If the 34 contested House races, Republicans Perry's re-election to be reminded of Democrats take control, American outspent Democrats by $4 million, but this. Instead of being smart and coor- families would face an immense tax not one Democratic incumbent lost, dinating, the opposition splintered the increase, and the economy would sus- and the GOP failed to win a single seat. vote and guaranteed the re-election of tain a major hit," Cheney predicted in The sugar daddies tried to bully an unpopular incumbent. ■ THE TEXAS OBSERVER I VOLUME 98, NO. 22 I A Journal of Free Voices Since 1954 Founding Editor Ronnie Dugger James K. Galbraith, Dagoberto Gilb, Cliff Olofson,1931-1995 Executive Editor Jake Bernstein for foreign subs. Back issues $3 pre- Steven G. Kellman, Lucius Lomax, The Texas Observer (ISSN 0040-4519/ paid. Airmail, foreign, group, and bulk Editor Barbara Belejack James McWilliams, Char Miller, USPS 541300), entire contents copy- Managing Editor David Pasztor rates on request. Microfilm available Debbie Nathan, Karen Olsson, righted ©2006, is published biweekly from University Microfilms Intl., 300 N. 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Copy Editors Rusty Todd, Laurie Baker Michael Krone, Gary Oliver, Texas Democracy Foundation Board E-mail [email protected] POSTMASTER Send address changes Staff Writer Forrest Wilder Doug Potter Lou Dubose, Molly lvins, Susan Hays, World Wide Web DownHome page to: The Texas Observer, 307 Administrative Assistant Stephanie Holmes D'Ann Johnson, Jim Marston, Gilberto www.texasobserver.org West 7th Street, Austin, Editorial Advisory Board Ocafias, Bernard Rapoport, Geoffrey . Periodicals Postage paid at Austin, TX and at addi- Texas 78701. Editorial Interns Jennifer Lee, David Anderson, Chandler Davidson, Rips, Sharron Rush, Kelly White, tional mailing offices. Kelly Sharp Dave Denison, Sissy Farenthold, Ronnie Dugger (Emeritus) Lawrence Goodwyn, Jim Hightower, Books & the Culture Is funded in Contributing Writers Subscriptions One year $32, two years part by the City of Austin through Kaye Northcott, Susan Reid In Memoriam the Cultural Arts Division and by a Nate Blakeslee, Gabriela Bocagrande, $59, three years $84. Full-time stu- Robert Bryce, Michael Erard, Bob Eckhardt, 1913-2001, grant from the Texas Commission dents $18 per year; add $13 per year on the Arts. NOVEMBER 17, 2006 THE TEXAS OBSERVER 3 • POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE Hot Air Rising THE DOOMSDAY CROCK Christian Zionists flocked to San Antonio's Cornerstone Church the weekend of October 20 to rally around the Israeli You PEOPle Agt, flag and express their undying love for 5 0 00- 0F:7P4ICR _ wrni *WOW T1 1T Jews.